Chapter 25
The word "most handsome" successfully pleased Violet, and she became more talkative. "You've got good taste. But what's the point of just hearing from friends? I have a complete collection of all of Clarence's high-definition stage fancams since his debut. Want them?"
This was exactly what I wanted.
Using our shared "interest" as a breakthrough, I quickly became familiar with Violet.
She was no longer cold and distant toward me and would even enthusiastically share Clarence videos she had edited with me during lunch breaks.
That's when I discovered that this girl, who seemed to have no passion for work, had amazing talent and sharp instincts in video editing and data analysis.
She could precisely capture the most fan-attracting shots of her idol, and could make boring data reports clear, concise, and straight to the point.
Amelia thought she was sending me a "useless person" to drag me down, but she didn't know she had sent me a buried genius.
That day, after finishing my work, I had just returned to Silvercrest Villa when my phone started ringing like crazy.
I let it ring until it automatically disconnected, then moments later, it persistently rang again. I frowned and answered the call without saying anything.
Michael's furious roar immediately came through the phone. "Ophelia! What the hell did you do? Why did all the core employees at my company resign? Was it you? Did you poach them all to your side?"
His voice was full of betrayed anger and helpless rage, as if I had done something unforgivable.
Listening to his hysterical questioning, I just found it ridiculous.
I walked to the bar, poured myself a glass of water, and spoke in a tone as calm as discussing the weather. "Mr. Johnson, have you forgotten that your company has no projects anymore?"
"You..." He was choked by my words.
"Since there are no projects, naturally, there's no need for employees." I leaned against the bar, my voice carrying a hint of cold mockery. "Do you expect them to stick with you and live off your pie-in-the-sky new energy project? Michael, everyone needs to eat."
"What do you know! My project will launch soon! When that happens..."
"Then let's talk when it launches." I was too lazy to listen to his empty fantasies and cut him off directly. "I'm very busy here and don't have time to listen to your complaints. Don't bother me with such trivial matters in the future."
With that, I hung up directly.
I leaned back tiredly in my chair and rubbed my throbbing temples.
Dealing with Amelia and those weirdos at the company had already consumed most of my energy. I felt that even looking at a clown like Michael was a waste of time.
Just when I thought I could enjoy a moment of peace, I heard the soft sound of the door lock being opened from outside.
I instantly became alert, stood up from my chair, and grabbed a heavy metal ornament nearby.
The door was pushed open, and a tall figure walked in. The familiar cold cedar scent immediately eased my tense nerves.
Benjamin was wearing a well-tailored dark suit, obviously just back from some business event.
Seeing my defensive stance as if facing a great enemy, he raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement flashing in his deep eyes. "Looks like my investment has quite strong self-protection awareness."
I put down the ornament in my hand, suppressed the slight unease in my heart, and spoke in a flat tone: "Mr. Wilson, coming over so late, is there something?"
He casually took off his suit jacket, hung it on the coat rack in the entrance, loosened his tie, and slowly walked toward me.
He still carried a slight chill from outside, mixed with the faint scent of alcohol lingering from the reception, full of mature masculine aggression.
"I heard," he sat down on the bar stool opposite me, legs crossed, his posture lazy yet elegant, "you've been making quite some moves lately. Not only did you turn around that mess from the White Group, but you also partnered with an independent designer to start your own brand?"
My heart sank slightly.
Aurora's project had just started, and the plan Violet and I made had only been shared within the department, yet he already knew about it.
I didn't answer, which was as good as admitting it.
He seemed satisfied with my honesty, the corners of his lips curling into a meaningful smile. "Removing the firewood from under the pot, using others' strength against them, and knowing how to leverage personal IP to drive fan economy. Ophelia, you're learning faster than I imagined."
His praise carried no warmth, more like a superior's assessment of a subordinate.
"Mr. Wilson flatters me. I'm just trying to complete the task my father assigned." I subtly deflected the credit, not wanting to reveal too much in front of him.
"Task?" He chuckled softly, the sound particularly clear in the quiet night. "To me, this doesn't look like completing a task, but more like building your own business empire."
His gaze was sharp as an eagle's, as if it could penetrate all my disguises and reach the deepest ambitions in my heart.
In front of him, any scheming seemed unnecessary. I simply stopped hiding and met his gaze, asking frankly, "Then is Mr. Wilson here tonight, as a partner, to nip my business empire in the bud?"
"No." Benjamin shook his head, leaning forward slightly. His eyes were startlingly bright under the light, with flames of ambition dancing in them, identical to mine.
He stared at me and said clearly, word by word: "I'm here to discuss cooperation."
"I'm very interested in your new media platform and that designer brand."
His words were like a stone thrown into a lake, creating ripples.
Benjamin's interest in my project was both an opportunity and a test.
I suppressed the turmoil in my heart, keeping my expression unchanged, and took out another clean glass from behind the bar to pour him some water.
"How does Mr. Wilson want to cooperate?" I pushed the glass toward him, my tone businesslike.
He didn't touch the water, his deep gaze still locked on me with the focus of a hunter examining prey. "I want exclusive investment rights to your platform, and thirty percent of the shares in your designer brand."
Quite an appetite. I sneered inwardly but showed just the right amount of difficulty on my face. "Mr. Wilson, this project is key to proving myself to the White Group. If the equity structure is too complex, I'm afraid it will be hard to explain to my father."
"That's your problem." Benjamin leaned back in his chair, his posture lazy but his tone uncompromising. "Ophelia, you need to understand that without my funding and connections, your platform is just an empty shell, and your designer friend can at most open an online shop. But I can put you in the spotlight of Emerald City's fashion circle within three months."