Thomas hurriedly nodded, and his ears had turned red. Liesel considered everything for him. She really was amazing, and that made him like her even more. There was a fork ahead of them. Thomas, who had been secretly joyful, froze instantly. As Liesel stopped, she suddenly felt like she had meddled too much. Some liked to work hard and achieve success, while others preferred to go with the flow. Everyone had their own ways of living. Liesel was being ridiculous by planning Thomas' life with her own ideas."Sorry, I always like making plans. All I can think of is getting promotions and higher pay." Liesel massaged her temples as she smiled helplessly. "You can do whatever you want. I'm just giving you a suggestion.""I know. Thank you, Ms. Sharp." Thomas gripped the cart handles tightly. Liesel's suggestion was fantastic, but Thomas couldn't see her if he went to work in the workshop. He might as well continue working as a laborer.There were two different routes ahead, and th
Howard felt his presentation would help Liesel realize how valuable he was. "I'm not satisfied." Liesel shook her head. Howard was rendered speechless. That was the second time his ego took a hit."Mr. Durham, I suggest you don't look too far ahead. Whether cars can fly, that's for the future. First, we should develop a medicine that can cure cancer. "As for cars, we should solve battery life problems first, am I right? Yet you're developing flying cars before even solving our current problems. Your idea is too far-fetched.""Didn't you agree that you wouldn't interfere with my research?" Howard finally found his voice again."I'm just giving you a general direction. You'll still be in charge of the actual research, Mr. Durham," Liesel lied calmly. A general direction? She clearly planned everything for him in advance, and all he had to do was follow her plan. He wasn't even given a choice."Once the problem is solved, you can secure your position as CEO at Hardin Group. Am
Howard put on his gold-rimmed glasses and stared at Liesel. "You'll have unlimited funding and support. Your dreams will even come true. I'll do all I can to support you and make this self-driving car happen so it can fly in the sky and glide across the ocean." Liesel pointed at the luxurious sports car on the screen. "How do you know it's my dream?" Howard asked with a smirk."I fell in love with the car when I saw it for the first time. I'm sure it'll become everyone's dream car." Liesel chuckled. Howard looked down and let out a cryptic laugh. "Ms. Sharp, did you know that people's dreams may change?""Oh? Has your dream changed, Mr. Durham? That's okay. Tell me all about it, and I might even help you achieve your new dream." Liesel raised an eyebrow. She seemed rather interested, and her expression was filled with pride. Howard reached for another remote and pressed a button. The surrounding glass walls suddenly turned black, preventing anyone from looking inside. The whi
Was Liesel truly unable to understand the information? She was merely too lazy to browse through the document.It was best for someone like Howard to have his arrogance deflated. Being too nice to him would merely make him take advantage of the situation. Liesel was an investor. Why should she waste time reading reports? Howard should be explaining everything to her clearly. "I can't understand anything," Liesel repeated with an evident smile. Howard massaged his temples and exhaled lightly. After a long time, he said, "I'll ask someone to prepare another proposal and email it to you."He knew Liesel was forcing him to give in, and he had done so as well.Liesel cocked her head slightly. Her eyes gleamed as she looked at Howard. She was obviously satisfied with Howard's answer. That was how an employee should act.Howard could be proud of what he had, but soaring too high might hurt others. That was a lesson Liesel wanted to teach him. "Be good and listen to me, Mr. Durha
"Hey, who cares if she's capable? All I know is that she's a great beauty.""Indeed. I don't know if I'll ever have a chance with her in the future…"The foreigners gathered together began to chuckle deviously. Their lustful laughter and malicious chuckles kept drifting over, gradually affecting Thomas' judgment.How dare these foreigners humiliate Liesel? Thomas strode over with a terrifying expression.Liesel appeared in front of the group of foreigners before Thomas could reach them and asked in fluent Eldovian, "Can all of these be assembled by tonight?"The foreigners quickly stopped smiling deviously and responded in broken Eldovian that it wouldn't be a problem."I'm paying double for overtime and installation fees. I hope your efforts will match the amount paid," Liesel said bluntly.Of course, she knew what those foreigners said. However, she merely looked at them blankly, barely concealing the disdain in her gaze. The foreigners were clearly provoked. They reached fo
Thomas felt like his ego had taken a big blow. Anyone could look down on him, but not Liesel. "They misunderstood the manual. The circuit board in this area…"Liesel interrupted Thomas. "This isn't your job. Go and move the boxes."Thomas, who had been prepared to prove himself, felt he had lost before he even started. He immediately looked down while feeling deflated. He wasn't highly educated, nor did he have good grades or any impressive achievements. That was why Liesel looked down on Thomas. Not only did she not let him look at the detailed manual, but she ordered him to move boxes.In Liesel's mind, perhaps he was only good enough to carry boxes. That thought caused Thomas' eyes to redden, making him feel terribly sad.Cameron often called Thomas a loser, saying that he could only live his life off dividends in the future. Back then, Thomas wasn't hurt at all because he believed he was capable. However, one denial from Liesel made Thomas feel extremely doubtful about hims
A few laborers stood not far away. They were smoking while gazing at Thomas with concern once in a while. "What happened to Thomas?""He wanted to look at the blueprints, but Ms. Sharp told him off.""His ego suffered a blow?""We're just laborers, so we can't mess with this high-end equipment. Those foreigners aren't easy to deal with either. Didn't you see how they treated Ms. Sharp? Let alone people like us, and we're merely laborers.""Thomas' is a high-spirited young man. I heard he once went to college.""Oh, he's still too young and not thick-skinned enough. Unlike older timers like us, we don't feel anything after being scolded. As long as Ms. Sharp doesn't cut my pay, anything is fine."Someone hushed them. "Ms. Sharp is coming our way."Everyone quickly fell silent and took a few strong puffs from their cigarettes. Their gazes followed Liesel closely. Night had fallen, and the parking lot was slightly dim. However, Liesel seemed radiant. Wherever she went, that pla
Thomas took a deep drag from the cigarette.A moment later, his coughing was so loud and violent it could've shaken the room."If you're not good at smoking, just leave it be. Smoking isn't a great habit. It's much better to stay clean and fresh." Liesel's gentle voice carried a hint of a smile.Thomas quickly put out the cigarette and lowered his head to hide his flushed face.Did that mean Liesel thought he was clean?He raised his head and quickly glanced at Liesel. His eyes were filled with affection.Liesel undid a few buttons on her jacket and loosened her tie. Unbothered by the dusty cart, she sat down next to Thomas.Thomas felt his body tense. Every nerve was on edge. Being close to his crush really made his heart race."The instrument was broken by the Gildrennians," Liesel said with a soft chuckle.Thomas stared at Liesel's profile, dumbfounded."Broken?" It took him a moment to process before he asked."Yes, it was assembled incorrectly. The panel is dead. It won
How could Yvonne say that her fans were for her to exploit? That was one way to drive her fans away completely. They weren't pathetic for wanting to idolize someone.Yvonne's remaining fans tagged her on Twitter to demand answers, but she dared not respond at all. A few of her die-hard fans were left dismayed and completely disappointed in her. This prompted them to announce their departure from the fandom. Meanwhile, her remaining fans were clueless and couldn't make much impact.The video exposing Yvonne's true colors triggered a new trend "A Discussion About The Relationship Between Idols And Their Fans". Many inevitably brought up Chelsea, and Damian's fans chimed in that he was even more gentle and considerate. He even beat up a worker for stalking his fans, and that revelation earned Damian more fans.The fiasco this time had caused a wave of discussion about fans in the entertainment industry. Fans were made aware of their status so they would understand that they weren't
"I don't believe idols are superior to their fans. We're equals—our bond is mutual. We're responsible for accompanying each other and growing together."Chelsea popped a signed photograph into a paper bag and handed it to her loyal fan next to her. She continued, "Some became my fans because of my looks and performance. "All these are definitely important, but I hope they continue being my fans in the future because of my character and excellent talents."I hope my fans will notice my efforts, and they'll do the same as I did—walk toward the future with determination. The fans' support and admiration will give me more confidence, and my hard work will also inspire my fans to be better."Chelsea confidently walked away from the crowd to Ophelia and took out a wet wipe to dry the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Becoming a fan doesn't mean you should exhaust yourself. "Idolizing others is also a great way to improve yourself. An idol is like a guiding light. If she doesn't hel
While Ophelia had been quite harsh, her eyes turned red as soon as she spun on her heel. She had been Yvonne's fan for so many years and idolized her. It wasn't easy for Ophelia to simply dislike her right away.But Ophelia knew that she would really be a fool if she continued looking up to Yvonne. The snippet of the exchange ended there. After that, Ophelia and the others left the backstage area with reddened eyes. It was crowded outside the performance venue. Many held red LED boards, and some even held Chelsea's fan merchandise. One glance at them told Ophelia that they were Chelsians.While it seemed crowded, everyone was actually standing in two lines in an orderly fashion. Chelsea cheerfully handed out small gift bags to her fans. Afraid that Chelsea might exhaust herself, some fans took the initiative to help her hand out the bags. Others obediently distributed hot bubble tea Chelsea had bought as well. Since the weather was getting colder, she was worried that the fans wo
A twisted expression crossed Yvonne's face. "Your love for me has always been superficial! You supported me because of my looks!"Once better and prettier idols debut, you'll immediately switch sides and support them! Why should I give back so much to fans like you?"Yvonne pointed at the door. "Look how many people have shown support for Chelsea after she debuted? How many of my fans have turned into Chelsians and how many of them even started insulting me online?"Your support has always been ridiculous and superficial! What's wrong with me for taking advantage of people like you? "Fans who stan idols have always been childish and ridiculous! Serve all of you right for being so useless! Those in their right minds would never keep up with any idols!""Have you gone mad?" Ophelia couldn't help but push Yvonne aside. Ophelia couldn't believe that Yvonne, whom she had admired for so many years, had uttered such unkind words. Ophelia threw the LED board to the ground. The utter fo
The paparazzo burst into laughter. He held his stomach as he rolled on the couch in glee. "Oh, wow! You still invited your fans here in your current situation. They're really your diehard fans."A vein throbbed on Yvonne's forehead. She couldn't help but hiss under her breath. "Aren't you my fans? Since you are, you should be on my side and continue helping me!""We might be fans, but does that mean you can treat us as fools?"While Ophelia's eyes had gone red, she did not hold back as she lashed out at Yvonne. "You already knew that we're just useless female students. Why did you even message us privately and invite us to the performance venue?"We worried about you. We showed up with light sticks and gifts, just hoping to let you know we were still here and that we still had your back. "And what did you do? What are fans to you, Yvonne? Are we even people in your eyes? Or are we just tools—things you can use and toss aside whenever you feel like it?"Yvonne froze. Meanwhile, t
Yvonne opened the door and was startled by the sight of Ophelia and her friends. She patted her chest. "When did you guys arrive? Don't you know how to knock on the door?"Ophelia and her two friends stared at Yvonne with reddened eyes and did not respond. Yvonne recalled the public's opinions toward her as well as the online criticism toward her fans. Their expressions made Yvonne feel rather sympathetic toward them. Since their eyes had turned red, she believed they must have cried out of exasperation after learning that Yvonne was being bullied in the group. They really did seem to be her true fans. "Come in." Yvonne gestured with her chin. After the three entered the lounge, Yvonne handed them three bottles of juice. "Have something to drink for now. I'll take you out for a bite later."Ophelia held the bottle of juice but did not drink it. Finally, Yvonne noticed that each of them was holding a cat doll. "Are you giving me these cat dolls as presents?"The three did not say
Yvonne's chest ached, making it hard for her to breathe. The words Ophelia once said had left her feeling extremely miserable. Yvonne sat at the table and sobbed."Chelsea became what others have always dreamed to be because she didn't need any persona. She always shone the brightest on stage. Chelsea can lead her fans into a brighter future, and you'll only lead us into darkness and nightmares."Those were Ophelia's last words before leaving. Until now, her words haunted Yvonne like a relentless nightmare. It was like a projector that couldn't be switched off, replaying over and over that she was nothing compared to Chelsea.How did that happen? Ophelia was Yvonne's fan, and Yvonne believed Ophelia, the daughter of the Fords, should always be her fan. Yvonne wiped her tears away. As soon as she turned around, she saw the cat doll Ophelia had given her as a final gift. These days, Yvonne took the cat doll with her everywhere. She still kept it with her even while filming a self-
At Ashthorne Studios, the director announced, "Alright, cut! That's a wrap, everyone. Great work today! You can all head off to the hotel and get some rest." Crew members chuckled and began filing out. They were chatting as they made their way to their rooms.But Yvonne, who was still on set, was fuming as she clutched her phone. She had seen Ophelia's reply, and it only made her angrier.One of her assistants, who was trailing behind with genuine concern, asked, "Yvonne, are you alright? Feeling unwell?""Get lost!" Yvonne snapped, glaring. "You're an eyesore!"The assistant shrank back, clearly frightened and hurt by her harsh tone.Yvonne hurried off to her hotel room with her phone clutched tightly as she replayed a particular video over and over. There was no mistaking that the person in the video was one of her biggest fans from back in the day, the same fan who had once waited for her at the airport in Huntaria.A seething mix of jealousy, anger, and bitter resentment chur
Ophelia was done with Yvonne. Unable to hold back her emotions any longer, she took to Twitter to attack her."Did you really think that every gift I painstakingly made was worthless? After years of devotion, the person I once adored has become completely unrecognizable. When I confronted her, she acted as if nothing was wrong."She even claimed that because I was her fan, I had no right to criticize her. I find that utterly absurd."I once asked her what a fan meant to her, and she dismissed us as shallow, saying our love was something that could be discarded. I always believed an idol should be the pillar of her fans' dreams, a beacon of hope. "But the Yvonne I loved—the one who shone so brightly in pursuit of her dreams—was gone."So, from that day on, I severed all ties. The doll I once gave her on Twitter was my final farewell gift. It was a proper goodbye, not a sign of regret. I stopped logging into that account because I wanted to leave with dignity."And don't say Chels