"He, uh—" Poeta quickly came up with a response. After spending so many years overseas, she had mastered the art of conversation. "He's not happy about it, of course, but he didn't immediately argue with Mr. Carver Senior. "You know as well as I do, Mr. Carver, your family raised him well. He's always been an obedient and responsible son. Mr. Carver Senior isn't doing well, so he told me to tolerate it for a while. I'm staying somewhere else for now, but he'll bring it up again when Mr. Carver Senior softens a little."Poeta had made most of it up, but Owen didn't suspect that of her because it fit the script he'd written in his mind—his eldest son wouldn't get into a fight with Warren because of his first love; that wouldn't make sense."That's good enough. These negative feelings he has will build up slowly." Owen's gaze darkened. Fergus' dissatisfaction would eventually explode once it reached a breaking point. Owen knew Warren well. Warren would never see himself as the probl
However, that wasn't how Owen had expected things to turn out. From his perspective, everything had finally returned to the way it should be.Mindy had also returned bearing good news. The filming for her new variety show, "Exploring Farshya", would start soon. Unlike last time, when everyone shared recordings among themselves, this show would be broadcast live on TV.Anyone would jump at the opportunity to be featured in a mainstream variety show promoting national relics. Unlike the other guests, Mindy wasn't expendable; she was there as a restorer of cultural relics. Her impact would obviously be huge.Elated, Owen opened a bottle of wine and poured Mindy a glass. "Alas, it's still you who finally manages to make me happy, Mindy."With the show's airing, patriotic sentiment in Farshya was bound to surge. If Aria could benefit from this, so could Owen.Regardless of Warren's stance, Owen could always inform the media of his formal decision to adopt Mindy."I thought you didn'
"Kenny!" Mindy snapped, "How many times have I told you not to speak about Aria like that?"Kenny let out a long sigh. "Mindy, you're too nice. You see her as your sister, but does she see you that way? She's plotting to take over Carver Group for herself and doesn't even respect her own father. Just think about what she's been doing lately!"All she does is promote herself and win over Mr. Carver Senior. The industry praises her, but it's only because she used you as a stepping stone!" Mindy fidgeted with the hem of her dress. "Even so, if it makes her happy, I'm okay with it.""You shouldn't feel that way, Mindy." Owen had put his relationship with Aria entirely aside. His hatred for her grew tenfold upon hearing Kenny's words. He had greatly underestimated Aria. He'd been blaming his situation on Warren's disdain, but now it was clear—everything Aria had done since her return was part of her scheme to seize power!Owen turned to Mindy and said, "Present yourself as a patriot
"I heard that Dr. Whiz is quite elusive. If you need me to, I can ask around on your behalf." Mindy's voice became sweeter now that she was in a good mood. "I know many people in the cultural restoration industry, and they often have connections with mysterious figures like this doctor." Kenny responded, pleasantly surprised, "Really? That's wonderful! If we can get this doctor on board, Grandpa might recover!""Mindy, you sure are well-connected," Owen chimed in happily. The bigwigs usually aided only those they knew well; it wasn't about money but rather personal rapport.Mindy wouldn't make such a statement unless she already had her own strategies in place. Owen regretted not familiarizing himself with those bigwigs who could be helpful.It was fortunate that Mindy was knowledgeable about cultural relics. She was pleased by Owen's compliment, knowing it was true that she had her own network. Her mentor once mentioned an exceptionally skilled elderly traditional doctor in t
Thanks to that trip, everyone learned about government-backed companies and the business values Carver Group always upheld.Some people previously disliked Carver Group's products due to their unattractive packaging, but they now regard those products with nostalgia.No matter how fervently Carver Group's PR team urged everyone to be rational and believe in science, people remained convinced that Aria had saved the heroic spirits confined within the church. This belief was popular not only because of the numerous videos of the incident uploaded online but also because of certain influencers who tried to stir up drama. While they intended to mock Aria, they ended up in a difficult situation themselves.This was simply how the internet operated. The public remained skeptical of anything presented as the epitome of goodness. However, if a significant number of people labeled something as bad, it drew even more attention.Initially, people were fixated on the situation simply for gos
Clary didn't know where to begin when it came to describing Leon's acting, which was so abysmal that it made him look unappealing."I've seen him act. Indeed, he's very stiff in front of the camera." Aria smiled. "But it will be fine this time. His character is mute, so he has no chance to speak. The emotions will come easily too—he'll be playing Elijah's younger brother."No acting was necessary in that regard.Clary understood instantly. Aria hadn't just cast Leon in a movie for the sake of it—she intended for Elijah to help boost Leon's popularity. "Aria!" Leon approached from the green screen he was filming in front of, still wearing the costume of his in-game character—a dashing yet aloof demon lord of the underworld. In that outfit, he looked unapproachable. He was exhausted after a full day of filming and craved some time alone, but when he saw Aria, he smiled warmly and asked, "What did you say to Clary that made her so happy?"Clary grinned and replied, "She's here to
"She recently restored a gold-threaded silk robe. She's Mr. Cygnus Gramen's student," Clary said with admiration. "Mr. Gramen has praised her publicly countless times. She's going to be an extraordinary craftswoman in the future."Cultural relic restoration is different from our industry. It requires a vast reservoir of knowledge, immense patience, and the ability to focus deeply on your craft without distraction. Only with these qualities can they contribute meaningfully to preserve our heritage." Leon didn't want to dampen Clary's enthusiasm, but some things needed to be made clear. "She's the student my family sponsored. I'll film the show, but if she causes Aria any trouble, I'll make her filming experience hell."Clary was stunned. She knew how much Leon valued his career. People often gossiped about Leon's temper and aloof demeanor, but he typically managed to keep his emotions in check while working with others. Though he had been mocked early in his career for relying on
Clary still had a misconception about how the Carver family educated their children. Leon would never be uneducated, not when he was a Carver. A quick glance at the study in the Carver residence would reveal that the Carver family's educational focus was on history—more so than other noble families. Leon didn't offer further explanation. Now that Aria was there, his mind was on asking her what had happened at church. The public didn't have all the facts, but Leon knew someone had visited the Carvers' memorial hall late at night.At the studio, no one was aware of Aria's true identity. All they knew was that she was Kina's sister, who would be filming with him later."She's pretty.""Must be nice to have a brother in the industry. My sister has been an actress for years, but she's still mocked for not being talented and for not coming from a rich family."She wanted to work on this show for free, but the producer rejected her. Meanwhile, the sister of a popular idol gets to ap