Alice Bentham arrived with a stack of contracts alongside her manager from the real estate office to visit James. Amid their flattery and praise, he readily pulled out the money.
The sixteen properties were quickly sold.
Avril signed the documents without showing any emotion, as if the properties under her name were of no concern to her.
As Natasha watched the blueprints of each house roll by, she was awestruckâthe smallest was over three hundred square meters, each with a price tag in the millions, an amount she could never dream of affording in her lifetime.
Her astonishment grew as she gazed at James, realizing this was how the wealthy conducted their dealings.
She felt the glaring divide between ordinary people and the upper echelons of society.
Once everything was settled, Alice proposed to treat everyone to a meal, but James bluntly turned her down.
He had no interest in engaging in pointless socializing.
The manager glanced at the two beautiful women on the couch, quickly understanding the situation, and politely took his leave.
Once they left, Natasha felt she had no reason to linger.
Avril sat on the couch, unwavering like a steadfast sentinel, showing no intention of moving.
Natasha realized that her chance to have a private conversation with her boss was slipping away.
So she also decided to exit the room.
With only Avril and James remaining, they exchanged glances for a moment.
Finally, James broke the silence, curious about how this girl, burdened with debt, could afford to live across the way.
"Is the place you're living in yours?"
Avril sighed dramatically, "No, it's rented by a fan of mine."
James inquired, "Is it a guy or a girl?"
Avril shot him an incredulous look. "A girl. A mom fan who's liked me for a long time."
James contemplated her situation before suggesting, "If you like where you're living now, I could have someone talk to her and buy it for you at a higher price, how about that?"
Avril scoffed, "What's the use of buying it if I can only live there?"
James smiled lightly. "In a few years, when you're older, I might just gift you all these properties."
By then, he'd likely be ready to move on, giving these girls a true sense of freedom and a secure future.
Avril's eyes sparkled with ambition. "So, when you die, I can fully control those houses?"
Such reckless words were sure to earn her a harsh reprimand from her actual father.
James, however, couldn't tolerate it. He promptly grabbed the girl and pulled her down over his knee, lifting the hem of her pleated skirt to deliver three solid smacks.
"Smack, smack, smack."
Contrary to expectations, her skin felt soft and yielding under his hand.
The imprint of his strikes turned her skin a lovely shade of red, which looked rather enticing.
"Ah~~~ Ouch, ouch, ouch!" she cried out.
Through her whimpers, James scolded her, "Dare to curse me again?"
With tears welling in her eyes, Avril begged for mercy. "I'm sorry! I won't do it again!"
Her performance was top-notch, with a pitiful expression that made her look all too adorable.
James released her, smirking as he warned, "Next time, it won't be so easy."
Freed from his grasp, Avril leaped far away, bouncing on her feet and rubbing her behind as she gasped in pain.
Once she regained her composure, she glared at James with indignation.
"Pervert! You hit way too hard! A few days ago, I could have made you burst a vein!"
James could only stare in confusion.
Meanwhile, Winnie Morgan had been extremely busy. To prevent any mishaps, she had paid generously to bring in a few friends from the industry to help manage the company.
In the entertainment world, connections were vital. Without experienced support, getting things rolling was far too challenging.
She had to rush filming and settle for now, planning to onboard fresh talent once the company was stable.
After finalizing the script determined by her boss, it was time to prepare the crew and recruit actors.
Actors could be cast without the need for big celebrities, opting for lesser-known talents, allowing funds to be spent wisely.
With ample financing backing her, dedicated individuals jumped at the chance to get involved, freeing her from the burden of managing everything.
Yet she needed to ensure that the talent mentioned by her boss, Sofie Barnes, was actually capable of acting.
Winnie brought a professional casting director along to check in on Sofie.
As Sofie live-streamed in her yoga outfit, she was overjoyed, feeling this could be a pivotal moment in her life.
She apologized to her audience and quickly logged off, rushing to the living room where the director instructed her to express various emotions, adapting her face to show joy, anger, or sorrow under his direction.
"Sofie, your appearance is quite appealing, but your acting lacks nuance, likely due to inadequate practice..."
The director offered his words politely, but his implication was clear: her acting skills were lacking.
"Director, I promise to work hard; just give me a chance!"
Sofie was eager not to miss out on this opportunity. Bringing her hands together in desperate prayer, she even shot him a flirtatious wink.
The director was cautious; he didn't want any complications, especially since this was a woman directed by the boss.
So, he firmly stated, "Let's discuss this again once you've had some growth in your skills."
Realizing that pleading to him wasn't working, Sofie turned her attention to Winnie Morgan.
But Winnie felt overwhelmed and considered her options before saying, "How about this: you sign a contract, and we'll send you for training? If your skills improve in the short term, there might still be a chance for you in this three billion production."
Sofie was both surprised and elated as she took the contract, feeling stunned as she read the terms.
It had no conditions and guaranteed fifty thousand?
Was this for real?
She hadn't made fifty thousand in a month of live-streaming; that amount had come only from a handful of generous sponsors.
To calm her doubts, Winnie immediately transferred this month's payment to her and stated there was no obligation for a refund.
Sofie was overjoyed, bowing repeatedly in gratitude to Morgan.
Winnie clarified that it was all at the behest of her boss.
Sofie took the hint and, after signing the papers and bidding them farewell, shot a quick WhatsApp message to James.
"Thank you, King, for this opportunity! I'll do my best to repay you!"
[System Prompt: Sofie Barnes favorability +20]
James glanced at the message, checking her details.
[Goddess Profile Updated]
Name: Sofie Barnes
Age: 22 years
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 108 lbs
Charm: 91
Occupation: Dance Streamer
Traits: Materialistic
Favorability: 30
Number of Relationships: 9
æ»ç¥å¥å± (Strategy Reward): Disguise
Amount Spent: 50,000
[Disguise: Ability to alter forms, changing looks and appearances.]
This disguise must mean transformation abilities.
If used wisely, it could be an unstoppable asset in urban living.
And the woman's materialistic trait seemed easy to manipulate.
James wasn't in short supply of money either.
He wondered how a straightforward cash gift would impact her favorability.
But given the previous encounter where he spent three billion with no uptick in favorability, he hesitated to go all in again.
Maybe sending a hundred thousand daily would work?
That felt odd, like he was a fool being duped.
For now, he decided to wait, knowing that excess cash often stagnated favorability at 99.
He already had two girls caught at that hurdle.
No need to rush it.
"Keep working hard. You got this."
After sending his response, he immediately received another message from Sofie.
"Thank you, King, for the opportunity! Can I buy you dinner tonight?"
James scratched his head, sensing that this wasn't a typical dinner invitation; it felt more like an offer to indulge in something more.
With so many girls eager for his attention, it was essential for James to maintain his powerful persona, resisting easy enticement.
Perhaps when Sofie hit that 99 mark, he could swiftly secure a win.
He typed back, "No need. Just focus on your work; that's the best way to thank me."
Sofie felt no surprise at his response.
With a big shot like him, it wasn't easy to charm him into a casual meeting.
If it weren't for their peculiar connection, she wouldn't have even dreamed of a face-to-face encounter with someone like him.
She prepared for a prolonged battle, typing back, "As an entertainer, am I still allowed to stream?"
"Ask Secretary Qiu."
Seeing his aloof demeanor, Sofie quickly adopted a more submissive tone. "Okay, I won't trouble you further, King."
She opted not to consult with Winnie Morgan.
She understood that as a boss, he would often delegate the "no" to his subordinates, while the kingpin always remained the friendly face in charge.