Chapter 464 - 460: Another Round of Applause for Ms. Sterling

Director Vance was so blunt that Mr. Young had no choice but to take him seriously.

"If Director Vance really wants an introduction, I’ll have to give Cecilia a heads-up first. After all..."

Director Vance nodded knowingly. "Of course, I understand. I’m just genuinely interested in getting to know Ms. Sterling."

Onstage, Jasmine Sterling finally composed herself. Once her competitive drive faded, she started to feel a bit embarrassed. ’I must have looked so undignified just now.’ But the audience’s reaction gave her a huge boost of confidence.

"Alright, let’s once again congratulate Ms. Sterling on her victory in this round! Scarlett will donate fifty dollars to the foundation in Ms. Sterling’s personal name or her company’s name!"

The applause thundered once more. Jasmine Sterling offered a gentle smile and a nod, showing no trace of her previous lapse in composure.

It was this very contrast that made everyone find her all the more interesting.

Megan Nash and the others clapped along. Mrs. Lane forced a fake smile as she joined in, but she couldn’t help complaining internally. ’What kind of refined woman eats watermelon like that?’

’How ridiculous.’

But seeing the crowd’s reaction, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. ’Why is it that after being thwarted by Cecilia, I now have to get pushed aside and become a backdrop for her mother too?’

’This is unbelievable!’

The host invited Jasmine Sterling to the center of the stage, thanked the other participants, and then left Jasmine alone up there.

"Ms. Sterling, that was quite a ’heroic’ performance just now. May I ask what was going through your mind during the competition?"

The host said, passing the microphone to Jasmine Sterling.

Jasmine Sterling looked toward her daughter in the distance. She could only see Cecilia smiling at her and giving an affirmative nod.

She spoke, calmly uttering two words: "To win."

The venue erupted in another wave of laughter, but it wasn’t mockery or ridicule. It came from a genuine feeling that Jasmine Sterling had a fun personality.

"What a simple and honest thought! Now that you’ve won, is there anything you’d like to say?"

Jasmine Sterling held the microphone, thought for a moment, then shook her head gently. "There’s not much to say. Being able to raise funds for people in need is the reason we’ve all gathered here today. So the game, my image—none of that is important. The result is what matters most!"

Her simple words once again won a round of thunderous applause.

In the end, Scarlett donated fifty dollars to the Jandon Charity Foundation in the name of the Cleanscape Housekeeping and Cleaning Company.

As Jasmine Sterling walked down from the stage, Randall Jennings, who was closest, took the initiative to step forward and offer a hand to help her.

Jasmine Sterling gave him a grateful smile for his gentlemanly gesture.

Back by her daughter’s side, Jasmine Sterling felt a delayed wave of nervousness. She patted her chest and whispered, "That was terrifying!"

Cecilia Sterling immediately grabbed her mother’s hand. "Mom, you were amazing!"

"You were incredible just now, Auntie! Totally unexpected," Julian Summers chimed in excitedly.

Jasmine Sterling took a couple of deep breaths. Fortunately, the host started drawing lots again, diverting everyone’s attention from her and allowing her to relax a bit.

For the men’s round, five people were chosen again. All five were successful, middle-aged men in sharp suits, and Director Vance was one of them.

He stood on stage, his posture ramrod straight and stylish. The high-end custom suit he wore exuded the unique charm of a mature man.

And yet, the moment the competition began, Director Vance’s reaction and movements were identical to Jasmine Sterling’s—in fact, he was even more intense. In what seemed like an instant, the three slices of watermelon were nothing but rind.

Although the other contestants were also giving it their all, they were still a notch below Director Vance. Overall, however, the men’s group was much more fiercely entertaining to watch than the women’s group.

The venue once again erupted with laughter and applause as the host loudly announced, "Congratulations to Director Vance for winning this round of the game!"

Director Vance wiped his mouth, not forgetting to wave to the audience below, then joked to the people next to him, "Thank you for letting me win, everyone!"

"Was I really like that on stage just now?" Jasmine Sterling asked her daughter subconsciously after watching Director Vance’s performance.

Cecilia Sterling nodded with a smile, though in truth, her mother had looked even more frantic. Because her mouth was smaller, she had looked particularly pitiful with it stuffed full of watermelon.

Jasmine Sterling immediately facepalmed. Having just witnessed Director Vance’s performance firsthand, she realized he truly hadn’t cared about his image at all.

Who would have thought that at this very moment, she would hear Director Vance suddenly mention her while answering the host’s question.

"I think Ms. Sterling was absolutely right earlier. When it comes to charity, the result is what matters most. Being able to raise funds for those in need is the whole reason we’re here today."

"If a lady as elegant and dignified as Ms. Sterling can disregard her image for the sake of charity, what reason do we men have to hold back? I think it’s fantastic. I had a great time, and I really enjoyed myself."

"I believe we should give Ms. Sterling another round of applause!"

With that said, Director Vance led another round of applause for Jasmine Sterling. His gaze traveled over the first few rows of tables, landing on Jasmine in the distance, and he gave her a look of sincere admiration.

Jasmine Sterling was flattered and surprised. Seeing everyone applauding for her again, she quickly stood up to express her thanks.

Seeing this from not far away, Mrs. Lane felt even more jealous.

"Like mother, like daughter. Can’t hide that vixen charm," she muttered. Noticing Director Vance’s undisguised gaze toward Jasmine Sterling, she couldn’t help but turn to Walter Lane and ask, "Director Vance’s wife passed away many years ago, right? He never remarried? Don’t tell me he’s taken a liking to Cecilia’s mother?"

Walter Lane clapped along while glaring at his wife. Although he didn’t reply, he took her words to heart.

Director Vance’s conglomerate was primarily involved in the new energy sector; it was a leading group in the domestic new energy industry with an extremely wide reach. He was a major, influential figure in the Cathay business world.

’If he’s really taken a liking to Cecilia’s mother, doesn’t that mean Cecilia’s network is about to level up again?’

Although nothing was certain yet, just the thought of it sent a chill down Walter Lane’s spine.

The games continued. Spurred on by Jasmine Sterling’s and Director Vance’s complete disregard for their image, the contestants in the following two rounds were clearly much more uninhibited. The atmosphere of the event instantly became more lively.

Soon, the second game began.

"Next, we’ll move on to our second game, called ’Idiom Fill-in-the-Blank.’ The prompts will be displayed on the big screen. For each idiom, some words will be missing, and contestants must take turns completing the phrase. One point is awarded for a correct answer, and zero points for an incorrect one. The person with the most points at the end wins..."

"I’m good at this!" Julian Summers grew eager to participate the moment he heard the rules.

Seeing this, Secretary Grant, who was standing nearby, moved his lips as if to speak. But then he figured his boss probably wouldn’t be chosen, so he swallowed the words he was about to say.

But the very next second, the host spoke into the microphone, "Number 29, from The Sullivan Group, Chairman Sullivan!"