Chapter 453

Chapter 453: Chapter 453

After hearing Lin Jiji speak, Sister Rose gave a strange smile. "I thought you were out of tricks, aside from wagging your tail like a dog. To my surprise, you still have a bit of a brain—enough to use the company as a shield to threaten me."

"Threatening you... I had no choice. Right now, I just want to get through this. As long as you’re willing to help me, you can do with me as you please afterward!"

"And what if I still don’t plan on helping you?"

"No! You will help me."

Lin Jiji looked Sister Rose straight in the eyes and said, enunciating every word, "You’re someone who sees the big picture. You might abandon me out of your pride, but you would never disregard the company’s interests over some lofty ideal."

"You say that as if you know me so well."

"I wouldn’t dare say I know you perfectly, but after following you for so many years, I’ve picked up a thing or two."

"Hahaha, of all the things we’ve said, that’s the only one that reminds me of the Lin Jiji I used to know."

Seeing that Sister Rose was no longer smirking, but laughing genuinely, Lin Jiji couldn’t help but feel a surge of joy.

’Since Sister Rose is laughing for real,’ he thought to himself, ’and she even said she sees the me she used to admire... does that mean she’s going to help me?’

With this thought in mind, he climbed up from the floor, chuckled, and said, "Actually, I’m still the Lin Jiji you used to admire. It’s just that this whole situation was too tricky and it caught me completely off guard. That’s why I lost my composure."

Sister Rose shrugged. "I just said I saw the you I used to know, but I never said I saw the you I used to admire, did I?"

Lin Jiji froze. "You... what do you mean by that?"

"The first time we met, I said two things to you. Remember?"

"I remember. The first thing you said was that I had limitless potential! And that you were the key to unlocking it."

Sister Rose smiled. "After you heard that, you got pretty smug. You even said that if you followed me, you definitely wouldn’t disappoint my expectations, and that you could even become an A-lister in a year or two."

"Yes. But after hearing my ambitious words, you didn’t encourage or praise me. Instead, you told me the second thing." Lin Jiji paused. "You said that when I was confident, I looked just like a wild dog in heat!"

"You probably scoffed at that, didn’t you?"

"Yes... but I quickly discovered that you were right. Before I entered the business with you, I thought the entertainment world was simple. I figured that with the right connections and resources, even a beggar could make it big. But once I got in with you and ran into so many roadblocks, I finally saw the truth: the entertainment industry is like a pool of bottomless, murky water. Even if you follow the right person and get the resources, you’re not guaranteed to succeed. One careless mistake, and you can drown!"

Sister Rose nodded. "And right here, right now, I want to say that second thing to you all over again."

"What do you mean?"

"The meaning is simple. That confident look you had when you threatened me with the company... in my eyes, it’s the same as when you were bragging to me back then. You still look like a wild dog in heat!"

Hearing this, the smile just starting to form on Lin Jiji’s face vanished without a trace. His voice grew low. "You... you’d really disregard the company’s interests?"

Sister Rose sneered, "Of course I’ll look out for the company’s interests. But what does me looking out for the company have to do with you?"

"How could it have nothing to do with me? If you abandon me, you’ll have to pay our partners a penalty for breach of contract. That’s a lot of money."

"Heh. It’s just money. Whatever I lose from you, I can make back somewhere else in minutes."

Sister Rose let out a cold laugh, looking Lin Jiji straight in the eye as she enunciated every word. "Since you claim to know me, you should understand this: for me, building up an idol star like you is just like cooking a rather complicated dinner.

If I drop you today, I can put in a little effort and build up another one tomorrow. As for the money I’d lose on you, I have countless ways to make it back elsewhere.

Besides, I’m the one who negotiated all those deals with our partners. What makes you so sure that if these partnerships fail, it’s the company that will be compensating them for their losses, and not you?!"

At these words, Lin Jiji’s pupils shrank. "What are you talking about? Don’t tell me those contracts were all signed in my name?"

Sister Rose smiled. "Whose name they were signed in isn’t important. What’s important is that according to the terms of the contracts, if the partnerships succeed, the company and I are the beneficiaries. But if they fail... the one who has to bear the responsibility and pay the compensation is you!"