Henry Foster looked at him. “I just don’t want to do it this way.”

“This isn’t a way, Henry Foster, it’s an opportunity.” David Brooks shrugged. “The six of you, in terms of ability, could easily achieve better results than you have now. Having ability but no opportunity is the hardest thing.”

“Or have you already forgotten what you said to me when you first joined the company?”

Henry Foster’s heart clenched.

He had said it—he wanted to stand at the very center of the stage.

But now, he had no stage.

Although their debut was full of coincidences, the company still put in effort. Even the group’s initial planning was all done by David Brooks himself. The group name, kaleido, was also chosen by him, inspired by the word “kaleidoscope,” meaning ever-changing like a kaleidoscope. They all understood the hopes placed in this.

But whether a group could succeed depended on too many factors.

A thin layer of sweat formed in his palm, his nerves being pulled tighter and tighter. Just then, his phone suddenly vibrated. Henry Foster’s hand trembled, and when he saw the caller, his brows furrowed even more.

“Sorry, I… need to step out for a moment.”

David Brooks nodded, simply letting everyone take a break. He also went out for a smoke. Only Logan Brooks and Ethan Carter were left in the meeting room. Logan Brooks, bored, gripped his pen and practiced writing on the proposal. He wanted to write his own name, but had only written the first character when he heard Ethan Carter sigh. Looking up, he saw a cloud of worry on his face.

He was a bit curious. “Mr. Carter, what’s wrong?”

Mr. Carter was a nickname started by their fans. When picking them up at the airport, the members all called him 羌哥, but the fans misheard it and started calling him Mr. Carter. Logan Brooks found it amusing and followed suit.

Ethan Carter replied irritably, “Damn, just talking about it pisses me off…”

Henry Foster wandered around for a while before finally finding an empty meeting room on the same floor. He hadn’t wanted to answer the call, but this Assistant Director Miller was not only the assistant director of the variety show he was filming, but also a mid-level executive at the show’s broadcasting platform. As a not-so-popular young idol, he had already turned down too many people.

“Director Miller.”

The voice on the other end seemed to have changed, now gentle. “Little Henry, you’re not busy right now, are you? Yesterday I did lose my temper a bit and spoke harshly. Don’t take it to heart. You know I really like you. It’s only because I like you that I got a bit anxious…”

Hearing the word “like” from his mouth made Henry Foster feel nauseous. He put the phone back in his pocket and adjusted his wireless earphones. “Director, I’ve already made my intentions clear…”

“Kid, just let me finish. You were trending yesterday, weren’t you? Must feel good, right? See, you really have potential. You’re so good-looking, aren’t you? You’ve got the skills too, just missing a step up.”

The more he spoke, the more disgust piled up in Henry Foster’s heart. It was as if this pot-bellied, arrogant, and rude assistant director was standing right in front of him, eyes full of barely concealed lechery, that thick hand resting on his shoulder. Even the sound of his breathing through the receiver made him want to vomit.

“Director Miller, if you insist on forcing me…”

Before Henry Foster could finish, the other side loudly interrupted.

“How is this forcing you! This is mutual benefit. The trending topic these past days was bought by your company, right? Not bad, you know how to promote now. Should’ve done this earlier. But you’d better think it through—there are always newcomers popping up in this industry. If you don’t keep up the exposure after this wave of popularity, it’s all for nothing. The money you spent on trending topics will be wasted, understand?”

The sharp voice in his earphones became like a current of barbed wire, cruelly tearing at Henry Foster’s proud self-esteem.

At this moment, he was like a cheap product on a shelf, within easy reach. Even if he didn’t end up in the pitiful situation of being forced, he could still be crushed at will, leaving only a fragile plastic shell. Pick it up, shake it, and all you hear is the brittle wailing of shattered dreams.

The other party grew more confident, both flaunting and tempting. “What is exposure? Of course, it’s reality shows! When it comes to reality shows, your company doesn’t have the connections I do…”

Nausea, dizziness, and excessive fatigue combined with lack of food made his vision darken and his legs weak. The voice in his earphones split into countless echoes, merging into a constant buzzing.

“What’s the point of online variety shows? If you’re going to do it, do a satellite TV show—your national popularity will soar in no time. Little Henry, just relax. As long as you stick with me, I promise, I’ll tailor something just for you…”

Suddenly, a cool fingertip brushed across his cheek.

The source of his disgust vanished as the earphones were removed. His ears were instantly empty, and the noisy, chaotic world suddenly quieted, as if he had sunk into the deep sea.

“Assistant Director Miller.”

A hand carelessly landed on Henry Foster’s shoulder, making his whole body go rigid. He turned his head in a daze.

The old man, who had been talking non-stop on the other end, was stunned by the voice, his exaggerated words falling to the ground in embarrassment. After all, this deep voice sounded nothing like Henry Foster, and the flippant tone was even more out of place.

“I recorded it.”

Chapter 3: Like Cherry Blossoms in the Wind

He didn’t even need to rehearse to bluff people. Henry Foster could never pull that off.

“You! Who are you?”