Chapter 213 Long Time No See
Shay’s commercial performance this time was a collaboration with various other celebrities under the same company. Therefore, many people attended the concert. At present, the fans of the four most popular singers were gathered in one place, which resulted in all the tickets selling out on the website almost as soon as it was released.
After Shay sent away his two chatty fans, he smiled helplessly. Meanwhile, his manager was beseechingly urging him to finish with his makeup quickly. “Come on, my lordship. Sit down and get your hair done quickly! You’re going on stage soon! How could you take the time to entertain those two little fans?!”
“Those are not just my fans; one of them is also my niece. Isn’t she cute?” Shay was pressed into the chair by his manager, and his makeup artist was busy working.
“By the way, the investors for today’s competition are all here too. You better not make any mistakes. Also, you’ll have to come along for the celebration party after the concert. This time around, you’re not allowed to leave no matter what you say.”
He looked unenthusiastic. “I don’t want to go.”
“You have to go even if you don’t want to.” His manager looked very stern. “Who among all the other celebrities under our company do not have more endorsements than you? How do you think they managed to obtain those endorsements? They had to entertain their investors too! So, you better deal with it. You’ll get several tens of millions in endorsements just by drinking and smiling. Why won’t you go?!”
Shay had heard those words until his ears were about to fall off. “Keith, can’t I take on less of these commercial performances and endorsements in the future? I only want to focus on producing my album.”
“My lordship… didn’t you hear a single word I just said?! The album market is already a sunset industry. Nobody buys them anymore. Besides, internet piracy is rampant. Even if we sell your songs online, it won’t earn us any money. It’s considered not bad if we can even cover the costs sustained during production. I don’t object if you wish to continue with your artistic pursuits. Aren’t I finding ways for you to earn money and support your dreams? But, you have to be considerate toward me too.”
lright; alright. I won’t say that again.” He raised his hands in defeat. As part of the entertainment industry, it was all but impossible for one to focus on being an artist without engaging in any of the dirty acts going on behind the scenes. Using the money from the endorsements and commercial performances to produce his songs could be considered his determination to maintain the last piece of innocence in his heart.
It hadn’t been more than a year since he entered the entertainment industry, but he already felt as if his limbs had been shattered and reshaped again. It felt like a spinning top that was spinning continuously—it would topple over as soon as it stopped spinning. The audience only sees your brilliance on stage or your pathetic appearance as you fall from grace. Who has the time to care about your emotions and desires?
After the commercial performance, the venue manager came over to inform them about the place and time for the celebration party. Shay was being monitored by his manager all the way until they arrived at the hotel where the banquet was taking place. He couldn’t escape even if he wanted to.
“I really won’t escape, alright? Can you please stop staring at me, Keith? It stresses me out.”
“I won’t stare at you anymore after you greet the president of Warner Bros. By then, you can do whatever you like.”
“Sh*t! President Pigby whose face is so greasy that it can fill a barrel with oil?! That fat pig is interested in both men and women! If I have to greet him, it will shorten my lifespan by ten years!”
“You won’t die from smiling a little.”
While the two were at a stalemate, a figure walked over from afar. That person was wearing a tan suit paired with a dark blue bowtie. Holding a glass of champagne in his hands, he looked extremely aristocratic.
“How strange; I heard that Shay never participates in the celebration parties.” As soon as that voice entered Shay’s ears, he stiffened in surprise. He had his back to Casey, but his face paled considerably.
“Oh, it’s President Lewis.” His manager smiled widely. “That’s a misunderstanding. It’s not that Shay doesn’t participate in them; it’s just that he was always feeling unwell. So, he would return to the hotel to rest. Look; he came this time since he was feeling fine.”
“Oh?” Casey’s intonation went up at the end of his sentence, conjuring a rather meaningful tone.
“Go ahead and talk. I’ll be going there to greet some other people.” Shay’s manager tactfully fled the scene. Before he left, he patted Shay on the shoulder for an inexplicable reason. The look in his eyes indicated that Shay should seize the opportunity. He probably was not aware of Casey’s malicious intentions up to this day.
Shay’s expression was extremely frustrating. How did I get this kind of manager? All he does is push me into the fire!
“Long time no see.” Casey’s quiet voice came from behind him.
The corners of his mouth twitched as he forced a smile onto his face. “It hasn’t been that long, right? Didn’t we have a ‘chance encounter’ three days ago in Tokyo?”
Calling it a chance encounter is putting it nicely. Who would believe that two people can meet each other all over the world once every three days on average? There’s nothing he cannot do, only what you cannot imagine. I seriously suspect that my manager is selling my itinerary to Casey.
“What a pity.” Casey held his glass in his hand. The golden champagne swayed gently along the wall of the glass. “If it were March or April, we could have seen some rather beautiful cherry blossoms.”
“President Duncan, you truly are leisurely and elegant.” Shay glanced at Casey indifferently. “I went there for work. How could I choose when I wanted to go? I’m not as free as you are.”
Casey did not deny or confirm anything. He simply smilingly said, “I heard that you had some trouble with President Pigby of Warner Bros?”
When Shay heard that question, he looked absolutely disgusted and irritably asked, “What does that have to do with you?”
President Pigby of Warner Bros, who practically everybody in the entertainment industry dreaded, had molested Shay’s butt in front of everybody at the backstage area of the Kyoto Film Festival half a month ago. That incident had made him sick for half a month. Even now, he felt his stomach churning whenever he recalled the incident. If it wasn’t for his manager’s swift actions to stop him, he would have beat President Pigby up on the spot.
“It’s none of my business. But, Lewis Enterprise joined hands with Warner Bros recently. I handed some items to Old Master Pigby of the Pigby Family, and now, Warner Bros is no longer under that pig’s control.”
Shay looked startled. Then, he glanced at Casey suspiciously. “What did you give him?”
It’s nothing more than some pictures of that pig hugging several men at a male brothel. It was truly an elegant sight. Old Master Pigby nearly had a heart attack on the spot and immediately made a phone call to remove that pig from his position.”
President Pigby was born with a sense of debauchery that was not restrained by the common sense of the world. Therefore, it was not surprising for him to do something like that. Shay tried to hold his laughter in for a while. In the end, he couldn’t control himself and burst out laughing.
“What do you think? Don’t you plan to treat me to a meal as thanks?”
“I didn’t ask you to help me.” He raised his eyebrows at Casey and put aside his wine glass. “If that’s the case, I don’t have to hang around here anymore. I was waiting for that pig to appear so that I could apologize to him. Can you please let my manager know that I left early, President Lewis? I’m leaving.”
Shay walked away arrogantly. Meanwhile, Casey stood still for a while. Then, he lowered his head with a smile and followed.
“What’s the matter with you? Why are you chasing after me and forcing me to treat you to a meal?” After walking along the street for a while, Shay finally noticed that Casey had been following behind him. This is maddening!
“I am a businessman.” Casey’s expression was lazy. “A businessman always puts profit first. You have to provide me with an equivalent exchange.”
“Will you stop following me if I treat you to something to eat?”
“Of course.”
Upon hearing those two words, the pair of eyes under the sunglasses slanted sideways. Shay glanced at the oden stall by the side of the road that had just opened for business and quietly said, “You said that yourself.”
