The news of Ash's tax evasion and coercion of underage girls spread across the internet at an astonishing speed.
Before long, even the tourists inside Yunjing Garden caught wind of it.
Compared to outsiders who only saw fragments online, the tourists here understood the context far more clearly. Ash had just offended someone—and almost immediately afterward, everything collapsed.
The timing was far too precise.
To say it was unrelated would be lying to oneself.
—
Jason and Sophia continued strolling for another half hour before stopping to rest. They went up to the second floor of a pavilion, where tea had been prepared.
Sophia quickly noticed something different.
As tourists climbed the stairs, their gazes were no longer divided.
They were all focused on Jason.
Whispers followed wherever he sat.
Before, Jason had already been eye-catching—but back then, at least half the attention had been on her. Now, nearly all eyes were on him.
Not just women.
Even men looked at him with open admiration.
Several women dressed in traditional-style outfits lingered nearby, their eyes bright, their expressions soft—as if affection were written plainly on their faces.
System prompts chimed quietly.
Sophia vaguely caught snippets of conversation drifting up from below.
"Who exactly is this Jason?"
"Ash offended him, and then this happened immediately. There's no way that's a coincidence."
"I've disliked Ash for a long time. Just a pretty idol, yet he really thought he was above everyone else. I was traveling and got driven away like the road belonged to him."
"That's nothing. Once at the airport, I got shoved aside to clear his path. Like the whole terminal was his private property. I was in such a rush I nearly missed my flight."
"I had it worse. My girlfriend wore her wedding dress to his concert."
"And turns out he's even more disgusting than he looks. Bad acting, bad character—and now illegal acts too. Tax evasion, coercing minors…"
"Finally, someone can control him. This feels so satisfying."
"Mobilizing the police, the broadcasting authority, the cyber administration—all in one day. I can't even imagine how powerful this Jason is."
Sophia's brows twitched.
A trace of shock crossed her face.
She pulled out her phone and quickly searched, finding the official announcements issued by law enforcement, the federal broadcasting authority, the cyber administration, and the performers' association.
All of them were real.
All of them were public.
She slowly lifted her head and looked at Jason.
The man at the center of the storm was calmly holding a teacup, sipping leisurely, his expression relaxed—completely at ease.
It was as if events shaking the entire entertainment industry had nothing to do with him.
At that moment, Sophia felt her heartbeat accelerate—just a little.
She had to admit it.
She was captivated.
Not just by his appearance—but by what lay beneath it.
She finally understood what she had truly been pursuing.
A person who is truly unparalleled must have absolute strength to support it.
Without that, so-called elegance and temperament were nothing more than castles in the air.
Any vulgar person could tear them down and make you look ridiculous.
If you despise vulgarity, you must have the power to reject it.
If you wish to remain detached from the material world, you must have the capital to stand outside it.
You either adapt to the environment—
Or you change the environment itself.
When he felt Infinity Media's predatory contracts were wrong, he simply rewrote them, unconcerned with losing some profit.
When someone bullied the public, he resolved it calmly and effortlessly—laughing and chatting the entire time.
This—
Not posturing.Not empty airs.
But quiet, absolute dominance—so natural it didn't even need to announce itself.
In contrast, she herself could neither adapt to the environment nor change it.
So she chose to escape.
She shrank back into her own small world, avoiding confrontation whenever problems arose, retreating instead of resolving them—and eventually refusing to go out at all. What she told herself was elegance, literati temperament, detachment from the mundane world… was, in truth, nothing more than self-deception.
That wasn't what she truly sought.
The Jason Carter standing before her now—this was her real pursuit.
It could even be said that he had materialized her dream.
Sophia: Favorability +5.
She lifted her teacup, her cheeks faintly flushed like peach blossoms.
"Jason," she said softly, "I toast you."
Before, she would have offered no more than a polite smile.This time, her smile was gentle, sincere, and unmistakably sweet.
Jason smiled back and raised his cup in return.
Just then, Olivia stepped up to the pavilion with a tall, slender young man. He wore thin-rimmed glasses, looked refined and composed, and carried himself with quiet professionalism.
He stopped in front of Jason and spoke politely.
"Hello, Mr. Carter. I'm Caleb, the secretary you spoke with on the phone. I'm very familiar with this area and can act as your guide. Of course, if you'd prefer to finish your tour first, we can talk afterward."
This was only a mid-sized city, and a mayor's secretary was technically not a high-ranking official. However, because of the position's nature, the actual influence it carried was considerable.
Ordinary people would never dare offend someone like him.Even major business owners usually treated him with great respect, trying—and often failing—to curry favor.
Yet now, he had personally come to serve as Jason's guide.
And this was before Jason had invested a single dollar.
He had only sent over a résumé.
That alone spoke volumes.
Jason gestured lightly.
"Secretary Caleb, please sit. I was just discussing a preliminary plan with Secretary Olivia. I'd like to confirm it with you and see whether this investment is feasible."
Privately, Jason called Olivia Sister Olivia, because she was capable, loyal, and close enough for such familiarity. Olivia never abused that closeness. In formal settings, she was always addressed properly.
Caleb's eyes lit up immediately. He sat down and began discussing details with Olivia.
There are 200 chapters ahead in my Patreon. If you are interested can check it out.
patreon.com/B_A_3439