Tara and the others had heard correctly. Someone really had invited Grace to appear in a sexy promotional outfit.
They wanted to keep listening, but before they could catch more, Jason and Olivia had already turned and left. They entered the Rolls-Royce under the respectful gazes of executives and staff, and the car soon dihsappeared from the mall entrance.
Molly stomped her foot anxiously. "Oh no—Mr. Carter is gone. Now we won't see his reaction at all."
Tara, however, remained calm. She smiled faintly. "We can still judge from external results. If Grace doesn't cooperate, it means he refused."
Renee added thoughtfully, "On the other hand, if Grace appears at the auto show in a sexy outfit, that would mean in Mr. Carter's heart, a lover is someone he can hand out casually."
Inside the Rolls-Royce, Jason spoke calmly. "Does the owner not know about my relationship with Grace?"
Olivia replied, "He probably knows, but he might not care if she's 'just' a lover. They're a newly established company expanding rapidly. They urgently need exposure. Grace—being both a top car model and a high-traffic livestreamer—is perfect for them."
She added, "Of course, Lucas refused immediately. He asked me to confirm your stance first."
The endorsement fee offered was extremely generous. If Grace weren't Jason's woman, Lucas would've signed without hesitation. But because she was, even ten times the fee required Jason's approval.
Jason's answer was obvious. No.
He had no habit of exposing his women—lover or not—to public commodification.
Just as he was about to say it, a familiar system notification sounded in his mind: "Opportunity detected near Grace. Assist Grace in seizing this opportunity to significantly elevate her value and status."
Jason's eyes narrowed slightly. Another opportunity?
He had always thought Grace was gentle and sensible, but he hadn't expected she'd trigger one.
He focused inward. The system details appeared: "Within half a month, the automotive industry will face two major opportunities."
New energy vehicle trade-in subsidy policy—up to $3,000 equivalent subsidy for scrapping old cars and replacing them with EVs.
"Recommendation: Instead of direct endorsement fees, negotiate equity or profit-sharing. Ride the industry wave and achieve exponential growth."
Jason understood instantly. They were currently just a small startup focused on used-car exports. But with Grace's influencer status, plus his backing, they could easily demand substantial equity. If they capitalized on this, its valuation could skyrocket.
But Jason's thinking went further. Why share meat when you could own the whole cow?
He spoke. "Would starting a used-car export company from scratch be difficult?"
Olivia shook her head. "Not at all. These companies have low technical barriers."
She explained methodically. "They acquire used vehicles cheaply, perform basic repairs and refurbishment, then export them to Central Asia, Africa, Canada. On top of that, they earn an additional five to ten percent through export tax rebates. The founder was just a local car dealer who spotted the opportunity early and acted decisively."
She added, "Starting from scratch doesn't mean building everything yourself. Repair shops, recycling stations, exporters—all can be integrated. With your current influence, mobilizing these resources is just a matter of a word."
Jason leaned back slightly. This was the terrifying advantage of capital and power. Ordinary entrepreneurs had to build systems piece by piece, but someone at his level could integrate entire supply chains overnight.
Why settle for endorsement equity when he could seize the entire industry opportunity?
Outside the car window, the city skyline slid past. Inside, a new business blueprint was already forming in Jason Carter's mind.
Opportunities—to ordinary people, they were like mirages in the desert. Even if you saw them, you might not be able to reach them.
An average entrepreneur discovering a market opening would still have to move cautiously, testing step by step, calculating every dollar, fearing every loss. One wrong investment, one broken capital chain, and years of effort could collapse overnight. Even if the direction was correct, the ending might still be failure.
But for those standing at the peak of capital? Opportunities were not chased. They were occupied.
If they misjudged the market, they could simply adjust. If they lost money, they could burn more to compensate. With capital offensives and network leverage, they could bulldoze a highway where others struggled to carve a footpath.
Small companies that entered early might only become stepping stones once giants descended.
Inside the Rolls-Royce, Jason Carter spoke calmly. "Then we establish a used-car export company immediately. Seize the national market as fast as possible."
Olivia was slightly stunned. She turned to confirm. "Young Master, let me clarify. Are you trying to suppress them, or are you genuinely entering the used-car export industry?"
Her caution wasn't unreasonable. They had just requested Grace appear in provocative attire, and Jason immediately stepped into their sector. It looked very much like retaliation.
But if it were merely suppression, there was no need for such scale. Their total capital was barely thirty million dollars. Crushing them would be effortless. No need to mobilize national expansion.
Jason smiled faintly. "The latter. They aren't worth that level of effort."
Olivia immediately understood. So this was a strategic entry, not emotional retaliation.
Still, she couldn't quite grasp the appeal. With Jason's capital, he could launch a new EV brand, invest in major automakers, or acquire a rising manufacturer. Why enter used-car exports?
But she didn't ask further. A secretary's role was execution, not curiosity.
Once direction was confirmed, she moved.
Olivia's efficiency was legendary within the group. And now, backed by Jason's status, execution became terrifyingly smooth.
They didn't even need to search for resources. The moment Auto Exports was announced, resources flooded in voluntarily. Repair chains sought partnership. Recycling networks offered supply. Export agents proposed logistics deals. Overseas distributors requested exclusivity.
Some sectors even had multiple competing partners, requiring selective screening.
Within an astonishingly short time, Auto Exports took form. A full industrial chain—acquisition, refurbishment, export, tax rebate—integrated seamlessly.
Meanwhile, when the owner received the news, at first he was confused. The name sounded familiar. Then realization struck like lightning.
Carter's Group. Jason Carter's.
He hurriedly verified the information, and the confirmation nearly made his legs give out. Cold sweat poured down his back.
He recalled Mr. Li's earlier warning: "Having Mr. Carter's woman dress provocatively on stage is disrespectful."
At the time, he hadn't taken it seriously. After all, Grace was "just" a lover.
But now he understood. Even as a lover, she held status untouchable to outsiders.
If Jason wanted to refuse, he could've simply declined. But instead, he entered the entire industry. Not to target them directly, but the effect was far more terrifying.
When a billion-dollar capital giant descended on a sector, small pioneers were erased without notice. It wasn't suppression. It was extinction by scale.
The owner slumped into his chair. His lips went pale.
"So this is what it means to offend someone at the top. No warning. No negotiation. They don't even speak to you. They just drop capital and drown the market."
Outside his office window, dealers bustled. Trucks moved inventory. Everything looked normal.
But he knew a tidal wave had already formed on the horizon. And when they fully mobilized, companies like his would either be absorbed or swept away entirely.
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