"Name your price," Isabella Li looked directly at Ethan Wu. She wanted to buy Dylan Ding's dirt.
"I can't give it to you," Ethan replied bluntly.
Isabella's expression darkened, her eyes narrowing. For a moment, she wondered if Ethan had connections with Dylan Ding.
"Don't let anger cloud your judgment. You know how powerful these big families are. If I gave you his dirt, you still couldn't bring him down. Both the Ding family and your Li family would protect him!" Ethan said with a calm smile.
"In fact, it might even lead to the annulment of the bet, with your family forcing you to marry Dylan Ding. No matter how strained your relationship is with your family, you're still a Li, and your actions could provoke a conflict between the two families. If you go after Dylan like this, the Li family would definitely have to apologize to the Ding family. So, do you think you have the power to fight against your family? And against the Ding family?"
Isabella fell silent.
She had indeed acted without careful consideration.
When she'd called Ethan, it had been in a moment of pure rage—she had wanted nothing more than to ruin Dylan Ding.
But Ethan's words brought her back to reality.
He was right; she couldn't go after Dylan directly. Just like how Dylan wouldn't attack her outright. There were boundaries. Dylan would only target those around her, or her company.
Dylan wanted to marry Isabella, not declare an endless war against her.
Isabella sighed and looked back down at her files.
"Looking through potential spokespeople?" Ethan asked.
"Mm." Isabella replied with a small sound, keeping her head down.
Due to Deng Xunya's "accident," she was now in the hospital with serious injuries. According to Radiant Style's contract with her agency, this was considered an act of God.
The contract would automatically be terminated, with neither party at fault.
Radiant Style needed a new spokesperson.
And they needed one fast, but it was going to be extremely challenging.
With only fourteen days until the product launch, there simply wasn't enough time. Finding an available top-tier celebrity who didn't already have competing endorsements was a tall order. And most A-list actresses wouldn't want to endorse a relatively niche brand.
Only a few top celebrities would agree, and even then, only for the right amount of money.
But!
Dylan Ding was meddling, causing interference!
If Isabella managed to negotiate with an actress's manager today, Dylan would show up the next day, go straight to the head of the agency, and get them to back out with some excuse. It happened over and over.
Isabella couldn't use her family's connections to secure a spokesperson, and she wouldn't even ask her brother Tyler Li for help, since his resources counted as Li family power, which would violate the terms of the bet.
Isabella had to negotiate on her own.
She realized she might be out of options. Without a spokesperson, the launch could be delayed or held as planned but with significantly diminished impact.
Isabella continued to look through the candidate files, saying nothing.
The atmosphere in the office grew tense.
"Miss Li, how about hiring me… to find one for you?" Ethan suddenly offered, smiling.
Isabella looked up at him.
Ethan kept smiling.
"Aren't you supposed to be an intelligence dealer? You do this kind of business too?" Isabella replied coolly, lowering her head again, the easygoing manner she'd had yesterday completely gone. Today, she seemed distant from Ethan.
Despite the fact that they'd even kissed.
But that was her nature.
Now, in her office, alone with Ethan, there was no need to pretend.
"Making money… as long as the money's good enough, I can even bring you Mandy Tao. Or, if there's any other actress you have your eye on… I can guarantee I'll find someone that fits your standards—absolutely red-hot and popular!"
Ethan's boast almost made him believe it himself.
Still, he really did have a way to find a spokesperson for Radiant Style, someone who would meet, or even exceed, Isabella's standards.
Take Mandy Tao, for example!
She was a superstar—a Golden Horse Award Best Actress, Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actress, Tokyo International Film Festival Best Actress, and Golden Rooster Award Best Actress. Only 28, Mandy had flown under the radar for a few years, at most considered a B-lister.
But last year, she'd starred in a major production, Sword and Autumn Waters, sweeping nearly twenty Best Actress awards from various festivals and gaining international recognition with her stellar acting.
She was practically on the verge of becoming an internationally famous Chinese actress.
Mandy Tao was a superstar who far exceeded Isabella's requirements. But there were a few other names that also came to mind, actresses who had become immensely popular recently. Yet celebrities at their level wouldn't even bother to meet with Isabella.
Their agents would reject her calls immediately, let alone negotiate a deal.
"And how long would it take you to find someone?" Isabella asked, not looking up, her tone disinterested.
"It depends on who I'm finding," Ethan replied.
"Like Mandy Tao?" Isabella asked, her tone dismissive.
She wasn't intentionally picking the hardest name, but since Ethan had casually mentioned her, she thought she'd ask about her.
"Mandy…? Simple. One day," Ethan replied after a brief thought.
Isabella paused, finally looking up at him. She took a moment before asking, "One day?"
"Uh-huh!" Ethan nodded.
"You know Mandy Tao?"
"No."
"Then why are you talking like you do?" Isabella frowned.
"Not knowing her doesn't mean I can't meet her. One day is more than enough," Ethan smiled, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Isabella tilted her head, giving Ethan a look that showed concern for his mental state. "Mandy Tao is currently abroad. I follow her career—she's been in Southeast Asia shooting a film for the last three to four months, currently in Thailand. Even with all your intelligence skills, you wouldn't even be able to see her. One day?"
For the first time, Isabella felt like Ethan had blown his bluff way out of proportion.
A bluff so big it couldn't be salvaged.
"I didn't say I'd go directly to her, but someone connected to her," Ethan smiled.
"Heh!" Isabella sneered, looking back down at her files. "One day? Never mind the time—Mandy Tao already has a cosmetics endorsement, so she can't take on another. One day? You're really…"
Isabella didn't finish, but her tone clearly indicated she was done talking with him.
Silence returned to the office.
Ethan looked at Isabella, who was back to her files. He could see how irritated she was and understood her disbelief. If she actually believed him, that would be surprising!
It certainly seemed like an impossible task!
But Ethan was the one who could make the impossible possible!
Without something that would absolutely shock Isabella, she would never be truly impressed.
"Twenty million. Give me twenty million, and I'll have Mandy Tao in your office tomorrow morning," Ethan offered.
Isabella didn't reply. She clearly didn't want to speak with him anymore.
"If you don't believe me, how about we make a bet?" Ethan suggested.
Betting.
It was a sensitive word for Isabella.
Because she was currently bound by a bet that would decide her fate.
She looked up at Ethan, her face expressionless, pausing before asking, "What kind of bet will make you shut up and stop bothering me?"
"The bet is that I'll have Mandy Tao here in your office tomorrow morning, ready to sign as your spokesperson. If I lose, I won't take a penny from you. In fact, I'll pay you twenty million!"
"And if you win?" Isabella asked. She knew he couldn't possibly win, but she believed in fair stakes.
"If I win, first, you pay me twenty million, as a fee for finding you a spokesperson—not as my winnings," Ethan clarified.
"So, what do you actually want to win?" Isabella asked.
"To win… your promise not to get jealous," Ethan smiled.
"Not get jealous? What do you mean?" Isabella was puzzled.
"I mean… if I end up with another woman, you won't get jealous," Ethan explained with a smile.
Isabella blinked, giving Ethan a strange look.
"Why would I be jealous? We're pretending to be a couple. I'm not in love with you, so what reason would I have to be jealous? You're free to see whomever you like—I have no right to interfere," Isabella replied, looking at Ethan like he was a bit slow.
"You're not wrong, but that's my bet," Ethan said, smiling calmly. He was preemptively setting boundaries, taking this as a good opportunity.
Isabella might not be in love with him now, but that didn't mean she wouldn't be someday.
"So, will you bet or not?" Ethan pressed.
"Bet, bet, bet, bet. Fine!" Isabella was genuinely a bit exasperated. She looked back down at her files and said, "You can go now. Go do your thing, go find her, just stop bothering me."
"It's settled, then." Ethan smiled as he stood up and left.
Leaving Radiant Style.
Downstairs.
In the underground parking garage.
After getting into the Lamborghini, Ethan started the engine and took out his phone to dial a number.
Just as he pulled out of the parking space, the call connected.
"Mr. Wu, is there something wrong with the car?" Wayne Wang hadn't expected Ethan to call him so soon.
"Wayne, get things arranged. I need your people," Ethan said directly.
"Of course…" Wayne's voice held a hint of excitement, especially as Ethan addressed him as "Wayne" so casually. He didn't ask any further questions, readily agreeing, "No problem, Mr. Wu. Just say how many people you need, and I'll gather the men right away."
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