Chapter 79: Chapter 79

After following the online trend, all the way until the day Anna Thornton was going to record the show, Mary kept advising her, "Anna, I think we don’t necessarily have to take this step. Honestly, I’ve noticed President Sterling is getting more and more concerned about Pop, and he’s not as hostile towards you as he initially was. Why don’t you have a talk with him... There are so many projects starting every day, even The Great Actress Ford can’t finish them all, so they are just sitting there anyway."

"What’s this? Without resources, you want me to beg him for a script?"

"It’s not like you’ve never bowed your head to him," Mary whispered.

Even though she whispered, Anna Thornton heard her and retorted, "How will I ever raise my head again after bowing? Have you heard how he evaluated me and Marilyn Ford? He said the only thing Marilyn is better at than me is knowing how to please a man physically and mentally. Ha, if our Thornton Family hadn’t encountered... four years ago, then I could also play the role of a graceful, beautiful rich girl every day, without worrying about food or drink. But if women only exist to please men physically and mentally, that’s what’s truly pathetic."

"Did President Sterling really say the only thing Marilyn is better at than you is that? Then I think you still have a big chance, Anna! Why not try a bit harder? If we cling tightly to this golden thigh, we won’t have to worry about not having dramas to film in the future."

Anna Thornton spoke such a long piece, but clearly, Mary’s focus had already shifted.

Mary quickly changed her tune after receiving a glare, "I mean, try harder to get resources, not for anything else. As long as you can get a script, regardless of the production company’s size, I believe your acting skills are enough to turn the tables. Without Marilyn’s good fortune, we just want to open a little back door, is that too much to ask?"

"You don’t understand, defeating an opponent not in the same league is what makes it exciting. Everyone should see that even without a life like Marilyn’s, and even being pit into such a doomed variety show by the company, I, Anna Thornton, can still fight back from a desperate situation!"

Hearing Anna say that, Mary felt like she was just a fence-sitter.

When they first decided to do the show, she was a bit worried but convinced herself to believe in Anna’s decision.

Later, the incident with Ethan Hawthorne occurred, and they filled this variety show; the more she thought about it, the more worried she became.

Now, Mary felt like she was persuaded again. Not only couldn’t she stand firm, she suddenly was very much looking forward to Anna Thornton’s appearance on this variety show, what’s going on?

"But... can you really handle it? Most of the female celebrities who have been on this show were humiliated by that male host. Even Ethan Hawthorne is going with you..."

Speaking of Ethan Hawthorne, Mary had to remind Anna Thornton again, "Due to the sex scandal, many female audience members recently launched a boycott against him, and even the female stars he once dated were dragged into it. Make sure you don’t have too much contact with him. Oh, and remember, don’t eat anything he gives you."

"Don’t worry, I learned these little common-sense things during my clubbing days a few years back. Take care of Pop for me; I’m waiting for the triumphant news."

In fact, Anna Thornton wasn’t Mary’s boss; they had always been partners. Mary was the one who brought Anna Thornton up initially, funding her English and social skills lessons.

Now they’ve both signed with Dynasty Entertainment, considered colleagues, and privately they’re more like friends and relatives.

But whenever it comes to making future career decisions, Anna Thornton’s decisiveness and confidence always intimidated Mary, making her feel like she wanted to kneel and shine her shoes.

"By the way, Anna, what shoes are you wearing today?"

"Just the flat ones, canvas shoes."

As Anna said this, she was already pulling the shoes from under the hospital bed. During the time Pop was in treatment, this children’s ward had almost become her dressing room.

Mary noticed her outfit was also quite simple and plain, just a T-shirt and a midi skirt, and couldn’t help but ask, "Are you going like that?"

Anna Thornton only had two nice sponsorship dresses left, which had to be saved for attending important events later; since the recording would provide outfits, she dressed casually.

"Does it not look good?" Anna Thornton asked.

"It looks good, you look good in anything."

It’s just the better she looks, the less secure Mary feels.

She recalled the variety show’s episode she watched the night before, where a female artist was groped by a lecherous male host, forced to eat fish sperm, and required to massage cucumbers... If these things happened to Anna, she couldn’t bear it just thinking about it. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn novel-fire.net

Seeing Anna Thornton off in the car from the hospital entrance, Mary waved her hand, full of reluctance like a concerned mother.

If only someone could go with Anna, there’d be someone to help in case anything happens.

Seems like hiring an assistant might be necessary!

No wait, in this industry, relying on an assistant is no use when something happens. Having a strong backing is the best.

"President Sterling, the project director came by earlier. Since you weren’t in, he had me give this document to you."

Conrad Sterling had just returned from an inspection of a department when the project director apparently sneaked by, taking advantage of his absence, and slipped away just as stealthily.

Ever since the fiasco in the group chat, the project director hadn’t dared to appear before Conrad Sterling for half a month.

Conrad took the report from Ethan’s hands, flipped through it briefly before closing it, as he seemed a bit distracted today.

"By the way, there’s a variety show called ’Food and Love,’ didn’t they apply for our tableware brand sponsorship?" Conrad suddenly brought it up.

"Huh? Did they?" Ethan looked confused.

When it came to content related to the realm of variety entertainment, Conrad Sterling typically showed no interest.

But President Sterling had an infallible memory; even for trivial matters like ’the servant’s old mother of the illegitimate child asking for a jar of rice from the butler,’ having glanced at the rejected projects list once, he remembered it clearly in his mind.

Ethan finally found through relying on his powerful computer memory that, indeed, there was such a thing: "Yes, President Sterling, but that project was already rejected. The reason was that the core of the program doesn’t align with the high-end and prestigious image of our tableware brand and had no future potential either."

"Whether it fits our product image or not should be decided after personally seeing it. Check my schedule for the day; if there’s a nearby appointment, arrange it accordingly."

"Your afternoon tea meeting with the client happens to be in the same building where they’re recording the show today, but let me check if there’s a recording scheduled for today..."

Announcing, Conrad Sterling donned his suit jacket, stood up, and strode out of the office.

"President Sterling, wait for me!"

Ethan hadn’t even checked, so how did President Sterling know that the program would definitely be recording today?