Chapter 131: Strike First

Words : 1223 Updated : Sep 30th, 2025

Mr. Johnson raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "Oh? Working so hard? But you all know that I have a wealth of resources on hand here. If she wants more exposure, she can come and perform well for me. Some newcomers, just because they have a bit of a good look, think they are something special, as if the whole world revolves around them. Do they really think they are irreplaceable stars? For an artist like her, it’s incredibly easy for me to replace her."The casting director was secretly displeased, but he didn’t express it directly, he just thought fiercely in his mind: Do you think you can replace someone just like that? Our other investor on this side has put in a full billion, what can your two hundred million compare to that? Little roles that don’t know their place dare to put on airs. Fortunately, at this moment, Yvonne Young stepped in to ease the tense atmosphere, allowing everyone to sit down, chat, and drink wine together. After several glasses of wine, Charlotte Harper gently pulled the casting director sitting next to her, softly inquiring about the specifics of the earlier situation. Upon hearing the circumstances, the casting director honestly relayed all the details to Charlotte. Having listened, Charlotte couldn’t help but furrow her brows. After some thought, she decided to call Clara Bennett to figure out the entire story. At this moment, Clara was happily enjoying dinner at home with her parents, celebrating her father’s return from a long journey. Indeed, today was the day Sir Bennett returned home from his overseas trip, and the entire house was full of joy and harmony. In such a warm and beautiful atmosphere, Clara intended to find an appropriate time to inform her family about her upcoming entry into the entertainment industry. Seeing Charlotte Harper’s name on the caller ID, Clara couldn’t help but feel a bit of doubt, and then she went to her room to take the call. "Hello, Harper, how are you?" She asked softly. Charlotte Harper: "That Mr. Johnson seems to have an interest in you. He just said in front of the crew that he can replace you at any time. You should be careful." Her voice carried a tone of concern, evidently worried about Clara’s situation. Clara was a bit irritated; she didn’t like being under scrutiny, nor did she want to be constantly on guard against someone coming after her. The invisible pressure made her very uncomfortable, as if there were always eyes watching her from behind. Her past life’s lessons taught her that being proactive is the only way to hold the initiative. The days of being passively beaten had long made her deeply understand this point. So this time, she decided not to easily compromise again. Clara asked, "How much did he invest to be so arrogant?" Her voice carried a hint of disdain, but more so, curiosity. She wanted to know exactly who gave Mr. Johnson such confidence. Charlotte Harper: "Two hundred million." Just two words, but they hit the air like a heavy hammer. Clara laughed, her smile carrying a bit of mockery, "Two hundred million and he’s that arrogant?" Her tone carried a hint of helplessness and disdain, as if the amount was hardly worth mentioning. Charlotte sighed, "I know your family isn’t short of money, but you don’t want to expose your identity, right? So if you can avoid this person, do. If it really doesn’t work, I can go find Mr. Bennett..." Her words carried care and a sense of helplessness, as if she had already foreseen future troubles. Clara interrupted her, "Don’t look. My second brother is very protective. If he knows someone has intentions toward me, who knows how big of a scene he would cause. Harper, rest assured, I have a measure." Her words were firm, and the confidence in her eyes provided Charlotte with some reassurance. Charlotte Harper: "Don’t worry, don’t be afraid to offend him. The big investor has a billion backing you up, the little shareholder with his two hundred million trying to threaten people with withdrawal is not going to scare anyone, just ignore him." Her comforting words carried a bit of encouragement, indicating her confidence in Clara. After hanging up the phone, Clara pondered over whether to deal with this guy. Her thoughts began to drift, with various plans floating through her mind, each one thoughtfully considered. Initially, she was still hesitating. Because she not only had to shoot a film now, but also needed to deal with Samuel Grant’s matters, while trying to earn more money. After all, no one knows what variables the butterfly effect might bring, would the troubles her family encountered before appear again in another form? She must prepare for the worst-case scenario. Only with money in hand can she live peacefully. This was a principle that became especially clear to her after going through rebirth. So no matter what, she must seize every opportunity to fight for more resources for herself. Twenty billion is nothing to her, her long-term goal is to save up to two hundred billion to deal with any future contingencies in the Bennett family. Driven by this grand ambition, she couldn’t be bothered to waste her precious energy on mundane trifles or annoying people and matters in daily life. However, an unexpected call completely overthrew her plan. What she never anticipated was that someone with the last name Zheng could somehow get hold of her phone number and dared to call directly to question her. On the phone, the other side was full of bluster, accusing her of disrespecting him and rudely demanding her so-called compensation, repeatedly insisting on a private dinner to have a good talk. Faced with such arrogant demands, listening to the rude tone from the other end of the line, Clara just quietly listened without immediately responding, her expression unnervingly calm. It wasn’t until the end of the call that she took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as determination flashed in her eyes. Very well, this old thing finally touched her bottom line, angering her. Meanwhile, the background information about this Mr. Zheng had already ended up on William Foster’s desk. Sam Clarke, standing by, explained, "According to our investigation, this person has quite a record of disreputable behavior. Judging from his past actions, it’s almost certain that he would make a move on your wife." Listening to Sam Clarke’s words, William Foster maintained his usual indifferent and calm demeanor. Though his words were few, they were exceptionally decisive and forceful: "Deal with this person, do not let him have any chance to approach or disturb my wife again." Thinking about how his newlywed wife had already expended a lot of time and energy on this film due to work, how could he tolerate such a despicable person continuing to harass her? Sam Clarke then continued to outline two resolutions: "We could choose to expose this person’s dirty deeds behind the scenes, publicize his company’s secrets, making him infamous under societal pressure, eventually forcing him to leave in disgrace. The other option is to use our influence to apply high pressure, not only not allowing him to withdraw his investment, but instead further forcing them to pay a greater price so as to completely disappear."

Chapter 131: Strike First

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