At the start of 2007, British newspapers were buzzing with big stories. The one stealing the spotlight was Clair Lee. In just one night at the Lym Valley Music Festival, he skyrocketed to fame as Europe's hottest singer. His hit Something Just Like This stormed the charts, landing at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart.
The UK Singles Chart aside for a moment, One Day had been holding strong on the Billboard Hot 100 for twelve straight weeks. The Nights, though, had a brief moment on the charts before quickly fading. Clair didn't know what went wrong, but being the sharp guy he was, he didn't dwell on it.
After two days of rest, Clair glanced at Dujuan, who was nudging him to get out of bed. No misunderstandings here—Miss Dujuan wasn't that casual. Clair, the charming playboy, was still under her scrutiny. But as her own fame grew, Dujuan wisely accepted Clair's invitation to crash at his place for a few days to keep a low profile. Costa Mayor was also staying over, right next door to Clair.
"Time to get up and eat!" Dujuan, dressed in cozy pajamas, looked especially charming to a just-woken Clair. As he reached to playfully pull her down, she sidestepped like she'd seen it coming, rolling her eyes at him.
"Jeez, you act like I'm some thief!" Clair teased.
"Who else would I guard against? I clearly remember that Korean girl leaving a lipstick mark on your face after the festival!" Dujuan huffed, storming out of the room.
Clair, burying his head under the blanket, let out a frustrated groan. He couldn't blame anyone but himself—why did he have to go say goodbye to Jessica Jung after his performance?
Unwashed and unshaven, Clair grabbed a quick bite at the table before sprawling on the living room couch. Dujuan busied herself in the kitchen, while Costa Mayor had left early with Clair's management team. The Lym Valley Music Festival was over, but the profit-sharing talks with Warner Records, Warner Films, and other stakeholders were still ongoing. Plus, Clair's uncle, Dennis Erwin, was enjoying a career renaissance, always off at some interview or preparing for a speech, leaving Clair barely seeing him.
Clair was pleased with the changes around him. Deep down, he even toyed with the idea of slowing down and "retiring." Dujuan, meanwhile, seemed to be settling into a routine. After handling a few work calls, she plopped down with a thick stack of newspapers.
"I might have to leave tomorrow," she said. "My company set me up with a new manager, and he wants me to attend a charity gala in the U.S."
"That's great news! Why do you sound so down about it?" Clair asked, seizing the chance to rest his head on her lap.
When Dujuan didn't push him away, Clair adjusted to a comfier spot. She didn't seem to mind his childish antics, gently stroking his cheek with her left hand.
"What's wrong? Gonna miss me?" Clair teased. "No worries, it's not like we won't see each other again." His straightforward guy logic kicked in, earning another eye-roll from Dujuan as she picked up a newspaper.
Clair was about to doze off on her lap when a New York Times headline caught his eye, making his heart race: Transformers Star Megan Fox Visits Ex-Husband Late at Night; Ex-Husband Sued by Fox for Domestic Violence.
Dujuan was actually cherishing these past couple of days with Clair. She believed in "not forgetting the well-digger when you drink the water," but applying that to their relationship felt too transactional. In her heart, Clair was her "ideal partner." When she mentioned leaving, she secretly hoped he'd ask her to stay. If he did, she'd negotiate with her team about whether to focus her career in the U.S. or stay in the UK. After all, her agency knew how much Clair had contributed to her rise.
She admitted Clair played a huge role in her career, but whether it was her pride or just a girl's whims, she wanted him to make the first move. "So, are you planning to stay in the UK forever?" she asked.
When Clair didn't respond, still lost in thought on her lap, she yanked the newspaper away and stared at him. Startled, Clair blurted, "Huh, what'd you say?"
"I said, are you planning to stay in the UK forever?" Dujuan asked, her face flushing with shy anticipation. But Clair's mind was stuck on the Megan Fox divorce headline. Seeing his distracted look, Dujuan glanced at the paper and spotted the Megan Fox story. It all clicked.
With a huff, she shoved Clair off her lap, sending him tumbling to the floor.
"Ow! What's that for?" Clair yelped.
"Hmph! Nothing's wrong! I'm just saying I'm heading to the U.S.!" Dujuan stormed upstairs.
Clair watched, baffled, as she went from sweet to furious in seconds. He didn't chase after her, though, suddenly feeling she was being unreasonable. Then the doorbell rang. About to call for Dujuan, he remembered her mood and lazily shuffled to the door himself. To his surprise, it was his buddies Xiao Wang and Zhang Peng.
"Hey! What brings you here?" Clair grinned, opening the door.
"Bro, it's been days! I missed you!" Xiao Wang said, both of them trailing Clair like eager sidekicks. Before Clair could sit, Xiao Wang pulled out a stack of Clair's promotional photos. "My friends begged me to get your autograph!"
"No problem!" Clair signed them with a flourish, too smug to care about Dujuan's earlier reaction. As his buddies hyped him up, Dujuan came downstairs in a wool coat, dragging a huge suitcase. Clair rushed to help, but she pushed him away.
"I don't need your help!" she snapped.
Clair stood there, confused, but Xiao Wang, ever the quick one, grabbed the suitcase, calling her "sister-in-law" with a grin. Dujuan shot back, "Whoever wants to be your sister-in-law can have it!" and stormed out.
Clair didn't follow, but as he glanced at the newspaper again, a pang of emptiness hit him. He barely noticed Xiao Wang lighting a cigarette, the smell of tobacco stirring the nicotine craving in him. He grabbed a cigarette absentmindedly.
Zhang Peng, ever the gossip, asked, "Can athletes smoke?"
"Who knows?" Xiao Wang replied, pointing at the Megan Fox article and then at Dujuan's exit. "But I bet our man's got woman troubles."
Clair, holding the cigarette and lighter, stared blankly. "You okay, bro?" Xiao Wang asked.
Clair looked at the cigarette—lit end toward his mouth—and gave a bitter smile. "I'm fine. What could be wrong?"
"Really? 'Cause you're holding your cigarette backwards," Xiao Wang said. "Listen, women are like poison. If you can't handle them, they'll drain you dry, leave you wasting away."
Clair chuckled, patting Xiao Wang's shoulder. "Women are like catchy pop songs—once they're in your head, they don't leave. You've gotta savor them. We're still young, so don't talk so big. Take it slow; we've got time."
With that, Clair rushed upstairs, grabbed his phone, and dialed Dujuan. In her car, Dujuan's eyes were red, but seeing Clair's call brought a faint, bittersweet smile. She hung up quickly, though.
---
Love was just a dessert in Clair's life—sweet but not essential. You'd miss it if it was gone, but you wouldn't die without it. Clair threw himself into work, almost forgetting Dujuan and Megan Fox. Only the occasional call from Korea brought him some comfort. Otherwise, his life stayed calm.
Clair Ticketing was expanding at lightning speed with capital backing. It rebranded to UK Big Sale Net—a bit of a clunky, style name, but relentless UK advertising sent its traffic soaring, with ticket sales booming. In just two months, it secured B-round funding from the British Royal Foundation, the English Football Association, Russian Aluminum, and the Malcolm Family Trust.
With this funding, UK Big Sale Net hit a $1.4 billion valuation and snagged ticketing rights for 14 football events, including the Premier League. If sports ticketing gave it wings, securing online ticketing for Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood's global tours put it on a rocket. Clair, with just one day left of his break, visited the company's headquarters with a touch of regret.
The office was a far cry from its early days—buzzing with staff and entertainment industry managers. Employees greeted Clair left and right, overwhelming his recent social anxiety. To secure the B-round funding, he'd met over 100 investors and countless celebrity managers in just a week.
"Being a boss is exhausting," Clair admitted.
Nickas Bede, the outsourced GM of Clair Custom Tours, stood by proudly, giving Clair's shoulders a playful squeeze without saying a word.
"I'm surprised by the investments from the English Football Association and Russian Aluminum," said Maggie Pate, Goldman Sachs' rep, sipping her coffee casually.
"Those were the easiest ones," Clair replied. "Russian Aluminum's boss, Abramovich, owns Chelsea. As a foreign investor, he's blending into the UK sports scene. Becoming a shareholder in UK Big Sale Net lets him tap into entertainment and control public narrative. As for the Football Association, it's a governing body, sure, but it's got employees to pay and clubs to profit. My platform's cross-border tourism is its only profitable sector right now, and you investors can see its potential."
Clair took a sip of water, waiting for Maggie's next question. "What about your uncle's Lym Valley Stadium?" she asked. "Its biggest revenue comes from your cross-border tourists. Don't you think this is a bit unfair to the uncle who raised you?"
Clair laughed. "What does my work have to do with your investment? And honestly, as long as my uncle can secure friendly matches with other teams, Lym Valley Stadium will stay a key stop on our tourism routes. The Football Association made some deals with him—details I don't know—but the stadium's finances are solid for the next couple of years."
Maggie seemed to recall something. "The shell company's been set up. By late February, you can move forward with listing UK Big Sale Net."
"Great. Thanks for the hard work. I'll have my accountants and lawyers review and process the payment," Clair said.
Watching Maggie leave, Clair fell into deep thought. He'd made the process sound easy, but only he knew how tough it had been. The Football Association's investment wouldn't have happened without the Royal Foundation's push. Though Clair was still the majority shareholder on paper, anyone in the know could see that without Chen Shijun's support, he'd be the third-largest shareholder behind the Football Association and the Royal Foundation. In the UK, knowing when to step back was key, and that's why regulators had given him the green light.
A text popped up: 12.48% of shares should make you the UK's next billionaire. Clair's lips curled into a confident smile. With a $1.4 billion valuation, if he couldn't cash out at least $100 million, all this hustle would've been for nothing.
Grinning, he texted Chen Shijun back: I'll visit you in the U.S. soon. Take care!
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