Two days of hectic juggling not only patched things up between Claire and Dujuan, but Claire's knack for sneaking in some charm earned him a sweet kiss from Dujuan before she left. Jessica Jung, called back by her company, boarded the next flight out of Hawaii, her face still flushed.
Exhausted, Claire collapsed onto his bed and passed out before he could even talk to Lucy. Lucy, glaring at the snoring Claire, stormed downstairs in a huff. Meanwhile, Costa Mayor and Delia were lounging on the living room sofa, discussing Claire's upcoming schedule.
Lucy, clutching a coconut, plopped down across from Costa, her eyes blazing as she aggressively sipped the coconut juice.
Delia, catching Lucy's expression, gave a sympathetic look. Even she, as a woman, couldn't help but envy Claire's romantic luck.
"Lucy, aren't you busy? Didn't you start hosting at Fox TV?" Costa asked.
Lucy's scowl turned to gloom. "Nope. I reported to Fox Sports, but they haven't assigned me a specific show yet."
Costa's interest piqued. "Weren't they going to put you in charge of the UK sports market?"
"That was the plan," Lucy said, regret in her voice. "But Fox didn't secure the Premier League broadcasting rights. I'm worried I'll be out of a job next season!" She stared at her coconut juice, suddenly finding it tasteless.
Costa's mind raced. Both Sky TV and Fox were under the News Corporation umbrella. If Fox had poached Lucy, her popularity in the Premier League scene should've prompted some flexibility. Her feedback hinted at someone sabotaging her, though Lucy, bless her heart, was too naive to see it.
Costa pulled up an "interview invitation" on his laptop. Delia, spotting it, winced. It was an invite from Fox News for Claire, who'd turned it down due to conflicts with Warner Records and USA Today.
Costa wasn't ready to let this opportunity slip. The interview came with a $170,000 fee and a hefty resource package. But for reasons unknown, Claire refused it.
Normally, celebrities would roll out the red carpet for major media interviews, no cash involved. But Claire? He dodged the spotlight, didn't even have a personal fan site. Despite his near-A-list status, his aversion to media—avoiding shows, interviews, and promos—was driving Costa up the wall.
Lucy's situation was a chance to nudge Claire toward embracing the industry's game. "Here's the Fox News invite," Costa said, sliding it to Lucy. "Get Claire to accept it. If he does, I'll pull strings with their execs to fast-track you to a suitable hosting gig."
Lucy eyed Costa skeptically. "You're his agent. Why don't you tell him?"
"He's already said no!" Costa said, exasperated.
Lucy hesitated. She'd initially planned to ask Dennis Erwin for help, but since he became a city councilor in Anchorage, she'd dropped the idea. Mixing politics and business could stir trouble, and she wasn't ready to risk her career. A season off-air could make her irrelevant. "Fine, I'll try," she said.
"Trust me," Costa said. "Even if it flops, I'll use my connections to get you a guest host spot on USA Today's sports channel."
Lucy gave him a dubious look before heading upstairs. Delia whispered to Costa, "This is perfect. Get Claire to the U.S. to record his first album. If we wait for his big payday, our jobs will get tougher."
Costa nodded, thinking of Claire's scripts. The guy's creative talent was unreal. If he kept writing and had cash to burn, would he even stay a celebrity?
Upstairs, Lucy found Claire still fast asleep. Frustrated, she yanked off his blanket. "Wake up! I'm about to lose my job, and you're just sleeping!"
Claire, eyes still closed, mumbled incoherently. Lucy, fuming, climbed onto the bed and pinched his cheeks to rouse him. But Claire, maybe still wiped from the night before, didn't budge. Instead, he instinctively pulled Lucy into a hug.
Caught in his arms, Lucy froze, overwhelmed by his scent. As she tried to push him away, Claire, still half-asleep, slipped his hand under her loose shirt. The sudden warmth left her flustered, her mind blank. Staring at the ceiling, she lost track of her thoughts. Something shifted under the covers, and Claire, still not opening his eyes, adjusted his position, making Lucy even more uncomfortable.
---
Two hours later, with no sign of Lucy, Delia started to get up, but Costa stopped her. "Don't bother. Let's come back tomorrow. Leave it to our lovely Ms. Lucy."
"But—"
"No buts. Focus on Claire's August tour. His soccer team stuff is up in the air, so let's lock him down. He said he'll reappear in August, so we'll roll with that." Costa handed Delia a stack of files. "Here's a list of Premier League teams interested in Claire. See if any want him as a core player. I'll handle Manchester United negotiations the day after tomorrow."
"Got it!" Delia glanced at Claire's silent, locked bedroom door. It was as if Lucy had vanished.
---
While Claire was lost in his romantic whirlwind, Maggie Li had caused a mess on the Die Hard 4 set. During a fight scene, she accidentally kicked Bruce Willis in the head, halting production as they were already rushing to meet deadlines.
Justin Long, playing a "white hat hacker," gave Maggie a thumbs-up. "Nice one!"
"Stop it," Maggie groaned, slumping into a chair in her tight leather outfit. "The director's eyes were practically eating me alive. My chances of landing action roles in Hollywood just tanked."
Justin, bored, flipped through a newspaper. Spotting an article, he said enviously, "Man, we're all in the same industry, but this guy's a billionaire, investing in two films, while we're slaving away on set. Talk about unfair!"
Maggie leaned over, curious. Seeing a photo of a man playing soccer, she gasped. "Wait, I know him! He's my neighbor! He's that rich? Investing in movies?"
"Your neighbor? Damn!" Justin said. "You better cozy up to him when your scenes wrap. A company dropped $140 million for shares in his company, BigSaleNet. It's now a hot stock, and Booking.com's their second-biggest shareholder!"
Maggie snatched the paper, stunned. She couldn't find the article Justin mentioned, let alone anything about Claire's company going public.
"Wall Street Journal, yesterday's front page," Justin said, pulling another copy from under him. Maggie's eyes widened at the headline.
It wasn't just Claire's rumored rift with Manchester United or his absence from the Champions League. There were whispers he might buy out his own contract. Maggie knew Claire had a hefty trading account, but becoming a billionaire and investing in films like The Blind Side and Whiplash? Both directors were academy-trained, likely aiming for Oscars. "Ambitious guy," she muttered.
As she zoned out, the set's speakers started playing Some Just Like Is. Justin sighed. "Say what you want, his music's killer. I heard Warner Records made bank on that song's royalties alone."
Maggie, fixated on the Journal, read an interview with director Damien Chazelle:
"While everyone's obsessed with whether Mr. Li is a billionaire, he's busy studying, writing scripts, and living life. I only got one of his scripts to direct, but his others476 others are incredible. I just want to prove he didn't bet on the wrong guy in three months."
"Other scripts?" Maggie's lips twitched, picturing Claire's athletic build, her cheeks flushing.
---
Lucy hadn't left, but she hadn't eaten with Claire in days. She'd sneak downstairs after he ate, humming songs while cleaning up his "battlefield."
Claire couldn't help it—she and Jessica had both climbed into his bed. Different sizes, sure, but he was asleep! Understandable, right?
Humming a tune in the car, Claire was in high spirits. Welch, the driver, grinned. His boss had just bought him a house in Hawaii, and his family was arriving tomorrow. Life was good, especially working for a generous billionaire.
In America, being a celebrity had limits, but a billionaire? The sky's the limit. Claire was headed to another high-end dinner, looking reluctant but humming his own songs when happy.
"Alright, Welch, wait for me at the curb. I'm just grabbing a quick bite at my teacher's place," Claire said, adjusting his shirt as he headed to Robert Lighthizer's house.
His teacher had been a huge help, moving Claire's company, Claire Investments, to Hawaii and securing a tax exemption. If his films started production in Hawaii, he'd save 1.6% on taxes—a few million dollars, given the hefty U.S. film taxes (50-55% to theaters, 5% to film funds, 3.3% tax, 1% to associations, leaving investors with about 35%).
Robert's modest but prime Hawaii home was near the university, with beaches and coconut groves nearby.
---
Led to the living room by a housekeeper, Claire found the table already full. Robert greeted him warmly, pulling him into a hug. "Claire Li, my star student at the University of Hawaii and the key to my Japan internet trade strategy."
Claire glanced at the two guests. One was a poised woman, the other a stern man whose gaze sent a chill down his spine.
Robert laughed, noticing. "Haha, don't mind John. He's British, but every penny he's earned is clean."
The woman smiled silently. John, with an awkward grin, said, "Occupational hazard. I deal with tough cases all day and end up sizing everyone up—even my son's scared of me."
"You haven't changed since Harvard," Robert teased. "You should learn from me. Teaching's let me tackle big problems like this."
The woman chimed in, smiling. "Exactly. Without you two, my plan to boost Hawaii's jobs would've stalled. I owe our new billionaire here a big thanks."
Claire, feeling like an outsider, was stunned as Robert introduced them: "John Roberts, the 17th Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, and Linda Lingle, Hawaii's first female governor. She's very interested in our billionaire friend."
Claire was floored by their credentials. The trio, all Reagan-era beneficiaries, had risen through different paths, with Robert mentoring John. What Claire thought was a casual dinner turned out to be a high-stakes meeting.
The conversation veered. "When it comes to the internet's impact on people, no one knows it better than this entrepreneur," John said, pointing at Claire. "He built a $3 billion company in Britain's cutthroat political scene."
Robert patted Claire's shoulder. "Tell the Chief Justice and our lovely governor about the internet's grip on the economy."
Claire took a deep breath. "The fast-rising digital economy's changed how people connect and live. But it's got downsides—policy gaps. Take Facebook, fresh out of Silicon Valley. People sell weed and cheap beer online, and regulating that's tough. You've got to get involved early or bring these companies under your jurisdiction. My B2B model hinges on supply chains. If Hawaii perfects its supply chain and transport systems, it'll attract tons of small businesses. Build a big industrial park, offer incentives, and tighten oversight."
John leaned in. "Who'd lead it?"
"Easy," Claire said. "Model it after Fannie Mae. State funds set it up, tap Silicon Valley talent, build a framework, and open branches to attract small businesses. Target clients in China, where manufacturing and labor costs are low. That's your ticket to the U.S. internet trade market."
Robert, ever fixated on Japan, cut in. "What about Japan?"
Claire shrugged. "Start with Japanese clients. Like Yahoo—Japan, Europe, U.S. sites. Same logic."
Governor Lingle spoke up. "How much funding would it take?"
Claire frowned, calculating. "Maybe a billion. Land, buildings, labor—it adds up."
Robert interrupted. "Hawaii University's a great option. You could fund part of it, and the university provides land and people. It's a win for your education legacy."
Claire marveled at his teacher's commanding tone. Lingle, embarrassed, said, "You'd need to talk to the university. The president's a Democrat and probably won't listen to me."
"Done," Claire said.
John Roberts, silent until now, dropped a bombshell. "I'll help within the bounds of fair regulation."
Claire's heart raced. A vague promise, but from the Chief Justice? Huge.
Robert slapped Claire's shoulder. "Let's make Claire the CEO of the Hawaii Trade Network. You won't do it for free—Governor Lingle will secure state subsidies or compensation."
Claire left with two business cards, dazed. Somehow, he'd become the CEO of the Hawaii Trade Network, backed by the state fund, Hawaii University, Skadden Arps law firm, and Harvard's endowment.
At home, still reeling, Claire pondered the capital behind each player. At 3 a.m., he finally dozed off—unaware of a figure slipping into his bedroom.
---
Meanwhile, Maggie Pete was pulling an all-nighter at her office. New Century Financial, America's second-largest subprime lender, had declared bankruptcy in April, throwing her plans into chaos. As head of Goldman Sachs' UK investment office, she was flooded with calls from worried investors, some already pulling funds.
The real blow? Northern Rock, a key UK mortgage lender, backed out of buying Goldman's subprime securities. As one of the UK's top five mortgage banks, with 1.5 million depositors and £24 billion in deposits, Northern Rock's business relied on borrowing from banks and selling mortgage securities. Their sudden breach of contract, risking a lawsuit, blindsided Maggie. She couldn't even get past their office door the next morning.
Desperate, she texted their credit manager: I hope we can talk about any issues. If this continues, I may pursue legal action. No reply. They'd blocked her number.
As she sat in her car, stumped, her phone rang. "Where are you?"
"Outside Northern Rock. You in London?"
"Yeah. I've worked out a deal with Lehman Brothers—4.3% profit per transaction."
"Boss, 4.3% won't even—"
"No time for that. Get back to the office."
---
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