CHAPTER 173: CHAPTER 173: YOU SAY YOU’RE FINN YOUNG?

The photo only showed half a face and a neck.

Poppy Hale couldn’t help it, using two fingers to zoom in.

You could clearly see the red marks all over the neck beside Declan Hawthorne’s necklace.

Further down, you could even see scratch marks.

Poppy Hale coughed.

No one was in the office, yet she still felt embarrassed.

In winter, it somehow felt a bit warm.

Poppy looked around, feeling like she was trying to cover something up.

She quickly took a sip from her water cup.

Sent a message.

"Don’t fight with Barrett for things, and put on some clothes."

She thought for a bit and added another sentence.

"You’re a married man now, show some decency."

Why was he always sending her this stuff to test an officer?

Besides, that dog collar wasn’t even his size, and for Barrett, a small dog, the collar was also small.

Poppy Hale sat in her chair, spun around.

Couldn’t resist picking up her phone and ordered a few accessories she was interested in online.

Just looking at them made her hands itch, thinking about how Declan Hawthorne would look wearing them.

She wanted to draw.

Lately, she had been either working or sketching drafts.

After taking on a Hawthorne Group project, she completed the backlog of submissions, and Poppy Hale hadn’t taken on any more commissions.

Firstly, she really didn’t have the time.

Secondly, inspiration had been lacking lately.

Every night when she closed her eyes, her mind was filled with company matters.

Running a company independently made her realize being graceful was impossible.

Jewelry cutting wasn’t as glamorous as outsiders thought, the factory was full of parts and stones, and whenever Poppy Hale went in, she came out with dust all over her hair.

Seeing that flirty selfie from Declan Hawthorne, Poppy Hale’s inspiration surged again.

She simply took out her tools and quickly sketched a picture.

After drawing, she realized it resembled a main character in the forthcoming Hawthorne Group game.

Probably because she had been drawing those characters so much recently, her hand flowed naturally, retaining some muscle memory.

Since it was already drawn, she might as well keep it.

When the game launched, she would post it using Finn Young’s account.

Finn Young originally gained fame by drawing game and anime fan art, plus there were already commission agreements with Hawthorne Group.

It would be suitable to post it.

The invitation from Hawthorne Group had already been sent to Finn Young.

Inviting her to attend on the day of the game’s launch.

Finn Young had never attended any public events before, this would be her first appearance.

Poppy Hale considered that when the Breaking Shell series was released, as the brand founder, she’d have to make an appearance anyway.

-

On the launch day.

During breakfast, Hugo Hawthorne asked, "Declan, your company’s game launches today?"

"Yes, it starts today, and the first batch of beta testers will enter."

Hugo Hawthorne nodded.

He wasn’t familiar with games but casually mentioned, "Your uncle saw it online and asked if you needed any celebrities for advertisements?"

Miles Hawthorne was now an arthouse film director.

He really did have many artist resources.

If it were any other game, having a popular celebrity endorse it might indeed boost the game’s buzz.

But dating games were different.

Declan Hawthorne shook his head, "Our game’s positioning isn’t suitable for any real-life celebrities. Game players who enjoy dating games seek emotional outlets they can’t find in reality in the virtual world. If we link it to reality, players might resist."

When making a game, having a clear target audience was essential from the start.

"As long as you know what you’re doing. When do you plan to set the wedding date?"

Declan Hawthorne glanced at Poppy Hale beside him.

"Any thoughts?"

"Mom and Dad should pick a few dates, but let’s see. I really wanted December, but next year feels too late and this year is a bit rushed."

December.

The month of Florence Lynch’s birth.

And also when they officially started their relationship.

It was already early December, so indeed, it seemed a bit rushed.

But waiting until next December felt a bit too late for both Hugo Hawthorne and Jackie Barrett.

However, Truth Hale suggested, "Why not May next year? Poppy’s birthday is in May, it’s also warm and the wedding dress would look beautiful."

Not too cold, not too hot, indeed suitable for a wedding.

Jackie Barrett nodded, "I think that works. I’ll find a master to calculate if there are any auspicious days in May next year."

For the wedding, Poppy Hale wanted to keep it simple.

Just having a family meal together would be enough.

But the Hawthorne Family cared deeply about the wedding, saying Poppy Hale shouldn’t feel wronged.

She didn’t feel wronged.

Jackie Barrett patted her hand, "Declan is our only son. After all, this is the Hawthorne Family’s first wedding. If it’s not done properly, how could Declan’s younger siblings dare to go big?"

Truth Hale also nodded, "Yes, don’t worry about it. Focus on your work, and I’ll handle the rest with Barrett."

She understood the Hawthorne Family saw weddings as having significant social importance.

If it wasn’t done well, it would invite ridicule.

Poppy Hale really disliked trouble, and she knew that.

But they had intentions to honor her, that too was a sign of their respect for Poppy Hale.

-

Hawthorne Group.

The launch event was set at the hotel theater under the Hawthorne Group.

The entire venue was adorned with life-size stands of the game’s male lead, and the huge posters drew considerable attention, attracting much media interest.

On the game’s official account’s live broadcast, all players were captivated by those posters!

[Why does this art style look so much like Finn Young’s? Could it be another D-list copycat stealing from Finn Young!]

[There’s Finn Young’s signature! It’s Finn Young’s masterpiece!]

[Finn Young truly is the only god in the game art world!]

The comment section was also bustling, with some taking the chance to stir the pot, claiming that Hawthorne Group’s game plagiarized a previously launched dating game.

The launch event had just started.

Suddenly, someone barged into the hall.

"I drew many pictures for your game before, so why aren’t you paying me the final amount? Are you bullying us low-level workers?"

A woman rushed straight to the media.

She accused the Hawthorne Group of commissioning art without paying and tarnishing all her achievements.

"It was always a Hawthorne employee named Poppy Hale contacting me, commissioning work, but they wouldn’t pay!"

"I’m just a low-level artist who relies on drawing to make a living. My mom is still in the hospital, yet the Hawthorne Group bullies people this way!"

As she spoke, she started shedding tears, choking up several times.

All the media attention was instantly diverted to her.

She pointed at a few huge posters behind her, "I drew all of this! Hawthorne didn’t give me a single cent, and that employee named Poppy Hale stole so many of my drawings, why does the Hawthorne Group cover for employees and not care about my livelihood at all!"

With that statement, the media quickly caught on: "Are you saying you’re Finn Young?"

The woman nodded.

The comments section exploded.

Finn Young’s fans were particularly upset.

They couldn’t believe the artist they had supported for so long was having such a hard time and was even being suppressed by the Hawthorne Group, so they were enraged.

A large number of fans flooded into the live broadcast, demanding an explanation from the Hawthorne Group for Finn Young!

Otherwise, they would boycott all games under the Hawthorne Group!