CHAPTER 307: CHAPTER 306: GOLDEN TICKET

The room was quiet for a beat after Steven stopped talking, as if even the air needed to catch its breath. His words lingered, heavy, hanging somewhere between lecture and confession.

Hannah shifted in her seat, tapping her pen nervously against her notebook. The page in front of her was already half-filled with frantic scribbles, arrows pointing at underlined phrases. She looked down at it, then back up at Steven, her eyes wide.

"Wow," she blurted, before quickly biting her lip. "I mean... I didn’t think it was... like that."

Daisy’s brows pinched like she’d just discovered some deep human flaw, though her lips curled with curiosity, studying Steven as if trying to decide whether this was honesty or cynicism.

Elara fidgeted with her glasses, cheeks faintly pink, her lips parted like she wanted to say something, but the words never came.

Sophie, of course, grinned, biting back a laugh. " "So let me get this straight, grown men really ditch movies because their name comes second? That’s so... macho-dumb," she whispered, though loud enough for everyone nearby.

Steven’s jaw was tense. For a moment, he almost seemed to regret saying so much. He reached for his glass of water, taking a shallow sip, buying himself silence.

Rex leaned back, letting the tension breathe. Outwardly calm, a faintly amused curl at the corner of his mouth. Inwardly?

Look at them, shell-shocked like freshmen who just walked into the wrong lecture hall. Can’t blame them. This isn’t a seminar, it’s Hollywood stripped naked. Forget textbooks, this is the syllabus no one prints. Tch tch... and me? I’ve got the best seat in the house. Damn, even I’m not sure where to look, and I’ve seen plenty. Well... not this.

The silence stretched. Hannah finally closed her notebook with a soft thud, as if afraid of breaking the mood, her smile polite but strained. "Maybe we should, um... step out for a bit. Collect the interviews and data we came for before it gets too late."

Daisy nodded, slipping smoothly into her composed voice. "Yeah. Otherwise I’ll just keep staring at this page, trying to make sense of it all."

Rex gave a polite nod, voice steady. "Go ahead. I’ll join later. There’s something I’d like to go over with Steven."

The girls exchanged a look... half relief, half understanding... then rose quietly. Sophie threw Rex a sly smirk on her way out, mouthing something which he didn’t understand. Hannah offered a polite smile, notebook hugged to her chest. Elara nearly tripped on the edge of the carpet in her rush, cheeks still pink. Daisy lingered half a second longer, her smile soft, searching Rex’s face, before she, too, slipped out the door.

Rex leaned back in his chair, one arm draped along the rest, watching him with a calm that only deepened the silence.

Steven stood there nervously, palms slightly sweaty, he adjusted his watch, just slightly. A reflex he’d do when he was nervous, and a nervous grin plastered across his face. Beneath the surface, though, there was a flicker of excitement in his eyes... he still couldn’t quite believe he had been given this chance.

Rex finally spoke, his tone calm and steady perfectly embodying the character of someone from a wealthy family.

"I’m satisfied with the information. I believe we’ll secure an A+ with this one."

Steven’s grin widened instantly, his head bobbing up and down like a nodding doll. "Of course, of course! There’s no way you’d get anything less than top marks." He let out a nervous chuckle, half-flattery, half-desperation.

Rex shot him a sidelong look, half amused, half impatient, a trace of a smirk tugging at his lips. "Enough flattery. I’m satisfied with your performance."

The words were like honey to Steven. Performance... satisfied... he actually said it! If Rex gave him even half a nod, it felt like a full-on medal of honor. For a moment, the air around him seemed lighter, his chest filled with helium. He was on cloud eight...yes, eight, not seven. Seven was for amateurs. Eight was where champions stood.

Rex, didn’t linger on the dramatics, at least he pretended to. His gaze shifted casually to a nearby display, his tone even, almost indifferent. "I happen to have a friend who’s planning a very... innovative kind of film. I’ll leave him to you."

Steven froze, the grin on his face stiffening before breaking into something wider, brighter, almost manic. His heart skipped. A friend of Rex? Planning a film? That could only mean one thing—connections, studios, maybe even Hollywood-level names. And he, Steven, the small studio guy, the underdog, was being handed this on a silver platter?

In his head, the logic was simple: someone of Rex’s stature would have mega studios, entire networks lined up at his door, yet he was handing this to him. His small studio. This wasn’t just an opportunity... it was proof. Proof Rex trusted him. If he pulled this off... if he impressed...

Inside, he was screaming. This is it. This is the golden ticket. Don’t mess this up, Steven. Don’t you dare mess this up.

Steven’s eyes practically shone. He opened his mouth to say something, but Rex didn’t even give him the chance, Rex’s follow-up was sharp, bringing him back down to earth. "I’ll have him contact you later. Just focus on what he needs and don’t interfere."

Steven’s spine straightened immediately. He slapped a hand against his stomach as if swearing an oath. "Of course! I’ll personally spearhead this project, no matter how harsh or stringent the requirements are. I’ll make sure it’s completed perfectly." His voice carried that overeager bravado of someone desperate to prove their worth.

Rex’s eyes lingered on him for a moment, measuring, weighing. Then, with the faintest nod, he turned his attention back to the room. The nod was small, but for Steven, it was everything. A royal seal of approval. He could already imagine it. Doors opening, connections falling into place, his name climbing higher. He was riding the high hard, floating on cloud eight.

And then—

Bzzzzt.

Steven’s phone rattled against his pocket, vibrating loudly in the quiet space. His face twisted in annoyance. Without even glancing at the screen, he stabbed the decline button. Silence.

Bzzzzt.

Not a second later, the phone buzzed again. Steven’s teeth clenched. He killed the call once more. His shoulders stiffened, trying to maintain his professional air, but the vein in his temple gave him away.

The third time, BZZZT. his jaw tightened. He held the phone in his palm like it had personally insulted him. He finally looked at the caller ID, face twisting. The timing couldn’t have been worse. Thumb hovering over the power button, his glare could’ve burned through the glass.

Steven’s jaw clenched, and he gripped the phone like he might snap it in half. Just as he was about to shut the thing off completely, Rex chuckled.

"It’s fine," Rex said casually, a rare smile brushing his lips. "Take it. I’ll look around."

Steven froze. Embarrassment tugged at him, but he couldn’t really say no. He glanced at the caller ID, his expression flickering for just a moment. Then he nodded quickly, forcing another smile. "Just a moment, excuse me."

(End of Chapter)