Claire woke up early, admitting to himself that he'd barely slept. At one point, he'd even considered calling Jessica Jung to invite her to the music festival in two days.
But he quickly squashed the idea. God knows Jessica's nose, sharper than a bloodhound's, would sniff out something between him and Du Juan.
In the morning, tour guide was already downstairs, blaring a familiar megaphone to rouse the tourists. Their first stop today was London's River Thames. Standing by the window, watching the crowd below, Claire couldn't help but marvel, "Man, a big crowd is something else."
By 9 a.m., the tourists had cleared out of the hotel, and Claire started getting ready. He had important business to handle soon.
Initially, he'd planned to have Du Juan stop by, but she had a significant guest arriving from China today. Though she didn't say much on the phone, Claire had a hunch about what was going on.
The director for City of Love had been confirmed. The film, a joint production by Huayi Brothers Media, 20th Century Fox, and Star Media, was a big deal. When Fox's investment head suggested adding a role to the movie, Huayi Brothers took it seriously. Wang Zhonglei was personally interviewing Du Juan, and Claire had heard her film contract might get snapped up.
Claire understood why Du Juan didn't invite him along. He admired her independent spirit—it was something he genuinely respected in a woman.
---
The arrival of Goldman Sachs representative Maggie Pett didn't surprise Claire, especially since she was a man.
Unlike Merrill Lynch's Ogmund Ford, Maggie didn't roll in with a big entourage.
"You're surprised I came alone?" Maggie asked.
Claire nodded honestly. "Yeah, I thought SPACs were a complicated deal."
Maggie gave a rare smile, one that didn't feel mocking but rather warm and refreshing. "SPACs are a common way for tech companies to go public now. I've already lined up several blank-check companies for you to acquire. If the merger goes through, you'll be the next Steve Chen."
He handed Claire a folder with confidence, but added, "As Steve's friend, I feel obligated to give you some advice. You should enroll in a university in the U.S. to brush up on your knowledge. You've got talent, but you rely too much on instinct. If you don't grow, the money you make from selling shares will vanish quickly."
Claire nodded, taking the advice seriously. During the transition from [Claire's Custom Travel] to [Claire's Ticketing], he'd seen his own shortcomings. Without Steve Chen's backing, his first venture might've flopped.
"I recommend this company," Maggie continued, pointing to a file. "Its structure is similar to yours. If you pick it, Goldman will help match you with a tourism agency."
"Kaiser Tourism?" Claire replied without missing a beat.
Maggie raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Smart. I take back what I said—you clearly know the cross-border tourism market. Kaiser is very interested in your project and values the European market, if you're willing."
Maggie tried to play it cool, but Claire cut to the chase. "I'll choose Kaiser as my next shareholder. Can we lower the transaction fees?"
"I'd need to request approval," Maggie said. "Your website has potential, but you know most of your revenue comes from that travel agency you just acquired."
"Before we go public, I'm confident my site will hit £2 million in monthly revenue," Claire shot back. "And it'll keep growing month after month. Too bad Goldman isn't my biggest investor—I'd happily sign a betting agreement with you."
Maggie didn't back down. "Let's hope so. If you take my recommended blank-check company, sign this authorization. The final deal, fees, and stock underwriting will be negotiated with us and Merrill Lynch together."
Maggie was all business, coming and going with efficiency Claire didn't envy. But his words were a wake-up call—Claire needed to decide which school to attend for further studies. Steve Chen had given him two university recommendation letters, after all.
---
Back in the U.S., Megan Fox sat across from her fiancé, Brian Austin Green, her expression deadly serious.
"I want us to talk this out properly, not air our dirty laundry to the media. I've never betrayed you—it's always been you making a fuss over nothing. Even when you were at your lowest, I was out there fighting for roles with Spielberg that suited you."
Brian was a far cry from the man Claire had first met. Unshaven stubble crawled across his face, and his once-full cheeks were sunken from the relentless negative press, making him look like an addict.
When Megan spoke, his calm facade shattered, and he erupted.
Her agent, Chris Silberman, sitting beside her, signaled two bodyguards to step between them.
"Oh, FXXK! FXXK! You're the one who ruined everything!" Brian shouted. "Without you, I'd be doing so much better! Now that you're famous, you're ditching me. I regret everything I did for you. If it weren't for your childhood sweetheart, I wouldn't be in this mess. You've destroyed me!"