Infinity Media had an overwhelming number of streamers. Even many well-known creators had to wait backstage, shoulder to shoulder. There weren't enough seats—some stood, others simply sat on the floor, chatting softly or scrolling through their phones.
But Jason, along with Mia and Grace, was a different case. A senior manager personally led them through a side passage and straight to the VIP seating area.
Along the way, heads turned one after another. Jason was tall, composed, and effortlessly handsome. Mia and Grace walked beside him, each beautiful in her own way. The three of them together looked striking—like a picture that naturally drew the eye.
Whispers spread quietly.
"Who are they? That guy looks unreal."
"Those girls too… if they were streamers here, they'd already be huge. But I've never seen them."
"Wait—hold on. Isn't that Mia, the New Vision Media streamer?"
"What's she doing at Infinity?"
"And that guy… is he a new Infinity streamer?"
Countless gazes lingered on Jason—his calm expression, straight posture, and the faint sense of authority that surrounded him. Beautiful eyes followed him openly, without concealment.
Jason barely glanced at the growing attention. Most of those watching him were strangers—too many faces, too many names. Remembering them all wasn't worth the effort. He had already decided that, in the future, he would simply categorize them. Names were unnecessary.
As they continued forward, Jason suddenly felt a focused gaze—not fleeting, but deliberate. He turned his head. A woman with bare shoulders stood not far away, leaning casually against the wall. Her eyes were bold, languid, and openly alluring. Just one glance carried an almost tangible heat.
Jason quickly noted her identity—Nina. Soft. Fragrant. Dangerous. He filed the name away mentally and moved on without slowing.
Just before entering the main hall, another figure caught his attention. She wore a simple silk dress, embroidered with faint orchid patterns along the collar. No jewelry, no ornamentation—only a wooden hairpin holding up her dark hair. A few loose strands framed her face like ink brushed lightly onto rice paper.
In that instant, Jason finally understood what classical elegance truly meant. This wasn't something clothes created. Her beauty was quiet, restrained—eyebrows like distant hills beneath morning mist, eyes clear as autumn water. When she lowered her gaze, she resembled a half-unrolled painting. When she looked up, it was like the first bloom of spring.
She stood there calmly, like mist over a river, unassuming yet impossible to ignore. Her eyes briefly met Jason's.
The manager beside Jason lowered his voice. "Boss, her name is Sophia. She's a freshman. Started streaming to help promote her grandfather's antique shop. She went viral because of her looks and her real knowledge—antiques, history, restoration. But she doesn't care much about fame or money. She refuses contracts easily, won't play along with management. She's… clean."
Jason nodded calmly. Then he said flatly, "From now on, you don't need to explain things like this to me."
The manager froze for a second, then immediately lowered his head. "Yes, Boss."
Jason walked into the hall, expression unchanged. But somewhere behind him, Sophia's gaze lingered just a moment longer than before.
Inside the auditorium, Jason, Mia, and Grace were seated in the very center of the front-row VIP section. Almost immediately, Infinity Media's senior executives approached one after another, followed closely by invited corporate partners and advertisers.
The executives' behavior was obvious. Jason was now the sole shareholder, holding absolute control. One sentence from him could decide a person's future in the company. If they didn't curry favor now, they'd be fools.
The guest bosses were no different. Everyone present had already heard whispers about how Infinity Media had been hostilely acquired in an absurdly short time. The methods were brutal, decisive, and capital-driven. No one here dared underestimate Jason's financial strength.
Even advertisers were cautious. This wasn't a sponsor they could pressure. If Jason didn't like them, he could replace them without blinking.
Mia and Grace sat beside him, quietly observing the scene. Their eyes shone with admiration.
Grace leaned closer and whispered, "Jason… isn't Infinity technically a competitor? Even being invited as a guest would already be impressive. Why are they treating you like this?"
Jason smiled faintly. "They were competitors. But now? You could say we're family."
Mia and Grace froze. It took them a second to process what that meant. Then their eyes widened.
Grace's heart raced. So the bankruptcy rumors were fake from the beginning. Luckily… she hadn't believed them.
At 6:00 PM, the annual meeting officially began. The flow was standard—opening speeches, lucky draws, performances—but as a top MCN company, Infinity Media leaned heavily into stage segments. One streamer after another went up.
Yet every time someone glanced toward the VIP section and saw Jason seated dead center, confusion flickered across their faces. That seat… was reserved for the founder. And yet, Jason sat there with effortless composure, as if it were always meant to be his.
Even without understanding the truth, people instinctively felt that this man belonged there.
In contrast, Sophia never went on stage. She sat quietly at the edge of the venue, her expression calm, her presence almost detached from the lively chaos—like a classical painting misplaced in a modern hall.
Later, during one of the activity segments, Alice and Angela were called on stage. The moment they stepped under the lights and saw Jason seated in the absolute center of the front row, their expressions froze. Their minds went blank.
What… was going on? Even if Jason had been invited as a guest, how could he possibly sit there? At best, he should've been on the edge of the first row. After all, New Vision Media was far smaller than Infinity Media.
Then they noticed Mia and Grace sitting calmly on either side of him. The imbalance hit them like a slap. They had believed that following Infinity Media would elevate them. That Mia and Grace—sticking with the "bankrupt" Jason—would only sink lower.
Yet now? They were performing on stage… while Mia and Grace sat in VIP seats.
And those gowns—they were impossible to ignore.
Soft whispers from two female streamers nearby drifted over.
"Mia's dress… that's not ordinary luxury. If I'm not mistaken, that's the newest ultra-luxury piece—'Celestial River.' Silk, gold-foil micro-weaving, design inspired by ancient star maps… nano-luminous embroidery restoring over two hundred constellations. Only three sets worldwide. Each comes with a personal naming certificate—the buyer can name a newly registered asteroid. Total value? Over four million dollars."
"And Grace's dress is just slightly lower tier—'Rainbow.' Mineral pigments, fiber optics, dynamic light refraction. Two million at least."
On stage, Alice and Angela felt their scalps go numb. Two million. Four million. Was Jason really… about to go bankrupt?
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