Free Web NovelChapter 115: Chapter 116: A Deal with Renee Sinclair
—Ms. Quincy, I’ve finished editing the video and sent you a collaboration invite. Check it out when you have a minute. (sending hearts)
Sonia Quincy received the WeChat message from Julia Dawson when she was still three kilometers away from The Arbor Café.
She first replied with an "Okay," then exited WeChat and opened TikTok to look at the new invitation that had just popped up.
Julia Dawson was true to her word. In the collaboration video under the invite, Sonia Quincy’s face was indeed covered by a cute kitten sticker. Aside from her constantly moving hands, none of her features were visible in the video.
She double-checked the video and carefully reviewed the caption. Seeing no issues, she accepted Julia Dawson’s collaboration request.
The video was immediately posted to her account.
The caption Julia Dawson had written for her was very thoughtful.
—"I won’t get to know you through rumors." @Bloom Preston
Julia Dawson had over twenty million followers on TikTok. Less than three minutes after the video was posted, Sonia Quincy’s account had already received over five hundred likes, three hundred comments, and even more than a hundred new followers.
"Whoa..." Staring at the enviable numbers, she couldn’t help but marvel—
’As expected of an influencer with tens of millions of fans!’
It was currently rush hour, and the rideshare was moving at a crawl, constantly starting and stopping.
Sonia Quincy had nothing better to do anyway, so she started browsing the video’s comment section.
Most of the commenters were Julia Dawson’s fans, but because Sonia Quincy had become quite notorious lately, most of them knew who "Bloom Preston" was.
Bloom Preston’s public persona was that of an indie jewelry designer, but Julia Dawson’s fans—and her own—cared less about Bloom’s designs and more about her face and her unresolved scandals.
JuliaIsQueen: Whoa, Julia actually met up with Bloom Preston IRL! So? So? What does Bloom Preston look like?
ChallengeMeBloom: Holy crap, Bloom Preston, you’ve really made it, collaborating on a video with Julia Dawson! So what was the end of that last scandal? Did Little S’s brother wake up? If he didn’t, does that mean he’s dead?
AnnoyedAgainToday: Bloom Preston! A wild Bloom Preston appeared! Julia, what does she look like? Is she pretty?
GoGoJulia: Why isn’t she showing her face? Why won’t Bloom Preston show her face? Aaaah, I’m dying to know what she looks like!
Julia Dawson showed up to reply:
Julia Dawson: Bloom Preston is gorgeous! If I hadn’t been wearing makeup, I wouldn’t have had the courage to film with her! And she wasn’t even wearing any!
Her reply just fanned the flames, making the netizens even more curious. The entire comment section was now demanding that Bloom Preston reveal her face.
Bloom Preston’s face was too hot a topic to be revealed so easily. Sonia Quincy silently put her phone away, uncharacteristically refraining from engaging with the comments.
At four in the afternoon, the rideshare arrived on time at the entrance of The Arbor Café. Unsurprisingly, Renee Sinclair had arrived early again.
"Sonia Quincy!"
The moment Sonia Quincy appeared, Renee Sinclair shot up eagerly from her chair.
Having not seen her for some time, Sonia was struck by how much weight she had lost. Her once bright and vivacious face was now gaunt and sickly, a condition that even the heaviest makeup couldn’t conceal. Her well-maintained, long, wavy hair hung limp and lifeless, the strands as frizzy and coarse as straw.
Even though Sonia Quincy had guessed Renee would be tortured by the system for not having enough favorability points, she was still genuinely shocked by her miserable appearance.
"Sonia Quincy." Renee Sinclair planted her hands on the table, her eyes locked on Sonia until she sat down across from her.
"Sonia Quincy, tell me. What do you want me to do?" For the first time, Renee Sinclair didn’t beat around the bush with Sonia. She didn’t even wait for her to put down her bag before impatiently blurting out her question.
Sonia Quincy frowned at her. Although she had no desire to meddle in Renee’s affairs, she couldn’t help but ask, "What happened to you?"
"...Hmph," Renee Sinclair let out a bitter, cold laugh. "This is what happens when you can’t earn enough favorability points, of course."
Sonia Quincy: "That system of yours... how can it be so ruthless?"
Renee Sinclair pushed back a strand of her brittle hair, every word she spoke dripping with sarcasm. "A system isn’t a person. Of course it’s ruthless when it acts."
"It only recognizes favorability points. It couldn’t care less about your feelings."
"..." Sonia Quincy silently averted her gaze, not wanting to press the heart-wrenching topic further.
"How many favorability points do you need to survive in this world?"
Renee Sinclair shook her head. "I don’t know for sure. The system’s rule is that I can leave this world successfully if I earn one hundred favorability points. But to just survive, I need at least ten. When I first transmigrated, this body of Renee Sinclair’s came with ten favorability points."
"Deal." Sonia Quincy nodded, agreeing directly. "I’ll let you earn ten favorability points, but remember, my limit is ten. If you get greedy and try for more, I can turn on you and end our deal at any time. And if my doing so threatens your life in any way, I won’t be held responsible."
Renee Sinclair grabbed the coffee in front of her and took a large gulp. The intense bitterness momentarily cleared her muddled thoughts.
"Fine, ten it is." She didn’t hesitate for long, agreeing to Sonia Quincy’s terms readily enough. "I’ve stated my demand. What about yours? What do you want me to help you with?"
Sonia Quincy: "I need your help with three things."
"First, I need to investigate some things related to Cecilia Quincy. I don’t have the connections or resources, so you’ll have to use yours to help me."
Renee Sinclair: "Fine."
Sonia Quincy: "Second, I’m trying to build my own brand online, but I don’t have many followers or much traffic. You need to work with me and help me build up my traffic and reputation in the shortest time possible."
"You..." Renee Sinclair’s brow furrowed slightly, unable to understand Sonia Quincy’s intentions. "Are you trying to get famous quick and make money as an influencer?"
Sonia Quincy didn’t explain, only saying, "Yes and no. You don’t need to worry about that. Just do as I say."
"Fine." Renee Sinclair was at her mercy now and had no choice but to obey. "What’s the third thing?"
"Third." Sonia Quincy’s eyelids lowered, a hint of gloom surfacing in her dark eyes. "You know about Felix Preston’s car accident, right?"
Renee Sinclair grunted in affirmation. "I know. I originally wanted to visit Felix at the hospital, but I was afraid of making him unhappy and causing my already negative favorability points to drop even further. So, after thinking about it, I decided not to go."
Sonia Quincy ignored the latter part of her explanation and continued with her own train of thought. "Felix Preston’s car accident was intentional. The one who hit him was Willow Quincy. But Willow Quincy came prepared and left us no real evidence to pursue him with. So, I want you to help me find more evidence from Willow Quincy, to prove that his car crash with Felix Preston was premeditated."
