Free Web NovelChapter 773: Chapter 744: Gage Grant vs. Maeve [006]
During that time, Maeve was busy to the point of burnout recording the second round of the competition. She hadn’t checked Weibo for several days and was unaware that 1520 had already joined the Weibo group.
The second round of the competition involved adapting a famous song. Maeve was assigned a folk song, and turning it into a fashionable tune that would appeal to the live audience of 90s and 00s generations wasn’t easy. She secluded herself for a week to barely finish the adaptation.
"Dear audience at the live event, in the ’Original Female Voices’ competition with 18 contestants advancing to 9, the current ranking is," the host turned and pointed at the big screen, "in ninth place, Maeve! Eighth place..."
Gage Grant harshly stubbed his cigarette into the ashtray, cursing, "Are you kidding me?! She sang so well and is only in ninth place? Are those audience eating shit?!"
Logan Lockwood glanced at the massive hundred-inch TV occupying the entire wall and compacted his ear with his pinky, "It’s not that they’re eating shit, it’s that you’re biased," then pointed at the screen, which was sweeping past Candice Chase, "Check out fourth place, pretty face, sweet voice, and big bust."
Gage didn’t even look, reclining back into the sofa, placing his legs onto the coffee table, and lighting another cigarette. Amidst the clouds of smoke, he recalled his journey this past month being repeatedly turned away by Maeve.
Not daring to let Simon Forrester and his wife know he was going after Maeve, Gage couldn’t ask Sienna Thornton to arrange a meeting with Maeve. So, he had to go to where Maeve was recording the show and try to meet her, but each time he was blocked by her assistant. If he spoke too much, they’d call security and bodyguards. Afraid of being photographed and posted online, he always left in embarrassment.
He also tried to have someone call Maeve’s manager on the pretext of sponsorship to see if he could arrange a meeting, but each time was brushed off by the manager, saying they didn’t need sponsorship at the moment.
Despite working at it for a month, he hadn’t even caught a glimpse of Maeve’s profile.
"Is it that difficult just to meet a minor celebrity?" Gage muttered with the cigarette in his mouth, kicking Logan lightly, "Come up with a plan for me."
Logan laughed and through casual conversation suggested, "You could become her Head Fan, then you’d definitely get to meet her."
"Head Fan???"
Gage acted immediately, instructing his assistant the next day to find a guy among their 90s subordinates who used to be a super fan. Guided by this guy, he connected with a Head Fan in Maeve’s Baidu forum under the pretense of buying merchandise.
Initially, the fan insisted on sending him the items by express delivery, without meeting in person. Gage gritted his teeth and ordered one hundred T-shirts, one hundred pillows, several calendars, and umbrellas, practically clearing out the fan’s inventory to secure a face-to-face meeting.
Thus, one weekend in June, he met the legendary Head Fan at a suburban warehouse converted from an old factory.
The Head Fan was young, probably in his twenties, brashly ordering a group of male fans helping to load the merchandise into the car, his attitude quite experience-driven.
Gage, with sunglasses on, revealing only the slightly stern lower half of his face, instructed his assistant to take the items to his apartment near University Town. He then invited the Head Fan to talk at a nearby cafe.
No sooner had the fan sat down, he fished out a crumpled invoice from his bag and handed it over: "Look, uncle, it’s forty-five thousand in total, here’s the receipt."
At the mention of "uncle," Gage’s face darkened: "How old are you, calling me uncle?"
The fan slammed the invoice on the table: "Doesn’t matter how old I am, it’s forty-five thousand in total!"
The Head Fan’s audacious attitude rattled Gage, dropping his eyes briefly on the table, he countered, "What’s this supposed to be, an invoice? What kind of invoice is hand-written like this?"
Recognizing his challenge, the fan glanced at the car that had already driven off, muttering, "Uncle, you took the items without paying, are you trying to rob me? Wanna bet I could call the cops?"
Other patrons in the cafe glanced over.
Irritated by the commotion and hassle, Gage gave a cold snort and transferred fifty thousand to the fan’s Alipay via his phone.
Receiving the payment, the fan rolled his eyes at Gage and prepared to leave, backpack slung over his shoulder.
"Come here, come here!"
Appreciating the extra five thousand, the fan sat back down: "What else do you want, uncle?"
Gage laughed at being called "uncle" again but couldn’t deny the fact he was significantly older.
Slowly tapping his fingertip on the table, he lifted his chin towards the fan, asking, "Doing your job, can you meet Maeve?"
The fan raised his eyebrows and puffed out his chest, "Of course! Last month we even had a meal with the goddess! At, um, the Nubo at the Marriott!"
Excited by the prospect, Gage’s eyes glimmered behind the sunglasses: "What does it take to do your job? To become that Head Fan?"
He had spent a month and a half trying to meet Maeve with no progress. Knowing the fan could dine with Maeve, especially at the Marriott restaurant, he immediately pictured himself dining with Maeve and heading to the presidential suite at the Marriott after for a chitchat.
As long as they can meet normally, he was sure Maeve wouldn’t resist his business attire.
The first two times Maeve brushed him off, once was when she saw him carrying sugar cane, another when he fainted on stage, his male charm took a hit, so Maeve didn’t see his attractiveness. This time, meeting at the Marriott restaurant, he’d dress up nicely and invest some resources, she’d definitely agree to it...
The more he envisioned it, the more delighted he became, gently stroking his smooth chin with slender, clean fingers, a slightly greasy smile curling his lips.
The fan scrutinized him, remarking, "Being a Head Fan isn’t something uncle can just decide, you need achievements and performances."
Gage snapped back: "What are you talking about?"
The fan asked: "Can you edit photos? Write articles? Engage fans? Stir up excitement? Manage the crowd? Engage in fan wars?"
Gage: ???
The fan continued: "Uncle, how many followers do you have on Weibo?"
Gage: "Don’t use Weibo." What would a public servant do on Weibo?
The fan chuckled: "Then I advise you to give up! Without those skills, even if the goddess quits the industry, you’ll never become a Head Fan!" With that, he got up to leave.
Gage frowned: "Hey, come back!"
The fan sat down again.
Gage glanced around, cleared his throat, and lowered his voice: "I might not have those skills, but money is no issue." After he spoke, his thick brows twitching above the sunglasses.
The fan appraised Gage’s attire and recalled the five thousand spent on merchandise, thinking quickly, "Fast-track is possible; I’ll personally guide you, but..."
"Go on."
"Twenty thousand a month, hands-on training until you meet Head Fan qualifications."
"Geez, twenty thousand, nearly equals a month’s salary." Gage’s thick brows furrowed, he lifted his hand, pretending to knock on the fan’s head: "Twenty thousand? That sounds like a rip-off, huh?"
The fan instinctively dodged: "If you don’t want to, forget it!"
