Everyone Can Hear My Thoughts, and Now They're Panicking

Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Sounds Like a Great Project

Jared Thorne sized up Mama Knight. This woman was in the VIP lounge; could she be a secret millionaire?

He imagined she was like one of those unassuming cleaning ladies in an office building—making a modest salary but secretly collecting rent from a dozen properties. The kind who, just as a company is about to go bankrupt, whips out tens of millions for a life-saving investment, becoming an unsung hero.

Mama Knight was completely dumbfounded. Even she knew that investing in a movie cost a fortune.

Her salary was decent, but it was far from enough to invest in a movie. Her savings would be a mere drop in the bucket.

"I can’t, Young Miss. I only have a few hundred thousand..."

Jared Thorne’s daydream lasted all of two seconds before it shattered.

"Young Miss? Could it be you...?" Jared Thorne turned his hopeful gaze toward Jane Lancaster.

Jane Lancaster sighed. "I’m even more broke."

The five hundred thousand she had gotten from the system had already been spent during the knife attack incident at the hospital.

She had the black card Julian Lancaster gave her now, but it was a credit card. She could only make purchases, not withdraw cash.

The light in Jared Thorne’s eyes died.

Jane Lancaster said, "Alright, I’ll find someone else for you, but Mama Knight has to invest with us."

Right in front of them, Jane Lancaster thought for a moment, then called Jasper Sterling.

"Jasper..."

"Jasper Sterling, listen to me! You need to drive to the airport right now, immediately, and pick someone up. He’s on the same flight as me. His name is Jared Thorne, and he’s a director. The movie he’s filming is going to be a massive hit, raking in eight billion at the box office! And right now, you only need to invest about one hundred million to become the primary investor and make a killing—we’re talking billions in profit!"

Jared Thorne: "..."

’The guy on the other end is totally going to think this is a scam and hang up!’

’An eight-billion-dollar box office? She’s just pulling numbers out of thin air! The highest-grossing film in Chinese history didn’t even make eight billion.’

On the other end of the line, the young man let out a soft chuckle, his voice as rich and elegant as a violin’s melody.

"It sounds like a great project. Alright, I’ll be there soon."

Jane Lancaster said, "I can’t talk long, we’re about to board. Remember to bring the company seal and whatever else you need for the contract. It would be best to get this settled tonight!"

Jared Thorne was in a daze the entire time. When the call ended, he hurriedly asked, "Miss, were you serious just now? Because I’m taking you seriously!"

’Oh my god, am I dreaming?’

’No, no, no, I can’t overthink this. I have to stay composed. He probably just hasn’t had time to react yet.’

’But I brought my laptop and the script. I’m completely prepared. As long as he’s willing to give me a chance to pitch, I’m happy to go.’

’Anything is better than being stood up at the last minute and told there’s no investment. That would be enough to make me tear my hair out.’

—

Seeing her nephew hang up the phone, Lana Sterling couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.

"Scammers these days are so brazen. A scam call actually made its way to you. But you reacted quickly. Good, let him stew at the airport."

This nephew of hers... you couldn’t fool him even before he started preschool.

And he only became more formidable as he grew up. He was always the one doing the deceiving; no one ever managed to deceive him.

Jasper Sterling instructed Gavin, "Arrange for a car. I’m going to the airport. You’re coming with me."

Lana Sterling was so shocked she shot up from the sofa. "Wait, you’re actually going to the airport? ’Invest 100 million for an 8 billion box office’—even I wouldn’t fall for a scam like that!"

Besides, wasn’t Jasper usually completely uninterested in entertainment industry projects?

Lana’s mind started turning. Since her nephew was being so agreeable right now...

"Jasper, how about you give me three hundred million? I’ve got my eye on a project with a high rate of return. I guarantee you a threefold return in one year."

Jasper Sterling glanced back at her. "Sure."

Lana Sterling was ecstatic! "Th-then when will you wire me the money? Oh, right, the contract. We need to sign a contract."

She was so overjoyed, she could barely speak coherently.

"No need for all that trouble, Auntie. You can go get the money right now. See? Just go up the stairs, third room on the left. Go in, lie down on the bed..."

Lana Sterling tried to memorize the route. "And then?"

"And then you close your eyes. You can have anything you want in your dreams." Jasper Sterling’s smile vanished, and he left with Gavin.

Lana Sterling: "..."

She was absolutely furious. What’s that supposed to mean, ’anything you want in your dreams’? The nerve of him!

"That’s just too much! Does he even see me as his aunt anymore?" Lana Sterling couldn’t help but complain to Uncle Lynn. "If I hadn’t been the one to change all his diapers and raise him, would he be where he is today? Uncle Lynn, say something! Tell me I’m right, aren’t I?"

Uncle Lynn tried several times to lift his teacup from the table for a sip, but she smacked his arm, spilling a little. He tried again, and she smacked him again, spilling a bit more.

Watching half his tea slosh out of the cup, Uncle Lynn took a deep breath.

He said in a monotone voice, "When the Young Master was little, you said you didn’t like children and told the nanny to throw ’that thing’ far away."

The Young Master had been an incredibly beautiful child. Anyone who saw him would have their heart melted, but she, of all people, had been disgusted by him.

Lana Sterling felt a pang of guilt. "So what if I don’t like kids and never took care of him? If it weren’t for me, the Sterling Family would have been finished long ago. What right does he have to treat me like this?"

She thought for a moment. "That caller just now was a woman, right? My god, some little vixen calls and gets a hundred million out of him! I’m his aunt. Is asking for three hundred million really so outrageous?"

Uncle Lynn had a bad feeling. He sensed that this willful Young Miss was about to stir up trouble again.

—

As Jane Lancaster walked out of the arrivals gate, she spotted Jasper Sterling at a glance.

Her gaze shifted, and then she saw Caleb Lowell. She froze.

’Wait, what’s he doing here?’

Caleb Lowell had just arrived. The arrivals area was crowded, and he was so focused on finding Jane Lancaster that he didn’t notice anyone else.

’What does she mean, ’What’s he doing here’? Is she just so overjoyed to see me that she’s at a loss for words?’

His heart softened. He hadn’t seen her in a while, and her complexion looked much better. The sparkle in her eyes held a glimmer of her former self.

"Jay, over here," he said, waving.

Jared Thorne thought it was strange. Why did the young miss suddenly stop walking?

He had flown economy, so he got off the plane later than the first-class passengers and had to hustle to catch up.

But the young miss had told him to just follow her and not to greet her if her two brothers were around, so he hadn’t dared to approach her on his own.

Seeing the man who was there to pick them up, with his domineering CEO aura, he felt like this was it. ’This must be the investor, right?’

It was already embarrassing to have the man pick them up, so he hurried over and extended his hand respectfully. "Hello, a pleasure to meet you!"

Jane Lancaster was speechless. ’He really does have the protagonist’s halo. How else could he stumble right into this?’

Caleb Lowell tore his gaze away from Jane Lancaster and looked at the scruffy young man before him, frowning.

An assistant quickly stepped forward, using his arm to block the two of them. "Excuse me, President Lowell is here to pick up his fiancée today. It’s not a convenient time."

Seeing the man’s unkempt appearance, the assistant assumed he was some overzealous fan of Caleb Lowell. His tone was professional, but his actions were rough as he shoved the man away.

Jared Thorne lost his balance and nearly fell, but a hand from the side steadied him.