Chapter 80

The two of them drove to the school entrance, where school had not yet let out. Phoebe, having come prepared, quickly spotted Brian’s car. At that moment, Brian was smoking with the window down, staring blankly to the side, radiating an air of defeat.

Phoebe and Brenda walked over and tapped on the car door. Only then did Brian snap back to reality. Turning to see Phoebe, he paused in surprise. “Hi. Ms. Jenkins.”

While Brian wasn't well-acquainted with Phoebe, he recognized her. She had been a star at Jenkins Entertainment, though she hadn't utilized the company's operations and public relations. Rumor had it that Phoebe had offended her agent, Leon, which led to her being sidelined like the rest.

They had believed the rumors because, after all, Phoebe was exceptional in both looks and talent, and they thought she had great potential for stardom. Yet, she lacked resources, clearly being held back by her agent.

With recent trending topics and online discussions heating up, they discovered that Phoebe was actually Leon’s biological sister. That also made her related to Ollie. They struggled to understand why the two would suppress their own sister. They had heard that they were promoting Sienna instead, which baffled them even more. They wondered why they couldn't promote both together.

Jenkins Entertainment surely had enough resources for that, especially since Sienna’s qualifications in every aspect paled in comparison to Phoebe’s. This situation seemed unworthy. However, Ollie and Leon were arrogant and favored nepotism. Such behavior appeared normal for them.

Phoebe smiled and said, “Brian, we wanted to talk to you. Could you spare a few minutes?”

Brian had been keeping an eye on the events of the past few days. He had to admit that Phoebe had pulled off a remarkable turnaround. From being on the verge of total online condemnation, she had suddenly become a source of sympathy. Now, Reece and Sienna were the ones being criticized, and their public relations team struggled to find a way to manage the situation. The company’s PR department was currently overwhelmed. Brian admired someone with such prowess.

He extinguished his cigarette and said with a smile, “If you ladies don’t mind, feel free to get in the car, and we can chat.” Since he had to wait for the kids to finish class, he couldn’t take them to a café to sit and talk.

Phoebe nodded eagerly. “Great!” She opened the back door and got in with Brenda.

Brian glanced at the clock; there were still about ten minutes until school let out. He decided to get straight to the point. “Ms. Jenkins, you came to find me for a specific reason, right?”

Phoebe didn’t beat around the bush. “We started a studio and are looking for an operations team, so we wanted to invite you to oversee it.”

Brian’s expression turned to one of surprise as he looked at Phoebe. “You opened a celebrity studio?”

Phoebe nodded. “Yes, since Leon wants to blacklist me, I decided to start my own studio so they have no way to control me.”

Brian’s admiration for her grew. “Ms. Jenkins, you’re quite impressive.”

The Jenkins brothers had warned the others. Whether out of fear of offending them or to avoid trouble, other entertainment companies would likely hesitate to sign Phoebe. Her decision to do this was indeed bold. However, Brian changed the subject. “But I’m afraid I still have no intention of leaving Jenkins Entertainment.”

While others had tried to recruit him before, the former president had been kind to him. Moreover, Jenkins Group offered excellent salaries and was ranked among the top three entertainment companies in the industry. Although Brian had been sidelined by the newly appointed Jenkins brothers, he had never considered switching companies. And Phoebe’s new studio was still in its infancy, with an uncertain future ahead. If he were to leave, Brian would want to join a stable entertainment company alongside his team members.

Phoebe was not surprised that Brian would refuse outright. After all, from any angle, their studio lacked the advantages that would entice him to jump ship. She had come prepared for this.

Chapter 50

She pulled out a folder from her bag and handed it over. “Brian, here’s the operational plan for the studio I created. Take a look and see if you’re interested.”

Although Brian wasn’t planning to switch jobs, he felt he should at least give her some face. He accepted the folder and began flipping through it.

The more he read, the more astonished he became, clearly not expecting Phoebe to be so knowledgeable about operations. If her plan were followed, the studio indeed held promise.

He spoke candidly. “Ms. Jenkins, your plan is excellent and truly impressed me. However, I still have many members to support, so I’m sorry.”

Phoebe handed him another folder. “This outlines the salary and benefits; you can review it further.”

Brian felt a spark of curiosity about what kind of salary a small studio could offer. As he opened it and glanced through, he was taken aback again. The proposed salary was actually higher than what they currently received, and the autonomy offered was significantly appealing. He would be taking on the role of director, fully managing the studio’s operations. This indicated a sense of trust in his capabilities.

Yet, everyone would make grand promises. Brian wasn’t naive. Of course, he didn’t doubt Phoebe’s sincerity. Rather, he was already forty years old, and his home life was a mess. He simply lacked the drive he once had.

Phoebe had prepared these two documents without expecting to persuade Brian to jump ship immediately. If he were to agree so readily, he wouldn’t be the management talent they were looking to recruit.

She observed Brian’s expression and asked, “Brian, is everything okay at home?”

Brian frowned. ‘How did Phoebe know? Has she been investigating me behind my back?’ he wondered. Then he suddenly remembered that Phoebe also had some knowledge of fortune-telling.

Brian conveniently deflected. “There are indeed some issues at home, so I haven’t been focused on work lately. I must apologize for disappointing you, Ms. Jenkins.”

Phoebe fell silent for a moment and raised her hand as if to calculate something. Finally, she spoke. “Brian, I have a suggestion for you.”

“After you send your child home for dinner, you should visit the company again. You might find the answers you’re seeking.” She added with depth, “If it were me, I would definitely make them pay for what they did.”

“When I open the studio, the first thing I will do is recruit people and resources from Jenkins Group.”

Her gaze sharpened as she continued, “I want to retaliate against Leon for hiring online trolls to slander me and for teaming up with Ollie to block my path in the entertainment industry.”

“Brian, once you resolve your inner turmoil, I hope you can seriously consider our studio.”

“I won’t boast about how we’re going to succeed before we even start, but I can assure you that your salary will definitely match what I’ve outlined here, and the studio’s operations will follow this plan.”

Brenda chimed in. “I’m the daughter of the Hill Group and will also be a major shareholder in the studio, so don’t worry. We’re not short on funds. With my connections and resources, along with Phoebe’s, we’ll be just fine.”

Brian didn’t fully grasp the meaning behind Phoebe’s words. However, he did have some doubts and questions lately. He understood that if he followed her advice, he might find answers at the company tonight and resolve his concerns, leading to some kind of decision. He had always believed in horoscopes and fortune-telling. Since she was suggesting it, he decided to see if things would go as she predicted.

Brian nodded at Phoebe. “Alright, I will consider your studio, Ms. Jenkins.”

At that moment, he still didn’t have any strong feelings about the studio; it was merely a polite response.

Phoebe nodded. “My phone number hasn’t changed. Contact me once you have your answers.”

Brian smiled. “No problem. Whether I join or not, I’ll make sure to reply.”

Phoebe said, “Then I won’t keep you from picking up the kids. See you later!”

Brian raised an eyebrow, wondering if Phoebe was convinced he would choose her studio. He smiled back. “Sure!”

With that, Phoebe and Brenda left and returned to Brenda’s car. Brenda asked, “Do you think it will work?”

2:45 PM.

Chapter 80

Phoebe shrugged. “If nothing unexpected happens, it should be fine. We should have an answer by tomorrow.”

Brenda, while curious, didn’t press further since it involved Brian’s family matters. She said, “Then I’ll go prepare the contract?”

Phoebe nodded. “Yes.”

On the other side, Brian picked up his child and had dinner. After some hesitation, he decided to leave the child with his mother and drove to the company.

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