Chapter 253:  Visitors (1) (Patreon)

[General POV]

 Immediately after Edward finished the call with Pepper, Missy Cooper and Mary Cooper were invited by the company’s representative to come to LA. 

After receiving the call, Mary– Sheldon’s mother, a 50 years old devout Christian, who worked at the Church, hesitated for a while. She turned to Missy Cooper, a 29 years old woman, with brunette hair that fell on her shoulder, a model-like figure and a charming appearance.

“Missy. The good Lord has answered my prayers and sent us the most wonderful news!" Mary Cooper said, her voice dripping with that familiar Southern charm.”

Missy Cooper looked up from her Cosmo magazine, a delicate eyebrow raised. "Mum, what in tarnation has you all in a tizzy?" she asked, her own Texan twang evident.

"You remember Sheldon's young friend, that singin' fella?" Mary said as she made her way over to the small dining table where Missy sat. "Well, he's gone and invited us both out to California! Can you believe it, darlin'?"

“Eddy? You mean a World Star. He’s not just a singing fella mom.” Missy chuckled. “If only I was 14 years younger, I might just have to try my luck."

Mary held Missy’s hand gently and said, “This is why I kept praying for you dear.”

“...” Missy was speechless for a second. 

"Now Missy, don't you be gettin' any funny ideas. That young man's got his sights set on bigger things than you old Southern belles." She paused, then her face lit up. 

"But can you imagine, the two of us, goin' out to California? Seein' the sights, maybe even one of' them wax museums! All FREE of CHARGE! Oh lordy, I can hardly believe it."

Missy grinned. "Well what are we waitin' for, Mama? When do we leave?" She was already mentally packing her bags.

"Hold your horses there, darlin'," Mary said, raising a hand. "There's one more thing - Edward wants you to come visit his company while we're out there. Can you believe it? You…" Mary was a bit suspicious as she looked at Missy.

Missy tilted her head with confusion, not understanding Edward’s motives. "His company? Well shoot, I don't see why not. Maybe I can sweet-talk him into givin' me a backstage pass or two."

Missy just shrugged, not thinking much of it. Mary smiled softly and held Missy's hand, "Alright, sounds good to me. Say, should we invite Cece too? You know that girl's just plumb crazy 'bout him–"

Mary's enthusiasm dampened a bit as she remembered. "Oh no, honey, Cece's been grounded by her daddy. No fun trips for my rebellious grandbaby." She sighed, then perked back up. "But you go on and ask Georgie if he'd like to join us! The more the merrier, I always say!"

“There’s no way Georgie would let her go. But I’ll try to see if he wakes up on the right side of the bed this morning.” Missy replied sweetly.

They confirmed their decision to come to LA early in the morning, by then, the jet had already arrived there to pick them up. Mary kept gasping and exclaiming as they flew in luxury, while Missy quickly adapted herself to the rich people's lifestyle.

…

A few hours before Mary and Missy’s touchdown, chaos erupted at Los Angeles International Airport as the President of the United States made a surprise, unannounced arrival, sending the gathered media into a frenzy.

The motorcade pulled up to the curb, and immediately the air was filled with the clamor of shouting reporters and the blinding flashes of cameras. Secret Service agents moved with choreographed precision, shielding the President as he walked to one of the black SUVs. His appearance spotted by the media wasn’t by accident, as he planned for it to happen.

"Calm down everyone. I'd be glad to answer your question," the President said, his voice stern yet whimsical as he raised a hand to quell the onslaught of questions.

"As I mentioned, this is a private matter that I need to attend to. However, I understand your curiosity, so let me say this - I am here to meet with the renowned entertainer, inventor, and a valuable asset to the country, Mr. Edward Newgate."

A hush fell over the crowd of reporters as they processed the President's words. Then, the questions began to flow once more, with reporters shouting over one another.

"Mr. President, can you elaborate on the nature of this meeting with Mr. Newgate?"

"Are you here to discuss some official government business with Mr. Newgate?"

"What prompted this surprise visit to meet with the famous singer?"

The President held up his hand again, silencing the din. "I appreciate your interest, but I'm afraid I can't discuss the details at this time."

He paused, sensing the continued tension in the air. "However, I can say this - I'm here to have an important conversation, one that I hope will lead to a resolution and perhaps, even an apology."

“An apology?” A reporter asked with interest. 

The president smiled and said, “Let’s just say, Mr Newgate is a victim of the country’s mismanagement, and on behalf of the government, I’m going to meet him to deliver a well-deserved apology to him.”

After a moment, another reporter shouted out, "Come on, Mr. President! Can you provide any more details? What exactly does this apology pertain to?" The reporter's tone was insistent, bordering on confrontational. Secret Services had to step in to protect the President.

The crowd of journalists erupted into a chorus of agreement, voices rising in a clamor of questions and demands. "Yes, what was the government's mismanagement that harmed Mr. Newgate?" one called out.

"The public deserves to know the full story here!" another reporter exclaimed. "This could be a major scandal - we need more information!"

The President held up his hand again, but the din was harder to quell this time. The reporters were not willing to let the issue go so easily. It was as if a shark infested water was thrown a bucket of blood. The reporters were in full frenzy. And it was the reaction the President hoped for. 

"I understand your desire for answers," the President said, his tone firm. "But I'm afraid I cannot provide any more details at this time. This is a sensitive, personal matter that I must discuss privately with Mr. Newgate first."

He paused, surveying the agitated faces of the journalists. "I give you my word that I will share more information when appropriate. But for now, I must insist on discretion. The details of this situation are complex, and I need to handle it delicately."

The reporters continued to shout questions, unwilling to back down. It was clear they sensed a major story brewing, and they were determined to extract as much information as possible from the President before he slipped away.

…

[Edward POV]

Pepper, Harvey, and I watched the news together in the CEO's office, our eyes glued to the screen as the President's words echoed through the room. Almost all of the media’s attention was focused on the matter, even the company’s building was currently surrounded. 

"Eddy, can you believe it?" Pepper asked, his voice tinged with nervousness and excitement.

I nodded, a slight impression on my face. "He's good."

"You caught it too, huh?" Harvey turned to me and chuckled. Pepper looked confused. "What on earth are you two gabbing about?"

I leaned back in my chair, a thoughtful expression crossing my features. "His strategy," I explained. 

"By exposing his intention through the media and not directly to me, he allowed me to see his sincerity, and also gave me a little time to process what's happening."

Harvey nodded in agreement. "Exactly. By doing so, he's put you in a bit of a vulnerable position. You'll be confused, maybe even a bit more impressionable when you meet with him."

"Maybe he'll want to discuss the agreement again," Harvey continued, "or maybe he'll just want to get you to view him in a positive light. Anyway, since he used the media to show that he's taking accountability for his actions, not only is he creating a good impression of himself on you, but also on the members of the public.”

“They'd see him as someone who's unlike the other politicians, maybe even painting his image as an honest and sincere man." He paused, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "It's a good political move, I'll give him that."

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the desk as I considered Harvey's analysis. The President had certainly played this situation shrewdly, using the media to set the stage for our impending meeting. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of respect for his calculated approach.

And I was thoroughly impressed by it because of that kind of strategy to manipulate the public? That was from the Lex Luthor skill I had shared with him. Even the action of him coming here himself was based on that particular skill set. It was like, I’m facing myself. Which made me quite excited for the meeting. 

"Well," I said, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth, "I suppose I'd better brace myself. It seems the President has a few tricks up his sleeve." I played it off as I didn’t want to get Pepper into a full blown panic mode. 

Pepper nodded, his brow furrowed in concentration. “We shouldn't jump to conclusions about his intentions. Perhaps this is a sincere effort to make amends for past wrongs."

Harvey acknowledged his perspective with a slight nod. "Fair enough. I may have been a bit too quick to assume the worst."

"Exactly," I replied. “Harvey, want to bet his next move is?”

Harvey smirked and said, “I accept. You go first.”

“It’s quite possible for him to try to meet me on a more neutral ground. He’d put pressure on you with the reporters at first, maybe letting me stew a little bit. Then, he can flip my expectations later on.”

“I think–” Before Harvey could say anything, a ringing sound distracted him. Pepper suddenly received a call at the time. As he picked it up and listened to it, his eyes widened as he looked at me.

“The President’s meeting the Senator first, so he’ll be a little behind schedule.”

“See.” I chuckled. Harvey breathed in relief and chuckled, “Thank god I haven’t said anything yet. Otherwise I’d be so embarrassed.”

I laughed as I glanced at Harvey. Then, I stood up from the sofa, “We still have time. I’m going to go check on the gaming department.”

Pepper said nervously, “Really? Are you sure you don’t want to just stay here?”

I pointed at Pepper as I glanced at Harvey. “See. Stewing.” I said mockingly. Pepper was exasperated and Harvey laughed. “Go have a massage or something.” I chuckled as I said to Pepper.

“That’s… not a bad idea. I’ll sit on the massage chair until it’s over.” Pepper said tiredly.

…

It had been only five short months since the company's founding, yet in that time, it had grown exponentially – now boasting a remarkable 1,200 employees across its five core departments.

My footsteps echoed as I made my way towards the gaming division, nodding occasionally to the dedicated workers I passed.

“James, not taking the day off?” I jokingly asked a team leader as he walked passed by me busily flipping through his documents. James looked up and smiled, “Well even the boss is here, so I’m not going to stay home.”

“It’s a Sunday. Don’t work for too long. Or your wife will be lonely.” I joked.

“She’s here too on the 4th floor. She’s working at Legal.” James chuckled. 

Finally, I arrived at the Game Division. This relatively new, yet rapidly expanding area was the second-largest within Entertain, overseen by a talented team managing an impressive lineup of mobile gaming titles.

The office was vibrant, with oddly shaped chairs, and a unique workplace for all those involved. There were also 10 gaming rooms inside the office for our Beta Testers, all of which were full today.

Flappy Birds 2, the addictive avian odyssey, was awaiting its highly anticipated launch, while the company's take on the League of Legends phenomenon, simply dubbed "LOL Game," was in production and nearing release. Classics like Subway Surfer, Angry Birds, and Temple Run also fell under the gaming department's purview. 

Beyond the gaming hub, the company's structure was equally impressive. The Entertainment department was split between music and movie production, with a dedicated streaming division as a subsidiary branch. And of course, there was the Tourism department, which was my family’s business.

I didn’t disturb the beta tester, and quickly shushed the Indian game developer standing nearby. His eyes glittered when I entered the room, and he almost disturbed the beta tester's concentration.

“Sir, we’re almost done with the beta testing.”

“It’s alright Danny. I’m not here for that. Where’s Choi?” I asked. 

“She’s at the pantry I think. Her latest obsession is trying to diet by eating 5 small meals a day.”

“Ah, at least it’s better than her juice cleanse era.” I responded.

Danny nodded in agreement, “That was a nightmare for all of us here. Not to you though Sir. She won’t even raise her voice at you.”

“I kinda wish she did.” I smiled wryly. “Or at the very least, she can talk normally around me–”

"Op.pa~" The Korean-American girl, who was also the vice-head of the department, rushed towards me after acting exaggeratedly. Dropping her food on the floor, covering her mouth as she gasps, and mumbling to herself for a few times– monologuing. 

I couldn't hear all of what she said as she mumbled it very quietly. I only heard the words, ‘Thinking, appearing, handsome, fate’. But that was enough for her to shudder from.

"Na neo-boda eo-ryeo! (I'm younger than you!)" I retorted quickly. She grabbed my arm and hugged it as she said using a fake cute voice, "Why are you here? Did you miss me?!"

"Sun Hee-ya. How is the game so far?" I asked her casually after calming myself down. She was the type if you played along with her antics, there would be no end to it.

I couldn't help but feel a hint of amusement as Sun Hee rushed towards me, especially her face – which looked uncannily like the renowned Korean actress, Yoo In-na, from my previous world. Her skin was flawless even though she only applied light makeup, her straight brown hair falling perfectly to her shoulders. The large pearl earring and ruby red lips only served to heighten the resemblance.

"We can just release it! Everything is wanbyokaji- Perfect!" She replied with a mixture of two languages while holding a thumbs up at me, a sentence which could be translated as 'Near Perfect'.

"What's wrong with it?" I asked. "Bug problem?" I coded the game with the help of Robin, so I didn't think there were any bugs.

Sun Hee smirked and said, "It's not perfect because Oppa isn't in it--"

“That’s going to make it 41 Champions.” I laughed.

Danny exclaimed, "Oh man. I can't keep watching this. SunHee, stop being delulu!" (Game division. All nerds)

That term was brought by me to the team when I first met SunHee for the first time. Despite being frivolous, SunHee was a top graduate of Stanford, and has been working with giant conglomerates – Microsoft and AT&T. 

Why did she choose to resign her job there and work at my company instead? It was mainly for 2 reasons. She saw the future of the company, and she was also obsessed with me. Not in a sexual or trying to have a relationship with me kind of obsession, but like a fan worshiping an idol kinda obsession.

I talked with the two for a while until one of the beta testers came out of the room in order to go to the toilet. He saw me, and immediately after, he kneeled on the ground, lowering his head to the floor as he worshiped me. “All hail New G! The creator of the best game of the century!”

“Well I wasn’t the one who created it. I just improved it.” I chuckled. The gamer who goes by the nickname, Potato Couch, slowly gets up from the ground as he struggled with it because of his bad knee.

“Nevertheless. You’re our lord and savior– Oh, my stomach hurts. Got to go.” He held his stomach as he rushed to the nearby toilet.

In the meeting room, SunHee had completely changed into her professional mode, and together with Danny, we discussed the possibility of holding the game premiere as the game was basically completed.

“If we used the company’s full capability by borrowing people from the other departments, we could hold the launch celebration on Wednesday. I already got in contact with the Moscone Hall representative down in San Francisco. We need to book it now because Oracle Openworld also wanted to use that location for their conference.”

“Sure. Book it now. I’m free that day.” I replied casually.

SunHee smiled and said with awe, “As expected of my Oppa. He holds the biggest deciding power inside the whole company. You don’t even care if the location is out of budget, don’t you?”

“Is there a factor of budget? I completely forgot about that.” I smiled playfully. SunHee gave me a thumbs up again, while Danny exclaimed in amazement, “Wow. So this is what rich people are like.”

SunHee suddenly glared at Danny and said, “Hey! Oppa wasn’t born a rich person! This is all coming from his hard work! Do you understand?!”

“And also the lottery. Don’t forget that.” I made trouble for myself.

SunHee turned towards me with disbelief, “Oppa! I was defending your honor!”

“I’m not Zuko. You don’t need to defend it.” I laughed as I stood up from the meeting table. “Discuss this with the two CEOs. Marketing is their specialty. I’m only appearing as a guest. I don’t want to do more work for the launch.”

“Oppa. Do you think we can have a performance there? Or better yet, a song made just for the game? If we can do that, the conference event will be even more epic.”

I stopped and turned to SunHee. “Sure. I can do that. But, we’re going to need someone with a powerful voice to do it. And maybe a short video of our champions to make the music video. It’s fine if you don’t finish it before the conference.”

SunHee grinned and said, “We can do that. We just need to kidnap a few animators from the movie department.”

Danny showed pity with his eyes, knowing the unlucky fate of the animators after being targeted by SunHee.