“I hope you can win.”

Even without Monde saying it, Lisa could feel the pressure. If they lost the lawsuit, Monde would face some questioning about his judgment at worst, but Lisa… no, she couldn’t lose. After obtaining Mrs. Wilson’s contact information, Lisa was determined to convince her to testify in court no matter what.

The contact information was for their American residence – the landline number of the Wilsons’ mansion in the Upper East Side. The house had been seized, and Lisa’s numerous calls went unanswered. Just as she was about to despair, she thought to try the Broadway theater, which was under Mrs. Wilson’s ownership. Thank heavens – Lisa had found the right lead. The theater manager informed her that Mrs. Wilson had gone to China for vacation with no set return date.

“I need to contact her. Just tell her Mr. Monde Dawson sent me. Besides, you remember me, don’t you? We met during the theater renovation – I designed the interior.”

“Of course, I remember you. I heard you’re involved in a lawsuit.”

The theater manager complimented Lisa about the lawsuit over the theater’s design: “It’s truly wonderful. Many people love it, and we often sell out since reopening.”

The high dome leaked intoxicating ‘starlight’ – yes, it was truly beautiful!

Why would newspapers and TV stations care about a lawsuit between an unknown American female architect and a Chinese student? It wasn’t because of the plaintiff or defendant’s fame – it was the theater. As Xia Xiaolan had predicted, it became an ‘internet sensation’ after reopening. Due to its popularity among young people, the New York Times happened to feature it in a Broadway special report, where the ‘viral theater’ stood out for its unique, youthful style. Not long after the Times report, the lawsuit happened, and naturally, it garnered attention.

It had news value and story appeal.

Under media attention, winning the lawsuit would bring both fame and fortune.

The loser would be utterly defeated!

Lisa obtained the new contact information and eagerly reached out to Mrs. Wilson:

“Hello, madam, Mr. Monde said—”

“What Monde says isn’t important, Lisa. What matters is what you say and what you want to do. I’ve been waiting for your call. Thank God you didn’t make me wait too long.”

Mrs. Wilson’s voice was so enthusiastic.

Lisa couldn’t help but smile. It seemed Mrs. Wilson was still at odds with Xia Xiaolan.

“Madam, I need your help.”

“Lisa, I will fulfill my duty as an American citizen and testify in court about everything I know. Please forgive my harshness towards you before. I wanted better results, and we had quite a few conflicts… You are the theater’s greatest contributor!”

Lisa’s heart settled.

Mrs. Wilson agreed to return to America to testify. She would come back without hesitation once the court date was set!

Some things couldn’t be said over the phone and required a private, face-to-face meeting.

This was already a very satisfactory result for Lisa.

…

“You want to testify in court?”

“Why not!”

Mrs. Wilson carefully maintained her facial skin.

Her complexion hadn’t been good lately. She should get a more comprehensive treatment, the kind with beauty devices for deep care… Damn it, she should be in Switzerland right now, not stuck in backward China.

“I can’t go to Switzerland, but at least I can return to America once. Ivan, I’m almost going crazy here.”

It was extremely stifling!

Except for the barely acceptable hotel environment, Pengcheng, in its rapid development, was chaotic everywhere. The infrastructure lagged decades behind New York. To Mrs. Wilson, the so-called Special Zone was just the countryside.

Old Ivan shook his head, “You can go back to America to relax, but I still don’t agree with testifying in court. This isn’t our most important matter right now.”

Women are creatures easily controlled by emotions – nine out of ten women couldn’t manage their emotions well!

But he didn’t firmly stop her either. It was important to give Cynthia an outlet, otherwise she would break down before their plan succeeded…

“Aunt Cynthia, may I come in?”

It was Tina’s voice.

The couple tacitly ended their conversation, and Ivan went to open the door.

Tina wore a professional suit dress, having just finished the golf club’s opening ceremony. She had indeed gained some experience.

“I got promoted! I can work with Bill now, I can access—”

Halfway through her sentence, Tina covered her mouth.

Even Cynthia was surprised, “You got promoted so quickly?”

Tina nodded matter-of-factly, “The golf club is all about dealing with rich people. What wine they like to drink, what they like to wear, what they use, their favorite brands… However you look at it, I have more experience than most people at the club, so why wouldn’t they promote me?”

That was true.

All club staff had to undergo training before starting work.

However, what others learned through training was different from personal experience. Tina had grown up in a wealthy family, and if she wanted to, she could always make conversation with members.

As long as business wasn’t discussed, she and the members had plenty to talk about.

Fortunately, members wouldn’t discuss serious matters with Tina, allowing her to play to her strengths. During the opening ceremony, Tina showed off her ‘money power,’ performing surprisingly well in coordinating and communicating with members.

After the opening ceremony, Bill talked with her, asking for her personal opinions.

From assisting Ji Jiangyuan with member registration and paperwork to being responsible for maintaining member relationships – this promotion speed made even Tina feel a bit dizzy.

Although her internship had other motives, being truly valued gave Tina a sense of achievement.

The Wilsons exchanged glances, and Cynthia immediately embraced her:

“Darling, you’re doing even better than we imagined! We’re proud of you!”

Tina was full of confidence, “Just wait a little longer, hang in there, I can accomplish that thing.”

The Wilsons took turns flattering her, and Tina left the room still feeling dazed.

She didn’t return to her room immediately, but instead walked downstairs and eventually knocked on Grandmother Yu’s door.

Grandmother Yu opened the door, quite puzzled.

Unless she demanded it, Tina never took the initiative to find her. What had happened?

Tina didn’t know why she came either, just felt an impulse to tell this serious old lady:

“I got promoted! If I want to, I can also gain recognition at work!”

The moment the words left her mouth, Tina suddenly realized.

Perhaps she had developed a condition from being tormented by the old lady all this time – she was looking forward to ‘grandmother’s’ approval. If she proved herself excellent enough, would this old lady still insist on maintaining only a superficial relationship?

Tina hadn’t expected Grandmother Yu’s face to instantly turn as black as a pot bottom upon hearing her words.

—If the DNA paternity test hadn’t been supervised by Xia Xiaolan, she would never have believed that Tina was a Xu family child. The Xu family wouldn’t have such a foolish child. How could anyone get promoted so quickly? The Wilsons were making Tina do something improper, and Harold’s side must surely know about it!

Such a simple matter, yet Tina couldn’t understand?