Riley Perry had only one word for people like that: morons.
They didn't study hard in school, and after getting into the industry, they didn't think about learning and improving. All they wanted was to make a quick buck. And once they made money, they had no idea how to plan for the future and just spent it all. In her eyes, people like that were complete morons.
'Back in The Cultivation Realm,' she mused, 'I had everyone in the entire sect with even a shred of power wrapped around my little finger. My secret treasury was full of treasures. That even included my stoic old father. As soon as he got his hands on something good, I'd have it coaxed out of him. It got so bad that when he tried to find a female cultivator from our sect to be his cultivation partner, I sabotaged the whole thing.'
'It couldn't be helped. The most powerful Pill Master in all of The Cultivation Realm was poorer than a Sword Cultivator. What female cultivator would want to spend her life with a man like that? People are pragmatic, you know?'
After lunch, Riley Perry returned to her break room and started on the homework her instructor had assigned. All the while, she didn't forget to pester a certain big-shot CEO. It didn't matter that he never replied; she sent her messages anyway.
This went on for three days, and not one of Riley Perry's messages received a reply.
After her classes ended for the day, she had just gotten back to her apartment when Joanna suddenly called. "Riley, a variety show wants to have you on. The pay isn't great, but given your current situation, it's not like any of the good shows are sending you invitations..."
Riley Perry was curious. "What show is it?"
"...It's called Let's Farm Together."
'Never even heard of it.'
The imposter had been on quite a few variety shows, but none of them ever made a splash. Among the people who criticized her online, some called her nothing more than a variety show regular with low emotional intelligence.
Variety shows, especially reality TV, were like demon-revealing mirrors; one misstep could easily ruin your public appeal. Besides, appearing on too many shows would make it hard for audiences to immerse themselves when she took on other roles. For these reasons, Riley Perry wasn't too keen on accepting.
At the very least, she didn't want to take on any shows until her acting had earned the audience's approval.
"Nana, I want to focus on honing my acting skills. Unless it's an exceptionally good show, I'd rather not take it for now."
Joanna replied, "Fine. If you don't want to do it, then forget it. Director Sutton's show is a bit of a trap anyway. It's probably for the best."
'So be it. She has a sponsor now, after all. As long as the girl knows how to play her cards right, how could she possibly be short on opportunities?'
'Man, I'm so curious who Riley's sponsor is. He can't be a nobody, right?'
...
Riley Perry's sponsor was indeed impressive, but right now, his expression was terrible.
Previously, he would receive several messages from that woman every day. She would tell him about everything she was doing, and would even send flirtatious messages saying she missed him.
But today, she had only sent one message. It was just two words: "Good morning."
And then, nothing.
Henry Hayes noticed it too. The CEO had been checking his phone constantly all day. Unfortunately, the frequent notification chimes from the past two days were completely silent today.
Seeing the pressure around the CEO dropping lower and lower—he'd barely even touched his dinner—Henry Hayes snuck into the restroom and sent Riley Perry a message: "Are you busy today, Miss Perry?"
'That hint was obvious enough, right?' he thought. 'If you're not busy, then hurry up and send the CEO a message! When the CEO is in a bad mood, I'm the one who suffers most, okay?'
After finishing dinner, Riley Perry opened her laptop and started writing. When her phone chimed, she glanced at it.
She immediately sent a reply to Henry Hayes: "Actually, I am a bit busy."
Henry Hayes saw the reply. 'Busy with what?' he fumed inwardly. 'Didn't your classes already end for the day? It's not like you have any work engagements!'
'Besides, no matter how busy she is, she should still have time to send a single message, right?'
'The CEO is radiating a frosty aura over here, and Miss Perry refuses to cooperate over there. What's a mere assistant supposed to do?'
He typed: "Miss Perry, the CEO really misses you."
Riley Perry: "Ha."
Henry Hayes saw her reply and gave up. 'Fine,' he thought. 'One is being proud and aloof, the other is throwing a tantrum. What can I do? Let them sort it out themselves. I'm done getting involved.'
Returning to the living room, Henry Hayes silently sat back down and went back to his files. Cole Sinclair looked up, his gaze icy. "Got a lot of free time on your hands?"
'Did he really think I couldn't hear his phone's notification just because he went to the restroom?'
Henry Hayes felt speechless. '...You, of all people, should know whether I have free time or not, shouldn't you?'
'It's the weekend, and not only am I stuck here with you on a business trip working overtime, but I also have to endure the constant arctic chill you're giving off. You think my life is easy?'
He desperately wished Alan Lane would come back and switch with him. Let Alan handle the domestic affairs while he took over the overseas business. Seriously, he'd even be willing to get a foreign girlfriend at this point.
Fortunately, after that one question, Cole Sinclair went back to his work. Henry Hayes breathed a silent sigh of relief. He really couldn't take another day of this.
...
As soon as she arrived at the company today, Riley Perry handed Rhona the pills she had prepared. "One a day. By the time you finish them, your figure should be more or less back to normal."
Nestled on the sofa and hugging a throw pillow, Riley Perry let her mind go blank for a moment.
Rhona clutched the small glass bottle in her hand and asked excitedly, "Ria, will these really work?"
Riley Perry looked up at her young assistant. "Of course. You'll know once you try them." 'How could anything I make be subpar?'
'Of course, they're definitely a step down from the Spiritual Energy-infused elixirs of The Cultivation Realm,' she thought. 'But in this world, they're absolutely the best weight-loss pills you can find.'
"So, how much do I owe you?"
Riley Perry gestured for her to lean in closer. Rhona obediently bent down, and Riley reached out to pinch her chubby cheeks. "What's this? You want to pay me? For these, you'd probably have to sell yourself to me."
'The ingredients themselves are of limited value, but my formula is priceless. Besides, the ones I gave Rhona are a special version. They prevent loose skin after weight loss and even have a detoxifying effect. If these were on the market, selling each pill for anything less than six figures would be a loss.'
Rhona puffed out her cheeks. "Ria, I have plenty of money."
Riley Perry hummed in surprise. The young woman had only been with the imposter for about half a year. That predecessor of hers was heartless and had never paid any mind to her assistant. To be fair, she hadn't bullied Rhona either, she simply hadn't cared.
Only today did she notice that while the girl wasn't dressed in custom pieces that cost hundreds of thousands or even millions, her clothes didn't look cheap at all. The hair clip in her hair seemed to be a new style from a particular brand—the same one a celebrity wore. Riley had seen it while scrolling through videos; it cost five figures.
When Rhona had bent over, a jade pendant hanging from her neck had also been revealed. It was a glassy, apple-green piece.
'She wasn't familiar with the price of jadeite in this world, but something like that had to be worth at least seven figures, right?'
'An ordinary person couldn't possibly afford something so expensive.'
'Well, well. Turns out there's a secret rich girl right here by my side.'
"Rhona, be honest with me. Is this one of those situations where if being an assistant doesn't work out, you have to go home and inherit the family fortune?"
A flicker of panic crossed Rhona's eyes. "Ria, you're not going to fire me, are you?"
Riley Perry was speechless. 'That's not what I meant at all.'
"No, I just realized I had a secret rich girl by my side. I'm just a little envious, that's all."
The panic on Rhona's face vanished instantly. "Oh, good. My family doesn't need me to inherit the business. Otherwise, what would my older brother be for?"
'...Great. So she's got a protective older brother, too.'
"Then why on earth did you decide to be an assistant for a Z-lister like me?"
Rhona plopped down next to Riley Perry and huffed, "It's all because of my brother! He refuses to do any proper work, saying he doesn't want to manage the company and insists on chasing his dream!"