Chapter 33: Entertainment Industry

"It’s Maya, Jude," a voice called through the door. "And I have Director Vance from Apex Records with me. I apologize for the late intrusion, but we have a time-sensitive emergency."

Jude crossed the room and unlocked the door. Maya was standing in the hallway holding a tablet. Beside her, Director Vance looked on the verge of a panic attack.

"Come in," Jude said, gesturing toward the living area of the penthouse. "What is the emergency?"

"It’s the Global Soundwave Network, Mr. Lawson," Director Vance explained, following Jude into the room. "They are the largest international streaming conglomerate in the world. Once a year, they hold a blind digital auction for ten headliner spots across their entire global platform. Winning those spots guarantees international superstardom."

Maya set the tablet down on the coffee table. The screen displayed a digital bidding lobby.

"Derrick Vanguard lodged a bid of two hundred million dollars for the ten spots," Maya said. "The auction closes in three minutes. He’s buying them to lock Apex Records out of the global market. If we lose this auction, our artists won’t get premium placement on any international streaming playlist for a year."

Jude looked at the tablet. He could see rival entertainment tycoons creeping the price up.

"Two hundred million?" Jude mused. He sat down on the leather sofa. "Derrick plays far too small."

Jude reached out, pulled the tablet toward him, and tapped the digital entry pad.

He didn’t bother calculating a competitive counter-offer. He authorized a bid from his offshore accounts.

He typed in a flat $1,000,000,000.

He hit submit.

The digital auction lobby on the screen instantly froze. The scrolling feed of corporate bids stopped dead.

Director Vance stared at the tablet, his eyes bulging. "One... one billion dollars?! Even if the ten spots guarantee international fame, the return on investment from streaming revenue won’t even cover thirty percent of that bid! It’s a massive loss!"

Jude leaned back, unconcerned. "Director Vance, do I look like a man who cares about a seventy percent deficit on a marketing expense? I don’t care about the return on investment."

On the screen, the other representatives were dumbfounded. No one dared to lodge a counter-bid against a billion dollars.

Ten seconds later, the tablet chimed. The network executives at Global Soundwave accepted the bid and locked the auction.

"They accepted," Maya whispered in awe.

[Ding!]

[Continuous Mission Completed: Unrivaled Stardom.]

[Reward: +1 Money Sign-In, +1 Platinum System Reward Box!]

Jude smiled faintly.

He had an omnipotent financial system backing him...

Spending a billion dollars to crush Derrick Vanguard was worth it.

"Director Vance," Jude said, standing up. "The spots are secured. I will see you at the studio tomorrow morning to finalize the talent allocations."

"Y-yes, Mr. Lawson. Thank you!" Director Vance bowed and hurried out of the penthouse.

Jude mentally accessed his system interface.

"System, execute the money sign-in," Jude commanded.

[Sign-In Successful! Reward: $60,000,000 USD.]

[Bonus Sign-In Successful! Reward: $50,000,000 USD.]

[Bonus Sign-In Successful! Reward: $150,000,000 USD.]

Jude felt his phone buzz.

Nearly three hundred million dollars had just been deposited into his accounts. He had just spent a billion, and the system had instantly refunded a third of it.

"Now," Jude thought. "Open the Platinum Reward Box."

[Opening Platinum System Reward Box...]

[Congratulations, Host! You have acquired three premium rewards!]

[Acquired Skill: Absolute Discernment (Passive).]

[Acquired Skill: Flawless Oration (Passive).]

[Acquired Assets: Three $100,000,000 USD Corporate Slush Funds (Categories: Digital Media, Luxury Real Estate, Bespoke Assets).]

The *Absolute Discernment* skill was fascinating...

The system detailed that he would now be able to instantly recognize the difference between natural authenticity and artificial enhancement... whether it was a person’s appearance, the structural integrity of a building, or the hidden clauses in a corporate contract. Nothing could be hidden from his gaze!

The *Flawless Oration* skill upgraded his vocal resonance and public speaking abilities.

His words would now naturally command the attention of any audience.

Possessing the ability to dominate a crowded press conference or a hostile shareholder meeting was a powerful weapon...

The three slush funds were the cherry on top. He now had three hundred million dollars earmarked for expansion.

...

The following morning, Jude arrived at the Apex Records skyscraper to allocate the ten global streaming spots.

The moment he stepped into the ground-floor lobby, he realized Director Vance had leaked the news of the auction to the entire talent roster.

The lobby was packed with every artist signed to the Apex conglomerate.

"Mr. Lawson!" an actress pleaded, pushing her way to the front of the mob. "My international demographics perfectly align with the Global Soundwave network! Please, I just need one spot!"

"Boss, I will do anything for a placement!" a pop star yelled, throwing herself at Jude’s chest.

With his newly acquired skills active, Jude scanned the crowd.

He could instantly see the artificiality in their desperate smiles, the curated personas designed to manipulate his favor.

He found the desperation annoying... He wasn’t interested in being surrounded by flatterers.

Jude’s gaze swept over the mob and landed on two girls standing on the periphery of the lobby.

Lyla and Mia hadn’t joined the surge. They were simply watching him with genuine respect.

"Lyla. Mia," Jude’s voice carried across the floor.

The two girls blinked, pointing to themselves in shock.

"You two will take the first two global headliner spots," Jude announced firmly.

The rest of the talent roster gasped, their eyes darting toward the two pop stars.

"As for the remaining eight spots," Jude continued, his gaze sweeping over the crowd of celebrities. "Apex Media and The Sirens will divide them. I am not interested in your desperate pitches. You will earn those remaining spots through performance metrics and loyalty to this conglomerate. Whoever proves themselves to be the most valuable asset will get the placement. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Mr. Lawson!" the crowd responded.

Lyla and Mia’s faces lit up with excitement.

Without waiting for the mob of celebrities to recover, Jude walked out of the doors, leaving the entertainment industry behind him.