Lawrence Winters endured silently, no longer pushing Kenneth Osborne’s hand away.
Looking at the adorable peach-like face of Lawrence Winters, each with a red mark, Kenneth Osborne was satisfied as if he had stamped his seal.
Lawrence Winters covered her face and glanced at him reproachfully.
However, she sensed that Kenneth Osborne didn’t like hearing her mention "best friends," so she wisely changed the subject and said, "So how will you handle the first round of funding if you start a new venture? Should I ask my uncle to introduce you to some big bosses to see if they’re interested in investing?"
"No need for now. I want to try and see if I can get the first round of angel investment myself." After deciding to decline Spencer Group’s offer, Kenneth Osborne began to research attracting investments.
"Angel investment?" Lawrence Winters, completely unfamiliar with this area, laughed and said, "Could there be a devilish investment too?"
Kenneth Osborne was amused by her, warmly explaining, "No, the first round of financing for a startup is called the angel round, also known as the seed round, where you pitch your project to convince others to invest."
"Then, after achieving some results, you proceed to A, B, or even C rounds of financing until attaining success or failure."
Lawrence Winters, hearing this, was in a fog, laughingly saying, "It might be better if I do a fortune-telling to see where your initial funding will come from."
Kenneth Osborne: "..."
He chuckled helplessly, "No need for that. Although there’s certainly some metaphysical element to investing, I’m not yet at the point of resorting to mysticism."
Lawrence Winters looked at him suspiciously, "... Kenneth, do you look down on us Heavenly Masters?"
Even she wasn’t sure why she suddenly felt sensitive.
She couldn’t help but imagine Kenneth Osborne’s successful career, company listed, impeccably dressed as he rings the Nasdaq bell, while she deals in trickery with her uncle... ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹•𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖•𝗇𝗲𝘁
By then, would she even be embarrassed to remain friends with Kenneth Osborne?
Lawrence Winters seriously contemplated this.
Kenneth Osborne was somewhat puzzled by her thought process, "What are you saying? How could I look down on you? — You are my ultimate weapon."
Kenneth Osborne enveloped her in his arms, his clear, magnetic voice like a summer spring, soothing an anxious heart.
He said, "As it stands, I can handle things myself. But when I encounter a situation I can’t manage alone, I’ll activate my ultimate weapon — Nora the Little Heavenly Master!"
Lawrence Winters, still questioning everything moments ago, cheered up with Kenneth Osborne’s words, "Mine is a weapon of mass destruction! — I won’t act unless I must, and when I do, it’s time to set things straight!"
Kenneth Osborne gently rubbed her head, tenderly saying, "...Nora’s absolutely right."
He rubbed so comfortably that Lawrence Winters felt like a cat, all groomed and pampered by Kenneth Osborne, nearly purring in contentment.
Seeing her blissful expression, Kenneth Osborne chuckled, "Besides, how could I possibly look down on you? If my venture fails and I’m penniless, I’d still have to rely on Nora for support."
"Don’t worry about that. As long as I have a bite to eat, you’ll have a bite too. I’ll share half my money with you," Lawrence Winters said without hesitation.
Kenneth Osborne paused, feeling a rare determination, akin to breaking through barriers with sincere effort.
His hard work wasn’t a solo act, after all.
Unknowingly, she too was being influenced by him.
If he could get this little money-minded girl to say "I’ll share half my money with you," what doubts could he have about her feelings?
Kenneth Osborne was touched, just about to express heartfelt words when Lawrence Winters added, "I won’t charge you high interest, just bank fixed deposit interest."
Kenneth Osborne: "..."
Indeed, no moves dared to be made.
He withdrew his hand, resting his chin contemplatively, "Interest, huh? I thought you would support me for free."
"In the future, when you have a wife, she’d be the one to support you for free... At most, I’ll be your biggest creditor," Lawrence Winters teased, scratching her face playfully to embarrass him.
Kenneth Osborne glanced at her but remained silent.
Lawrence Winters, feeling a bit flustered under his gaze, became uncomfortable and stood up, saying, "It’s getting late. I should head back to the dorm."
Kenneth Osborne also stood up and said, "I’ll walk you."
Just as they reached the door and were about to open it, Lawrence Winters’ phone rang.
She picked it up and glanced at it, unfamiliar with the number but hesitated to answer. Kenneth Osborne, however, recognized the number and said, "You might want to answer that."
Lawrence Winters: "???"
With a head full of questions, Lawrence Winters swiped to answer the call, "Hello, who is this?"
A polite male voice responded, "Hello, is this Miss Lawrence Winters?"
Lawrence Winters nodded, "Yes, it is."
"I’m the CEO’s secretary from NewHuman Entertainment Ltd., a subsidiary of Foster Consortium. I’d like to ask if you’re interested in becoming the content manager for our PR department? We’ve already extended an olive branch to you on Weibo, but it seems you haven’t responded..."
The young man’s voice carried hints of grievance.
Lawrence Winters: "..."
Surprised, she glanced at Kenneth Osborne, saying, "...Are you really with the Foster Consortium? Is this not a fraudulent call?"
Edward Foster’s secretary: "!!!"
Feeling deeply insulted, he responded, "Miss Winters, it’s hard to explain over the phone, but I can certify through Metropolitan North University that this is not a phishing call. If you’re interested in our offer, we’re eagerly expecting you at Foster Consortium’s office building at 10 AM tomorrow. Our address is..."
He rattled off the address and phone number, considerately sending them to her via text.
Lawrence Winters checked online and confirmed that the address and number matched Foster Consortium’s official contact details.
The Foster Consortium, a company on a scale larger than the Spencer Group.
Spencer Group ranked tenth on the national wealth list, while the Foster Consortium, once below Spencer, had risen to fifth.
"Why does NewHuman Entertainment Ltd. sound so familiar?" Lawrence Winters muttered, suddenly realizing, "Oh gosh! Isn’t that where Bluey works? Bluey is a well-known artist under them!"
Kenneth Osborne: "..."
Totally forgot about that.
"You can drop ’well-known’—be honest, don’t let fan filters blur the truth." Kenneth Osborne teased, somewhat regretting having Lawrence Winters take the call.
He recognized the number as Foster Consortium’s contact at a glance, which is why he instinctively urged Lawrence Winters to answer.
After all, they’re just ordinary folks, with no hidden wealth or billions in inheritance, so they still need jobs.
This is the sixth installment of the second Chapter—six thousand words.
See you all on the first day of the new year!