The man persistently broke down the bunny-eared girl's defenses, causing her to turn pale and press her skirt firmly against the ground with her fingers.
"I..." She lifted her head, her vulnerable face attempting to say something.
"I don't have such big ambitions, I just want a bit of fame, then having people listen would be enough."
"Hahahaha..." The man laughed loudly at her words, his laughter wild and mocking, and the members of the Ghost Face Gang around him joined in the laughter.
In the face of such laughter, the girl's eyes gradually dimmed.
"Oh, so you know that just a bit of fame is enough, I thought you were aiming for the sky, trying to be like what's her name, the recently popular Jasmine Star, that hit Songstress."
"So, what are you clinging to? Think you're above it all, that you can make a name for yourself without anyone's help?"
"Just honestly go to the company I told you about and you'll have the fame you want, isn't that why people would listen? I really don't get you, silly rabbit."
"But..." Dominica still felt an overwhelming sense of oppression and pain when she thought about the harsh terms of the contract.
If she signed such a contract, would she still be herself after that—nothing more than a puppet and toy for others to make money from? Any penalty for breach of contract was an astronomical sum she could never afford to pay, meaning she would never have a chance to escape for the rest of her life.
"No more 'buts,' Dominica."
"I won't have the patience to accommodate you and let you consider any longer," the man said as he snapped his fingers, and then members of his group handed him a special contract.
"I want to see the results today."
After he spoke, two members by his side took out a special device and aimed it at Dominica; a bright light shone, followed by the construction of a three-dimensional holographic projection that enveloped and illuminated her.
[Agreement recording begins, please have the Contractor remain within the designated space, the entire process will be recorded and backed up to ensure the fairness and integrity of the contract]
The prompt sounded, and the contract was placed in front of Dominica, its pages turning one by one, continuously being recorded by the devices on both sides and uploaded to the central network.
"Did you hear that? It said we can start now."
The man leaned down and whispered in Dominica's ear, his words like those of a devil, causing the girl's pupils to shrink, her whole being as if soulless.
She looked around, seeing members with red ghost masks looming over her, leaving her no space to flee.
Trembling, she slowly raised her hand, looking at the designated signature box on the contract—if she pressed down, the chip in her wrist would be immediately read, and the contract signed.
Struggling greatly, she slowly extended her hand, finally stopping at the box, her expression tormented, unable to make up her mind to press down.
"Hmph." The man clapped his hands in response and gave a meaningful glance to two people at his side.
Immediately, the two nodded, left the concert hall, and soon, they returned.
A bunny-eared girl who bore a resemblance to Dominica was dragged in by them and pulled in front of Dominica; she tried to rush to Dominica's side but was held down firmly, only managing to kick the ground repeatedly with her feet.
"No, sister, don't sign, signing it is a lifetime's end."
"Slap— " A slap landed on her face, silencing the girl instantly.
"I think if you don't sign, that's truly the end." The man's gaze swept coldly over the girl with a swollen red face.
"Dominica, I have something to tell you." His words made the girl look up involuntarily.
"Your sister, Pamenica, has done quite a lot for you."
"Didn't she tell you that she's going to college and occasionally works part-time on weekends to earn money?"
"Yes..." She suddenly realized something and looked towards her sister.
"Do you think she really went to college? And that she's actually attending classes every day?" A series of questions made Pamenica lower her head.
"There's no way, the tuition fees of the federal universities are extremely high. She lied to you earlier, saying she got a scholarship, but if you think about it, you'll realize how rare such opportunities are. It's all just to keep you reassured and chasing your dreams," he said scornfully.
"As for attending classes every day, haha, Pamenica, you're attending 'classes' at luxury hotels, right?" The man's words left both sisters silent.
"I don't want to be the bad guy, nor do I want to coerce you into doing anything, that doesn't have good results and affects future earnings."
"But, that's how it is in this era, you can't become famous for nothing. If that's what you want, it's just not possible."
"Sign the contract and the company can provide a sum of money for your sister to go to college. Although you don't have much hope, she still has a chance. As her sister, you wouldn't want to see her fall , would you?"
Finally, there was no more struggle in Dominica's eyes; she just looked at her sister, then slowly moved her hand to rest it on the signing box.
[Identity chip detected, contract verification in progress, connecting to central database, please keep your hand on the box for ten seconds]
[Countdown...6,5,4,3,2——]
A blue streak of light shot out from the darkness, hitting Dominica's wrist and drawing a streak of blood.
[Contractor injured, signs of coercion suspected in the signing process, contract canceled, an automatic alert has been reported, please negotiate again later]
The previously golden miniature space turned red instantaneously, then shattered.
This last-moment failure, on the verge of success, filled the man from the Ghost Face Gang with rage; he turned his head sharply, his gaze blood red as he looked towards the young man in the corner who had fired the blue streak of light.