Although the University of Hawaii isn't exactly a global academic standout, it has a heart that aspires to greatness. The university frequently invites well-known figures to serve as guest lecturers and occasionally hosts big names for further studies.
Claire Lee, who had hoped to keep a low profile but failed spectacularly, walked into his first class and found the usually sparse classroom suddenly packed with students. Sitting in his seat, Claire scanned the crowd trailing in behind him, feeling a bit overwhelmed and at a loss for words. Some bolder female students even slipped notes into his pocket. When he got home the previous night, Claire had pulled out handfuls of crumpled little notes from his pockets.
"Hey, Claire, is it true you were dropped from the Premier League squad because of a falling-out with Rooney?" a American student sitting in front of him asked excitedly. Claire caught a glimpse of someone pulling out a camcorder from their pocket.
Deciding to go with the flow, Claire responded, knowing that the recent news of his exclusion from the squad had stirred up a storm—not just in the Premier League but even in American sports media, which had been hyping up Rooney's supposed jealousy.
"Might as well clear things up now," Claire thought. "As you can see, I'm only 19. I figured I could use some knowledge to better myself. Football isn't the only thing in my life, you know."
His response sent a ripple of excitement through the group of fangirls behind him. Some girls even covered their eyes in a dramatic swoon, while a few guys shot them annoyed looks.
"Claire! Claire! Claire!" the crowd chanted.
Claire glanced around but couldn't spot the source of the noise. Then, a man standing at the door, clearly dressed as a reporter, called out, "Claire! Is it true you're attending Taylor's concert tour in New York tomorrow?"
Spotting the reporter's getup, Claire replied with a hint of irritation, "Are you a student at the University of Hawaii too? I'm catching a flight tonight. If all goes well, yeah, I'll be on stage."
Just as the reporter geared up for another question, a man in a suit and tie appeared at the door. He froze for a moment, clearly surprised by the packed room. But as he stepped inside and noticed Claire standing out like a sore thumb, recognition dawned on his face. "This is my 49th day teaching at the University of Hawaii," he said. "I'm thrilled to see so many students in my international trade class. If this keeps up, I might just produce the future stars of the trade industry!"
"Professor Lighthizer," a American student shouted from the crowd, "if Claire Lee never misses your class, you'll have disciples all over the world!"
The professor, Robert Lighthizer, didn't seem fazed. He looked at Claire calmly and said, "Sorry, I'm a basketball fan. But if you can get me a Premier League ticket, I might just learn to love football."
Claire, quick on his feet, snapped his fingers with a grin. "Done. Champions League final ticket."
"Hmm, as a thank-you, if your 'UK Big Sale Network' runs into any legal trouble, I'll offer some free legal advice," Lighthizer replied.
Claire realized the professor had done his homework on him. This wasn't just any teacher—Robert Lighthizer had served as deputy U.S. trade representative under Reagan from 1981 to 1989, handling steel trade negotiations and gaining fame for trade wars with Japan over steel and cars. Later, he became a partner at Skadden, Arps and a vice president at an overseas investment firm.
Claire could understand why someone of Lighthizer's caliber would teach. At that level, people chase things beyond ordinary ambition. Teaching? Why not? Some folks even start mini-governments to play president and protest all day.
At the end of the class, Lighthizer exchanged business cards with Claire. Once the professor left, the sleepy students snapped to life, bombarding Claire with questions.
"Did you really start UK Big Sale Network?"
"Is Taylor Swift's private life as wild as they say?"
"Have you and Du Juan broken up? Someone saw her smashing bottles at a bar alone!"
The barrage of questions nearly overwhelmed Claire, but he made a quick escape. Aside from the occasional note stuffed in his pocket, he managed to flee campus without further incident.
Climbing into his nanny van, Claire grumbled to Delia, "If I have to deal with this every day, I'd rather go back to playing for Manchester United."
"Sorry, sir," Delia replied, "the quarterfinals aren't until April. By then, you might already be a billionaire."
"Well, that's a shame. Let's get to the airport. I've got a brand endorsement event to attend, right?"
"Yes, sir. If I'm not mistaken, it's Lancôme's regional ambassador plan. If all goes well, you might land an endorsement for a single product in the UK."
Claire wasn't surprised. Scoring a regional or single-product endorsement from a major luxury brand was a big deal and a nod to his growing fame.
---
Meanwhile, Maggie Pate sat exhausted in his office, staring at a chart of Apple's stock trends over the years, lost in thought. When his secretary walked in with an investment agreement, Maggie snapped out of it.
"Boss, I don't get why your client is so bullish on Apple stock," the secretary said. "If he put his 16 million pounds into Goldman's Type A Housing Loan Fund, he'd make a 15% profit in under two months. Should we try to talk him out of it?"
"My client has strong convictions," Maggie replied. "He's got a high opinion of single-product companies."
The secretary, standing at the door, looked embarrassed. "Like Nintendo? They're not even a single-product company anymore. Sure, Apple broke Microsoft's monopoly with the iPod and their desktops, but that's just surface-level stuff."
Maggie shook his head helplessly. "Enough. Our investor already sent over his confirmed shareholding position."
The secretary took the file from Maggie, glanced at it, and muttered, "$121 per share. I don't see where the profit is."
"Stop complaining," Maggie said. "Apple's stock is trending downward today. If we can buy in at $110 per share, we might make a bit more for our efforts." He waved the secretary out.
Once alone, Maggie resumed his investor services. "Hello, Mr. Watson, we've got a new fund—Goldman's Type C Housing Loan Hybrid Fund. Interested?"
---
Edgar Bronfman Jr. was having a great run. The success of Warner Online's music platform had cemented his status in the American entertainment industry, and a steady stream of new artists was expanding his empire.
"Boss, here's the list of artists I plan to have support Taylor," Costa Mayor said, bursting into Edgar's office with a grin.
Thanks to Claire Lee's singing and songwriting talent, Costa, once Warner Records' UK chief, now walked with a swagger. Even in his personal life, he was reaping compliments—like from Katy Perry, who'd met Claire once. Though she wasn't a Warner artist, Costa was confident his boss would back him on adding her as a guest performer. It wasn't a tough sell for a no-cost addition.
When Edgar signed off on the list, Costa's excitement grew. Katy Perry's curvaceous figure was waiting for him at home. "Next time, give more newcomers a shot," Edgar said. "Claire's solo album hasn't dropped yet, has it? Speed it up!"
Costa's eyes lit up. "Grammy?"
"Skin color's still a touchy issue," Edgar replied. "Grammy's going to Taylor this time, but I won't shortchange Claire. He'll be the star of the MTV Europe Music Awards. Push for a UK royal foundation honor for him too. Doesn't he have good ties there?"
Costa's face flickered with disappointment, but his professional instincts kicked in. "Got it. We'll try. But about that Lancôme endorsement we secured for Claire—can we push for a full-line deal? After the Royal Bank of Scotland deal, we haven't given him much. He doesn't say it, but…"
Edgar paused, thoughtful. "Claire's sports image has turned off some big brands. Bordeaux winery approached me recently, but it didn't fit his persona. I heard Ford's interested after seeing him drive one in Hawaii. I'll work on it."
A savvy leader never promises too much. Costa perked up—car endorsements meant big money. Just as he turned to leave, a thought hit him. "Boss, Ford's a Transformers sponsor, and Claire's got that murky connection with Megan Fox, plus he sang the Transformers theme. If we could pair them up again, wouldn't that strengthen our pitch?"
Edgar's eyes gleamed. Capital has no shame. As the saying goes, "Eat a bite of crap for 10 million?" The market's answer: "I'd bankrupt them." One second, it's a fight to the death; the next, everyone's best friends.
---
Claire, uncomfortable, touched the heavy makeup the stylist had just applied. Delia, noticing him messing with his face, quickly grabbed his arm with her small frame.
Taylor, watching Claire's antics, burst out laughing. "First time at a big event like this? If you swing by my room tonight, I'll bring you along every time."
"Tch, I don't even want to do concerts," Claire shot back. "If I held one, you'd be nothing. Don't you know I'm the most anticipated artist of the year?"
Taylor opened her mouth to retort, but a knock interrupted. The door opened, and Katy Perry, fully made-up, stepped in.
Taylor's smile faded to a cool expression, while Claire, still awkward, checked himself in the mirror.
"Hi, Claire Lee. I've seen you before," Katy said.
"???"
"At a bar. You and Cristiano…" Katy trailed off, but Claire remembered her. If he recalled correctly, she and Costa Mayor were pretty chummy back then.
"Oh, hey. Looking forward to working together," Claire said.
The first meeting between Katy Perry and Taylor Swift ended on a frosty note, but Claire's presence kept things from getting too awkward. "I can't stand nepo babies," Taylor muttered. "Your manager's got some nerve. Tell him to back off."
"Got it," Claire replied, keeping it short. The concert was about to start, and Taylor was gearing up to take the stage.