Listening to Rock Bellâs voice, Jane Sampson became interested in the work, but her enthusiasm waned when she picked up the contract and saw Julie Samptonâs name on it.
"One of the three hosts is Julie Sampton?" Jane Sampson pointed to Julie Samptonâs name on the contract. The show was a new initiative, with two females and one male host, and Julie was one of the females.
Jane remembered a conversation from a few days ago when Bright Sampton had mentioned to her that Julie wanted to compete for a hosting spot on a new show and that Mother Sampton had invested a considerable amount of money into it, even helping the show secure a sponsor.
Bright Sampton despised Julieâs approach of not striving on her own but instead always opening her mouth to ask Mother Sampton for money and then playing on the card that she could never get selected on her merit, citing a tragic childhood that had supposedly robbed her of the strength to compete with others, making Mother Sampton feel guilty time and again.
"Yes, the Sampton family put in a lot of effort to get her in there." Rock Bell was, of course, easily privy to such gossip. Seeing Jane frowning, Rock raised his voice, "What, if sheâs there, you wonât go?"
Jane Sampson looked up at Rock Bell, very much wanting to nod.
She really didnât want to see Julieâs disgusting and nauseating face.
The last time Julie had said she needed to talk to her, James Black didnât let her go meet Julie, who then ran to complain to Mother Sampton. It was James who had helped her dodge that bullet.
After that incident, Julie hadnât called her again. If it werenât absolutely necessary, Jane would be extremely reluctant to return to the Sampton home. "Are you afraid that sheâll reveal your identity?" Rock Bell asked.
"Iâm actually not worried about that," Jane Sampson shook her head. "Even Julie knows that being James Blackâs wife has only advantages and no disadvantages for me. She would love for me to have a hard time in this circle, love for me to not be able to mix in, so why would she help publicize my identity and have everyone treating me with kid gloves?"
"So what are you afraid of?" Rock Bell asked. "In terms of looks, youâre galaxies away from her, and in terms of talent, she wouldnât catch up to you in eight lives. So what are you afraid of?"
Rock Bell patted Jane Sampsonâs head. "In this circle, youâre going to run into everyone you dislike and many youâll like, but you canât let it show."
Rock Bell said, "Itâs perfect that Julie doesnât call you sister in public. When you see her, if she doesnât acknowledge you as her sister, treat her like a stranger. Even if she goes home and blames you, you have a legitimate reason to stand your ground. But at least in public, you need to act well enough that if your sibling relationship ever gets exposed, no one will have the chance to slander you."
"In this circle, itâs often not about genuine feelings but about acting. Whoever acts best and has the most appealing character is the winner climbing the ladder. Right now, your starting point is much higher than Julieâs. Even without a body of work, I can proudly say that you have a bit of popularity now, but Julie? To put it bluntly, sheâs just an 18th-rate host. Despite the Sampton family pouring so much money and effort, they havenât made her a star, which means she lacks both talent and luck."
Rock Bell placed the contract in front of Jane Sampson. "If you donât run into her this time, youâre bound to eventually. Moreover, with Julie being a low-rank host, itâs questionable whether sheâd even have a few lines to present at events."