In the days that followed, Alexander's life also became extraordinarily busy.
William invited quite a few instructors to teach Alexander all kinds of knowledge, so that he would be capable of managing the company well.
At the same time,
Alexander constantly watched box-office hits,
listened to the songs that were currently trending,
and read through the scripts Starluxe Entertainment was investing in,
to grasp the direction of the corporation's development this time around.
He had almost no time left to rest.
"How is it, my dear grandson?"
"With such an intense workload, can you keep up?"
Carrying a cup of coffee, William stepped into Alexander's study late at night and asked with concern.
Alexander lifted his head from the pile of documents and curved his lips into a faint smile.
"I can keep up, Grandfather."
"I will always try my best."
Alexander was not lying. After all, seriously learning how to manage a corporation was far less physically and mentally exhausting than working as a dockworker.
Hearing Alexander's answer, William was naturally delighted.
"Very good, Alex. I truly did not misjudge your abilities."
"This drive and determination are no different from how I was when I was young."
William placed the cup of coffee beside Alexander, his voice gentle and pleased, then added,
"Tomorrow there will be a casting for the female lead of 'When the Wind Blows', a television drama that Starluxe Entertainment is placing the greatest emphasis and investment on at the moment."
"The director is also an old friend of mine, so you should come along tomorrow as well."
William spoke slowly.
"You can also take it as joining the director in selecting the most suitable actress to play the female lead for the drama…"
Hearing William say that, Alexander could not help but feel the coincidence.
When the Wind Blows?
Wasn't that the film Isabella had always dreamed of starring in as the female lead, the very film for which he had once begged the director to secure the role for her?
Alexander tightened his fist, a trace of ridicule flashing through his eyes.
"Alright, Grandfather."
"I will be there on time tomorrow."
Slowly suppressing the unusual emotion in his gaze, Alexander replied calmly. William nodded in satisfaction and offered a few more reminders.
"Alright then. I'm old now, I need to rest early."
"Once you finish reading the documents, you should rest early as well."
"Don't stay up too late."
William spoke gently, and Alexander nodded.
"Yes, I remember."
"You go rest first. I'll read a little more and then go to bed."
Only then did William feel reassured. He turned around and slowly left the room.
…
The next day, Alexander worked at Starluxe Entertainment in the morning,
and in the afternoon, he went to the five-star hotel where the casting for "When the Wind Blows" was being held.
This time, Denis, William's assistant, accompanied him as well.
"Mr. Knight, the director is waiting for you in the meeting room."
Denis bent slightly and announced solemnly. Alexander lazily rolled up his sleeves, nodded, and signaled for Denis to lead the way.
They walked down a long corridor, where they vaguely caught sight of several actresses who had arrived early, standing there chatting among themselves. Faintly, they could also hear parts of the conversation.
"Go home, Celeste."
"A barely well-known actress like you wants to compete for the female lead? Are you dreaming?"
The sharp, mocking female voice rang out, causing Alexander to frown slightly as well.
Are actresses these days all so careless with their words?
However, he did not pay much attention to it and simply followed Denis forward.
The group ahead of them seemed to get into a scuffle soon after, their noisy voices mixing.
And finally, as Alexander stepped forward, a beautiful-faced girl angrily shoved the girl opposite her, causing her to stagger several steps backward, nearly colliding with Alexander.
By instinct, Alexander reached out and caught her.
She had lost her balance and fallen backward, and in the end, his hand landed intimately at her waist.
For a brief moment, time seemed to freeze.
The clamor fell silent.
The girls around them looked warily at Alexander, and that girl, and the girl with the fierce expression who had just pushed her also froze in place, standing stiffly.
Alexander blinked and looked at the girl he was supporting.
Her face was exquisitely beautiful, a sweet kind of beauty, with every feature perfectly balanced. She wore light makeup, and the small beauty mark at the corner of her eye only made her more alluring.
Her black hair fell to her shoulders, and at that moment, became entangled around Alexander's hand.
A faint fragrance from her body spread softly, leaving Alexander flustered.
He quickly lowered his head and helped her stand upright. Perhaps because of the earlier mishap, that girl's face flushed red as she murmured an apology.
"No need to be so polite."
Alexander said hoarsely, then quickly walked forward.
The director was still waiting for him in the meeting room.
Behind him, Alexander faintly heard the noisy sounds of curses once again.
When Alexander stepped into the meeting room,
the director was already seated, waiting.
Upon seeing Alexander enter, the aged face revealed clear surprise.
"Are you Alexander, William's grandson?"
He stood up and hurried over. Alexander bent slightly, greeting him politely.
"Yes, Mr. Paul Smith."
"I am the grandson of Mr. William King."
"My grandfather said that I should come here today to choose the female lead for the film together with you."
Hearing this, emotion flickered briefly through Paul's eyes. He quickly invited Alexander and Denis to sit down, his voice brisk.
"What a coincidence, what an incredible coincidence, Alex."
"I never expected you to be the long-lost grandson of my friend."
"The world truly is small."
He continued sighing in amazement, then went on,
"Before this, when you gave me first aid and helped call an ambulance for me during my hypoglycemic episode, I was extremely grateful."
"I even wondered back then whose descendant you were, to be so calm and quick in handling the situation."
"Who would have thought you'd be my friend's grandson."
Paul laughed warmly, sighing in genuine delight. Alexander briefly reminisced with him about the incident back then, then heard Paul emphasize.
"By the way, do you remember how I said I would grant you one wish as thanks?"
"The actress you suggested for the female lead of this film, what was her name again?"
Paul narrowed his eyes slightly, then let out an "oh."
"Isabella, right?"
Alexander nodded faintly. Paul slapped his thigh with a sigh.
"Good thing you later said there was no need to help her secure that position."
"Otherwise, if I had really gone through with it, it would truly have gone against my conscience."
Paul let out a sigh.
"Her acting is really not good at all, and she hasn't filmed anything for a long time either."
"Her acting skills have already declined."
"Earlier, at an investors' banquet before the casting, she even showed up with a man named Adrian."
"She tried every possible way to ingratiate herself with the producer and me, and even gave us quite a few valuable gifts, trying to buy us over so she could secure that role."
"But I wouldn't accept them."
He smacked his lips.
"If she has the time, instead of focusing on improving her acting, why bother with these cheap tricks?"
Paul was an upright man, someone who clearly separated public matters from private ones. From beginning to end, what he detested most were acts of bribery and flattery like these.
Hearing the names Isabella and Adrian, Alexander merely curved his lips into a faint smile, showing no particular reaction or comment.
He hadn't expected the situation to become this interesting.
Before this, Isabella had been full of confidence, claiming that Adrian had already secured the role for her,
And this was the result?
Truly ridiculous.