The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress - Chapter 156

Chapter 156: Chapter 156 Stay Next To Her
Xavier nervously glanced at Hera’s face, trying to gauge her reaction to Leo’s obvious acting. Hera, too, noticed Leo’s act, and her earlier concern evaporated. However, she chose not to call Leo out, as his behavior seemed harmless. Perhaps he genuinely wanted to visit the village but was too shy to ask directly, resulting in his roundabout inquiry.

Hera couldn’t help but recall the incident in the women’s restroom when Leo was drugged at the Auction House. Surprisingly, instead of feeling angry, she found Leo’s actions intriguing and endearing this time around. She wasn’t sure if he was simply being playful or genuinely bored, but she couldn’t deny his skill in manipulating facial expressions. As she had thought before, Leo seemed gifted in this regard — so much so that he could easily pursue a career as an actor if he wished.

She reined in her wandering thoughts and returned to the topic at hand. “How about we go and ask the Director’s input on this?” Hera suggested with a smile. As much as she wanted to have the final say, she understood the importance of seeking the Director’s opinion, especially since they were still filming and the village wasn’t hers to decide about. Turning to Bry’s father, she asked respectfully, “Uncle, do you think it would be possible for Leo to stay in the village as well?”

Bry’s father responded without hesitation, his enthusiasm palpable. “Why not? We’ve already had plenty of visitors, so what’s one or two more?” He seemed to be enjoying the spectacle before him, likening it to a television drama where two male leads vie for the affections of the female lead. While he couldn’t be certain if Leo had been acting to gain sympathy from Hera earlier, he could sense his intentions. As a man himself, he understood the dynamics at play, yet unlike Xavier, he had no qualms about observing the two vied for Hera’s attention and didn’t feel compelled to pick a side just yet.

“Manager, Miss Ainsley, please make yourselves comfortable here for a while. I’ll go speak with the Director about this.”

Upon hearing the villager’s acceptance of Leo’s stay, Leo’s assistant grasped Leo’s intention. Taking charge, he swiftly volunteered to communicate with the Director. Without waiting for Hera’s response, he darted off to locate the Director, who was currently coordinating with other participants for the village celebration and discussing their departure plans for the following day.

As the Director caught sight of Leo’s assistant, tension rippled through his body, causing him to stiffly approach. Before he could utter a word, Leo’s assistant fixed him with a stern gaze. ‘What have I done now?’ The Director’s stress levels soared at the sight.

Unlike everyone else, the Director now knew who Leo was. Before filming had even begun earlier that day, Leo and his assistant had secretly met him in the security room for a brief moment. Leo had already asked about the day’s itinerary, and the Director believed he had performed quite remarkably by fulfilling Leo’s every demand over the past few days.

“Director, don’t be nervous,” Leo’s assistant whispered in a voice only they could hear. “The young master requests a proper room next to Miss Ainsley in the cabin.”

The Director tilted his head, perplexed by Leo’s assistant’s intentions, his brows furrowing as he stared at him.

Observing the Director’s reaction, Leo’s assistant rephrased his words. “The young master intends to stay in the village until tomorrow. I hope you already know what you are supposed to do?” He paused briefly before adding, “Also, please remember that the young master is currently incognito as a mere manager in the company. Keep that in mind.”

After a few moments of processing Leo’s assistant’s words, the gears in the Director’s head finally started turning, connecting the dots. He eagerly nodded, realizing that as long as he avoided offending any of the powerful individuals who seemed to be constantly pestering him, he would simply comply with their requests. If he didn’t, he felt like he’d aged ten years every time his phone rang.

Their persistence and difficult nature made them incredibly challenging to handle. Even though he wasn’t afraid of them, the stress they caused him was immense.

After the agreement between the two was reached, Leo’s assistant began his explanation. “Director, you see, our company’s manager wanted to visit Autumnvale Village to explore its beauty and perhaps purchase a horse or two as a gesture of goodwill.” He paused, glancing back at Leo, then resumed, “He’s also been invited by the horse owner and Miss Ainsley to join in the celebration. However, we understand that those who competed may be tired and in need of rest, and they also decided to postpone the celebration until tomorrow.”

“You see, my manager is free these days and also wants to unwind a bit. Is it possible for him to join you all and spend the night in the cabin?” By now, everything he had said had been heard by everyone, and it was clear he had been beating around the bush for a moment before getting to his point.

By making his words public, they could preempt any further inquiries. As long as they handled it tactfully, they wouldn’t provoke unnecessary questions about Leo’s position or create obstacles that might interfere with his time with Hera while maintaining confidentiality. This display wasn’t for the benefit of those present but rather for those who had been causing trouble for Hera, and might potentially use this issue to criticize her decision-making or question her consideration for others’ perspectives and so on.

The Director astutely caught onto the subtle cue from Leo’s assistant and adeptly played along. Given that they were leaving the village tomorrow, they could simply treat Leo as an additional guest. Besides, the Director wasn’t one to accept a losing deal easily. His quick agreement wasn’t solely due to Leo’s potential pestering him but also because he and his team had witnessed the significant boost in viewership Leo’s appearance had brought to their show in just one afternoon.

He saw Leo as a walking advertisement, an opportunity he couldn’t pass up to generate one last stir on the internet. By pairing Leo with Hera, he aimed to make this season of “The Quest” the highest-rated yet, boosting both viewership and retention rates to unprecedented levels.

Upon noticing Xavier’s sour expression as he closely monitored Hera and Leo, another scheme sparked in the Director’s mind. He swiftly instructed his crew to concentrate their cameras on the trio: Hera, Leo, and Xavier. His plan was to generate more buzz on their official social media page by teasing a love triangle between the three, sure to ignite debates among viewers about which pairing they favored.

In a last-minute twist, he decided to incorporate a poll to determine which pairing among the three would emerge victorious. Demonstrating remarkable speed and efficiency, the Director and his crew swiftly set up the poll from their OB van before even reaching the village, showcasing their dedication to capturing every detail of the unfolding drama.

After the clickbait was posted and the poll went live, it immediately sparked a trending topic. Remarkably, the Director didn’t need to rely on their marketing team or any artificial boosting tactics to keep the momentum going; the buzz naturally took off on its own.