Chapter 77


    Xanthea remained silent.


    “Here for the top ten IPs today? You might as well prepare to leave empty handed. See our


    chairman over there? No one canpete with Starlight Media, not with the Lockwood Group


    backing them!


    “We won’t know the result unless I give it a try.”


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Isabe let out a loud, mockingugh, quickly covering her mouth to avoid being caught on


    camera, “Go ahead then; watch yourself crash and bum!”


    She dropped her hand and nced at Matthew and Miranda standing next to her


    “Didn’t expect you’re so careless, letting everyone know.uhmm!”


    Before Isabe could finish, Xanthea mped a hand over her mouth, her narrowed eyes


    issuing a clear warning.


    “Let go!”


    Isabe stepped back, shooting Xanthea an annoyed re before strutting off to join the other Starlight


    Media artists in the front row VIP seats


    This Xanthea, a pampered princess who wouldn’t deign to dirty her hands, had skin even softer than


    her frequently pampered face. How could she survive the cutthroat entertainment industry against


    someone like her? She’d be begging for mercy soon enough!


    She almost dropped a nger.


    Xanthea exhaled in relief as Matthew looked on in surprise at Isabe’s retreating figure, “Isabe? The


    girl from next door in high school who always tried to copy you?”


    “You remember?”


    “Of course! Everyone loved you back then, except for her. Always turning against you, trying to imitate


    you, but it just came off as awkward. Xan, you’re one of a kind!”


    Xanthea couldn’t help but cringe a little at his cheesypliment.


    Miranda chimed in, “But she’s a different person now, top of the industry, backed by Starlight Media and


    tens of millions of loyal fans. Even you, Sis, it’s tough to surpass her now.”


    Xanthea smiled faintly, “Yeah, you’ve done well for yourself. After all these years, you’re still trailing


    behind her. How can I possiblypare?”


    Miranda’s face changed subtly as she noticed Xanthea’s biting sarcasm, a new sharpness to her tone


    that hadn’t been there before.


    “Ladies and gentlemen, it is now 11 AM, and I dere this year’s online literary rights auction officially


    begins!


    First up, we have the first item, Echoes of Eternity from the top fiction sitest year’s highest–selling


    novel and one of the ten most coveted IPs for adaptation. Bidding starts at 500 thousand, with


    increments of no less than 10 thousand. Let the bidding begin!”


    510 thousand!”


    “600 thousand!”


    “700 thousand!”


    750 thousand


    As the bidding war for Echoes of Eternity intensified, Matthew picked up his bidding paddle,


    “Xan, you interested in this one?”


    Xanthea shook her head, which surprised Matthew a bit, “This novel’s one of the most valuable


    IPs for adaptation.”


    “The protagonist isn’t quite right for me.”


    “Alright, just let me know if there’s anything else you like. I’ll snag it for you as a debut gift”


    Thanks, Matt.”