MAX: I'll Support You!
In an apartment building.
"Come in, the house is a bit small and messy."
Max took out his key, opened the door, and beckoned Caroline inside.
"This place is very nice..."
The lights came on, Caroline looked around before giving a polite reply.
As for its size, it certainly can't compare to her family's manor house; in fact, it feels smaller than her dressing room.
As for the mess, there were many kinds of drawing papers scattered around, clearly indicating that no servants were constantly tidying them up.
But as a Wharton School of Business graduate, experiencing this feeling of weightlessness from heaven to hell, she naturally lost interest in casually mentioning Versailles.
How much is the rent here?
Caroline's scheming, which her father had instilled in her since childhood, was automatically activated after her father was arrested.
"Rent?"
MAX shook his head. "I really don't know."
"You do not know?"
Caroline was surprised at first, then realized and said, "Did Adam help you rent it?"
"No."
MAX tossed his things aside and flopped onto the sofa. "I just bought this place, so I don't know how much the rent is here."
"You bought it?"
Caroline looked around the two-bedroom apartment. When she came in, she found that the community environment was quite nice and the location was also good. A two-bedroom apartment like this would cost at least several hundred thousand.
"Yes."
Seeing that Caroline was still standing there, Max stood up and gestured for Caroline to sit down. "Would you like something to drink?"
"Water is fine."
Caroline had been running around all night and was very thirsty, but she couldn't help but say, "Why do you have so much money to buy a house? You could rent one. Wouldn't it be more profitable to invest this money?"
"I don't understand investing."
Max took two bottles of water from the refrigerator and handed one to Caroline: "Everyone needs to have their own place to live, and it doesn't cost much anyway."
"..."
Caroline sensed a familiar yet strangely familiar scent.
For her, who is now penniless and may not even be able to find a job, the hundreds of thousands that were not enough to host a party in the past are now numbers she can only look up to.
"Is painting really that profitable?"
Caroline said incredulously.
She might not know much about everyday prices, but she still knows the basics.
After all, what you learn at Wharton School of Business is how to better exploit workers and their work ethic in order to make more money.
People should at least know roughly how much they should earn.
Otherwise, if we give too much, wouldn't that be driving up labor costs, which would be resisted by the capital alliance?
"Fine."
MAX shrugged and said, "It's mainly because Peppa Pig sells well and Adam gave me a lot of bonuses. I don't know how to invest, and money in the bank just depreciates. It's more reliable to buy a house."
Emmm.
Adam didn't mentor MAX in investment like he mentored Juno and Heather.
The reason is quite simple.
Like every heartless boss who exploits his employees, Adam and Max now have this relationship.
Peppa Pig is related to such a huge interest.
As the main creator, Adam naturally didn't want Max to become so rich that she would just lie down and not move anymore.
Adam hates this kind of lazy, unambitious girl the most!
Of course, Adam did not mistreat her either.
She attended school for four years, spending the first two years at a community college. With Adam's encouragement, she worked hard and quickly stood out, then transferred to an arts college, where she studied for another two years.
In the United States, the two years of community college can be credited to regular university credits, so she earned a bachelor's degree after two years at an art college.
During those four years, she worked part-time while studying, and started drawing Peppa Pig while reading.
After graduation, Peppa Pig was officially published, Adam gave him a generous bonus. Max effortlessly achieved a life with a house, a car, and money.
However, aside from the house and the beat-up car, Max spent most of his money buying things for Adam.
Spending thousands or tens of thousands of dollars on things is something I don't feel bad about at all.
Adam tried to dissuade her many times, and often complained that she was used to spending money on herself and felt uncomfortable if she didn't.
Each time, she would hug Adam tightly and say triumphantly, "A sugar baby who doesn't want to take care of a sugar daddy isn't a good sugar baby. Just consider it an early retirement. I'll take care of you!"
Therefore, Adam stopped giving Max bonuses and instead saved them for her, planning to give them to her all at once in a few years, so that he wouldn't have to spend them all.
"What a pity."
Caroline racked her brains.
It wasn't that she had bad intentions, but rather that her upbringing made her instinctively resistant to using her first pot of gold to generate more money, instead of investing it all in one place.
This is a poor person's mindset.
"Your sofa?"
As soon as Caroline sat down, she noticed the sofa was broken and asked in surprise, "Why didn't you replace it?"
"We've changed several times already."
MAX shrugged and said, "But Adam broke as soon as he arrived, so we just stopped bothering to replace him."
"..."
Caroline paused, unsure of what to say, or even whether she should continue sitting.
At this moment, MAX had already turned on the TV.
On television, of course, came the explosive news about Martin Channing.
MAX tried several different channels, and they were all the same.
"No need to change it."
Caroline said firmly, "This was expected, and I also want to see what public opinion is really like."
Are you sure?
Max kindly reminded him, "Your dad has really messed things up this time; nobody will say anything good about him."
"It doesn't matter."
Caroline straightened up, her eyes fixed on the television. "I can take it."
A few minutes later.
"Turn it off, turn it off!"
Caroline could no longer tolerate the creative insults directed at her father on television, which completely exceeded her imagination.
Is it possible to insult someone like that?
"I already told you that."
MAX shrugged, looked at Caroline, and said seriously, "It seems you really know nothing about the lives of the lower classes. This is nothing."
Is this what life is like for people at the bottom of society?
Caroline panicked.
"This is less than one ten-thousandth."
Max looked at the once high and mighty princess with pity. "Let me put it this way, you're like a maid who's alone in Schwarzenegger's house at night."
"What's the meaning?"
Caroline was puzzled.
"You're going to be brutally trampled by this real society."
MAX said quirkily.
"..."
Caroline was momentarily confused by Max's words.
What kind of slang is this?
How could you be so vulgar!
"Alright, you've probably had a busy day, go wash up and go to bed."
Seeing that Caroline wasn't in the mood to appreciate the classic slang she'd learned while struggling in the lower classes, Max said, "This is a guest room. You can stay here. We can think about it tomorrow."
Don't worry.
Humans are highly adaptable.
Life is like that...
If you can't resist, just lie down and enjoy it.
Soon you'll be able to find joy even in hardship.
That's life.
Believe me.
I'm an absolute expert in this area!
"Thank you, Max."
Caroline was both amused and annoyed, but she was still grateful to Max for taking her in and comforting her.
Without comparison, there is no harm.
Those so-called boyfriends and best friends from the past were not even one ten-thousandth as kind as a complete stranger you'd only met once.
If this is the life of people at the bottom of society.
Then she might be able to accept it... for a while.
Good!
She still had some confidence in herself.
She is still young, a Wharton School of Business graduate, and has inherited her father's business acumen. Once she gets through this difficult period, she will definitely turn things around.
Caroline Channing, you can do it!
Thinking of this, she smiled, washed up, and went to bed.