222 Franchising Licenses

The receptionist rushed out of the Charming Pavilion in the fastest speed that she could humanly do. The normally gentle receptionist that won an award as the best employee for hospitality and kindness revealed a wretched and desperate expression as she shoved those around him.

"Hey, be careful!"

"Watch where you're going!"

Patrons that stood amidst her way were violently pushed away.

"What the hell?"

"Who dares the cause trouble in the Charming Pavilion?!"

Guards arrived in droves but when they saw the appearance of the one that's causing trouble, their expressions flashed with confusion and shock.

"What? Isn't that Fei'er? Why is she wildly running in the hallway and pushing customers away?"

Customers who were about to explode in anger held their horses upon witnessing that it was the receptionist that caused the commotion. Scratching their heads awkwardly, they just turned their eyes away, afraid that Fei'er may notice their staring.

Judging from the latter's countenance, she looked quite irritated and desperate. It would be a disaster if they managed to provoke her while she's in that state.

Without someone blocking her way. Fei'er speed through the hallway and arrived at the exit. Her breathing turned into ragged pants and the robes clad on her body became wrinkled along with her hair that looked disarrayed.

She didn't look as dignified and as proper as she normally would, all because of the Chieftess's solemn orders. If she didn't manage to bring those two back to the pavilion. Then she knew that her career was over.

Juliet and Zieve smiled at each other, carrying their own luggages, the air around them felt so vibrant as if they didn't encounter any injustice earlier.

"Juliet, are you really sure about this? We made such a huge investment that it will take us at least half a year to recover it our investment fails..." Zieve said his worries and Juliet lightly smiled.

"Don't worry about it, Zieve. The Dreamy House wouldn't collapse and the Charming Pavilion will surely cooperate with us, fair and square." Zieve was worried that the Charming Pavilion's representatives may not be willing to see them. If that happens, then they wasted their money for nothing.

"How are you so sure about that? Juliet? If the Imperial Clan made a counter offer that's higher than what we offered, the Charming Pavilion would normally prioritize them, won't they?" Zieve said with a frown and Juliet merely smiled in a mysterious manner.

Walking through the streets of the Entertainment Block. Juliet smiled as she familiarized herself with the area that would soon become the headquarters of her Dreamy House. Though most scene that she saw looked raunchy, Juliet could see in an entrepreneur's perspective that the Entertainment Block could tap the potential of her products.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing running here for?!"

"Isn't that Fei'er from the Charming Pavilion? Why is she running like someone is after her life?"

"Fei'er?!"

Voices of astonishment rang loud and clear and wind swept past Juliet and Zieve's figures. Turning around, they saw the receptionist of the Charming Pavilion staring at them with a desperate expression as she shouted.

"Esteemed Guests, please stop!"

Fei'er huffed and puffed as she tried catching her breath. Grinding to a halt, she lifted her face and revealed a flushed expression of exhaustion mixed with embarrassment. Having so many people witness her run like a madman made her lose her face but compared to losing her job, maintaining her face was nothing.

"The receptionist of the Charming Pavilion? What are you doing here?" Zieve knitted his eyebrows and asked. His tone was impolite since he still felt wronged about the fact that she ripped them off.

"Esteemed...Guests..." Fei'er mumbled amidst her ragged pantings. She ran so fast that sweat formed on her pinkish robes, emphasizing her curves.

Juliet raised an eyebrow, looking all imposing and Fei'er bit her lower lip. She understood that Juliet and Zieve knew that she ripped them off. But how could she help it when it's the only way where she could earn money in the fastest way possible without selling her body?

Guilt, displeasure, despair and exhaustion overwhelmed her body and she wasn't able to speak. Her mouth opened yet no words came out of her mouth. Juliet and Zieve frowned as the former said.

"She wants us to go back to the Charming Pavilion." Juliet deduced and Zieve turned towards her and nodded, "Indeed, that's the only reason why she would frantically run after us. Could it be that the Chieftess is available now and is willing to meet us?"

Zieve combined the details and saw through Fei'er's intentions. Nodding her head, Fei'er said. "Yes, that's right, Esteemed Guests, the Chieftess is asking for you presence...Please follow me back to the Pavilion."

She arranged her clothes and respectfully escorted them back to the Pavilion.

Juliet and Zieve locked their eyebrows. It was strange that the wicked swindler, Fei'er would suddenly treat them in such a respectful manner. Keeping their thoughts to themselves, the two followed her from behind and simulated numerous scenarios which would make Fei'er like this to no avail.

"Thank you for accompanying me, Esteemed Guests. But I can only go this far. Beyond this door is the Chieftess of the Charming Pavilion, Adevhine Crystal." Fei'er deeply bowed and turned around, sighing in relief that she was able to catch up to the two and keep her job.

Juliet and Zieve nodded at each other and opened the door. There, the figure of a woman clad in pinkish robes appeared right before their eyes.

Setting aside Juliet, Zieve felt like a thunderbolt struck his mind, Adevhine's curvaceous figure, her plump and supple cheeks, her cherry-like lips that lifted into a smile, all combined together and formed a fatal temptation to an inexperienced man like Zieve.

"Ah!"

A small foot fiercefully stomped on his foot amidst his trance. A queer cry came out of his mouth and he turned to see Juliet puffing her cheeks in indignance.

"We came here for an exchange of words not an exchange of stares! Get your mind out of the gutter, Zieve!" Juliet scolded and Zieve awkwardly scratched his head in embarrassment. If a young woman like her could maintain her composure, then why couldn't he?

Arranging his clothes, Zieve lightly coughed and cleared his throat before moving forward with Juliet in tow. Arriving before the Chieftess of the Charming Pavilion, the two didn't dare to stare directly into her eyes for fear of offending her.

Witnessing how timid they became after seeing her presence, Adevhine inwardly frowned and thought, 'This young girl is the one backed by the Headmaster himself? Why would he protect such a frail and timid young girl...' She couldn't see why the Headmaster would bother making a move for Juliet.

Juliet could feel how fathomable the Chieftess of the Charming Pavilion was and she felt threatened. It wasn't the kind of boundlessness that the Headmaster possessed, but something more shrewd and ruthless. Juliet could feel that Adevhine was a decisive person that wouldn't hesitate to slice her arm for the sake of business benefits.

'So this is what it takes to be one of the most influential giants in the Empire?' Juliet thought in her mind and deeply breathed. Approaching Adevhine, she bowed and said.

"As per our request of meeting the honorable Chieftess of the Charming Pavilion, we hereby introduce ourselves..." She clasped her hands together and continued,

"This one's name is Juliet while my friend's name is Zieve. We came from the Juliet's Dreamy House back at the Outer Disciples Region all for the sake of advertising our business to the Charming Pavilion for the sake of a cooperation of mutual benefit."

Juliet seamlessly announced without stuttering. Adevhine's eyes shone with an interested light as she said, "A cooperation of mutual benefit? Mind if you elaborate?"

"Yes, the cooperation of mutual benefit that we meant is to have the Charming Pavilion as the main supplier of our product here in the Entertainment Block." Juliet replied with a small smile and Zieve handed over a parchment containing some ingredients of the Garlic Soup.

Adevhine scanned through the documents and she couldn't help but feel somewhat excited. Juliet's course of actions were so intricate that it even contained numerous plans about what they would do if they product failed to resonate with the market.

"This is quite the interesting plan that you gave to me but are you sure that you're just gonna franchise this to us? How about this. In exchange to being the sole supplier of this product throughout the entire Academy, I'll give you fifty-thousand Spirit Stones. How does that sound?"

Adevhine casually declared and Zieve almost coughed a mouthful of spit. Five-thousand Spirit Stones alone made them suffer such a huge setback yet Adevhine easily offered ten times more than that amount.

Juliet's heartbeat disarrayed and her expression slightly twitched. Despite trying her best in maintaining her composure. It was a lie to say that she didn't feel tempted.

However, Juliet shook her head.

She didn't believe that her Garlic Soup's was only worth Fifty-thousand. Juliet believed that as long as they acquired the appropriate channels and started production. Her Dreamy House would expand and eventually become a company that could rival the Charming Pavilion and the Pharmaceutical Company.

Adevhine's actions of offering such an amount in exchange of monopoly meant that they wanted to eventually swallow the Dreamy House. Accepting her offer meant suicide.

Shaking her head, Juliet said,

"I apologize but we only came here to offer the Charming Pavilion the rights to sell. We don't have any plans on making the Charming Pavilion the sole supplier of Garlic Soup throughout the entire Academy."

Adevhine lightly smiled upon hearing her words. If Juliet was an average disciple, hearing that amount would've muddled their heads making them agree on impulse. Her denial meant that she had a functional mind that wouldn't fall for temptations. Working with her should be worthwhile.

Now the only problem was the Imperial Clan. Since he made such a contract with Rodger, she couldn't make hasty decisions as she announced that she would think over it and temporarily dismissed Juliet.

Sitting alone in her office, Adevhine weighed the pros and cons and racked her brains for an appropriate solution that would benefit the Charming Pavilion the most.

It was at that moment that an ethereal figure manifested directly inside her room.

"Who's there?!" Adevhine exploded with power and turned around, only to find out that it was the Headmaster himself that appeared in her room.

"H-H-Headmaster?! Why did you come here?!" Adevhine's countenance went pale, if the Headmaster that protected Juliet knew that she planned on bringing the Juliet's downfall, what he would do to her was something that could easily be imagined.

"There's no need to be that panicked, I have known what you were doing from the start. But you don't need to worry about that, In fact, I'm encouraging your actions." Mathias lightly smiled and explained.

Adevhine looked confused and astonished, why would the Headmaster encourage the suppression of someone that he protected? Wasn't that contradictory?

Mathias saw through her thoughts and said, "It is indeed contradictory but remember that pressure creates diamonds. Only under immense pressure can one evoke their true potential. Just continue with the Imperial Clan's plans. I believe that the little lass Juliet can survive with her capabilities..." He declared and amiably smiled.

Adevhine couldn't even say anything before Mathias disappeared. Leaving her alone inside her office with an indescribable expression on her face.

Adevhine Crystal, the sibling of the Charming Academy's Headmistress never expected that the day where she would be treated as someone else's stepping stone would arrive.

"In other words, you want me to be her whetstone?" Adevhine mumbled and a vicious smile of excitement and determination lifted on her lips.

"In that case, I won't be lenient. I hope that you won't regret this decision of yours, Headmaster..." Adevhine's eyes flashed with wickedness and her mind madly spun, simulating the perfect plan that would become Juliet's biggest obstacle to date.