At the CBS television station, two young men squat at the entrance.
Sebastian Vanderbilt's eyes rove restlessly over the girls passing by, trying to spot someone with beautiful hands and feet. Meanwhile, Patrick Anchor watches his friend's sneaky behavior, barely suppressing a smirk. If he could, he would pretend not to know him.
"I mean, doesn't your family have the strongest connections at CNN? How come you got assigned here at CBS?" Sebastian asks casually, seemingly tired from all the searching.
Indeed, being one of the top three broadcasting stations, he spots many female artists with appealing features within a couple of hours. However, their appeal tends to be more towards a fuller figure, not the slender type Sebastian is looking for.
"It's precisely because we don't have many connections here that no one will give me special treatment," Patrick replies, rolling his eyes.
While other families have elders paving the way, in his case, it seems the struggles endured by his predecessors have to be faced by him as well.
"Is that so?" Sebastian asks skeptically. "Then this pass..."
"Not many connections, but getting a pass that allows free access isn't a problem," Patrick says, a bit disheartened.
"Is this the so-called challenging lifestyle of the young rich generations?" Sebastian teases.
"Who can out-rich you?" Patrick retorts. "At eighteen, you're managing hundreds of millions. Aside from a few Beacon Hill families, only a handful have those resources. I even suspect you might be from one of those families."
"So how long are you planning to keep looking?" Patrick asks. "Camping out at the TV station for the perfect fit is like finding a needle in a haystack."
"What else can I do?" Sebastian glances sideways. "Do you know any place with more beauties than a TV station shooting site?"
Patrick has nothing to say but agrees. "Then keep looking. I must go to work soon," Patrick mutters. "They deduct pay for being late."
Sebastian continues intently watching the young girls coming and going, not even turning his head as he waves Patrick off.
He's been watching all morning. As noon approaches, Sebastian rubs his eyes, which have grown sore from the vigil, feeling a mix of satisfaction and frustration.
"As expected of one of the big three stations like CBS, there are so many beauties."
But there's a tinge of regret. Beauties! There are plenty.
However, finding one with both perfect hands and feet that fit Sebastian's standard is rare. He finally spots one with both attributes, but her facial beauty and figure fall short. Nevertheless, Sebastian isn't discouraged.
Good things come to those who wait.
Anklets and bracelets are niche items, and turning them into luxury goods is an impulsive goal. There are no successful precedents in future generations. Whether it works out or not, he'll do his best and leave the rest to fate.
His main goal is to live lavishly—at least in the eyes of his family.
...
It's lunchtime at the CBS staff cafeteria. Sebastian feels puzzled as he notices people around him whispering and glancing his way.
"Hey, Sebastian!" Patrick taps his plate, looking annoyed. "You run a big company, casually throw around ten million for endorsements, and here you are, scavenging in the cafeteria at noon?"
Patrick's expression is full of complaint. The CBS cafeteria is notoriously bad. He's almost vomited eating here for a few days and had planned to improve his diet by tagging along with Sebastian. To his dismay, Sebastian seems to be enjoying the food.
"You don't understand, this is called 'biking to the club when you need to save, spending on the girls where you must,'" Sebastian retorts jokingly.
"How's the search for the foot model going?" Patrick inquires.
"It's not that easy to find!" Sebastian replies, eating and scanning the room.
"If it's really that hard, maybe lower your standards a bit," Patrick suggests. "I'm starting to doubt the perfect artist you're talking about even exists."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Sebastian nods. Just then, his gaze catches a fleeting figure carrying a tray.
Her hands resting on the tray are plump and fair, with long fingers, tender skin, and a soft green glow at the tips.
Sebastian's head swivels to follow the hands, his eyes almost glued to the figure. The slender waist suggests it could be encircled with an arm, the legs beneath the jeans are long and lean—a slim and delicate silhouette. However, the focus for Sebastian is a bit further down.
"Flat shoes..." he murmurs with slight disappointment.
But no matter, nothing is too difficult for those who are determined. He straightens his clothes, puts on a smile without hesitation, and stands up to approach her.
"Victoria, sit down quickly," Cathy Millstone says with alarm, gesturing hurriedly.
"Ah, Cathy, what's wrong?" Victoria sits down, puzzled.
Cathy Millstone, though playing a villain in "You're My Destiny," is actually very nice and takes good care of her.
"You don't know? CBS has a pervert today, ogling at women's feet. The whole station's been talking about it," Cathy lowers her voice.
"Ah, but what does that have to do with me?" Victoria is confused.
"He was staring intently at you just now."
"???"
Victoria is about to turn around.
"Don't look! That pervert is coming this way," Cathy says, getting flustered.
"What should I do?" Victoria's eyes widen in nervousness. Still, she turns to look, unable to resist. A familiar yet unfamiliar face meets her gaze.
Victoria's eyes go wide: "Sebastian Vanderbilt!"
"Do you know him?" Cathy asks, surprised.
"May I have a chat with you?" Sebastian offers with a friendly, kind smile.
"We don't really have anything to talk about," Victoria replies quickly, her expression closing off. Whether it's from the previous interactions or the reasons the two actresses fought, she doesn't have a good impression of Sebastian.
"People thousands of years ago never thought they could send thousands of pounds of metal into the sky, nor did they imagine seeing the depths of the ocean," Sebastian begins with a smile.
"Are you showing off your knowledge?"
"No, I just want to say that what drives human endeavors isn't 'impossibility,' but 'possibility,'" Sebastian speaks earnestly as he takes a seat next to her.
"Should I find another spot?" Cathy offers tentatively.
"Cathy, it's okay..." Victoria reassures. But Cathy, thinking she understands the situation, has already moved to another table.
"Alright, Mr. Vanderbilt, you have exactly one minute," Victoria says calmly.
Sebastian's face lights up with a brilliant smile, and he asks, "May I take a look at your feet?"