Max used his performance rate skill to check the stats of all the other members.
Hans had a performance rate of 80, with a specialty in " WIND (Locked ) " and an impressive loyalty score of 95.
The remaining 28 members had loyalty scores of 90. And all members shared a specialty labeled as " Cleaner"
Max couldn't understand what these specialties meant, especially since they were locked.
"Dolly, what does 'specialty' mean?" Max asked curiously.
"It's their innate talent," Dolly replied nonchalantly.
Max understood part of it but chose not to press further. He figured he'd eventually discover the details on his own. "I wonder if I have a specialty too," he thought.
Just then, Dylan walked into the office.
"Sir, all the members would like to meet you," Dylan said respectfully.
Max followed Dylan and shook hands with all the members. Everyone treated him with great respect, which Max genuinely appreciated. He was starting to like Dylan Warriors and the positive atmosphere they brought into the studio.
"Sir, what's our first project?" Hans asked eagerly.
"Your official work will begin tomorrow. I'll reveal the first project then," Max clarified, addressing everyone.
Hearing this, Dylan and his team erupted in cheers. Dylan, wanting to celebrate this moment, asked Max's permission to throw a party in the studio's hall. With Max's approval, preparations for the celebration began in full swing.
Later that night, at KS Entertainment Studio...
The team was ecstatic about their new job and the upcoming project. The celebration kicked off with expensive drinks and a feast delivered straight to the studio.
"Hiccup... This is the happiest day of my life," one drunken member said to another.
"Yeah, hiccup... Same here, Brother Trek," another equally drunk member replied.
"Our leader is never wrong! I'm 100% sure we'll make it to that legendary Blessed Screen one day! Hahahaha!" a fourth member shouted, laughing. The others joined in the laughter.
Meanwhile, Dylan was sitting with Max, enjoying the party. The team had started calling Max "Master," despite his repeated objections. Eventually, Max gave up and accepted the title, realizing it was a cultural norm for the leader to be addressed that way.
"Master, you have lifted a huge weight off my shoulders today," Dylan said sincerely.
"It wasn't me. It was fate that brought you to work with me," Max replied, downplaying the credit.
"If fate were a person, I'd bow at their feet," Dylan said, his voice filled with satisfaction.
Max found Dylan's words overly dramatic but chose not to comment. He simply decided to finish his drink, letting the celebrations unfold around him.
Just then, a name suddenly flashed through Max's mind. The moment it struck, his heartbeat quickened, and an unfamiliar restlessness washed over him. His expression betrayed his confusion, as if he was yearning to see someone without fully understanding why. His sealed memories in this original body were tugging at him, and the mention of that name alone was enough to stir up these mixed feelings.
The name? Lisa.
Yes, Lisa—the very name Jameson had casually mentioned over the phone. It was now wreaking havoc on Max's emotions. Dylan, noticing Max's conflicted expression, couldn't hold back his curiosity and asked,
"What's wrong, Master? You seem... distracted."
"Dylan, what do you think about Lisa?" Max asked, his tone soft yet filled with a strange care as he brought her up.
Dylan, even in his slightly tipsy state, was caught off guard by the sudden mention of the Beauty Queen.
"Master, I have nothing but the utmost respect for the Beauty Queen. Her acting is divine—no, beyond that. She's the only one who reached the Blessed Screen at just 18 years old!" Dylan replied passionately, his admiration evident.
"Do you know of any movies she'll be starring in next?" Max asked, his voice filled with an unfamiliar warmth.
Dylan instantly caught on to Max's expressions—especially the way his tone shifted when talking about Lisa. Smiling knowingly, he thought to himself, "Looks like it'll be a long night for me."
"Master, why would Beauty Queen return to movies now? She's already reached her destination. There's no need for her to consider acting anymore," Dylan said in a respectful tone.
"What do you mean, she's not coming back? Don't you want to see your favorite actress in another film?" Max asked, his voice suddenly sharp and serious.
"No, Master," Dylan replied with surprising confidence.
Max was stunned. He couldn't fathom how someone wouldn't feel even a hint of regret about their favorite actress leaving the screen. Yet, Dylan's eyes didn't hold sorrow—instead, they were filled with pride.
"Why not?" Max blurted out, still trying to process Dylan's perspective.
"I'm completely satisfied," Dylan said. "When I watched her last movie, ALONE, I felt like she gave me a treasure—something so precious that I'll cherish it for a lifetime. I'm grateful to her for leaving me with such a masterpiece. That's enough for me." Dylan's eyes gleamed with emotion, his voice brimming with pride and gratitude.
Max was utterly shocked. His imagination spiraled into a comical scene. He pictured Lisa as a divine goddess, glowing with radiance, floating in the sky with angelic wings. In this vision, a kneeling knight—clearly Dylan—held out his hands with unwavering loyalty as Lisa handed him a shining golden treasure.
Cartoon Lisa spoke in a regal tone, "My holy knight, until I return, guard this treasure with your life."
To which Cartoon Dylan, determined and proud, replied, "My Queen, I am honored to serve you. I shall protect this treasure more dearly than my life itself!"
"Master... Master!"
Dylan's voice brought Max crashing back to reality, snapping him out of his over-the-top fantasy world. Looking up, he saw Dylan's amused expression as he stood waiting for a response.
"Um... ahh... Oh, so that's how it is," Max muttered to himself. "All these Blessed Screen artists leave behind treasures in people's hearts, which is why no one feels regret when they stop making movies."
He finally understood. When these artists depart, they leave their audiences with a sense of fulfillment, delivering such memorable joy that people hold onto it as a treasured memory. It was a phenomenon Max found both fascinating and strange—a kind of emotional conditioning that seemed to spread like wildfire among the audience.
Lost in these deep thoughts, Max's mind wandered further until a sudden notification broke his reverie.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You've completed your sub-mission.]
| Mission: Recruit members for the studio.
| Duration: 5 days (Completed in 3 days).
| Reward: 100 FP.
[ Your mission was completed ahead of schedule. Calculating success rate...
| Success Rate: 140%.
[ As a bonus, you've received an extra reward: A Wisp of Memory. ]
Max blinked at the unexpected notification, his thoughts momentarily derailed.
"Ehhh... Why do my eyes feel heavy? And what's this extra rew...?" Max mumbled before his eyelids drooped, and he slipped into unconsciousness.