Her mentor’s greatest wish in life was to have his reputation and citizenship restored, to come home for good.
Vincent Grant was clearly giving the matter a push.
As Old Master Sloan’s student, she had to give it her all, both professionally and personally.
Sophia Shaw took a deep breath. "I’ll do it."
The interview was with The Cypress Studio, part of the well-known local media conglomerate, Aethelgard Group.
As Sophia Shaw’s car came to a stop in the studio’s parking lot, she immediately spotted Vincent Grant’s vehicle.
She froze for a moment, then quickly composed herself and walked toward the building.
In the lobby, she happened to see Vincent Grant descending the spiral staircase with Joel Hale.
The studio head was beside them.
The studio head was speaking to Vincent Grant as they walked.
He was wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses today. They added a touch of aloofness to his already aristocratic air, making him seem even more unapproachable.
Sophia Shaw had seen him in glasses before, and each time, she had been utterly smitten. She used to think that no matter how cold he was, her own passion could melt his icy exterior.
Cursing her lovesick brain, she was pulled from her thoughts when the reporter for her interview called out to her.
Sophia Shaw turned to exchange pleasantries with the reporter. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Vincent Grant and the studio head disappear around a corner.
He never once looked back at her.
’It seems he’s really moved on.’
’That’s... good.’
A quiet gloom settled over Sophia Shaw.
"I’m sorry to have kept you waiting, Ms. Shaw." The reporter apologized and briefly introduced herself.
"Originally, we had just planned a short interview, but management’s instructions are—they’re hoping for an in-depth feature. Would that... be convenient for you?"
"No problem," Sophia Shaw agreed readily.
’An in-depth interview would be better for conveying my mentor’s heartfelt wishes.’
"That’s great." The reporter led her into a lounge area. "Please wait here for a moment. I’ll go get the interview outline."
The reporter poured her a glass of water and hurried away.
Sophia Shaw sipped her water out of boredom, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the side of the glass. To say she wasn’t nervous about facing the camera would be a lie.
A short while later, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in."
Sophia Shaw stood up and walked toward the door, assuming it was the reporter.
But the person who appeared behind the door was Joel Hale.
Joel Hale gave a slight, businesslike bow. "Ms. Shaw, President Grant asked me to pass on a message. This is a small-scale test run with local media first. Afterward, we will gradually arrange for engagement with higher-profile outlets."
Sophia Shaw immediately understood the deeper meaning behind Vincent Grant’s message.
’He’s taking my mentor’s situation fully into account, adopting the safest and most stable strategy.’
After all, the way her mentor had left the country back then was not well-received; he was even denounced as a traitor at one point. If they moved too quickly and a problem arose that they couldn’t contain, it would instead cause immense harm to her mentor.
"Understood," Sophia Shaw replied.
"Also, this is the revised outline. Please take a look."
Sophia Shaw looked down at it.
The outline focused mainly on her work building rockets, but a topic related to Old Master Sloan was cleverly woven into the middle.
This arrangement didn’t seem forced. Instead, it perfectly conveyed his desire to return home. It was an incredibly considerate gesture.
"Thank you," Sophia Shaw said, very satisfied.
Joel Hale just gave another polite nod, turned, and left the room.
Not long after, Sophia Shaw was invited into the interview studio.
The host of the interview was the rather famous local personality, Nathan Nash.
Nathan Nash looked to be in his thirties. He appeared intellectual on the surface, but there was a core of steel beneath.
Composed and graceful, with an exceptionally refined way of speaking.
His interview show, *Four Talks in One Season*, had been an instant hit right from its first episode.
Sophia Shaw was participating in the second episode.
Upon meeting Nathan Nash, Sophia Shaw had a vague feeling he looked familiar, but she couldn’t recall where she might have seen him.
’I probably just saw him while scrolling through videos at some point.’
Sophia Shaw didn’t dwell on it. At his gesture, she sat down in a chair in the studio, facing him across a table.
Nathan Nash was very skilled at drawing out his guests. After a few simple opening remarks, he steered the conversation to the main topic. Sophia Shaw fell into a rhythm with his questions and her answers, quickly getting into the zone.
When the conversation turned to Old Master Sloan, Sophia Shaw couldn’t stop her eyes from turning red.
She thought of how he had taught her in the past.
Sophia Shaw recounted his words verbatim. "My mentor said that Cathan’s aerospace technology still lags far behind Mador’s, and that we needed to study hard to catch up. He was especially strict with me and my senior, who was also from Cathan. He told us that we were absolutely not allowed to make the same mistakes others could!"
"My mentor also said that for aerospace technology to advance, it has to come down from its pedestal and engage the private sector. Only when private industry and the government work together can aerospace truly see explosive growth! My senior and I were inspired by him to return to Cathan and establish a private aerospace company."
"From the very beginning of our venture to where we are now, we couldn’t have taken a single step without our mentor’s remote guidance. It’s safe to say that without him, there would be no Lead Aerospace today!"
Her words were so sincere and moving that even Nathan Nash was affected, his expression filled with respect.
Outside the interview studio, Levin Sawyer stood with his hands behind his back, gazing through the glass at the two people inside.
The warm lighting bathed Sophia Shaw from every angle, casting her in a bright, dazzling glow. Her eyes, in particular, shone brilliantly.
"It doesn’t feel good, does it? Having Vincent Grant always beat you to the punch." The soft click-clack of high heels sounded from behind him.
Joanna Sherman, whom he hadn’t seen in two months, walked up to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him.
Following his gaze into the studio, a meaningful smile curved Joanna Sherman’s lips.
Levin Sawyer shot her a lazy glance. "What’s this? Is Miss Sherman here to play the loyal dog again? Don’t tell me you arranged this whole thing for Vincent Grant, too."
The color drained from Joanna Sherman’s face, her expression turning ugly in an instant.
This was a dark Chapter of her past she never wanted to bring up, and somehow Levin Sawyer knew about it!
Levin Sawyer hadn’t known for sure before. The last time they were at that wellness restaurant, he’d gone downstairs to buy some deli food and had seen Joanna Sherman arrive with a fish. A dish of braised fish, cooked by Vincent Grant himself, later appeared on their table. That’s when he figured it out.
Joanna Sherman’s face twitched, but she quickly suppressed her anger and retorted, "Why bother mocking me, President Sawyer? If it were possible to be her dog, I’m sure you’d want the role more than I do. Too bad Sophia Shaw won’t even give you the chance!"
"We’re both losers in love. Neither of us is better than the other."
Levin Sawyer didn’t want to waste his breath on her nonsense and started to walk away.
"President Sawyer!" Joanna Sherman called out, stopping him in his tracks. "If Sophia Shaw really does get back together with Vincent Grant, will you be able to live with that?"
Levin Sawyer’s steps halted abruptly, his fists clenching silently at his sides.
Joanna Sherman slowly approached him. She glanced down at his clenched fists and spoke, her words deliberate. "Vincent Grant is a top-tier business strategist. If he wants to, he can easily figure out what Sophia Shaw wants and deliver it right to her."
She jutted her chin toward the studio. "Look. This is the best proof of that."
Then she turned to meet Levin Sawyer’s eyes. "President Sawyer, you don’t stand a chance against him in a fair fight!"
"What are you planning?" Levin Sawyer stared hard at Joanna Sherman, like a beast watching an intruder in its territory.
"Relax. I’m not going to ask you to harm Sophia Shaw. It’s just that I’m very obsessive about things that belong to me. I have to have them. Since our goals are aligned, why don’t we cooperate?"
Joanna Sherman stuffed a piece of paper into his suit pocket. "Think about it. I’ll be waiting for your answer."
With that, she turned and walked away on her high heels.
Levin Sawyer watched her retreating back, then looked again at the radiant and captivating Sophia Shaw on the screen. His fingers moved involuntarily toward his pocket...