“You’re thinking that as long as there’s a guardian around, you don’t have to bear legal responsibility, and minors can just break the law as they please, aren’t you?” Elisa smiled as she looked at the line of young girls standing before her.
There’s nothing wrong with being a fan, and it’s good if you can learn positive traits from your idols and find motivation within yourself. But to lose your conscience and break the law because of idol worshipping, to make mistakes without remorse, that’s a sign of having serious issues.
To Elisa, this kind of idol worship was a waste of time. Instead of spending their energy this way, they could have read a few more books and broadened their horizons.
People cannot choose how they are born, but knowledge can provide more opportunities for the future.
“Hmph, that’s exactly it. Most of those who like our sister are just like us. We, as minors, are protected by the law. What can you do to us? You can take us to the police station today, and after we come out, we’ll still go to your hotel and wait at the entrance of the filming set. Be careful with your face. See if you dare to seduce people and harm our sister once your face is ruined.”
The police officers nearby were speechless. Several young girls present had distorted values. This wasn’t just mere idol worshipping; it was clear they had been brainwashed.
Holding a baton, the officer berated them loudly, “You’re still lawless even in the police station. Do you really think that being minors means you won’t be held accountable for breaking the law? We’ll send you to a juvenile detention center, and when you turn eighteen, you’ll be sent to prison as usual. You haven’t even grasped the law, yet you dare to speak so shamelessly! Is this how your parents have raised you? Your so-called upbringing has gone to waste!”
The few young girls were intimidated, their faces still showing defiance, but they didn’t dare to say anything more. They just glared at Elisa with ill intent.
Pretending not to notice, Elisa thought to herself that these tactics were nothing more than petty mischief. They seemed powerful but were actually quite weak.
Leaning against the chair, a cup of steaming water in front of her, she lifted it to take a sip.
“I’ve been thinking carefully. I can’t withstand your organized and disciplined approach, so…”
The lead girl sneered, “Now you’re afraid, aren’t you?”
“Don’t be hasty, I haven’t finished,” Elisa interrupted, stretching out her hand. “I’ve heard a phrase often mentioned in your fan circle: ‘Fans’ actions, idols pay the price.’ I didn’t agree with this at first, but now I think it’s fitting for you. If you don’t want me to have it easy, then your sister won’t have it easy either.”
“You despicable person, Elisa, what do you want to do? Let me tell you, our sister is going to sue the Revenge and Love production team. Since the team can’t shoot now, you’ll have a tough time. Our sister is the cash cow of the company. Do you think the company will risk giving up a popular starlet for a nobody like you?”
“You’ve reminded me,” Elisa nodded. “Soon, she won’t be the company’s cash cow anymore.”
The girls didn’t understand her meaning. “Do you think you can take our sister’s place?”
A car pulled up outside. The girls thought it was their parents coming to take them home, but to their surprise, a stranger entered. Dressed in a suit and tie, wearing glasses with an air of authority, he carried a briefcase and strode towards Elisa.
“Miss Powell.”
The young girls were puzzled. When had Elisa become Miss Powell? And who was this person?
“Mr. Laurier, I leave this to you.”
“You can rest assured.”
After the parents of the girls arrived, Mr. Laurier professionally handed the court summons to their parents, charging the girls with defamation, attempted murder, and intimidation.
With both witness and material evidence, along with recorded conversations, these charges couldn’t be escaped.
As the parents received the court summons, and as the lawyer presented the evidence one by one, everyone was dumbfounded. Their daughters had been taken to the police station, and they knew they had caused some trouble, but they hadn’t expected such serious charges!
Just the words “attempted murder” sent shivers down their spines.
The few young girls looked at each other, seeing fear in each other’s eyes. They had intended to scare Elisa by organizing and loitering outside the hotel with box cutters, but they hadn’t meant to harm her. How had they been charged with “attempted murder”?
The parents pleaded with Elisa. “MissPowell, they are just a group of children and cannot bear such serious charges! Please don’t hold them accountable!”
Elisa smiled at them, “They are not only children but also orphans. It’s a pity that they haven’t received proper parental guidance.”
The parents dared not speak out in anger and felt ashamed for not having raised their children properly.
“We will educate them well. Miss Powell, please forgive them. They just like a star and have been brainwashed. They are not fundamentally bad.”
Elisa nodded in agreement, “Yes, a group of young girls wielding box cutters for intimidation are not fundamentally bad. They are simply uneducated, unethical, uncivilized, lacking in manners, and on top of that, immoral and foolish.”
“Miss Powell, as a public figure, is it reasonable for you to say such things? Aren’t you afraid of public outrage for taking these girls to court?” A soft approach wasn’t working, so they tried a harsher one.
Elisa stood up, brushed nonexistent dust off her shoulder, and said languidly, “You are the ones who have done wrong, not me. Why should I be afraid? If I dare to have a lawyer serve you with court summons, then I naturally dare to have your precious children sent in. If you don’t educate them, the law will. Take advantage of the opportunity to educate them now, because in the future, you might not have the chance.”
The parents’ expressions varied – some turned pale with fear, some turned red with anger, and some were so swollen with rage that they started to educate their children right there and then. The scene was chaotic, with the girls begging for mercy, parents scolding, and the sound of slaps landing on flesh.
Elisa stepped back to a safe distance and watched coldly as the police intervened.
“You scoundrels, kneel down and apologize. Do you want to go to juvenile detention?”
“Quickly apologize to Miss Powell and admit your mistakes.”
The young girls choked, “Sorry, Elisa, we were wrong.”
These individuals were still immature and hadn’t been properly educated. Now that they couldn’t continue, they didn’t dare to persist in their ways. If Elisa let them off, she was certain they would try again.
To weed out the problem, one must get to the root, to prevent it from happening again.
“It’s too late.” In the entertainment industry, some celebrities might choose to downplay big issues and overlook small ones to protect their image.
However, the truth was that those celebrities who didn’t dare to speak out lacked the capital to offend others behind their backs, while she, Elisa, had that capital.
She had gathered enough evidence to make these “children” experience the consequences. The stain of committing a crime as a minor would be on their records for the rest of their lives.
Elisa turned and walked toward the door, ignoring the pleas behind her. At the entrance, she suddenly thought of something and said to the few young girls who had wanted to defend Lorelei, “Remember everything you’ve done today. Lorelei will suffer because of you.”
She had learned from Hamish how to truly hurt someone. The more someone cherished something, the more it needed to be destroyed.
Killing a person is nothing compared to killing their spirit. The torment of guilt and restlessness would be the first type of torture they would experience, with much more to come in the future.
Elisa smiled, a radiant, benevolent smile. The young girls didn’t even have time to get online before their parents punished them severely, causing chaos in every household.
The incident was caught by paparazzi and spread online, with no party being slandered, allowing netizens to speak freely.
The term “attempted murder by Lorelei’s fans” shot to the top of the hot search rankings. Support groups organized to expel members, but it was to no avail. Those few underage girls still had fan accounts on Twitter and were avid supporters who had participated in many cheering events. Such fans couldn’t be expelled with just a few words.
The most significant impact was on the public’s perception. Because of these fan actions, the public sentiment toward Lorelei had turned sour.
The fan communities who had once been targeted by Lorelei’s fans were now coming together, listing numerous wrongdoings committed by Lorelei’s fans. In a short period, Lorelei’s supporters became the target of public scorn.
Before the “cat abuse incident” had settled, another problem arose, causing Lorelei’s fan base to dwindle rapidly.
The company changed its CEO, and no one was willing to take over; when trouble arose, she bore it alone. Recently, all her public relations were self-arranged, and while it worked a few times, constant use of public relations would drain her resources. Once she made the headlines, public relations would be of no use.
The fans’ only reliance lay with the company. As long as Lorelei had the support from above, they will all be fine.
However… things didn’t go the way as they had wished this time…
Elisa returned to the hotel safely and continued texting Louis. After a while, Louis called her.
“Why did you take so long to reply to my message? Were you out for dinner or did something happen?” Louis’s sharpness sometimes surpassed even Elisa’s.
“I ran into a bit of trouble on my way back to the hotel,” she said, and she could hear the change in the tone of his breathing.
Elisa continued, “I encountered some of Lorelei’s fans on my way back to the hotel. A few minors threatened me. Don’t worry, I reported it to the police and hired a lawyer. They need to experience the consequences of their actions and, in the process, teach their parents how to raise respectful children.”
Louis, hearing Elisa’s tone, knew she was okay. He breathed a sigh of relief, and the two chatted for a while. Learning that Elisa hadn’t eaten yet, Louis advised her to take care of herself and then hung up.
Elisa ate something quickly at the hotel and then went to bed, preparing herself for the challenges ahead.
The next morning, Elisa woke up early and did some stretching and yoga in her hotel room. After finishing her routine, she wiped herself down and fastened a red string around her neck with a cat emblem, previously worn by Mimi. It was a fish-shaped pendant made of gold, now worn around her neck like any ordinary necklace. She wore it day and night, closely connected to it, sometimes even deceiving herself into thinking that Mimi was still by her side, alive.
Elisa changed her clothes and tucked the pendant inside, close to her skin. Just like before, she arrived at the set thirty minutes early to prepare, change clothes, do her makeup, and review the script.
When Elisa arrived at the set, the staff were somewhat surprised. After all the recent commotion, they hadn’t expected Elisa to return to the set to continue filming.
Some wanted to comfort her but didn’t know how to approach her. Delayed comfort had already lost its timing, akin to pouring salt on a wound, causing it to bleed again.
Some individuals didn’t understand this principle. They approached Elisa, offered token words of comfort, and then left.
The staff on set were very concerned about Elisa, with the exception of a few actors.
“Now that the lead actress is gone, how can we continue filming? If Lorelei drags the production every day, there won’t be any progress. Any filming done will be in vain, it’s better not to shoot at all.”
“All this trouble was caused by Elisa.”
“Don’t say that. She is the victim.”
“The victim is just a cat. What does that have to do with her? The production is halted now just because of a cat. Do you know how much money will be lost? That money could have bought so many cats.”
“You better not say that. What if she overhears you? She’s not simple now. Last time, two investors fought over her.”
“If she hears it, she hears it. I’m not afraid to speak the truth.”
Elisa went to the bathroom and, upon returning to collect her bag, overheard the entire conversation, including what should have been heard and what shouldn’t.
Most people in such a situation might try to avoid the awkwardness and pretend they hadn’t overheard, waiting for the moment to pass before re-entering. However, Elisa pushed the door open directly, startling the two actors in the room. They quickly left when they saw it was her, appearing flustered and avoiding eye contact.
With a cold sneer in her heart at their lack of courage, not even daring to speak the truth in her presence, Elisa picked up her bag and went directly to find Asher. Normally, he would be on set as soon as filming began, but today, she didn’t see him anywhere.