I don’t deny that celebrities have value.

As public figures, if they spread positive energy and inspire people, that’s admirable and worthy of respect.

But if their character is corrupt, they’re not far from being blacklisted.

A nation’s progress and strength have never come from entertainment, but from the scientists who work in obscurity and devote themselves silently.

Emily noticed my sudden silence and assumed she had struck a nerve. Her eyes gleamed with contempt.

“Daniel, stop spacing out. Just name your price.”

“Money, property—I can give you all of it. But I have one condition…”

I looked at her with interest.

“And what condition is that?”

A sly glint flickered in Emily’s eyes.

“You are not allowed to reveal anything about us to anyone.”

I stared at her coldly, my voice flat and devoid of emotion.

“And if I refuse?”

“Refuse?”

Her face darkened immediately.

“If you refuse, you might not walk out of this airport today.”

By then, crowds of fans had gathered around.

“Hey, old man up front, move it! Don’t block our Emily!”

“Yeah, seriously! How rude can you be, squeezing into the same lane as her?”

“Look at his shady face—he’s probably some paparazzi. Protect our sweet Emily!”

The louder the crowd grew, the more triumphant Emily looked.

She had clearly gotten used to being pampered during her years of stardom. Judging by her behavior, not just an airport lane—even an entire film crew would likely revolve around her.

Still, Emily wasn’t foolish. To maintain her spotless image, she knew how to play her cards.

Glancing around, she waved her assistant aside, then put on a warm smile and addressed the crowd.

“Everyone, it’s a misunderstanding. This gentleman is also one of my fans.”

“It’s just… he got a little overzealous. He insisted on pulling me aside for an autograph, otherwise he wouldn’t let me go.”

Her words instantly inflamed her die-hard fans.

“Our Emily is so kind! Even when dealing with a crazy fan, she still defends him. I’m touched to tears!”

“She’s exhausted herself, and yet she still sympathizes with stalkers. We really picked the right idol!”

“Emily is so kindhearted! I’ll follow her forever!”

Hearing this nonsense, I could only shake my head in resignation. Without explaining, I turned to leave.

But my indifference only made the star even more displeased.

Feeling ignored, Emily stirred up her fans again.

“Alright, everyone, please calm down and listen to me.”

“Much as I’d love to sign autographs, this gentleman bumped into me just now, and I’m feeling a little dizzy…”

Before she could finish, her assistant quickly chimed in:

“Yes, that’s right! Miss Emily had prepared tons of signed photos, but this man snatched them away.”

With the two of them playing in perfect sync, I instantly became the public enemy.

Even through the barricades, I could feel the searing hostility of the fans, their eyes practically wishing to tear me apart alive.

Seeing the situation spiral out of control, the airport security officer hurried over and pulled me aside.

“Mr. Stone, for your own safety, I suggest… you take a different exit.”

This time, before I could even speak, one of the nearest fans suddenly turned and shouted to the crowd.

“Don’t let this guy get away! He must have Emily’s autographed photos in his bag!”

With that roar, hundreds of fans surged over the barricades and charged straight toward me.

Their target was clear—my briefcase.

“Stop right now!” I shouted.

“There’s nothing in here but classified documents—no autographs at all!”

But no matter how I explained, the fans wouldn’t listen. They lunged at me like a pack of wild dogs.

Seeing the chaos before me, even I felt a flicker of panic.

If those files were destroyed, my five years of work would all go to waste.

“Emily, tell your fans to stop!” I yelled.

“My briefcase contains top-secret national documents—any damage is unacceptable!”

Emily, however, remained unmoved. With her hands on her hips, she watched gleefully, as if savoring my predicament.

Just then, my phone suddenly rang inside my pocket.

The moment I saw the caller ID, I felt a wave of relief.

Without a second thought, I answered on speaker, right in front of everyone.

“Mr. Lee, please help me!”

Hearing the panic in my voice, Mr. Robert Lee immediately sensed trouble.

“Mr. Stone, what happened? Weren’t you already on the plane?”

“Don’t tell me the U.S. detained you?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll contact the embassy right away. They won’t dare touch you!”

Clutching my phone, panting heavily, I replied:

“Mr. Lee, my flight landed safely.”

“The problem is, I’m trapped here at JFK, and the project files are in danger—any second they could be destroyed!”

“What!?”

Mr. Lee’s furious outburst nearly rattled the phone in my hand.

“Mr. Stone, tell me you’re not joking!”

“You’re a national hero with presidential-level recognition. Who would dare hold you back?”

Dodging the charging fans, I answered breathlessly.

“Mr. Lee, would I ever joke about something like this?”

“There are hundreds of fans here trying to snatch my briefcase. I can’t hold them off!”

In the briefest words possible, I explained what had happened. On the other end, I could hear the sound of him slamming his cup in rage.

“Outrageous! Tell me—which celebrity’s fans are behind this?”

I was just about to answer when Jason Miller suddenly snatched the phone from my hand.

“Hey, so you’re this guy’s so-called backup, huh?”

“I’m Miss Emily’s personal assistant. Whatever you have to say, you can tell me instead.”

Mr. Lee seemed stunned that a mere celebrity assistant would dare speak to him this way.

“Was it you who incited the fans to attack Mr. Stone?”

Jason, oblivious to the disaster he had just created for himself, replied cockily:

“Damn right. He had it coming!”

“That’s what happens when you cross Miss Emily!”

Even through the phone, I could feel Mr. Lee’s fury.

“Well, well. You dare lay a hand on a top researcher? Impressive!”

“And your boss is a so-called triple Academy Award-winning actress, isn’t she?”

“I’ll make sure she never acts again for the rest of her life!”

Jason clearly hadn’t expected the official’s rage. He snapped back arrogantly:

“Old man, shouting over the phone means nothing. If you’ve got the guts, come down to the airport yourself!”