Superstars of Tomorrow

Nanfeng answered the door.

When he realized that the visitor was the genius painter who was enjoying his moment of fame at the academy, Nanfeng was delighted, his previous concerns about Will cast aside. He wore an enthusiastic smile, a contrast to Will’s pale and serious expression, which Will had maintained since coming out of hiding.

This is a master who produced a painting worth 30 million dollars, after all! You can’t judge him like a normal person.

"Hello, Master Will!"

After inviting Will in, what Nanfeng wanted to do was ask him about his painting, but he knew his place as an assistant and he was aware that Will was a quiet fellow, so he held back.

After entering Fang Zhao’s dorm room, Will scanned his surroundings. He was quite disappointed when he didn’t spot Curly Hair, and he frowned.

But Nanfeng was already used to Will’s constantly disgruntled look. After pouring the guest a cup of tea, he snuck away to the kitchen to prepare his boss’s dinner. He had to put on a good showing. In a few days, Fang Zhao would be bringing him along to film festivals. That meant walking the red carpet.

Fang Zhao was quite taken aback by Will’s sudden visit. He knew about the portrait. Will had mentioned it to him and he had signed off on it. Fang Zhao had also learned from Nanfeng that the painting had been posted on HuangArt’s website and was fetching prices of up to 30 million.

Fang Zhao hadn’t been following the news online. He had papers to write and other assignments to attend to. He was scheduled to attend a few film festivals soon, so he had to clear his desk before then. It would be easier to ask for time off that way. He had already turned down all interviews about the Hull virus so that the spotlight would be on the research and medical personnel. He just made for a nice prelude. There was no need to blow his story out of proportion.

After Fang Zhao sat down on his sofa, a yawning Curly Hair also emerged from his room and lay down by his owner’s feet. He didn’t give Will so much as a glance, because he didn’t need to. He could tell who the visitor was by smell and figure out what that visitor had brought with him.

Meanwhile, Will’s gaze lingered on Curly Hair for quite some time before he told Fang Zhao the purpose of his visit.

"You want to borrow my dog?" It was the first time Fang Zhao had run into a situation like this. He had never considered Will an animal lover. Even though Will’s gaze lingered on Curly Hair constantly, Fang Zhao never detected any envy in him, nor the affection toward animals seen in animal lovers. The gaze was more a gaze of curiosity and novelty. That was why Fang Zhao froze when he heard Will’s request.

Curly Hair snorted a few times.

Will wore a serious expression on his face, his whole presence oozing a sense of determination that said he wasn’t kidding.

"I want to paint a dog—your dog, to be specific—but I can’t. I’m thinking close contact will stimulate and inspire me. That’s why I want to borrow the dog."

"If it’s more contact you want, I can send Curly Hair over to your room more frequently. We’re neighbors, after all," Fang Zhao said.

"No," Will said with a shake of his head. "What I mean is close contact, up-close observation."

Nanfeng, who was chopping veggies in the kitchen and eavesdropping at the same time, couldn’t help sending a glare Will’s way.

Will continued, "He’s so difficult to paint. That’s why I want to take some time to observe the real him. If I can walk the dog regularly, that would be even better. I hear that exercise helps a dog express its personality. Oh, I almost forgot, what are his hobbies?"

Fang Zhao: "..."

He couldn’t tell Will that this dog was addicted to gaming.

"What’s his personality like?" Will asked.

Fang Zhao: "..."

Fang Zhao felt it was better to keep Will in the dark.

Yet Will kept pressing on earnestly. On the rare occasion that he talked, Will looked like he was having a scholarly debate. He even took out a pen and a notebook to jot down Fang Zhao’s responses. Perhaps the answers would be the key to Will finding his inspiration.

But Fang Zhao’s silence led to a look of utter disappointment on Will’s face. So it turns out that Fang Zhao doesn’t even know the answer to these questions.

An awkward silence settled in.

At a loss as to what to say, Will opened his notebook and said, "You don’t have to worry about the dog not being well cared for. My family will be sending over help. I am bringing in experts to look after him. They’re arriving tonight. Also, these are some notes I have taken."

Fang Zhao accepted the notebook Will handed over and leafed through its pages. He could tell from the notes that Will had done his homework. He wasn’t all talk, even though nearly none of his notes applied to Curly Hair.

"As for dog food, I’ll only buy the best. I’ve started looking at kennels too. I’ll buy whatever he likes right away!" To show his sincerity, Will even offered to sign a dog-loan contract.

Fang Zhao returned the notebook and pondered. "Let me think it over."

Fang Zhao’s response got Will panicking. He was about to mouth on when Fang Zhao raised his hand to stop him.

"I’ll have a decision by tomorrow at 9 a.m."

Will could only back down. When he got up to leave, he kept looking back at Curly Hair.

Nanfeng emerged from the kitchen after Will left.

"Boss, you have to think carefully before you decide!" Nanfeng didn’t want Fang Zhao to loan out his dog.

What’s the big deal about a 30-million-dollar painting? My boss’s dog is worth 200 million! You can’t just loan him out like that!

A pet dog like Curly Hair is weak and defenseless. Will can barely take care of himself; how can he take care of a dog?

What if Curly Hair dies under his watch?

Setting aside the prospect of illness or death, what if Curly Hair suffers from psychological trauma or some type of invisible damage? There’ll be no going back.

This is the only 200-million-dollar pet dog in the world.

"Plus, Will doesn’t come across as a reliable fellow. I think he must be psycho beneath his cool, cold exterior."

Fang Zhao waved Nanfeng away. "I have my own considerations."

Taking note of Fang Zhao’s reluctance to discuss the matter further, Nanfeng shut up. The first key to being a trusted aide was to listen to his boss. He had to go where his boss pointed and do what his boss said. Even if his boss made the wrong decision, he would have to follow suit.

At around dusk, the servant and nutritionist that Will had mentioned arrived. Apart from them, there were also two bodyguards. They didn’t move into Will’s dorm, staying at HuangArt’s guest house instead. They were close by and could rush over on short notice.

Inside Will’s dorm room, Will was curious about the suitcase the nutritionist carried.

"What’s in the suitcase?"

"Rabies shots," the nutritionist responded.

"For the dog?"

"No, for you, in case you’re bitten by the dog."

Will fell silent. He recalled how terrified he’d been as a child when he had been bitten.

But soon, his desire to produce great art nipped his fear in the bud. Before art, everything else was secondary. Not to mention that Curly Hair always seemed well behaved in Fang Zhao’s room. He never bit. He wouldn’t have any use for the rabies shots.

Next door, after his room had been cleared of outsiders, Fang Zhao locked his door and windows to have a chat with Curly Hair.

Given Curly Hair’s current level of comprehension, he could understand and follow what Will had said and what was going on next door.

"Even though Will doesn’t seem reliable, he’s a good man. He doesn’t have any bad intentions."

Curly Hair began whining on the floor, a picture of reluctance.

Fang Zhao continued, "I can add a small hole to my door. You can hang out in Will’s room during the day and eat there, then come back in the evening to sleep."

Curly Hair kept whining, although at a lower volume.

"Also, I have to head out of town in a few days for film festivals. You know about this. Do you want to come with me or stay here?"

Curly Hair stopped whining and started wagging his tail as if he was pondering the question.

If Fang Zhao’s travels were to seek inspiration for his music, Curly Hair would definitely tag along. But film festivals were super crowded. He didn’t like the hustle and bustle. People were so casual these days. He might get fondled all the time—and he wouldn’t be able to bite back.

After a rudimentary exchange, Fang Zhao was able to figure out Curly Hair’s intentions. I don’t wanna go. I wanna stay home and play games!

"Don’t game all day." The stern reprimand sent Curly Hair cowering again.

After weighing the pros and cons, Fang Zhao made a decision.

Will showed up the next morning, dark circles around his eyes from a sleepless night of worrying.

"You can borrow the dog," Fang Zhao said.

The comment jolted Will. His eyes lit up. "Thank you!"

"Don’t thank me yet. I have my conditions."

Fang Zhao outlined his conditions. He would add a dog hole to his door. Curly Hair would spend the day in Will’s room and return to Fang Zhao’s room in the evening.

"I’ll be heading out of town in a few days. We can go by this contract on those days." If Will did a good job, he would have more access to the dog. If Curly Hair fell sick, then having more access would be out of the question.

"Rest assured! I won’t let him starve. I’m gonna go buy dog food now. What brand does he prefer? Is there anything else I need to prepare?"

Will took out his notebook and started taking notes. He also gave Curly Hair a quick pat on the back, using the stroke he had practiced on his model dog for more than 10 hours.

Will quickly withdrew his hand when he noticed Curly Hair baring his white teeth. In a cautious tone, he asked Fang Zhao, "Is he trying to bite me?"

"No, he’s just being friendly."

Will: "R-really?"

Childhood trauma cast a lasting shadow.

To move things along, Will went for a walk with Curly Hair right after he signed the loan agreement with Fang Zhao.

Two bodyguards hired by Will Senior trailed not far behind. This was a 200-million-dollar dog, after all. Even if the HuangArt campus was quite secure, they had to play it safe. Will and his father would have to make a major payout if the dog was kidnapped. The bodyguards were also there to protect Will from being bitten.

People who knew Will well were blown away by the scene.

How could Will possibly have a dog? Has he forgotten that terrible incident from his childhood?

How could someone so prone to being bitten by dogs have a dog?

What if the dog bites off one of his fingers or damages the muscles in one of his arms? His career would be ruined!

Who cares about inspiration?

Is he willing to put his life on the line for art?

The skeptics baffled Will. All I did was borrow a dog so I can find inspiration for my work. Why is everyone responding like it’s the end of the world?

"This dog is a good boy. Really, it’s not aggressive! It doesn’t bite!" Will explained repeatedly.