The Trending Topic Herself: The Villainess is the Superstar!

Chapter 264: There Isn’t Only One Return Stone

The director furrowed his brow: "Did you hear any other news? For example, did the person who arranged for the villagers to deliver supplies leave any messages?"

The staff member shook his head: "According to the villagers, it was just a few people in suits discussing a deal, speaking vaguely. After delivering the supplies, they mentioned there would be a generous reward."

"Nothing else mentioned?"

"Nothing mentioned."

The director finally nodded, telling the staff, "Alright, I got it. You guys keep busy."

"What do you think about this matter?" Consulting with the tour guide had become routine; he knew he could always get unexpected insights from the guide.

"The person so concerned about Maya Monroe, it’s either a fan or her family, right?"

"How can you be so sure it’s for Maya Monroe?"

The guide shrugged: "I just watched the replay of the live stream. Did you notice those supplies? All the toiletries are for women, and other items clearly intended for females, Miles Wallace is probably just incidental."

The director recollected carefully: "That seems to be the case..."

"The other party didn’t reveal any identity information and was thorough in their actions, making it hard to investigate. Considering the difficult environment Maya Monroe’s group is in, I suggest we turn a blind eye to it," the guide continued.

The director paused: "There are many speculations online, some of which are quite unpleasant..."

The guide chuckled indifferently: "Let them comment, increasing topic discussions won’t hurt our show."

Suddenly remembering something, the director slapped his thigh: "I suddenly remembered something!"

He leaned in slightly towards the guide: "I forgot if I told you about this. Before the show aired, Maya Monroe’s spot was squeezed out, and guess who helped her get it back?"

"Who was it?" The guide seemed entirely uninterested.

"It was Mr. Rowe!" The director became excited: "Mr. Rowe from Valerius Group! Surely you’ve heard of him?"

The guide didn’t seem surprised at all, leaving the director with a slight feeling of defeat, though it lasted only a moment.

"Do you think this matter might be related to him..." He hadn’t even finished his thought before dismissing it himself: "No, how could that be possible?"

The director furrowed his brow: "Why would I think of him, that’s impossible..."

"But there’s one thing I’m still puzzled about, why did Ian Rowe help Maya Monroe back then..."

*

With the bullet comments rolling on the screen, more and more speculations appeared, some of which were somewhat outrageous.

Ian Rowe averted his gaze: "Vincent Summers."

"Here, here."

Hearing the call, Vincent Summers quickly walked over with a smile on his face.

"What’s up, Mr. Rowe?"

Ian Rowe gestured for him to look at the screen.

Vincent Summers looked puzzled, adjusting his round glasses slightly before looking at the big screen.

Maya Monroe’s live stream was booming, with comments flooding in continuously. The content almost invariably revolved around speculating about the supplies, with increasingly exaggerated theories.

Supplies...?

Vincent Summers inexplicably felt a bit guilty.

"Didn’t I tell you to handle it more discreetly?"

His eyes were dark and clear, like a tranquil lake.

Vincent Summers’ gaze wandered awkwardly: "Well... I’ve never done this kind of winning-a-girl’s-favor thing, so inevitably, I’m a bit clumsy..."

After speaking, he rubbed his forehead, admitting the internet users’ sharp eyesight could magnify anything, nothing could be hidden from them.

Vincent Summers had already guessed where the problem lay, but indeed, this matter wasn’t easy to handle. Delivering supplies to Maya Monroe needed to be the best; he couldn’t let her continue eating dry bread, which left room for criticism.

Ian Rowe had no intention of blaming him: "Arrange for someone to control the online narrative."

His gaze landed on a "patronizing" speculation and he frowned disgustedly: "Such disgusting comments should not appear again."

Vincent Summers nodded obediently; he had indeed brought some trouble to Maya Monroe.

Previously, he couldn’t have imagined the internet users’ creativity would be this wild, and the baseless content marketing accounts spun just for traffic was outrageous.

*

Returning with potatoes from Old Man Miller’s house, it was already nearing dusk. Besides dinner, there was also a stone as a harvest.

A triangular stone, with an uneven surface, feeling rough to the touch.

Maya Monroe played with this stone in her hand, humming a tune.

Miles Wallace subconsciously slowed his steps, listening attentively to her voice.

Due to the low volume, he couldn’t hear clearly. The tune seemed unfamiliar, prompting him to ask: "Senior, what song are you singing?"

Maya Monroe threw out a name: "Flowers and Grass."

"Flowers and Grass" was a popular song of the time, and as the lead singer of a boy band, Miles Wallace was naturally familiar with it.

"...So that’s the song."

Maya Monroe didn’t miss the expression on his face, nor did she mind; she joked about herself: "I sing off-key, very off-key."

"Not at all." Miles Wallace eagerly defended: "I, I think it sounds great..."

He wasn’t lying; although he couldn’t hear Maya Monroe’s humming lyrics clearly, her voice was undeniably charming.

"Really?" Maya Monroe nodded earnestly, confidently remarking: "Since you think it sounds good, I must be singing well."

"You know..." Maya Monroe weighed the stone in her hand: "Is the tradition of Stonewell just to give stones?"

"Probably... Since we arrived here, we’ve been given quite a few stones. But unfortunately, none are return stones."

"Not necessarily." Maya Monroe squinted slightly: "These stones should have a use, and the return stone might be related to them."

Under the night’s illumination, the rough stone was cloaked in moonlight, seeming to faintly shimmer with phosphorescence.

Miles Wallace was also unconsciously attracted to the stone, but it didn’t last long as he realized nothing could compare to her earnest and serene face.

He was momentarily lost in thought, only snapping back to reality to consider her words: "Related?"

"Hey, you think..."

Maya Monroe tossed the flashlight in her hand into the air, allowing it to spin before catching it easily.

"Is there a possibility that the return stone isn’t just a... or there’s a prerequisite to obtaining a return stone?"

"You mean..."

"The guide never mentioned a specific number..." She paused: "The rules are very misleading."

Maya Monroe looked towards the cameraman beside her: "Do you think my analysis is correct?"

"I... I..." The cameraman looked flustered: "Ms. Monroe, don’t make things difficult for me."