I was acting crazy in North America, and all the crazy people there took it seriously.

Chapter 211 Annie's Return and the Peach-Picking Adventure (Part 2)

After finally managing to package up that pervert Niven and send him to wreak havoc on the KKK, Logan felt that the air in Chicago had become much fresher.

He was eager to take action and completely dismantle that damned "Logan Cult" that made him so uncomfortable, to prevent future troubles.

But someone dissuaded him.

This person is Anne Sun's Page 3 Girl, aspiring movie star, and a minor shareholder of Victoria's Secret.

Anne just returned from France!
When Victoria's Secret was first established last year, Anne worked tirelessly, pouring all her passion and energy into it, and successfully managed to squeeze a tiny bit of shares out of a certain scoundrel.

It's really just a tiny bit, not even 1%!
However, even though it was only a tiny bit, her life path suddenly seemed much wider.

She is no longer just a model or actress, but has acquired the aura of a "shareholder," and if she's shameless enough, she can even call herself an "entrepreneur."

Upon hearing this, Victoria's Secret's partner in France proactively secured a spot for her to study at ESMOD Paris for a year.

Founded in 1841, ESMOD is the world's oldest and most prestigious fashion school, having cultivated a large number of world-class designers and pattern makers. It is known in the industry as the "cradle of fashion masters".

Anne now faces two choices:

One is to play the female lead in The Sun Group's first major production, as planned, officially entering the entertainment industry;
Another option was to temporarily set aside the Walk of Fame, travel to Paris, and undergo short-term training at ESMOD to personally experience the forefront of world fashion.

The former is her dream, but the entertainment industry is turbulent and unpredictable, and whether she can really become famous is still unknown;
While a year in Paris might not be enough for her to truly learn anything, given America's current status as a near-wilderness in the fashion industry, returning from ESMOD with a prestigious background would significantly enhance her identity and industry recognition. This would undoubtedly be more beneficial for her status as a Victoria's Secret shareholder and her future development.

This girl is incredibly shrewd. Instead of making her own decision, she used all her charm to "poke" Logan, pleading with him to help her analyze the pros and cons.

This is where the advantage of having a far-sighted "benefactor" to guide you becomes apparent.

Anne's vision was limited to a "two-choice" framework—acting or fashion. But in Logan's eyes, it wasn't an either-or choice at all:
Film is the upstream source of content and a dream factory, and the most direct window for showcasing art and fashion; the midstream resources are cinemas and performers, the downstream are fast-moving consumer goods such as clothing, hats, shoes and accessories, and the outer circle of film is art and design... They are not isolated from each other, but rather form a cultural industry ecosystem that can mutually drive traffic and enhance each other's value.

In short, both are beneficial to her development, and the best choice is to "have them all"!
Anne listened to his advice and thought Logan made a lot of sense.

However, this presents a practical problem: the original film shooting plan must make way for her study abroad and be postponed for at least a year.

What? You can change the female lead? I've worked so hard for you, and you bastard dare to go back on your word?

Yes, as everyone knows, Logan is a man of his word.

Therefore, the film project was postponed to make way for Annie's further studies.

Anne, representing the emerging American lingerie brand Victoria's Secret, traveled to Paris to begin her journey of exchange, further education, and networking at the forefront of the world's fashion industry.

A year has flown by, and Annie has made a glamorous comeback!

The Parisian fashion scene, the atmosphere of ESMOD, and her interactions with people in the European fashion world brought about a visible transformation in Anne.

The wine-selling girl who once carried a hint of inferiority from her rural background and relied on her beauty and luck to navigate the male-dominated world has vanished.

Standing before Logan was a stylish urban woman with exquisite makeup, impeccable attire, and an air of confidence and charm.

Her eyes were brighter and more determined, and her speech was more composed, as if she had truly found her own stage and confidence.

After a long separation, their passion ignited, and without any unnecessary pleasantries, the two naturally rolled around together.

After a thorough and enjoyable conversation, the subtle sense of unfamiliarity caused by the long separation was completely dispelled, and they began to chat casually.

Nestled in Logan's arms, Anne's biggest feeling was: "It's only been a little over a year since I left, but America feels so different now that I hardly recognize it anymore?"

At least when she left, she was "seen off" by the figure of the Statue of Liberty holding aloft her torch as she sailed out to sea; but when she returned, she could only see the lonely pair of metal legs standing on the pedestal. The shock of things being different and people not being the same was so strong that it made her heart tremble.

Even though she already knew about it from European newspapers.

"You didn't see it! The French, especially the artists, practically vilified the Americans! They called us 'barbaric nouveau riche' and 'executioners who defile art'!"

In the words of the French, the Statue of Liberty is not just a symbol of your America; she is a treasure of French art and a gift to the new world!
Now look what's happened! You've ruined it in such a stupid way! You bunch of crazy Americans are worse than dog shit!

Yes, the British think so too.

However, the reason they were angry was different from that of the French.

They weren't angry because the Statue of Liberty was destroyed; they were angry that the American lunatics weren't up to par—back then, we could easily burn your White House to the ground, and now you've even used airplanes, yet you haven't completely destroyed it? You're utterly useless!

Anne vividly recounted the various heart-wrenching complaints of the British men that she had heard from the tabloids and salons.

It's perfectly normal for the British to react this way, because at this moment, Britain is undoubtedly the country with the worst relationship with the United States in Europe, without exception.

Relations between the two countries have plummeted since President Coolidge accused London of being the "mastermind" and deployed the navy to blockade the Bahamas.

Although the British government outwardly adopted a "laissez-faire" strategy and did not send its main fleet to confront the American Navy head-on, the verbal battles never stopped. Various diplomatic notes and media attacks described the Americans as "mad dogs that have lost their minds."

After the U.S. Navy completed its blockade and deterrence, it pulled a trick and "repatriated" the troublesome "black rebels" in the country—well, officially described as "illegal immigrant armed groups from British colonies"—to the Bahamas.

The Wakanda warriors, blessed with divine revelation, swept away the British colonial rule on the island as easily as cutting vegetables.

The U.S. Navy has now swiftly withdrawn, but actual control of the Bahamas has fallen into Wakanda's hands.

The question of who owns this former Union Jack colony is now a murky affair. British public opinion naturally condemns the United States for its "shameless occupation" of the British colony, while the American government innocently claims that those people were originally British, and that they were merely "repatriating" them, not occupying them.

If you're not satisfied, you can send troops to reclaim the lost territory right now. Our navy guarantees not to stop you and will remain absolutely neutral!
But the British Labour Party has taken the "lying flat" philosophy to the extreme.

When the United States first began to accuse others of having a mastermind behind the civil war, London calmly stated, "Nothing has happened; we just need to wait for America to collapse on its own."
When the United States sent the Navy to blockade the mastermind, London was slightly surprised, but said, "Something may happen, but we should not take action to escalate the conflict."
When the United States began "deporting illegal immigrants," London was furious. After looking at the national treasury, it boldly declared, "Perhaps we should take action, but there's nothing we can do now."
When the "black rebels" finally occupied the entire Bahamas, London calmed down again, shrugging and saying, "Maybe we could have done something back then, but it's too late now."

Emphasizing a standard lying-flat posture.

However, based on Anne's observations in Europe, surprisingly, there wasn't much ridicule from European countries regarding Britain's "lying down and accepting ridicule" attitude.

Because if you only look at European media, anyone would believe that America is experiencing unprecedented internal division, racial war, religious collapse, terrorist attacks... This country is about to collapse, about to collapse, possibly even tomorrow...

So it's pointless to compete with a giant who's about to die. Wouldn't it be better to wait until he's completely fallen before dividing up his inheritance?
Let alone Europeans, even Anne herself, when seeing reports about America through the media in Europe—from gangsters fighting the US military to rebels fighting the US military to various abstract operations of "gods and demons dancing wildly, madmen destroying the world"—often felt a sense of disorientation:

"Is this really the America where I was born and raised? How come it has turned into this monstrosity in just one year? Is this country doomed?!"

When she finally embarked on her journey back to China and returned to Chicago, she found that the actual situation was not as terrible as the European media had portrayed. Society was still functioning, and people were still living their lives, but... it was by no means normal.

An invisible anxiety, a vacuum of faith, and a confusion of values ​​permeated the air, and all sorts of bizarre "cults" and organizations sprang up like mushrooms after rain.

Putting everything else aside, this guy in front of me has inexplicably become some kind of "Son of God" or "God's Son"? And he even started a "Logan Cult"?
What is this?

Speaking of this, Logan sighed deeply, saying with a sense of sorrow, "Indeed! This year, America has been beset by some evil spirit, becoming increasingly dilapidated and teetering on the brink of collapse. It's all thanks to us, the backbone of this nation, that we've been struggling to hold it together, patching it up!"

For the sake of this country, he not only devoted himself wholeheartedly, but his personal safety was also greatly threatened. Isn't that terrible?
When Annie heard the origin of the "Logan Cult"—that a man lusted after her body and therefore founded a cult to "cultivate" her—she was stunned for a few seconds, then laughed so hard she rolled around on the bed.

"Hahaha... Oh, I can't take it anymore... I can't believe... I can't believe such a thing exists! Hahaha... 'Young God Development'? 'Faith Infusion'?"

She laughed so hard tears almost came out; she thought it was the most interesting thing she had heard all year!
Logan said bitterly, "I'll find a way to disband this cult tomorrow! It's too dangerous to be harassed by so many people, especially by that pervert! In this world, men must protect themselves!"

Upon hearing that Logan wanted to disband the "Logan Cult," Annie suddenly stopped laughing. Her eyes darted around, and she grabbed Logan's arm. "No! Why disband it? What a waste!"

She sat up and analyzed seriously, "Think about it another way. If you remove all that mystical religious veneer, what is the 'Logan Cult' essentially? It's just an extremely fanatical idol fan group centered around you! Don't you think that's a perfect fit for our Victoria's Secret business?"

Anne immediately put what she learned into practice.

Her level of interest in Victoria's Secret is different from Logan's.

For Logan, Victoria's Secret was more of a spur-of-the-moment thing, a product of his desire to make something happen. He had been too busy with other things in the past year and didn't put much energy into Victoria's Secret, which resulted in the brand's lukewarm reception and its steady, unremarkable development.

Unlike Logan, who was a "hands-off" manager, Anne saw Victoria's Secret as a key opportunity to change her own destiny and achieve upward social mobility, and she was always thinking about how to manage it well and make it bigger and stronger.

At that moment, she immediately connected the "Logan Cult," which Logan considered a problem, with the development of Victoria's Secret.

Her eyes lit up when she learned from Logan that more than half of the followers of the "Logan Cult" were women, and she felt even more strongly that the cult could not be disbanded.

"Isn't it just because you're afraid people will lust after you?" Annie patted her chest, adopting a "leave it to me" attitude. "Leave this to me! I'll be the... saintess of this cult!"

“I will guide and manage these believers, turning their ‘desire’ for your body into real financial support for your business! I will encourage them to buy Victoria’s Secret products, support The Sun, and support your movies in the future for the glory of the ‘Son of God’! Isn’t that better than simply disbanding?”

She became more and more excited as she spoke, even with a hint of mischief and provocation, and leaned close to Logan's ear, her breath sweet as orchids:
"And that's not all the benefits. I can also help you assemble a 'Saintess Corps'—it must be composed of the most lustful, no, the most devout believers, to receive the divine grace of the Son of God!"

Ah this...

Logan's eyes darted around involuntarily, as if... it wasn't entirely out of the question?

Anne, ever perceptive, immediately noticed and was instantly furious. She pinched his arm angrily: "Hmph! What a scoundrel! You're all smitten just because you heard 'The Holy Maiden Group,' aren't you?!"

"Ahem!" Logan immediately straightened up and began to argue righteously, or rather, defend himself, "What nonsense are you talking about! I am absolutely not interested in any 'Holy Maiden Group'!"

"I was thinking, if that pervert Niven knew that the sect he worked so hard to build had been so easily taken away by you and its doctrines altered, wouldn't he be furious to death? It's precisely because I can see this that I'm going to support you!"

"However, you, the Holy Maiden, should be careful from now on."

Annie: "..."

To everyone's surprise, the "love rival" she needed to be wary of after her return, who was lusting after Logan, wasn't some seductive vixen at all, but actually a man!

However, Anne was never one to back down from trouble.

She rose from a lowly bar girl to her current position thanks to her indomitable spirit and ruthless determination to seize any opportunity.

Anne raised her chin, her eyes blazing with fighting spirit. "Bring it on! What's there to be afraid of? I'm going to take this peach! I'm going to be the saintess of the 'Logan Cult'!"

Then, looking at Logan's smug "I'm rooting for you" expression, he grew angrier and angrier. He flipped over, pinning Logan beneath him and looking down at him.
"You give me such a big 'surprise' as soon as you get back, humph! This holy maiden is going to ruthlessly suppress you now!"

Logan obediently raised his hands, smiling and begging for mercy:

"Please, Holy Maiden, spare my life! Ah, no... please don't steal my peaches (in a seductive tone)!"

……

(End of this chapter)