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All the spotlights instantly focused on the stage entrance.
Standing there was a woman in a white bodysuit, wearing an expression that screamed, "I want to kill everyone."
Jessica Jones.
She was going crazy.
"fuck... fuck... fuck..." Standing on stage, she mentally cursed Anthony's ancestors eighteen generations back.
She was wearing the stupidest outfit she had ever seen in her life.
The pearlescent white bodysuit was so tight it made it hard to breathe.
That damn Memory Fiber highlighted all her curves, making her feel as if she had been stripped naked.
"fuck..." She looked at the thousands of eyes below the stage, and her legs felt a little weak.
"Go on, Queen," Ashley encouraged her in a low voice from behind.
"Smile! Remember your training! Show eight teeth!"
"Get lost."
Jessica cursed, but she still braced herself and walked out.
The moment she stepped into the spotlight, the entire theater erupted in an uproar again.
What did they see?
A woman they had never seen before.
She was tall, at least 1.7 meters, and the white battle suit made her look like an Ancient Greek Goddess of War.
She wasn't frail like those red-carpet actresses; she exuded a sense of power.
Crucially, her face was pale and delicate, yet carried an indifference that warned others to keep their distance.
This sense of 'brokenness' combined with her divine battle suit created a fatally adorable contrast!
"Wow..." A top Hollywood director below the stage murmured, "That face... that aura..."
"Bang!"
A reporter was the first to react and pressed the shutter!
Immediately, a storm of flashbulbs drowned out everything once more!
"Who is she?!"
"Queen Jones?! That name! It's so cool!"
"Oh my god... she... she's so hot!"
Jessica Jones had never been stared at by so many people simultaneously in her life.
Growing up, people looked at her with fear, disgust, or as a "freak."
But here... she heard cheers, screams, and admiration.
Her heart, numbed by alcohol, suddenly... began beating a little fast.
"This feeling..." She subconsciously straightened her back.
"Damn... maybe... maybe it's not so fucking bad?"
Anthony smiled and stepped forward, naturally placing his arm around Jessica's waist under the gaze of the entire World.
Jessica's body instantly stiffened!
"Take your..." She was about to curse him.
But Anthony whispered in her ear, his voice low enough only for the two of them to hear: "Smile, darling. You are the face of The Seven right now. If you dare mess this up... tomorrow I'll make you wear this outfit and hand out flyers in Times Square."
"...You blond bastard!"
Jessica gritted her teeth, but she forced out a smile that looked worse than crying.
But through the camera lens, this was "the Queen's shyness"!
This photo of "Homelander embracing the Mysterious Queen" spread across social media within one second!
And right at this moment, a heavenly sound rang out in Anthony's mind!
"Ding—!"
"Congratulations, Host! Successfully created the Popularity Group 'The Seven' (Members 2/7)!"
"New function unlocked: Popularity Group Module!"
"Module Description: As the team leader, you will be deeply linked to the Popularity Value of all group members."
"Rules:
Popularity Sharing (Uplink): Positive Popularity Value gained by other official members of the group will be automatically converted into the Host's Popularity Value at a rate of 50%.
Risk Sharing (Downlink): If a group member generates negative Popularity Value, 30% of it will be deducted from the Host's Popularity Value."
Anthony's breathing paused for half a second.
"The benefits outweigh the risks; the advantage is mine!"
This meant he didn't need to do everything himself; he just needed to create idols! And let the idols harvest popularity for him!
"Popularity Group Module activated... 50% conversion in progress..."
"Ding! Host gains Popularity Value +15,250! (From Queen Jones)"
"Ding! Host gains Popularity Value +17,501! (From Queen Jones)"
"…"
"Excellent! It works!" Anthony watched the numbers on the panel surge, tightening his arm around Jessica.
"Alright! I know everyone has a lot of questions!" Ashley stepped forward at the opportune moment, pushing the atmosphere to a climax. "Now, it's time for media questions!"
A female reporter from E! News was the first to grab the microphone, her voice trembling:
"Oh my god! Homelander! Queen Jones! This is truly stunning!"
"May I ask you two... are you... are you..." She took a deep breath and asked the most explosive question, "Are you... dating?! Are you a Super Couple?!"
"Pfft—!"
Tony Stark, sitting below the stage, nearly spat out the champagne he had just sipped.
"What?!" Jessica Jones, the woman who could flip a truck with her bare hands, instantly turned bright red like a cooked shrimp the moment she heard the question!
"I... I... We..."
"This... this..."
She had never dated in her life! Her life consisted only of whiskey, fighting, and motherfucker! The word "dating" was more foreign to her than the Chitauri!
She panicked slightly, becoming incoherent, and a maiden-like fluster showed in her eyes.
All the cameras in the venue were focused on her blushing face!
"Oh my god! She's blushing!!"
"So cute! The Queen is shy!"
"Ding! Gains Popularity Value +1,123! (From Queen Jones)"
"Ding! Gains Popularity Value +2,588! (From Queen Jones)"
"…"
Anthony was ecstatic inside. "Keep it up, baby! Keep blushing! Don't stop!"
He knew it was time for him, the Movie King, to make his entrance.
He turned around, looking at the flustered Jessica beside him with a gentle, doting gaze.
He didn't answer the question.
He simply raised his hand and gently used his finger to adjust the curls in Jessica's hair that had been carefully styled by the stylist.
Then, holding the microphone, he chuckled softly at Jessica:
"See, I told you."
"They all think we make a great couple."
"CLICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
At that moment, the entire theater was flooded as if a flashbang had been thrown!
Screams!
Whistles!
Catcalls!
This was more lethal than admitting to a relationship!
Ambiguity! Tension! That was the definition of top-tier fucking hype!
"Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!!!"
"I ship it! I ship it!!"
"Official announcement?! Is this an official announcement?!"
Jessica's brain had crashed; she could only let Anthony's fingers brush through her hair. She felt her cheeks were hot enough to fry an egg.
"You... you..." She wanted to curse him, but her voice was as quiet as a mosquito.