CHAPTER 175: CHAPTER 175: THE PATH TAKEN

The whole audience was silent at that moment.

On stage, Poppy Hale adjusted the microphone in her hand.

On the big screen behind her, videos of all the public drawing processes she had undertaken since her debut appeared.

"It’s been ten years since I first became Finn Young."

"At first, I just shared my drawings online, then gradually developed my own style, and I gained my fans."

"Over these ten years, I haven’t stopped creating, and the industry even calls me a workhorse."

In the audience, those familiar with Finn Young couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Poppy Hale also smiled gently.

"I love painting, and I’m thankful for everyone who accompanied me along the way. In the past, when I shared my life online and mentioned my dad was sick, some fans privately messaged me to ask if I needed medical assistance."

"It’s love that lifted me, and I don’t want that love to be exploited, to become a dagger against me."

The woman in the audience had already been controlled.

The video behind Poppy Hale was enough to prove that she was Finn Young herself.

Nobody expected that Finn Young would preserve all the drawing traces!

Almost all of the images she sent out could be traced back to the source files, and all layers could prove they were drawn by her own hand, with no plagiarism, referencing, or color-picking involved.

Occasionally, Poppy Hale also showed her face in those videos.

Declan Hawthorne was also watching the video.

In the early videos, the art style was immature, and there was still baby fat on her side profile.

The most distinctive feature was the hands appearing in the shots.

Initially, the hands were a bit chubby, then gradually became more slender and delicate.

When Poppy Hale started becoming Finn Young, Declan Hawthorne didn’t know her yet.

He had never seriously watched her growth like this before.

Poppy Hale tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Originally, I felt a bit uneasy about sharing this video. After all, to me, the initial drawings are simply embarrassing history."

"Maybe now, I have my family, I have my child, and I find growth to be a fascinating trace."

"This isn’t embarrassing history; it’s a decade of my life, the path Finn Young took to get here, and a time that you all witnessed together."

In the comment section, there were originally not a few bots pretending to be Finn Young’s fans bandwagoning.

After Poppy Hale released the video, those bots went offline.

Finn Young’s fans were also very touched.

[I’ve saved a lot of these pictures; it seems Finn Young is not only gifted but also a super hard-working person!]

[When I first followed Finn Young, I was still in junior high; now I’m a college graduate, time flies so fast.]

[We will always support you!]

[Did Finn Young name Finn Young because half of Poppy Hale’s name is Finn?]

Poppy Hale originally chose this name because half of her name was indeed Finn.

She just casually picked a nickname, not expecting it to accompany her for ten years.

Poppy Hale took a deep breath.

"Those who know me, know I don’t like appearing in public, but this time, it’s an unwarranted disaster, both for me and the Hawthorne Group."

"I did work for the Hawthorne Group, but I left a long time ago; during my tenure, I participated in game projects, and I still vividly remember those paintings that were plagiarized from me."

"This game does not have any plagiarism; the male lead’s audio part was chosen after my colleagues and I compared hundreds of audio clips overnight."

"Moreover, the Hawthorne Group invited me to draw for the game, and they paid me the fee, so no need to worry."

After speaking, Poppy Hale nodded at the media and returned to her seat.

The release of the game was the important task today.

She appeared only for the sake of asserting her rights.

For herself, for Finn Young, and for the Hawthorne Group.

For her past days and nights of effort, and the hard work she had put in.

Also for him.

Once Finn Young appeared, the situation on the scene completely turned around.

Declan Hawthorne picked up the microphone, naturally twisted open the bottled water on the table, and placed it in front of Poppy Hale.

He didn’t glance at her throughout, as if it were just an effortless act.

"Besides asserting rights, what’s next is the main content of the game we’re releasing this time."

The introduction of the game didn’t originally require Declan Hawthorne to present it personally.

The gameplay and storyline, the art style, and the voice acting introductions were all personally handled by him.

All because Poppy Hale was still sitting on stage.

The Hawthorne Group’s game launch was more successful than initially expected.

After the launch, the number of game downloads exceeded a million.

The Hawthorne Group’s stock prices also rose subsequently.

Hugo Hawthorne looked at the stock, holding the phone as he went downstairs, chuckling, "Declan’s game is so promising?"

Jackie Barrett was wiping away tears.

Hugo Hawthorne, surprised, went forward and touched Jackie Barrett’s forehead.

"Are you feeling unwell? Why are you crying? If you’re not well, go to the hospital, or should we call in a doctor?"

His eyes were filled with concern.

Jackie Barrett rolled her eyes at him.

"I was just watching Declan’s livestream. At first, so many people were slandering Poppy, which made me furious, but then Poppy really went."

"It’s good she went. As Declan’s wife, what’s wrong with her going to the release event?"

Jackie Barrett also didn’t know what was wrong with herself.

Perhaps, it’s with age, her eyes water more easily.

She watched the video Poppy Hale shared and felt like she saw a girl’s decade of growing up, which made her a bit sad.

Hugo Hawthorne put on a stern face.

"You are really making something out of nothing. What’s there to cry about?"

He walked away with his phone.

After a while, he returned, patiently saying, "Stop crying. Your body hasn’t fully recovered yet. Crying, crying all the time, you’re crying away all the blessings. From now on, we will treat Poppy and Florence well, make it up to them."

"You’re right."

-

In the evening, at the Hawthorne Group’s banquet.

The press conference was held smoothly, and the rights statement received many player shares.

To reward the hardworking employees over the days, the Hawthorne Group organized a reward party.

At the banquet, Amber Yates and Janine surrounded Poppy Hale one on each side.

Amber Yates: "You’re not loyal."

Janine: "I actually got to know a master, only to find out now that you’re not honest."

Poppy Hale helplessly said, "It’s not that big of a deal, and besides, you’re not in the illustration circle; even if I have millions of fans, it doesn’t matter."

Amber Yates nodded.

"That’s true, but today you were just stunningly beautiful!"

When Poppy Hale appeared, everyone was amazed.

Those employees at the Hawthorne Group watching the livestream also stared at Poppy Hale with wide eyes.

Amber Yates looked very pleased with herself.

"You didn’t know that some people in the department used to speak ill of you in a yin-yang way in front of Janine and me; we ignored them."

"Today was just satisfying! Even my toes feel relaxed!"

Seeing Amber Yates’s proud expression, Poppy Hale and Janine couldn’t hold back and laughed after exchanging glances.

Poppy Hale reached out and hugged them from both sides.

"Thank you both."

She had encountered fans who really loved Finn Young.

But what they loved was Finn Young.

Janine and Amber Yates were among her few good friends who sincerely considered her and could go into battle for her.

What they cared about was Poppy Hale.

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