How popular was Athena now?

To say the least, in any place with internet access, if you randomly picked ten people, eight of them would know who Athena was.

A zero-scandal, powerful, national idol—this wasn’t just hype.

Lion had some understanding of this, because before meeting Fenix, he occasionally paid attention to Athena's news. However, before coming to Marina City, Lion hadn’t made a special trip to meet Athena, not because he couldn’t arrange a meeting, but because his condition at the time was unstable.

Athena's singing was the only thing keeping him grounded. If anything unexpected happened during a face-to-face encounter, it could have been disastrous for Athena.

Besides buying Athena’s albums, Lion would sometimes discreetly help Athena when she encountered trouble. After all, to maintain her popularity and continue releasing new songs, an idol needs constant support. Lion understood this.

Other than these instances, Lion and Athena had virtually no interaction. The only formal meeting between them happened after Lion met Fenix, when he was particularly calm and wanted to confirm his condition.

Thus, Lion had a good grasp of Athena's popularity.

With her beautiful appearance, ethereal voice, and a mysterious awakened form that seemed to belong to legends, Athena herself was practically a modern-day legend. Moreover, Athena's professional skills were genuinely commendable.

It was normal for young people full of vitality to adore Athena.

Lion thought rationally, yet he felt a bit uneasy.

Seeing Fenix scratching his head in distress, Lion felt even less comfortable.

"Is it difficult to choose?" he asked.

Fenix nodded, troubled, "Yeah, I can’t just pick anything randomly."

The mid-range merchandise had already been bought by his roommates when they first came out. The remaining items either weren’t suitable for storage in the dormitory or were priced so high that they were beyond reach.

How seriously did those three roommates take their fandom? For example, in their messy dormitory filled with the scent of carefree young men, there was a corner that was always spotlessly clean.

—That was the public living area outside the bedrooms, where they kept Athena’s merchandise.

Facing the sun, clean, and spacious, there were even three air purifiers beside it.

Looking at the outrageously priced merchandise, Fenix felt his scalp tingle. Although he could afford it now, sending such expensive gifts was unnecessary.

Headache.

At this moment, Lion suddenly said, "I have Athena's signed album."

Fenix was startled, moving his gaze from the shopping interface to Lion.

Lion added, "Her first single's original album."

Fenix widened his eyes.

Wow!

Boss, you've got it!

Athena’s debut single’s original album is now priceless! The three roommates chasing the mermaid don’t even have one.

Due to the unique nature of Fenix’s information sources, he dared say that no one knew more about Athena’s career path than he did, apart from Athena herself.

For instance, he knew that regardless of what Athena planned to do, she started as an idol trainee. This phase was essentially a tutorial period; after completing it, Athena officially entered the main storyline, with her debut marking the beginning of theChapter.

The mermaid lady awakened at sixteen and debuted at seventeen.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

In this world, Athena’s road to stardom was bumpy. Perhaps she hadn’t read the guidebook, choosing a small company for her debut.

This led to her first single flopping due to poor promotion, resulting in mass cancellations.

According to Athena’s later recollections, her first album sold only 200,000 copies.

What does 200,000 copies mean?

In the context of the entire universe, Cobalt Star alone has a population of over sixty billion.

In the supergalaxy where Cobalt Star is located, there are twelve planets similar in population to Cobalt Star. And just in Fenix’s birth country, there are twenty-eight galaxies like the Cobalt supergalaxy.

This is just within their country.

The mermaid lady was significantly affected by the shadow of her first single. After rising to fame, she declared that the album would never be reprinted, leading to the second-hand price of those 200,000 copies skyrocketing.

Without exaggeration, this disc is a true ocean-view property, and one with no price tag.

If someone wanted to sell this disc now, even if it were just the regular version, put it up for auction, Fenix believed the price could soar to millions.

And Lion had the signed version.

Wow, impressive!

Boss Lion, you truly live up to being one of the main characters, see how dedicated this protagonist is!

Seeing Fenix’s amazed expression, Lion knew that this kid hadn’t caught the underlying meaning in his words.

How oblivious, Lion thought.

He repeated, "I have fifty copies of this disc."

Fenix was confused, "?"

I understand.

You are a hardcore fan, but no need to brag to me!

Because Fenix is one of the few who haven’t succumbed to Sis Athena’s charm!

His will is strong!

Fenix thought that Lion might want to hear some flattery.

So he exclaimed, "Boss, you’re amazing!"

Lion: "…"

Seeing Lion’s reaction, Fenix paused, then emphasized, "Athena would definitely be happy to have a fan like you!"

Lion paused, slowly forming a question mark.

Seeing Lion still unresponsive, Fenix was puzzled, hesitated for a moment, then rallied his spirits and continued, "Boss, you’re really great. I remember Athena had a rough start, but thanks to fans like you, she made it this far. You’re awesome!"

Lion: "…?"

Lion felt he might have misunderstood something, and so did Fenix.

Lion clarified, "I’m not a fan of Athena."

Pfft, who believes that.

Fenix thought.

Still, it was normal for Lion not to admit it.

Fandom, this term, doesn’t seem to fit Lion.

To maintain his image, it’s natural not to admit it.

Fenix understands.

Everyone has their pride.

Fenix wore an “I understand” expression.

Lion: "…"

No, I don’t think you understand.

Lion explained, "Her singing calms me."

"Oh, oh."

Fenix nodded, thinking that if it was just for peace, one copy would be enough.

Who would buy fifty original discs unless they were die-hard fans?

That’s something only a fan would do.

Fenix couldn’t hide his thoughts on his face.

Lion decided to skip this topic, "How many do you want?"

"? What?"

"Not sure what to give as a gift?" Lion said, "Wouldn’t this be perfect?"

Fenix was stunned.

Fenix widened his eyes, then shook his head vigorously, "That’s too expensive, Boss. If it were auctioned, one disc might sell for more than the jacket I ruined!"

Lion: "But I bought them for twenty each."

"Ah." Fenix let out a short breath, realizing Lion had noticed Athena when she first debuted.

Wow!

Boss, as a main character, you are very committed.

With such good conditions, failing to achieve a happy ending wasn’t because Lion was crazy but because Athena was lacking.

"Boss, you’ve been pursuing… uh, seeking peace for a long time."

Athena’s debut was a decade ago.

Lion ignored Fenix’s slip of the tongue and repeated, "How many? No refusing."

Fenix complied, "Three."

"Three?" Lion paused, "Isn’t there four of you in the dorm?"

"Yeah, one for each of them."

"Not for yourself?"

Fenix was puzzled, "Why would I? I’m not a fan."

?

Not a fan?

"Oh."

Lion felt better inside.

He finally looked away from Fenix and messaged his guard to bring three unopened discs.

Then he looked up and saw Fenix engaged in a new search.

The previous search keywords remained, and Fenix clicked on Marina City restaurants related to Athena, hitting the search button.

He found a bunch of Athena-themed restaurants.

Fenix was shocked!

Damn.

Hadn’t noticed before, but Athena is that powerful!

Fenix’s terminal screen was visible, and Lion glanced at it, asking, "What’s wrong?"

Fenix looked up, "These restaurants, they pay Athena, right?"

Lion nodded, "Yeah."

Fenix took a deep breath, "Boss, do you think a Fenix-themed restaurant is feasible?"

If feasible, Fenix might consider registering it!

"No." Lion replied immediately, "You’re different from Athena. Your talent isn’t practical for widespread application. A cat-themed restaurant would be more feasible."

Haha!

That’s brutally honest.

Fenix deflated instantly.

He lowered his head and clicked on a highly rated, albeit pricey, restaurant, booking a spot for Sunday night.

Then, supporting himself on the chair back, he heard a crack and the chair broke under his grip, revealing the wooden frame.

Fenix looked at Lion.

Lion gestured with a "do as you please" motion, "Normal situation."

Fenix glanced at the ripped pants and choked, "Isn’t there a way to exercise without breaking things?"

"None. Whatever equipment you touch now could end up broken."

Fenix: "…"

…Alright.

No wonder the state subsidizes Awakened individuals.

If Awakened individuals were poor, how would they survive?

Fenix sighed heavily, his tail drooping.

Lion noticed the tip of a cat’s tail poking out of the bottom of Fenix’s pajama pants.

He reminded Fenix, "Fenix, your tail."

Fenix was startled, turned his head, and twitched his ears, "Huh?"

Lion’s eyelid twitched, "And your ears."

Fenix touched his face, finding nothing.

Fenix panicked, "Where are my ears?!"

"…On your head."

Fenix covered his ears and the tail popping out from his backside, stunned.

Lion asked, "How are you going to handle it when we go out to eat?"

He pointed at Fenix’s ears and tail.

For such situations, Awakened individuals have coping mechanisms.

While most proudly display their unique traits, some prefer to hide them if they’re not aesthetically pleasing.

During the rehabilitation period following awakening, they usually cover up with clothing.

During uncontrollable awakening phases, prosthetics are used.

Lion had already prepared a set of prosthetics for Fenix.

They could hold the uncontrollably appearing tail, cover potentially transforming paws, and disguise disappearing ears.

Even facial changes could be concealed.

As long as he didn’t fully transform into a cat, the prosthetics could manage any unexpected situations.

But Lion didn’t mention it, waiting for Fenix to ask for help.

Fenix, unfamiliar with awakening and Awakened individuals, was stumped by Lion’s question.

After a while, he touched his cool, furry ears, unsure how to retract them.

He tried various movements, but nothing worked, so he pressed firmly, causing a slight pain, and the ears retreated like a snail withdrawing into its shell.

Lion: "???"

They can be pressed back in??

Lion was momentarily stunned, then looked at Fenix’s tail.

Fenix pressed his spine, but nothing happened.

Fenix frowned.

Lion relaxed.

Fenix, silent for a moment, pulled out his tail from the pajamas and tied it around his waist.

Then he looked up, patted the bulge on his waist, and cheerfully said to Lion, "Done!"

Impressive, huh?

Lion looked at the tail and Fenix, who was tentatively adapting to his new physical abilities.

"…"

Tsk, miscalculated.