All Chapters of Contract Over: You're Free to Go: Chapter 151 - Chapter 160

At 9:00 am sharp, a few halfhearted ceremonial fireworks went off outside Bellmere National Exhibition Center, marking the opening of "City and Warmth—The Fourth Bellmere Independent Spatial Design Biennale".The commotion during the setup had completely fizzled out without kicking up a fuss after the few thugs fled in disgrace.Instead of hurting Silas' reputation, it gave him a free wave of early buzz within smaller design circles.After all, any designer who showed up to an exhibition carrying an external hard drive packed with blockchain timestamps from National Time Service Center was a complete savage. He was trying to tell everyone, "I'm clean and bulletproof."As one of the Biennale's main organizers, PrimePrint had secured a prime location in Zone A—one of the most visible spots in the entire venue. Avery had pushed through objections and placed Silas' Urban Memories series onto the main feature wall in the center of the exhibit.The five high-resolution renders were prin

"Thank you." Silas took the cup from Avery. His voice still carried a slight nasal rasp as he asked, "Who was that old gentleman? Do you know him?""No, I don't. But he was spot on. You really are a great designer," she replied.…By 3:00 pm, the crowd in the exhibition hall had thinned out.Silas sat on a folding chair for a while. Just as he was about to step out for a cigarette and some fresh air, his gaze casually swept past the edge of the booth, and he froze in his tracks.A woman had stopped in front of his exhibit. She seemed to be in her mid-30s, wearing a well-tailored dark gray cashmere coat over a simple silk blouse.Her hair was loosely swept up behind her head. She wore no flashy jewelry, and even her makeup was plain. Yet standing there, she naturally radiated a calm, commanding presence that could single-handedly dominate an entire room.Silas noticed her, but it wasn't because her outfit screamed wealth and status. There were plenty of wealthy visitors at an e

Valence Capital Headquarters was located on the top floor of Bellmere's iconic landmark, Omnis Tower, and overlooked the city below.The next day, at 9:50 am, Silas stepped out of a private elevator. It was an elevator that needed a special access card to reach the top floor.He was still wearing yesterday's inexpensive black blazer and carrying a worn laptop bag stuffed with years of portfolio pieces in one hand.He looked completely out of place in this top-tier venture-capital firm, with plush wool carpets underfoot and the scent of freshly ground coffee beans lingering in the air.But his steps were steady. His back was kept straight, and he showed no sign of awkwardness.After confirming his identity, the receptionist smiled warmly and led him toward a panoramic corner office at the end of the hallway.He opened the doors to a massive floor-to-ceiling glass wall revealing nearly half of Bellmere's bustling city center at their feet. Cars and pedestrians were reduced to tiny

"Who does my work remind you of?" Silas asked."My father. He was an architectural designer, too, " Miranda replied as she turned to look out the panoramic window at the wide river."He spent his whole life working at a state-owned design institute and never worked on any groundbreaking megaprojects, let alone achieved fame. Stubborn to a fault, he always refused to modify parameters that degraded quality of life just to make a profit."Her voice softened with a barely perceptible rasp."Back then, I couldn't understand him at all and thought he was just a pedantic loser, until the day of his funeral a few years back…"As the funeral procession passed an old residential complex he had helped design in his early years, residents who had lived there for decades stood along the road on their own accord to see him off."An elderly man took my hand and started crying. He told me that if my father hadn't fought to preserve a sunlit courtyard in the middle of the complex, they wouldn't

Avery cleanly laid out her cards. "I don't want stocks in your studio, so you don't have to feel pressured. I'll take a fixed pay as operations director and project commissions. That's all."Silas looked at the fiercely decisive Avery as emotions stirred in his heart.In this brutally pragmatic circle, anyone willing to walk away from a high-status, high-paying job just to serve as a "babysitter" for an unknown newcomer was either out of their mind or still harbored a spark of idealism in their bones. Still, he was no fool.After the brief wave of gratitude passed, he sharply caught a blind spot in her words."The fact that you don't even want stocks… Are you really that confident my studio will succeed?"He stared straight into Avery's eyes and suddenly asked a question that seemed completely off-topic. "Avery, do you happen to know… Miranda of Valence Capital?"Avery was obviously stunned. She clearly hadn't expected Silas to have such a sharp intuition.After a brief moment