Chapter 3326: Forget It!

When the video went viral worldwide, Tawana had already put the matter behind her and began preparing wholeheartedly for tonight's performance.

Ye Chen knew that if Chifeng could release this video, it must have been with Tawana's consent, and possibly even her own intention, so his opinion of her changed slightly.

After all, for Tawana, this video would not only lose her some casual fans but might even lose a batch of followers; releasing it required great courage.

However, Ye Chen felt that, in the long run, this matter was actually a good thing for Tawana.

Because she would eventually have to take this step and break with those ill-intentioned people.

Although the video made her look somewhat embarrassed, it ultimately involved no substantive scandal; if she could seize the opportunity, ride the wave of the video's popularity, and clearly distance herself from those ill-intentioned people, it would be a safe exit and a smooth landing.

After the buffet, the audience entry time at the arena arrived immediately.

Ye Chen realized that although he was mosaicked in the video, his clothing and build were not processed by Chifeng; if he went directly to the inner venue to watch the performance, he might be caught on camera by spectators intentionally or not, and if it spread online again, his identity would be exposed, so he had Fei Kexin find Mitsui Yoshitaka to arrange a private box.

He, Xiao Churan, Dong Ruolin, and Fei Kexin entered the box through a back passage; although it was somewhat distant from the stage, it offered impeccable privacy, and both sides of the venue had large LCD screens, ensuring the performance effect.

At seven o'clock sharp, the performance officially began; although the video had some impact on Tawana's reputation, before these fervent fans, there was almost no change, and the fans' enthusiastic shouts like mountains and seas ignited the entire venue's atmosphere from the very first second.

Tawana was indeed a supremely talented top singer; her stage presence was striking, her performance remarkably stable, and she launched into three consecutive songs of singing and dancing without her breath being affected in the slightest.

After finishing the three songs, Tawana finally greeted the Tokyo audience, then followed her usual convention with a few polite remarks.

In the past, Tawana, besides greeting the concert audience, had a certain content she would inevitably mention: LGBT; she had always proclaimed herself a firm supporter of LGBT, urging everyone to support it as she did, and even harshly criticizing that American winner.

At this moment, besides the on-site audience, many Western fans and netizens looking for excitement were lurking on social media, wanting to see how Tawana would react after her failed bet, and they even thought she might announce her departure from America at tonight's concert.

After all, many celebrities had once sworn that if the outcome was not what they wanted, they would leave America and not return for the next four years.

Among these celebrities, the most influential was Tawana, so everyone wanted to see if she would express something tonight.

To everyone's astonishment, Tawana's concert lasted three and a half hours, with an interaction segment every few songs; when the interaction came, she would grab the microphone and chat with the audience for a few sentences, but surprisingly, in the three and a half hours of performance, there were ten interaction segments, and she actually broke with convention, not uttering a single word related to supporting LGBT.

This abnormal performance not only surprised ordinary fans but also deeply disappointed LGBT fans, who had been waiting for her to routinely speak up for them at the concert; who would have thought that after waiting all evening, they heard not even half a word from Tawana related to themselves.

Feeling abandoned, fans after the concert ended, without even leaving their seats, began posting on social media to attack Tawana's betrayal; many insulted her as a coward, a petty person who shifts with the wind, and even criticized her previous support for LGBT as merely trying to appease that loser, now that he had lost, she immediately stopped all support.

This criticism indeed gained approval from many fans of the same group, and for a while, online attacks against Tawana did not cease.

Just after finishing the performance and retreating backstage, Tawana had not even caught her breath when her manager came over with a surprised expression and asked: "Tawana, what's wrong with you today? Don't you know the entire internet is attacking you, calling you a fence-sitter? Why don't you make some response or show some support to the LGBT group?"

Tawana said expressionlessly: "From today on, in front of the public, I will only do what an artist should do, and will no longer publicly oppose or support any controversial views."

Her manager anxiously said: "You must know, the whole society is supporting them; this has nothing to do with what you truly feel inside, as long as you don't support, you will become the target of everyone!"

Saying that, the manager added: "I think we had better quickly think of some explanations, find a way to explain to these fans, and also soothe their emotions."

"It doesn't matter anymore." Tawana said: "I don't want to explain to anyone, including you."

After saying that, she looked at her makeup artist and said: "Help me remove my makeup."

Her makeup artist was also a publicly out member of a minority group; he was deeply dissatisfied with Tawana's current attitude and said: "Tawana, do you know how many people look forward to you and regard you as a lighthouse in life? Do you know how many people in distress or lacking support and affirmation are waiting to see you give them support on stage? Yet you have let them down! Now online everyone is blaming you, saying you betrayed them!"

Upon hearing this, Tawana instantly felt a surge of anger; she had suppressed too many emotions today, and at this moment she could no longer hold back her outburst.

She turned around, walked up to her makeup artist, and said loudly: "First, I have not betrayed anyone! I used to be able to speak out in support, and now I can naturally remain silent; my mouth, my throat, my voice are my own! They are not become someone else's just because I spoke a few times for someone!"

Saying that, she raised her voice a bit more and shouted loudly: "Second, everyone has the freedom to choose; I have always respected you, and I still do, but have you respected me? Have you respected my own choice? You have worked for me these years, and I have treated you just as well; I have supported you without reservation for so long, now I am tired and want to rest a little—how have I let you down or betrayed you?"

The makeup artist did not expect Tawana's emotions to be so agitated; for a moment he also felt guilty and flustered, and hurriedly said: "Tawana, I... I don't mean that... I just feel... many people who expect your encouragement will be more disappointed..."

Tawana countered him: "Then what do you think—am I not disappointed now? Even if I treat people kindly in a thousand ways, ten thousand ways, as long as there is one shortcoming, the other party will completely deny, attack, insult, and threaten me—is this the fate of a good person? If this is the fate of a good person, then I, as such a good person, would rather not be one!"

After saying that, she immediately told her manager: "Terminate my contract with the makeup artist; pay all the compensation due today."

The manager was slightly startled, though shocked inside, but quickly came to his senses and said: "Okay, I'll arrange that right away."

The makeup artist had relied on Tawana's favor to thrive in this field; now he not only earns generous commissions from her, but because of his association with Tawana, he has gained millions of followers on social media, does beauty blogging in his spare time, and earns over a million dollars a year; without Tawana as his golden brand, his future income would surely be greatly reduced.

Thinking he was about to lose his job and his livelihood, he suddenly became anxious and blurted: "Tawana, you can't just fire me like this! This is unfair!"

Tawana said: "Our contract was reached under equal and fair conditions, so everything should be done according to the contract, and there is nothing unfair about it; I know your first thought after leaving here might be to go online and curse me—don't worry, I won't short you a single penny of what I owe you."

After saying that, Tawana added: "You don't need to argue with me or try to persuade me; I have already made my decision and will not change it!"

Seeing that she showed no mercy, the makeup artist said with a grim expression: "Tawana, since you insist on firing me, I guarantee you will definitely regret it! I will certainly make you pay a price you cannot imagine!"

After saying that, he added: "Of course, during these years of working with you, I have personally been very satisfied, so I will give you one night to consider; if you change your mind tomorrow, you can contact me, and I will pretend today's incident never happened."

Tawana smiled faintly and said calmly: "No need, Kevin; believe me, among all the threats I face, you are the least harmful; if you want to go online and slander me to take revenge, go ahead—I'm not afraid. As for how those outsiders attack me, I'm not afraid either;"

"I have figured it out; this challenge, I, Tawana Svet, will get through by myself; if I get through, I am still me; if I don't get through, well, I'll just quit the entertainment industry—after all, I've already earned enough money, and even if I quit the entertainment industry from today on, I still have a million dollars in royalties every day; what could some gossip possibly do to me?"

Saying that, Tawana looked at him, coldly smiling: "As for you, Kevin, if we part on good terms, you can still keep the title of Tawana's former exclusive makeup artist and continue your own business; but if you target me, then I will openly and squarely oppose you, and by then, in outsiders' eyes, you will be someone who received my favors, got my promotion, and yet turned around to bite me—a despicable person! Do you think anyone would still dare to have someone like you around by then? Who would follow you on social media, you shameless trash?"