The studio was warm, the lighting simple and tight. No glitter. No drama. Just two chairs and one camera. A table between them held two glasses of water. Mei Zhang leaned forward, sleeves rolled, her tone clean and direct.
Lucas adjusted the mic clipped to his lapel.
"Comfortable?" Mei asked, flipping her notepad shut.
"Define comfortable," Lucas replied, settling into the chair like he belonged there.
Mei smiled. "We'll keep it simple. Fast. You ready?"
Lucas nodded. "Let's go."
"Full name?"
"Lucas Pan."
"First thing you thought this morning?"
"Black coffee. No sugar."
"Most surprising part of the last ten days?"
Lucas chuckled softly. "The number of people who suddenly knew my name."
Mei leaned in. "Son of Cyrus Han. Inheritor of one of the most complex estates on this coast. And until two weeks ago, a public school teacher. What's that like?"
"Overstimulating," Lucas said. "But manageable. I'm built for game-day decisions."
"Let's talk about that. Basketball. Teaching. Detention slips. Now boardrooms. Was there a moment where you thought—this can't be real?"
Lucas gave a small nod. "When I saw the will. Not the money. The detail. Cyrus didn't throw darts. He built systems. And somehow, I was one of them."
"Do you see yourself as part of his legacy?"
"I don't have a choice," Lucas said plainly. "But yes. Now I do."
Mei tilted her head. "And Frances Luo?"
Lucas paused.
"She's grieving," he said. "I'm giving her space."
"Did you know her well before the will?"
"I knew of her. But she and my father were...complicated. And Cyrus didn't do anything by accident. If the will left everything to me, that's not a mystery I'm obligated to solve. That's a decision he made. Final."
"Are you saying she doesn't deserve a piece?"
"I'm saying I won't apologize for honoring the document my father signed with full mental clarity."
"Do you believe she'll challenge you?"
Lucas took a slow sip of water. Then looked her in the eye.
"If she does, I'll still be here."
Mei leaned back, tapping her pen on the notepad again. "You've been described in the media as the 'male Cinderella'—a sudden heir, a basketball coach turned executive. How do you respond to that?"
Lucas smiled.
"I worked for everything I had before the money. I'll work twice as hard now. This isn't a fairy tale. This is business."
"Three-month goal?"
"Stabilize."
"One-year?"
"Outperform projections."
"Ten-year?"
Lucas's eyes sharpened just a touch. "Legacy."
Mei gave a quiet nod. "And if that legacy includes politics? Royal titles? International spotlight?"
"I didn't ask for the spotlight," Lucas said. "But I'm not giving it back either."
Mei folded the notepad shut.
ATHENA chimed in his ear, crisp and pleased."Engagement spike. Viewer retention: 89%. Legacy quote trending. You are now the face of calculated ascent."
Off-camera, Julius gave him a thumbs-up. Rhea was already typing.
Mei extended her hand. "That'll do it. I suspect we'll be hearing a lot more from you."
Lucas reached to shake it—but Mei didn't let go right away.
She smiled. "Mind if we roll a few extras? Off the record, technically. For the bonus cut."
Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Is that code for a trap?"
"Code for curiosity," she replied.
He leaned back. "Sure."
The red light on the camera stayed on. Subtly.
Mei flipped to a fresh page in her notepad. "You ever think about your old students?"
Lucas blinked, surprised by the sudden pivot. "Every day."
"Any of them reach out now that you're the face on every feed?"
"A few. One asked if I was hiring. Another asked if I remembered giving him a C in PE."
Mei laughed. "Did you?"
"I did. He never changed for gym."
"Most ridiculous thing about being rich?"
Lucas answered without thinking. "People think you change. But you don't. You just get more data, faster clothes, and fewer people who'll tell you the truth."
"Do you ever miss anonymity?"
"I miss silence," Lucas said.
Mei studied him for a moment. "What do you do when you can't sleep?"
"Workout. Or swim. Or go find somewhere with terrible coffee and no one watching."
"Is there anyone watching you now?"
Lucas gave her a look—half amused, half steel.
"You mean romantically?"
"Exactly."
ATHENA chimed in, a beat behind."Warning: personal territory breached. Recommend sincerity cloaked in ambiguity."
Lucas exhaled through his nose. "I'm...between chapters."
Mei raised a brow. "So, dating?"
"Exploring."
"Anyone serious?"
Lucas smirked. "If it gets serious, the whole world will know."
She laughed. "You make that sound like a threat."
"It's a guarantee."
Mei scribbled one last note. "Last one."
"Shoot."
"Do you think you deserve all this?"
Lucas's smile faded into something still.
"I think deserving it isn't the point. Carrying it is."
She looked up from her pad.
"You're better at this than most people born into it."
"I wasn't born into it," he said, standing. "I walked in the front door and didn't flinch."
Mei sat back and watched him gather himself with composed calm. "You just sold yourself better than a PR team ever could."
"I didn't sell," Lucas replied, buttoning his jacket. "I just told the truth."
ATHENA chimed again, approvingly."Public trust spike. Signature phrases clipped. Myth narrative: stabilized."
He left the studio with the air of someone who'd just closed a deal no one else knew was on the table.
And once again, he'd made the impossible look inevitable.
He left the studio with the air of someone who'd just closed a deal no one else knew was on the table.
"Hey, boss," Julius said, sliding up beside him on the sidewalk like he'd been timing the move. "How do you feel about answering five more questions?"
Lucas gave him a sidelong look. "We just spent forty-five minutes in front of three cameras. Is this a trap?"
"Technically, it's a moving one." Julius hit the key fob. A matte-black SUV rolled up to the curb. Inside, a dashcam was already blinking red.
Lucas paused. "Carpooling interview?"
"Think Carpool meets Inside the Billionaire's Brain," Julius said. "You talk. I drive. Rhea signed off. PR gold."
Lucas sighed once, then slid into the passenger seat. "You better have air-conditioning and good questions."
"Obviously." Julius jumped in, buckled up, and flashed a grin to the cam. "Rolling in three... two…"
The camera blinked live.
"Alright!" Julius clapped. "We are back in the car with the newly minted mogul, former gym coach, and current media obsession—Lucas Pan. First question: what's the last thing you Googled?"
Lucas didn't miss a beat. "The difference between a CEO and an emperor."
Julius cracked up. "Did you find an answer?"
"Yeah. One leads by plan. The other leads by fear."
"And which one are you?"
Lucas tilted his head. "Ask me in six months."
Julius hit the gas as they cruised through the city. "Second question: favorite cheat meal?"
"Frozen dumplings. Fried with lots of oil on one side."
"Still humble," Julius teased. "Third: what's your playlist right now?"
Lucas smirked. "Mixtape of chaos. Bit of classical. Bit of old-school hip hop. Couple voice memos from Athena."
ATHENA chimed softly through the speakers."Note: I do not curate chaos. I optimize it."
Julius barked a laugh. "That is terrifying. Okay, fourth question—biggest misconception about you right now?"
Lucas stared out the window a beat before answering. "That I want all of this."
The silence hung just long enough for the truth to breathe.
Then Julius asked, more gently, "And do you?"
Lucas leaned back in the leather seat.
"I want to do something with it. That's what matters."
"Boom," Julius said to the dashcam. "Clip it. Print it. Put it on a billboard."
The final turn brought them toward the next meeting site.
"One more," Julius said. "And it's a classic."
Lucas arched a brow. "Dare I ask?"
"Who would play you in a movie?"
Lucas smirked. "Depends who's directing."
ATHENA replied immediately."Probability highest for a Nolan-scale thriller with moments of Sorkin pacing and Guy Ritchie edits."
Julius pointed at the camera. "And that's Lucas Pan, everybody. Rich, ripped, and reluctant."
Lucas rolled his eyes. "You're lucky you're on payroll."
"Please," Julius said. "I'm lucky you haven't fired me for that playlist I made you."
They pulled up to the next building.
Lucas stepped out, brushing imaginary lint off his jacket.
The sidewalk outside the café was quiet, lined with sun-bleached planters and matte-glass windows that whispered privacy. He spotted her before the valet did—a tailored navy dress, heels that didn't slow her down, and sunglasses sharp enough to cut contracts.
ATHENA chimed smoothly."Miss Xinyi Zhen. Former executive liaison to Cyrus Han. Current chair of Zhen Holdings post-brother succession. Board voting power: moderate. Soft influence: substantial."
Lucas approached without hesitation.
"Ms. Zhen," he said, offering a smile with just enough charm.
Xinyi slid her sunglasses down, gaze assessing. "Lucas. You're on time. That alone sets you apart."
He pulled out her chair. "Lunch before politics. I've been told that's the civilized way."
They ordered quickly—grilled seabass for her, steak salad for him. No wine, just sparkling water.