Chapter - 5942

"Another color?" Charlie's words prompted Loreen to pause for a moment, before realization dawned on her.

She couldn't help but exclaim, "Charlie, now that you mention it, that's quite true. Tawanna has been vigorously promoting the blue camp, making a huge fuss, and rallying her fans to vote. I never imagined she would still end up losing after such a significant investment. If I were in her shoes, I would definitely feel quite down."

As she spoke, Loreen sighed. "I saw her unhappy expression just now and initially thought the Mitsui family must owe her a performance fee. If this is really a dispute over her appearance fee before the show, maybe she wouldn’t even attend today’s performance. But upon reconsideration, it seems the Mitsui family won’t owe her this small amount of money..."

Claire couldn't help but laugh and said, "Loreen, you can be quite harsh."

"Hehe," Loreen chuckled. "Honestly, Claire, I enjoy Tawanna's music and appreciate her talent and style, but I can't stand public figures who have their own agendas, especially those who constantly claim to support sexual minorities. While I think it's perfectly fine for her to support them, and no one would mind if her support was subtle, it’s irresponsible for her to leverage her large fan base to voice opinions endlessly. Many of these fans are minors, who lack full understanding and judgment. It is extremely careless to promote unconventional ideas to such impressionable groups."

Charlie couldn't help but applaud Loreen's statements. "Well said, Loreen, that was impressive."

Loreen smiled and replied, "Don't underestimate us; we may not have much power, but we certainly possess a strong sense of justice."

On the side, Kelly West had remained quiet, busy sending messages to Michaela on her phone to inform her that she had run into Charlie.

Then she smiled and asked Charlie, "Mr. Wade, what are your thoughts on the current situation in the United States? Do you lean more towards blue or red?"

Charlie considered her question for a moment before responding with a smile. "I can’t say I favor either side. What I truly hope for is a return to normalcy. I don’t know why, but it feels like there are many strange occurrences in recent years. We’ve been taught since childhood that there are only two genders, and suddenly some people in the U.S. claim there are nearly a hundred genders. Personally, I find that difficult to accept."

Charlie continued, "I attended a game yesterday, where in the women's championship, a male player who identifies as a woman competed. He defeated numerous biological women to reach the finals. Perhaps for a few, his rights are acknowledged, but who will respect the rights of the women he defeated? Americans often accuse others of exaggerating, but in reality, they tend to amplify issues themselves, sacrificing the rights of the majority for the few. It’s quite perplexing."

At that moment, Mitsui Yoshitaka concluded his opening remarks and short speech.

He turned to Tawanna, who appeared dejected, and said, "Next, I would like to invite our star of the day, the most influential international superstar, Tawanna Sweet, to the stage to say a few words. After all, our guests here, including my daughter, are all fans of Ms. Sweet. They usually enjoy her music, and now they finally have the chance to meet her at this event. I’m sure they are eager to hear what she has to share."

The crowd erupted in cheers.

However, a significant portion of the applause was actually directed toward Mitsui Yoshitaka, the head of the Mitsui family.

When Tawana realized she was expected to speak, her brow furrowed slightly, though it quickly smoothed out.

She understood this was part of the program. After the host Mitsui Yoshitaka finished speaking, it was her turn to take the stage and share a few polite words. Typically, this was just a standard formality, nothing out of the ordinary, yet Tawanna was clearly on edge. Upon seeing Mitsui Yoshitaka invite her up, she briefly kissed her boyfriend on the cheek, stood up, and approached the small stage.

Taking the microphone from Mitsui Yoshitaka, Tawanna contemplated for a moment, still unsure of what to say.

Audience members began pulling out their cell phones to record the moment, prompting Mitsui Yoshitaka to remind them, "Everyone, please remember that today’s event is a private gathering. Miss Sweet is an international public figure, so we kindly ask that you refrain from taking photos or videos during the event and refrain from sharing them online to avoid causing Miss Sweet any unnecessary trouble."

As he spoke, everyone promptly lowered their phones.

Suddenly, Tawana Sweet interjected, "Thank you, Mr. Mitsui, for your concern, but today I truly hope everyone will record what I’m about to say and share it online. If you do, I would be immensely grateful."

As the audience looked on in confusion, Tawana continued passionately, "I believe you've heard the latest news from across the ocean, and I am extremely upset about it! As someone's part of the deep blue camp, I must say that this represents a setback for humanity! For years, we have fought for the rights of the LGBT community and worked tirelessly to protect them, but now all those achievements are at risk. I urge everyone here to actively participate in the righteous act of protecting LGBT rights, to eliminate discrimination, and to let them enjoy the same rights as everyone else! Though we may have faced defeat these past four years, we will definitely secure more victories in the future! It could be four years, fourteen years, or even four hundred years!"

The Japanese guests exchanged glances, surprised.

They had anticipated that Tawanna would take the stage to praise Japan, expressing her love for the country and the importance of support from her Japanese fans. Although they recognized such remarks as insincere, they were the expected norm for this kind of event.

Yet, as they listened to Tawanna speak ardently, they were shocked to find she completely sidestepped praise for Japan and focused solely on LGBT advocacy.

The traditional Japanese mindset struggles to accept LGBT equality, making Tawana's comments during such an occasion leave them momentarily speechless.

In response, Mitsui Yoshitaka attempted to smooth over the situation, saying, "I once heard someone say that young people must stay angry. They claim that maintaining anger fuels greater motivation for progress and change. Seeing Miss Sweet so attentive and empathetic towards certain minority groups makes me agree with that sentiment more now."

As Mitsui Yoshitaka stepped in to ease the tension, laughter and applause rippled through the crowd, which helped to uplift Tawana's spirits.

Just then, Mitsui Yoshitaka's assistant approached the stage and whispered something in his ear. His expression brightened instantly, and he exclaimed, "Everyone, I just received some fantastic news! Miss Michaela Joules, the chairwoman of the American Joules Group, is on her way to our party!"