"Photographs?" Hazel frowned.

"Of course! Otherwise, how can my Prince Charming know what his candidates look like?"

"Can we just provide our photos?"

"Do you have any idea about technology these days? Photos provided by participants can be altered! Relax, my Prince Charming isn’t going to do anything with photos shot by his staff."

Hazel still did not show any interest in it. She quickly shook her head and said, "I’d rather not. What if I got selected..."

"Hazel, you are such a bold girl. You are just one step away from my list of rivals!" Ariel stared at her with a stunned look, "Do you know how many people have signed up for this preliminary selection? It is said that there are nearly 100,000 people! One out of 100,000, do you think you got that luck?"

"100,000 people!" Hazel was a bit shocked. She said, "One grand each person, that makes...one hundred million? Holy, rich people really have a lot of nerve. This is not for choosing a surrogate mother. This is choosing an imperial concubine!"

"Better than choosing an Imperial Concubine, ok?" Ariel said with her worship, "You don't get paid winning a selection for Imperial Concubine! But my Prince Charming is really generous and considerate. He really wants to give his fans some pocket money! Do you see a guy that nice every day?"

"In the end, you’re in for that thousand dollars..." Summer stated from her bed.

"Aren’t you?" Hazel looked at her strangely.

"I'm in for that one in one hundred thousand." Summer rubbed her temples, which were still pulsing with intoxication, and said, "Aren't the odds better than buying a lottery ticket?"

"You said that your boyfriend just dumped you." Ariel was alerted and said, "And you went drinking yesterday. How could you be over that so quickly?"

"It is because of losing a love that I need Prince Charming to help me out see the light," Summer said seriously.

Hazel admired her spirit and thought, "That explains why Ariel sees you as a rival."

"However, the eyes of the Prince are too picky," Summer said with her face down on her bed.

"Yeah. There are still re-selections after the preliminary selection. But so many participants, none of them has even passed the preliminary selection yet!" Ariel sighed.

"So, you just need to give up and make room for the eligible."

"Why don’t you give up?"

Hazel had enough with the two of them. But since this thing had nothing to do with her, she frowned and said, “I don't want his thousand dollars. Now you just..."

Before she even finished, she heard a boy standing downstairs and shouting loudly, "Kyla! Kyla Lee! I love you! I can't sleep without you..."

The three girls in the dorm room were suddenly all back on the same team. Ariel was furious and said, "Shit, that scum Derek Sanchez is here again! Hazel, wait here. I will kick his ass!"

"Hey..." Hazel wanted to stop her, but Ariel had rushed into the bathroom and was carrying out a bucket of water, heading towards the balcony. Hazel sighed, "I have nothing to do with this..."

"This is no longer something between you and him." Summer crawled off the bed with a serious look on her face, "Derek has evolved from disgusting you to disgusting the entire dormitory. I'm with Ariel this time!"

Hazel put her hand up to her forehead.

"And, thank you for last night," Summer said as she was filling a cup of water.

"My pleasure. But please don't go to that kind of place in the future." Images from last night came to her mind. When she recalled Joshua's smirk, Hazel couldn't help but frown.

"I know." Summer turned her head back and asked, "Did anything happen to you?"

"...Nothing," Hazel said in depression.

"That's good," Summer breathed a sigh of relief, "Ariel said that you brushed your teeth for half an hour last night. I thought someone would hurt you."

Hazel was even more depressed, "I didn't brush for half an hour..."

There was a noise of water going over the balcony, followed by an angry scream from Derek downstairs, "Who is it? Who did that to me?"

"It's me!" Ariel shouted, "Derek, you are such a pervert! What are you doing here this early in the morning? You can save your energy and just get out of here!"

"I'm not looking for you..." Derek was really outraged, but his face went soft the moment he saw Hazel appear on the balcony.

"Get lost!" Ariel yelled at him, "Next time, you will get more water if you are still that thirsty!" Derek was downstairs feeling helpless. He grunted coldly and disappeared.

Suddenly, the entire dormitory building was full of applause and bravos.

Hazel was about to criticize Ariel, but she could not do that when the whole building was encouraging Ariel's action.

"That guy is still afraid of you." Ariel sighed, "He looked at you like a mouse looking at a cat."

"Do you want to be afraid of me too?" Hazel asked with a mild smile.

"Hell no." Ariel hurriedly shook her head.

"Then cancel my registration already!" Hazel gasped her teeth.

"You still remember that? How can I cancel the online registration?" Ariel said, smiling with tears. She thought for a while and said, "Didn't you say that your mother's birthday is coming soon? Just use this money to buy her a gift."

Ariel hit the jackpot. Hazel was thinking of that too.

"Just think about it, you will just be accompanying me in the preliminary selection like an overseer." Ariel said like a wounded mascot, "You don't want me to go there alone, right? It is said to be a selection for a surrogate mother, but who knows what kind of trap it could be! If you are not around, I won't have any help if it is dangerous! Come on, my dear Hazel..."

"It's OK!" Seeing that Ariel actually began to cajole her, Hazel had to say, "Just this once! Next time you will know what fear is!"

"Uh-huh!" Ariel rejoiced and promised.

Joshua opened a drawer in his study and took out a thick book.

After flipping through a few pages, he stopped, his eyes were fixed on a photo hidden in the book pages. Looking at the photo silently, Joshua was somewhat depressed.

"Is she...still alive?"

The door of the study suddenly came pushed open. Joshua closed the book and looked up, displeased.

When he clearly saw the intruder, Joshua said with some reluctance, "Isaac Anderson, when will you learn to knock before opening the door?"

"OK." Isaac's hands were shoved in his pockets. His amorous eyes were half-shut. He said with a cynical smile, "When you have a girlfriend, I will learn to knock."

Regardless of his ridicule, Joshua put down the book and asked indifferently, "Why are you here?"

"Do you think I wanted to come?" Isaac pulled out a chair and sat down, and said, “It was my father who asked me to come. He wanted to know what you were planning with this event. Do you really want to have children now, or do the elders of the family really want to have grandchildren? If the reason is the latter, are you doing this to piss them off?"

Isaac was not the polite type, but Joshua had become accustomed to his language.

Joshua’s eyes turned darker. He said quietly, "You only see 50% of the picture."

"...What?" Isaac looked at him surprisingly. He pondered for a while and asked suspiciously, "Joshua, are you lonely, or are you ready to make some big moves? You have to inform me if anything is about to happen to the Denmark Family Group. As a strategic partner in your family business, we Anderson Family will not back down before we get what we want!"

Joshua twitched his lips, "Just think I am lonely this time."

Isaac looked at him intensely and stopped with his joking attitude, "What the hell is going on? Joshua, I know that the old folks in Denmark Family always want to put their daughters on you, but you aren’t the kind who will be subject to anyone. You are not doing this thing for a simple reason!"

"You think too much." Joshua calmly opened the drawer and planned to put the book back inside.

Isaac's eyes glimmered. As far as he noticed, Joshua hadn’t moved his fingers off the book since he came in.

Isaac suddenly reached out his hands and grabbed the book with lightning speed.

"You..." Joshua was somewhat helpless.

He let his guard down for a second, and Isaac stole the book. It was too late now.

"I wonder what is inside this book since Master Joshua cares about it so much..." Isaac soon turned to the page where that photo was hidden. Isaac's smile gradually disappeared the longer he spent looking at the photo.

"Is this...she?" Isaac was astounded, "So, you pulled all these strings just to find her?"

"...Sort of." Joshua sighed with his eyes looking down. He did not deny anything.

"The thing was from the last century..." Isaac let out a big sigh and said, "Is she still alive?"

"...I have no idea." Joshua shook his head slightly, "Her body wasn’t found. I have not given up."

"I can understand." Isaac looked down and thought for a while, "I remember the time I was engaged to her..."

"You?" Joshua's eyebrows suddenly rose, "Don't even think about it."

"You think I wanted that? My engagement to her was determined by our two families when she was born..." Isaac looked at Joshua with an odd expression.

"Hey, Joshua, what is that look on your face? We are at least good buddies, right?"

"Just because we are good buddies does not mean I can let you lay your hands on her." There was a bit of seriousness in Joshua's eyes.

"...Good buddy." Isaac glanced at him with a grudge. He then put away his ridicule and said with concern, "What if you cannot find her in the end?"

"I will play my part and let God decide the rest." Joshua said simply, "Keep this a secret."

Isaac reached out his hand and patted Joshua on the shoulder, "Rest assured."

There was a knock on the door, and Jaxson’s voice came from the other side of it saying, "Master Joshua."

Isaac went to the door and opened it for Jaxson. Then he turned around and said, "I'm leaving now. I hope you find her soon!" Joshua nodded.

When Isaac left, Jaxson moved closer to Joshua.

"Master Joshua, I have information on the thing you asked me to look into," Jaxson said.

"What thing?" Joshua asked curiously.

"It was last night..." Jaxson was a little embarrassed that Joshua didn’t remember.

Jaxson continued, "The person who put things on top of your car. Her name is Hazel, a student at Quantum University."

Joshua felt a little amused. He finally understood what Jaxson was talking about.

The situation made Hazel happy, and he made him really angry. But after a night, his anger was gone, and he forgot about it.

It was in a moment of anger he asked for Jaxson to find out her information. He would not really make a big deal with a little girl.

Joshua was trying to speak, but Jaxson continued, "I also found out that Hazel has signed up for this surrogate mother's preliminary selection..."

Joshua’s eyebrows rose again. That little girl actually signed up?

He suddenly wanted to see the look on Hazel’s face when she found out he was Joshua Denmark, who was inviting her to be a surrogate mother to his children.

"Surprised? ashamed?"

"Or would she become one of his fans like other girls?"

"What time is she taking part in the preliminary selection?" Joshua asked suddenly.

"Tomorrow.” Jaxson was a little surprised and continued, "The venue for her group is on Transcendence Plaza. Need me to arrange a trip?"

Joshua laughed. She did take advantage of him, but that was not enough for him to foster hatred.

"No need." Joshua said with one hand on his forehead, "This is a closed matter."

Jaxson looked at Joshua suspiciously. He had a hunch that...this thing was just getting started.

Ariel woke up at four in the morning and managed to drag Hazel out of bed too. They had to leave early to go to the Transcendence Plaza.

The interviews were being held in a large local photo studio. Outside the door, there were already many employees trying to arrange the interviews in an orderly manner.

"Do I need to participate?" Hazel frowned, thinking of her vulnerability.

"Hey Hazel, come on, you don’t quit anything!" Ariel persuaded her, "With you here, I feel more assured."

"I can still be on your side even if I don't participate!" Hazel was struggling.

"Stop that already!" Ariel pulled her body and said, "Alone, I will have an odd of one in 100,000. With you, our chance is one in 50,000!"

"Is there a difference?" Hazel almost collapsed.

"Of course!" Ariel said confidently, "We just doubled our chances of winning!"

"..." Hazel finally gave up.

Hazel and Ariel received two forms from the staff at the reception desk.

The items required on the form were simple, just some common information like name, age, place of origin, etc., which was meant to screen out some unwelcome participants.

This so-called surrogate mother's preliminary selection only had a particular demand on the age. It was only open to participants between the ages of 20 to 21.

Just when she saw this form, the resistance in Hazel's heart rose again.

"I'll do just fine without filling this in." Hazel put down the paper form.

"Don't be stupid!" Ariel quickly grabbed her form and said, "Come on, think of it! You have come all this way anyway! Think of the thousand dollars. Let me fill it in for you."

"I am not short on money..." Hazel argued.

"I am short, and a thousand dollars would help, OK?" Ariel quickly fills in the form for Hazel, "You can just give it to me if you don't want it!"

"Why should I?" Hazel stared at Ariel.

"Oh, I thought you weren’t short on it," Ariel said confidently.

Hazel really wanted to kill Ariel. But Ariel was only talking tough.

After completing the form, the person in charge gave them each an assigned number.

The whole process was brief. Ariel did some research about it, which mainly included the measurement of their height, weight, and bust. Then according to the sizes of participants, their appropriate dresses would be sent to the locker room.

After they changed into their dresses, they would have their photo taken in the order of their assigned number, then their photos were shot, and they could leave.

When the process was done, the Denmark Family Group staff would review the information of participants to make sure there was no falsification. Then they would wire the payment to the accounts of participants.

However, just after measuring her height and weight, Ariel took Hazel to the washroom.

"Hazel, what's your number?" Ariel grabbed the assigned number from Hazel, looked at it, and sighed, "68, what a lucky number."

"Give it back to me!" Hazel said.

While Ariel was holding the assigned number and giggling, a woman came around the corner. She wasn’t paying attention to where she was going and collided with Ariel.

"Ouch!" The two exclaimed simultaneously, both fell to the ground, and the assigned number in Ariel's hands also landed on the ground.

"Ariel!" Hazel ran toward Ariel to help her up.

"Where did you learn to walk?" The other woman yelled. She got up and glanced at the assigned number on the ground and shouted angrily, "Are you blind? Oh, look at who it is! I didn’t expect it to be you guys!"

Hazel looked up and sensed some trouble ahead.

The girl was Kyla Lee. Hazel disliked her and the guy, Derek.

"I was so blind indeed." Ariel sneered, "Otherwise, how could Hazel and I get to know a pair of geniuses such as you and Derek?"

"You..." Kyla's face turned blue. She coldly looked at Hazel and smirked, "Hey Hazel, I thought you were way out of our league. But you also come here to compete for the surrogate mother selection!"

"Hazel is still single. You have a problem with that?" Ariel yelled, "And you are Derek's girlfriend. Does he know his girl is about to cuckold him? Look at you, low-cut evening dress, do you worry people will see your slutty nature? I need to take a picture of you and send it to Derek. He should enjoy my message."

"How dare you!" Seeing Ariel take out her phone, Kyla stretched out a fist to try and punch Ariel!

Hazel got a serious look on her face. She caught Kyla's wrist in a flash and warned her, "Don't even think about it!"

As the pain started in her wrist, Kyla began to recall something terrible. Her face turned white. "Let go of me!" Kyla hurriedly said.

Hazel suddenly let go. Kyla stumbled for a few steps before she finally stopped against a wall.

Kyla looked at Hazel and Ariel and said, "Just you wait!"

After saying that, Kyla ran away.

"Ha ha ha!" Ariel laughed out loud behind Kyla's back, "Not so tough now, huh?"

"You need to watch your mouth too!" Hazel was less than pleased.

Kyla turned her head at a distance and saw Ariel pick up an assigned number from the ground and give it to Hazel.

So, that was Hazel’s assigned number?

Kyla suddenly snickered in her head, "Hazel, it's about time to make you real ugly!"

"I fear nothing with you on my side! Here is your plate, Hazel." Ariel looked at her with adoration, "Hazel, you were so striking just now! If there is no Prince Charming around, I will definitely marry you!"

Seeing Ariel was about to embrace her, Hazel hurriedly pushed her away, "Cool down!"

"It’s a coincidence seeing her, don’t worry about that," Ariel explained.

"What's that you had?" Hazel looked at her with a grin, "You must have an idea about what is going on with these guys, right?"

"Yeah." Ariel relaxed and said, "It was that pair of geniuses who always got you in their business." Speaking like this made Hazel feel like she was powerless.