Otis hadn''t expected Annalise to be working at Zane''spany.


    Otis''pany had run into some trouble back then. He figured Annalise was an ordinary employee, so there was no reason to think Zane would care much about


    her.


    Hence, Otis focused entirely on handling thepany''s crisis, thinking he could deal with Annalise once everything was settled.


    For months, Otis threw himself into work, dedicating all his energy to resolving every issue. Finally, after much effort, the crisis was over.


    Now, with time on his hands, he made his way to the city where Annalise lived, ready to unleash years of pent-up resentment on her.


    To Otis'' surprise, Annalise was dating Zane. He couldn''t wrap his head around it. What was so special about Annalise? Was she breathtakingly beautiful?


    Compared to morous celebrities, she was hardly the most stunning woman avable.


    Was she extraordinarily intelligent? She certainly wasn''t the smartest woman in the world.


    And yet, time and time again, she managed to attract top-tier men.


    Otis took a deep breath, forcing down his frustration.


    The first man in her life, Steven, had treated her poorly. He had thought Annalise deserved it since she had a terrible personality.


    The second man, Zane, was capable and sessful and had a good temperament. Most importantly, he was handsome and treated Annalise well.


    When Otis first learned about their rtionship, he had briefly considered letting it go. Perhaps he should just swallow his resentment and bury it deep inside.


    However, Otis thought back to the years he had spent in prison. How could he let the humiliation and bitterness go so easily? No, he wouldn''t.


    Thus, Otis decided to gamble. He bet that Zane didn''t care about Annalise that much.


    Even if Otis hurt Annalise, Zane


    velet


    would let it slide rather than retaliate against him, considering their,


    business ties. Of course, that was


    only if he won the gamble.


    If Otis lost the bet, he could only watch helplessly as hispany slowly declined, eventually getting swallowed up bypetitors.


    Otis felt very uneasy, but that was simply the reality of business today.


    If apany didn''t expand when the time was right, sooner orter, a rival woulde along and quickly overtake hispany and be the industry leader.


    And those that failed to keep up? They would be left behind and eventually shut down.


    After finishing twoic updates, I felt a little dizzy. I stood up to take a break, stretching my legs while gazing into the distance.


    Once I felt more rxed, I turned my attention to designing collectible figurines.


    Since these figures were meant to be a coboration with theic, the main characters naturally had to be the story''s protagonists.


    Before getting started, I did some research on the most popr collectibles, on the market. Most were only about palm-sized, featuring the same character i different outfits, poses, and facial expressions.


    Of course, there were a few oversized figures, but they were rare.


    With a clearer direction in mind, I got to work sketching the designs.


    Eric mentioned that the first batch of blind box figurines had to be released as a set-that meant twelve in total.


    That seemed like a lot of things to get done.