"How do they feel?"
"Mmm… not bad."
They were flat boots with steel plates inside, probably made using the orthopedic brace Jenny had mentioned.
"Honestly, since they need to keep their corrective function, they can't be turned into heels…" Lisa still sounded a little dissatisfied.
"They're already great."
Catherine could feel pressure on the inside of her big toe, but strangely enough, it didn't hurt at all. On the contrary, it felt very comfortable.
"Lisa, your craftsmanship is really impressive," Catherine praised her, making Lisa blush.
"This… Jenny's mother made them. I just described the shape… She has her own fashion designer, and they worked on it together."
Catherine couldn't help glancing at Jenny, who nodded calmly, seemingly unconcerned.
Catherine took a few more steps and noticed that walking felt much smoother.
However, this wasn't because of the boots, but because of the orthopedic stockings she was wearing underneath. Compression stockings had always been a medical necessity and were also commonly used by soldiers who had to march long distances. These pantyhose were a modified version.
They were black and slightly thick. With a double-layer design, the inner layer was very comfortable, while the outer layer provided excellent support. They had an open-crotch design and a waistband to keep them from slipping. Their main purpose was to correct Catherine's pigeon-toed gait.
This was something unique in the world.
"They're so pretty. Why can't I wear them?" Lily said enviously.
"That's because your waist is too wide, Lily," Lisa replied without hesitation.
Lily had a fairly straight figure, and although she was older than Catherine, her body was fuller and more mature.
In Catherine's opinion, Lily was quite attractive, but unfortunately, for Americans who preferred curvier figures, she could only be described as not unattractive.
The corset wasn't actually tight; it was more decorative than anything else.
True corsets were probably the ones in Jenny's grandfather's collection—treasures dating back to the seventeenth century, especially many from the nineteenth century.
After all, excessive corseting wasn't healthy.
Next, Catherine put on a knee-length skirt, followed by a white shirt, a short tie, and a black women's jacket. She let her ponytail down, and a pure, pretty girl emerged.
The clothing logo was a pair of overlapping pink wings, radiant and angled to the left. They were products of her own company.
"Kate, you look amazing in everything. I'm so jealous," Ida said, admiring Catherine.
"Thanks."
"All right, let's get to the point!" Lily suddenly said.
"What?"
"The novel! Your novel, Kate!"
Right—Radiation.
Catherine had been so busy integrating the company that she had completely forgotten about it.
"Actually, I thought this was originally your responsibility, Kate. But you know, everyone was so enthusiastic that they asked me to prepare all the materials. This is the registration paperwork we prepared for you."
Jenny handed Catherine a prepared document.
"And you? You're not investing?" Catherine asked, looking at the document. Even though it said 'Angel Publishing House,' it was entirely under her name.
"Kate, we can't take advantage of you. The materials are already prepared for you. We might help out, but in the end, you're the one publishing it. We can't just invest a little and then wait to profit."
Catherine was genuinely moved.
They weren't trying to profit from her—they were simply helping her.
Catherine didn't refuse.
Westerners were more direct and didn't like the subtle back-and-forth common in Chinese culture. If they said no, they meant no. Forcing the issue would only make them uncomfortable.
This was something Catherine had learned over the past decade.
Now that everything was ready, it was only natural for her to register a publishing house.
Even if publishing a book seemed a bit frivolous, Catherine didn't care.
Who told those other publishers to be so short-sighted?
Who told them to think her novels had no future?
In that case, she would make a name for herself and give them a hard slap in the face.
By the way, Catherine also integrated Angel Publishing into her company and entrusted them with printing the rulebook for Magic Chess.
Soon, Catherine officially founded her own publishing house.
And it became well known even faster than expected.
Everyone was curious about the shares of this young genius.
As a result, sales of Fallout were quite strong as well.
Catherine even considered writing the next two books. After all, Fallout had originally been planned as a trilogy, with several spin-offs.
While some readers were fascinated by Catherine's post-nuclear world, they were even more intrigued by the future technology she described. Computers were everywhere, and people used mobile phones…
Although the world was gradually approaching the height of the Cold War, before the Cuban Missile Crisis, Americans didn't feel particularly insecure. After all, Khrushchev had visited the United States just a few years earlier.
To Catherine, Fallout was only a seed.
More importantly, there was the Seattle World's Fair, opening on April 21.
This was her opportunity.
The key to GameTV's success lay there.
Even if her television hadn't included gaming features, it wouldn't have been difficult to gain popularity. After all, the world's first integrated television circuit had been invented in 1964.
However, GameTV sales had already begun in March, so there was no need to rush preparations later.
Catherine's GameTV caused a sensation in New York the moment it launched.
Compared to the ugly designs of contemporary televisions and their single-sided screens, GameTV was simply stunning. Although it hadn't yet spread to other regions, its popularity was already evident.
This gave Catherine even more confidence heading into the World's Fair.
April gradually approached, but before the fair, Catherine still had one more thing to do: celebrate Jenny's birthday.
This time, however, the celebration was held at her own villa, with no outsiders present.
It was a girls-only party.