Chapter 241: A Sincere Apology

Since the new year began, the entire federation seemed to be in an inexplicable state. At this time, a film that attracted special groups premiered.

It was highly anticipated because even before release, some adult film distribution channels claimed the female lead would star in at least three adult films next.

Posters appeared across major channels, drawing many who lived for adult films into theaters.

Though they were fewer than mainstream viewers, many watched the film multiple times, full of hope for the future.

Lynch, a key investor, was invited to the premiere.

The premiere was held in Lardimore, the federation’s Film City on the southwest coast, a city built for all kinds of film production.

Top film crews and actors gathered there, including the headquarters of the federation’s largest studio and major film institutions.

Lardimore had five famous theaters often chosen for premieres, gaining almost sacred status among cinephiles and spawning unique film cultures.

For example, a western film not premiering at Horseshoe Theater was doomed at the box office.

Lynch’s steamy film was best suited for Ruby Theater.

Ruby Theater was formerly an opera house, but an unconventional one—besides performances, it operated a prostitution business.

Performers danced provocatively onstage, thrilling the audience; offstage, they served wealthy clients.

Later, a story unfolded only found in films or novels: a poor boy fell in love with a high-class escort, and the two tragically died by suicide backstage, burning half the theater down.

The owner was fined 500 bucks, a huge sum then.

The theater was sold, and with the rise of cinema, Ruby transformed into a movie theater.

As one of the federation’s first and top theaters, it became a sacred place for premieres of romantic films.

When Lynch appeared at the end of the red carpet with a young girl, cameras flashed wildly. Lynch showed no impatience, gracefully waving to the media.

The media had a list beforehand and knew Lynch was an investor, so he received due respect.

In the complex film and entertainment industry, you can offend directors, actors, and writers, but never the investors holding the money.

The girl with Lynch was arranged by a partner. At 17, she had starred in two films as the important second female lead.

Her agency was optimistic about her future. During the premiere, the agency partnered with the Foxes, matching the girl with Lynch to boost her exposure.

The Foxes’ cooperation with this agency was simple: rural amateurs making a film needed weighty guests to justify a premiere. Though they knew many stars, no stars knew them.

Without heavy hitters, there’d be no premiere, so they found partners and got Ruby Theater’s support.

Thus, this red carpet event featured major actors, film figures, and socialites.

These attendees weren’t all sincere; some wanted to expand their social circles, others to seek investment from the Foxes, and some just to gain exposure—like the girl with Lynch.

During their brief interaction, her agent repeatedly warned Lynch not to get any ideas—she was the agency’s rising star.

If Lynch wanted to discuss the physics of male-female relations with actresses, they could provide a list.

The entertainment world was tough; without side gigs, many stars couldn’t sustain themselves.

Stars were also victims of the financial crisis—some of the worst affected.

Most lacked high education and financial knowledge but were eager to invest in finance—everyone knew stars had money.

Eminence’s brokers exploited this, exaggerating the dangers of keeping money in banks, convincing the uneducated that investing was best.

They even hired charlatans to fool stars, with surprisingly good results.

Financial investment became a trend, and stars discussed their gains as often as their new projects.

Under the spotlight, Lynch took his seat among investors. Fox Jr. interacted with the host on stage; Fox sat beside Lynch.

He noticed the film’s female lead sitting next to Mr. Fox, whispering together.

Lynch glanced once, then looked away, not wanting to seem interested in others’ privacy, which he truly wasn’t. It was all just money and bodily transactions—no love involved.

He looked back at his companion, gave a polite smile, then turned elsewhere.

He expected a dull event, but the girl whispered, “Do you look down on me?!”

Surprised, Lynch asked, “Why do you think that?”

She stared into his eyes, “I see it in your smile—you look down on me!”

She expected denial or argument, but Lynch surprised her.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have looked down on you,” he apologized sincerely, as if he meant it.

The girl didn’t know how to respond—say No need to apologize or Your apology is justified?

Seeing her silent, Lynch smiled faintly and watched Fox Jr. on stage.

Soon, the theater dimmed, and the big screen lit up.

Those who’ve never seen a film in such an old-fashioned theater don’t understand what a big screen means. To them, it’s just a large projector.

But those who’ve seen screens seven or eight meters high and over ten meters wide know what a real big screen is—both a terrible and stunning viewing experience.

The film was decent overall—about a woman raped and killed by a truck driver who then seeks revenge.

Sounds ridiculous?

That’s the plot. The not-quite-dead heroine is saved by aliens. The little blue aliens study human bodies and incidentally grant her superhuman abilities.

Then, as the aliens left the planet, they dropped her from the outer atmosphere, and her clothes caught fire during the fall.

Alright.

Next was the story of the heroine killing her way through—each time covered in blood, followed by a shower lasting anywhere from thirty seconds to several minutes.

During the screening, Lynch noticed many people getting up to use the restroom. They were really disgusting!

When about two-thirds of the movie had played, Lynch grew noticeably bored; he already knew what was coming. His attention drifted. At that moment, the girl beside him poked his arm.

“Not every actress is like that.”

Lynch glanced at her curiously. In the dim light, he could see she was serious.

He answered sincerely, “Yes, you’re right.”

That simple reply annoyed her. “You’re looking down on me again!”

“We’ve known each other less than two hours, and you don’t know me at all. You’ve looked down on me twice already. That’s too much!”

Lynch apologized earnestly, “I’m sorry I looked down on you again. I apologize.”

Seeing her hands clenched into tight fists, Lynch suddenly felt better.