Chapter 814: Parent-Teacher Conference

As a talent agent, she had encountered all kinds of people—men, women, the elderly, children. Teenagers, young adults, middle-aged, and seniors.

Her job required more than just professional skills—it demanded the ability to observe people, to read between the lines of their expressions.

A person’s mood shift from happy to unhappy might happen in an instant, but the change in their facial muscles was always obvious—like the difference between a smile and a frown. No matter how fast it happened, the contrast remained unmistakable.

The girl in front of her had grown noticeably downcast. Her mood had shifted because of what was just said—something entirely normal.

Everyone wants to live better than others, to be richer—that’s the simplest, most honest desire.

But some thoughts people have aren’t even conscious, like: Everyone tells me to give up, so I insist on holding on, or I’ve already given up, so why are you still going?

The agent had no interest in dissecting Naily’s inner world. She just recognized the shift in her mood.

“Your friend is more complicated than you think,” the agent said smoothly, knowing exactly how to guide the conversation. She understood what Naily wanted—and gave it to her.

“She… what about her?” Naily’s focus was immediately redirected.

The agent casually pulled out a pack of women’s cigarettes from her pocket and lit one.

This era marked the booming rise of women’s cigarettes. The feminist movement had turned smoking into a fashionable statement—if a woman didn’t smoke, it implied she had conservative values.

It sounded ridiculous, but that was the prevailing social trend.

Women’s cigarettes used flue-cured tobacco—sun-dried, cut, roasted, and processed. Milder than raw tobacco, with added flavorings to reduce the harsh smell in the mouth, though some odor was still unavoidable.

Raw tobacco—sun-dried and cut, but unroasted and unprocessed—was much harsher. One puff could hit the brain like a punch to the head.

That sharp throat hit from heavy nicotine and other chemicals was a favorite among veteran smokers. They loved that knockout sensation.

Of course, the mainstream market still leaned toward raw tobacco. Hardcore smokers were the industry’s bread and butter.

However, some media outlets and research groups had pointed out that the popularity of women’s cigarettes was increasing the tendency of teenagers to pick up smoking. Certain institutions argued for urgent legislation on tobacco sales.

But these calls had little effect. Especially since tobacco companies funneled money into Congress every day—no one in Congress was going to pass that kind of law.

Naily watched the agent smoke with mild surprise. Her posture looked cool—even a little captivating.

In this era, anything new was trendy. And trendy things always attracted attention.

But her curiosity was quickly redirected.

“Your friend is a high-end escort. She charges twelve hundred Sol per night, five thousand a week.”

Naily froze for several seconds before reacting. “You’re saying she’s a… prostitute?”

“A high-end one,” the agent added. “That’s exactly why we need her.”

“In the Federation, award-winning films never lack dark politics, twisted souls, bare flesh, and moral dilemmas.”

“To win awards, you must showcase one of these elements to the extreme—or all of them.”

“With the revised script, we need a female character willing to appear nude on camera, and one who has ambiguous relationships with both the male lead and the supporting male character.”

“Most actresses in adult films already have familiar faces. We want a newcomer. Only the rawness and inexperience of a newcomer can move the judges.”

“That way, you just need to focus on playing yourself.”

The revised script used the fall of several characters to highlight the purity of despair. Even if Naily’s acting wasn’t exceptional, she could still pull it off—because every other character was so dark that even a gray lead would appear innocent by contrast.

It was a clever approach, and marketing it as an art film would benefit the company greatly in the future.

Fox Pictures had never cared about winning awards before because going public wasn’t on the table. But once they committed to going public, every major award became a stock price boost.

For money, they were ready to spend big to bring in some trophies.

Naily was silent for a moment. She felt a little better, but still hesitant. “I don’t know if she’ll agree. What you’re asking… it’s a lot.”

Stripping in front of a crew, performing intimate scenes on camera—she couldn’t imagine her former roommate accepting that.

But the agent smiled. “Just tell her to come to the office tomorrow. Someone will convince her.”

“As for you—start memorizing your script.”

The next day, Naily’s former roommate arrived at Fox Pictures as promised. She stayed in the office for a long time. Naily thought she’d refused—but then saw the agent escorting her out.

Their expressions left no doubt: an agreement had been reached. From a distance, the two women nodded to each other. Then the girl left.

Strangely, it felt as though a thick, impenetrable wall had risen between them—thicker and taller than ever before.

“How did you convince her?” Naily asked after stepping into the agent’s office, curious.

The agent gave a half-smile. “I told her that if she joined us, we’d work on getting her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Augustin Awards—maybe even help her win it.”

Naily didn’t know what to say.

Shortly after, she was scheduled to begin training with the director. Before filming started, she had to learn how to project that look of purity.

In truth, the agent hadn’t been fully honest.

At first, the girl refused outright.

Being a mistress or a high-end escort was a private matter—no one talked about it, because neither side considered it honorable. Exposure was unlikely.

But being naked on camera, simulating intimate scenes in front of an entire crew—broadcast to the world, every viewer would know exactly what she looked like, what physical features she had.

At her core, she didn’t want that.

Until the agent said this:

If she could land a nomination—or even win Best Supporting Actress—

Her nightly rate would skyrocket from $1,200 (before commission) to $12,000 or more.

She would also gain more acting opportunities. Compared to famous supporting actresses who had no obvious flaws and were hard to negotiate with, a well-known actress who was a bit more… open, made bargaining easier. Plus, there were plenty of roles suited for her.

In the end, profit once again triumphed over ideals. Just like every time before, the former roommate signed the performance contract with the company.

At the same time, she began to realize that her seemingly innocent roommate, Naily, might not be so innocent after all.

Far away in Eminence, Lynch had no idea any of this was happening in Lartimore. He was tending to steaks on a grill.

A very cute little boy was beside him, helping drizzle oil and sprinkle spices on the steaks.

The boy was Vera’s son, now seven years old and attending the best elementary school in Eminence.

Tuition there was actually quite low, sometimes even subsidized—private schools offered generous scholarships to excellent students as a form of financial aid.

Children of mayors and senators often received this kind of treatment, justified by claims of noble heritage and academic excellence. All nonsense—it was just a well-known trade.

The school principal was a smart man. Upon hearing a few rumors from who knows where, he waived the tuition and even granted a scholarship. Truly considerate.

Vera was setting the table, laying out the cloth.

They were in the backyard of a villa. It was the weekend, and Lynch had a craving for barbecue. After thinking it over, he came here.

The little boy was thrilled to help—attentive, obedient, and cheerful. Lynch liked him a lot.

“I think it’s about ready,” Lynch said, poking a steak with the barbecue fork. No more blood was coming out.

To Federals, a steak needed to be at least medium-well to be considered edible. Half-raw meat was fit for no one—not even dogs.

Though that standard might soon change, as more people developed different tastes. Thankfully, they didn’t enjoy eating crap.

The steaks were placed on a serving tray and brought to the table. Vera had already prepared a spread of fruits, vegetables, and pickled cucumbers.

She sat there watching Lynch and her son laugh and chat. The winter sunlight suddenly felt warmer.

“I’m starving. I think we can begin, gentlemen!”

The two gentlemen quickly took their seats at the table. Their conversation was light and casual.

The boy talked about funny things that happened at school, or silly things Vera did at home. Overall, the meal was relaxing and carefree.

Afterward, the boy took his plate and left, giving Vera and Lynch the backyard to themselves.

Lynch held Vera’s hand. They sat in silence on the swing bench.

After a while, Vera sighed. “I know I shouldn’t be asking you this… but I just can’t think of anyone else who can help me right now.”

“What happened?” Lynch asked.

“The school is requiring the father to attend the parent-teacher conference…”