Just sitting there, she radiated star power, stunning Berry and Judy. "Damn—I know who she is."
Staring at that exquisite face, Judy suddenly clenched her hands as memory struck.
She leaned to Berry's ear and whispered in astonishment.
"It's Veronica. I thought it was just the same name. Berry, do you know her? My God, why is she at my place?"
Judy was visibly excited; her warm breath tickled Berry's ear.
"Who is she? Somebody famous?"
Berry rubbed her ear, puzzled.
Should she know this person?
Seeing Berry's reaction, Judy remembered: Berry had only arrived in Night City this year; unlike her, she didn't know the local film scene.
She gave Berry a quick rundown of Veronica's background.
Veronica had started as a singer, gained some popularity, then moved into film. After a few supporting roles she'd carved out a modest name for herself.
Judy, who constantly mined the industry for ideas and market savvy, had noticed the rising talent.
She'd thought Veronica's work ethic would make her a star.
But then Veronica vanished—no new films, no more singing. She disappeared from social media as though erased.
That misjudgment had surprised Judy at the time.
She never expected the actress she'd once seen onscreen to reappear here, in this setting.
And when she thought about the kind of film they were making, her astonishment only grew.
An actress of this caliber, in their little production?
Judy wondered if she were dreaming.
While Judy reeled, Berry felt nothing in particular.
She barely knew Night City's entertainment world and couldn't grasp why this starlet had walked through their door.
That didn't stop her from starting the interview.
Because the instant Veronica entered, Berry sensed…
…this woman might be exactly what she needed.
The feeling came out of nowhere; even behind those huge black shades, with no visible eyes or expression,
Berry simply knew.
Maybe it was a woman's intuition.
"…Thank you very much, Ms. Veronica, for your interest, but our salary might—"
Feeling there might be room to cooperate, Berry laid her cards on the table.
They clearly couldn't pay standard actor rates.
Either Veronica accepted less, or Berry had to find more money—someone had to bend.
"No problem at all—Veronica's happy to accept a fair, reasonable fee."
Berry had directed the remark at Veronica, but agent Mendez jumped in.
"Our quote is no less than one hundred thousand a week, and we're in."
Mendez tossed out the figure as if it were modest, even sounding like a concession.
Unsure of industry standards, Berry looked to Judy.
Judy, however, shook her head.
This price was indeed a very low offer for a professional actress, especially since Veronica, standing before them, wasn't even a newbie; she was a minor celebrity who had once been popular.
But they still couldn't accept the quote.
Observing Judy's expression, Berry nodded, understanding what Judy meant.
"Thirty thousand. We can give you two weeks. Consider it making a friend."
The moment Berry said this, not only did Mendes start sweating profusely, but even Judy, standing beside her, nearly choked on her own saliva.
Although asking high and settling low is common practice...
...your bargaining is outrageous. You just slashed more than half the price —you're aiming for the jugular.
"No, absolutely not. Our absolute minimum is eighty thousand. We cannot go lower. Besides, your asking price completely violates the requirements of the Film and Television Product Labor Price Limit Act. This price is ridiculous."
Mendes pulled out a handkerchief, wiping his sweat, his face filled with anxiety.
"Forty thousand, then. We're shooting a street short film—it's 'Three-No' (no tax, no money, no guarantee). The price we're offering is already a huge concession."
"No, absolutely not. This isn't fair to me... nor is it fair to Ms. Veronica. Seventy thousand, no lower."
"How about this: you take a step back, I take a step back. Let's just call it making a friend. Fifty thousand."
"You... you, this, this..."
Mendes was speechless, while Berry watched him with calm eyes, awaiting his decision.
Berry believed the other party could see the unmistakable truth revealed in her calm gaze.
Take it or leave it. If you don't want the job, get lost. Night City has plenty of people.
Mendes clearly received Berry's message and fell into a dilemma.
Finally, he gritted his teeth and nodded.
"Fine, fifty thousand it is. Pleasant cooperation."
"You truly are a qualified businesswoman, Madam."
"Thank you for the compliment."
After signing the contract, Mendes left with that parting shot, filled with resentment, while Berry nodded and smiled, accepting the compliment.
Ms. Veronica also left, her expression unchanged from when she arrived—neither happy nor sad, making her emotions unreadable. She hadn't uttered a single word until the end.
"Holy cow, Berry, you're amazing."
Judy, standing nearby, only spoke up now, looking at Berry as if she were the God of War.
"That was Veronica! You got her to shoot a film for us for fifty thousand a week."
Berry accepted Judy's praise with a composed expression, her arms crossed.
In her delight, she even explained the secret of her success to Judy.
"It's all strategy. Didn't you see how desperate and humble Mendes looked the moment he walked in? That guy is definitely short on cash. If I didn't fleece him, it would be an insult to his desperate face."
Berry knew things weren't as simple as Judy made them sound.
If Veronica were truly still a star, there's no way she would have come here for an audition.
Most importantly, Mendes didn't seem to respect his client.
He handled the entire negotiation without regard for Veronica's feelings and seemed intent on signing the contract immediately to get the money.
He didn't even bother to understand what kind of film they were shooting.
That's not the behavior of an agent.
But who cares?
Whatever their issues were, at least Berry had secured the two female leads for her film.
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