Chapter 14
“Here you go.” The finance staff counted out five bills and handed them to Tasha.
The original actor for the role of Zeph was a guest actor, earning 700 dollars. Even though Tasha stepped in at the last minute, her experience couldn’t match the seasoned actor’s, so 500 dollars was decent.
Climbing from an extra to a guest actor in a day? That was speed of light stuff.
Tasha arrived late, and the finance office was mostly empty. The staff was playing with her phone while casually chatting with Tasha, “Not many people take cash these days, everyone’s into digital payments now.”
Tasha chuckled. “Guess I gotta keep up with the times too.”
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The finance staff suddenly remembered something and handed over some extra bills. “Almost forgot. The lead actor’s agent personally added a ten percent bonus for you and Alaric (the original actor for Zeph Neal). Here.”
That was hush money. Tasha and Alaric had to keep quiet about Stuart’s last–minute role swap. Even if they didn’t get a dime, Tasha and Alaric would still keep their mouths shut. ==In the entertainment biz, right and wrong were measured by one thing only: status. As long as their brains were intact, no small–time actors were gonna shoot their mouths off.
Add the 500 bucks, and it was 550 in total. That amount wouldn’t even buy a thread off Stuart’s or his agent’s shoe. But for Tasha, it was a fortune.
She stuffed the cash into her pocket, thanked the finance staff, and left the set.
Tasha found a quiet corner, plopped down on a bench. The metal bench was warm from the evening sun, pretty comfy to sit
- on.
She pulled out a stack of bills from the hidden pocket in her backpack. The denominations ranged from one dollar to a hundred, totaling around 400 dollars.
This was all the savings Tasha had accumulated in the two months since her time travel. Extras didn’t get gigs every day, and Tasha had to stuff herself to gain weight, spending more than the average extras.
One guest actor gig brought back all the sweat and savings from two months of hard work.
Tasha started planning how to spend the 930 dollars. First up, she gotta get a smartphone–no phone, no go these days. Then some winter clothes, ‘cause September’s around the corner and winter’s gonna hit fast. Makeup too–no makeup auditions? Tasha ain’t there yet.
‘Money, money, money. Spend it like water, earn it like a beggar. Tasha sighed, stashing the cash in the hidden pocket of her backpack.
Her knees hurt even more now. The rough denim of her jeans rubbed against her wounds, so she tugged at the fabric to minimize the friction,
‘Need to buy some ointment too, Tasha thought silently.
After her time travel, Tasha had been super proactive, jumping on stuff as soon as she thought of it. She rested a bit, then geared up to buy a phone.
It was evening by now, the sky tinged with blood–red clouds. As Tasha indulged in the scenery, savoring the sky and the hues of the sunset. But as she was about to leave, she noticed a tiny black dot in the distance.
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She blinked, and sure enough, it wasn’t a dot–it was a person.
The figure seemed to be near Lake Echoing–the biggest man–made lake in Ironwood, usually packed with tourists on weekends. The lake was close to Ironwood Studios, so actors often came to practice lines or sing by the water, hence the
name.
It was a weekday, and now, during the evening rush hour, the area around Lake Echoing was unusually quiet. At least for the moment, the lakeside was occupied only by that tiny black dot.
Tasha initially thought the person might be some vocal artist practicing, but upon closer look, her eyelids twitched.
The person wasn’t just standing by the lake–he was already in it!
Tasha quickly grabbed her backpack and dashed over.
The man was still in the shallow water, moving slowly, his steps unsteady, like he was sleepwalking. But Tasha was too far away to stop him before he reached the deep end.
She didn’t shout, just sprinted silently. First, there was no one closer than her around. Second, she was afraid her shout might spook him into moving faster.
Her body was in poor shape; even though she had lost weight, she hadn’t improved her fitness. After just a few dozen steps, her throat and lungs felt like shards of glass had been ground into them. Every breath was torture.
She had to stop, cursing inwardly, ‘If only I had a phone! If I had one, I could call the staff of the lake, or even the film studio, and ask for help. Damn it! No matter if I could save this guy today, I’m definitely getting a phone!‘
With this thought, Tasha called out, “System! System!”
But system 103 didn’t respond, like it was dead.
She called again, still no response.
Tasha figured it out with just a little mental effort. Besides the pain in her lungs, her forehead was starting to hurt too, from frustration.
She had to say, “Alright! I love hearing you talk, I really do. You can talk as much as you want from now on. Okay? Now get out here!”
Only then did System 103 respond, slow as ever, “What is it?”
“Adrenaline, or whatever hormone that could make me run faster to the lake,” Tasha urged.
“You have no redeemable weight left, and I am under no obligation to assist you for someone else’s life,” System 103 said in a flat, distinctly inhuman tone.
Tasha could tell that it really didn’t think much of a life lost.
Her eyes turned cold. She wasn’t a saint, but compared to System 103’s indifference to death, she felt like she was glowing with sanctity.
The standoff between her and the system lasted for about ten seconds. Tasha glanced at the lake–the water had already reached the man’s chest.
She suddenly said, “There are cameras around here.”
“Huh?” System 103’s tone finally showed a bit of curiosity.
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Tasha spoke quickly, panting between words. “The first time you met me, you mentioned ‘main quest! I never asked what
that was.”
“I thought you forgot,” System 103 said coldly.
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“I didn’t,” Tasha replied quickly. “Not only did I not forget, but I know you don’t want it to fail. Because you’re a perfectionist, and you don’t want any failed mission records.”
“What does that have to do with our current conversation?” System 103 asked casually.
“There are cameras around here. If I just stand here and watch that guy die without doing anything–it might not be illegal, but it’ll definitely cause a stir. Once I gain some fame, someday people might dig this up and say, ‘Look, that’s the heartless Tasha who watched someone die!“”
Without waiting for System 103 to respond, she continued quickly, “You approached me, exchanged intelligence for me, exchanged beauty, and even cared about my health. All positive help.
“Given your attitude towards me, this can’t be out of kindness, it must be for your mission. So, I don’t think you’d let me get stained with unnecessary blemishes, right?”
Her palms were already sweaty. She had no chips to bargain with the system, and she could only take a gamble and spill her guesses from these days. Talking emotions, justice, or humanitarianism with an AI was the dumbest thing–only interests would work.
Tasha continued, “It’s not hard for you to adjust some hormones, right? Compared to the potential risks, this is no big deal.”
She had bet right. In a few seconds, she felt all the discomfort disappear, and that familiar sickening relaxation returned to her body. False, but it worked for now.
“Thanks,” Tasha forced a smile and then sprinted towards the lake.
The tug–of–war with the system had delayed her a bit. By now, the person in the lake had already walked into the deep area, with water up to his neck.
Tasha dashed to the lakeside, feeling the lingering effects of the hormones. Hesitating for a moment, she plopped into the
water.
The person in the lake heard the sound and instinctively turned his head–a slight move that was disastrous at this moment. He lost balance and slipped into the water. Instantly, his head was submerged.
Tasha cursed under her breath and swam towards him with all her strength.
Before she time–traveled, she had done quite a few water scenes, like some classic funny movie scenes: the male lead sunbathing on the beach, fantasizing about seeing curvy bikini babes playing in the waves.
Just then, a splash of water sounded, and the male lead excitedly looked up, only to see a fat, googly–eyed woman in the waves. “Oh, handsome, come play…”
This kind of lowbrow humor and contrast was a staple in many low–budget comedies. Tasha had done at least a dozen of these scenes. For safety, she naturally had to learn to swim. Otherwise, if she drowned, no one on set could save her.
Of course, Tasha was clumsy and had choked on water or been scolded by her coach before she learned the basic dog paddle. But it was enough for a stagnant man–made lake.
After an entire lifetime, there was bound to be some awkwardness in her movements. But soon, the familiarity returned.
She quickly approached the would–be suicide.
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Up close, she realized the person was a girl. Her black semi–long hair floated in the water like seaweed or a sea urchin.
Thank God it was a girl. Tasha breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Girls were lighter. If it had been a burly man, Tasha might have had to call for the System to cheat again.
One foot, one foot, finally, Tasha swam to the girl. The would–be suicide clearly couldn’t swim and had already started. blowing bubbles.
Tasha grabbed her and yanked her towards herself.
To her shock, the girl didn’t move.
So heavy?!‘ Tasha gritted her teeth and swam to the girl’s back, preventing the girl from grabbing onto her in confusion and dragging them both down.
Lake Echoing wasn’t deep, and the water was so still it barely stirred at all. Plus, this would–be suicide was surprisingly cooperative. Tasha managed to drag her out with a lot of effort.
She laid the would–be suicide on the lakeside, not even bothering to pull the girl’s long legs out of the water, and just collapsed on the ground.
She was exhausted. After the hormones wore off, double the fatigue hit her.
If she wasn’t all wet and the lake stones weren’t so cold and hard, Tasha would’ve passed out right there.
She was cold and wet, her teeth chattering, feeling nauseous. Her lungs felt like they were about to burst, her limbs were sore and weak, and her knees hurt even more after being soaked in water–it was all too much, and Tasha felt like she was at her limit.
“Wait, the would–be suicide is a bit too quiet, isn’t she?‘ Alarm bells rang in Tasha’s head. ‘What if she took pills before jumping in? Then all my effort would’ve been for nothing! Pulling out a dead body? That’d be a real punch in the gut.
Tasha leaned over the would–be suicide, checking her breath first. Luckily, still breathing.
When she saw the girl’s face, Tasha was momentarily stunned.
No surprise there–the would–be suicide was stunningly beautiful.
Her features were perfect, her skin as smooth as milk, flawless. A straight nose, full lips. Even though she was unconscious, so her beauty was somewhat hidden, those long, drooping eyelashes hinted at how beautiful her eyes must be.
Even being used to the good–looking crowd in the entertainment industry, Tasha was momentarily dazzled by her beauty.
Such a beautiful girl choosing to end her life–Tasha shook her head. She guessed the girl might be a newbie in the entertainment industry, overwhelmed by the pressure.
The sleeping beauty was still out cold, so Tasha bent down to clean the mud from her nose and mouth. Luckily, Lake Echoing was cleaned daily, so the water was pretty clean, and there wasn’t much gunk in the girl’s nose and mouth.
Finishing, Tasha recalled some lifesaving tips she’d read in a health newsletter at Polly’s shop and tried to give the girl CPR.
They were both girls, so no awkwardness there. Besides, saving lives was a universal thing.
Just as Tasha’s lips were 2 inches away, the girl’s thick eyelashes suddenly fluttered.
Tasha paused. In that moment, those closed eyes suddenly opened.
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Her eyes were stunning blue, like the vast sky, exuding astonishing beauty. Tasha was momentarily taken aback by them.
Then, the beauty pushed Tasha away, sat up, and turned her head to spit out a few mouthfuls of water.
Tasha slumped to the side, letting out a sigh of relief. Thank God she’s okay. At least I didn’t save a dead body.
Once she made sure the rescue was successful, Tasha’s morals took a backseat as she started calculating the benefits she could gain from this.
No hesitation, nor ulterior motives when saving someone, but when realizing the rescued person might be useful, she wouldn’t hesitate to exploit them. That was Tasha.
Judging by the sleeping beauty’s looks, she was definitely not a nobody and might be the ace of some idol company’s girl group in the making.
A life–saving favor was never to be neglected. Even if the sleeping beauty herself didn’t acknowledge it, her company would have to. That could be a connection for Tasha.
Too bad idol paths didn’t align with her positioning.
‘Anyway, I might not become a girl group member. But some money would do too. I can’t have gone through all that for nothing. Tasha silently calculated. Overwhelming fatigue hit her, gradually dispersing her tightly–wound rationality.
After the sleeping beauty finished coughing up water, she finally had time to check out who the busybody was that saved her.
Tasha was so sleepy she was about to doze off.
The sleeping beauty leaned down, examining Tasha from head to toe.
Tasha felt the gaze, opened her mouth to say something.
To her surprise, the sleeping beauty beat Tasha to the punch, dropping a bombshell. “Tasha? It’s you?”
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