OBS Chapter 74 Crocodile Tears
Chapter 74 Crocodile Tears
Guided by the staff, the three boarded the innermost private observation car. The leather seats inside were spacious, and it was pitch black outside the windows, with only the overhead lights casting a dim yellow glow on the wooden walls. The sleepers under the wheels gave a sense of solidity and imposing presence.
Tino and the "old man" stood guard in the narrow corridor connecting the carriages to prevent other guests or staff from coming in and disturbing them.
Zeke pushed open the heavy soundproof door alone, and Evelyn had already arrived and taken her seat. She was dressed in a smart and neat business suit, her makeup was exquisite but she looked a little tired, and she held a slender cigarette between her fingers, but did not light it.
She sat quietly in the velvet booth, her back straight, her expression indifferent, showing none of the hysteria, crying, questioning, or frantic entanglement that Zike had anticipated.
It's unclear whether it was Neil's phone call that intimidated her, or the aura of the two people outside the door that made her sense danger.
After a brief silence, Evelyn broke the deadlock.
"Zick, I know you're a smart kid."
"That bastard Larry Harris blocked me from entering, and the Screen Actors Guild is now clearly on your side. I've tried every legal avenue—the media, the police, lawyers—but I can't get Judy back."
"So, let's stop playing cat and mouse and talk business."
Zik looked at her coldly:
"Business? Then there's nothing to talk about. Judy doesn't want to go back, that's the conclusion."
Evelyn suddenly chuckled softly, a sound tinged with bitterness and mockery.
"You must think I'm hurting her, right?" She looked up at Zeke, her gaze complex and obsessive. "Okay, maybe I am. But you don't understand, in this industry, it's often one thing. You saw that mansion, right? You think it's just a place for taking pictures? That's the ticket, Zeke."
Evelyn's ruthless and calculating remarks instantly ignited Zeke's fury.
"What a load of bull!" He took a sudden half-step forward, his knee slamming against the hard edge of the solid wood table. "What do you think you'll get in return for selling your own daughter?! Fame, fortune, resources, connections, is that it?!"
Evelyn remained unusually calm in the face of Zeke's angry rebuke.
"I know you all hate me. You must have consulted a lawyer, and you know that taking the legal route won't get you anywhere. Let me tell you, the reason the law has loopholes is because Hollywood, Wall Street, and those people in New York have hollowed it out together."
"Have you heard of the San Fernando Valley?" she suddenly changed the subject. "That's the heart of the American sex industry. And you grew up in New York, so you must know 42nd Street; that's the festering sore of the East Coast."
Zike's heart suddenly tightened. The San Fernando Valley was where he filmed his music video, and he had indeed heard of 42nd Street...
In Brooklyn, elders warn children: Don't go to Lower Manhattan, especially around Times Square. That's not a place for respectable people.
New York City was in the midst of chaos following its bankruptcy crisis, and its crime rate was already extremely high. 42nd Street, known as "The Deuce," was teeming with pickpockets, drug dealers, pimps, prostitutes, and even brothels. This area was a coveted prize fought over by Irish gangs, Jewish gangs, and the Mafia.
"That's how this industry is. Either you make the rules, or you get swallowed by them. When I got Judy into the cast of 'Taxi Driver,' some people pointed their fingers at me and cursed me, saying I was crazy and a wicked mother for letting my child play a child prostitute."
Evelyn looked pained as she recalled the past.
Zik frowned and immediately retorted, "Don't try to change things up. They're completely different. That's art, not pornography."
Evelyn turned her head sharply, her gaze becoming piercing:
"Art? Don't be naive! It's because she acted well! Because she won an award!"
"If she messes up, I'll be the bitch who pushed my daughter into the fire."
"But I won my gamble, Zeke! It was my ruthless decision that brought her to where she is today, allowing her to stand shoulder to shoulder with top directors and big-name producers, and access resources that others can only dream of!"
"But what about now? She's grown up, she's started to rebel, cut her hair short, and hangs out with you guys who play music like a tomboy."
"She thinks she's breaking free from constraints and pursuing freedom? She's practically courting death! She's handing over the cake I worked so hard to get for her!"
Zik clenched his fists, his palms aching from the pressure, his chest churning with rage: "She doesn't need any cake. She can go to school, she can do anything. Besides, she loves acting. If you care about her, why are you ruining her acting career with your own hands?"
When confronted with the questioning, Evelyn's fierceness vanished instantly, and her voice became hoarse.
"Because it's too late, it's really too late."
"Zeeker, have you heard of Brooke Shields? She's even prettier than Judy."
"Louis Malle's 'Pretty Baby' is about to be released. The core of the entire film is the subject of child prostitution, which is extremely sensational, bold, and explicit."
Her eyes were filled with urgency and fear as she spoke rapidly: "That child's parents are even more reckless and have no bottom line than I am! They're completely replicating Judy's path to fame, even going further, more daringly, and more recklessly!"
"Judy had clothes to cover her up in 'Taxi Driver,' but this Brooke Shields... she'll steal all of Judy's resources, all her directors, all her bad contracts. You don't understand the cruelty of Hollywood. There's no such thing as 'second place.' If you're one step behind, you're completely washed up and forgotten by everyone!"
Qi Ke had never heard of these names before, but he was absolutely certain that the woman in front of him had been completely distorted by the world of fame and fortune, and was now morbid and paranoid.
What kind of absurd logic is this?
All the ruthlessness, coercion, and scheming were packaged by her as a painstaking redemption.
"Stop trying to justify yourself, Evelyn. Don't you really care about your daughter at all?"
"Of course I'm heartbroken!"
Evelyn blurted it out almost without thinking.
"Zick, listen up. Those photos weren't for pornography; I'm paving the way for her! I'm going to tell all of Hollywood that Jodie Foster, the former innocent child star, has grown up. She can not only play naive children, but also handle mature, glamorous, and complex female roles!"
"If she doesn't take this step, and Brooke Shields becomes famous and dominates the market, all that's left for her are obscure B-movies that nobody cares about, and she might even be taken advantage of by those greasy, dirty old men!"
"I'm saving her! I'm pulling her back from the brink of elimination! Do you think I want to pressure her? I'm her mother! I'm more afraid of her getting hurt than anyone else, but I'm even more afraid that she'll exhaust her talent, become a washed-up child star no one wants, and end up working as a cashier in a supermarket!"
After the intense outburst, Evelyn took a deep breath, her voice softening, tears welling in her eyes:
"Zek, I admit my methods were extreme, but I really did it for her own good."
"You're a musical genius, you're talented, and you have Casablanca backing you up. But you don't understand the cruelty of Hollywood. Give Judy back to me, and I can compromise. I'll work on reducing the explicitness of those photos to ensure she's not truly harmed. I'll get her into the best university and give her the best resources."
"And you... just keep writing your songs and making your money peacefully. I'm begging you, please don't get involved in the mess of Hollywood anymore, don't ruin my daughter's future."
The carriage fell completely silent.
For a fleeting moment, Zeke almost felt himself wavering.
Evelyn seemed to be no different from herself; for Judy's future, she was also willing to take a gamble.
He had to admit that Evelyn's madness was not entirely due to malice and selfishness.
She was completely tamed by the rules of fame and fortune in Hollywood, and stubbornly believed that only in this way could she preserve her daughter's bright future.
Especially since she had won once in the past using this logic, she was convinced that she would be right again this time.
But this wavering was fleeting.
Zik immediately regained consciousness.
This is not maternal love; it is a completely distorted desire for control, a self-indulgent struggle intertwined with familial affection.
The so-called lowering of standards and providing protection are nothing but crocodile tears shed in a desperate situation, empty promises without any basis.
A mother who would risk her daughter's privacy and reputation for life has promises that are not to be trusted.
He turned his head and tapped the heavy partition door three times with his fingers.
"Knock, knock, knock."
The door opened.
Joe Paluta, the "old man" who had been waiting outside the door, slipped into the carriage like a silent ghost.
He wore a dark double-breasted overcoat with the collar turned up, completely covering his neck. A dark gray fedora was piled on his head, the brim low, casting a shadow that obscured his signature gray hair, revealing only his unusually cold eyes.
The old man didn't speak, but stood half a step behind Zeke. His hands, gloved with black leather, hung naturally at his sides, his gaze fixed on Evelyn's face.
Evelyn's expression froze instantly, and the cigarette between her fingers began to tremble.
Zik looked at her again, his tone calm:
"Evelyn, if we absolutely have to do business, I can offer you a price you can't refuse."