Darkstone Code

The golden horseshoe reflected a very special glow under the lights.

Unlike other metals that reflect dazzling light, the light reflected by gold gives a sense of stability, making one feel it's reliable and unconsciously want to draw near.

The Horseshoe Cinema, or known as Western Cinema.

In Laridemo, this cinema has almost become the premiere venue for all westerns, cowboy films, and adventure action films.

It is said that the first cowboy movie in the history of the Federation was screened here.

At that time, this cowboy film caused a massive sensation, directly reviving the cinema that was on the brink of bankruptcy. To thank that movie for saving this cinema and to commemorate its pioneering creation of a new genre and era, the cinema was renamed Western Cinema, and used the beloved item of the first cowboy movie's protagonist as its symbol.

A horseshoe, which is also why people would call it the "Horseshoe Cinema" or "Hoof Cinema," not everyone knows it is actually called "Western Cinema."

On the cinema's front door, there is a gold-plated horseshoe, which is said to have been targeted by thieves and robbers with files and carving knives in the middle of the night, becoming famous across the Federation.

Of course, people also came to know that it only has a thin layer of gold plating on the surface, and even if one were to remove the entire horseshoe, the gold on its surface might be worth less than the metal itself.

Gradually, fewer people had any designs on it, though perhaps because it was electrically charged had something to do with it.

To avoid constantly repairing this cinema's symbol, the cinema's owner connected it to a safe voltage, which could cause pain and numbness but not death, while also arranging for people to guard it around the clock.

At this moment, outside the Western Cinema, it was packed with people. Reporters from various media had already blocked the area, not to mention the movie fans who came specifically for the event and the fans paid to be there as part of their job.

It's somewhat embarrassing to say, but it's one way of life in Laridemo. There are many fan groups locally, and these fan groups are not dedicated to a particular star or a few stars, but are actually semi-professional workers.

When a premiere needs some fans to boost the public's sense of expectation, someone would contact them.

This practice is quite common, as not every film can attract many fans, and not all movie star fans live in Laridemo.

There are more industry practitioners here, but as for movie fans, apart from tourists, there aren't too many.

Each appearance of heavyweight practitioners led professional fans to scream and cheer continuously. They seemed to be inexhaustibly excited at every moment, prompting some genuine fans to join them in shouting. The atmosphere on-site was particularly enthusiastic.

When a stretched limousine stopped at the start of the red carpet and when its door opened, the flashlights almost blinded everyone!

Lynch got out of the car. He stood by the car door, one hand shielding the top of the door while extending his forearm.

An exquisitely manicured hand stretched out from inside the car, placed on Lynch's forearm, followed by a pair of bright red high-heel shoes stepping onto the ground, quickening the pace of the flashing lights—thanks to the advancement of industry and technology, pre-packaged magnesium flashbulbs were invented, allowing them to be installed and used more easily and quickly, solving many hassles for the reporter friends.

Subsequently, a young girl bent over, one hand on her chest covering the neckline, coming out of the car.

A beautiful girl, and the professional fans once again started screaming. Their fervor was like that of real fans, with some struggling to raise autograph boards and trying to move forward. The atmosphere almost reached a climax now!

Although Lynch was not an actor, he was still quite popular in the circle.

Handsome, young, wealthy, with broader popularity than stars, and having more influence than stars, he was a celebrity without being a star.

Meanwhile, the girl standing beside him was the one who had accompanied him to a previous premiere.

The girl's agency was invited again, with the girl being their main promoted young actress naturally becoming focus. Regardless of the cost to arrange the girl beside Lynch, Lynch didn't resent such an arrangement.

At least he had interacted with the girl before and didn't dislike beautiful girls.

"Thank you!" the girl elegantly expressed her gratitude for Lynch's gentlemanly act. She stood next to Lynch, adjusted her long dress, and walked the red carpet alongside him.

The crowd's screams, cheers, and her name, these calls and shouts intertwined into one.

She tried her best to maintain her most perfect side to face anyone, including the reporters, which made her somewhat intoxicating.

Having just turned eighteen after her birthday, the girl found it hard to refuse everything here. Everyone might have had this dream: being the center of the world, having the whole world revolve around oneself.

At this moment, the girl seemed to be the core of the world, with everyone revolving around her for publicity.

"You're walking a bit slow..." Immersed in her own world, the girl was suddenly interrupted by a sentence. She turned to look at Lynch beside her, her face still somewhat bewildered.

Lynch slightly quickened his pace, "We should move faster, the flashing lights are too dazzling..."

Lynch's power might not be very strong, but compared to the girl, it was still irresistible. The girl had to match his speed to ensure she didn't embarrass herself, but this was completely different from what her agent had instructed her.

To make her a female partner for Lynch again at this premiere, her agency had paid a significant price. Naturally, they hoped that after contributing so much, they could gain sufficient returns. Walking a bit slower on the red carpet was one of them.

With Lynch here, no security guard would come running to tell them someone else was waiting for them, that their time was up. People would only smile and offer them compliments and blessings.

But of all the calculations, Lynch himself was not taken into account.

Watching the suddenly accelerated Lynch and the girl, the agent, who was indulging just a second ago, was dumbfounded. The originally planned three, five, seven, or eight minutes on the red carpet were halfway through.

If nothing was done, they might finish it in a minute!

She grabbed the autograph board from a fan who was resting beside her and squeezed ahead, shouting loudly when she reached a spot not far from the girl, "Can I have an autograph? I'm your loyal fan..."

The girl, at a loss, heard the familiar voice and immediately turned back with surprise. She glanced at her agent and then stopped walking.

The sudden stopping force on her arm made Lynch pause too. The girl bit her lip lightly, looking at Lynch with the pitiable eyes of a girl yearning for a candy, making it hard to refuse.

Lynch released her arm, and a radiant smile surfaced on the girl's clean face. People gasped softly because of the dazzling smile of the girl.

"You're so smart, how did you come up with this idea?" the girl asked while giving her agent an autograph.

The agent, a woman in her thirties, dressed in a very neutral manner, lowered her head and chuckled bitterly, "What else could I do? If I didn't come over, you would have reached the end!"

"Can you negotiate with him to slow down?" the agent asked quietly. The girl shook her head, and the agent started thinking of other ways, "Then sign more autographs for the fans..."

The girl nodded subtly, just preparing to reach for another autograph board, but Lynch stopped her.

He apologized to the fans, real or not, with a somewhat regretful expression, "Sorry, there are more people waiting behind, please forgive us for not being able to stay too long, hope you understand."

With a gentle tone, a clean smile, and a handsome face, people hesitated but all withdrew their hands.

The girl looked despairingly at her agent, her agent looked back at her with equal despair, watching as the girl re-linked her arm with Lynch's, watching them walking the red carpet faster than most!

As they entered the cinema, Lynch glanced at the girl beside him and said softly, "People like you not because you appear in more photos on the newspaper, or more articles related to you, but because you did something worthy of their admiration. But I believe lingering on the red carpet isn't one of those things."

The girl's expression was somewhat desperate. This scoundrel was different from all the men she had met before, not gentleman-like at all, but the criticism wasn't over.

After leaving their names on the sign-in book, Lynch continued, "I noticed your handwriting is quite ugly. As a public figure, you need to set an example that you should, it's also a kind of responsibility."

"Society pays attention to you, hoping you bring something positive to everyone, this is also something you should demonstrate. You should practice your handwriting more when you get the chance, even if it's just your signature."

The less intense lighting allowed the girl to well conceal the shame and embarrassment on her face. Now she didn't want to say anything, just hoped for the premiere to end quickly.

Next time, next time, she absolutely wouldn't be Lynch's female partner again; this man is a nutcase.

The agent and agency were also worried about Lynch taking advantage of her, privately, nervously to death, even purposefully giving a crash course on how to deal with harassment.

Some even said if Lynch really showed some sort of interest, it might not be impossible for the girl to date Lynch, even just holding hands.

The age of the two was suitable, even if it's destined to break up from the start, it could wholly add some character setting for the girl.

But these people were completely wishful thinking, almost blind with craziness; the girl wanted to ask Lynch, "Are you a damn homosexual?"