"What case?" they asked curiously.
Hardy handed them the report letter about the director’s abuse and rape during filming. After reading it, they said, "It’s been more than six months. All evidences are likely gone, making it hard to convict the director of rape."
Hardy laughed, "There is no need to send him to jail. Just make it known. Find the whistle blower and help her sue. It would be best if there is evidence, but it doesn’t matter if there is no evidence. we just need to show the union’s determination to protect its members.
"What I want after this ordeal is that as a public figure, he won’t be able to show his face in Hollywood again."
"In that case, it’s easy. For sexual assault cases, women have full rights to sue anytime. We can take the case, and even if we can’t convict him due to a lack of evidence, we can torment him for a year or two.
"That’s enough. This business is commissioned by the actors union, and the fee won’t be small," Hardy said with a smile.
They both laughed together.
Hardy is the big boss, and they also get a share of the earnings.
G. Vagna is the owner of a small talent agency. There are countless such agencies in Hollywood, possibly thousands.
These agents often have some connections, such as knowing a mid level executive at a film company or a director. They sign new talents, some of whom they train, while others are pushed directly into opportunities.
Using their connections, they find opportunities for their signed artists. If successful, the artists value skyrockets, and the agents either sell them off for a profit or continue to nurture them, waiting to sell them at an even higher value.
Many big stars in film companies have risen to fame this way.
The above scenario is actually quite lucky because it means the actor has a chance to succeed after some sacrifices. However, some talent agencies are complete scams.
Agents deceive newcomers into signing contracts that are practically indentured servitude. After signing, these newcomers are controlled by the agents, sometimes through sweet talk and other times through threats and violence, forcing them to comply.
Luna and her roommate are just two of the countless girls in such situations.
A car from the agent was parked downstairs. When Luna opened the door to her room, she saw the agent with a somewhat apprehensive look.
"Luna, hurry up and get ready. Make yourself look nice. There’s a deputy director from a big company looking for an actress. It’s not easy for me to get you this audition," Vagna said.
Luna pursed her lips, showing a trace of defiance.
"I don’t want to go."
Vagna’s expression darkened as he walked over to Luna, towering over her, "Are you refusing?"
Luna was very scared but mustered up the courage to say, "I know this isn’t really an audition. You’re just sending us out like whores for money. I came here to be an actress, not a prostitute."
Vagna’s face was twisted with anger. He grabbed Luna’s hair and snarled, "What do you think you are? You are a whore."
"If you want to succeed, you have to pay the price. Do you think you can come to Hollywood and become a star just like that? Stop dreaming."
"Then I want to leave," Luna said, struggling to keep her head up.
"Leave? Sure, pay the penalty fee, $50,000. Can you afford that? If you can, I’ll let you go. Otherwise, I’ll sue you, and you’ll be in debt for who knows how many years. How many years will it take to repay that debt? Ha ha ha."
The average annual salary is just over $2,000. For an average person, it would take 20 years to pay off without spending a cent. How many 20 years does one have?
Vagna grabbed Luna’s chin with his other hand, gritting his teeth, "I don’t want to hurt your face. The clients won’t like that. Now, be a good girl and change your clothes."
Terrified, Luna started to change clothes, trembling.
An hour later, Luna was taken to a hotel. In the room, she saw a fat old man who pulled her onto the bed with a grin.
At that moment, the door suddenly burst open.
A group of people rushed in, some of them holding cameras. Thɪs chapter is updated by n0velfire.net
The fat man, now naked, was terrified and quickly wrapped himself in a towel, shouting at the intruders, "Who are you? What do you want?"
"Police. You are under suspicion of forcing women into sexual activities. Come with us for an investigation," someone said, showing a police badge.
"Ah! Police!" The fat man was dumbfounded.
Next, Vagna was also apprehended by the police and taken in for questioning. Luna, her roommate, and five other girls from Vagna’s agency were all brought to the police station for questioning.
At the police station, a few lawyers appeared. They approached the girls and asked, "Are any of you members of the Actors’ Guild?"
Luna and her roommate quickly stood up and said, "We are members of the Actors’ Guild."
John Mackenzie smiled at the two girls and said, "We are lawyers hired by the Actors Guild. As members, your rights have been violated, and we are here to help you. We will help you file a lawsuit."
One of the other five girls asked, "What about us? We were also harmed. Can you help us too?"
Mackenzie shook his head, "Sorry, we are only hired by the Actors Guild to help its members."
The investigation was not complicated. The seven girls collectively accused Vagna. He was detained by the police, and a lengthy lawsuit and prison sentence awaited him.
During this time, the lawyers would protect Luna and the other members rights, help them nullify unfair contracts, and seek compensation and damages.
As for the other five girls, they would need to hire their own lawyers since they were not Guild members.
The next day, the Global Times detailed the incident in their report.
As it is still in its infancy, The Global Times is only accessible in certain locations, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Las Vegas.
Even though it’s still a little local newspaper, Hardy has no plans to rush things. All that counts is that it gets off the ground.
Every industry takes time to develop. As long as there’s enough funding, the Global Times will grow quickly.