Leo stared at his steering wheel for a full three minutes after hanging up—convinced Nicky's twisted logic had short-circuited his brain. How did "infamy is still fame" almost make sense? He shook his head, deciding to table the "black or red" debate and focus on something more urgent. He called her back.
"So you're seriously going to do assistant work at a mortuary tomorrow?" Leo's voice was laced with disbelief. "You're taking hate comments literally? What brand would ever want to work with you after this?"
He could hear Nicky taking a sip of water on the other end, her voice eerily calm. "Staying alive is the priority right now. Who has time to worry about endorsements? Besides, it's not like no one will ever work with me again. Think of it as expanding our business scope. We're bridging the gap between life and death. How unique."
Leo was speechless. After a long pause, the sound of a door opening came through the phone. "You're going out this late?" Nicky asked casually.
"I'm going to buy heartburn meds," Leo replied, his voice dripping with resigned gloom. "Dealing with you requires chemical assistance."
"Smart move," Nicky said, sounding approving.
Leo gave up on reasoning with her—it was utterly pointless. Before hanging up, he relayed Ms. Hayes's message: "Ms. Hayes said if you really go to the mortuary, the company will stop arranging any work for you. You'll be on your own." He paused, then added, "She didn't suggest you use your looks to find a shortcut. Not because she's afraid to, but because she's afraid of how unhinged you are. Nobody can predict what you'll do."
"I thought it was something serious," Nicky scoffed. "You've got to think bigger. Life is all about improvising. Besides, instead of complaining, just bury the resentment. Overthinking is useless. Just do the work."
The statement was bizarre, yet it strangely soothed Leo's frayed nerves. Standing outside the pharmacy, he added, "According to the contract, I'm still your exclusive agent for three more months."
"Plenty of time," Nicky replied, confident and curt, before hanging up.
Leo took a deep breath and pushed the pharmacy door open. "Two bottles of your strongest heartburn meds, please." He had a feeling he'd need them multiple times over the next three months.
On her end, Nicky hung up and leaned back on the motel couch, thoughtful. Leo was actually pretty reliable. Thanks to the original owner's habit of paying for an exclusive agent, Leo was still hers for three more months under the Spark contract. She mused that if these three months went well, she might just poach him for herself after paying off the debt.
"Getting ahead of myself. I only have 6 days of lifespan left." Nicky patted her cheeks and addressed the air. "Xiao Wu, how much heat is needed to adjust the exchange rate?"
"Hello, Host. The first adjustment requires 200,000 heat points. Your current available heat is sufficient."
"Then do it. Change the cash ratio to 1:2. Put the remaining heat into lifespan."
"Processing… Cash exchange rate adjusted to 1:2. Current remaining lifespan: 6 days, 9 hours."
With the system handled, Nicky focused on resting—she had a special skill: emptying her mind and falling asleep in ten seconds. For her, sleeping was also consuming lifespan; every second counted.
She slept soundly. The next morning, she first extended her motel stay for another day, then reheated the leftover lobster and steak for breakfast. Just as she finished, Leo called. She grabbed her bag, went downstairs, and slid into the passenger seat.
As soon as the car started, Leo switched into agent mode, a small notebook in hand. "Nicky, you need to post a preview on TikTok before every stream. Build hype so fans know when to tune in. Also, do you have a plan for future content? Maybe a list? Like, since you're strong, the warehouse stream did well. We could do a series on manual labor—storage, logistics, that kind of thing."
Nicky raised an eyebrow, nodding with approval. "Looks like the heartburn meds are boosting your IQ."
Ignoring her jab, Leo continued, "I checked. Mortuary assistant work requires pre-registration and basic training. I've already contacted the supervisor for you. You can go tomorrow." He paused, a note of uncertainty in his voice. "You… you're sure you don't want to back out?"
"Back out of what?" Nicky looked out the window. "Free clout is free clout. Besides, trying a new job gives us fresh content. Beats washing dishes every day."
Looking at Nicky's calm profile, Leo suddenly wondered if her craziness wasn't insanity, but a survival strategy forged in desperation. He gripped the steering wheel tighter, that thrill of gambling on something wild surging through him again. Maybe, just maybe, following this utterly ridiculous artist would lead somewhere extraordinary.