Chapter 38: Everyone Erupts! All Sides Descend into Chaos, and Huayue Terminates the Contract! Reward: Detective Chinatown!

"This kid..." In the CEO's office of Kiwi Video, Wang Gang looked at Lü Ming on the screen, temporarily at a loss for words to express his feelings. "He... he is just fantastic!"

Bang!

The secretary rushed into the office in a panic, her high heels even slipping off in her haste. She reported with trepidation, "Mr. Wang, the live broadcast has descended into absolute chaos. We just got word that the boss of the installment loan company attempted suicide and has been rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. Things are completely out of hand over at the Jiangjiang TV Station as well. Shouldn't we take action?"

"Action?" Wang Gang remained entirely calm. "The title sponsorship was secured by Jiangjiang TV. What does that have to do with us?"

"The action we should take right now is to immediately buy sponsored articles to blow this incident up to maximum popularity—ideally making sure every single person in the country knows about it!"

"Huh?" The secretary was bewildered.

Her boss's train of thought was much too bizarre. Wasn't he afraid of taking the blame?!

Just as she was about to remind him again, Wang Gang's phone rang. Gangzi immediately made a silencing gesture, then pressed the answer button.

A roar came from the other end of the line: "Gangzi!"

"Look at the fine mess you've caused! That damned washed-up celebrity is simply a troublemaker, a plague god!"

"That's twice now! No matter how wealthy our TV station is, we can't afford to be squandered like this by him. Do you know how much the liquidated damages for this exclusive sponsorship are? Five billion! Five billion!!"

"Calm down, calm down." Wang Gang unhurriedly lit a cigar, exuding elegance. "You're about to take the top spot in the industry. What we should be doing right now is throwing a victory banquet for your promotion to number one, instead of dwelling on these meaningless matters."

"Calm down your grandmother's hammer! That's five billion in liquidated damages! That's the station's profits for the past ten years down the drain, and you're still talking about being industry number one? I've busted my ass for half a lifetime, only to end up with nothing, and now I can't even keep my job!"

"It's all over!!"

The sound of the station director weeping pathetically came from the other end.

"Idol, you've already been sold out to the point where even your skin is gone, yet you still can't see the situation clearly?" Gangzi sneered. "How on earth did a brain like yours get you into that position?"

The station director: "??!"

"Explain yourself!"

"That installment loan company approached us for a partnership earlier, offering one billion for the exclusive sponsorship! Plenty of people wanted a piece of that meat, but I overrode all objections and directly rejected it. Because of this, there were plenty of voices in the board of directors trying to impeach me. But how did it turn out in the end? Didn't I still sit firmly in this position, and now I'm even leading the entire platform straight to prosperity?"

The station director was left dumbfounded.

Although internet companies had risen and taken over the mainstream, the dominance of traditional physical TV stations in the entertainment industry was a thing of the past, leaving them no choice but to focus on less costly variety show tracks. Even so, the quotes from the same financial backer shouldn't have had such a massive discrepancy.

More importantly, a sponsorship of one billion had never appeared in the entire industry. To have such a fat piece of meat delivered right to one's mouth and refuse to open up—wasn't that pure brain damage?

"What do you mean?"

"Heh, it just means that washed-up celebrity didn't care about his life and stepped forward to poke a hole in the window paper. In a sense, he saved your life! We all owe him a favor, otherwise, when the truth came to light and the TV station publicly promoted usury, do you think your luck is strong enough to survive that?"

The station director protested, unconvinced: "It's not like we didn't do a background check! Everything was fully compliant!"

"Sometimes, temporary safety doesn't mean permanent safety. As long as hidden dangers remain, it's equivalent to burying a landmine under your feet. If no one sets it off, you'll be fine for three to five years. But once the truth comes out, it's an absolute catastrophe!"

"My good brother, you've got a lot to learn!"

The station director on the other end felt as though a basin of ice water had been poured over him, his heart instantly turning cold.

"Then what about the liquidated damages?"

"Who lit the fire?"

"The... the washed-up celebrity?!"

"Then do you think their chances of winning a lawsuit against Huayue are higher, or their chances of winning against you?" Gangzi sneered. "Like I said, return the principal in full, and this wave of traffic might just sustain you to death!"

The station director suddenly saw the light and exclaimed in pleasant surprise: "That washed-up celebrity is a great man!"

"No, he's a candle." Gangzi sighed with emotion. "In all my years in the industry, I've never seen such a selfless artist—burning himself to illuminate the world!"

The station director was amused as well: "If Huayue blacklists him, I'll definitely have to give him a hand!"

"Probably soon. In Huayue's eyes, he's a disaster star, but in our eyes, he's a walking God of Wealth!" Gangzi's eyes were full of appreciation for a genius.

...

Huayue Headquarters.

"Bastard! Does that damned washed-up celebrity even know what he's doing? He's trying to destroy the entire company!" After listening to the secretary's report, CEO Pei Siqian couldn't catch his breath, and his long-standing myocardial infarction flared up on the spot.

The secretary was terrified: "I'll call an ambulance for you!"

"No... no need, an ambulance can't save my life!" Pei Siqian's face was twisted in a hideous expression. "Only when that washed-up celebrity dies can I live!"

"Draft a unilateral termination agreement immediately, and bring it over for me to stamp and sign!"

Stricken with angina from sheer anger, he clutched his chest as he spoke, breathing heavily.

"But Mr. Pei, Cocktail is suing us for one billion in liquidated damages, and the case is already in trial. If we fire the washed-up celebrity, in terms of liability..."

"We're at death's door, do you have time to mess around with a washed-up celebrity?! What did he do? He offended the entire online lending industry! Do you know how much power those people have behind the scenes, how complicated their connections are? It would take just one word from them to make me step down!"

"Hurry and go!!"

Scared out of her wits, the secretary scurried off to handle it.

A short while later, when she returned to the office with a drafted contract, she found Mr. Pei slumped motionless on the floor, looking as though he had already passed away for a while now.

The secretary shrieked in horror: "Mr. Pei!!"

"Someone come quick, call an ambulance! Something's happened to Mr. Pei!"

"Bring... bring it here!" Hearing the commotion, the dying Mr. Pei mustered his last breath, braced himself against the floor, and sat upright.

Looking in disbelief at the pale-faced Mr. Pei, the secretary tremblingly handed over the contract and a ballpoint pen. After signing his name in the blank space, Mr. Pei pulled the official seal from his pocket and stamped it down heavily. Only then did he stare at her like a starving wolf, his eyes rolling back:

"Post it on the official website... issue the announcement!"

The secretary nodded like pounding garlic.

Seeing this, Mr. Pei finally felt a sense of relief. It was as if he had finally settled a heavy burden on his mind; his neck slumped to one side, and he passed out cold.

...

Meanwhile.

The Kiwi live-streaming room.

[I borrowed twenty thousand, I'm making a killing!]

[I borrowed ten thousand!]

[Why are your limits all so high? I only got three thousand, I'm crying with envy!]

[Three thousand isn't bad, bro. My sesame score on the platform next door is 750, and they only gave me a limit of 500—and it's lower than my sesame score! Who on earth does this crappy usury think it's looking down on?!]

[I'm an unemployed vagrant, never used any online loans in my life. I checked my limit just now and they actually approved a full hundred thousand, and it arrived instantly. Damn, I haven't seen this much money in half a lifetime. Thank you, washed-up celebrity, you are my second-chance parents!]

[Holy cow! The washed-up celebrity is securing benefits for the family, bro, you just got rich on the spot, is that even allowed?]

[Now you know my washed-up celebrity brother is genuinely securing benefits for the family? Everyone who cursed my washed-up celebrity brother before, apologize right now!]

[I'm sorry, Celebrity Brother, I was wrong!]

[I'm a Meggan; I used to hate the washed-up celebrity to the bone, but now I love him deeply. From now on, I am a hardcore, loyal-only fan of the washed-up celebrity. Let's protect the best Celebrity Brother together!]

[I'm a Ming-hater. I swear in the live-streaming room: I will never say another bad word about the washed-up celebrity on the internet, nor curse him with a single dirty word. From now on, I will care for the washed-up celebrity, protect him, follow him, and deeply love him. If anyone dares to curse the washed-up celebrity, curse me first, okay?!]

[Fans making idols rich is only natural, but idols making fans rich? The washed-up celebrity definitely deserves to be called the absolute first in the history of mainland entertainment!]

[Standing before you right now is an overlord of loans in the eyes of fans, a grandmaster of loans in the eyes of peers, a peerless prodigy of loans in the eyes of exes, the almighty loan of the entire entertainment circle!]

[A genius!!]

[The star with seemingly the least moral sense turns out to be the only one in the entire entertainment circle who remembers the poor brothers when he gets a windfall. Everyone else gave up on you, but you truly treat everyone like family!]

[If an idol like this doesn't count as the light of the fandom, what does?]

[Thinking about how often I used to insult the washed-up celebrity on the internet, I couldn't help but slap myself across the face. I really am not a human being!]

[... insane!]

Bullet comments flooded the entire live-streaming room, exceptionally lively. Millions of netizens enthusiastically shared the benefits they had reaped, and every single beneficiary praised Lü Ming to high heaven without reservation.

Some haters who failed to grab a piece of the wool felt like they had missed out on a hundred million, and the fires of jealousy burned fiercely in their hearts. Unbalanced, they immediately took to the bullet comments to scold their former comrades—who had defected over a bit of "pocket change"—for having no loyalty, while simultaneously recounting Lü Ming's past misdeeds in an attempt to turn the tide of public opinion.

In the past, the Ming-haters would have united as one and voiced their support.

But having accepted favors, facing those frantic voices screaming in frustration on the screen, the get-rich faction bluntly told them not to force people to tear into them when they were happiest.

The controversy lasted only a moment before the entire live-streaming room was flooded exclusively with the purest words of praise scrolling by madly.

...

Lü Ming led the PD cameraman outside.

Just after walking a short distance, he spotted Reba walking hurriedly in the distance. Lü Ming's eyes lit up; while taking a swig from his flask, he waved at her.

To his surprise, the moment Reba caught sight of him, she reacted like a startled rabbit, swerved sharply, and bolted down another alleyway.

Lü Ming: ?

He quickly gave chase.

"Don't chase me, stop chasing me!" Reba ran into a dead end and cried out in panicked alarm, "Brother Baoqiang, where are you? The washed-up celebrity is going to tear my name tag off, help!"

"We're teammates, why would I tear your tag off?" Lü Ming paused, but looking at Reba's weak and helpless expression, a mischievous streak hit him. "Even if you scream your throat out, no one's coming to save you!"

Reba: "??!"

"You really are the mole!" With wide, alarmed eyes, she issued a nervous warning, "Let me tell you, I've been wrestling people on the grasslands since I was a kid. I've practiced martial arts!"

Lü Ming was left completely baffled. Just as he stepped close to her, Reba cunningly tried to duck under his arm and escape, but Lü Ming simply reached out and yanked her back as easily as pulling a little chick.

Reba shrieked in panic, "Ahhhh, Mole Brother, don't tear my tag, we're teammates!"

"Now we're teammates again?" Lü Ming was torn between laughter and tears. "Explain yourself. How on earth did I become the mole?"

"Aren't you the mole?" Reba blinked her pretty eyes in confusion.

Lü Ming put on a fierce expression: "If you don't explain right now, I'll finish you off!"

"Brother Chao found a clue card and showed it to all of us. It said one of the moles likes to drink alcohol!" Seeing Lü Ming reach out to grab the name tag on her back, Reba spilled everything in a second, then added with a aggrieved expression, "Brother, even if you are the mole, it doesn't affect our teammate friendship!"

"What does that prove?" Lü Ming was puzzled. "Don't you drink alcohol normally?"

"I do," Reba answered honestly.

"Then you're the mole too. Anyone who likes to drink is the mole by that logic." Lü Ming was speechless. "The clue only said the mole likes to drink. What on earth made you hold such a deep prejudice against me?"

Reba hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.

Lü Ming suddenly said with a sorrowful air, "In truth, my fondness for alcohol is just my camouflage. How I yearn for an innocent and carefree girl to walk into my inner world, see through my disguise, and comfort my battered and bruised heart."

Reba was surprised: "Really or fake?"

Lü Ming raised the flask and took a deep gulp.

[Ding! Detected that the host is drinking 'Feitian Moutai', 'Basic Acting' +30!]

"Ssss... ha..." The scalding liquor slid down his throat, bringing a burning sensation to his chest that forced a comfortable groan out of him. "Truer than real gold!"

Reba: "..."

"If you truly understood me, you'd realize I'm actually the idol in the entire entertainment circle who resists drinking the most. Acting like this is purely forced upon me by life!"

"Brother, though I'm your hostage right now, please don't insult my intelligence, okay?" Reba rolled her eyes helplessly. "Do you even believe those words yourself?"

"Sigh..." Lü Ming let out a long sigh. "And here I thought you understood me."

With a tragic look on his face, he picked up the flask and took another gulp.

[Ding! Detected that the host is mildly intoxicated, acquired the script for [Detective Chinatown]!]

Lü Ming: "Cough?!"

His movements froze, and his eyes flew wide open.

Detective Chinatown?!

This was a classic comedy masterpiece from his past life. With an investment close to a hundred million, it ultimately raked in over eight billion at the box office. Excluding theater shares, the production team achieved a return rate of up to 300%, with net profits hitting a massive three hundred million!

The explosive debut of this comedy laid a deep fan base for the subsequent Detective Chinatown spin-offs. The sequels' box office records surged all the way until the third installment became historical NO.1 in the mainland comedy sector with a mythology of 4.5 billion at the box office.

Holding this script in his hand was truly equivalent to holding the future of the entire Chinese film industry in the palm of his hand!

...

The first chapter after listing was locked, so I quickly asked the editor to unlock it. Seniors, please read on.