Chapter 44: Reactions from All Sides! Unbelievable! The "Mingtian Resi" Duo... [Requesting Monthly Votes]

[A D-list celebrity tore up Kim Jong-kook? This concept is no less shocking than me defeating heavyweight champion Mike Tyson!]

[If I hadn't seen these two tear at each other until their eyes were bloodshot, practically trying to rip each other's clothes off with every move, I would have definitely thought the production team was trying to push a D-list celebrity and custom-ordered a script just for him.]

[Who dares to call D-list celebrities useless pretty faces anymore? All those haters who said my brother is good for nothing except his looks, apologize right now!]

[I'm a Megenie, and starting today, I only have one idol, and that is D-list Gege!]

[As a three-year fan of Honey Bee, I honestly can't bring myself to hate on him anymore after seeing this. If you had told me you were this fierce earlier, why would any of us have bothered stanning Li Changfeng?]

[In the arena of nametag ripping, the D-list celebrity has truly ascended to godhood!]

[D-list celebrity, three drinks in: Kim Jong-kook is strong and burly, his arm is thicker than my calf, how am I supposed to fight him? D-list celebrity, six drinks in: My sword is not yet untried, why don't you ask him if he fears me?! D-list celebrity, nine drinks in: Let me demonstrate bare-handed tearing of Kim Jong-kook for everyone!]

[Ancient times had Wu Song getting drunk and beating a tiger; today we have Lu Ming getting drunk and slaying a god!]

[Hahaha, that is so spot on!]

[Alcohol is the essence of grain, the more you drink, the younger you stay!]

[This wine was truly worth drinking!]

The barrage of comments flooded the screen like a roaring tide. Netizens who had previously harbored dissatisfaction toward Kim Jong-kook due to the big black ox's injury were now full of praise.

Even some of Lu Ming's haters, having witnessed the entire process of Lu Ming taking on two opponents and brutally ripping off Kim Jong-kook's nametag, were left speechless. Though they didn't participate in the cheer, they tacitly acknowledged that this glorious moment belonged to the D-list celebrity.

Meanwhile.

After a brief silence, the director's team monitoring the feed from the backstage suddenly erupted like boiling wastewater.

"Did he really just save the world?!" The director jumped up from his equipment with a start, his face full of excitement: "No, how can he be this fierce?!"

"That's Kim Jong-kook..." The screenwriter also found it absurd. With years of fitness experience and holding the title of the strongest nametag-ripping powerhouse across six seasons of Running Man, he was actually brutally ripped apart by a D-list celebrity?

Just moments before, this kid's disgraceful display of passing out from drunkenness in public after getting off the Ferris wheel had made them feel they had lost all face in front of outsiders. During the subsequent nametag-ripping game, for a time no one held any expectations for him, and everyone tacitly assumed Kim Jong-kook could tear the D-list celebrity to shreds with a flick of his wrist. But in the end, this kid's little universe erupted, and right in front of viewers across the entire internet, he staged a stunning reversal.

"He suddenly charged forward just now, as agile as a leopard!"

"Winning against the strong with such a huge disparity, who could have imagined it?"

"Too fierce!"

For a moment, sounds of praise echoed back and forth from all around.

……

"Hahaha!" At Zhejiang TV, inside the station director's office, the middle-aged man who had previously been as anxious as an ant on a hot pan was now so excited he stood right on top of the thick mahogany desk, gesturing wildly: "Torn well, beautifully torn!"

"This kid really gave me a massive surprise! This reversal of his not only saved the show's reputation, but also pushed Running Man's popularity up another notch. Once the final episode is edited and cut, the hype surrounding today's live broadcast will peak at just the right time. Just how high will the broadcast ratings on television be then?"

"I wouldn't even dare to imagine!"

……

"If we didn't have the D-list celebrity today, it really might have been over!" Inside iQIYI's CEO office, Gangzi sighed with emotion, unable to hide his relief: "I really didn't misjudge this kid. This trump card of his is such a pleasant surprise!"

Such a heart-pounding reversal made even him, a CEO approaching veteran status, feel a long-absent surge of blood.

"The guest team has been completely wiped out, and the D-list celebrity whom no one favored got drunk and tore up Kim Jong-kook bare-handed. If we put this topic out there, it could easily dominate the hot search lists for at least a week, right? Judging by the current revenue growth rate, over the next week as the hype continues to brew, we can pull in a massive base of new users!"

"Choosing him as a guest star back then was truly the most correct decision I've ever made in my career!"

"Disregarding idol baggage, knowing how to create content, god-tier looks, exploding boyfriend-material aura, strength representative, and the god of nametag ripping—with so many labels pasted onto one person at the same time, if we don't sign him as a permanent cast member, will audiences instinctively think of the D-list celebrity during any future nametag-ripping segments?"

Thinking of this, even Gangzi couldn't help sighing: "Coming to record a single episode as a guest star, only to directly ascend to godhood by the end—how is that even fair?"

……

Running Man Prison.

Everyone witnessing this scene dropped their jaws in shock. Even Baby, who already had a preliminary estimate of Lu Ming's formidable physical fitness, was utterly astonished, clearly not expecting a one-against-two situation to end this way.

Watching Dilraba celebrating with Lu Ming on screen, she inexplicably felt a pang of jealousy.

Dilraba had completely hogged all the traffic this time!

"So my little brother was actually skilled in martial arts!" Wang Baoqiang caught onto the trick and said excitedly, "An explosive force like that isn't something an ordinary person can pull off. Even most professional high jumpers would find it hard to get both feet off the ground and reach that kind of height!"

"Was he really a traffic idol in the past?" Deng Chao stared with wide eyes, feeling that the fierce young man on the live broadcast screen was an absolute polar opposite of what he had heard through internet rumors before.

What were the traits of an idol?

Skinny, delicate, pretty-boy, and most importantly, handsome!

Yet the 'idol' he was seeing was as fierce as a tiger and strong as an ox. The ferocious aura he displayed when taking action made him look like a martial god. Even someone as massively built as Kim Jong-kook was brutally pinned to the ground by Lu Ming and forcibly ripped apart without any room for resistance!

Amidst his complicated emotions, Deng Chao praised with a beaming smile:

"Still, it's great that he tore him. If Kim Jong-kook had torn all of us, it definitely would have drawn away a portion of Running Man's traffic, and most importantly, none of us would have been able to save face. The D-list celebrity has basically helped everyone save face. Just for this, we've got to throw that kid a celebration banquet tonight no matter what."

"I just wonder, in his current state, can he still drink?" Deng Chao smacked his lips and said with some anticipation.

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Speaking of his love for drinking, someone like him who could run over to Chen He's house to open bottles right in the middle of the day was utterly desperate for a drinking buddy like the D-list celebrity.

Teacher Huang and Wu Qian looked at each other in dismay. Watching the D-list celebrity pull off such a major show-off right in front of them already felt extremely grating, and hearing the two men's praise now made their expressions even uglier.

"No, that Kim Jong-kook used to be like a god of war on Running Man, and now he actually got torn by a D-list celebrity!" Wu Qian glared, his jealousy flaring up: "Is this bastard fucking kidding me?!"

"How on earth does a D-list celebrity have the right to show off like this? I can't accept it, the production team definitely gave him a script!"

Teacher Huang also wore a stern face, saying sourly: "Forget about him tearing Kim Jong-kook, even if he beat Tyson he wouldn't get my approval!"

Although the visual impact of the scene just now was indeed very strong, making them admit that the D-list celebrity was excellent was simply harder than killing them.

Deng Chao and the other two couldn't help holding back their laughter as they watched the two stubborn reactions.

Wang Baoqiang, loving the drama, added fuel to the fire: "Teacher Huang, let's put the nametag ripping aside for a moment. How would you rate Lu Ming's acting skills?"

"He has acting skills?" The two said in unison.

Wang Baoqiang: "Earlier in the haunted house, the zombie that scared you guys unconscious was disguised by Lu Ming..."

"???" Wu Qian and Teacher Huang opened their eyes wide at the same time. As unpleasant memories came rushing back, their expressions instantly twisted.

"It really was that bastard!" Wu Qian cursed: "I felt something was off when I was thinking about it just now. The NPC saw Teacher Huang get scared unconscious and still didn't stop—apart from the D-list celebrity, I seriously can't think of anyone else who could be that malicious!"

Teacher Huang suddenly spoke up: "Didn't you guys say you were going to throw a celebration banquet for the D-list celebrity? I've got no problem with that!"

The three of them were somewhat bewildered by Teacher Huang's uncharacteristic reaction.

Deng Chao exclaimed in admiration: "Teacher Huang's magnanimity is truly broad-minded!"

"Teacher Huang is benevolent and kind-hearted. If the D-list celebrity knew your tolerance for him was this high, he'd definitely be very touched!" Baby also praised with a smile.

"Tonight I'll personally cook to host his celebration banquet!" Teacher Huang directly blocked out their compliments, glaring teeth-gnashingly at Wu Qian: "Go buy two catties of arsenic for me when filming ends!"

"No problem at all!" Wu Qian said excitedly.

Everyone: "..."

Good grief, for them to be lucky enough to participate in this, what an absolute 'honor'!

……

In Sister Zheng's luxury mansion.

"He's so handsome!" The little assistant watching the live broadcast cupped her chin with both hands, her eyes turning into little stars: "Dilraba is so blessed. I never dreamed a cliché like a hero saving a damsel in distress would actually happen in real life. That clip from earlier is definitely going to be edited out by marketing accounts and posted everywhere, and it's going to go viral for sure!"

"Not gonna lie, if the two of them didn't talk with that kind of dynamic, they could seriously make fans ship them to death!"

The manager was also quite surprised:

"The crucial thing is, that kind of physical fitness isn't something an average person has either. If not for this nametag-ripping episode, who would have noticed that kind of sparkling trait on the D-list celebrity? Kim Jong-kook is the typical bulky build with zero aesthetic appeal, which isn't very popular in the female market. But the D-list celebrity is different—his external conditions perfectly benchmark Eddie Peng!"

Hearing this, the little assistant immediately interrupted:

"Eddie Peng's good figure is just marketed anyway. If they really fought it out, he probably couldn't even beat Li Chen, let alone Kim Jong-kook. And besides, the D-list celebrity's god-tier face is the ultimate kill move, duck. With him looking like this now, which girl wouldn't drool seeing him?"

Sister Zheng went barefoot, quietly curling up in the soft sofa, listening to the manager and little assistant chatter back and forth. She immediately snatched a throw pillow and began raining a flurry of fierce, indiscriminate blows upon the two of them.

"Hero saving the damsel, is it? Benchmarking Eddie Peng, is it? Shipping a CP, is it?"

"Since you guys love the D-list celebrity so much, why don't you go date him yourselves?!"

Sister Zheng was furious, her brows filled with annoyance.

Shipping her ex and her homewrecker right in front of her—you two really have a lot of nerve!

The little assistant quickly changed her tune: "Though, um, Dilraba doesn't even match up to a single strand of our Sister Zheng's hair!"

"When the D-list celebrity was with our Sister Zheng, he was practically the epitome of humble—full of pampering and flattery, even running to the film set specially to deliver food to our Sister Zheng. He was so attentive to her! What is Dilraba anyway? She spent a single day as the D-list celebrity's teammate, and forget about being taken care of—she almost lost her life!"

"That is indeed true. Our Sister Zheng is the love of the D-list celebrity's life!"

Hearing their sincere words, Sister Zheng finally stopped hitting them, her previously frantic expression easing slightly.

Watching everyone gather together as the production team began awarding prizes to the winning Blue Team, Sister Zheng's gaze fell upon Lu Ming's slightly flushed face. Recalling all that had happened just now, her mind wandered into wild imaginations, casting herself into Dilraba's perspective. Imagining the scenario of being shielded behind Lu Ming in such a crisis, she suddenly cracked a smile and felt amused.

Yet the moment she thought about the beneficiary being Dilraba, her expression instantly turned cold, and she felt extremely displeased.

"But his body is so toned, and he's so manly in the face of major issues. Why didn't I notice that before?"

"Did that simp really have a sudden spiritual awakening after leaving me?"

"No, he's totally immune to other women. He must still be harboring unfulfilled feelings for me and hasn't moved on!"

Amidst her fluctuating thoughts, Sister Zheng alternated between being surprised, frowning, and wearing a proud, smug expression.

"What is Sister Zheng thinking about?"

"Who knows, but we'd better not provoke her bad mood!"

The manager's phone rang. Leaving Sister Zheng and the little assistant in the living room, she found a quiet bedroom to answer the call. Shortly after, she ran back excitedly:

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"Sister, good news! Tencent has a new competition-style music variety show, and they're lacking a female mentor. A lot of people are fighting for this resource, but I managed to secure it for you. The pay is high and the work is light, and it follows the retro format of The Voice—you turn around if it sounds good, all the way until the champion is decided. The most crucial part is that during the preliminary Top 64 stage, it's very easy to encounter contestants who throw themselves at you for unspoken rules."

"Thirty thousand per chair turn, fifty thousand per chair turn—this side hustle makes money really fast!"

Sister Zheng's eyes lit up as she listened.

"That's wonderful!"

Because she had borrowed ten million from Huayue to repay Lu Ming, she was currently on the path of debt repayment, and her desire for money had reached an absolute extreme.

……

Not long after, except for the big black ox, who had been sent to the hospital after confirming a fractured brow bone that required stitches, everyone else arrived at a temporarily constructed awards stage in Happy Valley.

Running Man split into groups every episode, naturally featuring competitive elements within them.

With the Blue Team winning, each member received a pure gold medal issued by the production team. The production team was by no means stingy in this regard; every single medal was a standard 100 grams. Calculated at the market rate of 532 gold per gram, that was worth over 50,000 yuan. However, because it was stamped with Running Man's anti-counterfeiting seal and marked with the date, the significance was naturally different.

With Running Man now capturing unprecedented attention, the subsequent editing and broadcasting by the television station would surely push the show's popularity even higher, making it a nationwide phenomenon of immense focus.

With such high popularity, the moment anyone took this thing out to sell it, wouldn't it fetch a few hundred thousand at least?

Thinking of this, Lu Ming instantly grew excited.

During the acceptance speech segment, Dilraba and Wang Baoqiang were both extremely excited. Seeing Lu Ming's absent-minded expression, the others assumed the kid's alcohol buzz was kicking in and he was about to fall asleep.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, when it was Lu Ming's turn to give his winning speech, he walked right up to the camera and held the gold medal he had just obtained straight into the lens. Then, after thinking for a moment, he snatched the one in Dilraba's hands as she was playing with it. Amidst everyone's dumbfounded gazes, Lu Ming excitedly spoke:

"Ladies and gentlemen, and netizens watching the live broadcast on your screens, I am extremely, extremely honored to win the gold medal for this first episode of Running Man! Here, I thank my teammates, and I thank my brothers for their partiality. Of course, the person I should thank the most is actually the fan babies for your strong support and backing. If it weren't for you guys, I wouldn't have gotten this award. If it weren't for you guys..."

Everyone: "???"

Netizens: "???"

Even the director's team, who were filming from a distance with their troops, were dumbfounded at this moment.

This kid was usually so unhinged that they had even prepared themselves to wait and watch Lu Ming spout some nonsense up there. Yet never in their wildest dreams did they expect that not only would this D-list celebrity not show off, but he would actually act like he had a change of heart and start speaking human language in a high-sounding manner?

Had the sun risen from the west today?!

"Ming'er, you're going overboard, way overboard!" Deng Chao laughed and bantered.

Wang Baoqiang also amusedly said: "We don't need to give such a grand acceptance speech for a small occasion like this."

"Overboard? Not overboard at all!" Lu Ming shot a reproving glance at the two of them, then said righteously: "In my opinion, the medal issued by the production team is no longer just a simple piece of honor. It is a form of recognition, the key that opens a new chapter in my life, and even the foundational stepping stone for my future success!"

"This is a small step for Running Man, but a giant leap for me!"

"To put it bluntly, today's tiny pure gold medal might very well forge a crossover heavenly king in tomorrow's domestic entertainment industry—a dual-best-actor whose future influence could span an entire era!"

"Investment is an art of wisdom. Back in the day, Chen Xiaodao earned twenty-seven million with just twenty bucks, and today in our Running Man live broadcast room, we have a pure gold medal with various special meanings behind it just like that. Not 998,000, not 798,000! To welfare-grant our family members, it only takes 498,000 to bring a pure gold medal home!"

"Whether you use it for collection or investment, it is an exceptionally good choice."

"Those of you who like to ship CPs or combinations can completely purchase our 'Ming-Tian Re-Si' co-branded pure gold medal, full price 998,000 yuan!"

"At this price, you won't suffer a loss and you won't be fooled. Whether you buy it back to gift leaders, friends, or keep it at home for collection, it's an extremely great choice. Next year when your brother gets famous and flips it for a sale, a tenfold return is not a dream!"

"Anyone who wants one can send a private message on Weibo. Considering you're fans, I'll take a small loss and cover standard shipping!"

Director's team: "..."

Other cast members: "..."

The warm smiles on everyone's faces instantly froze.

They had been wondering why this little bastard suddenly started speaking human language and made things seem so grand. Turns out, his true intent wasn't about drinking wine at all!

Most importantly, are you being polite by auctioning off the production team's prizes right in the live broadcast?!

"..." Dilraba silently stood on tiptoe, snatched her gold medal back from Lu Ming's hands, and gave a light humpf: "Mine's not for sale!"

Immediately, her watery eyes gazed at Lu Ming: "Besides, didn't your ex-girlfriend pay you back? You shouldn't be this strapped for cash!"

"To tell you the truth, I'm planning to smash the pots and sell the iron to raise funds, and then invest in producing a web drama that will make the audience cry out in pure enjoyment!"

"Huh?" Dilraba opened her eyes wide and looked Lu Ming up and down: "You even dare to shoot a web drama?"

"That's right! Becoming an outstanding actor is my lifelong dream!"

"If that's the case, I suggest you design a mute male lead for yourself." Dilraba paused for a moment, then spoke with a deadpan, earnest expression.

The next chapter will be ready before 12 midnight. The author is going back to typing.

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