Late night, Capital City.
Dragging his weary steps, Wan Xiaoquan finally returned to his small home near the Fifth Ring Road.
This seventy-square-meter two-bedroom apartment was not only his current residence but also his only valuable asset. It used to be rented out to tenants, but ever since he got out of prison, it had become his sole refuge.
He once owned a spacious, fully furnished apartment inside the Third Ring Road, but that went to his ex-wife during their divorce.
When it came to his ex-wife, Wan Xiaoquan knew he owed her far too much.
Now, this home was bare and lifeless. There wasn't even proper furniture, just cheap laminate flooring that gleamed coldly under the ceiling light, as if mocking him in silence.
As soon as he closed the door, a violent wave of nausea rose from his stomach. The former director barely made it to the bathroom in time, clutching the toilet as he vomited uncontrollably.
He threw up everything he'd eaten and drunk that night, until even bile burned his throat. Only then did he feel a bit of relief. Flushing the toilet and washing his face, he staggered to the kitchen and brewed a cup of strong tea.
Swallowing a few stomach pills with the tea, Wan Xiaoquan slumped onto the grimy gray sofa, his face twitching slightly.
It had been some time since his release from prison, yet he still hadn't found a proper job.
Once upon a time, with his seniority and reputation in the film industry, investors lined up to work with him. But after what happened during his last film, the scandal that sent him behind bars, his career had collapsed completely.
No one would dare hire Wan Xiaoquan as a director now.
His name had become a stain in the entertainment circle, blacklisted and shunned by everyone who feared association.
Through personal connections, he finally got in touch with a film company. He spent nearly all his remaining savings to treat the person in charge to a lavish dinner, hoping to land even a deputy director position.
But after all the money spent and the wine drunk, to the point of vomiting, he still received no clear answer.
Wan Xiaoquan knew what that meant.
No chance.
But if he couldn't make films… what else could he do? Work on a construction site hauling bricks?
A bitter, self-deprecating smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, tinged with deep regret.
If only he hadn't been so impulsive…
If only he had listened to his friends' advice…
If only he could turn back time…
Now, none of that mattered.
He didn't want to bother his old mentor again, Zhang Wentian, who had already retired. Sure, with Zhang's influence, Wan Xiaoquan might scrape together some job somewhere, surviving under the judgmental gazes of others.
But his last shred of pride wouldn't allow that.
After sitting numbly on the sofa for a long time, he went to his bedroom and lay down, but sleep wouldn't come.
His stomach cramped in pain.
After a while, he couldn't bear it anymore. Getting up, he turned on his computer.
If he couldn't sleep, he might as well pass the long night with the internet.
He began browsing online news, paying special attention to entertainment and film industry updates.
On Wave Blog, a familiar name caught his eye, Lu Chen.
Right there on the front page headline.
Wan Xiaoquan remembered Lu Chen. He had met him once, at Zhang Wentian's house. That tall, handsome, and courteous young man had left quite an impression.
At the time, he only knew Lu Chen was a wandering singer, and later, an actor who had starred in a popular TV drama.
So, seeing Lu Chen's name trending on the homepage naturally piqued his curiosity. He clicked in.
He quickly learned what had happened with Lu Chen, and found the video clip that had already been shared over a million times.
That short few-minute video, Wan Xiaoquan watched for more than half an hour, again and again, dragging the progress bar back and forth, focusing solely on Lu Chen.
His eyes grew brighter with each viewing, as if he had discovered a hidden treasure.
Unlike most viewers who fixated on Lu Chen's impressive combat skills in the video, Wan Xiaoquan saw something else, an aura.
Composed, confident, and powerful.
That kind of presence, when it appeared in an entertainer, meant one thing, star potential.
Every true superstar shared that same quality.
Wan Xiaoquan hadn't expected that such a young man could possess it so naturally.
Ideas began to sprout wildly in his mind, like weeds after rain.
Then he suddenly remembered, back at Zhang Wentian's home, Lu Chen had handed him a business card.
Where was it now?
Instinctively, Wan Xiaoquan patted his pockets and pulled out his wallet, but the card was nowhere to be found.
He couldn't help growing anxious. He rummaged through drawers and the bedside cabinet, then rushed out to search the tea table in the living room for his bag.
A powerful instinct told the former director that he had made too many mistakes in his life, and this time, he couldn't afford another one.
He had to find that business card.
---
Korea, Jeju Island.
Although there had been an unexpected incident, the "Full House" film crew's shooting schedule in this tourist haven was not seriously affected. By the next morning, they had smoothly completed the remaining scenes.
In the afternoon, the crew left Jeju Island and headed to Seoul to continue filming in other locations.
However, the impact of the Wanghaitai (Sea View Terrace) Incident did not fade away with the crew's departure. Instead, it exploded online as a brand-new hot topic.
The Japanese man who had clashed with Lu Chen turned out to be a photographer taking promotional photos for a Japanese artist, that artist, the one guarded by several bodyguards, was none other than Kitagawa Koji!
Kitagawa Koji was a rising idol in Japan who had skyrocketed to fame in recent years. He was even a year younger than Lu Chen, a versatile singer and actor whose career had been smooth and unbroken. Not only did he have a huge fan base in Japan, but he also enjoyed a certain level of popularity in Korea.
He had come to Jeju Island for a photoshoot, serving as the endorser for a Korean clothing brand.
When the video of Kitagawa Koji's confrontation with Lu Chen was uploaded to Cyworld, Korea's largest online community, netizens quickly recognized the Japanese star. The post immediately triggered a heated online debate, especially among Kitagawa Koji's Korean fans.
Ironically, Cyworld also had quite a number of Lu Chen's Korean fans!
And in that online battle, Lu Chen's fans completely dominated. Not only because Kitagawa Koji was Japanese, but also because his embarrassed and awkward appearance in the video had become meme-worthy, the contrast with Lu Chen's calm and composed demeanor made him look utterly ridiculous.
Koreans and Japanese share a cultural trait: they deeply respect the strong. And so, Lu Chen's fanbase in Korea skyrocketed overnight.
Soon after, rumors began circulating that the Korean clothing brand was considering dropping Kitagawa Koji as their spokesperson and replacing him with Lu Chen instead.
Whether that news was true or not, it didn't matter; Lu Chen had gone viral once again in Korea, and the rumors spilling back into China further boosted his public image in a very positive way.
But, of course, nothing in the world comes without its downside. The negative consequence was obvious; Kitagawa Koji's Japanese fans now regarded Lu Chen as their mortal enemy!
(End of this chapter)
You can read ahead up to 60 chapters on my patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395