Reborn, I Became a Male God - Chapter 101-105

In the online world, there are always people who spare no effort to magnify the filth in their hearts countless times and then display it for others to see.

 

Jing Ling filmed a video for the diving instructor of the diving club and uploaded it to Weibo, tagging the club as well. As a result, not long after, he was exposed on the forum.

 

[Gossip] Topic: Has anyone seen that latest Weibo post from the underage one? What does it mean?

 

0L: Why did they suddenly post a video like this for no reason? I followed the Weibo account they tagged, turns out it’s just some third-rate little place, probably so obscure even the locals don’t know it. Speaking of which, they’ve been in the industry for a year now, right? Not even a single magazine endorsement. Could it be that…

 

1L: I kinda feel bad for Dead Fish. Previously took a cosmetics endorsement, got exposed as a WeChat business product, and got mocked in your circle for several days. Yeah, it’s kinda low, but at least it’s a proper endorsement. Unlike certain people, whose fans brag about them like they’re unrivaled in heaven and on earth, and now this is them advertising, right? Spent all the money on marketing, now so poor they can only survive by taking ads?

 

2L: What???

 

3L: For real? If that’s true, calling it “low” wouldn’t even cover it, it’s low all the way to the earth’s core! Feel bad for the actors who worked with them before, their class instantly lowered! Oh, wait, and the show too, Ou Yi and Mao Xian, feel bad for one second.

 

4L: Eating melon watching the show.jpg

 

5L: Where did this despicable hater come from, secretly shading our Meng Er!

 

6L: +1 to the one upstairs, the moment I saw the title I knew they were going to shade our Jing Bao. Came in and sure enough, same old trick, Dead Fish’s people shedding skin, first shading our Jing Bao for being low and doing ads, then subtly whitewashing Dead Fish’s WeChat business endorsement, and finally dragging Ou Yi and Mao Xian down with them. Do they really think others are stupid and can’t see the connections? If you’re going to be a hater, at least be professional. Exposed within ten floors, go back and retake the class!

 

—

 

70L: The feathers arrived so quickly, truly thirty years of professional whitewashing. But as a pure bystander eating melons, I just want to ask, if this isn’t an advertisement, why did your underage idol suddenly post such a video, and where did it come from?

 

71L: The one upstairs nailed it!

 

—

 

159L: These two have been at odds since their first collaboration. Yet, despite one party being the most prone to stirring up trouble, they’ve been constantly suppressed, even getting wrecked in variety shows. This season’s Mao Xian has only aired its first episode, judging by the underage one’s performance, it should only get better from here. Is this other party afraid of repeating last time’s failure, so they started steering the narrative and hating in advance?

 

160L: The homepage has been too quiet lately, let the drama come even more fiercely!

 

—

 

The post trended all night, basically just fans of Jing Ling and Yu Leyang fighting, interspersed with onlookers eating melons. But for this kind of rumor-spreading, slanderous post, rational fans usually don’t engage for long. While ignoring it, they directly applied to have the post deleted. If the other side still wouldn’t give up, they’d simply copy-paste spam the thread to destroy it.

 

The entertainment forum never lacks celebrity gossip. If a trending idol has a scandal, the forum can be flooded with posts for days. Soon enough, the homepage was overtaken by other threads. The haters were unwilling but powerless.

 

Originally, it was thought this matter was over. However, not long after, there was new development.

 

It started when a reporter from Zhucheng Daily reposted Jing Ling’s Weibo with the attached video. Fans accidentally discovered it and immediately reposted and commented. Certain haters who always stalk Jing Ling also seized the opportunity to muddy the waters in the comments. Reporter Jiang Heng’s Weibo instantly became a battlefield. Normally, his Weibo posts barely got any comments. But this latest post racked up thousands of comments overnight.

 

Little Flower Not a Flower: Oh my god, the video was actually filmed by the male god himself! When I was watching it, I was worried for that instructor. Didn’t expect the male god was so close too, totally freaked me out after realizing! The instructor’s awesome, the male god’s awesome, thank goodness, both are safe, good people have peaceful lives!

 

Varying Depths: Didn’t expect it +1. Total outsider to photography, but feels like the male god filmed it really well. Can any professionals evaluate? Also, the instructor’s awesome!

 

Thread-bound Book V: Reminds me of a poem—You stand on the bridge watching the scenery, while the one watching the scenery is watching you!

 

FishFishFish: So annoying, you celebrity fans. That diving instructor risked himself to remove fishing nets from the whale’s mouth, such behavior is inherently praiseworthy, doesn’t need your flattery. But saying nonsense like “the male god’s awesome”—exm? What’s it got to do with your idol? Filming a video is so impressive? If you’re that capable, why don’t you help remove the fishing nets yourself?

 

Agreed to Grow Old Together: Am I the only one who feels this is finally the repressed desire for fame boiling over, starting to hype himself? Previously, fans kept bragging about a low-key, humble, non-drama persona, it’s about to collapse, right? Fans, don’t rush to attack me, I’m not talking nonsense, here’s the logic, think about how to whitewash after reading. 1. The whale was trapped at sea, what was your idol doing there if not free? 2. Underwater filming is different from on land, requires professional waterproof equipment, can’t just casually use a phone. 3. The blogger is a verified Zhucheng Daily reporter, news only gets released after a phone call. So here’s the question: how did the reporter so coincidentally get the call and so coincidentally capture your idol underwater? Do you believe such coincidence? There’s more, but too lazy to say.

 

Jiang Heng got up at seven in the morning, washed his face, brushed his teeth, changed clothes, grabbed his keys and went out. He rode his electric scooter to work, picked up soy milk and fried dough sticks along the way, and a copy of Zhucheng Daily. After parking at work, he clocked in with his breakfast.

 

Sitting at his desk, biting into the fried dough sticks, he flipped the newspaper to the last page, finding his report in the corner. It was truly a tiny tofu block, not even 200 words, not even a single picture. Flipping back to the first page, the fire incident covered by a colleague yesterday had colorful photos.

 

Really, comparisons are infuriating. Halfway through breakfast, he instantly lost his appetite.

 

Jiang Heng forced a smile, folded the newspaper, stuffed it in the drawer. Staring blankly at the computer screen for a while, he suddenly remembered the Weibo he posted last night, so he opened the website, logged into his account to check.

 

“Ah—” He suddenly cried out.

 

The colleague next to him was eating breakfast, got startled, hand shook, splattering a few drops of oil on his clothes. He immediately rolled his eyes in annoyance, “What the hell are you yelling for so early in the morning?!”

 

Jiang Heng turned to glance at him, then turned back to look at the screen, pointing, “So many comments…”

 

“What the hell comments?” The colleague leaned over to look. On the Weibo page, the red message notification in the upper right corner was a four-digit number starting with 6. “What the hell, just six thousand… Holy sh1t what did you do, why so many comments?!”

 

Before Jiang Heng could answer, the colleague snatched the mouse, clicked to check the content. After scrolling through several pages, he finally stopped, turned to Jiang Heng, “You filmed this yesterday?” 

The latter nodded. He continued asking, “Such a sensational topic, why didn’t I see your report today?”

 

This colleague took leave yesterday, didn’t know what happened in the afternoon. Jiang Heng briefly explained in a low voice. After listening, the other couldn’t help but roll his eyes, “Are you stupid? The editor told you to get lost and you actually did? Didn’t even fight for it?”

 

“I did fight for it…”

 

“That’s your idea of fighting? Didn’t even highlight the key points!”

 

“Next time, next time for sure!” Though Jiang Heng said this, he knew clearly in his heart, there probably wouldn’t be a next time. Such incidents aren’t everyday occurrences, and his contract’s about to expire.

Gradually, other colleagues arrived, sat at their desks, and got busy. His colleague also had his own work to do, so stopped bothering with Jiang Heng. Jiang Heng read through all the comments, then posted a new Weibo.

 

Zhucheng Daily Reporter Jiang Heng V: Got a call from a friend saying a whale was trapped in Zhucheng waters. When I rushed over, there was only one fishing boat, with two people on board. Then one person climbed out of the water, holding a bunch of torn fishing net—exactly Jing Ling. Before the Fisheries Department arrived, he had already cleaned the fishing net off the whale’s tail himself. [Picture]

 

The attached photo was of Jing Ling just getting back on the boat, soaked through, clothes clinging to his body, wearing an orange life vest, holding a knife in one hand and the fishing net in the other, his muscle lines clearly visible.

 

The video from last night was still trending. Soon, fans discovered his new Weibo, opened it, and immediately lost their minds.

 

Deep Sea in the Clouds: OMG what did I just see?! Who was it who said they wanted to see the male god wet and seductive, praise! That slim waist, that perky butt and those long legs! Wait, why’s my screen so dirty, let me lick it clean!

 

Little Meng Who Wants to Eat Chicken: Male god is male god, no matter how bizarre the outfit, he rocks it. Say no more, let me lick first as a show of respect!

 

A Dark Fairy Tale of 1001 Pages: I wanna lick too, but feathers, you’re missing the point! The blogger said when he arrived, only one fishing boat was there, then saw Meng Er climbing out of the water. That means Meng Er discovered the whale trapped, called the government for help, and while waiting, personally helped remove the fishing nets! Where’s that idiot hater who said Meng Er didn’t help the whale? Got slapped in the face already, doesn’t it hurt?

 

Little Shark from Male God’s Fanclub: Blogger, come here, I have a secret… hand over the photos or else! I don’t believe you only have one, you definitely have more!

 

Originally, Jiang Heng planned to upload the rest of the photos too. But then he remembered that Zhucheng Daily’s electronic edition also had them, all carefully selected. Due to space limits, the traditional print edition strictly limits both text and images, but the electronic version doesn’t have that issue. He had been busy last night preparing the electronic draft. The newspaper only added an electronic edition this year to respond to higher-ups’ initiatives, but the promotional effect hadn’t been great.

Suddenly, he had an idea. He deleted the half-written Weibo and rewrote it, attaching the Zhucheng Daily electronic edition link, and posted it.

 

Zhucheng Daily Reporter Jiang Heng V: Full report on the trapped whale incident in Zhucheng Daily electronic edition. Dozens of selected photos, three videos, one interview. Interested parties can check it out, only 50 cents per copy. [Link] @JingLingBar @JingLingFanSupportGroup

 

Chapter 102

 

After the Weibo post was published, Jiang Heng’s heart was hanging in suspense. He kept refreshing the page, wanting to see the fans’ reactions. Very soon, someone left a comment for him.

 

I don’t care, I just want to call her Yunshu: Thanks, sending you a heart, blogger mwa-mwa, I’m off to see my Er Meng now!

 

The Little Shark from Male God’s House: Blogger is so obedient, granting you mercy outside the law and sparing your life, and giving you a mwa-mwa, I’m off to see the photo set + video + interview of our Jing Bao. By the way, even the official sources haven’t released such perks. Yet the blogger directly handed over a deluxe package, I just want to say—beautifully done!

 

Of course, not all the comments were harmonious. Some people opened their mouths and started cursing right away.

 

A Mei Mei Mei: Just a few pictures, has the blogger gone crazy wanting money?!

 

The Moon that Plays Hide-and-Seek: I scrolled through the comments and saw people praising it. I thought I was the only one who thought it wasn’t good. Just a few pictures and videos, basically no cost, yet still dare to charge money. If that’s not being crazy for money, what is?

 

Jiang Heng’s heart tightened. His instinct was to explain. He typed a long string of words but felt it wasn’t right and deleted them again. Just like editing a draft, he deleted and rewrote over and over, but in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to send it out. Forget it. He refreshed the page and pretended he didn’t see anything. Just as he thought that, he refreshed again to check the new comments—and someone spoke up for him.

 

Chen Wei Vivian: @A Mei Mei Mei @The Moon that Plays Hide-and-Seek Don’t tell me you’re fans of Er Meng, we don’t welcome people like you, thanks! Even those warped posters printed at street stalls cost a yuan each. A dozen high-definition photos, plus videos and interviews, only cost fifty cents, yet you’re yelling the blogger’s crazy for money? I’d rather ask if you guys are crazy for being poor?! And those saying videos and pictures have no cost, may I ask, do you project images from your eyes directly onto the internet? Are cameras free? Does filming take no effort? Is labor not considered money? Besides, it’s a legitimate daily newspaper, fifty cents a copy, fair for everyone, love it or leave it, get lost if you don’t!

Miao Miao: No welcome +1. Also patting the blogger, getting bitten by dogs for doing a good job.

 

Language is a magical thing—it can hurt people, but it can also comfort them. Jiang Heng let out a breath of relief, the corners of his lips unconsciously curving upwards. He stopped refreshing Weibo, finished the soy milk that had gone cold, and started working seriously.

 

As for what happened yesterday, to him, it felt like the beginning of good luck. After sitting in the office for a little over an hour, he received a phone call. It wasn’t another stray cat or dog trapped somewhere—it was real news.

 

Jiang Heng grabbed his camera and hurried out the door, no longer paying attention to what was happening on Weibo. He didn’t know that this matter was about to bring him a huge surprise.

 

Someone once said, in a marriage, spending money on your partner doesn’t necessarily mean love, but if you’re unwilling to spend money, it’s definitely not love. Here, “spending money” doesn’t mean luxurious clothes or rare delicacies—it’s a bouquet of flowers, a small trinket, or some food. It’s doing your best to treat them well within your capabilities.

 

And this saying applies just as well in fandoms. Within your means, if you’re unwilling to spend even a little money for your idol, what love are you talking about? TV dramas, movies, concerts, magazines, endorsements—it’s not that you have to support every single thing, but there’s always something that overlaps with your life that you can support.

 

Since Jing Ling’s debut, her web drama was everyone’s shared achievement, the movie was too. Variety shows don’t need to be purchased. There’s no magazine, no endorsements. As of now, there’s nothing that can measure fans’ level of support. This incident counted as an opportunity. Plenty of people squatted in front of their screens waiting to see the show. Not only those in the fandom, but also people within the industry. They all wanted to know how many copies of the fifty-cent newspaper could be sold in the end. Because of that, some people deliberately posted the link under Jing Ling’s Weibo and in the forums, and even managed to bump the post to the trending list.

 

Shen Ze, as Jing Ling’s manager, naturally noticed this and could basically guess what everyone was thinking. He silently allowed it because it wasn’t just others who wanted to know—he wanted to know too. Whether Jing Ling’s popularity was an illusion of prosperity or truly well-deserved.

 

The behind-the-scenes games in the entertainment industry were completely unknown to the staff at Zhucheng Daily, far away in the southern part of the Republic. So, when the fans flooded the website, the administrators were utterly confused.

 

Although Zhucheng was a coastal city, due to various factors, its economy never really took off. At best, it ranked as a fourth-tier city, and even then, it ranked near the bottom. The total city population barely exceeded one million. Zhucheng Daily had a circulation of about 50,000, with little fluctuation unless some major event occurred. But with the internet developing so rapidly, beyond most people’s imagination, practically reaching the point where you could know everything happening in the world with a phone in hand, the newspaper’s circulation gradually shrank. In response to social development, the higher-ups reformed and started heavily promoting the digital version of the newspaper last year. This was both to keep up with the times and to save resources. Unfortunately, the results weren’t great.

 

It had been almost a year since Zhucheng Daily’s digital edition launched, yet there were barely any subscribers. The newspaper’s initial enthusiasm had long since faded. Originally, there were dedicated staff to edit and organize the layout, but later, they just casually pulled someone to do it as a side job.

 

Lin Huanhuan was that part-timer. The next day’s newspaper layout was settled in advance, with reporters providing the digital content themselves. All she needed to do was plug the data into the template. In the morning, she also had to tally the previous day’s sales figures and submit them in a report.

 

Today was no different. After tallying the sales in the morning, she got busy with her main job. The whole day passed quickly, and it was almost time to get off work in the afternoon. She was making plans with her colleagues to go shopping and eat, when suddenly, the phone on her desk rang.

 

She picked up casually, “Hello, Zhucheng Daily.”

 

A girl’s voice came from the other end, “Hello, I’d like to ask, when will your newspaper’s website be accessible? I’ve been refreshing for a while and the page isn’t responding at all.”

 

Lin Huanhuan was stunned for a moment. After two seconds, she came back to her senses, “Could you please explain the situation in detail?” As she spoke, she opened the website page on her computer.

 

The girl on the phone briefly explained that she originally wanted to buy a digital edition of Zhucheng Daily, but the website was so slow that after waiting several minutes, the page still hadn’t loaded. Closing and reopening it didn’t help. After several tries, the page crashed entirely.

 

Lin Huanhuan noticed the same problem. She couldn’t open the website either. But she wasn’t a technical person and had no idea what was happening. All she could do was tell the girl to wait while she investigated the issue and would call her back.

 

“Okay, I hope it can be fixed soon. I can’t wait to buy the newspaper!” The girl hung up, leaving Lin Huanhuan utterly baffled. Since when was their newspaper so popular that people actually called to urge them? Judging by the voice, it was a young girl. Wouldn’t it be easier to buy a copy from a newsstand?

 

But now wasn’t the time to think about that. She reported the problem to the editor-in-chief, got a phone number, and was told to explain the issue herself. She dialed the number. A man answered, asked for the details, then told her to wait for a reply. She waited all the way until the end of the workday. In the meantime, she received several more phone calls, all asking when the website would be fixed.

 

This kind of thing had happened before, but sometimes half a day would pass and no one would even notice. Or if they did, they didn’t bother to report it. After all, the newspaper wasn’t a necessity. But getting several calls in one afternoon made Lin Huanhuan feel something was off. After asking around, she found out the people calling didn’t actually care that much about the newspaper itself—they just wanted to see a specific news story about the whale rescue, with a celebrity involved, including photos, videos, and an interview.

 

The IT guy called back too, saying they’d found the problem, but it was hard to believe. It was because too many people tried to access the site at once, exceeding the server’s capacity, causing a total crash.

Lin Huanhuan: “…It’s way past April Fools’ Day, comrade!” This wasn’t some popular website. Where did all those people come from to crash the server?

 

The tech guy was annoyed, “Who’s joking? Your tiny, crappy server collapses with a few extra users. No backup servers, no scalability. All I can do is limit the number of visitors and add a verification code. Just make do with that.”

 

Lin Huanhuan didn’t understand the technical details, but she didn’t need to. As long as the website worked, that was enough. She tested it herself. The page could open, though it loaded slowly, but within tolerable limits. She clicked login—huh, now there was a verification step. And those images—what the hell were they? “Please select all the oranges from the images below.” The pictures were so blurry that everything looked the same!

 

Lin Huanhuan was stuck at the verification step. It took her several minutes to finally log in. Though slow, as long as it worked, it was fine.

 

She called back the earlier customers one by one, telling them the site had been repaired and could be accessed normally. After that, she packed up her things and left work. But because the delay had taken too long, she had to cancel her shopping and dinner plans with her colleagues and just took the bus home.

 

She left, but the fans who tried to access the site to buy the digital edition of the newspaper suffered terribly. The site could open, but logging in required a verification code. Those ridiculous pictures blocked ninety percent of people. On average, it took several minutes just to log in, which barely achieved the goal of controlling traffic.

 

Poor Jing Ling’s fans, just to buy their idol’s deluxe package, first they had to squeeze onto that tiny, crappy website. The page crashed, so they had to call to complain. When it was finally fixed, they faced those crazy verification codes. It was like fighting a battle, full of twists and turns.

 

But most people still persevered. While cursing the IT guy for clearly being traumatized from trying to buy train tickets during the Spring Festival rush, they battled with the verification codes, and finally managed to spend their fifty cents.

 

The next morning, when Lin Huanhuan came to work, opened the website, and logged into the backend to check sales figures, she was completely dumbfounded.

 

“Editor-in-chief, something’s wrong! Something big happened!”

 

The subscription numbers, which usually fluctuated by a few thousand, had skyrocketed overnight. The backend showed nearly nine hundred thousand subscriptions—more than a hundredfold increase! This wasn’t just a problem. This was a major incident!

 

Chapter 103

 

The newspaper office was a public institution. The chief editor had endured here for several years, and he was finally making a name for himself and about to be transferred. Although things here had always been stable, being cautious prevents big mistakes, so he had been even more careful recently. The moment he heard someone under him shout that something had happened, his heart gave a sudden jolt. He quickly pulled his feet down from the desk, left his seat, and rushed straight out, heading towards Lin Huanhuan’s desk.

“What happened? What’s going on?” He asked as he walked, his posture carrying an air of urgency and fluster.

 

Lin Huanhuan hadn’t recovered yet, and simply pointed at her computer screen, “Here, Chief Editor, look here!”

 

People of the chief editor’s generation still held onto past perceptions. Although the internet was widespread, they only used the most basic functions. To them, nothing major happened online. Many government departments still operated under the notion that as long as something wasn’t on television or in the newspapers, it didn’t count as a real problem, no matter how much noise it made online. So his emotions were like a roller coaster, rising and falling. When he heard Lin Huanhuan shouting that something had happened, his heart tightened. But when he saw her pointing at the computer screen, it instantly settled back down.

 

“Xiao Lin, you’re not a newcomer anymore, why are you making a fuss over nothing!” The chief editor casually scolded, his eyes looking at the computer screen. When he saw the long string of numbers on it, he pointed and counted them one by one, “Units, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, ninety-six, five, three hundred twenty-one… such a big number, what is this?”

 

Lin Huanhuan instantly wanted to cover her forehead, wishing she could roar: This is your newspaper’s digital subscription stats backend, and you’re asking me what this is—what have you been doing this past year?! But she didn’t dare say it. If she really blurted that out, it would mean she didn’t want to work here anymore. So she could only softly explain, “This is yesterday’s digital edition subscription.”

 

“Oh, that… I know. What about it?” The chief editor didn’t react immediately.

 

“It’s too much, Chief Editor. The day before yesterday, there were just over five thousand, and today it’s increased nearly two hundred times. Even though each one is only fifty cents, quantity changes can lead to qualitative changes. When you calculate it, it’s over four hundred thousand yuan, nearly five hundred thousand.” Lin Huanhuan continued explaining.

 

But the chief editor’s attention was completely drawn to the money. “What did you say? Five hundred thousand yuan in one day?!”

 

His voice was loud, and it raised by several pitches, practically the entire office heard him. Everyone cared about different things, but most people shared one thing in common: they all paid attention to matters related to money.

 

Immediately, one by one, they put down what they were doing and gathered around. Among them was Jiang Heng.

 

“Chief Editor, what five hundred thousand?”

 

“Who earned five hundred thousand?”

 

“So much money!”

 

The same sentence, different people had different understandings, but the key word “money” wasn’t missed by any of them.

 

Jiang Heng’s desk was in the corner, already a bit far away. Unlike others who squeezed in directly, naturally, he ended up on the outermost edge. Such a small space couldn’t fit many people. Apart from those inside who could see what was going on, those outside could only listen.

 

Lin Huanhuan’s voice drifted out, “Chief Editor, didn’t I report to you yesterday near the end of the workday about the website page crashing? Later, the tech staff told me it was because there were too many visitors, the server couldn’t handle it. He patched it up and said to make do for now. When people called to ask about it, I casually asked a few, and they all said they bought the newspaper because of that report about the stranded whale—because a celebrity was present at the scene too.”

 

The chief editor had a decent memory, and since it happened just yesterday, it hadn’t been long. While everyone else was still guessing who got so lucky, they heard the chief editor’s voice, “Xiao Jiang! Is Xiao Jiang here?!”

 

Jiang Heng got so excited, his voice was loud and full of energy, “Here, here!”

 

Most people found it unbelievable. Unlucky Jiang Heng actually had a stroke of good luck for once. And he himself thought the same. After being unlucky for so long, when fortune arrived suddenly, his first reaction wasn’t joy, but disbelief.

 

Many in the entertainment circle were watching the newspaper’s sales. But since Zhucheng was just a small, fourth-tier city, and the newspaper office was a public institution, for now, people couldn’t easily intervene. Though they were anxious to know the outcome, they had no choice but to wait.

 

And during the waiting period, time always felt especially slow. After finally making it to the next day, the data finally arrived. The source was Jiang Heng’s Weibo. Under the chief editor’s guidance, he posted the latest update.

 

Zhucheng Daily reporter Jiang Heng V: Thank you all for your support. Zhucheng Daily’s digital edition sold 960,000 copies yesterday—the highest record in history, a record unlikely to be broken anytime soon!

 

The moment the data came out, the entire circle exploded.

 

Jiang Heng’s Weibo became the first battlefield.

 

Heng Tiao Xian Pang: Holy crap, underage fans sure know how to boost sales, nearly one million copies, and that’s just in one day!

 

Yue Yue Yue Guang Zu [doge]: No need to thank us. The blogger’s photography skills are amazing. Our Jingbao’s slim waist and long legs were captured perfectly. One shot even vaguely showed his abs—totally satisfied, licked the screen all night! This is definitely the most worthwhile thing I’ve ever bought!

 

Xi Zhong Ren V: I vaguely remember not long ago, someone said his popularity was inflated. Don’t even know him, but I feel embarrassed for them—hahahahahaha!

 

Kan Jian Da Hai: Something that costs fifty cents per copy, not even hitting a million in sales, and you have the nerve to brag? Your circle has really fallen, hehe.

 

The forums were also flooded with discussions, the threads pinned at the top, never dropping down.

 

[Gossip] Topic: Saw the Zhucheng Daily reporter’s post on Weibo, nearly a million sales for the underage celebrity’s news article. What kind of level is this? Anyone wanna chat about it?

 

0L: As the title says, curious what level this counts as.

 

1L: Amazing, my underage idol!

 

2L: Jingbao is so kind-hearted. As a Feather (fan group name), I’m proud!

 

3L: Hard to say. Looks like a lot, but the price is low—just fifty cents per copy. Even if fans bought extras themselves, it wouldn’t hurt. Just treat it as marketing expenses.

 

—

 

99L: Already expected the number to be considerable. Yesterday, when I was watching the buzz, fans were complaining about the crappy servers crashing. Never seen buying newspapers crash a website before—first time for everything.

 

100L: Just to add, whoever said fans boosted the numbers themselves is either a hater or jealous. With how things were yesterday, even if you wanted to fake numbers, you couldn’t. The garbage website wouldn’t even load, a few more people and it went down.

 

—

 

165L: Originally wanted to boost sales for Er Meng a few more times, but that damn website tested my patience. First, it loaded super slowly, then it crashed entirely. Finally got it fixed, and damn, they added a CAPTCHA! Do you know how insane that CAPTCHA was?! Ever bought train tickets during Chinese New Year? Worse than that! They made me pick out the same person from a bunch of influencer photos—gave me facial blindness by the end! F**k!

 

166L: Saw it too. Snapped a few CAPTCHA pics. Everyone, experience it yourselves: [image] [image] [image] [image]

 

—

 

219L: My eyes are ruined = =

 

220L: I think this tech guy must have a story.

 

221L: Has a story +1

 

—

 

Shen Ze was also shocked by the numbers. He looked at Jing Ling like he was seeing a monster. “You’re not even a little excited?”

 

At this time, they were back at sea. The fishing boat had changed direction, and after sailing out, they found a suitable place to drift. The morning sunlight wasn’t harsh, the sunshade wasn’t opened, and Jing Ling was holding a piece of wood carving something. It was still early in the process, so it wasn’t clear what he intended to carve. His expression was focused, his slender, good-looking fingers working—on one side was the deep-colored wood, on the other side the silver, gleaming knife. The stark contrast only made it more eye-catching.

 

“Jing Ling, did you hear me?” Seeing that he was so focused on his task and didn’t respond, Shen Ze suspected he hadn’t heard.

 

“I heard you.” Jing Ling finally paused, lifting his head to look at him.

 

“Then why didn’t you answer?!” Shen Ze glared at him.

 

“Because I figured if I answered, you’d scold me.” Jing Ling shrugged, wearing an innocent expression.

Although Shen Ze knew perfectly well those words were true, he still couldn’t help but ask, “What were you planning to say?”

 

“I’m so good-looking and so capable. Isn’t it only natural that people like me and support me?”

 

“…Get lost, thanks!”

 

The cameraman did film this segment, but he knew full well that this part could never be aired—he could only quietly enjoy the moment himself.

 

Before setting out, they had already established a week-long marine rescue plan: rescue whatever they encountered, however many they encountered. So regardless of the discussions outside, Jing Ling still insisted on going out to sea every day.

 

In ancient times, there was the story of the thousand-li horse and Bole. It was said that thousand-li horses were common, but Bole was not. As society has developed to this day, although we still cannot guarantee that no talent goes unrecognized, compared to the past, things have already improved a lot. The development of internet technology has closely connected the entire world. As long as a person truly has ability, the chances of being discovered are very high, and the possibility of a pearl remaining covered in dust is very low.

 

The entertainment industry, as a circle dominated by capital, is even more so. They spare no effort in mining the value of every individual, and for value that is clearly displayed, they pursue it with fanaticism.

The daily sales of a newspaper, for the first time, showcased the value on Jing Ling to this circle. Because it was the first time, everyone was watching and waiting, but in this world, there is always someone who dares to be the first to eat a crab.

 

On the fourth day drifting at sea, Shen Ze received a phone call. He restrained the excitement in his heart and spoke to the other party in a calm tone. In the end, they agreed on a time to meet and discuss the details in person. After hanging up, he suddenly turned his head to look at Jing Ling, the joyful expression on his face completely undisguised.

 

“Jing Ling, your first cover has arrived—Victor, solo!”

 

Chapter 104

 

Although Victor is just a second-tier magazine, even among second-tier, there are rankings. Out of the four, it ranks second. Getting a solo cover for your first magazine appearance from Victor is already a very decent starting point.

 

Previously, Shen Ze had managed a few people. Even the most successful one among them only got Victor‘s solo cover after three years of debut, coupled with hard work, ambition, and coordinated publicity stunts. But in the end, after the photoshoot and retouching, the result looked like anyone but herself. Luckily, she was a nobody, so after a few people mocked her, the matter passed.

 

Back then, competitors who stood on the same starting line now already had a popular traffic star in hand, and another budding starlet was starting to shine. Every time they met, that chin was practically tilted to the sky, without even a proper glance given. But that’s just how this industry is—whether it’s celebrities, managers, or even entertainment companies, no one can escape it.

 

The so-called “it’s not about the steamed bun, it’s about saving face”—seeing an opportunity to rise, sometimes Shen Ze almost wished he could carry a little whip and follow behind Jing Ling, urging him to work hard. But deep down, he knew clearly, if Jing Ling were really that obedient, it wouldn’t have been his turn to manage him.

 

But some people are simply blessed by heaven—their looks, height, education, none are lacking, and they also possess the most crucial thing for making it in this industry—acting skills. It’s like he was born for the entertainment circle, destined to shine!

 

“This is your first cover, also a beginning. This year it’s second-tier, let’s aim for first-tier next year—get them all! At the end of October, the Bauhinia Film Awards, I think you’ve got a high chance of winning. By then, we’ll negotiate with the production team again, strive to get the male lead. The first prime-time drama—a strong start, and resources will keep rolling in!”

 

Shen Ze couldn’t help but envision a beautiful future. However, Jing Ling merely glanced at him, nodded, then lowered his gaze again, continuing to carve the item in his hands.

 

A bucket of cold water poured over his head.

 

Shen Ze felt a surge of irritation. “Jing Ling!”

 

The latter lazily replied, “Mm, got it, I’ll work hard.”

 

Not only did that fail to comfort him, it made him even more annoyed. Shen Ze felt like he was really stupid. After all this time working together, he basically understood what kind of person Jing Ling was—probably, even if the sky were to collapse, he’d just frown slightly and nothing more. With someone like that, how could you expect him to share your joy?

 

“Get lost!” In the end, those were the only two words he managed to squeeze out.

 

A week passed quickly. Despite trying hard to hide under the sun umbrella, both Shen Ze and the photographer got several shades darker. Only Jing Ling, running back and forth between the boat and the water, still looked completely unaffected. People skipped straight past envy and jealousy to pure hatred.

Another Friday arrived—the broadcast time for Wilderness Survival.

 

Wang Yikun had been looking forward to this for a long time, but this time, instead of watching at home, he went to a good buddy’s house to freeload their TV. His buddy got married last year; his wife was a childhood friend he grew up with—their relationship was excellent. When they were dating, the guy was a model boyfriend, and after getting married, he instantly became a textbook good husband, the type who absolutely wouldn’t go west if his wife said east.

 

Wang Yikun was friends with both of them, so visiting was completely relaxed. He called in advance, rang the doorbell when he arrived, and the door opened immediately. He changed into slippers and flopped onto the living room sofa, grabbed the remote, changed the channel—all in one go.

 

His buddy came out of the study, sat beside him, and asked, “What made you suddenly come over?”

 

“Came to your place to watch TV, so my parents won’t nag me later,” Wang Yikun answered honestly.

Since they were friends, his buddy knew his interests well. Hearing this, he looked at him with some surprise, “Don’t you usually prefer watching livestreams? Why suddenly watching TV? It’s not even the football channel.”

 

“Livestreams are watching the same thing, but it’s not as satisfying as watching on TV,” Wang Yikun replied. Qiao Qiao usually streamed normally, but when the variety show aired, she’d point the camera at the TV—that was announced beforehand, and it would continue until this season of Wilderness Survival finished. After explaining, he casually promoted the show, “A variety show—pretty interesting.”

 

“What show?” His buddy’s wife heard and asked curiously, then came over to sit down too.

 

“Wilderness Survival, it’s starting soon.”

 

The previous episode ended with the guests taking out the supplies from their backpacks and cooking instant noodles on a deserted island with nothing. It was a scene with aroma—you could almost smell the instant noodles in the stainless steel bowls through the screen.

 

Master Li’s product placement was simply perfect. Wang Yikun’s home had no instant noodles, so after the show, hungry, he went downstairs in his slippers to the convenience store, bought a bucket, came back and made it with hot water. He even finished the leftover ribs from the afternoon, sliced a sausage from the fridge, finely chopped some green onions to sprinkle on top—it was exactly the taste from his memories, with an upgraded deluxe version.

 

Although later, because of the strong smell, his mom scolded him, but who cared? Being able to eat what you craved was already a kind of happiness.

 

The new episode started, briefly reviewing the previous one—the group sitting around the campfire eating instant noodles, followed by Jing Ling sitting alone hugging a coconut, biting a bamboo straw, expressionlessly sipping away. The contrast was stark.

 

Wang Yikun immediately laughed, thinking, “Serves you right, acting cool and now slapping yourself in the face.” You can climb trees, build bamboo rafts, tease sharks, and even DIY a hammock, but what’s the use? Others are eating noodles and drinking soup, you sit there drinking water—even if it’s fresh fruit juice, you’ve still lost by comparison!

 

His buddy and wife watched along with him. His buddy stayed quiet, but the wife suddenly asked, “Wang Yi, have you watched Island and The Song of Eternal Joy?”

 

“Huh?” Wang Yikun didn’t react for a moment.

 

“The TV dramas Jing Ling acted in.”

 

“Oh, that—no, I haven’t, don’t really know.”

 

“I see. But I feel like they should be good, right? I mean, he looks so good-looking!” His buddy’s wife sighed.

 

For some reason, Wang Yikun had a bad premonition. But the show soon moved into the exciting parts, grabbing his attention, so he stopped thinking about it.

 

On TV, it was already the guests’ second day on the deserted island. Unknown birds chirped non-stop in the treetops all night, combined with the overly simple bedding, no one slept well—their faces groggy when they woke up. Except for Jing Ling, who looked exactly the same as yesterday. After rekindling the fire, he brought back materials from the bamboo forest, sat cross-legged by the fire, and started carving bamboo. Very quickly, he made a fishing spear, then told Goddess Qiao Qiao he was going to catch fish.

Wang Yikun couldn’t hold back a snort, “No way he’ll succeed!”

 

His buddy echoed, “I think so too.”

 

But his buddy’s wife had a different opinion, “I think he’ll succeed. You can tell from his expression, he’s very confident!”

 

Unexpectedly, he didn’t head out immediately, but prepared to weave a basket to hold the fish. The cameraman gave a close-up shot of his hands holding the rattan—long, well-proportioned fingers, neatly trimmed nails. One had to admit, these were very good-looking hands. And not only were they good-looking, they were also very nimble. He successfully wove the basket in one go, and it looked neat and sturdy.

 

“Amazing!” the buddy’s wife praised.

 

What’s the use of being amazing? I still don’t believe he can really spear fish. You have to know, the fish in the sea aren’t like the ones in the market, all packed in big tubs, just waiting for you to grab!

 

That’s what Wang Yikun thought, but he was slapped in the face almost immediately—one slap after another.

 

Three tries, one hundred percent success rate: a grouper, a black porgy, and a huge lobster! You’d have to pay for those at the market, but here, with a simple bamboo spear, he just brought back hundreds of yuan worth of food. A person like that probably never has to worry about going hungry!

 

“This guy’s got real skills!” the buddy gave a thumbs up.

 

“That lobster is huge, it must taste amazing! Jing Ling really is impressive!” 

 

The buddy’s wife had a slightly different focus.

 

Wang Yikun curled his lips and nodded along, “Indeed, impressive.”

 

During the mid-episode ad break, the buddy and Wang Yikun discussed the upcoming plot, while the buddy’s wife fiddled with her phone, unclear what she was doing. After the ad, the show continued, and Wang Yikun had only one thought—what exactly is there that this guy can’t do? His fish-cleaning technique was textbook, his knife skills smooth and practiced—completely unbelievable!

 

Coconut fish head soup, grilled fish, grilled lobster, and fresh coconut juice on the side. This breakfast was simply over the top!

 

Wang Yikun had only finished eating not long ago, but watching this made him hungry again. He turned to the buddy and his wife, “How about we go have grilled fish and lobster later?”

 

“My wife’s cutting back on—” The buddy was about to refuse when his wife interrupted, “No problem, my treat!”

 

Buddy: “……” Didn’t you just say last night you were dieting?

 

Unknowingly, the episode came to an end. The final scene was Jing Ling sitting leisurely on a bamboo raft fishing, blue sea, clear sky, blazing sun, along with the raft and fishing rod—it all gave off a relaxed, carefree vibe, like he was on vacation, not participating in a wilderness survival show. But the other two groups of guests once again proved with their actions that this was indeed a survival show.

 

One show, two completely different styles—the contrast couldn’t be more striking.

 

If it was during a livestream, Wang Yikun would’ve definitely spammed 666666 and sent big gifts. Unfortunately, this wasn’t one. But in Qiao Qiao’s livestream room, gifts were flying nonstop, and the screen was filled with 6s. Just as he was about to join in, he heard the buddy’s wife beside him exclaim, “Our Jing Bao is amazing!!”

 

Wang Yikun’s hand trembled, and he turned to look in disbelief, only to see the buddy’s wife cupping her cheeks, smiling with arched eyes, looking just like a young girl.

 

…Before the show started, you didn’t even know him, right? How long has it been? His name went from Jing Ling to Jing Bao, and now he’s “yours”? Isn’t that a little too fast?

 

While complaining in his head, his gaze accidentally swept over his buddy’s face.

 

Wait a minute, buddy, why do you look so gloomy? What happened?

 

He found out the answer in the middle of the night. After finishing the show and chatting for a bit, the three of them went out for grilled fish and lobster, then each returned home. In the middle of the night, Wang Yikun received a call from his buddy. Half-asleep, he asked, “Why aren’t you asleep? Having problems in bed?”

 

“Problems your damn ass! My wife’s still hugging her phone binge-watching that drama! This is all your fault! If I can’t sleep, don’t think you’ll sleep well either!”

 

Chapter 105

 

What should you do if a buddy wants to drag you down with him? Don’t be afraid—fight back! Even if, in this case, you might indeed bear a tiny bit of responsibility.

 

“I’m single, what does it matter whether I sleep with someone or not?” Wang Yikun yawned and replied indifferently.

 

As a result, he temporarily lost a buddy.

 

This episode of the variety show aired and had high ratings right from the start. 

 

Not long after broadcast, it squeezed into the top three national variety shows airing in the same time slot, and the ratings continued to climb. By the end of the episode, it was already nearly tied with the second-place show. Jing Ling gained another wave of fans, and his Weibo followers skyrocketed overnight. 

 

Situations similar to Wang Yikun’s buddy and that buddy’s wife were not uncommon, and the age range of these fans was extremely broad.

 

As the variety show was nearing its end, he posted today’s Weibo update.

 

Jing Ling—Second Most Handsome Under the Heavens V: Adrift at Sea 1 · Lost and Found. One episode per week. [Love you] [Video]

 

Fans saw this classy name and all started speculating what the video could be about, but not a single person guessed correctly.

 

Deep Sea in the Clouds: Not spoiling anything. I just want to say, when it comes to naming things, I only respect Meng Er!

 

Moonlit Beauty: I’ve never seen such a pure and natural video. Totally different from all those flashy attention-seekers out there!

 

A Bunny Yo: I’ll just pretend I don’t understand what you’re all talking about ╮(╯▽╰)╭

 

Jing Ling’s Cup: Hhhhhhh even picking up trash can sound this fresh and refined. Amazing, my Jing Bao!

233333: Fine, fine, fine, I’ll listen to you. Who told you to be this good-looking! From now on I’ll never litter, whether it’s the sky, the ground, or the sea! (P.S. I never littered before either, but I still want to leave a comment so Jing Bao can see me and praise me, kiss me 

 

Lost and Found—this was the artistic term for it, but in reality, it meant picking up trash. Jing Ling took people out to sea. On the first day, time was tight and they couldn’t stay on the water for long. They didn’t encounter any animals that needed rescue, only fished out marine litter they came across, sorted it properly, and brought it back to shore, finally tossing it into garbage bins. A few cans and plastic bottles were packed into plastic bags they picked up, to make it convenient for recyclers.

 

At the end of the video, there was a simple message: Please protect the environment. Do not litter.

 

Jing Ling couldn’t compare to money, couldn’t make everyone like him. Naturally, there were fans who supported him, but also haters or people who disliked him. But it didn’t matter—his eyes had always only looked at what he wanted to see, his brain only remembered what was necessary, and he ignored everything else entirely. Besides, this Weibo post was actually sent by Shen Ze on his behalf. After being bullied for a whole year, the poor manager finally got the password to the celebrity’s Weibo account—it hadn’t been easy.

 

From the moment the variety show aired, he had been monitoring the response: ratings, Weibo, forums, Tieba. His computer screen was cluttered with countless windows as he switched between them non-stop, practically wishing he could split himself into several people to handle it all.

 

Meanwhile, the person he was concerned about had already flown across half the republic, taken two buses, and gone to the remote Chashan Town to visit his girlfriend.

 

On Friday morning, as usual, Jing Ling called Yunshu, they greeted each other good morning, chatted for a bit, and finally reminded her to have breakfast properly before hanging up. From start to finish, he didn’t mention that he was coming over, and Yunshu didn’t think much of it either.

 

Today was Yunshu’s duty shift. The others had left one after another. In the entire building, only two or three offices still had lights on, and the whole second floor was completely empty except for her. She was at her computer doing research. After wrapping up for a moment, she looked up and saw that it was nearly 7:30 PM.

 

It was completely dark outside. The large lamp on the wall lit up the whole courtyard. The tall trees along the walls swayed in the wind, and their shadows swayed along with them. She could faintly hear the flapping sound of the row of flags on the rooftop as they fluttered in the wind.

 

She wondered what Jing Ling was doing. During their earlier call, he had told her that he would be out at sea filming continuously for a week. Judging by the time, yesterday was the last day. She had originally planned to ask him about it during their call this morning, but an urgent task came up, so she hurriedly hung up.

 

Yunshu picked up her phone from the desk, unlocked it, and dialed Jing Ling’s number. The contact name was “Dear J.”

 

The wind was a little strong, blowing in through the open window. Her long hair was tousled by the breeze. Yunshu brushed it aside with her hand, her gaze unintentionally drifting toward the office door. Diagonally across from it was the staircase entrance. Somehow, she suddenly thought of the last time he had come—the familiar ringtone echoing through the hallway, the unexpected surprise, like tasting a piece of candy that sweetened her entire heart.

 

The call connected quickly. The gentle voice of the young man came from the other end, “Yunshu.”

 

Yunshu thought she was probably missing him too much, which was why she was hallucinating that she heard two overlapping voices—one through the phone, the other from the hallway. She even thought she really heard that familiar ringtone just now.

 

“I feel like I heard your voice outside,” Yunshu said with a smile.

 

A soft laugh came from the other end of the phone.

 

“What are you laughing at?” Yunshu asked. But as soon as she spoke, she realized something was off—the previous sentence also had that doubled sound. She froze for a few seconds, then suddenly stood up from her seat, bypassed the merged office desks, and ran toward the door.

 

She hurried to the staircase and immediately bumped into something. Her vision went dark, and then a pair of arms wrapped around her waist. The familiar scent brushed past her nose.

 

“Jing Ling!”

 

“I’m here.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

 

“Wanted to give you a surprise. For you, my beautiful lady!”

 

Not only did Jing Ling bring roses, but also snacks—all her favorites. Yunshu carried the things back to the office, and Jing Ling sat beside her, asking, “Working overtime?”

 

Yunshu shook her head. “Just casually looking up some information. You spent hours on the road—did you eat before coming?”

 

The answer, of course, was no.

 

Yunshu then said, “There’s still food in the fridge. I’ll cook for you when we get back.”

 

It was a great plan, but right before her shift ended, an unexpected situation arose. The office landline had been forwarded to her phone, and a call came in. It was from the leader on the third floor. Yunshu immediately had a bad feeling, which was quickly confirmed.

 

“Director Huang, hello!” she answered the call.

 

“Yunshu, go up to my office and bring me the bag on the sofa,” came the slurred command from the other end, probably due to drinking.

 

“Director Huang, I’m on duty, there’s only me in the office…” she tried to explain but was cut off.

 

“You little girl, why are you so clueless? Of course I know you’re on duty. It’s not like there’s anyone else around tonight. What’s the big deal about bringing me something? You want me to fetch it myself? Hurry up and bring it over. I’m downstairs at Liu Yishou Grilled Fish, second floor!”

 

With that, he hung up abruptly, and the dial tone sounded in her ear.

 

The smile on Yunshu’s face disappeared, her brows furrowed slightly. “I’m going to get something,” she told Jing Ling, stood up, grabbed the key from the next office, went upstairs to the leader’s office, found the bag, and brought it down.

 

“I’m heading out for a moment.” She had just spoken when Jing Ling also stood up.

 

“I’ll go with you.”

 

“No need, I—”

 

“Yunshu, I’m not an outsider.”

 

“…Alright.”

 

The office lights were still on, and the door remained open. The two of them walked downstairs side by side, left the building, and crossed the courtyard toward the exit. The briefcase was already in Jing Ling’s hand. When he reached out to take it, Yunshu tried to refuse, “It’s okay, it’s very light.”

 

His hand suddenly reached up, landing gently on her head. “Yunshu, I can’t be by your side every second, but at least when I am, I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to.”

 

“Mm.”

 

Liu Yishou Grilled Fish—the last time Jing Ling came, he had gone there with her office colleagues and others. It was only a few minutes away, yet he deliberately strolled with Yunshu as if they were on a leisurely walk. The phone rang again. He casually took Yunshu’s phone, turned off the screen, neither answering nor hanging up.

 

After confirming the location with the boss, they squeezed through the somewhat crowded first-floor dining area, went up the stairs to the second floor.

 

The place was bustling with business. The private rooms on the second floor were nearly all full. The sound of laughter and chatter filled the air. Their destination was the room in the farthest corner by the window. As they approached, they could already hear voices inside.

 

“Why isn’t she here yet?!”

 

“Doesn’t seem very respectful!”

 

“Today’s actually not bad. Before, we called a few times and she kept making excuses!”

 

“Heard she’s got a boyfriend now?”

 

“So what? Long-distance relationship, they barely see each other once a month. Besides, plane and train tickets aren’t free, right? A student—how much money could she have?”

 

“Why do you think she came back to work here? Chen Fangfang mentioned that she was pretty well-known at school, even got that accounting certificate. If she stayed outside to work, her salary would definitely be better than here.”

 

“There must be something shady going on, otherwise who’d be this stupid!”

 

Jing Ling had heard worse insults before and could remain completely unaffected. But this time, the words were aimed at Yunshu. His anger flared up, and he worried Yunshu would be upset too. He turned to look at her, their eyes met, and her face showed no expression, her gaze calm and indifferent.

For a moment, Jing Ling felt dazed.

 

There was no anger on Yunshu’s face like he had expected. In less than a month, had she already learned to calmly face such things?

 

While he was lost in thought, Yunshu had already stepped forward and knocked on the door.

“Come in!”

 

Yunshu pushed the door open. In the center of the room was a large round table with six people seated around it. Four of them were town officials, and the other two unfamiliar faces. Playing cards and alcohol were on the table. They chatted and laughed, looking perfectly at ease, not the slightest bit worried that she might have overheard their earlier conversation. Or perhaps—they simply didn’t care.