Various circles have been persistently exploring, but they can’t find any more information about Mr. Gu from anywhere.

First, when the program started with self-introductions, Mr. Gu hadn’t had the chance to say his name before Du Ruiqing butted in and called him “Xiao Gu,” so Mr. Gu started referring to himself as “Xiao Gu.”

Ugh! Du Ruiqing is so infuriating! Having such a big shot as a friend and not knowing how to handle it! So everyone got even more enthusiastic in criticizing Du Ruiqing.

Even when Mr. Gu was on the phone with Mr. Li, Mr. Li politely referred to him as “Mr. Gu.” Even if you two are business partners, can’t you be a bit less formal? Call him by a nickname, for goodness’ sake! It’s so frustrating!

As for the production team… Ugh, they’re just a bunch of cowards! Not daring to reveal Mr. Gu’s name is one thing, but they didn’t even dare to show his face! Useless, useless!

Amidst the heated criticism of Zhong Sheng and active exploration, various related topics flooded the hot searches tonight, and every circle deeply realized just how mysterious and influential Mr. Gu is.

【I’m still talking about how Mr. Gu is in a dilemma, how dealing with Zhong Sheng would be unsatisfactory…】

【In the end, Mr. Gu never appeared at all… no one even knows his name or what he looks like.】

【Come to think of it, Mr. Gu is probably too busy with business matters to handle everything today, yet he still managed to arrange recruitment for multiple companies and the comeback of five contestants. That’s top-tier time management; how could he have time for Zhong Sheng?】

【Fake face-smacking: A big shot comes out personally to tell you who he is, what his background is, and how many honors he has received. Real face-smacking: The big shot never appears, but the opponent is already groveling.】

【I’m shocked. This is a true mysterious big shot who can control everything and remains deeply enigmatic!】

“What on earth is my brother doing? Why hasn’t he taken action yet? And Assistant Chen is also quiet?” Li Jiashu was originally worried and wanted to see how things were progressing. When he opened the app, he saw a slew of trending topics about Mr. Gu.

Curious, he clicked in to read the gossip and was instantly left speechless.

Zhong Sheng was completely crushed just like that? So easily? So simply? And with such universal celebration?

His brother really pulled off a grand move!!!

He couldn’t help but message Li Tingqin: “Bro! Your move to protect your husband was so impressive! You dominated the trending searches!”

Li Jiashu didn’t expect that his usually indifferent older brother would reply so quickly: “?”

“Your brother-in-law told me not to interfere, and you shouldn’t interfere either.”

Li Jiashu: “!!!” So it was brother-in-law?! How did he manage to accomplish such an earth-shattering feat so calmly and quietly!

He quickly rushed downstairs to confront Gu Chen. Gu Chen was leisurely taking his usual evening stroll in the ancient-style garden of the old mansion. His relaxed and unhurried expression remained unchanged, and he even had the leisure to leisurely pick a few pink and white peach blossoms to take back and arrange.

Brother-in-law, oh brother-in-law, you really know how to keep your cool!

Li Jiashu was genuinely curious and asked, “Oh my god, brother-in-law! How did you handle this? How did you command the ‘Six Great Sects’ to stir up such a storm in the martial arts world?”

Gu Chen was suddenly confronted by the energetic young man: “?” Little brother, are you being overly dramatic?

Seeing Gu Chen still maintaining his calm demeanor, with a hint of confusion and exasperation, Li Jiashu said, “Don’t hide it from me, brother-in-law. I already know. Just look at all these trending searches. How could I not know? It’s incredible.”

Gu Chen: “?” Wasn’t he just a minor character who appeared for a total of 4 minutes and 52 seconds in the whole show? Trending searches? What does that have to do with him?

He glanced at Li Jiashu’s phone and then: “…”

Li Jiashu didn’t understand why, but as soon as Gu Chen looked at his phone, his leisurely walking pace suddenly sped up. His brother-in-law’s long legs made it hard for him to keep up: “Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, why are you suddenly walking so fast!”

Gu Chen smiled, “I just remembered, I have something to take care of…” Arranging for Assistant Chen to take down the trending searches.

But as soon as he reached the hall downstairs, Grandpa Li stopped him: “Xiao Gu…”

Grandpa Li, rarely showing a bit of embarrassment, said, “You handled this matter well, but it was a bit too flashy. Don’t get too proud, keep learning humbly…”

Li Jiashu thought, “Wow.” Grandpa rarely praises anyone besides his big brother. And brother-in-law managed to win him over in just three days of staying at the old mansion.

“Alright, thank you, Grandpa. You’re too kind,” Gu Chen replied, keeping his expression calm and expressing support for Grandpa Li’s feedback. “I also think it was too flashy. I’ll go handle it right away.”

Grandpa Li: “?” Just like that? After handling such a big thing, how can Xiao Gu have no expression at all? Kids these days, there’s no need to be so humble. Look at how Jiashu reacts.

Li Jiashu was shocked by Gu Chen’s calmness at this moment. Brother-in-law, oh brother-in-law, you really know how to keep your cool!

“Well, Grandpa, I’ll head upstairs first.” Gu Chen casually placed the peach blossom branches he picked into the blue and white porcelain vase on the antique shelf, adjusted the branches slightly, and then went upstairs.

Grandpa Li’s expression changed instantly: “That’s my collectible blue and white porcelain! Don’t just stick things in it!”

But as he looked at the arrangement, he noticed that the pink and white blossoms and the light green leaves complemented the vase’s patterns, exuding a fresh spring vibe.

“Hey? Xiao Gu actually has good taste?” He thought for a moment and changed his mind, “Well, forget it. The young man probably picked the peach blossoms because he’s missing Tingqin. Better add some water to keep them fresh.”

Assistant Chen remembered Gu Chen’s instructions. However, since the trending searches about Mr. Gu were beneficial, countering the negative impact caused by Zhong Sheng, he hesitated for a moment. This led to the continued surge in popularity.

At this point, people had almost finished criticizing Zhong Sheng and Du Ruiqing and were now focusing on exploring the mysterious Mr. Gu’s identity. Realizing this, Assistant Chen decided it was time to take down the trending searches to avoid exposing Mr. Gu too much.

So, using the remaining funds from the million yuan transferred by Mr. Gu earlier, he began arranging to take down the trending searches. However, he found that as soon as the search popularity decreased, it surged back up again. The funds were starting to run low.

Fortunately, just as he was contemplating whether to report this to Mr. Li, Mr. Gu called and arranged for more funds. Assistant Chen continued his sweaty battle to suppress the trending searches.

Meanwhile, the “Six Great Sects” actively investigating Mr. Gu’s identity had lost interest in Zhong Sheng, who had shut down comments and pretended to be dead. Now, seeing the trending searches drop, they were surprisingly reinvigorated:

【Zhong Sheng is striking back! He’s trying to suppress Mr. Gu’s trending searches! Brothers and sisters! Keep pushing!】

Zhong Sheng, having spent a long time in the entertainment industry, understood the dynamics well. He gave orders, “For now, don’t directly take down these trending topics. It could trigger a backlash. Let these people’s emotions settle. Wait until late at night, then slowly and naturally take them down. Trust me, they’ll forget about it after a couple of days.”

Then, he opened his phone and saw himself being @ and cursed out everywhere again.

Zhong Sheng: “?! Who’s sabotaging me!!!”

Gu Chen watched for a while and realized that if it wasn’t trending on Weibo, it was trending on video sites, and not just one platform. It was impossible to suppress it all. Soon, Mr. Li’s pocket money was also exhausted.

Gu Chen: “= =” The pocket money he didn’t ask Mr. Li for earlier now became necessary. Mr. Li, I need some pocket money to save my life…

So, Gu Chen dialed Li Tingqin’s number again: “Ahem, Mr. Li…”

However, before he could speak, Li Tingqin said, “Xiao Gu, I’ve already seen what’s happening online. You’re truly excellent and kind.”

“?” Gu Chen responded, “Mr. Li, you’re too kind.” Excellence he could understand, but where did “kind” come from?

Li Tingqin sighed, “Xiao Gu, you don’t need to be so modest.”

Although Xiao Gu was socially anxious and not good at socializing, he had casually participated in a show and helped many people, including the guests around him, which could be described as benevolent. By helping so many students find jobs and even reaching out to the estranged Gu and Cheng families for this cause, he showed a strong sense of social responsibility.

That’s why every circle was willing to speak up for him.

It was right for Xiao Gu not to let him intervene. This solution was indeed the best. It cleared Zhong Sheng’s slander against Xiao Gu without disturbing the real Xiao Gu.

Li Tingqin continued, “This matter is almost resolved. Leave the rest to me, Xiao Gu, and don’t be so polite.” He would still handle certain individuals as needed.

“And also, Assistant Chen told me about the trending searches. Are you running out of pocket money?” Li Tingqin asked, arranging things meticulously. “You should go out and enjoy life more, like Jiashu and the others. Don’t spend all your money on things like this.”

Gu Chen: “…” He really hadn’t been modest; he had been about to ask for pocket money. But with the family’s money tree, he didn’t even need to shake it for money to fall.

“Alright, thank you, Mr. Li?”

Li Tingqin, with a hint of amusement, said, “Hmm, buy yourself something you like. You could even buy another team if you want.”

After hanging up, Gu Chen left his room and went downstairs. Li Jiashu popped his head out: “Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, who were you on the phone with just now? You still haven’t told me how you managed all this!”

Gu Chen smiled, “I was asking your brother for pocket money.” I also don’t know how I managed it.

Li Jiashu: “Huh?”

At that moment, Gu Chen’s phone beeped with a new message.

Li Jiashu, curious, said, “Wow, wow, wow! Check if it’s my brother’s pocket money arriving! Can I see?”

Thinking of the earlier conversation about taking over the company, Gu Chen handed him the phone.

Li Jiashu: “???!!!”

“My God! Why, why? Brother-in-law, your pocket money is a whole digit more than mine!!!”

Is it really possible to have so much pocket money? And for brother-in-law, just asking for it on the phone and getting it instantly—five million! If he had that much pocket money, would he even need to start a company?

Brother! This is so unfair!

Gu Chen seriously asked him, “Jiashu, why do you think that is?” Mr. Li is indeed very generous with him.

Li Jiashu, who had just been shown up, was speechless: “…”

Alright, having a husband must be incredible!

Late at night, Zhong Sheng felt it was time to start taking down the trending searches and reducing the heat. He invested a large sum of money to do so.

Mr. Li arranged for the matter to be handled by the team, and since it was daytime on their side, they proceeded calmly.

They found that the task suddenly became much easier. Many parts that they hadn’t even started on were already completed by someone else ahead of them? This saved a lot of expenses. They only needed to handle the bits that were left unfinished by others.

Additionally, Mr. Gu hoped they could also delete the videos previously released by the production team. They discovered that many brand videos had already been deleted yesterday, leaving only the production team’s and a few scattered ones. For the production team, they just needed to negotiate contract issues. This further reduced the workload.

The next morning, Zhong Sheng, who hadn’t slept all night, woke up to check the results and was pleasantly surprised to find the outcome was extraordinarily clean. Having bought such services many times before, he had never seen results as clean as this. He praised, “You all did a great job this time.” It felt like the money had produced double the effect.

And when fans woke up in the morning, they were shocked to find that everything was gone!!! All content related to Mr. Gu had been completely cleared overnight!!!

【So strange… Could it be Zhong Sheng has come back to life?】

【But wait, does Zhong Sheng have that kind of power?】

【Sisters, is it possible that we were wrong all along? Maybe Mr. Gu is the one who made all this heat disappear. Such a big shot wouldn’t want to be discussed online, right? He probably doesn’t even need fans?】

【!!! That actually seems possible!】

【Indeed, only someone like Mr. Gu could pull off something on this scale…】

【Waaah, so such a big Mr. Gu is just gone like that? Even if the video didn’t show his face, couldn’t they at least lick their fingers? The useless production team deleted everything just like that? The 4 minutes and 52 seconds were all highlights! Not a second of wasted footage!】

【Hehe, I’ve already saved it~】

【Looking for resources!】

【Looking for resources!】

【Sigh, will Mr. Gu really become a figure shrouded in mystery from now on?】

【It’s so shocking how everything can be cleaned up so thoroughly overnight… Mr. Gu is becoming more and more mysterious… But I really want to know who he is! I’m so desperate!】

Zhong Sheng was speechless: “???” After all his effort and money, why did they not guess correctly when they should have, but ended up pinning it on Gu Chen?

But whatever, his goal had been achieved. Gu Chen’s program had been completely erased, and with the show canceled, Gu Chen wouldn’t have any more chances to appear. Even if many people were attacking him online, what could they do to him in reality?

Feeling exhausted, he yawned and sighed in relief. He couldn’t help but post on Moments: “Some people can only pretend online. In reality, what can they really do?”

However, he had added many celebrities and influencers on WeChat, and many of them hated him. Soon, screenshots of his Moments post were leaked.

Everyone was both angry and amused by Zhong Sheng’s post:

【Huh? Is this guy actually proud of himself?】

【But indeed… all the online bashing only made him ‘die’ online, while in reality, he’s still a wealthy and powerful young master. He probably still has plenty of people flattering him for money…】

【That’s so frustrating!】

【So frustrating! Is this guy invincible as long as he has thick skin? Even if his face is thick, can’t we do anything to him?】

Zhong Sheng’s post seemed to inspire his arrogant fans, who started gearing up for a comeback:

【Hehe, you all worked so hard and typed so much, but he’s still the third young master of the Zhong family. With his wealth and power, did you really cause any substantial harm?】

【So, it turns out success in reality is what counts. No matter how much you talk online, what difference does it make? Look at your so-called mysterious Mr. Gu—what can he do to the third young master of Zhong?】

These comments seemed to give Zhong Sheng a new idea. Although he hadn’t reopened comments, he tweeted again:

【So-called Mr. Gu, stop manipulating netizens behind the scenes. I’m waiting for you to prove your power in reality.】

Gu Chen, with no substantial background, surely wouldn’t dare to appear. If he didn’t, the rumors about him being a mysterious big shot would fall apart on their own.

People immediately started to worry:

【Damn! This is so petty! What if Mr. Gu doesn’t appear?】

【Why is Zhong Sheng so proud when Mr. Gu is ignoring him?!!!】

However, just half an hour later, media outlets reported:

【Breaking news: This morning at around 9 AM, a certain Zhong family’s young son was captured in a luxury mansion…】

The accompanying photo showed a luxury mansion belonging to Zhong Sheng, with a young man being escorted out by police.

Netizens were stunned:

【!!! Isn’t that Zhong Sheng!!!】

【He was waiting at home, and… the police showed up?!!】

【Wtmxsl, this is like swearing to the heavens and then getting struck by lightning immediately, hahaha】

【The slap in the face came so fast!!! Just half an hour ago, Young Master Zhong was still tweeting about waiting for Mr. Gu to prove himself, and karma hit him immediately!】

【This media is too impressive, hahaha, they even managed to capture this? Speedy response!】

【It seems Young Master Zhong forgot that he had shown off this luxury mansion before. Given the recent scandals, the media was definitely on the lookout this morning. And they ended up capturing a big surprise! This news is incredible!】

【Hahaha, Young Master Zhong really lives up to his words! He said he’d show something, and look what happened! Mr. Gu is amazing!】

【Even though I’ve said it many times, I still have to say it—our Mr. Gu… is truly terrifying and mysterious. Just as Zhong Sheng was talking, he got arrested…】

【But Zhong Sheng did bring this upon himself. When you think about how he’s bullied and manipulated people over the years, many in the industry might have been coerced or bribed by him. Perhaps many of them were willing participants…】

【He still had the nerve to criticize others as ‘not clean,’ while he’s the real rotten cucumber! Just because he has money, he has a bunch of fans who flatter him. Did he really think that by playing the rich young master, he could get away with it? It’s great to see justice served to this social scum! Refreshing!】

【Mr. Gu still hasn’t shown his face, but with just one move, he’s put someone in jail.】

【If it wasn’t for Young Master Zhong’s own request, I doubt Mr. Gu would even bother with him, haha.】

Moreover, soon after, there were revelations about several Zhong family projects collapsing and news about Du Ruiqing ending endorsements with multiple brands…

Although no videos related to Mr. Gu could be found anymore, the excitement and drama of the day had the netizens exhausted from praising.

【Hahaha, Young Master Zhong was waiting for Mr. Gu to prove his power, and now he’s not only proven it but has done so in more ways than one. So funny.】

【Isn’t Young Master Zhong supposedly the most favored young master of the Zhong family? I wonder if his parents are regretting how they raised him now? And, of course, Du Ruiqing is probably very angry with him.】

【No worries, Du Ruiqing hanging around with Zhong Sheng probably means he’s not great either.】

At this moment, Du Ruiqing was crying in front of Qiao Kunping, his cute appearance making his tears look even more pitiful: “Ping-ge, what should I do? I don’t know how I offended him. Can you help me?”

But Qiao Kunping remained unmoved, even showing a hint of coldness as he replied, “I don’t want to dredge up the past and blame you now. It’s getting messy. Qingqing, let’s just part ways amicably.”

Du Ruiqing pleaded helplessly, “But it seems Mr. Gu wants to blacklist me… What will I do in the future? Will you marry me? I could retire from acting and become a homemaker…”

“Stop pretending,” Qiao Kunping said, his patience wearing thin. “How did you think things would turn out when you and Zhong Sheng were trying to blacklist Mr. Gu? And weren’t you the one who started all this trouble?” He looked at her with distaste. “I know what kind of person you are from your association with Zhong Sheng. No wonder Mr. Gu never liked you.”

“?” Du Ruiqing was momentarily confused but quickly reacted, “Ping-ge, that’s not true. It was Young Master Zhong who forced me to post those tweets. I wasn’t familiar with them before…”

Qiao Kunping had always seen through her lies but chose to ignore them for the sake of emotional value. However, discovering that Du Ruiqing had mixed with Zhong Sheng’s circle made him feel disgusted, like he had eaten a fly.

He raised an eyebrow, a hint of sarcasm in his tone, “If you’re no longer interested in acting and want to marry, you could have married Young Master Zhong. The Zhong family wouldn’t have let you in before, but now that he’s in prison, things might change.”

Du Ruiqing’s face turned desperate: “Ping-ge, I’ve changed…”

Seeing him still trying to justify herself, Qiao Kunping lost his patience. He slammed the door and left, saying, “I’m leaving. Take care of yourself.”

….

When Gu Chen received the message from Assistant Chen, he raised an eyebrow. Indeed, Mr. Li was a true boss; Zhong Sheng and Du Ruiqing were dealt with swiftly.

With the trending searches removed and videos cleaned up, Gu Chen felt a sense of satisfaction. Though the process had been somewhat convoluted, he was still just a passerby who never appeared in the original storyline, and the final outcome was consistent.

The program seemed to have been postponed, allowing him to finally return to his quiet life as an inconspicuous passerby.

Netizens:

【Wuwuwu, it seems like everything is over. Has Mr. Gu really disappeared completely?】

【Mr. Gu… did he never appear from the beginning to the end? Still, we have to thank Young Master Zhong for letting us see Mr. Gu in action.】

【The 4 minutes and 52 seconds video is truly a limited edition! Thankfully, I saved it.】

【Although Mr. Gu remains so mysterious, the legend of Mr. Gu will always circulate in the world~】

【Hahahaha, when Mr. Gu appears again in the future, will he still be able to command the world?】

…

Inside the Li family’s old residence, Gu Chen continued to relax happily.

However, after eating the health food prepared by Gu Chen for a few days, the old man could hardly stand it. Although the health food seemed to have some effect, and his family doctor said it was scientific…

But now, he feels like he’s eating blandness all the time!

And seeing Gu Chen’s lifestyle, which is even more senior-like than his own, he wanted to say, “You should be the old man in the ‘Li Family'”

So he looked at Li Jiashu and sighed, “Jiashu, hurry up and take your brother-in-law out for some fun.”