Chapter 3: Overnight Debut

Chen Linan subconsciously widened his eyes. He parked the car by the roadside and nervously asked, “You… you said you’re Zhang Miya?”

The woman on the other end responded with an affirmative “Mmm… You’re not Chi Yishen? The number shouldn’t be wrong.”

Chen Linan cleared his throat and answered respectfully while trying to ingratiate himself, “That’s right, that’s right. Our Little Chi is still eating. I’m his former agent.”

Chen Linan, with a hoarse voice and a disheveled appearance, appeared quite down and out. This indicated how devastating Sheng Xin’s actions had been on the Chi family. It seemed that Sheng Xin was sparing no one associated with them.

Chi Yizhen had a bite of his bread to fill his stomach and opened a bottle of mineral water. He listened to the conversation on Chen Linan’s phone, which was on speaker.

“An agent, huh?”

The woman’s voice sounded sweet at first, but underneath, it carried an almost imperceptible sense of authority. Chen Linan, who had been in the industry for a while, couldn’t possibly not know who Zhang Miya was, and his voice was somewhat shaky.

“President Zhang, did you just invite our Chi Yishen to participate in a variety show?”

Chen Linan glanced at the young man in the passenger seat, and Chi Yizhen had just wiped away the bread crumbs from the corner of his mouth. He tilted his head to drink water, looking particularly disheveled.

His shirt was very wrinkled, not to mention the denim jacket, which was entirely different from authentic vintage craftsmanship. It was purely worn out, and the sleeves and elbows had abrasions.

This was quite a contrast to the impression Chen Linan initially had of him as a young master.

Zhang Miya had just made a sound of agreement when Chi Yizhen took the phone and asked cautiously, “Is this for real, or could it be a scam?”

His reaction surprised both Chen Linan and Zhang Miya on the other end of the line.

Chen Linan replied, “Exactly! We’re both in such a sorry state, who would send us a variety show invitation? Xiao Chi, you haven’t even made it to the surface as an extra.”

The outwardly rugged manager had a unique way of speaking.

Chi Yizhen curled his lips and nodded. “Brother Chen, you were scammed out of two hundred yuan last time, and your wife scolded you for a week. Remember?”

On the other end of the phone, the voices were a mix of roughness and clarity, causing Zhang Miya, who was in the office, to furrow her eyebrows. She hadn’t expected the rumored wealthy White Moonlight of Sheng Xin, to have this kind of demeanor.

From their conversation, it was evident that there was a lot of bitterness, as if they were on the verge of begging for food at any moment.

Even someone like Zhang Miya, who didn’t pay much attention to others’ love and hate affairs, found herself at a loss for words. She was so overwhelmed that she even brought up her old grudges against You Yuxing.

She straightforwardly asked, “So how can I prove it?”

As the original memories gradually resurfaced, Chi Yizhen gained a clearer understanding of the world’s set up as described in the book.

In the entertainment industry here, there were three major conglomerates:

1. Strange Entertainment, an old family business specializing in movies and TV dramas. Their artists were all A-listers and often had their own studios.

2. Xianggua Entertainment, owned by the current Zhang Miya. Despite not having a long history, Zhang Miya was considered a second-generation heiress. Her company focused on variety shows and had gained popularity in recent years. She was even titled a gold-level producer and had a reputation for producing sought-after variety shows. However, she was known for her unique approach and sometimes put artists through demanding programs. Her agency mainly represented young idols and dancers.

3. Under the Shengshi Group was Tianxin Entertainment, housing numerous popular actors and specializing in high-IP TV dramas. Their most prominent star was the company owner’s spouse, You Yuxing.

Considering his current financial situation, being unable to scrap more than a few coins, Chi Yizhen was convinced that this was no hoax.

He finished his water in one gulp and then smiled as he asked, “No need for proof. I just want to know, Zhang Miya, Why did you invite me to participate in your variety show?”

In this short amount of time, Chi Yizhen managed to piece together the current situation.

It was now the sixth month after the conclusion of “After Transforming from a Top Scum, I Became the Top Star in the Entertainment Industry” In the story, the white moonlight character, played by Chi Yishen, had gone through a series of tribulations, including being forcefully taken advantage of by the original protagonist, only to end up penniless and broken after losing his family and brother, Yiming, in a tragic car accident.

The reasons behind the downfall of the Chi family were well-known among industry insiders. Even their former friends were reluctant to offer help. After all, the current heir of the Sheng family, Sheng Xin, was known for his erratic behavior. His willingness to do whatever it took to get what he wanted, and his ability to destroy anything that eluded his grasp, made people wary of crossing him. They feared that helping Chi Yishen might incur Sheng Xin’s wrath, which was not something anyone wanted.

Those who helped, shared the same fate as the Chi family, after that none of them reached out to Chi Yishen again. Even when Sheng Xin ultimately became involved with Yu Yuxing, Chi Yishen’s innocent suffering remained uncompensated. Furthermore, there was no way to make amends for all that had happened. When something was lost, it was simply lost.

Many others might have chosen to end their lives in such circumstances, but Chi Yishen still had Yiming. He needed to stay alive and earn money to cover his mother’s medical expenses, as she remained in the intensive care unit.

Even though the main couple, Sheng Xin and Yu Yuxing, had found happiness together, Yu Yuxing couldn’t help but be wary of the original protagonist, the white moonlight character. After all, he and Chi Yishen shared a striking resemblance.

No matter how exquisite the imitation, it couldn’t surpass the authenticity of the original. As long as Chi Yishen remained in the entertainment industry, Yu Yuxing would constantly face challenges and attacks.

Even if Sheng Xin stopped targeting him, Yu Yuxing wouldn’t let Chi Yizhen return. So, this past year had been particularly tough for Chi Yizhen.

 He tried live streaming, but his accounts were repeatedly banned. He attempted to work as an extra to make a hundred yuan a day, but the extras didn’t dare hire him.

Considering he had been out of mainstream society for so long, his qualifications didn’t allow him to secure well-paying jobs.

 He had to rely on Chen Linan’s connections to get some behind-the-scenes work. During the rest of his time, he took on odd jobs.

But every time he appeared, he became the subject of gossip, just like this time when someone used his older brother’s belongings to lure him to the Spring Tide Hotel.

They promised to pay him a corresponding reward so that he could provide better care for his mother.

All these memories that surged forth were filled with pain.

Chi Yizhen’s eyes welled up with bitterness as he sat in the car, gnawing on a piece of bread.

He knew that the original owner of this body had hit rock bottom, thus he understood why he had accepted that drink.

Maybe the dosage was too high, or maybe it was because his current body lacked proper nutrition and was under constant strain. And just like that, he had become Chi Yishen.

Taking a deep breath, Chi Yizhen waited patiently for the woman on the other end of the phone to respond. However, Zhang Miya chuckled instead. She was known for her straightforward nature in the entertainment industry.

“Because Yu Yuxing has crossed me, and I don’t want to let him off easily,” she replied.

Chen Linan took a sharp breath, his expression carrying a hint of dark satisfaction.

Chi Yizhen nodded in response, “Aren’t you afraid of Sheng Xin? You know my current situation.”

He smiled faintly, his throat still carrying a hoarseness from last night, possibly the result of crying after the encounter with the stranger. “You’re aware of what I’m going through right now.”

At that moment, Chen Linan’s phone began to vibrate incessantly, as his industry friends sent him links and screenshots.

It prominently featured the current trending topic. Even without clicking on the full-sized images, Chen Linan could grasp the exaggerated descriptions.

Chi Yishen at the Spring Tide Hotel.

“Wow! Who says he’s straight? Who goes to a male host club if they’re straight?”

“It’s normal for sugar mommies to go there, but given his current situation… he’s not working there out of desperation, is he??”

Group Chat (6)

Xin: Chen Linan, what’s going on here?

Chen Linan was dumbfounded. Even before when Chi Yishen had the support of the Chi family and was peacefully working as an actor, he had never garnered such high trending topics. Moreover, this wasn’t something he had orchestrated.

The discussions were filled with real people, including several familiar marketing accounts that Chen Linan had previously inquired about for their expensive services, which required connections.

It seemed like someone had been given a task to associate Chi Yishen with scandal. However, it was unfortunate for them that this generation of netizens couldn’t be easily swayed.

Rumors of a 500-page PDF about the entertainment industry resurfaced, with people once again seeking private resources.

There were also some remnants of Chi Yishen’s old fans who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. They launched a suicidal attack by posting comparison pictures of Chi Yishen and Yu Yuxing.

Even passing mosquitoes could tell the difference between the genuine and counterfeit versions. Buying likes couldn’t compare to the genuine likes from real people, and these comments were trending.

Chen Linan almost burst into laughter.

At that moment, Zhang Miya spoke up, “What’s going on?”

She raised her eyes and looked at the real-time trending topics on the big screen. “If the news is about you coming out of a male host club, I would find that quite fitting.”

If it wasn’t for the current situation, Chen Linan might have laughed out loud.

Chi Yizhen began to piece together the events from last night and started suspecting that Zhang Miya might have orchestrated this.

Zhang Miya replied candidly, “It’s perfect. Saves me the expense of buying trending topics for promotion.”

She continued with directness, “Yu Yuxing crossed me. He took my slot for the new variety show and then stood me up. I’ve even released promotional teasers for the show. How am I supposed to save face now?”

Chi Yizhen understood the situation.

Zhang Miya added, “He had plastic surgery to look like you, right? Then this time, I’m going to pair you up and create some friction between you two.”

This producer was exceptionally straightforward, and Chi Yizhen found it refreshing.

He responded equally straightforwardly, “Alright, but this is a dating show, right? What kind of dating partner are you going to find for me?”

Originally, the combination of Sheng Xin and Yu Yuxing was a highly anticipated pairing in the industry—two prominent figures from different fields. They were a genuine couple, and a reality show depicting their frugal lifestyle would create a significant contrast, making it likely to gain attention and be effective.

However, the live-streaming variety show was scheduled to start airing this weekend, and while Zhang Miya could find Chi Yishen, what about the other participant?

Where could they find another young, wealthy, and successful CEO like him?

Zhang Miya chuckled victoriously, “You don’t need to worry about that, Mr. Chi.”

“I’ve already chosen the other person. Since you’ve agreed, I’ll have someone get in touch with you right away. After all, the show is set to premiere this weekend, and we need to finalize the details within three business days.”

Chi Yizhen wasn’t particularly concerned about that. He was currently in a situation where he didn’t know where his next meal was coming from.

He was more focused on other issues, asking, “What about the compensation?”

“Oh, by the way, if it’s convenient for you, could you help me find a place to stay? Or maybe advance me some salary,” Chi Yizhen continued, “Regarding this live-streaming variety show, do I need to be on camera even when I’m sleeping? In that case, do I still need to rent a place?”

Zhang Miya hadn’t anticipated that the other party was in such dire financial straits.

With a mix of laughter and frustration, she made the arrangements and instructed her subordinates to handle the final round of promotion. Her assistant only knew that last night, Zhang Miya had gone to sign a deal with someone, even treating the other party to a round of fun for free. Seeing Zhang Miya come to work today with such a satisfied look, it was clear that everything had been sorted out.

At this point, the assistant asked, “What about the other participant?”

Zhang Miya opened the newly added WeChat on her phone and then accessed the homepage of the game blogger and CEO of Star Track Game Technology, who had a million followers on Weibo.

She smiled like a cunning fox and replied, “Isn’t he right here?”

The assistant stared at the ID in shock and then glanced at the chat page that Zhang Miya showed her.

On the other side, the rumored E-god responded in a clear and concise manner.

The assistant couldn’t help but feel that Zhang Miya had a somewhat coercive intention.

But E-god, as an internet personality who never showed his face, and even attended company events in holographic form, had chosen to debut on a lifestyle reality show. That was surely a done deal!

That evening, the official Weibo account of Xianggua Entertainment, which was broadcasting the new reality show “My Days in the Apartment building,” posted a new tweet.

“Character is just one part of our outward appearance.

 The true essence of who we are lies in the dust of life. I’m glad to meet you, and for the next month, I hope it’s just us.

From now on, I am Chi Yishen [heart emoji]. Star Track Technology_E-god [heart emoji].”

Everything unfolded exactly as Zhang Miya had predicted.

The high-level meeting at Star Track Technology hadn’t concluded yet, and all the members were in shock as they stared at the stage where He Tiao was standing.

He Tiao remained oblivious, still engrossed in analyzing data reports.

His former classmates, acting like monkeys all of a sudden, shouted in astonishment, and He Tiao looked up with a bewildered expression.

Du Binbai exclaimed, “He Tiao, you’re married?”

“I can’t believe it! Brother Tiao, you’re amazing! You’re going to be on a reality show?”

“What’s going on? Did he debut overnight?”

The projection screen was now displaying screenshots from Weibo, and a wave of hushed voices filled the room.

He Tiao stared at the Weibo post, his eyebrows twitching when he noticed the mentioned username.

“From now on, I am Chi Yizhen?”

“Chi Yizhen?”

Could it be…

That Chi Yizhen who had asked him how much he charged for a night?!!