It’s Exciting to Snatch the Supporting Male Lead and Run Away [Quick Wear] - 27

 

IETSTSMLARA | The Rising Movie Emperor  | 27

Zhang Hua knew he had really run into a tough situation this time. With the court date approaching, if he couldn't obtain forgiveness from Wang Qiang, things would become troublesome.

But asking for five million was a bit too much, it would clearly indicate his incompetence as a lawyer if they settled at that price.

"Mr. Wang, if this kind of extortion were to spread online, I'm afraid you wouldn't even get fifty thousand," Zhang Hua said, "How about we compromise?"

"Please go ahead, Mr. Zhang," Lin Su sneered lightly, looking like a real rascal, "The barefoot are not afraid of those wearing shoes. If you push me too hard, I'll jump from this building. Let's see if you'll be charged with my death then."

Zhang Hua had encountered many rascals in his life, but this was the first time he had encountered one who reasoned like a rascal. Moreover, from the tone of his speech, it was evident that he was not educated at all; instead, he seemed quite knowledgeable about the relevant punishment regulations. "Five million is indeed a bit high..."

"I've said it before, it's either the money or we'll see each other in court," Lin Su's interest seemed to wane a bit, "This decision is beyond your control. You can inform your client and let him decide."

Lin Su saw the lawyer again three days later, accompanied by a young man with a grim expression. Regardless of his appearance, he was incredibly thin and frail. As he entered, he carelessly stepped onto the edge of Lin Su's bed, saying, "What's this? Trying to extort money from me, Wang Bin? Do you even know who I am? You've got some nerve!"

Wrapped in bandages and plaster, Lin Su's emotions were indiscernible. Zhang Hua wanted to intervene, but found himself speechless. Instead, Lin Su simply pointed to the phone propped up beside him and said, "Mr. Wang, maybe tone it down a bit. We're live streaming right now, and it wouldn't look good if people saw this."

That single remark made the veins bulge on the young man's face. While he wasn't afraid to spend money, he definitely didn't want to experience the feeling of being locked up. Even someone as reckless as him knew that some situations couldn't be solved with money alone.

"You dare to play games with me?" Wang Bin took a deep breath, then smashed the phone into pieces before Lin Su could react. "Now, let's see how you can livestream!"

"There are cameras in this room," Lin Su remained calm, "I might be as calm as a dead pig facing boiling water, but Mr. Wang, you should seriously consider your future. After all, in prison, no one cares about your status. There are plenty of murderers in there, one more won't make much difference."

Wang Bin's face turned livid, his body trembled. Lin Su's gaze flickered over his arms, and a pensive expression crossed his face. "You should think about it yourself."

In the end, Lin Su did receive the five million yuan check, but Wang Bin left with a menacing expression, leaving behind a threat: "You just wait for me." It was evident that this matter wouldn't be easily resolved.

Wang Bin, a small entrepreneur in the Wang family's daily chemical business, appeared on Lin Su's computer screen as he continuously typed away on the keyboard, lines of code flashing across the screen. Information about the man was readily available.

This was not the first time Wang Bin has caused a car accident nor was it the first time injuring someone. In fact, he could almost be considered a habitual offender. However, many times, such matters could be settled privately with the right amount of money.

Lin Su didn't care about the choices of others, but Wang Qiang's life, this young master from the Wang family had to compensate him. After all, if it wasn't for his arrival in this world, Wang Qiang would have truly died in the accident.

This young master from the Wang family also loved cars, but unlike Lin Tang's rule-abiding racing, he preferred to recklessly flaunt his skills on the streets. Apart from causing traffic accidents, some of the cars he acquired didn't come through legitimate channels, evading a significant amount of taxes. This allowed him to save a considerable sum of money to purchase his vehicles.

After all, while assets worth hundreds of millions may seem like a lot, the liquid funds available for this young master to squander recklessly were not in the tens of millions.

Furthermore, there were incidents of brawling, conflicts with others, gambling, soliciting prostitutes, engaging in unspoken rules, and even... drug abuse.

Lin Su had suspicions about Wang Bin's behavior before, but now he was certain.

Although the channels were very discreet, in the online world, no one's privacy was truly secure. While secret group chats might escape the notice of law enforcement, to Lin Su, such seemingly hidden information was essentially transparent.

Lin Su compiled the information, removed IP addresses, and he anonymously reported it.

Lin Su believed that this compiled information would surely teach this young master a harsh lesson about society.

The heat surrounding the case of the rich second-generation causing a car accident had not yet dissipated when a new piece of news appeared on the headlines with explosive force, and the protagonist was once again the rich second-generation.

In the video, Wang Bin was being restrained by a group of police officers, still shouting incessantly. Even after the police explained the charges against him. He continued to struggle and kick, he was eventually handcuffed and taken away, with no one daring to intervene.

“Repeatedly injuring people and never once ending up in jail, wealthy people really are something else.”

“Traffic accidents can be settled privately, but smuggling and drug abuse still landed him in hot water. As they say, what goes around comes around. Trash will always get what it deserves.”

“This is truly rotten. Who knows what other hidden secrets there might be?”

“People like him should be executed.”

...

As the morning dawned, the heat continued to rise unabated. Drug abuse was the most sensitive issue for people in the entertainment industry, and Zhou Xintang was visibly surprised when he saw this news.

As long as you had money, it was easy to downplay a traffic accident, no matter how serious it was. Even if someone died as a result, it wouldn't necessarily result in a death penalty.

This was a reflection of human nature, but for the family of the victim, no amount of deaths of the irresponsible driver could ever make up for their loss.

He thought this incident would end with compensation, which would indeed be the best outcome for his assistant. But he didn't expect the subsequent events to unfold as they did.

Seeing bad people get their due punishment was the most satisfying storyline in films and television, and it left Zhou Xintang feeling extremely relieved.

As a public figure, he had to take a stance on such socially debated issues. Even though he felt like wanting to post a statement, he could only obediently repost others' statements: The law will never condone any criminal.

After posting from his main account, he pulled out another phone and typed with his head lowered: "Good and evil will eventually be repaid. It's not that it won't be repaid, it's just that the time hasn't come yet."

Hmm, this kind of approach is truly satisfying.

Unlike the carefully edited profile picture on his main account, the profile picture on his secondary account is simply a cute cat yawning, taken from the internet.

Except for the latest post, the subsequent posts are full of complaints, in stark contrast to the aloofness of his main account. Of course, there is also a stark difference in the reposts and comments between the two accounts. The main account receives tens of thousands or even millions of engagements, while the secondary account rarely receives much attention, with just one or two likes at most, let alone comments.

However, this secondary account was originally used by him to vent. Zhou Xintang had long been accustomed to being ignored, but when he was about to put down his phone, he felt his phone vibrate. A rare red dot appeared in the latest messages.

As he clicked into it, his eyebrows twitched. Surprisingly, it wasn't a system message.

He viewed the following message: "Heroes think alike. Justice may be delayed, but it will never be absent.”【Head pat】

Zhou Xintang's gaze was focused on the text. A supportive comment like this touched his soul more than the millions of comments on his main account. However, all the excitement came to a halt at the "head pat" part.

He had heard words of justice like this before, even seen many of them online, but it was the first time he felt them directly touch his heart.

The person on the other end of the internet didn't know who he was, nor did they say those words because he was Zhou Xintang.

In that moment, it felt like someone had actually patted his head, giving him a comforting feeling.

But daydreaming is a disease that needs to be cured.

Zhou Xintang replied with a smiling face before putting his phone down and getting up to wash and dress. He was still the glamorous and bright star who could handle the stage and live up to the expectations of his many fans.

The schedule for the new day was still busy. As he got into the car, he asked, "Brother Zhao, how's the situation with Wang Qiang?"

Zhao Yan had been Zhou Xintang's manager for several years. He frowned slightly at Zhou Xintang's question and said, "Wang Qiang? Who's that?"

"My assistant," Zhou Xintang replied, knowing that Brother Zhao had never paid much attention to the assistants below him because their work was very simple, and were replaced frequent, so forgetting their names was normal.

But the matter of Wang Qiang was not something that could be easily forgotten, especially for a public figure who had to maintain a good image.

"You mean him," Zhao Yan tugged at the belt that felt tight from sitting down, "You don't need to worry about it. The incident of your visit has already been leaked. Once the storm blows over, we can think about replacing him."

"I meant his compensation," Zhou Xintang frowned imperceptibly. Although he had some disagreements with Zhao Yan's behavior, the gratitude he felt for Zhao Yan's support in the past prevented him from severing ties over such differences.

"The compensation has been settled. It's said that he received five million in compensation. That kid finally struck gold," Zhao Yan brushed over the topic and shifted to another, "I've got a few new scripts here. I've read through them all, and the plots are quite good. Do you want to take a look?"

Zhou Xintang lowered his gaze, not intending to argue about anything. He simply took the scripts and flipped through them. The plots seemed decent, but from his perspective, these scripts were somewhat crudely made, with characters lacking depth, and they didn't offer much benefit to him at the moment. "Is there anything else?"

"These are the highest-profile scripts we've got this year," Zhao Yan said with a smile as he pulled out one, "This one, 'Waiting for You at the End of Time,' is offering this amount. If you participate, your future remuneration could be increased. What do you think?"

Zhou Xintang didn't seem excited. There was a hint of indifference in his smile. "I didn't examine them closely just now. I'll take a closer look at home before deciding."

In fact, he wasn't satisfied with the scripts he had just looked at. The one Zhao Yan mentioned was the best among them, "Waiting for You at the End of Time." It sounded very artistic, but in reality, it was a romance film disguised as an art film. It was filled with misunderstandings, failure to communicate, coincidences, deep but tragic love—although they reunited and fell in love again in the end, the storyline was too contrived and lacked any resonance with him.

Zhou Xintang didn't mind filming romance films, but he didn't want to film the kind that treated the audience like fools.

He wanted to surpass his past, to give his all in films, to recreate the glory of his earlier years. 

But good scripts were rare, and good film crews even rarer. The success of "Finding Home" back then was a perfect storm of timing, opportunity, and talent. Trying to surpass that was incredibly difficult.

After a day of shooting schedules, Zhou Xintang sat in the car, carefully examining several scripts. After comparing their merits and flaws, he ended up rejecting all of them.

Zhao Yan's mood was noticeably low. "Xintang, I've let you have your way all these years, but look at the films you've chosen in recent years. The box office numbers aren't high, and while the reviews are good, you haven't won a single award. If you continue like this, which film crew would still want you?"

His words were weighty, but the future he painted was imaginable. Films had investors, and they were driven by profit, fame, or both. Zhou Xintang's status as a box office draw was indeed valuable, but when neither fame nor profit could be delivered, its value diminished.

An actor who couldn't carry a film at the box office, who couldn't win awards—Zhou Xintang knew that despite his current apparent success, he was actually on a downward trajectory. 

Even though he was only 23 years old this year, he had been in the industry for almost a decade.

But if he compromised and acted in those poorly made films, he wouldn’t be able to bear it.

"I'll think about it," Zhou Xintang didn't immediately agree.

The scandal surrounding Wang Bin's incident was spreading like wildfire online. The victims who had been forcibly settled in the past were also coming forward, adding fuel to the fire and making it burn even brighter.

However, the person at the center of this social uproar was leisurely watching Zhou Xintang's films, like a newly minted obsessed fan.

Lin Su watched intently, but in reality, only half of his attention was focused on the film. The worldlines in this world were quite clear, especially concerning the timing of when the main and supporting actors would appear in each film.

According to the current worldline, Cheng Luozhu had already been reborn as the young master of the Cheng family. The first TV series he acted in was about to premiere, and the script for "The Warlords," written by a top-tier screenwriter, was also about to be released.

Amidst the chaos of war and academic disputes, only one victor would emerge.

This film became a massive hit after its release, with viewership exceeding a billion within the first three hours. It continuously broke various records and was an outstanding commercial film. Its ratings were only slightly lower than those of "Finding Home" from years ago.

Commercial films and art films always appear different in the eyes of older generation artists.

Although it slightly trailed in expert ratings, it didn't affect "The Warlords" from becoming a masterpiece.

In the original worldline, Zhou Xintang had taken on a role in a drama to avoid scheduling conflicts, so he could only play a slightly smaller supporting role in "The Warlords." Although the character was outstanding, supporting roles couldn't win the Best Actor award; being the best male supporting actor was just a consolation prize and better than nothing.

In "The Warlords," where various factions competed for supremacy, even beggars on the street had the potential to become wise scholars, except for courtesans.

The story was based on historical events but existed independently of history. Zhou Xintang originally played a counselor who assisted the king, possessing both strategic talent and stunning looks, yet he was born as the son of a courtesan. He had talent and a refined appearance, but his lowly background was exposed. The praises and accolades he once received were like fleeting smoke, and in the end, he could only fade into obscurity, born in filth and raised in filth.

His agreement with the king was that once he successfully assisted him, his lowly status would be removed. However, while lowly status could be shed, reputation was hard to come by. Despite his efforts to maintain his integrity, he was ultimately destroyed by the king's whim.

He resisted, refusing to comply, but being labeled as the son of a courtesan. What he thought was mutual trust turned out to be nothing but wishful thinking. In the end, he could only drink poison, leave behind a blood-written testament, and prove his innocence.

He was just a minor character in "The Warlords," yet he made everyone remember his existence. He was born from the mud, but he was cleaner than anyone else in this world.

Such a role played by Zhou Xintang was indeed outstanding, but if he had a choice, Lin Su believed he would have chosen the lead role without hesitation.

The king who can rule the world truly has the world in mind. Maybe he is cruel, maybe he is lustful, maybe he never has a heart to heart with others, but he is a king, and he is also an imperfect person.

In the original worldline, the actor playing the king was Cheng Luozhu. The appearance of the king in history is uncertain, but the king's mother, though born a slave, was a famous beauty from the Seven Kingdoms, known for her stunning looks and dancing skills. A son born to such a beauty couldn't possibly be ugly, and the screenwriters even wrote the king as handsome and beautiful in the drama.

Zhou Xintang was short on time, and although Cheng Luozhu was a last-minute choice, his acting skills were solid. This was why Zhou Xintang willingly accepted the supporting role, and their relationship naturally began from there.

To bring about change, one must start from here.

…

Zhou Xintang was lying on the sofa, his arm covering his eyes. After a day of work, his body was tired, but he couldn't seem to fall asleep.

He needed to give Zhao Yan a reply, but it felt like giving up on years of dreams and principles, making him very conflicted.

As he was pondering, his phone buzzed. Despite feeling physically and mentally exhausted, Zhou Xintang still picked up his phone, afraid of missing any important messages.

Upon seeing the unidentified message, his pupils dilated. The fatigue was completely overshadowed by a moment of surprise and excitement.

He sat up abruptly, looking at the snippets of "The Warlords" mentioned in the message. When he covered his chest, he noticed his heart pounding violently.

If it was such a script, he could wait. He had waited for eight years, so what was three more months?

"Who are you? How do you know about this?" Zhou Xintang finally calmed down and sent a message.

Lin Su looked at the text on the screen, chuckled lightly, and replied, "Internal information, just didn't want you to miss out. Please don't leak any information about the script and its contents."

"The Warlords" was tailored by the screenwriter specifically for Zhou Xintang. It was okay for him to know a little in advance. Even if Zhou Xintang were foolish, he wouldn't disclose any information at this time.

After knowing the content of such a script, Lin Su didn't believe he would willingly give it up.

"Then thank you very much. Just don't do this kind of thing again next time," Zhou Xintang was grateful for the reminder message, but such a violation of the rules absolutely couldn't happen repeatedly, otherwise what would be the difference from Wang Bin.

"It's not illegal, don't worry," Lin Su felt that there was a different kind of seriousness in the reply, serious and somewhat adorable.

The plot was something he learned from memories of different world lines, but he hadn't actually seen the script. As for the snippets, he thought he could write some original scenes and dialogues based on the original plot. With a brief introduction in a few words, even if there were some discrepancies, it wouldn't be too far off.

Zhou Xintang rested his chin on his hand, and a smile couldn't help but appear on his lips when he saw the latest message. He then replied.

"Well, thank you very much, law-abiding citizen."

Perhaps it was permitted internally, Zhou Xintang speculated, after all, there had been instances before where actors were directly appointed for films.

When the message reached Lin Su, Zhou Xintang was in the middle of calling Zhao Yan to decline the previous scripts.

Lin Su and the system were both stunned.

【Host, you've been given the 'good person card,】 System 06 calmly analyzed, 【This probably means rejection.】

The moment the host was rejected was truly worth recording.

Lin Su's mood upon receiving the "good person card" was indeed somewhat complex: 【If he didn't reject a stranger over the internet, then his brain must be confused.】

Even if it was subtle, a man’s dignity must be maintained.

...

The rejection on Zhou Xintang's side wasn't going smoothly.

"Brother Zhao, I really can't take on these scripts," Zhou Xintang pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew Zhao Yan was considering his future development, but at the moment he couldn't explain why he had to refuse those scripts. "There are too many flaws in the plots."

"These things can be overlooked, the audience won't notice," Zhao Yan's side was getting a bit impatient, "Xintang, you can't be so stubborn all the time. New talents are emerging in the entertainment industry. How long do you think you can hold on when someone replaces you?"

Zhou Xintang was about to say something, but Zhao Yan sighed on the other end, "This is what the company wants. Think about it again."

This could be considered as parting of ways.

Even shining stars have their own troubles. The news about "The Warlords" might not be true, but Zhou Xintang wanted to take a chance. He had waited for too many years, longing for a chance for a breakthrough.

A star who couldn't bring benefits to the company was destined to be eliminated. After Zhou Xintang insisted on refusing, the number of notifications for auditions significantly decreased.

This was a warning from the company. If he couldn't develop according to the company's pace, he would face the outcome of being shelved.

Zhao Yan's persuasion calls came quite a few times: "Xintang, the company has already started promoting new talents. Stubbornly refusing won't do you any good. You've been stubborn for so many years, and the company has never forced you. Listen to me, just accept this once. Once your popularity rises, you'll have the freedom to choose what you want to film in the future."

Zhou Xintang didn't speak, only remained silent for a while before asking, "How long is left on my contract with the company?"

Zhao Yan's tone turned colder: "It's just a matter of time. I'll be honest with you, the treatment from Kang Shang is definitely the best. If you go to another company, they might not even ask for your opinion."

Kang Shang was practically at the top of the entertainment industry, offering more choices. Zhou Xintang might be favored if he left here and joined another smaller company, but small companies had limited resources and would only try to squeeze out his value.

Both parties were aware of this. Zhou Xintang acted impulsively: "I understand. Let me think about it again."

With no one to confide in about his worries and the exacerbation of emotions during days without work, Zhou Xintang's alternate account started posting more about his mood. Whether he was conflicted or happy, whether the sky was overcast or clear, his posts were mostly filled with images and emojis.

Watching the little pink character sitting on the ground in a dejected manner, Lin Su imagined Zhou Xintang himself making such gestures.

Those slightly raised phoenix eyes must be filled with frustration, and his long legs would be curled up, making him look pitiful yet adorable.

Of course, Zhou Xintang didn't actually make those gestures like in the emojis. He was just aimlessly driving around the city, observing life's various expressions. Driving with no purpose allowed him to clear his mind.

It wasn't until his car passed by a hospital that he suddenly remembered he had promised to visit his assistant again. Since he had nothing urgent to do, he thought it was as good a day as any to fulfill that promise.

So, while Lin Su was imagining Zhou Xintang based on those emojis, the man himself appeared as if he were walking down a runway.

Even if he has a three-piece set of sunglasses, mask, and peaked cap, he can't completely cover up the starlight on his body.

"Mr. Zhou?!" Lin Su expressed surprise, but he casually put down his phone, as if he wasn't the one prying into someone else's mood.

"I came to see you," Zhou Xintang felt slightly uneasy inside, but he didn't show it on his face. After all, the basic skill for a public figure was managing one's expression.

After setting down the gift, Zhou Xintang casually inquired about Lin Su's recent situation. Even though his mind might have been wandering slightly, most people wouldn't be able to tell from his demeanor. But for someone like Lin Su, that kind of distraction was quite obvious.

"Brother Zhou, is there something bothering you?" Lin Su's change in address was entirely at Zhou Xintang's request.

There was a momentary pause when Zhou Xintang was asked, he hadn't expected the person in front of him to see through his worries. Perhaps the more he hid himself in public, the more he wanted people to see the weariness and helplessness behind him.

"It's just some minor issues," Zhou Xintang smiled.

Even though he wanted to confide in someone, his current worries were not something he could easily speak of.

"I may not necessarily make better decisions than Brother Zhou in big matters, but I'm quite good at handling the trivialities of life," Lin Su said with a hint of a smile in his eyes.

That gentle hint made Zhou Xintang want to hold back the words he was about to say less: "If you know someone means well for you, but what they ask of you is not what you want to do, how would you choose?"

Zhou Xintang blurted out absentmindedly, knowing he was acting impulsively, but feeling no regret when the words came out.

He was always cautious and guarded in conversations with others, but when talking to this person, he always felt an extremely relaxed feeling of being listened to.

Lin Su already knew what the matter was when the question came out. Zhou Xintang might not necessarily want his opinion, he just wants some reassurance for his own choice.

"It depends on what you want and whether you can bear the consequences of your choice," Lin Su answered seriously. "If you can't get recognition for now, then you must try your best to achieve results to show him."

Zhou Xintang hadn't expected to receive any useful advice, but when he heard these words, they went straight to his heart. It was as if a strong wind had blown away the fog in his heart, making everything clear. The previous heaviness turned into lightness, and he smiled: "You're young, but you understand a lot."

If he didn't know that this assistant was only twenty years old, three years younger than him, he would have thought that this person wrapped in bandages and plaster was a very experienced elder.

Zhou Xintang didn't yet know what this feeling was called—reliability—but he did feel happy chatting with Lin Su.

Zhou Xintang came and went, but his mood had already shifted from the initial heaviness to lightness. When they made plans to meet again, Lin Su knew that this time he would definitely come without formality.

Unfortunately, Zhou Xintang couldn't come to the hospital again because Lin Su was discharged smoothly within a week of his departure.

With the removal of his bandages and successful rehabilitation, Lin Su's recovery speed surprised all the medical staff. However, there were records in international medical literature of cellular repair rates faster than normal. After confirming that there were no issues during the examination, Lin Su was successfully discharged.

However, the hot topic in the hospital after he removed his plaster cast was not his speed of recovery but his appearance.

His skin, deprived of sunlight for several months, had an abnormal paleness, yet the delicate texture highlighted his handsome features and facial contours. Wang Qiang was originally discovered and developed by talent scouts, but in the entertainment industry, where there were too many attractive men and women, he lacked unique charisma and recognition, eventually fading into the crowd.

But Lin Su was different. Even when he was doing his rehabilitation, he didn't appear submissive. Instead, sweat showcased his masculine resilience, and only his youthful appearance reminded people that he was still a young man.

"Wow, he's so handsome. Could he be some big celebrity?"

"I heard he's supposedly an assistant, but he's the least assistant-like assistant I've ever seen."

"Maybe he'll enter the entertainment industry someday, or else it would be such a waste of talent."

...

Such discussions didn't affect Lin Su's decision. Although his acting skills were good, he had no real interest in becoming a star. Compared to being an actor, he preferred to work as Zhou Xintang's assistant.

The principle of "opportunity knocks but once" had always been unchanging throughout history.

Of course, the immediate priority was to find a place to settle down. Five million might seem like a lot, but with the medical expenses for his severe injury, not to mention living in a city considered top-tier even within the country, Lin Su's daily expenses would easily deplete that sum.

The system had warned him about his spending habits before, but Lin Su clearly preferred a comfortable lifestyle. Most importantly, he knew how to make money.

He didn't cut back, he expanded. The money spent would come back even faster. This made the system seem quite powerless, with its only role being chatting and bantering.

As the saying goes, money doesn't come easily in life, but making money work for you is much simpler. For Lin Su, investment was a familiar path. Whatever he planned to do, money was a necessity.

While his assets were multiplying on their own, Lin Su began tapping away on the keyboard again, this time accessing the personal information of the original owner, Wang Qiang.

Wang Qiang had been abandoned at an orphanage. No one could explain why his parents had abandoned him when he was perfectly healthy. To find out the reason, Lin Su had to delve into records from twenty years ago.

The surveillance footage outside the orphanage from twenty years ago had long been deleted, but the remaining data was enough for Lin Su to reconstruct the past. By comparing the information of those who abandoned him with various records, Lin Su discovered the reason when he found his birth mother.

His mother was only 35 years old this year, which means she was just 15 years old when she gave birth to him. In other words, she had conceived him when she was only 14.

At such a young age, how could she possibly afford to raise a child? The consequences of tasting forbidden fruit led to her abandoning her role as a mother.

The video was irreparably shattered and could not be restored. Lin Su accessed other data and placed his identity under the names of a couple who had passed away at a young age. Though he still had no family, the husband of this couple had the surname Lin, allowing Lin Su to rightfully change back to his own name.

He submitted his revised identity information to the household registration office and soon had proof of identity in his own name.

【Life ends like an extinguished lamp," Lin Su looked at his ID with satisfaction. "It's better to use my own name.】

However, System 06 felt there might be another reason—perhaps the host found the name given by the orphanage too mundane, considering how many times the host had done such things before.

Correcting the follow-up information of various identities wasn't difficult, but Lin Su encountered some minor trouble when he reported back to Kang Shang Entertainment.

"You say you're Wang Qiang, but this clearly says Lin Su," the security guard compared Lin Su's current appearance to photos of Wang Qiang. Although the facial features were similar, the young man in front of him didn't look anything like an assistant. Even dressed in the simplest shirt and trousers, he had the air of a popular celebrity.

"Brother Qian, I just got paler from not seeing the sun during my hospital stay," Lin Su was actually quite satisfied with his paler skin. "I haven't seen you in months, I am not lying to you."

"I'm not stopping you from entering, but with all these celebrities around, if something were to happen, I can't afford to offend anyone," the security guard explained. "Why don't you go to the police station and get a certificate, or have someone vouch for you?"

"How about I vouch for him?" an elegant voice came from behind Lin Su. "Wang Qiang, I visited you in the hospital. I didn't expect you to be discharged so soon."

Zhou Xintang happened to have some business at the company and unexpectedly encountered his assistant, who had just been discharged and didn't know where to go. He didn't recognize Lin Su by his back alone but by the tone and voice of his speech.

The voice was rich and youthful, yet steady and reliable. Zhou Xintang's impression of his assistant had already been reshaped by this distinctive voice.

"Brother Zhou, if you vouch for him, I can be at ease," the security guard, who knew Zhou Xintang, expressed his feelings, albeit with some amazement. "I didn't expect an accident to have this effect. If I didn't know, I'd think he had plastic surgery."

"Brother Qian must be kidding," Lin Su took it as a compliment, turning to Zhou Xintang with a smile. "Thank you, Brother Zhou."

From a distance, Zhou Xintang hadn't noticed, but as the young man approached, he realized that the youth was taller than him by quite a bit. However, when the young man turned around, Zhou Xintang's focus shifted from height to another matter entirely.

He was staring at this handsome and sunny young man with a head full of questions. Who was this guy???

"I was just troubled earlier, Brother Zhou, you really helped a lot," Lin Su smiled without a trace of gloom.

As soon as Lin Su spoke, Zhou Xintang recognized the voice, but his smiling face almost faltered. He had just found the security guard's blunt words somewhat impolite, but now he felt like he was in the same shoes as the guard.

This accident really did make it seem like Lin Su had undergone plastic surgery. However, even if he felt this way, Zhou Xintang wouldn't say it directly. Instead, he smiled and patted Lin Su's shoulder, saying, "You're at that age for growth spurts. It's normal for facial features to change after a few months."

He felt that the biggest change wasn't in appearance but in demeanor. Lin Su's unique and contradictory calmness was enough to attract many people's attention.

The entertainment industry wasn't lacking in attractive men and women; what it lacked were memorable identities and unique personalities. Perhaps this accident had turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

"Thank you, Brother Zhou," Lin Su smiled.

"You're welcome, let's go," Zhou Xintang smiled briefly, but his attitude had turned somewhat cold.

He remembered that Wang Qiang hadn't started out as an assistant, and now with his current appearance, he was already attractive enough to be favored by Kang Shang. For Zhou Xintang, assistants and colleagues were different roles.

Lin Su noticed the slight coldness but didn't say anything, simply following quietly beside Zhou Xintang, walking a half step behind.

However, even as they walked, the gossiping voices never ceased.

"Who's that? A new celebrity?"

"Maybe one of Zhao Yan's proteges? Didn't they say he's been nurturing some new talent recently? He doesn't look inferior standing next to him."

Zhou Xintang's footsteps paused for a moment before continuing forward, while Lin Su glanced around calmly without changing his expression.

Zhao Yan was Zhou Xintang's agent, the one who had discovered and nurtured him from among a group of aspiring actors. But unlike Zhou Xintang, who was dedicated to pursuing art and dreams, Zhao Yan was more like a businessman. 

He pursued profit, assessed the situation, and sometimes couldn't understand Zhou Xintang's relentless efforts to excel in acting at the expense of himself.

This was a matter of differing perspectives. In the records of the original timeline, Zhou Xintang had many arguments with Zhao Yan over this issue. Their goals were different, and in the end, they had to part ways.

"Wang Qiang, do you have any plans for your future?" Zhou Xintang asked. "If you want, I can have Zhao Yan take you under his wing."

Previously, Zhou Xintang had been the only artist under Zhao Yan's management. The reason Zhao Yan took on new talents was because of him, but he hadn't expected Wang Qiang to be so eager.

Wang Qiang had potential, and Zhao Yan had the ability. As long as Wang Qiang was willing to accept the training and assignments, it was only a matter of time before he became successful.

"Brother Zhou, Lin Su, I now go by Lin Su," Lin Su said earnestly.

"Is that your stage name?" Zhou Xintang pondered for a moment and smiled. "It's much more stylish than before."

"No, I found traces of my parents, so I took my father's surname," Lin Su smiled.

"Oh, you did..." Zhou Xintang was somewhat surprised but didn't continue. Instead, he changed the subject. "That's great. Take good care of your parents in the future."

Lin Su chuckled lightly, tilting his head. "Brother Zhou, you misunderstood. Although I found my parents, they have already passed away."

Wang Qiang's biological mother hadn't passed away, but she had never visited the orphanage over the years. The orphanage had also relocated to another place, and Lin Su had erased any traces of contact.

He was abandoned at birth, a mother like that was better off forgotten.

Zhou Xintang opened his mouth but didn't know what to say to comfort the young man in front of him. The pain of losing loved ones could only be understood by those who had experienced it, especially the bitterness of losing them in childhood. Lin Su had experienced loss twice over.

"Please accept my condolences," Zhou Xintang finally said.

"It's okay," Lin Su waved it off casually, deliberately downplaying the situation. He wanted Zhou Xintang to empathize with him, but he didn't want to make him sad. "About your earlier question, Brother Zhou, I actually don't want to become a celebrity. I just want to be your assistant."

If possible, he even wanted to take over Zhao Yan's position as Zhou Xintang's agent, but the current situation clearly wasn't suitable for that.

Although Zhao Yan and Zhou Xintang sometimes disagreed, Zhao Yan was ultimately Zhou Xintang's benefactor, and he still had to show him gratitude.

"Wang Qiang, no, Lin Su, you don't understand. Being a celebrity pays much better than being an assistant, and you originally signed a contract as a celebrity. There's no need to give that up," Zhou Xintang was genuinely surprised. He had considered many scenarios, but he hadn't expected Lin Su's answer to be like this.

It was a straightforward response, without the need for further comparison.

Such directness touched him. Perhaps Lin Su was just acting on impulse, but Zhou Xintang still felt somewhat moved.

"I signed a three-year contract, and the contract has expired," Lin Su looked at him seriously. "Brother Zhou, I really want to be your assistant."

"If you become my assistant, won't you steal my limelight?" Zhou Xintang didn't want him to act impulsively.

"In that case, I can dress up to look uglier," Lin Su pondered. "I'll start eating like crazy from now on. I'll be fat in a few months."

It was the first time Zhou Xintang encountered someone so eager to be his assistant. However, the thought of the handsome guy in front of him being turned into a chubby person filled him with reluctance. "No need, no need. Just calm down. Let's both consider this calmly for a while, okay?"

He had only met Lin Su twice and helped him out a bit. He hadn't expected this kid to be so grateful.

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