Chapter 24 – Real Identity was Exposed
“Thank you for your kind offer, but really, it’s not necessary.”
In Wen Qin’s eyes, Lin Jiu’s refusal was a sign of his complete disillusionment with the industry.
Wen Qin wanted to persuade him further, saying not all entertainment companies were like Creation Star. However, Si Xu cut him off, “Do you want to leave the entertainment industry?”
Lin Jiu had never shared his intention to leave with anyone. “I’m considering it.”
Si Xu understood. When he saw the arrangement of the private room, he had suspected Lin Jiu might be tired of the entertainment industry, and it seemed he was right—Lin Jiu really wanted to leave.
Si Xu didn’t push him further. Lin Jiu’s reserved nature did make him less suited to this industry.
“If you encounter any difficulties, you can tell me. I will help you with anything.”
Lin Jiu stared at him, his cold heart warmed by the assurance. Aside from his grandfather who raised him, no one else had ever assured him so definitively that they would help him, without asking for anything in return.
“Thank you,” Lin Jiu said, lowering his eyes to hide the moisture.
“By the way, do you have any recommendations?” Si Xu suddenly asked.
“Recommendations for what?” Lin Jiu was momentarily confused.
“For the reality show Survival on a Deserted Island. They’re preparing for the fourth episode and need a guest, male or female. Do you have anyone in mind?”
Si Xu was giving Lin Jiu the chance to recommend someone. Having been in the industry for three years, Lin Jiu must have some connections or favors owed. Si Xu was willing to help him repay those favors.
Lin Jiu pressed his lips together. He did have someone in mind, but was it really okay to use Si Xu’s resources for this?
Si Xu seemed to see through his thoughts. “It’s fine. If this spot isn’t given to you, it will be given to someone else. I’d rather give it to you than an unknown person.”
Lin Jiu made up his mind to accept Si Xu’s offer. With enough favors owed, it wouldn’t be a big deal, and he could gradually repay them.
“Can I give this opportunity to Ling Chen? He hasn’t had any work since the group disbanded…” Lin Jiu asked hesitantly.
“Yes, I’ll have my manager contact the production team and arrange for them to reach out to Ling Chen directly,” Si Xu agreed immediately.
Lin Jiu was a bit pleased. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Where are you headed now?” Si Xu asked.
“I want to get a haircut.” His long hair was too noticeable, and Lin Jiu decided it was time to get rid of it.
He had avoided cutting his hair before because the flow of time was different in the two worlds. If his hair grew too fast, it might raise suspicion, so he had preferred to keep it long to avoid detection.
[Hair is part of a merfolk’s body. Cutting it will damage the host’s magic essence. Are you sure you want to cut it?]
The system’s sudden voice startled Lin Jiu.
He quietly asked in his mind, “What happens if I damage my magic essence?”
[The host will become weak and will need to consume food containing magic essence to recover.]
Lin Jiu couldn’t imagine the extent of the “weakness” the hunting magic system mentioned, but he knew that magic essence was his life force. For him, cutting his hair was akin to self-harm.
He hesitated: should he endure the pain or continue being a moving target?
Si Xu looked at his smooth, black hair. “Your hair is beautiful. Why do you want to cut it?”
One sentence from Si Xu made Lin Jiu decide.
“Then I won’t cut it.” Since Si Xu thought it was beautiful, why bother cutting it?
As soon as Lin Jiu said this, both Si Xu and Wen Qin were stunned.
Lin Jiu, still in a daze, didn’t immediately react, but Si Xu laughed.
Wen Qin’s scrutinizing gaze shifted between the two, looking puzzled and somewhat amused.
“No need to cut it. Your hair is so perfect that you could star in a shampoo commercial without special effects,” Si Xu praised generously.
Lin Jiu belatedly realized something and quietly blushed.
Si Xu had work to attend to and promised to come back in the evening, leaving with Wen Qin.
*
Shao Yunxi and Mi Youyou had a big argument over the phone.
Jiang Ge called him directly, explaining the situation and asking Shao Yunxi to handle it. Following Jiang Ge’s instructions, Shao Yunxi demanded that Mi Youyou delete her Weibo post, publicly apologize, and compensate for the wasted seafood.
Unexpectedly, Mi Youyou went crazy, crying and making a scene, adamantly refusing to delete her post or apologize. She insisted that the owner of Demon Fish Restaurant should apologize instead, and if he didn’t, she would ensure that Demon Fish Restaurant was shut down!
Shao Yunxi was surprised by how terrifying Mi Youyou could be when she was enraged and ended up scolding her.
Mi Youyou, furious and distorted, continued to complain on Weibo, claiming she was being threatened and resolutely stating that she would fight against the unscrupulous restaurant until it closed. She refused to end the matter until Demon Fish Restaurant was shut down.
After posting, she went to Guangshi to cry to her godfather, seeking justice and asking him to intervene.
The capable godfather had someone investigate and unexpectedly discovered that Mi Youyou should check the online trends.
It turned out that someone had compared the profile pictures of the owner of Demon Fish Restaurant and Lin Jiu from the former Dream group. Experts analyzed various details and uncovered that the true identity of Demon Fish Restaurant’s owner was likely Lin Jiu, who had been missing for over a year.
Once this news broke, social media exploded. How could someone with poor character, low quality, and no professional ethics like Lin Jiu open a store? Could the products sold there really be safe to eat? Wouldn’t it poison people?
Many fans of the former Dream group and casual followers flooded Mi Youyou’s Weibo, inquiring about the situation and condemning Lin Jiu together.
Mi Youyou seized this opportunity to portray herself as a victim again, gaining quite a few followers in the process.
The Dream group, which was on the verge of being forgotten after a year, was suddenly back in the spotlight because of Lin Jiu. He managed to bring the disbanded Dream group back to trending topics single-handedly.
Fans tagged the group members Duan Chengzhou, Huo Wei, and Ling Chen, asking if Lin Jiu was really back.
Duan Chengzhou and Huo Wei both posted on Weibo in response.
Duan Chengzhou V: “Welcome back.”
Huo Wei V: “No forgiveness!”
Ling Chen did not respond.
However, with Duan Chengzhou and Huo Wei’s statements, it was confirmed.
The owner of Demon Fish Restaurant was indeed Lin Jiu, a former member of Dream.
The outcry was relentless, reminiscent of the uproar when the group disbanded. Fans were very emotional, determined to reclaim their misplaced youth and admiration through their anger.
Aside from the angry fans, there was a small group of devoted followers with red eyes, holding their phones. They were Lin Jiu’s few fans, and in the face of widespread condemnation and attacks, their voices were too small to be heard. Any attempt to explain or defend Lin Jiu would result in them being viciously attacked.
Despite the online outrage and the seemingly convincing evidence, these fans still couldn’t believe it. They had been waiting for the truth, having supported Lin Jiu for three years, witnessing his growth from a young boy to an adult. He was the youngest and most handsome in the group.
He worked hard, had a lovely voice, and though he was reserved and rarely smiled, he was often overlooked by fans and team members. During events, he always stood at the edge while others showcased their best selves to the camera and fans. Lin Jiu remained true to himself, maintaining his innocence despite being in the entertainment industry.
In the year Lin Jiu had disappeared, his few fans had sent many comforting and encouraging messages, which were lost among countless hateful messages.
Amid the clamor condemning Lin Jiu, a blogger with a million followers took a different approach, posting three comparison images.
Jingtian Gua V: “Let the insults and arguments pause for a moment. Two former group members have confirmed the identity. Let’s assume Demon Fish Restaurant’s owner = Dream member Lin Jiu. Now, here’s the jaw-dropping scoop. Open your eyes and see clearly [Images][Images][Images].
Some may not know, but the recently popular ‘Black Star Pearl Merchant’ video, while hot, was quickly removed by the capital. Fortunately, Gua Ge acted fast and managed to capture a copy for you to see.”
The Weibo comments were filled with exclamations of shock.
Those who had seen the “Black Star Pearl Merchant” video recognized at a glance that the screenshots matched Demon Fish Restaurant’s owner—this was the same person!
Look at that smooth, long hair, those beautiful, cold eyes, and that perfect figure—this is definitely the same person!
“I’m completely blown away. Holding a Black Star Pearl and still mingling in the entertainment industry?!”
“Entertainment industry, get lost!”
“I apologize for following the trend of criticizing the big shot. I’ll take back what I said. Could the big shot please reveal a Black Star Pearl for me? Just one, and I’d never worry about food or clothing for the rest of my life. Humble request.JPG“
“Can you buy Black Star Pearls at Demon Fish Restaurant? Even if Demon Fish Restaurant served pig feed, I’d still eat it if it sold Black Star Pearls!”
“Are you all crazy? If he really had a Black Star Pearl, would he need to open a store and work so hard?”
“The person upstairs doesn’t understand the situation. It’s not about working hard; it’s about refining one’s taste. Have you ever seen someone working hard while sleeping until ten in the morning?”
“Suggest the person upstairs clean their eyes. There are pictures and facts. This is clearly the same person. What more do you want to argue about?”
“Is the Black Star Pearl really that good?”
“Is the person upstairs a brother or sister? Don’t you know what a Black Star Pearl is? I also saw the video of the two major jewelers fighting over people on the street. Not to mention the beauty of the Black Star Pearl (which is definitely beautiful), just its effects are astonishing. Without further ado, here are the images [Images][Images][Images][Images][Images]. Look at Goddess Hua’s previous photos—her skin was so thick with makeup it couldn’t hide her age! Now, look at Goddess Hua’s bare-faced photos—her skin is as fresh as a young girl’s. This bare face can easily outshine other female stars!!!”
“I don’t need much. Just one Black Star Pearl is fine!”
“Which rich second-generation person just came out? Do you know how expensive a Black Star Pearl is? As far as I know, the pair of earrings and a pendant worn by Goddess Hua only have three Black Star Pearls, worth tens of millions. How much is one worth?”
“Stop criticizing my idol! From now on, my idol will only be Lin Jiu besides Si Xu! Lin Jiu, when will there be a fan benefit? Maybe a wave of Black Star Pearls or something?”
“The person upstairs is dreaming…”
Initially, the situation was trending in a favorable direction, aiming to drag Lin Jiu through the mud. Just as Mi Youyou was about to capitalize on the opportunity to portray herself as a victim once again, the online sentiment suddenly shifted. Her fans began messaging her, suggesting she should seize the chance to make friends with Lin Jiu, as there might be a chance to secure an endorsement for Black Star Pearls.
Mi Youyou thought her fans must have gone mad. After checking online, she realized what was happening and was also surprised to see Lin Jiu connected with Black Star Pearls. She was skeptical and somewhat doubtful.
At that moment, the manager’s call came through, and the manager immediately started berating Mi Youyou, “Who exactly did you offend?! You don’t need to go to the reality show recording in three days!”
Mi Youyou was stunned, “What do you mean?”
The manager responded angrily, “It means you’ve been kicked out of the show!”
“Impossible! Godfather has already arranged everything for me; they can’t just get rid of me!” Mi Youyou screamed.
The manager followed up, “Not only are you out of the reality show, but you also lost the role in ‘The Jade Princess’ that you painstakingly fought for!”
Mi Youyou shrieked, “This is impossible! Godfather has already paved the way for me; it can’t be true!”
The manager sneered, “I’ve told you before, even with a backing, you need to learn how to behave. There are many people with connections in the entertainment industry, but they all know how to be tactful and respectful. But you? You’re acting like a big shot before even making it big!”
“How dare you talk to me like that?! I’ll tell Godfather, and you can forget about having a good time at the company!” Mi Youyou said viciously.
The manager snorted, “Whether your godfather can keep his position is uncertain, let alone having time to manage you. I’ll tell you, you’ve offended Huasheng this time. They’re directly pursuing an investment of one billion yuan with the condition that you’re kicked out. The role your godfather bought for five million is nothing compared to Huasheng.”
“I didn’t! I didn’t offend Huasheng! I didn’t!” Mi Youyou was so scared she started crying.
The manager didn’t waste any more time arguing and hung up, leaving Mi Youyou to fend for herself.
Mwhaha love it