Chapter Thirteen: The Director's Decision

What kind of place is the entertainment industry? Some say it is a land of handsome men and beautiful women, others call it a realm of talent and genius, while some consider it a paradise for the lucky few... But at the end of the day, the entertainment industry is nothing more than a playground for capital.

The industry is vast, and there are many ways to play the game. Some people devote themselves to crafting beauty for audiences and the public, while others prefer the assembly line approach, churning out stars as if they were products. Without a doubt, in today’s booming entertainment business, assembly-line stars offer the highest and most stable return on investment.

Liu Xin was just such a star.

Liu Xin had a considerable fan base. Official numbers boasted ten million followers, though that figure was obviously inflated. Even after discounting the exaggerations, six or seven million was still a safe estimate. But just as some relish abalone and bird’s nest while others are sickened at the very sight, the presence of genuine fans inevitably brought an equal measure of detractors.

After a video from the set of "Forbidden Demise" began circulating online, Liu Xin’s haters sprang into action.

As for Li Shixin, who was at the center of the incident, he felt as if he had struck gold! In addition to the cheers he’d received the previous night, more system points trickled in throughout the morning. Perhaps the difference between video and live experience wasn’t trivial, for each new burst of applause value was meager, just two or three points at a time. Yet, what the cheers lacked in strength, they made up for in frequency, and the steady flow was exhilarating!

By noon, Li Shixin had earned over five thousand applause points almost effortlessly. It was a delight. Staring at the forty thousand points he’d amassed in the system, he felt it was time to live a little. To be safe, he exchanged thirteen thousand points for thirteen more days of life, bringing his total up to a full month.

Gazing at his remaining thirty thousand applause points, Li Shixin opened the system’s prize-draw shop. Though applause points could be used to reduce his physical age, the rate was a thousand points per day—meaning his stockpile would only make him about twenty days younger. Even if he invested everything, he’d still be a sixty-five-year-old man. He didn’t have much to lose; rather than making negligible improvements, he might as well try his luck at the system lottery.

Once more the minimalist, old-fashioned interface appeared, but now the prize-draw button was lit in color. Li Shixin read the instructions and, without hesitation, initiated the draw. The rules were simple: a thousand applause points for a spin at the beginner’s shop.

As he made his choice, the multicolored wheel spun furiously, gradually slowing until... the pointer landed squarely on the largest segment.

Ding!

Thank you for participating.

Damn it! Seeing the system’s prompt, Li Shixin nearly wanted to attack it with his cane. An entire thousand applause points—enough to buy himself another day of life—gone! He was literally gambling with his own life, and all he got was a “thank you for participating”? He couldn’t accept this injustice.

"Again!"

Li Shixin refused to believe this was fate. The wheel spun again and soon stopped.

Ding!

You have drawn: [Wooden Cane]. Description: Simple and unadorned, yet your sturdy third leg.

Your damn leg! He hurled the conjured cane to the ground in a rage.

"Again! If I don’t get something useful this time, I swear I’ll never touch this lottery again!"

Ding!

You have drawn: [Health Suppository]. Description: Slightly alleviates life-threatening illnesses (after drawing, can be purchased repeatedly in the shop at 1,000 points each).

At last, seeing the system’s announcement, Li Shixin’s spirits soared. This was exactly what he needed! He wasn’t afraid of the infirmities of old age, but the two blood clots lodged in his brain made life unbearable. With the system extending his lifespan, he wouldn’t die from the condition, but the constant sluggishness, the blurred vision, the perpetual fog as if suffering from sleep deprivation—it severely diminished his quality of life.

This, he could use!

Only a slight healing effect? No problem! It was only a thousand points each. He immediately exchanged his remaining points for thirty doses to test the effect.

But as he stared at the medication that appeared in his palm, he had a creeping feeling... things might not be so simple.

Setting the medicine aside, he looked at his last thousand applause points, gritted his teeth, and spun the wheel once more.

Ding!

You have drawn: [Peak Chewing Gum]. Description: The peak state just won’t stop. Chewing maintains the user’s best physical condition until the flavor fades.

...

Director Pan Ying was in the midst of the "Forbidden Demise" crew, listening to Guan Lan’s explanation.

"Director, it’s not that I didn’t want to control the situation. Last night’s incident happened so suddenly! I just wanted the old man to apologize to Liu Xin, smooth things over, and finish filming without a hitch. Who could have predicted this mess?"

"What’s Liu Xin’s side saying?" Pan Ying, thirty-five this year, was already on her fourth project as director, following critical and commercial successes on her previous works. She’d seen plenty of mishaps, but today’s drama was in a league of its own.

"Don’t even mention it! Liu Xin’s camp is in an uproar. His agent called this morning, claiming Liu Xin was set up by the old man and suspects our crew of orchestrating the stunt for publicity. They’re demanding we clear his name, and they won’t let it go."

Guan Lan wore a bitter expression as she hesitated. "Director..."

"Enough," Pan Ying said irritably, though still rational, "Whether Liu Xin pushed the old man or the old man set him up is irrelevant now. What matters is, since this incident happened, we can’t let it go to waste."

"You mean...?" Guan Lan was puzzled.

Pan Ying didn’t answer, but beckoned for Guan Lan to play yesterday’s footage.

When she saw Li Shixin’s performance as the old beggar, she was genuinely surprised.

"This is excellent! The staging, the camerawork, the atmosphere—it’s all top-notch. And the actor’s emotion is spot on."

Ahem.

Guan Lan coughed. "Director, that’s the extra who got into the altercation with Liu Xin."

"Oh?" Pan Ying watched the footage again, then nodded deeply and stood up.

"Guan, you handle this. Have the tech team pick out the best moments from what we have and cut a teaser trailer for 'Forbidden Demise.'"

"Yes! I’ll get right on it."

"Wait."

"Is there something else, Director?"

"Put that scene at the start of the trailer."

"What?" Guan Lan was taken aback.

Isn’t this stirring up trouble?

Looking at the old beggar on the screen, Pan Ying narrowed her eyes and chuckled softly.

"Liu Xin was forced on us by the investors. I only agreed because he could bring us some traffic. Now he says we’re using him for hype? Fine, let’s really give them something to talk about!"