Chapter 2: Variety Show
After carefully observing for a while, the previous situation did not reoccur. The color of the staircase railing was indeed a shade of orange-red. Perhaps it was just a momentary confusion.
Having settled his gaze, Lou Ting stood still and stopped staring at the staircase railing. He walked straight out of the residential compound.
In the era of interstellar civilization, money was stored in identity cards. Lou Ting brought along some essential items that he couldn’t afford to lose. Once the divorce was finalized, he would immediately find another place to stay.
The original host had just finished filming a variety show, but the money from that project had yet to arrive. Lou Ting’s main purpose in coming here was probably to obtain the money. It seemed like the idea of signing the divorce agreement had been a spontaneous decision.
After matching in marriage, the interface of the main system displayed the marital status of the partner. If either party wished to apply for a divorce, it would be publicly displayed, almost like an announcement.
Just three minutes after getting married, He Yunchuan had submitted a divorce application.
Lou Ting pondered for a moment, then opened the virtual phone on his wrist, which resembled a watch.
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【The recording for the first episode of the variety show “Youth Returns” will take place on September 14th, 7410. Guest: Lou Ting, please participate in the recording on the same day in the capital star.】
“Youth Returns?”
It seemed to be the next variety show arranged by the original host’s manager. It wasn’t much different from the talent show that formed a group. The only possible difference was that “Youth Returns” featured well-known idol stars competing for their debut positions.
The original host had been grinding in the entertainment industry for so long, losing his initial aura. Moreover, he couldn’t sing or dance well, so appearing on this show would only be a public embarrassment.
He would serve as a stepping stone for famous celebrities and contribute some vulgar humor. That seemed to be the purpose of the original host’s existence on this program.
Before transmigrating into the book, Lou Ting was also an actor. However, compared to the original host, he was much luckier. One could even describe his debut as reaching the pinnacle of success. Within three years of his debut, he made it to the international actors’ ranking, with numerous awards as Best Actor and albums selling over a million copies in an instant, earning him the title of King of Songs.
Many industry insiders regarded him as the favorite child of fortune.
Despite his early fame, Lou Ting remained humble and diligently enriched his knowledge in various aspects.
It could be said that Lou Ting, before transmigration, was a flawless individual.
The intention behind “Youth Returns,” the variety show, to use him as a foil for other contestants was too obvious, but since the original host had already signed the contract, it wasn’t easy to handle at the moment.
Lou Ting pondered for a moment and didn’t rush to respond. His plan was to finalize the divorce first, then go back and carefully examine the contract, calculating the amount of the penalty for breach.
Just as he was thinking, his phone suddenly rang, and the caller ID displayed: Manager – Zuo Anran.
A formal and standardized caller ID.
It was probably related to the variety show. Lou Ting answered the call, “Hello?”
Zuo Anran skipped the useless pleasantries and got straight to the point, “Come to the company now.”
Lou Ting responded directly, “I’m not going.”
Without any hesitation, Zuo Anran hung up the phone immediately after delivering the message. Lou Ting heard those two words just as the call ended.
In the next moment, the phone rang again.
Zuo Anran couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation, “What did you just say, Lou Ting?”
“I have something to attend to.”
“No matter what it is, put everything aside now and appear before me immediately. This isn’t the time for you to be arrogant. Don’t forget, you’re still under contract with me.”
After finishing her statement, Zuo Anran didn’t hang up as quickly this time. It seemed like she intentionally waited for his response. Not hearing anything more from Lou Ting, he hung up, and she could hear the busy tone from the other end.
—How dare he hang up on my call?!
Zuo Anran’s face turned red with anger.
Lou Ting closed the phone screen and said to the driver, “Could you please turn around up ahead?”
“Sure thing.”
Lou Ting arrived at the company and headed upstairs following the route he remembered, but he was stopped at the reception desk.
“I’m sorry,” the young girl apologized, looking at him sheepishly. “Non-internal personnel are not allowed inside. If you’re here to meet someone, please have them come down to receive you.”
Lou Ting said, “I’m a contracted artist here.”
The girl nodded. “Are you a newcomer? Please register over here, please.”
Lou Ting didn’t give her a hard time and simply signed his name.
After Lou Ting went upstairs, another person entered the reception area.
The girl excitedly exclaimed, “Sis! A very handsome man came in just now, saying he’s a contracted artist of the company!”
“You believe him just because he said he’s a contracted artist?”
“Good-looking guys don’t lie.” The girl smiled and continued, “His face is like a paper cutout crafted according to my aesthetics!”
“Is that so? What’s his name?”
“Let me check.” She flipped open the visitor log, and the newest entry was written in bold: “Lou Ting.”
The woman said, “???”
She couldn’t fathom how someone could refer to an ugly man with heavy makeup and droopy eyes as handsome.
She lovingly patted the girl’s head, thinking she had gone blind at such a young age.
—
Lou Ting arrived at the upstairs office, but there was no one inside Zuo Anran’s office.
He pulled out a chair and sat down, leaning back against the soft backrest, waiting for Zuo Anran to return.
Perhaps due to the unpleasant phone call, Zuo Anran deliberately wanted to make him wait. When she walked in, she said, “Sorry to keep you waiting. I had some sudden matters to attend to. It must have been uncomfortable standing for so long…”
As her words gradually trailed off, Zuo Anran felt a surge of frustration deep in her heart as she looked at the man sitting in the plush chair.
When she finally circled around to get a clear view of Lou Ting’s face, her heart skipped a beat.
Zuo Anran composed herself, suppressing the smile on her face, and said sternly, “I’ve told you several times not to casually remove your makeup. If the netizens capture photos and spread them online, do you still plan on pursuing a career as a comedian? Don’t forget, the conventional path for celebrities is already blocked. Do you intend to give up on your last chance as well?”
“Some things depend on your self-awareness. Don’t expect me to take care of you and provide you with variety shows, allowing you to be carefree. There are many unexpected things that can happen in between.” Zuo Anran’s words sounded like a cautionary advice mixed with a threat.
Lou Ting ignored Zuo Anran’s words as if he hadn’t heard them.
Zuo Anran sat across from him, casually tossing several contracts at him as if discarding trash. She spoke disdainfully, almost like she was bestowing a favor, “These are the variety show contracts I recently negotiated for you. Sign them.”
Lou Ting looked up with indifference and picked up one of the contracts to examine it.
As expected, it was the kind of variety show that deliberately ridiculed his personal image, using it as entertainment for the masses.
It was vulgar and of low taste.
Zuo Anran never thought that Lou Ting would refuse. She handed him a black pen and said, “Sign them and get lost. Don’t be a bother to me.”
“Thud.”
The black pen made a soft sound as it landed on the contract.
Lou Ting simply threw the contract back at her, along with the pen.
Zuo Anran, who was holding a teacup, trembled upon seeing this and almost spilled the tea on herself. Immediately, she angrily asked, “What do you think you’re doing?”
Lou Ting replied calmly, “Do you really want this kind of trashy variety show? Are you a garbage can that can handle such things?”
“What the hell do you think you’re saying to me?!”
“I will also submit an application to withdraw from the variety show ‘Youth Returns.'”
“How dare you!”
“Anyway…” Lou Ting narrowed his eyes, and his long eyelashes hid the emotions in his eyes. “If you force me to do this kind of trashy work again, don’t blame me for not being polite to you.”
Although it was just a normal exchange in their work, Zuo Anran couldn’t help but feel a chill in her heart.
Regaining her composure, Zuo Anran’s anger burned within her. She slammed her hand on the table and sneered, “Not being polite? Huh, these variety shows may be lowbrow, but they are the only resources you can get right now. Do you still want to pursue film and television opportunities? Don’t dream!”
“It’s too early for you to think about those things.”
“Haha, then what do you want?”
Lou Ting turned his head to look at her, his eyes indifferent and contemplative. The pitiful sight of the original owner struggling to survive under Zuo Anran’s control flashed in his mind. After a moment, he chuckled and said, “I want… to twist your head off.” He bowed on the ground, considering it an apology to the original owner.
“What did you say?!”
Lou Ting stood up, pushed his chair aside, and said, “Never mind if you didn’t hear it clearly.”
Zuo Anran opened her mouth, about to say something, but before the words could come out, she looked up and realized that Lou Ting was no longer there!
“Lou Ting!” Zuo Anran’s chest heaved in anger. “You’ve gone too far, absolutely too far!”
Zuo Anran roared in frustration, but Lou Ting ignored her. This person was just as despicable as the male lead in the original story. They had done many unethical things to trap the original owner in vulgar variety shows. If there weren’t surveillance cameras nearby, Lou Ting would have already dragged her into the tea room for a one-on-one confrontation.
However, there was no hurry.
There would be plenty of time to deal with her in the future.
At 2 o’clock in the afternoon, Lou Ting sat punctually in the reception room of the He Corporation.
It was already afternoon when he left the company. Lou Ting found a small shop nearby and had a quick lunch before walking over.
When the receptionist brought him in, she placed coffee and tea on the coffee table. Since then, a considerable amount of time had passed, and no one else had entered.
Lou Ting wasn’t in a hurry. He was about to check social media and see what people were saying about him when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. It was accompanied by a palpitation sensation.
Here it comes again!
Lou Ting furrowed his brow. Was this a lingering symptom of his heart disease?
Even before transmigrating into the story, he had suffered from heart disease, but he hadn’t experienced such frequent episodes like he was now.
Lou Ting’s breathing became heavier, and his body temperature gradually rose.
He tugged at his collar, feeling uncomfortable. He was fine when he came out earlier, but now he felt like he couldn’t catch his breath.
This was too strange.
Sinking into the soft sofa, Lou Ting felt his strength leaving his body. He struggled to lift his head and glanced at the air conditioning unit in the room. The optimal temperature for the human body is around room temperature.
He pursed his lips and thought to himself. This feeling wasn’t like the effect of traditional Chinese medicine, nor was it like being in heat. It might have been acceptable once, but now he had lost count of how many times this had happened. And to attribute it to lingering symptoms of a heart disease didn’t seem plausible.
His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. Without realizing it, his throat became dry, and even the slightest swallowing motion caused a piercing pain.
This wasn’t right.
The doors and windows of the reception room were tightly shut.
The enclosed space fostered the growth of warmth, and Lou Ting slowly got up, but his steps were laborious. He struggled to reach the air conditioning control panel, intending to lower the temperature and see if it would alleviate the situation. Suddenly, his body swayed, and he fell forward!
In an instant, he saw a flash of orange-red light. Lou Ting’s consciousness gradually became blurred, his line of sight abruptly shifted, and in front of him were the clothes he had discarded. Furry paws reached out and neatly concealed the clothes underneath the sofa.
The next moment, he lost consciousness.
***************
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