The Villain Runs Wild

 

Ch 41 – Newest Top Celebrity x Washed Up Film Emperor: A Futile Attempt At Privatisation

According to the plot given to him by the System, there would be a small disturbance here, but he didn’t know when it would start.

Lin Sui thought of the System in that moment, that thing should start doing what it was supposed to do.

The System couldn’t say how much it disagreed, but it still had to accept.

It knew this was part of the mission it assigned, but it was also very clear on what it would ultimately lead to and it was annoyed, but it couldn’t refuse to cooperate, lest Lin Sui discover anything.

Lin Sui found that the blue light in his spirit stage dimmed a little, but he continued with the matter in front of him.

“Let’s have a meal together.”

Lin Sui sat next to Yu Linxi and answered simply, his eyes turning on the other people around them.

Lin Sui nodded slightly and Fu Nai, picking up the signal, smiled as she explained today’s purpose to the confused guests who’d been invited in a subtle and graceful manner.

While Fu Nai was speaking, Lin Sui flipped through the documents she gave him.

From left to right sat two men and one woman.
The woman on the far left was called Ying Ziyu, she was 32 years old and she had debuted 10 years ago.

Her resources actually weren’t bad, but as a celebrity she just wasn’t that popular.
If her name was mentioned in a drama, people would suddenly recognise her, but in person she was often not recognised.

Fu Nai had also written the reason behind the invitation, she thought that this person was actually quite malleable, but she just lacked memorability and gave people a very forgettable feeling.
If she changed her style and persona, perhaps it would lead to unexpected results.

The young man next to Ying Zhiyu was called Ji Ying, he had a handsome face and had been highly praised by the bosses when he first debuted.
He was paired up with some of the major players in the company, but he was neither a favourite in the drama nor was he popular, the reputation of both of the drama’s male lead hit rock bottom, and the sales of his endorsed products were so mediocre that the quickly changed spokesperson, and he was mocked as being a failure to launch.

Fu Nai thought this person was actually very interesting, and it would be well worth it for him to go into variety shows.

The actor sat on the rightmost side was called Yan He, and although he was already 30 years old, he gave people a very refreshing feeling and seemed very cultured, but he had been defamed.
He had been very popular once, but his reputation tanked due to a scandal and now he could no longer make a splash.

The scandal was that he cheated during his relationship, the woman, who was also an insider, exposed him for cheating and forcing an abortion, and even for being a lolicon.

Even though Yan He had tried his hardest to clear it up with proof, not many people believed him, and his popularity had long since been ruined among strangers.

Fu Nai said that this person’s commercial value was actually not great.
At the time, those in the know all knew that he had been framed because he wanted to terminate his contract, so the bosses simply smeared his name to ruin him.
But he was actually a very hardworking actor, and he worked harder than ever before after his lowest point.

Fu Nai also honestly remarked that the reason why she had invited Yan He was because she had once received Yan He’s kindness, so at Lin Sui’s discretion, she wanted to try to not only ‘reverse the verdict’, but also to restore his reputation.

Lin Sui felt that these three people were actually pretty good, and they would all do, so he nodded towards Fu Nai.

The three people’s faces were all different as they listened to Fu Nai’s words.

Ying Ziyu was a bit hesitant, although she wasn’t popular, she wasn’t a flop either.
She still had shows she could perform, it was just that she had no chance to be the female lead, and she couldn’t dare be sure she would be making the right decision by jumping ship.

Even though Lin Sui’s resources were indeed very good, this was Lin Sui they were talking about.

Fu Nai had a glib tongue, and she gave Ying Ziyu her own preliminary proposal, capturing the other party’s psychological needs.

“I really do want to be talked about, that’s true, who in this business doesn’t want to be famous? Who doesn’t want to be popular? But I seem to be a popularity insulator, not even walking down the red carpet in a see-through dress made a splash.”

Ying Ziyu laughed at herself, she really envied Lin Sui’s dangerous physique, unlike her, who used this tactic to but still couldn’t get popular, so she just closed herself off after that.

“If you become my artist, you can have everything you want.”

Lin Sui tapped his finger lightly against the table, his body language relaxed and natural.

He didn’t seem to be making a serious promise at all, even seeming a little careless, but this was actually what made people think he was particularly calm.

Yan He didn’t even hesitate a bit and just agreed, he needed the opportunity more than the people next to him, and Ji Ying also seemed to be considering it.

While he was thinking, Yu Linxi finally understood the situation, and he whispered in Lin Sui’s ear.

“Lin-ge, why do you suddenly want to work alone, does dad know?”

Yu Linxi watched the three people remain perplexed despite giving the matter much thought.
Why was Lin-ge playing around? Everyone favoured newcomers, yet here he was messing with reheated leftovers.

“He knows.
If godfather asks about this when you go back, you can just tell him the truth.”

Yu Linxi nodded, then asked again in a small voice: “Bro, is your company still accepting people? How about taking me with you?”

He really couldn’t stay in the entertainment industry for a second longer, he had a great e-sports dream!

“You’re better off staying, with your hand speed, your dad not letting you chase your dream is for your own good.”

Lin Sui recalled the scenes of Yu Linxi playing videogames in the original owner’s memories, and he gave a straightforward suggestion.

How should he put it? His hand speed was slower than Yan Qin’s at making handcrafts, so he could basically say goodbye to the e-sports industry.

Lin Sui’s mind wandered as he thought about the scene of Yan Qin making handcrafts, and he felt a little listless.

He didn’t know if the System had done it on purpose, or if his situation had changed, but they seemed to be a bit at odds in the last world.
Yan Qin had been too excessive, and he’d eaten until he was practically bursting.

The System issued a warning at Lin Sui’s divergent thoughts.

Lin Sui left the private room and went to the place where most accidents occurred——the bathroom.

He had just walked in front of the door when he heard a mocking male voice.

“Don’t you see you’ve been reduced to being a supporting actor for that kind of junior? Do you still think you are the same high-spirited Film Emperor you were back then?”

Lin Sui didn’t recognise the owner of the voice, but he knew who it was.

Inside the bathroom, Zhou Hui mocked the old rival in front of him.

He and Yan Qin were actors from the same generation, they even had a pretty similar style.
He debuted earlier than Yan Qin, and he was even the top of his year.
He thought his glory would begin after entering the campus, but he’d been living in the shadow of Yan Qin.

When Yan Qin won an award with his maiden work, turning him into a Film Emperor, he was still playing small roles in productions.
He didn’t think he was any worse than Yan Qin, he only had worse luck, he could have been in that movie, too, and he could also have taken the award.

He was envious of Yan Qin’s smooth-sailing career because his own road on the performing arts had been bumpy, the good role he’d gone through such difficulty to get had been cut, but it was as if Yan Qin had simply been decreed as the male lead by the Emperor himself.

Yan Qin’s films all had a good reputation, and his films had a lot of criticism, but he felt like that wasn’t his problem, it was the director and the script, and the other actors, who weren’t good.

When Yan Qin had the car accident, he felt immensely happy.
It seemed that heaven could no longer stand to watch this lucky person, so having an accident served him right.

And now that Yan Qin had come out of retirement, he simply laughed loudly without restraint, much of which was his handiwork.

Why was this person crawling back up? He should just have stayed down.

Yan Qin looked at the extremely hostile man in front of him, and remained silent.

This person had started taunting him as soon as he came in an saw him, which was a little baffling as Yan Qin had no memory of the man, so his silence at this moment was also because he was thinking about who this was.

“What kind of actor is that kind?”

An extremely distinctive voice came through the door, carrying a few doubts.

“It seems like you’re looking down on me.”

Lin Sui was wearing casual clothes today, and the chains on his coat flashed with a metallic lustre under the lights.

The young man who had just come in had a beautiful face, rising, passionate eyes, and a smile on his features that wasn’t quite a smile.

Zhuo Hui was stunned by his appearance at first, but then realised who that was.
He was a bit embarrassed at having been caught by the person he’d been badmouthing, but quickly became natural again.

Although he’d heard this person currently had both a very big reputation and relationships with backers, Zhou Hui didn’t actually care.
In his eyes, this person was just a popular flower vase, with nothing good except for his face, and he looked down on this kind of person the most.

But even if he thought like that, he still had to pretend on the surface, so Zhou Hui laughed awkwardly a few times and expressed it had all been a misunderstanding.

“Misunderstanding? It doesn’t seem like a misunderstanding to me,” Lin Sui raised his eyebrows and looked at Yan Qin, who was looking in his direction, and asked, “Who is that?”

Yan Qin was a little startled by his appearance, and shook his head as he answered: “I don’t know, I don’t recognise him.”

“You don’t recognise me?”

Zhou Hui looked at Lin Sui with shock and anger, compared to Lin Sui’s ignorance, he thought that the other party would at least have some superficial first-hand knowledge, but Yan Qin was actually saying he didn’t know him?

Zhou Hui gnashed his teeth in anger as he spoke: “In any case, I also made it to the finals for best male lead and was nominated alongside you, even though it was you who won at that time, now you’re out of the game, and I’m not.”

How could Yan Qin not recognise him? He’d regarded the other person as a rival and enemy for so many years, yet Yan Qin held him in such contempt, why? He was no longer the Film Emperor he used to be, he was a washed up actor, so why?!

Yan Qin had a look of sudden understanding, so he met Zhou Hui’s gaze and sincerely asked: “Then, what’s your name?”

Zhou Hui gave his name with an unsightly expression, holding back his urge to curse.
Yan Qin must have been deliberately provoking him, and he couldn’t let him have his way.
As Zhou Hui thought this, his expression became calmer and calmer, even to the point of looking a little smug.

“Let me see what roles you have right now.”

Lin Sui leaned against the side of the door.
He was tall and with long legs, so he obstructed the door of the bathroom and blocked the people inside.

Lin Sui made a call, telling someone to look into Zhou Hui.

“What do you want to do, get back at me on his behalf?”

It was only then that Zhou Hui felt threatened and became certain that Lin Sui had backers, otherwise, how would he have the gall to act so brazenly?

However, he wasn’t particularly worried.
He had a good relationship with that director, and the character really fit him, so the other party shouldn’t be picking Yan Qin and abandoning him.

“What relationship do I have with him? Why would I be getting back at you for him?”

Lin Sui’s face was filled with impatience as he waited for the person on the other side of the phone to reply.

Although he’d really come here for Yan Qin today, he wasn’t going to give Yan Qin any rewards.
Yan Qin hadn’t done anything to serve him yet, did he just want to obtain a role for nothing? There was no such thing, he had to invest a little something first to be able to taste the sweet benefits.

Yan Qin pushed down the corners of his mouth from where they had been slightly raised before and he stared at the floor, a little lost in thought.

Clearly, this was normal.
He and Lin Sui were neither relatives nor friends, he was even somewhat hostile towards him, so how could Lin Sui be sticking up for him?

But why did that make him a little disappointed?

When he heard this, Zhou Hui became cheerful.
He realised that the person in front of him also didn’t like Yan Qin, so he gave him a good-natured smile.

“Then I’ll go first.”

Zhou Hui still had to return, he’d already stayed here for too long, and it wouldn’t be good if someone from the dinner party came looking for him and discovered this situation.

“Did I let you leave?”

Lin Sui turned around with his phone in his hands, shooting Zhou Hui a cold glance.

Zhou Hui didn’t understand his meaning, so he frowned.

Both sides were deadlocked for a few minutes, until Lin Sui’s cellphone vibrated.

“The third male lead in a movie? Who is filming? It’s Dong Chunhui? What about the investment? Oh… okay.”

“Tell them to change the third male lead a bit, have an actress play it.”

“If it doesn’t fit, just change the script until it fits.
Don’t just change male into female, do it so that it highlights the charm of the character itself.
Do it now.”

When Lin Sui spoke that first sentence, Zhou Hui’s heart rose, because he’d recently auditioned for a new film directed by Dong Chunhui.
Although the third male didn’t have that many scenes, it was quite a remarkable role that could leave a relatively deep impression on the audience, and it was the result of his meticulous selection and screening.

Although he didn’t lack roles, he didn’t have many of that kind of good role that paid well.
When he finished listening to the conversation between Lin Sui and the person on the phone, he was bewildered and unsure.
He didn’t know if Lin Sui was tricking him, or if he really had such great ability.

This person had connections, and shouldn’t be the bankroller, so who on earth was the financial backer who had the cheek to be so arrogant?

“You don’t even have the qualifications to carry my shoes, let alone to be my match.”

Lin Sui scoffed lightly and walked inside.
He washed his hands at the sink, looking at Zhou Hui like he was looking at the ubiquitous weeds by the side of the road.

This look was especially haughty and arrogant, but it gave a very appropriate feeling when contrasted against his face.

Yan Qin clearly knew that Lin Sui wasn’t trying to uplift him or save his face, but he couldn’t help but be in high spirits.

Yan Qin had never liked the kind of people that put on airs, that were arrogant and stupid, and especially loathsome, but Lin Sui was not the same.
His actions would actually make people think that this person’s viciousness was natural.

He was born to be set up on high.

Lin Sui wiped his hands dry and walked past Zhou Hui.
Apart from that time he asked a question, he didn’t look at Yan Qin again, as if he’d never come here for him.

Yan Qin looked at his back as he left, then unconsciously went after him.

He saw Lin Sui go into the other room in the floor, and realised why Lin Sui had appeared here.

Zhou Hui, who’d been left behind where he was, began madly calling to get in contact with the director and manager after Lin Sui left, hoping Lin Sui was just pretending.
But after he received a call saying the script would be changed and the role may fall through, Zhou Hui began to feel pressured.

Lin Sui once again returned to the private room and, looking at the somewhat dull atmosphere, he relaxed a bit.

“This is a two-way cooperation, I’m not trying to coerce you, you don’t have to be worried.
Let’s eat first, there’s still time to think about it.”

Lin Sui would pay the termination fees for the people he poached, but this matter couldn’t be forced.
If the other party didn’t want to cooperate, then Lin Sui would naturally pick another person.

While Lin Sui ate, the System couldn’t help but appear and ask questions.

System: [What did you mean just now?]

It thought Lin Sui had made it pay attention to the Son of Fortune’s movements just as he was waiting to strike1 and go make a good impression on the Son of Fortune, so it was a little reluctant, but it didn’t expect that Lin Sui wouldn’t do that.
He was really strange.

Lin Sui continued eating, not giving it an answer.

System: [You clearly didn’t have this kind of approach in the last world.]

The System remembered how Lin Sui had gotten revenge on Yan Qin’s behalf in the last word, but when he’d run into Lin Sui by accident he’d even said something like ‘my dog is superior to others’, so how come this time it was like there was nothing between them?

Lin Sui spoke leisurely: [You also know he’s not my dog right now, so why would I stand up for him?]

But it was to show Yan Qin his capital was his master, to let him know he had enough to control his life.

Lin Sui was not a compassionate person, he would teach people a lesson for the sake of that dog that didn’t belong to him yet, and wait until the prey fell into his trap and was branded by him, then he would naturally fulfil his duty as master.

The System was a little confused and disoriented from Lin Sui’s actions, it knew Lin Sui wouldn’t tell it the truth, so it blocked him in annoyance.

Lin Sui chewed his food in an even more cheerful mood.
This kind of being who did not understand humanity’s complex thoughts actually tried to control humanity’s fate in vain.
It was really stupid.

After eating, Ying Ziyu and Ji Ying said they would go back and think about it, Yan He was taken away by Yu Linxi to make up the numbers, and naturally Fu Nai couldn’t escape this fate either.

This scene of a few people leaving the private restaurant together was captured by a reported lying in wait, that person had originally been following Lin Sui, but Lin Sui had not budged from the cast and crew these past few days, so he’d gone to follow Yu Linxi instead.

Yu Linxi’s identity had once been revealed during his debut.
He was the son of Hua Yun’s President, so he’d been cursed for being a nepo baby and using dirty tricks, but Hua Yun’s President righteously and self-confidently said that it was his own son and he’d spent his own money to vote, and that it hadn’t been an internal control of the votes, so if others could do it they were more than welcome to2, which left everyone dumbstruck and completely speechless.

He didn’t expect that he would be able to photograph both Lin Sui and Yu Linxi this time, plus a few other actors?

What were they doing here? These people seemed to be completely unrelated to one another.

The paparazzi felt that it seemed there was something there, but there also felt like there wasn’t.
This picture of friends eating a meal together probably wouldn’t sell at the management company, so he simply sold it to a marketing account.

Very soon, a new term rushed to the top of trending.

#Is Lin Sui raising gu3?#

@Thunder Shatters The Darkness: Honestly, when I saw this picture I thought the paparazzi must have been too bored, what’s the deal with Lin Sui and Yu Linxi having a meal together? Do you guys not eat? But after looking at it closely and making out who the other people were I became lost in thought, what’s the relationship between them huh? How could they be getting together?

@Depressed Dancer: Lin Sui is raising gu? Fxck me, what’s with this strange lineup? A controversial top celebrity, a nepo baby idol, a person as dull as three chrysanthemums4, a failure to launch, and even a cheating actor.
But I think that, according to rank, Lin Sui should be the Gu King!

@Sole Conviction: Ying Ziyu, no! Why are you eating with them ah? This social cirle is too strange okay, don’t come in contact with Lin Sui, you’ll become unlucky!

@It’s Suisui Ya: Get outta here, your family’s idol doesn’t think it’s unfortunate, so what bullshit are you spouting here? They’re just eating together.
It’s hilarious, my family hasn’t even attacked saying you guys are riding on their popularity, and you guys still started first?

[Lin Sui’s Husbands Group]

@It’s Suisui Ya: Sisters, come to work again, let’s go, I’m infuriated they would dare say the wife is raising gu @Swallows Return To The Forest @Stir-Fry The Wife 100 Times

@I Really Like Lin Sui: I’m sorry, I might take a beating for this but I really think the wife is the Gu King [lightly]

@Stir-Fry The Wife 100 Times: The wife is really a super gu, hooking me to death wuwuwu

@It’s Suisui Ya: …That seems right too.
I’ll go get in touch with the other sisters, the antifans dare use this term to scold the wife, so we’ll simply use the term to praise the wife!

As a result, some time later, #Lin Sui Humanity’s Gu King# rose to the top of trending.

It was already very late when Yan Qin returned from the dinner party, and he’d been made to drink a lot during it, so he was half-drunk.

After taking a shower, he sat in his room wearing a bathrobe, relaxing and emptying his mind as usual, but he kept thinking about Lin Sui.

Weird, why am I always thinking of him?

It was probably because of his intense beauty, once it took root in one’s heart, it would be very difficult to get rid of.

Yan Qin pursed his lips and thought about when he said there was no relationship between them, which for some reason made him feel a little depressed.

Clearly Lin Sui was always looking for him and asking him to give him acting guidance, couldn’t this also be considered a relationship on a certain level?

Yan Qin got on Weibo to get rid of these baseless feelings, and saw he’d been tagged again.

Suisui had asked him to post an entry on Wiebo and to put a picture, and had already sent him the copy and the pictures.
There were several pictures Suisui couldn’t choose between, so she let him pick one himself.

Yan Qin looked at the pictures that were sent and was a bit stunned, and for a moment he couldn’t even click to save them.

Some of the pictures were selfies from Lin Sui’s recent Weibo posts, some were from magazine shoots in the last few months, and there were even some from when Reuters had come to visit the set.

In one of the pictures Reuters took, Lin Sui had just been wearing Ruan Qingqu’s costume.
The moon-white changshan clearly gave the person a very refined appearance, but that day, Lin Sui had felt like there was a small bug on his back, so he’d taken the changshan off.

Originally, there should have been other clothes underneath the changshan, since shooting was colder during the autumn and winter seasons, but the scene was taking place during summer, and Liu Buqun had asked Lin Sui to wear it alone in order to give the performance a more frivolous feel.

As a result, with the changshan half undone and the chilly season’s weather making his face a little pale, his inky hair and lips stood out even more in the picture.

The sister taking the picture had originally been standing behind Lin Sui, but Lin Sui had turned back as if he’d sensed something, so the picture was frozen at the moment when he’d turned his head, with his neck and back making a beautiful arc.

Surrounded by ashy mist, he was the only one who looked especially vivid.

After cleaning up and retouching the picture, Lin Sui’s distinctive features looked even more outstanding.

Yan Qin became fascinated as he looked at it, remembering Lin Sui’s appearance today, and remembering that day when he’d ordered him to bring him into the role, and that time when he’d grabbed him by the neck.

The picture had come out just two days ago, and Yan Qin soon realised another problem after clicking save.

Since Suisui had sent him this picture for him to post, didn’t that mean many people could also see it!

Yan Qin became somewhat inexplicably angry.
He clicked into the trending tag and, as expected, many people had also added this picture.

He had what other people had, he even got it after others had gotten it.

No, he still had something others didn’t.

Yan Qin walked to his bedside and opened the cabinet, taking out the things he’d placed into a small box.

It was those white buttons, the ones that fell off when he tore open Lin Sui’s clothes.

Yan Qin thought about taking a picture of them.
Even if others wouldn’t understand, it was enough for him to know.
But then he thought about it again, he and Lin Sui were clearly not in any sort of relationship.

Yan Qin tightened his grasp, his face a little desolate.

In that moment, he actually wanted to take Lin Sui for himself.
 

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1 Original text censored at ‘waiting to □□’.
I’m kinda at a loss about what it could be but I tried to make it make sense. Top.

2 你行你也上, the (in)famous ‘you can you up’, which is a way to respond to criticism by basically saying one should go try to do what they are criticising others of doing if they have the ability to.
Kinda like like ‘let’s see you do better’ or ‘put your money where your mouth is’. Top.

3 Raising gu in this sense refers to when fans & media spread rumours and speculation about a celebrity’s career and what they’re up to to drive up attention, the gu being those people and the gossip.
They don’t have to be malicious but it implies that there’s a possibility for these things to come back to bite the celebrity and affect them negatively. Top.

4 The saying ‘人淡如菊 lit.
a person as indifferent/insipid as a chrysanthemum’ means a person is indifferent to things like fame and wealth, and also that the person is plain and simple. Top.