Chapter 45: The vast sea lets fishes leap, the boundless sky lets birds fly! Give the domestic entertainment industry a little taste of shock! [Monthly Votes Requested]

[Still a hopeless case!]

[He really didn’t disappoint me!]

“The so-called 'Ming Tian Hot Duo'—you’ve got to be kidding me! Are you trying to make me laugh to death?”

“Just as a budding shipper fandom was forming, the moment they heard that name, it completely disbanded on the spot!”

“Other celebrities’ pigeons rake in fans by selling books for 200 yuan, or socks for 3,000, pants for 5,000, hats for 8,000. But you? You slap a 500,000 yuan price tag on your brand—are you even human?!”

“There’s no joy of victory in his eyes, only greed for wealth!”

“At first, when he spoke so well, my brothers were ready to spend half a million just to keep a memento. But as soon as I heard this hopeless guy wanted to save money to produce a web drama, I went ahead and bought all the SVIP activation codes to send to the fans in the livestream room!”

“Such generosity from the boss!”

“Who gave him the confidence to shoot a web drama?”

“Just hearing that this hopeless guy wants to act—I practically scratched out a three-bedroom apartment with my toes on the floor!”

“Have you heard of Huayue’s production ‘Splendid Fate’? Oh, it was taken down by the platform because it was too painful to watch. Never mind then!”

“Why are these dead memories suddenly attacking me?”

“Retreat! Retreat! Retreat!”

“He’s been fired by Huayue, so what drama is he even shooting? They’ve directly issued a blatant ban on him. After today, he won’t exist in the entertainment industry anymore.”

“I’ve been a fan since this hopeless guy debuted. If he continues doing variety shows, I fully support him. But if he wants to act, I support blacklisting him!”

“Agreed!”

“His crazy antics on variety shows hurt other guests, but if he actually shoots a web drama, it would hurt the eyes of millions of viewers!”

“Is it just the eyes? What about the trauma to the soul?”

“It’s been a whole year since ‘Splendid Fate.’ Those who suffered mental scars from it have mostly recovered. Now hearing that he wants to act again, everyone recalls the terror of being under this hopeless guy’s control!”

“Hahahahaha, you guys are ridiculous!”

The uproar from netizens and Huaba was because they had heard about Lu Ming’s story, which included many victims.

At his peak, Lu Ming became a top idol with a divine face that struck a blow to the entertainment fandom. Huayue was ruthless, but holding a 91-point contract meant they fully exploited Lu Ming’s commercial value, producing two web dramas and a single for him.

The infamous “Splendid Fate” was one of these web dramas.

Before the series aired, many female fans were still captivated by his looks, forgiving his constant delays. But once the drama premiered, Lu Ming’s fanbase began to shrink significantly. After all 41 episodes aired, his fandom had halved, signaling a collapse.

His acting was so atrocious in the drama, coupled with fierce online criticism, that KuYing platform took it down just a week after completion, removing all traces of it.

Sensing the situation, Huayue abruptly pulled the plug on his second web drama halfway through filming, deleting all his scenes and replacing him with another lead.

Naturally, that drama was a complete failure too.

Since then, Huayue never allocated any film or TV resources to him again.

As for the single they produced, not even a million-dollar sound engineer could salvage it. Some loyal fans tried to defend him, but his tone-deaf singing was beyond saving. This fiasco further shrank his already dwindling fanbase caused by the painful drama experience.

From then on, his paths for acting and singing were completely blocked. Those who still followed him online were mostly just face-value fans.

Even so, during that period, through endorsements and variety show appearances, Lu Ming generated over a hundred million yuan in profits for Huayue!

This explains why top idols wield such power in the entertainment industry. Even a talentless top star can rake in hundreds of millions for a company. If they had some acting or singing skills, their earning power would multiply.

The internet moves fast; most people have forgotten this old history from a year ago. But the moment Lu Ming mentioned “acting,” those who had witnessed the past came forward to expose their grievances.

Some newer fans thought the doubters were overreacting, and some were even curious to see for themselves.

Though the drama had been removed from official channels for a year, netizens are skilled at finding anything online. Clips of the drama soon appeared across major short video platforms.

At first, the onlookers eagerly searched for it, but after seeing Lu Ming’s past “high-caliber” acting, they quickly fell into despair.

#One outgoing moment, a lifetime of introversion!#

#Hopeless acting.#

#On how to commit a perfect crime: The unsolvable historical question finally has its answer today—killing someone with sheer awkwardness!#

#Can emotional trauma be compensated by the perpetrator?#

#The end of the entertainment industry! The hopeless guy openly declares he will fund a web drama that viewers will call an ‘enjoyment.’#

---

#The hopeless guy isn’t satisfied with making history through food; now he wants to poison viewers with a web drama as spiritual retort!#

#Huayue’s ban seems targeted at the hopeless guy, but it actually saves the world!#

Weibo’s trending topics soon featured strange terms, each rising rapidly with massive likes!

…

After the awards ceremony, the first episode of Running Man wrapped up filming.

Deng Chao suggested a group dinner that night to celebrate. Whether it was Lu Ming’s last-minute comeback saving everyone from a media storm or Running Man’s soaring popularity, it was worth a good celebration.

But Lu Ming was too drunk and quickly added friends before hailing a ride and leaving.

Teacher Huang and Wu Qian, both harboring ill intentions, lamented the ruined mood.

That night, besides the #HopelessActing# topic booming on Weibo, Running Man’s fan discussions were also extremely lively. More importantly, the Running Man craze swept across short video platforms, blooming everywhere and dominating the internet.

The next day.

Lu Ming woke up to numerous missed calls, his phone screen flooded with red notifications from various numbers. Song Zhe’s missed calls alone piled up to 99+—very conspicuous.

Lu Ming casually blacklisted Song Zhe, then returned a call to his assistant, Xiaoya.

“Brother Ming, you finally called back! I arrived in Hangzhou last night. I kept calling you but you never picked up. I was nearly worried sick!” Xiaoya sounded urgent. “Our situation is very critical right now!”

“Critical? I don’t know,” Lu Ming said. He had been filming all night and just crashed at a hotel. He wasn’t aware of the online commotion but guessed Xiaoya’s tone meant he’d caused trouble for Huayue again through that loan app.

He sent Xiaoya an address and browsed the internet.

Upon seeing the termination agreement Huayue posted, Lu Ming’s eyes lit up. “It’s settled this easily?”

He had planned that if Huayue didn’t let go after the loan issue, he’d pretend to be Huayue royalty and stir up trouble everywhere in the entertainment industry. But unexpectedly, Huayue couldn’t handle the pressure and severed ties swiftly.

Since learning he was bound by this heartless company, Lu Ming had been uncomfortable with the contract. While quietly drinking and getting stronger, he pondered ways to regain freedom. The contract’s burden was like a thorn in his heart.

Now that the goal was achieved and freedom regained, he felt refreshed, light from head to toe.

“Now the sea is vast for fish to leap, the sky high for birds to fly!”

At that moment, the doorbell rang. Lu Ming opened it to find Xiaoya rushing in.

“Brother, have you checked the situation online?”

“I have. Now I’m really ready to take off!” Lu Ming nodded enthusiastically. “You should quit Huayue too. We’ll start our own studio and shake up the entertainment circle a little!”

Xiaoya blinked in surprise. Seeing Lu Ming so excited, though reluctant to shatter his dream, she spoke rationally:

“Brother, while terminating the contract is good, you’re now officially blacklisted by Huayue. You know how powerful Huayue is. From online platforms to TV stations, they invest in all major projects. If they blacklist you, there won’t be any breathing room left.”

“And most importantly—these!” Xiaoya anxiously pulled out thick stacks of legal documents from her bag—all lawyer’s letters.

“The cocktail brand, the installment loan company, and Huayue have all sued you. The penalties are in the billions!”

“You even brought this pile all the way from Modu?” Lu Ming laughed and tossed them into the trash.

He had studied his contract with Huayue thoroughly. The reason he was confident about causing trouble was because Huayue’s restrictions were vague. Even if it came to legal battles, he was 100% sure he’d win.

No one risks their career recklessly, and Huayue was inexperienced here, suffering losses from their own clauses.

Those penalty letters only scared inexperienced people.

The other two companies suffered losses but logically had to seek compensation from Huayue since that was their arrangement. Lu Ming was merely a hired worker acting on orders.

As for being blacklisted, he wasn’t afraid!

This kind of soft ban relies on social relations.

As a time traveler, Lu Ming knew the ropes well. If he had no value, partners would only do him favors out of goodwill for Huayue. But with his current popularity, he didn’t even need to prove new talents; his traffic alone could break this unspoken rule.

If Huayue spent money to block him, it would be a bit troublesome, but only a minor one. At worst, he’d leave showbiz and become a streamer on Douyin.

The internet doesn’t revolve around Huayue. They’re giants in entertainment, but not the whole internet.

Lu Ming believed with his advanced ideas and experience, streaming and selling goods on short video platforms, while occasionally creating content, he could still earn handsomely. Once he saved enough, he could invest in productions himself. It was just adding a detour.

Xiaoya had been with him a long time and came running at the first sign of the blacklist. Her loyalty was clear.

Now was the time to use people, and Lu Ming didn’t mind letting Xiaoya ride the wealth train with him.

---

Just as he was about to explain the details to Xiaoya, his phone rang. Upon answering, a familiar chuckle came from the other side.

“Kid, how do you feel now?”

“Never felt this clear-headed before!” Lu Ming laughed.

Since he joined the Mushroom House episode, Kiwi TV had benefited from his traffic surge. Though Lu Ming didn’t know their revenue, it was clear they profited immensely, especially after taking over Running Man’s livestream.

Gangzi had gained a lot from him. After Huayue’s public ban, this call was clearly friendly.

“You’ve got a good attitude, fitting your style,” Gangzi said with surprise, then smiled. “You have two paths ahead.”

“Please go on,” Lu Ming replied politely.

“First, sign with Kiwi Holdings’ agency. Your treatment will match top stars, and Huayue’s ban won’t matter. You can appear on any variety show you want!”

Xiaoya’s eyes widened in shock. Kiwi TV! One of the top three internet video platforms and a major investor in entertainment. They invest in hundreds of dramas and dozens of blockbusters yearly. Though their agencies have no big names, joining them would bring huge resource advantages. The boss was making a generous offer, impossible to refuse.

Xiaoya excitedly grabbed Lu Ming’s arm, eyes sparkling, nearly snatching the phone to accept.

“Tell me the second path,” Lu Ming said calmly.

Xiaoya was stunned.

Uh-oh, Brother Ming still drunk?

Even Gangzi was surprised at this reply.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’ve worked for others all my life. I want to live for myself now,” Lu Ming said honestly.

Gangzi couldn’t help but advise, “You’d get resource support here. Not everyone gets this chance. Didn’t you want to act? The company can arrange acting classes. You’re young; if you’re willing to learn, improving your skills shouldn’t be hard.”

“If you pass, I can arrange a tailor-made male lead role for you with just one word from me.”

Xiaoya almost screamed.

“Boss Gang, I never take freebies,” Lu Ming smiled. “Besides, having just escaped Huayue, I won’t repeat that mistake. Kiwi’s agency contracts can’t be yearly, right?”

In entertainment, even the kindest agencies have five-year contracts.

“Call me President Wang!” Gangzi corrected, then suddenly widened his eyes in shock. “Did you do this on purpose to cause trouble?!”

“Let’s talk about the second path,” Lu Ming ignored it.

But Gangzi had guessed.

Remembering Lu Ming’s exaggerated complaints about the cocktail being full of tech tricks, then refusing benefits and exposing the truth while helping promote installment loans but revealing the truth and encouraging netizens to exploit them—it was impossible for a normal person to do any of this.

At first, Gangzi thought Lu Ming was nuts. After this brief chat, he felt he’d uncovered a huge secret.

But…

What does a hopeless guy with no acting or singing skills, only abstract antics and a handsome face, want?

Even this experienced internet CEO was scared by Lu Ming’s madness.

If it were for money, why not stay peacefully at Huayue? Why cause such trouble?

Gangzi was silent for a while, then said complexly:

“You helped me a lot. I can help you get some other variety show offers.”

“Also, Director Jiang Zhe asked me to tell you: Running Man can offer you a permanent MC spot! There are 11 episodes left to film. The TV station pays 1 million per episode, Kiwi adds 500,000, totaling 1.5 million per episode. Eleven episodes is a pre-tax 16.5 million, paid upfront.”

“Wow! Wow! Wow!” Xiaoya, who had regretted Lu Ming’s refusal, now blushed with excitement hearing the good news.

Lu Ming laughed. “Alright!”

…

The writing is really stuck. The extra chapters I owe will have to wait. I hope you understand, Master. I wrote two chapters from midnight until midnight, five hours, five thousand words. My back almost broke.

The author will adjust their state ASAP. Don’t worry, the owed extras will be made up.