Chapter 5: Ascending to Immortality in One Stroke! Celebrities Undergo Collective Detox, Netizens Burst into Laughter! [Please Support with Votes]

Wu Qian, who had previously been itching to skin Lu Ming alive, suddenly wilted. "Put that thing down! If there's a problem, let's just sit down and talk it out!"

The other young internet celebrities chimed in:
"Exactly! We're all friends; there's no need to take things this far."

A production assistant hurriedly carried a camera to the doorway, revealing the scene inside to the bewildered audience. Teacher Huang was slumped on the floor, trembling uncontrollably. A foul, pungent odor began to permeate the air.

Lu Ming stood there holding the open pressure cooker, posturing as if to splash the contents, leaning back before lunging forward. Through the high-definition lens, millions of netizens could clearly see half a pot of murky, filthy sludge, with dark, unrecognizable debris floating within.

What on earth was that?!

"I'm warning you, nobody move! Don't you dare step back. If anyone moves another inch, I’ll make sure they taste this delicious concoction immediately!"

Everyone’s throats went dry as they instinctively took slow, retreating steps. The bastard had already primed his swing; with a single flick, he could drench them in that sludge. Though they could gamble on whether they could outrun the splash, looking at the sheer volume of that swirling mess, no one dared to take that risk.

"Still walking? Still trying to walk away, are you?!"
"If anyone moves again, I’ll dump it all over Teacher Huang!"

As he spoke, Lu Ming pointed the pot directly at the cowering Teacher Huang. Teacher Huang’s eyes widened in terror; his legs turned to jelly. He swore that in all his years grinding in the entertainment industry, having weathered countless storms, he had never been truly afraid—but this time, he was terrified.

Seeing the fearless madness in the young man's eyes, Teacher Huang’s teeth chattered: "Everyone! Stop! Right! Now!"

The group froze. Teacher Huang’s expression softened. "Child, don't you remember? When you were going through your troubles recently, your uncle even went on Weibo to comfort you, telling you not to be too sad..."

If Teacher Huang hadn't mentioned those troubles, it might have been fine, but the moment he brought it up, a surge of uncontrollable rage ignited within Lu Ming.

"You fucking used me for traffic, feasted on my misery, stirred up public opinion, and acted like you couldn't wait for me to be cyberbullied. Now you bring me to Mushroom House and treat me like a pack mule? Is that what you call comforting me?"

Seeing Lu Ming’s volatile state, Teacher Huang shivered. "Uncle admits, having you cook alone today was a bit inconsiderate, but Uncle did it for your own good..."

"Say one more word, and see if I don't give you a hot bath with this pot of 'delicacies' right now!" Lu Ming hoisted the pot high.

Teacher Huang was visibly panicked. The crowd was shocked.
"Calm down!"
"You need to calm down!"

Perhaps due to the alcohol, Lu Ming was in a state of extreme agitation. He no longer cared about status, hierarchy, or social etiquette. In his mind, there were only eight primitive words:
Life or death is fate; if you're not convinced, just fight!

"Calm down?"
"I can't fucking calm down at all!"

"I’m just an ordinary person. I just wanted to live my life, but somehow, I became the target of everyone’s scorn. You all ganged up on me online, gossiping and tearing me apart as if everyone had to take a kick at me. We have no ties, no grudges—why did you all have to pick on me?"

"I was inexplicably cyberbullied, treated like a pariah, and condemned by thousands."
"Facing your accusations and contempt, I never fought back. I thought if I just retreated, it would pass."
"I was wrong. Kindness isn't understood; it only makes the bullies escalate their abuse!"
"Since coming here, it’s been nothing but blame, forced labor, and now your threats!"

"Fuck you all!"
"I’m going to kill you!"

As Lu Ming spoke, his excitement grew. His gaze turned fierce, scanning the crowd. The young celebrities felt as if they were being stared down by a starving wolf; they instinctively averted their eyes, one by one, losing their nerve.

[Teacher Huang’s acting (Liang Kun style) was working, though he didn't even realize it.]

Lu Ming glared at Teacher Huang with murderous intent; the killing aura in his eyes felt almost tangible. Li Changfeng warned, "If anything happens to Teacher Huang, there won't be a place for you in the entire industry! Think of your romance, your future, your life!"

Threats?
A man numbed by alcohol has nothing to lose!

"Fuck you! You're so high and mighty, so noble! You're all such 'good people' that everyone loves!"
"My romance just fell apart because of you! I have nothing left, my home is empty, what future do I have?! You forced me into this hellhole, slandered me, isolated me, and now you have the nerve to threaten me?"

Lu Ming’s murderous gaze, like a predator eyeing its prey, made everyone tremble.

"I’m warning you, don't do something stupid, or no one in the industry can save you!" Wu Qian retreated two steps, warning him.

"I don't fear anyone anymore!"
"I am going to take back everything I lost, step by step!"
"I am going to kill all you hypocritical bastards!!"

Lu Ming swung the pot. Amidst the horrified gasps, the viscous, murky liquid rained down like a storm. Before they could react, they were drenched, looking like drowned rats!

"What the f—!"

"Ugh... my eyes, my face, my stomach, I’m filthy!"

The group was truly terrified by Lu Ming’s momentum. They forgot their advantage in numbers, scurrying about like ants on a hot pan, crying for their parents.

Lu Ming, appearing like a god of war, chased them with the pressure cooker, splashing the contents frantically!

"Help!"
"He’s crazy! Lu Ming’s gone insane!"
"This washed-up actor is having a drunken breakdown! He’s going to kill us! Help!!"
"I don't want to die!"

Hysterical screams echoed through the air. The entire Mushroom House turned into a chaotic mess!

Inside the room, Teacher Huang watched, pale-faced. He swore that in his half-lifetime in the industry, he had never been this terrified!

Teacher Huang shakily stood up. Seeing Wu Qian fleeing from Lu Ming toward him, he used every ounce of his strength to slam the door shut and barricade it!

"Teacher Huang! I haven't gotten in yet!"
"Open the door, hurry!"
"It's me, Wu Qian!!"

Teacher Huang turned a deaf ear. "Go die somewhere else! Don't splash that filth on me!"

"Aaaah—" Wu Qian let out a blood-curdling scream, as if he’d encountered something truly horrific.

[6666!]
[I’m laughing so hard I might pee!]
[Dumping a pot of refined waste on people—I wouldn't even dream of such a crazy scene! It’s insane!]
[It’s... it’s lit!]
[This is too explosive!!]
[Even when I watched Might Guy fight Madara, I wasn't this hyped!]
[I’m standing up to watch this; sitting down would be a disrespect to the quality of this episode. You haters always complain that variety shows are boring and cringey—well, tell me, who could watch this and not shout 'Holy shit'?]
[If you don't laugh at this, you're clinically depressed!]
[Depressed? My son, who hasn't laughed in three years since his diagnosis, is acting like a monkey right now!]
[A miracle cure!]
[Seeing this for free, I feel like the production team is losing money!]
[This episode is going to be legendary!]
[I was scared by his fierce look just now. If he were holding a weapon instead of a pot, it would be perfectly seamless. If he’d put this talent into his acting sooner, with his looks, he might have really made it big!]
[You’re not kidding. For a second, I thought I saw the shadow of an old friend in him.]
[Zhao Gao: Using my lines—what great official authority you have!]
[Reminder: Never try to threaten a drunk person, especially a young one!]

The spectators were doubled over in laughter.

However, some netizens who had watched the stream from the beginning didn't think Lu Ming was wrong. On the contrary, seeing his fearless attitude in the face of industry bigwigs and seniors gave them a strange sense of satisfaction. Perhaps he was doing what they always wanted to do but dared not. In a society governed by social connections, many choose to swallow their pride when oppressed. Those who dare to say "no" are rare, and someone who dumps sludge on their oppressors is unheard of!

"D-Director, are we just going to let him go crazy like this?" the staff hid far away.
The director didn't answer, only monitoring the stream's data. After a while, he replied, "Unless you want to be covered in sludge, waiting is the best choice until he runs out of ammo!"
"But Director, Wu Qian seems to have been choked unconscious. Shouldn't we do something?" someone pointed at Wu Qian, who was lying flat in the courtyard, rolling his eyes.
"Trust in science. High temperatures kill bacteria. Even if it's waste, after being stewed in a pressure cooker, it won't make them sick. At most, they’ll suffer a little psychological trauma. They'll be fine!" the director said confidently.

The staff felt the director’s logic was strangely sound.
"Director, why do you know so much about this?" a cameraman asked curiously.
A kind colleague whispered, "Shh! If you don't want to be fired for stepping into Mushroom House with your right foot first tomorrow, you’d better not ask!"
Director: "..."

As they spoke, Lu Ming ran out of ammo. Looking at the mess in the courtyard and the young celebrities still wailing, his anger subsided, and he sat down on a chair. After the passion, a sense of emptiness followed. He found the bottle of liquor he’d opened earlier and took two heavy gulps. The spicy liquid burned down his throat, and the heat helped him forget his thoughts. Lu Ming couldn't help but shout, "Refreshing!"

[System detected: Host has entered a state of deep drunkenness. "Acting Fundamentals" +20!]
["Acting Fundamentals" advanced: LV2!]

Hearing the silence outside, Teacher Huang cracked the door open to observe. Lu Ming turned around, making strange, incomprehensible humming sounds in a bizarre voice: "%￥*@!"
Teacher Huang: "!!!"

*Bang!*
The sound of the door slamming shut attracted Lu Ming, who hadn't even noticed Teacher Huang. He walked unsteadily toward the room with the bottle, muttering, "Teacher Hu—ang... Teacher Hu—ang..."

In the pitch-black night, Teacher Huang, barricading the door with all his might, felt like ants were crawling on his chest. "Stop calling my name like a ghost out there!"

Lu Ming didn't answer; he just kept pushing the door.
"Don't come in!"
"I have no grudge against you, just let me go!"
"Stop pushing, I’m begging you!"

As Teacher Huang panicked, Li Changfeng roared, "He doesn't have anything in his hands anymore, why are you still hiding in there?"
"You beast! I’m going to kill you today!!"
Li Changfeng, his body a mess, lunged forward. Lu Ming turned around and saw the man who had been screaming for his head just seconds ago now hunched over, gasping for air, making "gurgling" sounds.

"Look what I fed my brother, he’s stuffed!"
"We're friends, right? If you want to eat gourmet food next time, just give me a call. I’ll come to your house and cook for you personally!" Lu Ming said, bleary-eyed and drunk.

Li Changfeng, who had been holding it together, immediately vomited upon hearing this. He couldn't speak, only retching.
*I’ll kill you for this!*

...

Not long after, sirens wailed as an ambulance arrived at the gate. Before the paramedics even got out, Wu Qian, who had been playing dead, scrambled toward the ambulance as if he’d seen a savior.
"I’m here! I’m here! I’ve been poisoned, pump my stomach!"

The other celebrities chimed in:
"Me too!"
"I don't think I can make it to the hospital, do it now!"
"Me as well!"

Li Changfeng cursed at Lu Ming, but Lu Ming, deep in his drunken haze, had lost his hearing and couldn't make out a word. He smiled and replied, "It’s gone, there’s really not a drop left. Even if you’re still hungry, you’ll have to wait for next time..."
"Fuck you!"
Li Changfeng broke down and scrambled into the ambulance.

The already cramped space became even more crowded. Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Lu Ming collapsed against the doorframe and fell asleep. Teacher Huang, seeing the kid was truly out cold, breathed a sigh of relief. As he watched the ambulance prepare to leave, he shouted, "Wait! I haven't gotten on yet!"
"Go, he’s fine!" Wu Qian urged the driver, full of resentment.

Fortunately, the driver was reasonable and waited for Teacher Huang to board before taking the star-studded group to the nearest hospital for stomach pumping. With the stars gone, the Mushroom House livestream ended. Shortly after, the Mango TV channel closed the stream.

"It’s finally over!" Teacher He looked at the mess, pondered for a moment, and called the director. "Call his manager and have them come tonight to pick him up!"
"Isn't that a bit rushed? The guests only arrived this afternoon. We still have the breakfast segment and the field work to record. Why not move him inside to sleep?" the director suggested.

Just moments ago, he had received a call from his superior, who insisted the show continue regardless of the issues. With the backing of a big shot and having witnessed the stream shatter numerous records in variety show history, the director knew this was his chance for fame!

"You still want him to cook breakfast?" Teacher He’s eyes widened.
The director looked guilty. "Well, no. Today was just Teacher Huang wanting to be lazy, which caused the accident. Once they’re back from the hospital, our professional chef will handle it tomorrow."
"Do you think, after all this, Teacher Huang won't poison the breakfast?"
Director: "..."

He didn't know about others, but if Lu Ming dared to take a bite, he’d probably be meeting the King of Hell!

"Besides, we don't even need to wait for tomorrow morning. When they get back and see this kid drunk like this, do you think he’ll survive the night?" Teacher He asked helplessly.

Director: "..."

Although he wanted to seize this life-changing opportunity, for safety reasons, half an hour later, he watched with lingering regret as Lu Ming was loaded into his manager’s car, driving away into the rural night.

Watching the taillights, both the director and Teacher He felt complex emotions. In the entertainment industry, there is no right or wrong—only interests. Because the #ZhengMingBreakup# topic was trending, everyone wanted a piece of the action. Even D-list celebrities wanted screen time.

Nobody cared about who was right or wrong in the breakup. They only knew they couldn't offend Zheng, but they all wanted the traffic, so bullying Lu Ming became the best choice. After all, a "top star" who relied on his ex-girlfriend, now facing a downfall due to "scandals," would eventually fade away. No one feared offending such a small shrimp.

Having caused such a disaster, this was likely the last time they would ever see him.