Chapter 130: Collision
Qi Di came to the audition accompanied by his manager, with his ever-diligent assistant trailing behind.
The moment the assistant saw Qi Di’s expression, alarm bells went off in his head, as if a radar had exploded. He was terrified that Qi Di and Lu Xu might start a fight at any moment.
Everyone knew that Qi Di and Lu Xu didn’t get along. The problem was, this was the audition venue for Reverse City. If a real commotion broke out, where would Director Mu Lang’s dignity end up?
Among the actors auditioning today, there were several bigger names than Qi Di and Lu Xu.
When Lu Xu and his group casually pressed the elevator button and left, leaving Qi Di blushing furiously with a bottle of eye drops in hand, the assistant couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of relief.
Though… Qi Di was clearly so angry he looked like he might explode.
The assistant really couldn’t understand. Qi Di knew full well he couldn’t compete with Lu Xu, yet he kept picking fights with him. What was he even thinking?
Did he feel better after rolling his eyes like that?
Having been Qi Di’s assistant for so long, he had developed a habit: whenever he chatted with friends, he’d always start by asking, “Is it me? Am I the one who’s crazy?” Only after getting a reassuring “No, you’re fine,” would he feel at ease.
The assistant often doubted his own sanity because he simply couldn’t agree with the way Qi Di and his manager thought.
Take now, for example. Qi Di was so angry that his forehead seemed ready to emit smoke, yet his manager calmly said, “The most important thing right now is for Song of Tears to win an award. Once it does, Lu Xu won’t be able to act all smug anymore.”
The assistant: “?????”
Wait, what? Why were both of them so confident that Song of Tears would win an award?
And… what was the connection between Song of Tears winning an award and Lu Xu not being smug anymore?
He didn’t think Lu Xu was being smug at all!
Wasn’t the most urgent task at hand to secure the audition role?
The assistant questioned his life choices every day. He had a sinking feeling—if this went on much longer, he’d end up being brainwashed by Qi Di and his manager.
…
Lu Xu had dinner with Guan Sha and Xu Wen. Guan Sha had a decent personality, though Lu Xu could tell she still harbored some resentment toward Xu Wen for no longer being her manager.
As the newcomer in the situation, Lu Xu quietly focused on eating, fully aware that he was the one who had “taken” Xu Wen away.
Throughout the meal, Guan Sha didn’t ask Lu Xu anything about his audition that day. Lu Xu wasn’t sure why, but Xu Wen knew all too well—actors who rose to fame earlier often had a sense of superiority over younger ones. They believed their success was hard-earned, a result of genuine talent and perseverance, while younger actors had various paths to fame, including sudden, overnight stardom despite poor acting skills.
Midway through the meal, Lu Xu’s phone suddenly rang.
Moments earlier, Guan Sha had been talking about investment opportunities. Coincidentally, Lu Xu had recently invested in The Female Grandmaster. Although Guan Sha wasn’t interested in appearing in a project like The Female Grandmaster, which was aimed at showcasing newcomers, she was still very attentive to discussions about investments.
As Guan Sha climbed higher in her career, she increasingly felt her range of roles narrowing. Many actresses in the industry had started forming their own teams and producing their own projects to create opportunities.
However, Guan Sha lived a carefree lifestyle, so her wealth wasn’t as significant as other actresses who had started around the same time. She focused more on projects with solid investment backing and pursued roles that suited her.
Given that Lu Xu had already started investing, it was clear he’d eventually be involved in more projects, and perhaps, they might collaborate someday.
What Guan Sha didn’t expect was that their collaboration would come much sooner than anticipated.
After putting down his phone, Lu Xu calmly announced, “I got the role.”
For a moment, Guan Sha didn’t process what he said. Then Lu Xu added, “Director Mu called me.”
Only then did Guan Sha turn to Lu Xu with a surprised look.
No one understood better than Guan Sha just how difficult it was to land this role in Reverse City. The actors auditioning were all well-known and popular, with several of them being recognized as seasoned performers with excellent acting skills.
Lu Xu, whether in terms of age or appearance, didn’t seem to fit the profile of the villain in the script.
And yet, Director Mu Lang still chose him.
Knowing Mu Lang as well as she did, Guan Sha was certain he wasn’t the type to make half-hearted casting decisions, nor would he ever bow to the pressures of capital. With so many investors clamoring for him to make films, Mu Lang could easily replace an unsatisfactory backer with another.
This meant that Lu Xu truly was an actor with remarkable talent—so much so that Mu Lang had overlooked all the factors that worked against him and entrusted him with the role.
It was at this point that Guan Sha genuinely became curious about Lu Xu.
Meeting Xu Wen was rare for her, so she took the opportunity to chat with him for a while. During their conversation, Xu Wen kept bringing up Lu Xu, which stirred a hint of jealousy in Guan Sha.
Xu Wen’s attitude gave her the impression that, in the balance between her and Lu Xu, Xu Wen naturally leaned toward Lu Xu.
This favoritism wasn’t because of Xu Wen’s professional obligations as Lu Xu’s manager—it was because Xu Wen genuinely believed that Lu Xu had the potential to go farther than her in the acting world.
Was it really that serious?
Guan Sha couldn’t deny that the box office successes of Deception and Feather of Youth were impressive. But from her perspective, the success of these two films was largely unrepeatable, with a significant degree of luck involved.
Yet now, Lu Xu had almost forcefully snatched this role from the hands of his competitors. A competition ratio of ten-to-one, with every opponent being strong, was no small feat. Even if it had been her in Lu Xu’s position, her chances of securing the role would have been slim to none.
“It looks like we’ll be working together soon.” Guan Sha extended her hand, shaking Lu Xu’s. “Looking forward to a successful collaboration.”
In preparation for the filming of Reverse City, both Lu Xu and Guan Sha cleared their schedules. However, they both knew that with Mu Lang’s usual pace, getting the production started in two months would already be considered quick.
Since Lu Xu had taken the role, he had to reserve his schedule for it. Meanwhile, Lives Beyond Death the Chivalry hadn’t aired yet, and the production team didn’t currently need him.
And so—Xu Wen promptly sent him abroad.
This year’s fashion week had officially kicked off, and despite being the face of two luxury brands, Lu Xu had never attended a single show abroad. His lack of enthusiasm made him seem less engaged than even a standard ambassador, earning him a reputation as an oddity among brand endorsers.
“I’ve always worried that one day the brands will get so fed up they’ll drop you,” Xu Wen said helplessly. “Go show your face, will you?”
“It’s fine,” Lu Xu patted Xu Wen’s shoulder, consoling him. “Even if they drop me, I still have movies to shoot—I’ll take care of you.”
Xu Wen: “…”
#That’s obviously a lie
#But maybe I should consider it
In any case, Lu Xu went.
Xu Wen didn’t travel abroad with him, as Lu Xu only needed to focus on acting and attending events. He simply had to follow the instructions. Xu Wen, on the other hand, was responsible for everything else—event schedules, collaboration details, and countless other considerations.
Lu Xu sometimes thought Xu Wen’s job was exhausting, but he also understood that Xu Wen genuinely enjoyed it.
Feiyang Entertainment arranged for an assistant and a senior manager to accompany Lu Xu. Besides Lu Xu, two other artists from the company were heading to the shows as well. The three traveling together, according to a certain executive, would perfectly demonstrate Feiyang Entertainment’s “unity and ambition.”
Lu Xu could only roll his eyes at the thought.
Lu Xu rarely collaborated with other artists from his company and wasn’t particularly familiar with them. However, the manager traveling with them, Sui Lei, was skilled at handling interpersonal relationships, making Lu Xu’s interactions with him pleasant.
Of course, Lu Xu remained oblivious to the fact that he was now considered Feiyang Entertainment’s unofficial top star.
Being the “top star” essentially meant he was the strongest!
No one could b*lly him; if anything, he was the one who had the upper hand.
That said, Lu Xu had no personal interest in b*llying others.
…
After arriving at the airport, Lu Xu and his group were picked up by a business vehicle arranged by the brand. All accommodations and schedules had been finalized in advance.
Initially, the trip was smooth. However, shortly after disembarking from the plane, there was a slight hiccup—the brand’s vehicle was a bit late. During that brief delay, Lu Xu and his team ended up running into a boy band member from K-country.
Lu Xu didn’t have much personal interaction with K-country celebrities, but he had read enough reports to know they were active at fashion events and often attended various brand shows and galas.
Although no outright hostility was shown, there was an unspoken tension between K-country stars and domestic celebrities.
Lu Xu decided to avoid unnecessary conflict—after all, he was there to attend events, not to stir up trouble. However, the issue arose when the boy band member’s fans began crowding and blocking Lu Xu’s original path. This forced him to the edge of the road, effectively cutting off his way forward.
To make matters worse, the boy band member, even while abroad, was accompanied by a team of burly bodyguards. As Lu Xu attempted to pass by, one of the bodyguards deliberately shoulder-checked him with enough force to stagger him. The bodyguard didn’t even bother to apologize, instead brushing past with a look of disdain.
Lu Xu immediately reached out, stopping the boy band member in his tracks. “Does your dog not know how to apologize?”
The bodyguard clearly didn’t expect anyone to lay a hand on the celebrity, and he immediately raised a leg to kick Lu Xu. However, Lu Xu calmly extended his arm, pointing to the jewelry on his wrist. “This is a C-brand piece worth 4 billion won. Are you sure you want to kick it off?”
He added with a nonchalant tone, “I’m an investor with a net worth of 80 billion won. How much does your company pay its bodyguards annually?”
The K-country boy band member froze at his words.
Lu Xu hadn’t said much up to this point, but the boy band member had noticed him as soon as he approached. He was fully aware that this was one of the hottest stars in China at the moment.
That face… could only be described as a national treasure-level asset.
K-country had long coveted the Chinese market and closely followed news about Chinese celebrities. Although K-country boy bands were striving to break into the Western market, the revenue from those ventures remained limited.
Their album sales might be skyrocketing, and their popularity growing rapidly, but the overall revenue in the pop music industry had stagnated.
When the bodyguard intentionally bumped into Lu Xu, the boy band member saw it happen and deliberately chose to pretend nothing had occurred.
He had done this before—numerous times, in fact—and Chinese stars usually let it slide without confrontation.
But Lu Xu’s composed yet commanding demeanor threw him off guard. For a moment, he was reminded of the arrogant seniors in music show waiting rooms and veteran actors who looked at boy band members as if they were something dirty.
He had never feared weak people, but the confident and prideful ones were a different story.
“This is my contact information,” Lu Xu said, handing him a business card. “If anything happens to C-brand’s jewelry, I’ll lodge a formal protest with the brand and make sure they’re informed about your company’s conduct.”
At that moment, the car sent by C-brand to pick up Lu Xu arrived—an exclusive perk reserved only for their ambassadors.
The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.
Sui Lei couldn’t help but ask Lu Xu, “Four billion won… how much is that in our currency?”
Lu Xu blinked innocently. “I made that up. It’s not worth that much.”
Sui Lei: “…”
Classic Lu Xu.
Although Sui Lei was known for his good temper, he couldn’t help voicing his irritation. “That guy had it coming with his bad manners.”
He added, “Wasn’t there a story before about someone taking off their shoes on the high-speed train? And those types who make a fortune here, then go back and turn around to insult us. Such bad vibes.”
**TN
In 2020, a video posted online showed a well-dressed woman, taking off her shoes, and placing her “stinky feet” on the tray table next to her and sometimes on the armrest of the seat in front, as if lounging in her living room. People online criticized her but also asked why no one on the train scolded her.
4 billion won – 2.8 million USD
80 billion won – 55.4 million USD