CH 1

June 29, 2021 by ryuxenji

1 - Film Festival; Live-Stream

It was yet another year of the International Film Festival. Every year at this time, the entertainment reporters would be overwhelmingly busy, desperately trying to shove their way forwards through the throng of people, just so they could interview the award-winning stars one step before the anyone else.

This year, there was big news in the film festival. The movie "End of the Road", written and directed by the renowned director Xu You-Sheng, not only won the award for best film of the year, but also dominated the festival by nabbing 14 other awards, including that of best actress, best supporting actor and actress, most promising newcomer, and best director!

This unprecedented sweep of awards stirred the reporters into a frenzy. They fought and scrambled to make their way before the award winners, casting a barrage of questions at them.

A man stood up silently from the VIP table. His purple suit appeared luxurious yet low-key, and his handsome face was as bright and dazzling as the stars. His face was expressionless, but this did not make him seem cold or aloof. Instead, he radiated an aura of serene introspection.

Perhaps due to his overly conspicuous good looks, he was noticed by the reporters as soon as he stood up.

"Shen Huai!"

The reporters who had just been swarming the other end were suddenly surrounding him. "'End of the Road' won 14 awards, and the leading and supporting cast have all been rated as the best of the year. Only you, the male lead, did not receive even a nomination. What are your thought on this?"

Shen Huai said calmly, "Congratulations to them."

The reporter did not expect his reply to be so easy and carefree, and pressed on doggedly, "Shen Huai, you have not won a single award in the 15 years since your debut, and you have been called the biggest 'flower vase' in the entertainment industry, but your father, Shen Nuo, Master Shen, is an internationally renowned movie star. Is there anything you would like to say to him?"

The people in the venue had mostly dispersed by this time. The staff turned on the lights to clean up, and the dim hall was suddenly brightly lit. Shen Huai raised a hand against the glare of the lights.

He turned his head aside, shielding his eyes with the back of his hand.

He had a pair of beautiful hands, long and slender, and his rounded fingertips were smooth and clear, with neatly trimmed fingernails. His eyes were at half-mast, and his long lashes brushed up softly against the back of his hand. Under the illumination of the light, the fine hairs on his fair skin were barely visible. This soft, dazed appearance of his was mesmerising.

The reporters stared, minds blanking out for a moment.

Shen Huai's father was one of China's few international superstars. At 50 years old, Shen Nuo was still active in the film industry. Almost every year, there would be one of his works being nominated for an international award. He was truly a distinguished personage within the field of performing arts.

Since the age of 6, Shen Huai had been filming alongside his father. Taken at random, any single one of his co-stars were famous in their own right. It could be said that he had the best resources at his disposal within the entire entertainment industry.

With such a lofty starting point, anyone else would have already become a trending idol, but unfortunately, Shen Huai's acting skills were terrible.

Whether he was playing the role of a tenacious teacher in a remote mountainous region who finally ended up collapsing from illness at the lectern, or a rebellious youth who watched his father die right before his eyes trying to save him, or a prince who discovered that the woman he loved was having an affair with his own brother, he forever sported the same expression ― (=_=).

Due to this slackface expression and his skill at delivering lines from a script as if he were reciting from a textbook, countless films had been ruined by his involvement. All over the internet, anti-fans were dutifully crying out "Shen Huai, get out of the entertainment industry", but he was still around after so many years.

Aside from his father-son relationship with Shen Nuo, there was one other reason... he was very handsome.

His wasn't a generic type of handsome. Even among the throng of charming men and gorgeous women in the entertainment circles, Shen Huai was so handsome that people found it hard to turn away as soon as they set their eyes on him. He was so handsome that as soon as he appeared on screen, even without saying a single word, the audience would instantly ask: This man must be the male lead, right?

Like right now, the reporter almost forgot what question he had just asked. He had been thinking, 'If his acting wasn't so terrible, this face is truly a God-given gift for earning money.'

Shen Huai closed his eyes, turning his head away slightly to avoid the discomfort from the lights.

"I want to say to my father..."

He paused, seemingly in thought, and his grey eyes sparkled like gemstones under his fringe of fine hair.

After a moment, he said earnestly, "Forget it. I'll tell him over a video call later."

The reporter: "..."

This is what you come up with after thinking for so long? What's the use if you answer my question at home in private?!

But Shen Huai seemed to have made up his mind and would not accept any further questions from the reporters. He turned away and left the auditorium.

His managing agent was already in the driver's seat waiting for him. Shen Huai turned on his phone and reposted Director Xu You-Sheng's new Weibo post about the awards "End of the Road" had won.

He suddenly asked, "Liu, don't you think I'm not suited for acting..."

His tone made the question sound unlike a question, but his manager found himself choking on all the words he wanted to say.

Shen Huai had debuted as a child star at 6 years old, starring alongside his father Shen Nuo in the movie "14 Days Among the Stars". In the movie, Shen Huai's serious demeanour as a mini adult had been very popular with the audience.

But now, 15 years later, besides growing taller and becoming more handsome, Shen Huai's expressions and mannerisms during acting had not changed at all!

The main lead has died! He looked unmoved. Something has happened to your girlfriend! He looked unmoved. As for crying scenes... they were non-existent. Even the special effects staff complained that his expression was too stiff, so stiff that they could not even overlay tears onto his face without it seeming unnatural.

When Liu had first taken on Shen Huai, he had still harboured dreams of raising an international superstar much like Shen Huai's father.

But now, hehe...

Still, even though Shen Huai's acting skills were as stiff as a zombie, he had a good personality and an even temperament. He pulled no airs and did not cause any trouble, much more sensible and obedient than the other newbies under Liu. Thus, Liu could not bear to say anything hurtful right then.

"How can that be? It's still the early days for you. There's still a long way to go!" Manager Liu felt guilty even as he said this.

Shen Huai nodded. When he got out of the car, he suddenly said, "Liu, without me, you will definitely be able to go even further."

Liu was taken aback, and his heart ached as he looked at Shen Huai's back.

Shen Huai's father, Shen Nuo, was an international movie star with fans all over the world. Even the Chairman of China had personally presented him with an award recognising him as one of the top 100 industry leaders in the country. Shen Enterprises, a company Shen Nuo had established at the peak of his popularity, was now a prestigious entertainment media company within the industry, with many popular stars and celebrities under its banner.

At that level, an actor could no longer be classified as a normal movie star or superstar — his reputation was unassailable in the entertainment industry. Perhaps because he knew that his achievements had been hard-won, Shen Nuo was very conscientious. It had been nearly 20 years since his first wife had passed away, but there hadn't been any hint of a scandal or gossip at all about him, and he still only had the one son, Shen Huai.

Coming from such a background, it stood to reason that Shen Huai should have been surrounded by brown-nosers and sycophants. No matter what, he should not have been reduced to being taunted by netizens and being interrogated by reporters... The problem, was that Shen Nuo was a traditional and austere person. He himself had climbed his way up step by step with his own strength, so his son should also do the same. Thus, Shen Nuo chose to do nothing about the taunts and whispers about his son, letting them be.

Meanwhile, Shen Huai had a reserved personality and was generally quiet and reticent. Over time, everyone noticed that as long as they did not go too far, Shen Nuo would pretty much turn a blind eye. And so many people started getting bolder, coming out to take shots at the easy target Shen Huai.

"Shen Huai! Honestly, you aren't suited for acting!" Manager Liu himself froze after shouting out these words, but Shen Huai actually broke into a smile.

His lips, which were always drawn into a straight line, curved into a slight smile, and he said softly, "Thank you, Liu." 

********

As soon as Shen Huai entered his house, he received a video call from Shen Nuo.

"What were you saying in front of the reporters? Finding new ways to shame me every day! Just look at what kind of comments are on your Weibo! Ever since your official debut, I've been scolded every day because of you. Is acting really that difficult? Director Xu even called me up yesterday to talk about you." 

Shen Huai took off his jacket and sat down on the sofa. "What did Director Xu say?" 

"He said that you just aren't fit for acting!"

The heat of Shen Nuo's rage right now was only matched by the chill that had permeated his heart when he had heard those words from Director Xu.

It was just acting! Was it that difficult?

In Shen Nuo's world view, acting was something one could do well at as long as one was committed to it. Therefore, Shen Huai must have performed badly because he wasn't putting in the effort. However, when Shen Nuo had heard Director Xu counsel him gravely that his son had "no talent for this, it can't be forced", he felt truly helpless for the first time.

Shen Huai nodded in earnest agreement. " Director Xu is insightful."

Shen Nuo: "......"

Was this a jab at him for not being insightful enough?

"Dad, I don't want to act," said Shen Huai solemnly, "I'm already 21 years old. I want to do what I want."

Shen Nuo fell silent, staring coldly back at his son through the screen.

This wasn't the first time Shen Nuo was hearing something like this from Shen Huai. He was aware that Shen Huai had no interest at all in acting. Still, he just could not understand how his son, who had followed him around film sets ever since he was a little kid, could have no interest in acting. Why did the resources others could only dream of become burdens to his son?

"You are asking someone who can't even express his own emotions well to express someone else's emotions. Isn't this asking for too much?"

Recalling Director Xu's words from last night, Shen Nuo's heart sank.

"You want to go play e-sports?"

Shen Huai paused for a moment, then nodded.

Shen Nuo pursed his lips. He knew that his son liked playing games since he was small, and he seemed to have some measure of fame in gaming now, but in Shen Nuo's eyes, this was all just fooling around. It couldn't even be considered a proper job, let alone a career.

"Dad, I don't have any talent for acting, but I believe I have the skills to play e-sports."

Shen Nuo remembered how he had ignored his family's opposition in his youth, resolutely devoting himself to acting and the entertainment industry. Back in those times, acting wasn't considered a respectable career either, but he had persisted through sheer passion to this day.

Shen Huai's eyes were exactly like his own back then.

"Do as you like. You would just keep embarrassing me if you continue to stay in the entertainment industry anyway."

A rare smile appeared on Shen Huai's face. "Thank you, Dad."

Shen Huai ended the video call and browsed Weibo. The Weibo post he had retweeted already had over 20,000 comments.

[The #1 Flower Vase in the entertainment industry has come out again to ride the wave of popularity. LOL, what do the awards the "End of the Road" won have to do with you? It's a miracle the movie managed to win any awards at all with your acting skills! ]

[Daily Duty ―― Shen Huai, get out from the entertainment industry; Shen Huai, get out from the entertainment industry; Shen Huai, get out from the entertainment industry...]

[Feels bad for the other actors in the crew! Wasn't it super awkward working with Wood-Block Shen? ]

[Taking the lead role with such acting skills... it must be great having a rich and powerful father. Uncle Shen, please wake up! It's not that your son isn't hardworking, he just really can't cut it! ]

[Completely unbiased here — if my god had been the one to act in "End of the Road", it absolutely wouldn't have ended with just 14 awards! Shen Huai, you're dragging the crew down with you, you know that? And you're still shameless enough to retweet on Weibo. I've never seen anyone with such a thick-skinned face!]

In the 15 years since his debut, from the day he had set up his Weibo account, Shen Huai had been at the brunt of constant scolding and cursing on the internet, but he did not mind. Everyone had things they were bad at — he had just been forced to make this thing he was bad at into his career.

He tossed his handphone aside and turned on his computer. The desktop was very clean. Apart from the few basic software that came with the operating system, there was just an ice-blue icon for "City of Despair" and a live-streaming platform "Game Gods Live".

Of the two, one was the hottest online game at present, while the other was one of the most professional gaming live-stream platforms with the greatest amount of traffic.

Without any hesitation, Shen Huai double-clicked on "City of Despair" and logged onto the live-stream platform to open his live-stream channel. The auto log-in ID for his account was "<Ash Wing>". Astoundingly, the number of fans listed below his profile picture was 3 million — this was greater than the number of Weibo fans he had!

The game loaded relatively slowly, so there was only an empty desktop and the icon for "City of Despair" to be seen on the live-stream channel. Even so, there was already a constant trickle of people coming in.

[Oh my god!! Look what I found!! Big Boss Ash Wing!! ]

[God, you're finally back!!! #OnceInABlueMoon! When even was the last time God live-streamed? ]

[Let me answer that! 3 months and 7 days ago!! God Ash Wing, please recommend the points distribution for ranking up!! ]

[While there are so few people here, I'll gift God a wave of rockets!! God, notice me!! ]

<Dessert Noodles> gifted Rockets x10!

As the hottest online game right now, there were many professional teams playing "City of Despair". However, there was one person within these circles who was not a professional player. No one knew their true identity, but their ID was one that no professional player would dare to underestimate ― <Ash Wing>.

They were a very mysterious streamer who had never shown their face and had never even revealed a hint of their voice. They were very spontaneous, and did not have a fixed time for their live-stream sessions. However, their technical skills were top-class and they had a creative and intriguing play-style, which drew a crowd of professional players in to observe and even emulate them.

Just as Shen Huai was beginning to stream, the pro players from various teams who were in training all received a text alert ―

[Alert from 'Game Gods Live'! The streamer you are following, ID 'Ash Wing', has started streaming in channel 666666!]