Huayu: I'm reborn, but you still force me to be a scumbag?

Chapter 428 Superstar Treatment
Chen Nuo arrived at Hongqiao at 9:10 a.m.

At 9:23:32, the first post appeared on Weibo: "Breaking News: Chen Nuo makes a low-key appearance at Hongqiao Airport. <Photos>"

By 9:26, at least five entertainment media outlets or gossip bloggers had begun reporting the news, and by 9:30, the number had increased to twenty.

The Weibo hot search list suddenly jumped to fifth place: "Chen Nuo appeared at Hongqiao Airport".

"Chen Nuo is suspected of departing for Japan to continue his promotional activities for 'Inception.' #ChenNuoSpottedAtHongqiaoAirport"

"Chen Nuo at the airport looks incredibly handsome in a white T-shirt and jeans. #ChenNuoAppearsAtHongqiaoAirport"

"Chen Nuo appeared at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport after his trip to Hengdian, walking briskly and in excellent condition. #ChenNuoAppearsAtHongqiaoAirport"

"With Inception a box office hit, Chen Nuo appeared relaxed during his outing. <On-site photos>"

"Chen Nuo appeared at the airport, carrying his own suitcase, showing his down-to-earth nature."

Within just over 10 minutes, various news headlines flooded Weibo's public space, taking over the attention previously given to events like "Yu Qian gets drunk on stage at Deyun Club's 15th anniversary" and "Hurricane Irene hits the US East Coast, turning New York into Venice." This is truly heinous.

But what did Chen Nuo do?

He did nothing.

He politely declined all offers of farewell, took a taxi with Gulnazar and Linghu, arrived at the airport, got out of the car, waited for the driver to take his suitcase from the trunk, took it, and turned to walk into the terminal entrance.

Throughout the entire process, he wore sunglasses and a baseball cap, and his clothes were extremely ordinary: a plain white Li-Ning T-shirt, a pair of ripped jeans for ventilation and coolness, and a pair of pure white Li-Ning sneakers.

Perhaps he was having a good time in Shanghai these past few days, because he wasn't very wary.

A few days ago, he was walking and chatting with Liu Yifei along the Huangpu River, and no one even glanced at him. When he went to meet with Wang Jiawei and Wu Jing, no paparazzi took any pictures.

He felt that Shanghai was truly different from Beijing. He had noticed it last time, and this time he was even more certain. Even just now, while he was sitting in the back of a taxi, the driver didn't say anything.

Therefore, he did not ask Linghu to notify the airport in advance to arrange security.

After all, they are reborn individuals, so they possess basic manners. Anyone who has seen the grandeur of those big shots and minor celebrities traveling in the future, with 20 security guards leading the way and seven or eight bodyguards protecting them, acting as if they are protecting the people from floods, and being arrogant and domineering, would not think that it is anything to be proud of.

Chen Nuo was the same, of course.

So he got off the car without hesitation, pulled his suitcase and walked towards the terminal, ready to go to the first-class counter to check in.

As a result, Nima had only taken two steps when his self-perceived foolproof disguise crumbled. He immediately heard a loud, rough male voice call out in an uncertain and surprised tone.

"Chen Nuo!"

He subconsciously looked up and saw a man holding a DSLR camera taking a picture of him.

That's the end of it.

The person was about 20 meters away from him.

Within this 20-meter distance, there were probably more than 10 people of varying ages. Some were walking, while others were standing and waiting for someone. After all, Hongqiao Airport is very busy, so there were quite a few people in such a short distance.

At that person's shout, three or four of the dozen or so people turned around quickly.

There were two women inside. They looked like normal people and were dressed quite fashionably, with short skirts, black stockings, and long legs. But one of them, wearing sunglasses, immediately screamed like a madwoman, "Wow!"

Well, even a normal person would take a look at a madman shouting, right? Her shout immediately attracted even more attention.

"What should we do, Mr. Chen?" Gulnazar became nervous and took two steps forward to ask Chen Nuo.

It can only be said that although the Xinjiang girl has traveled to many countries, she is still too young and didn't think things through when she got nervous. As a result, less than ten minutes later, a photo of her walking alongside Chen Nuo was uploaded online by one of the dozen or so people in the group. Within an hour, it was being widely reprinted by numerous media outlets.

"A mysterious beauty accompanied Chen Nuo, whispering intimately about their relationship."

"It's not Liu Yifei! Chen Nuo is accompanied by a beautiful woman when he goes out."

"Chen Nuo's new love interest exposed? The beautiful stranger he was with is stunningly gorgeous!"

Well, if the news of Chen Nuo appearing at the airport was still in the top five of the trending topics, then Gulnazar's reckless move, with the news of "Chen Nuo at the airport, accompanied by a mysterious beauty," immediately jumped to the top of the trending topics.

Fortunately, she was also wearing sunglasses, otherwise her ancestors for eighteen generations, and even her past and present lives, would have been dug up in no time.

However, given the sharp eyes of Chinese netizens, and considering that her Weibo account "I am Gulnazar" currently has over 10 followers, making her a minor internet celebrity, it seems only a matter of time before her background is exposed.

Back to the present.

If you were to look down from above at Hongqiao Airport now, Chen Nuo's location would resemble a drop of water falling into a still lake, with ripples spreading outwards in concentric circles—it's a bit unsettling.

Although Gulnazar is not God, she noticed that more and more people around her stopped and looked at them with puzzled eyes. The people following behind gradually formed a semicircle, and the thickness of the circle continued to increase.

At that moment, she recalled the terrifying scene of a sea of ​​people she had seen from the car during her last trip to Japan, and quickly asked again, "Mr. Chen, should we call someone to provide protection?"

Chen Nuo felt a little panicked.

When it comes to being afraid of fans, no one can compare to him, a former victim.

However, he was prepared to remain defiant verbally.

After all, he was the one who said, "Don't contact security, everyone wear sunglasses and keep a low profile, there won't be any problems." He had only been out of the car for a few minutes when he had to contradict himself, and he was a little embarrassed.

He said calmly, "Don't worry, it's nothing serious. We're wearing sunglasses and hats. If you panic, you'll be giving yourself away, understand?"

Gulnazar looked at him with admiration and said, "I see. So, Mr. Chen, what should we do now? Should we continue to check in?"

"Um……"

Chen Nuo hesitated for a moment. Seeing the paparazzi who had been following him from the door, excitedly pressing the shutter button three meters away, he felt that this might not be a solution.

Huang Hongwei was ecstatic.

He felt his luck had finally turned around. Last time in Beijing, he almost missed getting a picture of this person, but when he returned to Terminal 2, Brother Coat had already left.

After that fruitless attempt, he seemed to have encountered some kind of plague, his luck was incredibly bad, and every time he staked out an airport, he only managed to get a meager reward. Almost half a year had passed, and his biggest achievement was finally getting a picture of Chun Chun once, which earned him 3000 yuan.

I recently ran out of money and was completely broke. I couldn't take it anymore, so a friend recommended a magazine in Shanghai that was hiring photographers. I went for an interview, but I wasn't selected. I didn't even have the money to go back to Beijing, so I had to come to the airport to see if I could just stumble upon a job by sheer luck.

Who would have thought that on his very first day, less than five minutes after he arrived at the door, someone would jump out of a car and appear in front of him.

When he looked at that familiar lower half of the face, he couldn't believe it for a moment.

I called out instinctively.

After that shout, he was certain that the legend of "pie falling from the sky" was true; sometimes, a tornado really would appear!

At that moment, he felt that every time he pressed the shutter, he was paying an extra month's rent, and he hated that his second-hand Canon 5D2 camera was so terrible, with such a slow continuous shooting speed.

As Chen Nuo hesitated, Linghu, who was usually calm and collected, suddenly said, "President Chen, there are more and more people. We can't continue like this."

Chen Nuo was startled and immediately looked around.

Honestly, he kept walking forward without noticing.

At this moment, people began to gather from the coffee area, the ticket collection area, and the arrival channel outside the security checkpoint.

Some people were taking photos, some were recording videos, and some were following him. If it weren't for the airport security guards who had come unannounced and were watching over him, he probably would have been surrounded to death.

But his turning his head like that was like adding fuel to the fire, immediately causing a huge reaction.

For the onlookers who were still hesitant and trying to make out the situation, it was like the King of Hell appearing at noon—a ghost in broad daylight.

Almost everyone recognized him.

Chen Nuo's armor, which he had initially felt was very safe, seemed as fragile as paper in front of these people, offering no real protection whatsoever.

"Nono!!!" A shrill female voice pierced the air above Hongqiao Airport.

It was like a starting pistol, followed by a chorus of shouts.

"It really is Chen Nuo!"

"Chen Nuo!!"

"Holy shit! Holy shit! Nono!!!"

"Chen Nuo! Chen Nuo!"

Screams and shouts crashed down on Chen Nuo's ears like a tidal wave, leaving him stunned. Before him, countless phones were raised simultaneously, like death warrants, ready to take his life at any moment.

What the hell are you pretending for!
Run!

That was the only thought in his mind. The next second, he grabbed his suitcase, turned sharply, and strode towards the VIP entrance.

But given the airport's layout, the VIP lane wasn't readily accessible; they had to walk through a long corridor and around a row of automated ticket machines.

In that brief, less than twenty-second sprint, at least three groups of people surged forward: one group were true fans, genuine glutinous rice balls (fans of Huang Hongwei), constantly calling out "No, no, no!" with tears welling up in their eyes. Another group were airport onlookers, holding up their phones to watch the spectacle with gusto. The last group—professional paparazzi like Huang Hongwei—though not as numerous in Shanghai as in Beijing, they were still present, swarming forward with their long lenses and cameras.

With the situation so out of control, if it weren't for the effective assistance of airport security and the basic respect Chinese people have for order, Chen Nuo really doesn't know if he could have maintained his so-called superstar demeanor and walked through that special passage.

Even so, he was still shaken after entering the room.

Then, a security manager from the airport pushed open the door and said with a wry smile, "Mr. Chen, if you're coming to our airport next time, could you please call ahead so we can make some arrangements?"

Chen Nuo paused for a moment after hearing this, then nodded and said, "Okay, I understand. Sorry."

"No, no," the manager waved his hands repeatedly. "That's not what I meant. I was just worried about your safety, Mr. Chen. For someone like you, we have the same superstar treatment internally. Actually, it only takes one phone call, it's not troublesome at all."

"Got it. Thanks, bro." Chen Nuo patted him on the shoulder.

This experience at Hongqiao Airport has had a profound impact on Chen Nuo, but no one outside the airport knows about it yet.

Three hours later,

At Narita Airport in Tokyo, Japan, Chen Nuo reunited with his familiar publicity team.

Among them were Alison, who had taken a flight of more than ten hours from LA to Japan overnight and arrived just two hours ago; Elizabeth, who came from Singapore yesterday to make arrangements; and of course, Eri Miyazawa, who is currently working for Huanxin Film Co., Ltd. and is almost becoming one of their own.

This time it was a public terminal, and Warner Japan's car couldn't get into the airport. However, due to his rushed schedule, not many media outlets and fans got wind of it; a significant portion of them were Chinese who could understand Weibo and guess that he was coming to Japan. Chen Nuo briefly showed his face, greeted them, and then got into the car and drove to the hotel.

It was a little past 3 p.m. Tokyo time. He had a quick bite to eat at the hotel and then received a group of people from the TBS television program "Human Observation".

Just like last time, the team was led by Takeru Satoh, the head of the variety show division, and included director Naoki Takizawa, chief screenwriter Yasushi Oshima, and seven others.

After going through some of Japan's unique formalities, the two sides immediately got down to business.

"First of all, I would like to congratulate Mr. Chen on the ratings miracle he created on our program last time. Our whole team felt very honored and amazed."

After speaking, at the long conference table in the Hilton conference room, Takeru Satoh, along with several Japanese people on the side, bowed deeply for three seconds, their movements perfectly synchronized and extremely solemn.

Chen Nuo also feigned politeness in Japanese, saying, "Not at all, I didn't really do anything. At most, I just improvised a little. I didn't expect such a big response. It's mostly thanks to your production team."

Director Naoki Takizawa looked up and excitedly continued, "But it's precisely because it was improvised that people can feel your natural charm, Mr. Chen! That sense of authenticity is the ideal state that Japanese variety shows have long pursued."

Chief screenwriter Yasuya Oshima added, "After watching the show, the entire writing team was completely impressed. Mr. Chen, your acting skills were truly amazing."

Chen Nuo knew that these Japanese were sycophantic and subservient, and that not letting them flatter him was probably more painful than forcing them to commit seppuku. He smiled and, without any modesty, asked, "So impressive! Have you seen my movie?"

“Yes! Of course! I went twice, once with my girlfriend and once by myself. It’s truly a great movie, Mr. Chen, I really loved it!” Oshima Yasushi quickly replied.

Chen Nuo said, "If the ratings are good after this show is finished, could you go back a couple more times?"

Oshima Yasutoshi: "I will definitely go ten times!"

Chen Nuo tapped him with his finger and said, "I've got it. Remember to post your ticket stub online later."

He meant it as a joke, but the Japanese people all looked serious after hearing it. Oshima Yasushi immediately lowered his head and said, "Yes! I will do it!"

Chen Nuo glanced at Miyazawa Eri beside him and saw that the girl's pretty face was not smiling. On the contrary, Alison and Elizabeth smiled slightly after hearing the translation.

Okay, it seems it's not his problem, it's that Japanese people have no sense of humor!
At this moment, Takeru Satoh took out a document, stood up, and handed it over with both hands: "Mr. Chen, this is our proposal. This time we want to do a special episode called 'Tokyo Mysteries: Chen Nuo's One-Day Observation.' We plan to record the entire episode without a script or pre-set plans, spending a whole day to present your real life in Tokyo, and then edit it into a 2-hour special program to be broadcast during prime time on TBS."

Chen Nuo took it and asked curiously as he looked at it, "What's my real situation in Tokyo? Sleeping in a hotel with the door closed?"

Now, even though the Japanese didn't understand humor, everyone laughed together.

Takeru Satoh explained with a smile, “Of course not. Instead, we will invite a female celebrity to spend a day with you, Mr. Chen, in a ‘Tokyo-limited experience.’ We will only design a few slightly pre-planned ‘plots’ along the way, but the overall pace will be completely natural and under your control. Our photography team will film from a distance, truly ‘observing’ rather than ‘intervening’.”

Chen Nuo flipped through the project proposal in his hand and saw that it did indeed list several key elements:
1. He "bumped into" a female celebrity at a coffee shop in Daikanyama.

2. Go shopping together at the MUJI flagship store in Ginza.

3. Lunch will be arranged at a hidden restaurant in Harajuku, where a hidden mission will take place.

4. In the afternoon, head to Shibuya for street experiences (such as cosplay photoshoots).

5. Watch a movie together in the evening to create a romantic atmosphere.

Chen Nuo sensed something was off and looked up to ask, "This doesn't seem like the real thing. Are you planning to go for a love line?"

Sato Takeru smiled and nodded, saying, "Yes, Mr. Chen, you really saw through it. You are truly gifted and I admire you immensely."

"'Tokyo Mystery: Chen Nuo's One-Day Observation' is just the title on the surface. In reality, we are preparing to shoot a 2-hour pseudo-documentary-style romantic variety show special."

He paused, took another document from his briefcase and handed it over, continuing, "This is the complete viewership statistics for your last program. The average viewership rating reached 18.6%, with a peak rating exceeding 22.3%. Among them, female viewers accounted for as high as 72%, and the core age group of 20 to 35 years old reached an astonishing 85% or more."

"In short, when you played Mrs. Kameda's husband, the gentleness you showed attracted the attention of women all over Japan. In my opinion, they all wanted to date you, Mr. Chen."

"Pfft."

Chen Nuo was feeling a little awkward when he suddenly heard a soft laugh beside him.

He turned his head and saw Miyazawa Eri blushing furiously, covering her mouth with her hand, looking like she was trying not to laugh. Seeing him looking at her, the girl immediately lowered her head and apologized, "Smith, thank you..."

Sato Takeru observed this and smiled, "Ms. Miyazawa, do you have any objections to what I said?"

“No, no!” Miyazawa Eri quickly shook her head, her expression serious. “I completely agree with the minister’s statement.”

Takeru Satoh nodded and said, "We also conducted an informal anonymous survey of female employees within our department, and the results were almost unanimously in favor of the 'Chen Sang's Love Story' direction. All of the more than 20 female members thought this setting was extremely attractive."

"So this time, we've decided to use 'a day of unscripted observation' as the outer shell, but actually build a lightly scripted 'romantic experience space.' We'll invite a friendly female celebrity from Japan to appear on screen with you, and through a day of natural interaction in Tokyo, we'll present a scenario of 'what would happen if I dated Chen Nuo.' We believe that female viewers all over Japan will be unable to help but immerse themselves in it. Ultimately, we're sure to achieve great success!"

As an actor, Chen Nuo's basic quality is that he can act in any kind of role. If, as Sato Takeru said, faking a romantic relationship can boost ratings and sell movie tickets, then he has no problem with it.

But the problem is...

"I have a girlfriend. Haven't you considered that?" Chen Nuo asked, puzzled.

Sato Takeru laughed and said, "Of course. We all know that Ms. Liu Yifei is your girlfriend, and you even congratulated her on her birthday a few days ago... But so what? Our internal investigation, which I just mentioned, shows that you, Mr. Chen, are not single, however..."

Naoki Takizawa chimed in, his face beaming with enthusiasm, "However, it's precisely because you're not single, Mr. Chen, that this premise is even more appealing!"

You son of a bitch, listen to what you're saying!
Chen Nuo stared at the rather erratic director.

Naoki Takizawa continued loudly, "The female viewers who watch the show will find it more realistic, and it will even arouse their curiosity and longing for a romantic relationship with you. Everyone will not only put themselves in the scenario of 'If I were dating Chen Nuo,' but they will also be unable to help but think—'If he is with Liu Yifei, what would it be like between him and me?' Chen Nuo-san, this will bring them more emotional fluctuations and generate more buzz! It will make us a sensation in Japan!"

After he finished speaking, the conference room fell silent for a moment.

Then, Takeru Satoh added with a smile, "Takizawa-kun is right. It is precisely because of this subtle sense of 'taboo' that the show feels more real and more attractive."

Oh, that actually makes sense. Damn it.

Chen Nuo felt that he had been persuaded.

All I can say is that these Japanese devils, regardless of gender, are all fucking perverts, and there's nothing wrong with that.

He turned his head and looked at Alison and Elizabeth. After listening to the translator's explanation, the two women whispered a few words to each other, and then, for the first time ever, they reached a consensus and nodded at him together.

Ok.

So it seems that only one question remains.

"Who is that female celebrity?" Chen Nuo asked.

The group exchanged glances, and Takizawa said, "We've tentatively decided on Ms. Yui Aragaki. Since you and she first connected on our show, many viewers have left comments expressing their desire to see you two reunite—you could say this is the most requested pairing. Of course, if you have other actresses you'd like to work with, Mr. Chen, please let us know. We can try to invite them right away."

What do you mean by "more feeling"? You're looking down on people, aren't you?

As a professional actor, you can act out feelings even if you don't have any.

Yui Aragaki it is, I guess. It's barely acceptable.

Chen Nuo said, "Let's go with her, no need to trouble yourself."

"Hi!"

The group of Japanese answered in unison and bowed again, "Then, please guide us from now on, Mr. Chen!"

(End of this chapter)