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

Chapter 579 He might have really slept with someone.
The man behind the desk stared at the computer screen for a very long time, so long that Amy couldn't help but start to wonder if she was seeing things and if this wasn't the person she was thinking of at all.

But finally, a voice rang out: "It's him."

Amy breathed a sigh of relief; the weight that had been pressing on her chest finally lifted.

"You just said you know where this is?" the cold-blooded animal asked.

Amy quickly replied, "Yes, I've hiked here before. This place is famous among hikers; it's called Donner Pass, located on the border of California and Nevada. It's a very dangerous place, and generally only professional hikers take this route."

"Very dangerous?"

"Yes, it's very dangerous, especially in winter. You could say that anyone who goes in at this time is playing hide-and-seek with death."

"...So what's your opinion? Why did he do that? Was it a hobby, or something else?"

Amy immediately said, "I guess it has something to do with this girl named Dora."

"Interesting." The cold-blooded animal slightly raised its head, looking directly at her. "In that case, what do you think we should do about this?"

"Of course, we should report it immediately and grab the headlines!" Amy said without hesitation.

But to her surprise, there was no response from behind the desk as soon as she spoke.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she looked over cautiously.
The cold-blooded animal was staring at her with a grim face and a sinister, predatory gaze.

Amy stammered, "Mr. Grant? Did I say something wrong?"

The cold-blooded animal said coldly, "Miss Rogers, do you know what the difference is between a person and a fool?"

"Uh, I don't know, sir."

"That is, humans have brains, while idiots don't. Before you rush to pour out all the bad thoughts in your head, can you at least use your brain a little? That might make you seem less hopeless."

“I…I’m sorry, Mr. Grant.”

"Report immediately? What can you report?"

A YouTube video reported on a blurry figure – that's our Golden Globe winner. And guess what? He cheated! He betrayed his Chinese girlfriend and was hiking across America with some Latina beauty?
Do you believe it or not, once this so-called news report is published, someone might set fire to our editorial office the very next day?
And you will definitely have to take a large portion of your meager salary to hire a retired special forces bodyguard, otherwise your next stop in life may be some brothel in Bulgaria.
If you think those crazy Twilight fans are all talk and no action, then you should think about the photos you submitted a few days ago.

Why did Robert Pattinson end up looking like this, neither human nor ghost? It's all because he said a few bad things about that man in an interview.
But is he wrong?
His ex-girlfriend, Kristen Stewart, acted like a lovesick fangirl on Tonight's Show. Who would believe she didn't have something going on with him?

What else could be the real reason Mr. Pattinson was kicked out of the cast if not this?
But poor Pattinson, who believes him?
Those crazy Twilight fans will only think he's tarnished their perfect idol and dream man. Now look what's happened—his endorsements, his new movie, everything—has vanished in the face of the energy of those tens of millions of crazed fans. I even doubt if that poor guy will ever get another role.

"Alright, Ms. Rogers, what makes you think you or we won't end up in the same situation?"

In those few minutes, the cold-blooded animal seemed like a completely different person, talking non-stop, making Amy bury her head lower and lower, wishing she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Upon hearing the last question, she blushed and stammered for a long time before finally saying, "I was wrong, sir."

"Then I'll ask you one more time, what do you think we should do?"

"We should..."

The word "give up" was on the tip of her tongue, but thankfully, the Columbia graduate's mind saved her at the last moment: "...investigate further."

"GOOD. At least you haven't told me to give up yet, otherwise you could go to the finance department to settle your accounts and leave right now," the cold-blooded animal said calmly.

"I, I won't, sir."

"Take a look at this." The cold-blooded animal said, tossing a newspaper over.

When Amy took it, she saw that it was yesterday's copy of The New York Times.

On the fourth page that was handed to me was a lengthy report based on the latest Pew Research Center poll: "China's image is rapidly gaining traction among young Americans."

The subtitle reads: "In Pew's favorability survey of 24 countries, China's ranking rose from 17th in 2008 to 8th in 2013, a jump of 9 places in five years."

The specific report stated:

"The percentage of Americans with a positive impression of China has risen from about 37% five years ago to 49%. Among young people aged 18 to 35, this figure has exceeded 50%."

It surpassed India, Brazil, and Mexico, ranking only behind the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, Israel, and Australia.

Experts believe that cultural factors play a decisive role in this trend. In particular, Hollywood movie star Noel Quinn, with his global influence and the continued dissemination of his works, is changing a generation of young Americans' perceptions of China—many young respondents see him as a 'representative of modern Chinese culture,' 'more representative of contemporary China than Confucius.'

James Weaver, an international relations researcher at the Brookings Institution, warned: "We should perhaps be highly vigilant about this trend. Nuo Chen's appearance may seem accidental, but perhaps he has a deeper identity and purpose behind him..."

After reading it, Amy looked up, somewhat puzzled, and asked, "Sir?"

The cold-blooded animal asked, "What do you think of this news report?"

Amy thought for a moment, then shrugged and said, "I think James Weaver is an idiot."

The cold-blooded animal said icily, "I think you're pretty much the same as him."

Amy looked embarrassed and said, "Sir, did I say something wrong?"

"What I want you to see is Nuochen's influence, his influence! Do you understand?"

"I see."

"Alright, Miss Rogers. Now listen carefully. I'm going to tell you that because of this clue of yours, our website has reached a fork in the road."

On one hand, there is destruction; but if we change our perspective, what awaits us might be overnight fame and meteoric success.

The cold-blooded animal stood up and said rapidly, "Now I'm telling you, what you're going to do next is this..."

A few minutes later, the man sat back down, leaned back in his chair, picked up his coffee cup again, and said in his usual indifferent tone, "Go ahead, Miss Rogers. Now, a perfect opportunity is right in front of you."

Want to change your career and go from an unknown nobody to a nationally renowned entertainment reporter?
So, seize it.

Time is not an issue; take your time.

Remember, I want a vivid, well-documented feature story, not a sensationalist piece of gossip.

I will have the finance department advance you $2 as activity funds. Please let me know immediately if you have any questions.

Amy felt her blood boiling and shouted, "Yes, Mr. Grant!"

After saying that, she turned around and strode confidently toward the door. Halfway there, she suddenly stopped, turned back, and asked hesitantly, "Excuse me, Mr. Grant, may I ask you something?"

"You said."

Amy said, "What if, I mean, what if Chen and Dora aren't what we think they are?"

The cold-blooded creature leaned back in her chair, a mocking smile playing on her lips: "Us? Miss Rogers, when did I tell you that I think the same way you do?"

Amy was stunned for a moment, "But what you just did..."

Halfway through her sentence, Amy suddenly realized that this man had only said her idea was interesting at the beginning, and had never once said that her judgment was correct.

"A billionaire risking his life for a woman? That sounds like something out of a bedtime story for my daughter. But, Ms. Rogers, remember, the truth is the least important thing in entertainment news. Give the readers what they want to see! Understand?!"

"Yes!"

……

……

"WOOOOOOOOOO! 2.3 views, 8000 likes, and over 300 followers! Oh my god!!! Vivian, look!" A scream came from beside her.

Chen Nuo sat on the ground, took a sip of water, took out his phone from his backpack, turned it on and checked it. Sure enough, after resting for two days, they set off from Kelso and, after more than ten days of trekking, finally crossed the dry desert of Nevada where there was no signal.

Now, his iPhone, like Dora's phone, is connected to the real world again. This means they are not far from a supply point.

Just then, his phone started ringing with a series of text message notifications.

Chen Nuo was startled and immediately clicked on the top WeChat message.

The message read: "Wang Zhihan wishes you a Happy New Year! May your whole family be free from superfluous additions to the snake in the Year of the Snake, may demons and monsters stay away from you, may the White Snake and Suzhen come to offer tribute, may the Golden Snake dance wildly and bring joy to your heart; may snakes and rats stay in their dens, may the shadow of snakes in your cup disappear without a trace, may you keep the pearl of the spirit snake in your bosom, and may your pen write history with the strokes of dragons and snakes."

Chen Nuo was immediately stunned.

An indescribable emotion suddenly welled up from the depths of my heart.

I glanced at the time of the text message again: 12:00 yesterday.

So yesterday was Lunar New Year's Eve, February 9th.

He unknowingly spent the most important festival for Chinese people and stepped into the new year in this desolate wilderness far from the hustle and bustle.

He turned his head and said with a wry smile, "Yesterday was New Year's Day, you know that?"

Sitting next to him, Linghu was wearing sunglasses, and several masks covered his mouth and nose, so his expression was completely hidden. He could only hear a calm voice saying, "I know. Happy New Year, boss."

Chen Nuo said, "Happy New Year. It's a bit unfair to my sister-in-law and niece that I'm making you spend the New Year in this godforsaken place with me."

“No,” Linghu said. “It’s work, she understands.”

Chen Nuo nodded.

Given his relationship with Linghu, there's really no need to say much, or rather, saying more wouldn't make a difference.

"We're not leaving today. We'll find a place to camp here. I'll contact my family later and have a chat."

"it is good."

When the two girls were informed of the decision, Ella and Vivian had no objections.

One was busy replying to fan comments under his YouTube videos, and the other, well, Koreans also celebrate the Lunar New Year.

After setting up camp and having their meals ready, it got dark.

Everyone was busy with their own things. Around 8 o'clock, the moon rose, the stars illuminated the night sky, and the voices from the tents gradually faded away, returning to silence. Only the campfire in the middle burned brightly, crackling occasionally.

At that moment, a dark figure suddenly appeared in one of the tents, hunched over and moving furtively.

"Dora, are you going to see him again?" The figure, who had already tiptoed to the tent entrance, was startled by the sudden voice and trembled.

Then, the furtive figure froze for a few seconds before turning around with an unnatural smile on his face: "Vivian, you're not asleep yet? I don't know what you're talking about, I... I just went out to use the restroom."

The girl lying in her sleeping bag rolled over and said helplessly, "Do I have to go to the toilet at this time every day?"

"Huh? How did you know—yes, haha," Dora said awkwardly.

“Alright, Dora,” Vivian sighed, a hint of concern in her voice, “we’re friends, and I won’t interfere in your private life. But are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

"I know."

"Do you know? Do you know his name? What does he look like? What does he do for a living? How old is he? Does he have a family?"

"do not know."

"So what exactly do you know?"

“I know, I was really happy when I was with him, Vivian.”

“You…” Vivian didn’t know what to say for a moment, and finally whispered, “I just hope you won’t regret it later.”

Dora laughed, "Haha, don't worry. We Venezuelan girls aren't like you Koreans. We only care about the present—if our heartbeats are real right now, that's enough."

Dora is gone.

But those words kept echoing in Vivian's mind, keeping her tossing and turning all night.

I don't know how much time passed, but the tent zipper was gently pulled open, and a figure tiptoed in.

"came back?"

"DAMN, Vivian, why aren't you asleep yet?"

"I can't sleep. How about you?"

"How about what?"

"What do you say?"

“I…” Dora paused, “I didn’t do anything today. Really, I just talked to him for a while.”

"What to talk about?"

"I just... mentioned my YouTube channel."

"And then?" Vivian's voice was calm.

"And then...that's it." Dora lowered her head and crawled into her sleeping bag.

Vivian asked in surprise, "Did you two have a fight?"

Dora said, "No, it's just that, well, he thinks my YouTube videos aren't very good."

Upon hearing this, Vivian's mood inexplicably improved, and she asked curiously, "Why did he say that?"

"I don't want to talk about it anymore, I'm going to sleep. Goodnight, Vivian."

"……Good night."

……

……

"How far is it?"

"About 2 hours."

The clouds on the horizon gathered much faster than expected. The once clear sky was swallowed up by a dark blue shadow in just over ten minutes.

The group continued along the old railway for another half hour before the wind and rain finally poured down as if tearing the sky apart.

The rain here is different from the fine, moist rain in the city; it is fierce and violent. Large raindrops hit your face, and it hurts like being hit by small stones.

Just when the four of them were in a sorry state,
"Over there!" Linghu pointed to a spot not far away.

Following the direction of his finger, Chen Nuo saw a half-collapsed wooden building through the layers of rain.

"Quick, get inside!"

The four of them stumbled into the abandoned wooden house. Although the roof was dilapidated, it was enough to keep out most of the rain, and they were finally able to catch their breath.

The two girls took towels out of their bags, drying their hair while muttering complaints under their breath. Chen Nuo sat to the side, gazing at the sky. The rain didn't seem like it was going to stop anytime soon. If things got really bad, they'd probably have to camp here for the day, leaving Alison and the others to wait another day.

After a while, Linghu, who had been patrolling the surroundings, came over with something in his hand.

"Boss. Look."

Chen Nuo took it and saw that it was a weathered wooden sign with some very blurry ink marks on it. He could vaguely make out the two characters "huofang" (meaning "kitchen") in traditional Chinese.

Chen Nuo asked in surprise, "Where did you find it?"

"there."

"Come on, take me to see you."

Vivian and Dora were talking when they saw the man suddenly rushing outside, which startled them, and they quickly followed.

The place Linghu was referring to was a well that had long since dried up. Due to the rain, some of the mud and sand around it had been washed away, revealing the wooden sign.

Chen Nuo came over with an umbrella, dug around on the ground for a while, and found a small broken bamboo chopstick, a small piece of inferior white porcelain, and a vermilion pottery shard.

Looking at all this mess, Chen Nuo stood in the rain for a long time, lost in thought.

Then he squatted down, dug a small hole, and carefully buried them all back in.

This action left the two girls looking at each other, completely bewildered as to what he was doing.

But when he buried the debris and returned to the cabin to continue taking shelter from the rain, something miraculous happened: the seemingly relentless downpour gradually thinned out and then stopped completely.

Sunlight peeked out from behind the thick, dark clouds, shining on the desolate ruins, and the scent of earth filled the air.

In the blink of an eye, the sky cleared up again, as if the rain had never fallen.

……

……

George Walker arrived in Fallon, a small town with a permanent population of only 8000, in the heart of the Nevada desert, a little after 3 p.m. yesterday.

It has to be said that he was completely out of place here.

He was impeccably dressed in a suit, his shoes were polished to a shine, he was carrying an expensive briefcase, and his shirt cuffs were adorned with custom-made cufflinks. He looked like he was heading to a Cannes Film Festival red carpet event, rather than coming to this desolate town where people barely make a living from ranches and railway maintenance stations.

At that moment, a gust of yellow sand was swept up by the wind and rushed towards him. George immediately frowned and covered his mouth and nose with a silk handkerchief.

Standing behind him, CAA's contracted lawyer Matthew Baker was quietly asking his assistant, "How much longer until they arrive?"

"A dozen minutes."

"Several people?"

"Four. They said to call him Sean when we meet later. As for the signing, we'll talk about it when we get back to our accommodation."

"it is good."

Beside George Walker and his group stood a red-haired middle-aged woman, and next to her was a striking young girl with black hair—it was Alison and Gulnazar.

Gulnazar stood on tiptoe, her face full of anticipation. Seeing this, Allison couldn't help but chuckle, "What's your rush?"

Gulnazar immediately straightened up again, pretending nothing had happened, and said, "I'm not in a hurry."

"Not in a hurry?" Allison laughed even louder. "You've been stretching your neck like a swan for just over half a month. Is it really that big of a deal?"

"No way..." Before Gulnazar could finish speaking, her eyes suddenly lit up, and she excitedly pointed into the distance: "Hey, Alison, look, isn't that them over there?"

"Seems to be."

"finally come!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she couldn't wait to run over there. Allison sighed helplessly and had no choice but to follow.

Just as the two set off, the CAA team, dressed in suits, also began to move.

Seeing seven or eight people walking in unison towards them in the distance, Vivian and Dora exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with surprise.

"What's going on? Why does it look like... they're coming for us?" Dora couldn't help but mutter to herself.

“It’s my colleague. He needs to talk to me about something,” Chen Nuo said calmly. Then, after a pause, he continued, “The rooms have been booked for you. Here’s the address—go and rest. I’ll call you if you need anything.”

Although the two were completely confused, they could only nod.

On the way to the hotel, Dora finally couldn't help but ask, "Vivian, tell me, who exactly is Sean?"

Vivian rolled her eyes: "I've never slept with him, how would I know? Don't you sleep with him every day? Go ask him."

"Get lost." Dora blushed, muttered under her breath, and after a few seconds of silence, said, "Could he really be a billionaire?"

Vivian didn't respond at first, but when they arrived at the only decent hotel in town, which would be their lodging for the night...

They later learned that all one hundred-plus rooms in the hotel had been booked for the entire night, just for their few guests.
Vivian couldn't help but turn her head and say with mixed feelings, "Dora, I'm starting to think that you might have really slept with someone extraordinary."

(End of this chapter)