I, the number one master of metaphysics, have achieved legendary status in the entertainment industr

The next day, a marketing account with a million followers called "Baquan Laogui" published a headline article.

The title is extremely eye-catching: "Savior or clown? A deep dive into the shocking lies behind Lu Fan's 'jade pendant gratitude'."

The article begins by describing Yu Tinglan's drowning incident years ago, in which Lu Fan risked his own safety to save her in the dead of winter, even losing his precious jade pendant in the process.

Then the tone shifts: "However, according to several insiders, the one who actually jumped into the icy Han River to save President Yu was not Lu Fan, but another unknown trainee who was also working hard in South Korea!"

Lu Fan merely happened to be passing by and witnessed what happened. From that moment on, he transformed himself into a 'savior,' using this as a means to get close to President Yu and gain his trust and resources!

The accompanying photos are a collage of several blurry old photos: one is a night view of the Han River; another is the back view of a boy wearing trainee clothes; and the third is a photo of Lu Fan in an early public setting, with a red circle indicating what appears to be an accessory hanging from his waist.

The article continues: "What's even more chilling is that Lu Fan's scheming nature seems to have been evident from the beginning. Before he became famous, a fellow trainee from the same company revealed some information about him."

He is arrogant and likes to create mystery. He once used methods such as face reading and fortune telling to get close to female senior executives in the company, and it is suspected that he had long intended to use unconventional means to rise to the top.

In retrospect, the whole affair—from finding the jade pendant to displaying metaphysics—was nothing more than a meticulously crafted script of opportunism!

The comments section below was already flooded with paid trolls and netizens whose emotions were running high:

"Holy crap! This is so exciting! Even TV dramas wouldn't dare to write something like this!"

"You can't judge a book by its cover! He looks respectable, but his heart is so filthy!"

"He stole someone else's credit and then tried to deceive President Yu with mystical tricks? President Yu, wake up!"

"No wonder it became so popular in such a mysterious way; it turned out it went down the wrong path! Boycott it!"

"Those previous scandals don't seem to have been unfounded; this kind of character..."

"Impersonating someone to claim they saved my life—isn't that fraud? Can we call the police and have them arrested?"

Almost simultaneously, another entertainment blogger known for his sharp and incisive commentary, "Industry Microscope," also posted a set of nine-grid comparison images, screenshotting Lu Fan's words and actions in several public occasions, along with interpretations:

Looking at Lu Fan's public words and actions, his eyes are shifty, his words are often ambiguous, and he likes to use vague language, which are typical micro-expression characteristics of a person with a wicked heart who is good at pretending.

Her so-called "mystical lucky charm" identity emerged primarily after contact with female resource providers such as Yu Tinglan and Su Qin, her motives being self-evident.

The comments section was once again filled with uproar and insults.

Following this, several gossip forums and short video platforms with a considerable number of followers also saw anonymous posts or edited videos on similar themes, with increasingly eye-catching titles:

Is Lu Fan's "lucky charm" persona just stolen luck?

Exposing the Rise to Fame of Conman Celebrity Lu Fan

Yu Tinglan, your benefactor might be an award-winning actor.

Moreover, several previously neutral entertainment influencers also began to share related content. Although they did not comment directly, the sharing itself led to a wider spread.

……

Late at night, in a corner of a 24-hour chain coffee shop.

Li Gang pulled his hat brim low, with a glass of food that had long since gone cold in front of him.

Sitting opposite him was a man wearing a wrinkled Brazilian suit with dark circles under his eyes. He was a junior editor in charge of the gossip section of a second-tier entertainment website, nicknamed "Old Cat".

"Gangzi, it's been a long time since we last heard from you." Old Cat yawned, stirring the instant coffee in his cup. "I heard you... got out of there? And now you're with that Lu Fan? You've got some nerve, aren't you? Anyone who gets involved with him now is in deep trouble."

Li Gang didn't respond. Instead, he pulled a crumpled envelope from his pocket and pushed it under the table: "Brother Cat, can you do me a favor?"

The old cat squeezed the thickness of the envelope, then raised its eyelids slightly: "How much?"

"Not much, twenty thousand. That's a deposit." Li Gang lowered his voice. "After it's done, I'll pay the remaining thirty thousand."

"Wow, you've really gone all out. What's up? Let me make this clear first, no way you're going to publish an article to whitewash Lu Fan. The website won't dare accept it, and I don't have the guts to go against the Zhou family." Old Cat put the envelope in his pocket, his attitude becoming more serious.

"No need to whitewash him." Li Gang leaned closer. "Keep an eye on a few people for me, and check some old news. The first one is named Li Chen. He used to be a trainee at Star Entertainment in South Korea, but he quit about two years ago due to an injury."

I need to know the specifics of his situation before and after his withdrawal, who he contacted, and especially his movements after returning to China, even the slightest clue.

"Li Chen?" Old Cat jotted it down in his phone's notepad. "Anything else?"

"Secondly, I need to know if those marketing accounts that have been most aggressively attacking Lu Fan online recently, especially those that are spreading rumors that he is impersonating someone else and has ulterior motives, have had any other unusual financial transactions besides taking orders normally, or have had any private contact with any specific accounts."

Old Cat frowned: "This is a bit troublesome. It requires some technical means and it's easy to cross the line."

"I know you have connections." Li Gang took out another piece of paper with a website address and a key on it. "Someone on a private section of this overseas anonymous forum collects scraps of information about the domestic entertainment industry year-round."

The price is good, the transaction uses cryptocurrency, so it's very secure. The account and one-time access key are enough to buy you a lot of "technical tools." In this matter, I only care about the result, not the process.

The old cat stared at the note, its eyes brightening, then quickly put it away: "Okay, this is interesting. Anything else?"

"Thirdly," Li Gang paused, "keep an eye out for anyone who has recently been privately contacting or attempting to contact potential witnesses to the accident on the Han River two years ago, such as homeless people in the neighborhood, regular night runners, or tourists who might have passed by and taken pictures at the time. The key is the act of 'contacting' itself."

Old Cat looked at Li Gang thoughtfully: "Gangzi, are you... trying to overturn the verdict? Or are you trying to find fault with someone else's attempt to overturn the verdict?"

"Don't worry about it." Li Gang finished the rest of his coffee in one gulp. "Brother Cat, you're well-informed, you know the rules. I'll pay you on time, and you need to provide the information as soon as possible. Any questions?"

Old Cat licked his lips and put away the note on the table: "Alright, friendship is friendship, business is business. I'll give you the first batch of information within a week."

……

At the same time, in the VIP treatment room of a high-end private beauty salon.

Feng Qianqian had a thick seaweed mask on her face, only her eyes and mouth were visible.

Lying next to her was another middle-aged woman, also wearing a face mask. She was the wife of a senior producer at a TV station, a well-known information hub and social butterfly in the industry, known as Sister Ping.

"Sister Ping, you look great lately. I heard that Producer Wang is launching a new variety show? And it's going to air on a satellite TV channel during prime time on weekends. That's amazing." Feng Qianqian's voice came through the face mask, tinged with laughter.

Ping sighed contentedly, "It's still very much in the works. Old Wang's project is going to be very competitive. But I heard the investment attraction is going well this time; several big brands are interested." She turned her head, her face covered by a face mask, toward Feng Qianqian, "Qianqian, have you been having a lot of free time lately? Not mentoring any new people?"