The Queen's Rumored Father

puff!

After a scream, a middle-aged fat man who looked to be in his forties suddenly struggled with a pained expression, but the more he struggled, the more it hurt.

Across from him sat a young man in his early twenties, who nonchalantly pinned the fat man's hand to the table with an iron barbecue skewer.

The interplay of movement and stillness creates an extremely eerie scene.

This is the barbecue street behind the broadcasting building. On weekdays, the staff working the night shift often order barbecue takeout. The taste is absolutely amazing.

Glasses Barbecue is the most popular of them all, making a fortune every day, so even though it's Lunar New Year's Eve, the owner still hasn't gone home for the holiday.

However, most of the customers here order takeout and have it delivered to the building.

This is the first time I've seen someone specifically come out of the building to eat at a restaurant.

After the scream, the bespectacled restaurant owner, who had just finished serving the food, was stunned. He wanted to turn around and see what had happened.

"Don't look back, just get on with your work. It's nothing serious, it'll be over in a minute."

Xu Yuan spoke, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, as if the iron skewer in his hand was piercing a wooden table, rather than someone else's fat palm that was already bleeding profusely.

The bespectacled shop owner wisely didn't turn back.

The reason his shop has been so successful over the years is because he adheres to the principle of "listen less, watch less, do more, earn more". As a result, hosts and big names who come to record programs like his shop, and his reputation naturally follows.

"You...I...I'm going to call 110!" the middle-aged fat man roared.

"Go ahead and fight. We can talk about the wire work then. That failed murder attempt on a popular actress during the final rehearsal—let me calculate how many years that'll keep you in jail!"

"You..." The middle-aged fat man stammered, looking at Xu Yuan, seemingly no longer feeling the pain in his hand.

His expression was one of utter terror!

If that story gets out, not only will he be unable to work in the industry, but he might also be sentenced to prison!

"My name is Xu Yuan, don't call me 'you' or 'me.' Anyway, you're Liu Yamin, the head of the props team for song and dance programs. You have a name and a name, you're a big shot." Xu Yuan picked up a skewer of grilled meat, took a bite, and said, "The wire used for the wire work is qualified from number five to number nine, but number five can only be used six times, while number nine can be used ten times."

"Today, Meng Xiaoxuan had two aerial stunts that required the use of wires, and you had adjusted them four times beforehand. As a result, during the second rehearsal, Meng Xiaoxuan fell from a great height because the wire broke."

"You, it's you!" Liu Yamin suddenly realized. He had been wondering why Xu Yuan looked so familiar. Wasn't this the person who caught Meng Xiaoxuan when she fell from the sky?

Without him, Meng Xiaoxuan would have at least lost a hand or foot today, and in serious cases, it could even have resulted in her death!

"What's your relationship with Meng Xiaoxuan?" Liu Yamin asked, but then he screamed because Xu Yuan had stuck the grill skewers he had just finished eating into the back of his hand, pinning his palm firmly to the table.

That's the back of his hand, not the trash can for throwing skewers!

"Please get this straight, I'm the one asking you this question."

"Tell me, who gave it to you, how much, and how? The faster you confess, the fewer skewers I'll stick in your hand." Xu Yuan started eating his second skewer. "I won't hand it over to the police. At most, this will cost you your job. With your qualifications, you can easily get a good position at any local TV station or film company."

"A tree dies when transplanted, but a person thrives. Believe in yourself and you will have a better future. Don't be stubborn and argue with me. Because I've never lost when I confront things head-on."

Xu Yuan finished eating and then raised the iron skewer in his hand.

It plunged down suddenly!

"I'll talk, I'll talk!" Liu Yamin shouted hoarsely, beads of sweat falling onto the table—no, those were uncontrollable tears.

The iron tag was only one centimeter away from the back of his hand.

He confessed!

He spoke his mind, recounting everything in detail. His face was deathly pale, while Xu Yuan smiled broadly, as if their ages had been reversed, and he was completely under Xu Yuan's control.

Xu Yuan checked the recording, and after confirming that there were no problems, he got up and left.

"Boss, he's paying the bill. Oh, and remember to call an ambulance for him. It's such a hassle to bother the medical staff during the holidays; they really have no sense of public responsibility!"

With that, Xu Yuan's figure disappeared through the back door.

Liu Yamin shivered as he watched Xu Yuan's retreating figure.

This young man's hands must be stained with blood; that look just now was truly terrifying. Liu Yamin swore that in his forty-odd years of life, having spent his early years on film sets, what kind of ruthless characters hadn't he seen?

He had personally witnessed people deliberately causing car accidents to snatch roles!

Xu Yuan is clearly the kind of person who always keeps his word.

Such people will either be taught a lesson by society at a very young age.

Or, one day he might even be able to teach society how to be a person.

……

The gala's directing team, specifically the office for the song and dance directors.

Chen Kewen pressed his temples and shook his head repeatedly.

This year, he's really got a hot potato. This is the last rehearsal, and yet someone still managed to cause trouble.

The competition among the four little divas was really giving him a headache.

Even celebrities are ranked in different tiers.

Anything below the third tier is considered unacceptable.

Third-tier, second-tier, first-tier, super first-tier, top stars, and emperor superstars are all strictly hierarchical and clearly defined, with huge differences in resources and treatment.

However, there are exceptions, such as unofficial titles like "Little Queen," "Little Flower," and "Four Little Heavenly Kings." These are usually currently wildly popular celebrities with massive online followings. They could be first, second, or third-tier stars, or even unknown internet celebrities. But as long as they have this title, their status can rival that of top-tier celebrities in a short period of time!

By the time the hype dies down, they may have already soared to stardom, becoming true A-list, super A-list, or even top-tier celebrities. But they might also remain unchanged, stuck at whatever level they were originally.

The worst-case scenario is that their potential is exhausted, their fans are snatched away by other competitors, they fall from grace, and become just another forgotten loser in the entertainment industry.

This year, the selection of the new generation of four little divas naturally means that the battle between them has begun!

The first program was a group performance by the four little divas, a change made by the production team to boost ratings and cater to public opinion.

One person will fly to the host via wire at the end and interact with the host for 20 to 30 seconds. Then, the other three people on stage will also interact with the host remotely for a few seconds.

This is such a different place, yet some people are fighting tooth and nail to get it.

The original youngest star, Meng Xiaoxuan, was clearly tricked, but Chen Kewen couldn't stand up for her. As the director, he had to ensure the success of the show, and he didn't want to concern himself with other issues like who would act.

Therefore, in order to avoid any further accidents, even though Meng Xiaoxuan was originally a victim, I'm sorry, the candidate for the "Flying Fairy from Beyond the Heavens" must be changed.

However, none of the other three pop stars are easy to deal with, so who should take their place?

In less than an hour since the accident, Chen Kewen has received seven or eight phone calls, some explicitly, some implicitly, some promising benefits, some asking for favors, and some offering to use his personal connections.

This is a very difficult matter!

Boom boom boom!

boom!

A young man knocked on the door, and before Chen Kewen could speak, he pushed the door open, closed it, and locked it. The series of actions were fluid and effortless.

Chen Kewen remained relatively calm. This was Beijing, and there was absolutely no possibility of any security issues.

"go out!"

Chen Kewen could easily guess why this young man had come in; it must be to relay someone's message, to secure a chance for some rising star to become an overnight sensation.

But Chen Kewen didn't even want to listen to what these unruly people had to say.

boom!

The young man placed his phone on Chen Kewen's desk and started recording.

Three minutes later, both of them fell silent.

"Who sent you? Who do you want to replace me with?" Chen Kewen asked.

If this recording were leaked, the impact would likely be significant.

A criminal case almost occurred during the rehearsal for the gala; it seems they're jumping straight into a social issue or a legal program.

This matter must be handled discreetly!

Otherwise, the entire directing team will have to take the blame.

The young man who came in was none other than Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan glanced at Chen Kewen's desk and saw two documents. He said, "The person from the Celestial Immortal cannot be replaced!"

Chen Kewen sized Xu Yuan up for a moment, then recognized him as well: "It's you? Thank you for catching Meng Xiaoxuan just now, otherwise the situation might have been much more serious. Are you... a fan of Meng Xiaoxuan?"

"family."

Xu Yuan's answer surprised Chen Kewen.

family?

In other words, he's Meng Xiaoxuan's boyfriend? Because as everyone knows, Meng Xiaoxuan doesn't have... family!

No wonder Meng Xiaoxuan was so excited just now.

However, for a rising star like her to date at this time, she must be taking a huge risk, right? If it gets exposed, her image will probably collapse in no time.

"Your name is Xu Yuan, right? To tell you the truth, this matter isn't as easy to handle as you think... this..."

Chen Kewen was about to explain to Xu Yuan, since Xu Yuan had indirectly helped him. If Meng Xiaoxuan was injured, then this matter would be impossible to suppress.

But to everyone's surprise, Xu Yuan suddenly leaned close to Chen Kewen and said, "If you change the person now, you'll offend everyone."

Chen Kewen frowned, and before he knew it, a bead of cold sweat rolled down his back. He had thought of something, but it wasn't complete yet.

"What does that mean?"

Xu Yuan poured himself a cup of tea; the barbecue he had just eaten was too salty.

After taking a couple of sips of water, he sat down on the sofa. Chen Kewen was sweating profusely with anxiety when he finally spoke: "If we don't change the person, people will at most think that you, Director Chen, are a blockhead and don't understand the ways of the world."

"But if you change the choice, firstly, those who have no vested interest will look down on you and think you didn't persevere. And someone who doesn't persevere can't become a great director. You've cut off one of your own paths."

"Secondly, what will the forces behind the other three pop stars think? They'll definitely say you took a bribe, and that'll be the beginning of a feud."

"You can only remain unchanged in the face of all changes! After the party ends, give this recording to the director. He will naturally help you set up a meeting, not only to resolve the grudges, but also to have someone come out and apologize to you."

"Finally, the remaining three rising stars are evenly matched; each of them is just one step away from truly becoming a top-tier star. If you were the one who helped someone else take that step, the one who successfully entered the top tier might not thank you, but the two who failed to reach the top tier would hate you to death!"

"On the contrary, Meng Xiaoxuan has the least experience and the least resources. Even if she takes the center position this time, she still can't catch up with the other three rising stars. At most, those three will just complain about missing an opportunity; they won't hold a grudge against you forever."

"One wrong step can lead to drastically different outcomes. Director Chen, you must think this through carefully."

After Xu Yuan finished speaking, he stood up and took his leave.

He took the phone, but he added Chen Kewen on WeChat, sent the recording, and then deleted the original recording in front of Chen Kewen before leaving.

After he left, Chen Kewen stood there stunned for a long time, and finally kept nodding in the office.

This Xu Yuan is quite interesting!

The words were made clear, but the decision was left to me.

They've given me face and substance, and explained the pros and cons clearly. If I still don't know what to do, then after this is over, the accident during today's rehearsal and that recording will probably appear in all the major media outlets.

What?

You said the recording was deleted, right?

Haha, if Chen Kewen believed that, he wouldn't have gotten to where he is today.

What era are we living in now?

Deleting it in front of you is just to give you face.

Chen Kewen understands.

Xu Yuan understood.

Everyone sees through it but chooses not to say anything.

……

On New Year's Eve, at 8 p.m., the annual festival gala officially began.

The first thing that catches the eye is four stunningly beautiful women. Their singing and dancing immediately ignite the atmosphere, getting the audience at the venue and those watching on television to move to the rhythm of the music.

The final round of applause undoubtedly proved the show's great success!

All four of the top female pop stars come from the music industry and are currently developing in multiple fields, creating incredibly entertaining shows.

However, just when everyone thought it was over, after the show ended, Meng Xiaoxuan, the least experienced of the four little divas, suddenly appeared out of nowhere, flying from the center of the stage to the audience, ethereal and enchanting.

At this moment, Meng Xiaoxuan gained countless fans.

Those in the entertainment industry who are even slightly perceptive are all wondering if this is some kind of message? Is it an official announcement of the center position among the four little divas? Is everyone supporting Meng Xiaoxuan?

The expressions of the other three pop stars on stage were more interesting; their laughter was less impressive than their crying.

This scene is a microcosm of human life.

After the performance, Meng Xiaoxuan rushed to the dressing room amidst congratulations from many celebrities and acquaintances. When she opened the door and saw the young man in the dressing room who was only three to five years older than her, Meng Xiaoxuan immediately burst into tears and rushed over.

This person was Xu Yuan.

She leaped high into the air, landing directly on Xu Yuan, and then they embraced tightly.

If anyone saw this scene, they would definitely make certain connections. Especially the tabloids; they wouldn't even need to fabricate headlines for the next month.

A rising pop star gets up close and personal with her male friend!

Meng Xiaoxuan's mysterious boyfriend has appeared!

Fans' dreams are shattered; the most popular pop star has been wasted on a pile of dung!

However, the next moment, Meng Xiaoxuan tightly gripped Xu Yuan's neck, crying out, "Where have you been all these years! I miss you so much... Dad!"

[PS: The author's new book, "From Film Academy Teacher to Best Actor," has been a huge success since its release. Please support it, add it to your collection, and recommend it!]