I became a movie star at the age of three; Dilraba and I are childhood sweethearts.

The day after the premiere.

The scenes outside the major cinemas were truly spectacular.

The queue stretched from the ticket window all the way to the street corner; someone who didn't know better might have thought it was the release of some limited-edition luxury item.

A young girl stomped her feet.

"What's going on! How come it's gone again?"

"I started queuing at 5 a.m.!"

The staff at the ticket window had lost their voices from shouting.

"I'm sorry, miss, all the tickets for today are sold out."

"All the pre-sale tickets are sold out."

The girl's eyes widened.

"How is that possible! It's only a few o'clock!"

"I even got up early today to buy tickets!"

The staff member looked apologetic.

"There's nothing we can do; many people started queuing up last night."

"Look, there are still scalpers booking out the whole place..."

This kind of scene isn't limited to just one movie theater.

This scene is common in cinemas all over the country.

In Beijing, the largest cinema on the Second Ring Road was packed with people.

The cinema manager stood in his second-floor office, looking down at the out-of-control crowd, his face covered in cold sweat.

Having worked in the industry for over a decade, he has witnessed the madness of Lin Chih-ying's fans and the spectacular scene of tickets for the Four Heavenly Kings' concerts selling out in seconds.

But he had never seen a movie that could drive all the women in Beijing so crazy!

To put it another way, from teenage girls to middle-aged women in their forties and fifties, everyone became a fan of that little bald guy.

That's not idol worship; it's more like a collective overflow of maternal instinct!

The manager could even hear the female fans screaming below.

"We have to get tickets!"

"I want to see my little brother Chenchen!"

The manager shuddered and quickly picked up the walkie-talkie.

"Security guards, pay attention! Maintain order!"

"We absolutely cannot allow any problems to arise!"

This scene is terrifying!

In just two weeks, the box office of "Shaolin Popeye" skyrocketed.

500 million.

1000 million.

2000 million.

The final figure settled at an astonishing 5000 million!

What does this mean?

In 1993, movie box office figures were not inflated, and it was rare for crazy fans to repeatedly book out entire theaters to boost box office numbers.

All box office figures are accurate and reliable.

In other words, "Shaolin Popeye" completely crushed all other films released in the same period.

It even outperformed the more well-made "New Shaolin Five Ancestors" at the box office!

The Hong Kong media went completely crazy.

The headlines of the entertainment sections of major newspapers were no longer about Lin Zhiying's handsomeness or Hao Shaowen's antics, but rather about Xiao Chen.

Oriental Daily News: Three-year-old cutie! Box office bomb! Xiao Chen redefines cuteness!

Ming Pao Weekly: A phenomenal child star is born! Even the air in a movie theater with Xiao Chen is sweet!

Film Biweekly even dedicated an entire page to an in-depth analysis of the Xiao Chen phenomenon.

They interviewed countless viewers leaving the theater, and the answers they received were surprisingly consistent.

A white-collar woman in her thirties looks at the camera with heart-shaped eyes.

"I went to see it just for my little brother Chenchen! The way he played video games with a lollipop in his mouth was just like an angel!"

An aunt who was nearly fifty years old was especially excited.

"Oh my, that little bald guy is so smug! He's cute, well-behaved, and his acting is pretty good too!"

"It breaks my heart to see this; I wish I could put my son back in and have another baby!"

Xiao Chen's number of female fans and motherly fans has increased exponentially.

Even the items worn by Xiao Chen have become popular.

The lollipop he ate in the movie sold out overnight.

Nintendo's Game Boy console also experienced a strange surge in sales in Hong Kong.

And most of the buyers are...women?!

Despite the commotion outside, Xiao Chen remained remarkably calm.

The fans of those top idols in my previous life were much more fanatical, especially the sasaeng fans.

This is nothing.

Moreover, Xiao Chen wanted to focus on acting, and he was completely uninterested in all the noise from the outside world.

But this tranquility is seen as terrifying by some.

At the wrap party, Zhu Yanping, holding a wine glass, couldn't help but sigh to Wu Mengda beside him.

"Brother Da, what kind of monster is this kid...?"

"He's only three years old! And he's not even a little excited about such a big event?"

Wu Mengda took a swig of wine and chuckled.

"I told you long ago, he's not an ordinary kid."

"Didn't you see how even Jay Chou was stunned by him during filming?"

"I just feel like this kid has the soul of an Oscar-winning actor living inside him."

Zhu Yanping nodded in deep agreement, his gaze becoming even more complex.

What he's worried about now is no longer Xiao Chen's future.

The question is, who will be worthy of directing this little monster in the future?

This must be one of the top directors in the country... no, one of the top directors in the world?!

……

Beijing.

Eighteen Cultures.

Wang Jinhua held a box office data report faxed from Hong Kong in her hand, her face beaming with a radiant smile.

"5000 million...tsk tsk tsk."

She put down the report, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and was so happy she almost started humming a song.

When she agreed to be Xiao Chen's manager, she felt like she was taking a huge gamble.

But now it seems I made the right bet!

Wang Jinhua even had the feeling that she wasn't gambling, but rather that she had stumbled upon good luck and gotten a bargain.

There are plenty of agents.

But there's only one Xiao Chen.

"The New Legend of Shaolin" brought Xiao Chen to prominence in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, allowing him to accumulate his first batch of fans.

"Shaolin Popeye" was like a bomb that exploded, catapulting his popularity to the sky!

The phone on Wang Jinhua's desk kept ringing, all from directors and producers.

They specifically requested Xiao Chen to star in their movies, offering increasingly higher salaries than the last.

Some GG brands have offered seven-figure sums just to have Xiao Chen endorse their children's milk.

But Wang Jinhua didn't agree to any of them.

This was Xiao Chen's request; he just wanted to focus on acting.

We must not squander his popularity and spiritual energy for the sake of short-term gains.

Wang Jinhua took a deep breath, picked up her pen, and wrote down several names in her notebook.

Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Jiang Wen...

These are the top figures in the mainland Chinese directing world.

Only their works are worthy of Xiao Chen.

Although Xiao Chen is very popular now, it's not enough to make these big directors value him.

To perform in these directors' works, one needs more of an opportunity.

Just as she was pondering how to connect with these renowned directors, the phone on the table rang.

Wang Jinhua was stunned for a moment.

This phone was used specifically for her to handle the most urgent matters; no more than five people knew the number.

She frowned, picked up the phone, and her tone returned to its usual efficient manner.

"Hello, who is this?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then a man's voice came through.

"Excuse me, are you Ms. Wang Jinhua, Xiao Chen's agent?"