Huayu: Starting from retirement, sweeping across the domestic entertainment industry

After returning home that evening, Li Ran carefully checked the copy prepared by her team and posted it on her Weibo account.

At almost the same time, Wajijiwa Entertainment's official Weibo account also announced that Li Ran would officially join the company as an artist.

The two Weibo posts instantly ignited the topic. On the trending topics list, hashtags such as #LiRanEntersEnteringTheEntertainmentIndustry# and #LiRanSignsWithWajiji# rose rapidly.

Li Ran didn't care at all. He turned to look at Zhou Ye, who was curled up on the sofa watching TV, walked over, and naturally took her hand.

"I'm tired, I'm going to sleep."

Zhou Ye raised his eyes, his gaze shifting: "Just sleeping?"

Li Ran smiled without saying a word, then picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.

He used to be as disciplined as a monk, focusing on the game for three whole years. Now he has retired and only wants to indulge in his harem, having no interest in attending court.

……

However, the online world has already exploded.

On Weibo's comment section, e-sports forums, and fan supertopics, countless netizens flooded the comment section with mixed feelings of shock, reluctance, doubt, or anticipation to express their views.

"22 years old, two-time FMVP, retiring at the peak?! I don't understand!" This is the heartbroken old e-sports fan.

"Burning God, fly bravely! Looking forward to actress Li Ran!" This is a female fan who follows her wholeheartedly.

"They're not doing their job properly! The only place for esports players is the competition!" This is a hardcore criticism from the indignant crowd.

"Water Brother transferred, Burning God retired... My youth is truly over." This is the heartbroken old fan of the team.

Meanwhile, several LPL players who had interacted with him also posted messages, either reminiscing about the time they spent together or wishing each other a bright future.

Of course, some opponents were thinking, "You've finally retired, otherwise we really couldn't beat you!"

As Li Ran is about to join her new agency, Wajijiwa Entertainment, the artists under the company have also shown a warm welcome.

Among the many well wishes, one Weibo post stood out, coming from a relatively unknown actor at the time.

"@Li Ran, I've always admired your focus on the field. I believe you'll shine in whatever you do. I look forward to the opportunity to work with you in the future. May you rise to the top."

This Weibo post didn't cause much of a stir at the moment, but it was like a seed gently blown away by a breeze, quietly sinking into the soil, waiting for a spring to sprout.

One week later, at Beijing Capital International Airport.

The online uproar hadn't completely subsided, but Li Ran had no time to dwell on it. He pulled his hat down low and, accompanied by his agent, took his first step as an artist.

The agent beside him was still whispering his final words of advice.

The phone suddenly vibrated.

Where am I? I've arrived at the airport.

Li Ran looked up and saw a young man, also bundled up, looking around at the entrance.

The other person noticed him then, quickly walked over, and gave him a firm hug. "Wow, you've made quite a commotion."

Li Ran smiled but didn't respond to that question. Instead, he asked, "Why did you take so long? Were you fighting for the succession with one of those ruling from behind the curtain again?"

"Get lost!" Guo Qilin laughed and scolded, giving Li Ran's shoulder a light tap.

"I've been running my own business for years, can you please stop bringing this up?"

He sat down on the chair next to him, turning his head to look at Li Ran: "Seriously, are you really determined to 'steal a bite' in the entertainment industry?"

Li Ran raised an eyebrow and said in a teasing tone, "What, young master of Deyun Society, are you afraid that I, a crossover contestant, will steal your job?"

Guo Qilin reacted quickly, "How could that be? I'm just afraid you, the 'Prince' of Wajijiji,' would condescend to me. How about we switch places? You can try what it's like to be the 'Young Master'?"

Li Ran quickly waved his hand, "No thanks, I can't afford to wade into your quagmire."

Guo Qilin laughed heartily, completely unconcerned. His family's affairs were no secret, and besides, the two had known each other for three or four years, and were used to joking like this in private.

Guo Qilin stopped laughing and became more serious, "Seriously, why did you suddenly stop playing? Retiring at your peak is something many people dream of, and you just let it go like that."

"I've been fighting for three years, and I've won everything I could. It's getting boring to keep going. Maybe that's the trouble with being invincible!" Li Ran replied smugly.

He paused, then half-jokingly said, "Besides, it's so hard to find a partner in the esports industry. My mom is worried sick about me staring at the computer all day."

The real reason, of course, could not be revealed: the sudden appearance of the "system" completely changed his life plans.

But he could only keep these words to himself, just as he was no longer the Li Ran he used to be.

"Fine, if you don't want to talk about it, then forget it." Guo Qilin saw through his evasion but didn't press the matter further.

"But with a face like yours, you'd be more than qualified to star in an idol drama. Tsk, the number of your female fans is truly enviable."

Li Ran pursed his lips and said, "That's easy. Next time you do a stand-up comedy routine, just add a line like, 'My brother Li Ran is only a tiny bit more handsome than me,' and the buzz will come naturally."

……

On the way to the recording location, Li Ran held the guest list and instructions prepared by her assistant.

When he saw the name of one of the guest stars, he muttered, "This is getting more and more interesting."

"So what if it's interesting?" Guo Qilin waved his phone.

Li Ran casually said, "I saw a familiar name."

Guo Qilin joked, "Wow! Our e-sports legend has quite a wide network in the entertainment industry, huh? You even know people there!"

Li Ran retorted calmly, "Aren't you human?"

Guo Qilin was speechless.

Li Ran then explained, "Don't forget, before I became a professional gamer, I was a proper student at the Beijing Film Academy. Unlike some people who don't even have a high school diploma."

Guo Qilin immediately retorted, "How dare you say that! Didn't you also leave in your freshman year? Don't laugh at your older brother, big brother."

"To correct you, I'm on leave of absence, but my student status is still valid. I can go back anytime," Li Ran said, holding up one finger.

Seeing this, Guo Qilin didn't bother arguing with Li Ran anymore, and sighed, saying, "Alright, hurry up and call to order!"

The program that Li Ran and Guo Qilin participated in this time is the rural life variety show "Back to the Countryside" on Hunan TV, and in each episode, the guests can order dishes for the Mushroom House.

Li Ran thought of Huang Xiaochu's cooking skills, which were mercilessly ridiculed by netizens in later generations, and suddenly felt a little nervous. Would he make himself sick from eating it?

Finally, he gritted his teeth and dialed the number for Mushroom House. The call was answered quickly, and a soft, sweet female voice came through.

"Hey! This is the Mushroom House."

Li Ran cleared his throat and said, "I know, I want to order."

"Oh! What would you like to eat?"

Li Ran glanced at Guo Qilin beside him, and Guo Qilin waved his hand, indicating that he should just keep an eye on things.

Li Ran was thinking about what food wouldn't kill him when he suddenly remembered the Dai-style barbecue here. He figured that it just needed to be grilled and it shouldn't taste too bad.

"Hmm, let's have Dai-style barbecue!"

"Okay, how many of you are there?"

"Two people, they'll be there soon."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Zifeng relayed the guest's request to Huang Lei at the Mushroom House.

Huang Lei rubbed his forehead, both amused and exasperated: "Yesterday it was wrapped and roasted, today it's Dai-style barbecue, why are all the dishes local specialties..."

He then asked, "Are the guests male or female? How many?"

"The voice sounds like a man's, and there are two people," Zhang Zifeng replied obediently.

Upon hearing that there were male guests, Huang Lei flashed his signature mischievous grin at the camera: "It's good to have men. Want to eat? Get your work done first, otherwise..."

He drew out the word, the meaning of which was self-evident.