Chapter 25 Explosive Growth
"How come it's already ruined right after I became a fan? I'm convinced."
"Get lost, you jerk! How could I have ever liked you before? I never imagined you had so much black material. You've become my internet criminal record."
"I said before that I didn't like him based on his appearance, but now my opinion has been exposed."
"Ugh, you can't live without women, you seduced other people's girlfriends to be your mistress when you were little, and when you grew up you became a sidekick."
"Who's a fan of a celebrity who ends up being a guy from outside? I'm so miserable."
"Does anyone have his high school porn photos? Please, please, please, I've been scammed so many times."
…
The overwhelming malice online is almost frightening.
Sheng Zhao didn't need to show Li Ji these comments, but even without reading them, Li Ji knew what the online criticism was all about. He raised his eyebrows indifferently, looked at Sheng Zhao with a hint of sneer and teasing, and asked her, "How do you feel?"
Obviously, this sentence and this expression should appear on Sheng Zhao.
She should look at his malicious comments about the bad reviews with teasing and malice, and then appreciate his helpless, humble and pitiful expression.
However, Sheng Zhao only complained slightly and asked him, "Have you finished reading it?"
“…I’ve finished reading it.”
He turned his face away nonchalantly, his sharp teeth rubbing against his lower lip, turning the soft lip red. His fingertips also rubbed the cigarette box in his hand, as if to relieve his anxiety.
Sheng Zhao didn't ask him how he felt. Everyone knew about this kind of thing, and it was definitely not pleasant.
…and seeing the increasingly malicious and unbridled comments from some people who were not afraid to make a fuss, leading them to jokingly spread what they called “nude and sexy photos from high school.”
Anyone would tremble with fear, right?
Sheng Zhao observed him with some interest, but became bored when he trembled and pretended to be calm. She took out her tablet to plan her next trip, and the tip of her pen tapped the screen, making a crisp sound.
"I'm going to a press conference this afternoon, and then..."
"A press conference?"
Before she finished, Li Ji suddenly murmured, then raised his eyes lazily as if sneering and asked Sheng Zhao, "Do you want me to be pelted with eggs and then put in a pig cage to improve the diet of the fish in the river?"
“…But it doesn’t matter.”
He raised his eyes to look at Sheng Zhao, with a serious and trance-like stubbornness, as if he only needed to do what Sheng Zhao said.
"Whatever you say, I will do it."
After all, he had nothing but a dirty and disgusting puddle.
Sheng Zhao lowered his eyes slightly, tangled his hair with his fingertips, and then said, "It won't be a bad thing."
——Isn’t this a bad thing?
Li Ji had a blank expression on his face, his hands sternly tucked into his pockets, with a certain indifference and aloofness, while he responded to the multiple microphones constantly pressed against his face and the anxious words of the reporters.
"What's your stance on the negative news online? Are they true? Was your previous job really about a prostitute?"
"Are the things your classmates at A-2 Middle School have revealed true? As a newly popular young actress, if they are true, these things would be a devastating blow to your career. Aren't you afraid?"
"Did you offend anyone with all this negative information online?"
"What are your thoughts on the hotly debated topic online? Is there anything you would like to clarify?"
"Is the press conference intended to clarify something?"
The dense and noisy sounds almost gnawed at Li Ji's thoughts. He frowned uncomfortably, and no one looked at his expression. The reporters asked questions one after another like hungry wolves pouncing on their prey, fearing that they would miss this hot topic.
"Li Ji? Li Ji? What does your silence mean?"
“Are all the negative information flooding the internet really true?”
The microphone was eagerly pressed against Li Ji's face again. He made a "tsk" sound and slightly pushed the microphone away with his fingertips. His eyes met Sheng Zhao outside the venue for a moment. Her gaze was calm and meaningful, as if there was only him in her eyes.
Li Ji paused for a moment before speaking.
"It's not true. The innocent will be cleared."
His attitude was somewhat nonchalant, even his voice was hoarse and low, and he didn't even bother to explain anything.
The reporters were choked for a moment when they saw that he remained unmoved no matter what they said, but they continued to ask questions for the sake of hot topics.
"Could you please explain a little? Do you agree?"
"Do you still care about your career? Are you doing this to your fans?"
…
The dense stream of questions made people feel upset, but Li Ji still looked as calm as a dead pig, with no expression on his face. He just pulled the corners of his lips slightly and continued to speak in a cold voice.
"They are all fake. Those who are innocent will be cleared."
?
I thought you had something to say, so you held this press conference. You keep saying, "The innocent will be cleared." Hurry up and reveal the big news! We're all waiting!!!
"Do you have any evidence to fight back?"
"Anything else you want to say?"
The microphone was pressed against his face again. Li Ji stepped back slightly and moved the microphone away with his fingertips. He lowered his head slightly and licked the corner of his lips, looking a bit unruly and casual. His thick black hair and breathtaking facial features were dazzling.
Although the flash was shooting and lighting randomly, every photo came out perfect and flawless.
He said, "I've never sold myself, seduced anyone, or been a sex worker. Before, I was just a resident singer and a runway model. That's all."
He ended the topic almost calmly and turned to leave.
The stunned reporters didn't know what to do and could only look at his back and look at each other in confusion.
Sheng Zhao in the backstage looked at the comments and comments with a smile on his face. They were all slander and disgust - 'Why is he so arrogant? Does he have the capital to be so arrogant?'
"What are you pretending to be, you slutty man?"
"I really hate him, he's such a jerk."
"Can he just die? I don't even know if he has any disease. Stop tarnishing the entertainment industry. Only a prostitute like him can squeeze in."
'Get out of the entertainment industry.'
'Get out of the entertainment industry.'
…
Very fierce.
These words made Sheng Zhao a little stunned. There was really a strong sense of malice in them.
She gave Li Ji a slightly appreciative look, "The press conference just now made even more people dislike you. That's amazing."
Li Ji stared at her for a while, and finally said expressionlessly, "...Thank you for the compliment."
He said with a hint of sarcasm, "I can be even more annoying."
Even with such sarcasm, he still walked towards Sheng Zhao, like a ferocious dog, which would show its teeth but would still lower its head and put on the collar obediently.
No words were spoken on the way back in the car.
Li Ji just glanced sideways at the scenery passing by outside the window.
Sheng Zhao saw it through the rearview mirror, driving the car, and asked knowingly, "Are you angry?"
"……No."
Li Ji shook his head. He just supported his chin and squinted his eyes slightly to look out the window. The slightly drunken light shone on his profile and the tip of his tall nose, making him very handsome and dizzying.
"It's just that I don't understand what you want to do."
Sheng Zhao paused. The streets were busy with traffic and people were coming and going. Even her sight became noisy with the crowd. She thought for a moment and answered.
"I just want to watch you until you stand at the top of the entertainment industry."
He was silent for a moment, as if accepting the answer, and did not look at her beautiful face with a half-smile through the rearview mirror again.
He said.
"I'll always let you look at me."
Sheng Zhao raised the corners of his lips slightly and hummed a song.
He was like a wild and wanton rose, whose thorns prickled and frightened people. Even though he was still cautious and afraid, he had no choice but to rely on her because he had nothing left, and he even carefully put away his thorns.
The song she was humming was the melody that the villain in the criminal investigation drama starring Li Ji sang when he killed people.
The singing was creepy yet ethereal. Li Ji paused, suppressed his expression and closed his eyes, "Don't sing this."
"Why?"
"Anyway, you're not allowed to sing."
"Why? I think it's beautiful. I started singing it unconsciously after watching the drama."
"Don't ask why. You are not allowed to sing."
“…So domineering.”
Sheng Zhao sighed while driving but continued to hum the melody, but the melody was not the same as before. He changed to a more lively melody.
————————
Li Suining never expected that he would be stood up.
Li Ji, that little bitch——
There was a hint of viciousness in his eyes, and his old face still showed the charm and grace of his youth, but it was filled with commercialism and shrewdness, making him look ugly.
Li Suining is Li Ji's father.
The prostitute who forced his son to sell himself and abused him.
Previously, Sheng Zhao solved the problem of him threatening Li Ji for money, but it was not completely solved. He just transferred 100,000 yuan to him and told him to give him the rest in a few days.
The day before yesterday was the day Sheng Zhao set to transfer the money.
The remaining 900,000 yuan was nowhere to be found. Li Suining was so angry that he took out his phone and started to curse and send a message to Li Ji - "You shameless bitch, you bastard, where's the money? ! ! !"
He sent multiple messages but received no response.
Until Li Suining was pushed to the limit and yelled like crazy, "I'm going to go online and sue you for not supporting my father! You bitch!"
When he sent this voice message, Li Ji responded quickly with just a simple "Oh."
Li Suining was furious. He stood up trembling and started smashing things around him.
He lived a relatively good life, and the things around him were expensive. He pushed all the debts onto Li Ji, and he pestered Li Ji for money several times. His life was much more comfortable than Li Ji's before when he worked in a nightclub.
After he was beaten up, he gasped with red eyes, "Bitch, bitch, you little bitch have grown up and become so powerful that you don't even take me, your father, seriously."
Li Suining took out his cell phone, still with an angry look on his face. He held the phone in front of him and followed what others had told him before, using his ID card to report in his name.
"That big star, Li Ji, is my son. He made so much money, but he didn't give it to his father, who has AIDS. Did you know that? I sold myself to raise him and contracted AIDS, but he left me in vain and now he doesn't even want to pay me. This little jerk... He's become so powerful now that he's famous. I beg everyone to give me some justice."
After the video was sent out, Li Suining felt a sense of revenge. He proudly sent the video to Li Ji and threatened him, "See? I've already exposed you online. Send me money and I'll delete the video. Otherwise, you'll be despised by everyone!"
Still no response.
He was so angry that he wanted to throw his phone away, but the video he just sent received a response. Li Suining was stunned looking at his phone - the video that should have no one watching had an explosive growth in clicks, and was flooded with comments, and his phone kept ringing.
What was going on? His own account had previously been restricted by the platform for clicks and views due to prostitution, so if one person could see it on a normal day, it was considered good. So he posted the video just to threaten Li Ji.
——Unexpectedly, the number of video views exploded at this time, and the crazy number of comments even began to make Li Suining feel scared.
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