Chapter 10

"Damn it! Find out for me, no matter the cost!"

Detective Li, a chubby man, looked helplessly at the credit card thrown on the table by Young Master Mei. Five thousand points were already a considerable sum to him, but he didn't dare to casually agree to the enraged Young Master Mei. The protection of actors in real movies transcended national and global boundaries. Any attempt to engage in real-life confrontations outside of the real movies would be met with severe retaliation from the Global Empire Entertainment Group. So, as he watched the meat in his mouth slip away, he felt extremely frustrated.

"Sir, the Empire Entertainment Group has clearly stipulated that matters in the movies should be resolved within the movies and should not be brought into reality."

"Stop giving me a lecture. How much more do you need? Is ten thousand enough? If not, I'll add another ten thousand."

Seeing Young Master Mei throw out two anonymous credit cards, Detective Li swallowed hard. As the saying goes, 'People die for wealth, birds die for food.' Detective Li steeled his resolve and gritted his teeth.

"Ten thousand credit points..."

"You damn well might as well rob a bank..."

"Sir, robbing a bank would only land me in jail, but helping you take revenge on an actor could get me shot. Ten thousand points may seem like a lot, but I need to prepare to run and hide, living a life without sunlight. For you, it's just a small expense, and it's a good deal."

Young Master Mei was taken aback. Ten thousand credit points weren't a huge loss for him, but he felt reluctant to give the money away for nothing.

"Maybe you should reconsider, Sir."

Seeing Young Master Mei's hesitation, Detective Li seized the opportunity to dissuade him from this outrageous idea. However, this only fueled Young Master Mei's determination.

"Ten thousand, right? Fine, I'll transfer the money to you tomorrow. Once you get my money, you must do your best. Remember my requirements: cripple him, not just a minor beating, but cripple him so he can't act in movies anymore."

"......As you wish."

Detective Li reluctantly escorted Young Master Mei out of the detective agency and then picked up the phone.

"Xiaogou, find someone to investigate a person for me, Zhang Huen. Yes, an actor. Don't waste my time, three thousand points. Don't use acquaintances, you idiot. There are plenty of migrant workers in the labor market. If you want to spend the rest of your life in jail, go find them yourself! Idiot!"

Detective Li put down the phone and pondered for a long time, then picked it up again.

"It's me. You idiot, don't go looking for anyone. Just tell Dachanglian. Of course, don't do it yourself, and don't involve me. Three thousand points! You bastard, you're haggling with me? Three thousand five, take it or leave it!"

Six months ago, on the amateur movie section of the Big Movie Network, a film called "Boundless Love: The Old Man Pushing the Cart" became popular for a while. The two beautiful maids in the film almost squeezed the spinal cord out of a 70-year-old man. After the incident, the man was identified as a retired professor from Yufang University. The professor, known as a "beast," became a target of severe online criticism.

The retired professor's name was Wei Shuguo. He used to teach international history and was well-respected at Yufang University. After his wife passed away ten years ago, he lived alone, receiving a high pension of 1,000 points per month but having nowhere to spend it. Eventually, he bought a health-oriented actor/audience movie access device and became a loyal fan of real movies.

Six months ago, after ten years of immersing himself in the movie world, the actor's string in Old Wei's heart was finally plucked. "Isn't everyone an actor? In the movies, many old men and women thrive through their subconscious. Am I, a respected university history professor, inferior to those square dance aunties?"

With great excitement, Wei Shuguo stepped into the quagmire of "Boundless Love." In his excitement, he didn't read the plot summary, thinking it was a mainstream, positive-energy film. Once he entered the script room, he realized the situation was dire. He tried to quit, but there was no quit button. To his dismay, his first acting experience was being stripped naked and sexually assaulted by two young women in front of the audience.

The aftermath almost drove him to suicide. School leaders, who hadn't called him in years, "visited" him, and his students severed ties with him on social media. Even his pets and neighbors criticized him. His front door was splashed with red paint, and graffiti on the wall read, "Academic Scum, Beast in Disguise." Neighbors would cover their faces when they saw him.

Unable to stay in the Yufang University staff building, Wei Shuguo sold his house at a low price, packed his savings, and left the province where he had lived for most of his life. He traveled far to the remote province of Haixi, where he hoped no one would "meat" him.

In Haixi's provincial capital, Hamacheng, he bought a small courtyard house and began his silent and resilient retaliation under the pseudonym "Old Ghost of Haixi." From 20 points, 50 points, 100 points, to 200 points, the extras flocked to "Boundless Love" like flies to blood, but Wei Shuguo was disappointed. No one could resist the waves of money and beauty from Young Master Mei, and the film's notoriety only grew. Young Master Mei's attention even surpassed that of many extras in major films.

Young Master Mei's plot was clever. The three extras who were supposed to humiliate the protagonist were small-time hooligans with no tragic past, naive and in need of money to build their homes. In the script, Young Master Mei was a super-rich tycoon with unlimited resources, giving him a significant advantage. The female actors, who were devoted to him, and the male servants and old gatekeepers, who were his family members, made the plot airtight.

From initial enthusiasm to later disappointment, Wei Shuguo almost gave up on his reward. During this period, he joined the "Rotten Film Destruction Alliance" QQ group, hoping to fill his inner void and vent his frustration by destroying other rotten films.

However, most rotten films had protagonists with various advantages and resources, making it difficult to challenge them. Wei Shuguo, in his idle life, continuously contributed to the alliance's cause, quickly accumulating many points and becoming the leader of the Haixi branch.

(Your reward task has been completed. Please pay the reward through identity verification.)

The announcement in the QQ group almost made the old man choke on his dinner. He quickly finished his meal, drank some soup, and logged into his movie access device. He found that the reward for "Boundless Love" had been completed. Tears welled up in his eyes. After six months, 180 days, he was finally free from the torment. Heaven and earth, which angel had taken pity on him and destroyed the rotten film?

With a mix of excitement, he entered the audience mode. Ten minutes later, the old man, red-faced and sweating, emerged from the device, rushed to his computer, and quickly found the "Rotten Film Destruction Alliance" group.

(Old Ghost of Haixi: Comrades, my reward task is complete. Go to the Big Movie Network and check out my reward, "Boundless Love: Humiliating the Villain." There's a surprise. Good and evil will be rewarded, the cycle of karma is inevitable. Look up, and no one escapes the judgment of heaven.)

The old man leaned back in his swivel chair, waiting for congratulations from his QQ group friends. After fifteen minutes, the group finally responded.

(Dead Ghost of Hedong: Old Ghost, you're amazing. The editor has pinned "Boundless Love: Humiliating the Villain." The actor, Zhang Huen, is like a reincarnated demon, cruel, dark, and twisted. I've already followed him. I wonder what other movies he's in? I want to see them all!)

(Imprisoned Ghost: I just checked Zhang Huen's profile. He's also in "The Great River" and the popular "Kingdom of Ambition." I'm going to follow his movies until the end.)

(White Powder Smoker: Zhang Huen's subconscious: cruel, neurotic, bloodthirsty, arsonist, gay, and a show-off. Can one person's subconscious be so rich and dark? Does he live in a center for abnormal humans?)

(Left Hand Wailing Stick, Right Hand Soul Hook: Zhang Huen, why don't you seek treatment? The doctor is calling you for dinner!)

(Ding, Left Hand Wailing Stick, Right Hand Soul Hook has been kicked out of the group by the administrator, Living in the Eighteenth Underground Floor.)

(Living in the Eighteenth Underground Floor: Who can find Zhang Huen's contact information? I want to invite him to join our alliance. The position of double-flower red stick is open.)

(Scum at the Bottom of the Lake: Boss, leave it to me.)

(Ding, Left Hand Wailing Stick, Right Hand Soul Hook has been approved to join the group by the administrator, Fried Ghost.)

(Left Hand Wailing Stick, Right Hand Soul Hook: Boss, I'm sorry, don't kick me! %>_<_%)

(Clear Wind Through the Crotch: Everyone, don't be fooled. Search for "The Great River" and Zhang Huen's link on the Big Movie Network. It's hilarious.)

After Clear Wind Through the Crotch's comment, the group fell silent. Without investigation, there was no right to speak. Wei Shuguo quickly logged onto the "The Great River" website and searched for Zhang Huen's information among the tens of thousands of cast and crew members. The result made him feel as if he had swallowed a fly.

(89,112th role: Zeng Xiaoquan - Actor: Zhang Huen; Overall rating: worthless, followers: 0, income: 0, comments: utterly useless, even describing it in words is a waste.)

He then checked Zeng Xiaoquan's performance in "The Great River." It was a life of mediocrity, ending in a tragic and miserable death. It was as bland as a cup of spoiled water, hard to approach.

(Leakage Bug: Everyone, breaking news! Check out the famous rotten film "I Don't Know You're a Ghost." Zhang Huen has exploded again, brutally killing the arrogant and bombastic female lead, leaving the room bloodied and gory. I'm covered in goosebumps. I think I'm in love with him. Am I also gay?)

(Dead Ghost of Hedong: Damn, forget "The Great River." I'm following him.)

(Imprisoned Ghost: Me too. For his cruelty, I'll follow him for life.)

(Living in the Eighteenth Underground Floor: Brother, what I said still stands.)

(Clear Wind Through the Crotch: Sigh... Let's see.)

The others in the group didn't respond, apparently already heading to the rotten film "I Don't Know You're a Ghost." Wei Shuguo quickly logged into the system and found that "I Don't Know You're a Ghost" had been pinned by the editor, its popularity rivaling "Boundless Love: Humiliating the Villain." With over 12,000 online viewers, it was a rare spectacle in the rotten film concentration camp.