ABSML Chapter 33: An Unexpected Encounter

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While Lin Chiang was feeling pleased, Chen Zhan was at home refining the outline for his second book.

Considering that he had traded this story for a film investment, Yin Ronglan sipped his tea absentmindedly and remarked, “Using your fiancée as a shield doesn’t seem like Lin Chiang’s style.”

Chen Zhan smiled. “Never been in a relationship?”

Yin Ronglan admitted it candidly with a nod.

Chen Zhan analyzed, “If my story contained anything negative about Jiang Ying, her fans would attack me first. But if Lin Chiang is the focus, he alone bears the brunt of backlash from both his girlfriend and family.”

After a brief pause, he chuckled. “Given the comparison, the choice is obvious.”

Listening to his reasoning, Yin Ronglan frowned slightly. “You seem quite experienced.”

Chen Zhan: “A theorist.” Then he sighed softly. “You can see it from my books.”

Recalling Confession, this statement held undeniable truth.

They fell silent, and before a sense of mutual understanding could develop, Chen Zhan turned his head away, deliberately ending the melancholic conversation.

Meanwhile, the meager supply of food in Chen Zhan’s home was clearly not enough for the large dog sprawled at the door. It had been barking occasionally since morning. To avoid disturbing the neighbors, Yin Ronglan didn’t stay for lunch and instead took the dog with him when he left.

Before leaving, Chen Zhan leaned against the door and shook his head. “With such a big dog, you’ll probably need a ride.”

No way to cut costs on this one.

Yin Ronglan: “I already arranged for a friend to pick me up.”

Chen Zhan waved. “Contact me if anything comes up.”

Counting them all, Yin Ronglan had fabricated at least five non-existent friends in front of Chen Zhan. Yet, every time, these imaginary people’s tasks fell on his subordinates.

Driving over to pick up his boss, the subordinate smiled through the hardships of life, thinking of the salary he’d receive at the end of the month.

“Let’s stop by the supermarket first.”

The car pulled up outside the mall. Yin Ronglan told his subordinate to watch the dog while he went inside to buy dog food.

On the way back, through the car window, he unexpectedly saw Lin Chiang. The latter was stepping out of a fireworks store, carrying a box of firecrackers.

His subordinate noticed too and exclaimed, “The news didn’t say anything about the Lin Corporation’s president getting married!”

Yin Ronglan more or less guessed something and sighed, “Let’s go.”

After being cooped up in the small house for a few days, returning to a familiar environment brought fulfillment to the dog’s life. It was so excited that it howled from time to time until finally settling down at night.

Yin Ronglan, however, couldn’t sleep. He had never been a good sleeper, and whenever the night grew quiet, a suffocating feeling of sinking into the deep sea always crept over him.

After lying awake for a long time, he checked the time—it had only been an hour.

With the only friend in his barren life, it was natural to wonder what Chen Zhan was doing. When he sent a message, the reply came instantly: "Recording a radio show."

Along with the message, Chen Zhan sent a link.

Yin Ronglan clicked on it and discovered it was a late-night radio program with a decent number of subscribers. Some comments below speculated that the host’s voice sounded a lot like Chen Zhan’s.

The deliberately lowered tone made every word rich and magnetic, different from his usual speech. Because of this distinction, listeners could only speculate but didn’t dare to confirm.

After listening to two episodes, Yin Ronglan was certain—it was him.

The radio show mainly dispensed motivational messages, and the fact that Chen Zhan never promoted it was telling. If the audience knew his true identity, the “chicken soup for the soul” would turn poisonous. He had estimated that even with a voice only 70-80% similar to his natural one, it would be enough to attract a sizable audience.

After uploading another episode featuring a short story about growth and perseverance, he finally felt a hint of fatigue.

【System: The online store’s sales performance is decent. Host doesn’t need to work so hard.】

Chen Zhan checked the backend revenue: "I’ll need money in a few days."

A major auction was set to take place in Zhehai City before the New Year, coinciding with the 70th birthday of Fenghe Group’s founder. The elderly chairman planned to auction a famous painting, with the final sale proceeds donated under the company’s name. He was highly respected in his circles, and many prominent figures would undoubtedly attend to show their support.

This was an excellent opportunity to expand his network.

The birthday celebration and auction together would last at least two days, and the travel expenses and hotel accommodation wouldn’t be cheap.

【System: I understand, but where’s your invitation?】

Chen Zhan replied leisurely, "I’ll have one soon."

Following the principle of not exploiting the same person too often, he didn’t turn to Lin Chiang this time but instead contacted Wang Cheng.

The web drama from their last collaboration had just finished airing, and its viewership numbers were solid. The male lead, an actor under Wang Cheng’s management, had regained some popularity. As a result, Wang Cheng was riding high on success.

When he received the call, he agreed without hesitation.

His lack of conditions surprised Chen Zhan.

Wang Cheng had pulled strings to secure the invitation for his artists, but considering Chen Zhan’s connection with Yin Ronglan, he was willing to give it up for long-term benefits. Sensing Chen Zhan’s silence, Wang Cheng, ever the smooth talker, simply said, "Consider it a favor you owe me."

"Alright."

"By the way, the invitation has a name on it," Wang Cheng reminded him. "Make sure you attend under the company’s name."

—

Zhehai City was rich in history and culture. While its economic development wasn’t particularly rapid, it was an ideal place to live.

As soon as he got off the plane, the sky seemed even bluer.

For the truly prestigious families and new elites invited to the birthday celebration, Fenghe Group had already booked rooms for them in the city’s most expensive hotel. Someone like Chen Zhan, with neither status nor connections, had to find another way.

He had never been stingy when it came to necessary investments. To maximize networking opportunities, he booked a room in the same hotel.

The hotel was lavishly decorated, with smart technology integrated into every facility in the rooms.

The system couldn’t help but marvel: "This place is amazing!"

Chen Zhan wasn’t in the mood for conversation. Determined to earn back his costly hotel fees, he barely glanced around before opening his laptop to start writing—

...........

Hope reignited in me one day when I passed by the Civil Affairs Bureau and saw a quarreling couple.

If people who are married can get divorced, then an engagement means nothing.

I spent half a year meticulously planning my next move. First, I leveraged my connections to enroll in a film and television makeup school. During my crazy celebrity-obsession phase, I had already honed my makeup skills to the point where even my instructors praised my talent.

Through relentless effort, I obtained my senior technician and cosmetology certifications within the same year.

Beyond learning makeup during the day, I made full use of my free time. Since the president of the Lin Corporation visited his company’s branch in South Korea annually, I threw myself into learning Korean. Every month, I would set aside a few days to travel to South Korea and engage in conversations with locals, ultimately earning a Level 8 proficiency certificate.

During my spare time, I also sought guidance from professional voice actors on how to alter my voice to the greatest extent possible.

Once everything was in place, I flew to South Korea a few days before Lin Chi’ang.

With makeup, I had already adjusted the contours of my face. After adding a fake beard and some finishing touches, I looked convincingly like a local Korean.

I set up a small folding stool on the narrow street where he would pass by, wearing sunglasses and risking getting arrested for illegal street vending as I quickly put up a banner.

The road was too narrow, forcing Lin Chi’ang to step out of his car and ask me to leave.

"Sir," I said in fluent Korean, my voice calm. "If I’m not mistaken, your love life has entered a new stage within the past six months."

After studying numerous fortune tellers, I had perfected their mannerisms.

Uninterested in wasting time, he immediately pulled out some bills and placed them in my hand. "Leave before I call the police."

I seized the moment, grasping his hand and running my fingers over his palm. Shaking my head, I murmured, "Your love life is full of obstacles. Forcing this relationship will only bring misfortune to both of you."

Wealthy businessmen tend to be a bit superstitious, especially in real estate, where feng shui is crucial. They also take fortune-telling seriously.

Of course, the president of the Lin Corporation wasn’t easily fooled. He frowned and turned to leave.

I stopped him, returned the money, and said with feigned indifference, "You are destined for wealth and fortune. To share in your luck, I’ll read your fortune for free."

One step, two steps, three steps.

As I had predicted, he didn’t walk away completely.

But then, unexpectedly, he shoved an even thicker wad of cash into my hand, stuffed his hands into his pockets, and looked down at me. "I control my fate, not the heavens."

“……”

...........

After successfully uploading the new chapter, Chen Zhan posted on Weibo: New story, The Years When I Harassed the Queen of Film, updated. Hope everyone supports it!

【Cabbage is not cabbage: Checking in! Another juicy story to enjoy!】

Five minutes later, the first wave of reader feedback came in:

【“Wow! Makeup artist, voice actor, and a foreign language on top of that… Chen Zhan works so hard, what excuse do we have to slack off?!”】

【“I failed my professional level-four exam, and he managed to get a level-eight certification in just six months!!”】

【“Honestly, the rich people I know are pretty superstitious. This move is both cunning and ruthless.”】

【“...‘My fate is mine, not the heavens’ to decide? This story teaches us that fortune tellers can’t beat someone with a stubborn, rebellious streak!”】

Since it was almost dinnertime, Chen Zhan didn’t browse further.

The hotel provided three meals a day, which could be delivered to the room or enjoyed at the buffet restaurant.

Since he spent money to expand his network, Chen Zhan naturally chose to dine at the restaurant.

He arrived early, and many dishes weren’t ready yet. Scanning the room, he unexpectedly spotted the son of an investor he had met during a previous meal.

He remembered the guy had even thrown him a flirtatious glance back then.

The young man was engrossed in his phone and didn’t notice Chen Zhan at all.

It was much easier to build connections through a familiar face than to push himself onto complete strangers.

After casually eating a few things, Chen Zhan got up and followed the young man when he left. The latter didn’t look up from his phone until he stepped into the elevator. When he finally saw Chen Zhan, he was so startled that he almost jumped. “What are you doing here?”

Chen Zhan replied, “Attending the auction.”

Many hotels preferred to place luxury suites on the top floor, but this one was different—most suites were on the tenth floor. It offered the best ocean views and was conveniently close to the hotel’s private club. The young man lived on this floor, and as far as Chen Zhan knew, so did Yin Ronglan.

The young man pressed the button for his floor, then asked Chen Zhan with forced composure, “Which floor?”

Chen Zhan: “Just below the tenth. I still have a complimentary massage card I haven’t used.”

The young man could only pray that he wouldn’t run into Yin Ronglan.

But the odds of that were slim, especially since it was dinnertime.

Sure enough, as soon as he stepped out of the elevator, Chen Zhan spotted a familiar figure in the hallway.

Both of them froze.

Chen Zhan narrowed his eyes slightly, scanning Yin Ronglan. “You…”

“I invited him.”

Just as Yin Ronglan was about to admit the truth, the young man cut in, saving the situation.

Faced with Chen Zhan’s skeptical gaze, the young man remained composed. “I’m a fine arts major. I invited him to be my figure model.”

Chen Zhan: “A model?”

Models were everywhere—why specifically invite someone all the way to Zhehai City?

“A nude model,” the young man added. “His body proportions are the best I’ve ever seen.”

To keep up the act, he swiped his room card, put on an air of arrogance, and urged Yin Ronglan, “Come in already. I’m not paying you for nothing.”

But before the door could close, Chen Zhan followed them to the doorway.

The young man: “...What are you doing?”

Chen Zhan: “Joining.”

The young man refused outright: “No way. You’re too skinny.”

Chen Zhan said flatly, “You two, half-dressed in a room together, with money involved? If there’s a crackdown, this won’t be easy to explain.”

The young man’s expression grew complicated.

Chen Zhan continued, “If I stay, I can serve as a witness.”

“……”

____

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