ABSML Chapter 47: Trending Magnet
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ANNOUNCEMENT
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As Chen Zhan’s gaze swept across the room, everyone quickly averted their eyes.
Even emperors in ancient times probably didn’t command such an intimidating presence.
Yin Ronglan poured two cups of hot water and handed one to him. "This is only temporary."
Just then, the waiter brought over a complimentary seaweed and egg drop soup. Chen Zhan took the opportunity to order a few more dishes.
While waiting for the food, he turned his head to look at the snow-covered scenery outside the window and murmured, "…Let the storm rage even harder."
Amused by his tragic tone, Yin Ronglan’s lips curved into a smile as he revealed the truth. "The innocent citizen who got arrested this morning—he's my assistant."
Chen Zhan froze. No wonder that man had been staring at him in the restaurant. He sighed wistfully, "It’s fate."
Yin Ronglan nodded slightly. "Indeed. A rather unfortunate fate."
"…"
Seeing that Chen Zhan seemed a little guilty, Yin Ronglan reassured him, "I didn’t dock his attendance bonus, and I even gave him an extra day off. He’s probably at home celebrating right now."
As expected, Xiao Zhao was happily posting on social media, saying he had turned misfortune into a blessing. After his Weibo account was discovered, his follower count skyrocketed by tens of thousands in a matter of hours. Several companies even reached out, eager to turn him into an internet celebrity.
However, Xiao Zhao wisely declined and instead messaged his boss, stating that Chen Zhan possessed a natural talent for creating stars.
Yin Ronglan read the message, glanced at Chen Zhan again, and gave a slight nod of approval.
Even he had almost been forcibly pushed into the spotlight several times.
At the start of the new year, Chen Zhan became an internet sensation.
The volcanic mud perfume manufacturer he recently signed with was quite pragmatic. Initially, they only asked him to promote their product on Weibo, but now they were inviting him to shoot an endorsement campaign.
Chen Zhan understood their reasoning. His previous reputation wasn’t great—despite having a substantial fan base, he could easily bring negative attention to a brand.
But now, whenever he appeared, he had a commanding presence.
Netizens summed it up well: he had swung from one extreme to another.
On the day of the shoot, the photographer aimed the camera at him, shoulders trembling slightly with laughter.
"Raise it 30 degrees higher."
After regaining composure, the photographer demonstrated the proper pose.
Chen Zhan wasn’t new to shooting promotional photos. Having acted in web dramas before, he was already used to the camera. However, holding an awkward pose while spraying perfume and displaying an expression of enjoyment was a bit challenging for him.
"Your smile needs to be genuine."
The photographer sighed. "Don’t look like you're mocking the product."
After the shoot, Chen Zhan’s face was slightly stiff. As he grabbed some water, he joked, "Maybe I need glue to keep my expression in place."
Maintaining a sincere smile was no easy feat.
The photographer quipped, "Just get a few injections. That way, your face will always have the same expression."
Chen Zhan shrugged. "Well, there have been successful cases."
The photographer didn’t give him a chance to change the subject. After less than five minutes of rest, the second round of shooting began.
After striking various strange poses, they finally produced a set of youthful, energetic photos.
As Chen Zhan reviewed the shots, the photographer suddenly pointed at a thick coat hanging on the rack. "Is that your phone vibrating?"
Seeing that it was a call from Lin Chiang, Chen Zhan raised an eyebrow and swiped the screen to answer.
"What are you doing?"
Chen Zhan slightly curled his lips. Why did everyone always start with this question? Thinking about the advertising shoot, he replied, "Spinning, leaping, eyes closed."
Lin Chiang’s tone was never warm toward him. "I’d advise you to keep your eyes open and watch the world properly."
Hearing this, Chen Zhan frowned slightly and stepped out of the studio to hear the rest of what Lin Chiang had to say.
"The kidnapper from a few years ago—one of them was released early last month. Stay alert."
"Debts have their rightful owners." Chen Zhan paused before continuing, "Besides, it was your dad who used GPS to save the day back then."
Lin Chiang sneered. "At least he didn’t knock someone unconscious and leave them in a toilet."
With that, he hung up first.
Chen Zhan leaned against the doorframe, lost in thought. About ten minutes later, he returned to the studio.
An unexpected stroke of luck—his distracted gaze, full of a distant and unfocused expression, ended up satisfying the photographer. They took two extra shots.
After wrapping up the shoot, a few crew members approached him for autographs. Chen Zhan smiled and signed them all before putting on his thick coat and leaving.
As he walked out the door, the smile on his face gradually faded.
A kidnapping sentence should last at least five years. No matter how well the ringleader reformed, it was impossible for him to be released so soon. It was more likely an accomplice.
By the time he returned to his apartment complex, the sky had already darkened. Just as he lowered his head to search for his keys, he noticed two burly men standing outside his door.
He hesitated for a split second between running or facing them head-on. One of the men spoke first: "Hello, Mr. Lin sent us."
Chen Zhan didn’t take his eyes off them and called Lin Chiang to confirm.
His already small apartment felt even more cramped with these two towering men inside.
Chen Zhan reminded them, "It’s already past 8 PM."
One of the men responded, "We’re part of a small security team working in shifts." After a pause, he added, "To ensure safety, we’d like to check the apartment as soon as possible."
Chen Zhan sighed, took his laptop, and moved aside. "Suit yourselves."
The two men divided their tasks. One found a box of sewing supplies under the bed—leftovers from when Chen Zhan used to sew plush toys. The other discovered a strange metal box in the fridge, filled with small notebooks densely packed with writing.
"Find anything?" Chen Zhan asked, looking up.
The bodyguard shook his head. To put it bluntly, they thought the person in front of them seemed more dangerous.
That night, only one bodyguard stayed behind. Chen Zhan wasn’t used to sharing a room with a stranger, so even past midnight, he didn’t feel the slightest bit sleepy.
He wasn’t one to be overly dramatic. With the Lin family’s influence, finding someone shouldn’t be difficult—unless that person was deliberately hiding. And if someone went off the radar right after being released from prison, it was likely for something bad.
To be extra cautious, the next morning, Chen Zhan messaged Yin Ronglan with a straightforward request: more people, more power. He wanted to see if the other party had any leads on the missing person.
Less than thirty minutes after sending the message, two more men in black were ‘delivered to his door.’
The couch was now completely occupied. Chen Zhan almost laughed in exasperation. If three more men arrived, they’d have a full cast for "Snow White and the Seven Giants."
On his way downstairs to buy groceries, he ran into the old neighbor across the hall, who was returning from collecting recyclables. The old man’s leg froze mid-step on the staircase. "Xiao… Xiao Chen…"
"Don’t ask." Chen Zhan waved him off.
If anyone asked, the answer was simple—his brain had been waterlogged.
With several burly men following him, even the shop owner hesitated to state the price at checkout. It was only after Chen Zhan repeatedly insisted that they finally settled the bill.
Three days passed peacefully.
Just as he was about to be driven into full-on hermit mode, something finally broke the monotony.
It all started with a call from Chen Ru. Crying, she apologized over the phone: "I have something really important to tell you. I swear, I didn’t bring any reporters this time."
Afraid he wouldn’t believe her, she quickly added, "If you don’t trust me, you can record the call."
Her voice sounded genuinely on the verge of collapse. Given the strong emotions involved, Chen Zhan figured she might do something drastic. After considering this, he decided to step out.
A bodyguard blocked his way: "You forgot to send a message."
Before this, Yin Ronglan had repeatedly emphasized that if he went out, it would be best to send a text to inform them.
Halfway through editing the message, Yin Ronglan’s call came in. Upon hearing that he was going out, Yin Ronglan said, "I'll be off work in half an hour. I’ll pick you up."
There was no direct transportation from his home to Chen Ru’s apartment complex, and Chen Zhan had no interest in strolling through the snowstorm, so he agreed immediately.
Yin Ronglan arrived faster than expected. When the door opened, he saw four burly men standing in a row, looking somewhat surprised. In front of them, Chen Zhan appeared small and pitiful in comparison.
"If you laugh out loud, I won’t easily forgive you for the next two days."
Yin Ronglan softly promised that he absolutely wouldn’t laugh.
One car couldn’t fit so many people, so they only brought two bodyguards along.
Just as Chen Zhan fastened his seatbelt, Chen Ru called again, sounding anxious.
Yin Ronglan glanced at him. "You two aren’t related. Be cautious."
Chen Zhan nodded.
At the entrance of the apartment complex, Yin Ronglan subtly hinted to the bodyguards to act more naturally and not attract attention.
His hand hesitated for a second before pressing the doorbell, and he decided instead to wait at the entrance. As soon as someone entered the building, he quickly followed.
Reaching the fourth floor, he pressed his ear against the door and mouthed to Yin Ronglan, who had just arrived: "Something's off."
At that moment, a scream came from inside. The two exchanged glances and started pounding on the door.
At the same time, the door suddenly swung open. Yin Ronglan pulled Chen Zhan back to prevent him from falling forward due to inertia.
A knife was pressed against Chen Ru’s neck, leaving a shallow wound. She was on the verge of breaking down, barely able to stand.
Under these circumstances, even the bodyguards couldn’t rush in to save her.
Chen Zhan found the man somewhat familiar, but before he could recall, the man spat with hatred: "I’ve spent years in prison, thinking every single moment about killing you!"
Compared to when he was a kidnapper, the man now looked much more worn out.
Chen Zhan didn’t attempt to reason with him but simply asked, "Why do you hate me?"
The one knocked out in the toilet was the ringleader of the kidnappers. Back then, the original Chen Zhan had tried to take down the leader first, and the kidnappers hadn’t cared about his life at all.
The man let out a few crazed laughs: "Do you know that because of you, we were mocked in prison as ‘stones in the latrine’ and treated with disdain?!"
Chen Zhan couldn’t follow his logic… It was already baffling to be hated for such a reason, but he also didn’t understand why this man kidnapped Chen Ru.
His confusion was too obvious, and the man, feeling proud, pressed the knife deeper. "You have bodyguards, Lin Chiang has bodyguards, even his fiancée is under protection."
Ignoring Chen Ru’s sobs, the man raised an eyebrow excitedly. "Since I can’t touch you all, I’ll go after the people closest to you."
A sharp pain cut across her neck. Chen Ru choked out, "I really have nothing to do with him… The news was fake, there were clarifications online…"
"Trying to cover up the truth!" the man roared. "You all just love pretending to be in secret relationships, taking me for a fool!"
Chen Ru broke down in tears.
As the standoff continued, a low voice suddenly sounded: "The closest person?"
The killing intent emanating from Yin Ronglan wasn’t any weaker than the kidnapper’s. When Chen Zhan turned his head, he saw that Yin Ronglan’s gentle smile had vanished, and his dark eyes were locked onto the kidnapper.
"Are you blind?"
"…"
The man hesitated for a second, confused by his words. Sensing that this was their last chance, Chen Ru took a huge risk and stomped hard on the man's foot.
"You bitch!" The man howled in pain and raised his knife to stab her.
Clang!
In an instant, the knife was kicked to the floor. The man’s eyes widened in shock, but before he could react, he was hit with a series of kicks.
The bodyguards swiftly rushed forward, grabbing each of his arms and slamming him to the ground. After subduing the kidnapper, they turned to look at the fallen knife in amazement, then at Yin Ronglan… Their employer was that skilled?
Yin Ronglan walked over. Everyone thought he was going to help Chen Ru up, but instead, he casually kicked the man again.
After calling an ambulance, Chen Zhan then contacted the police. He knelt down to check the wound on Chen Ru’s neck—fortunately, it wasn’t too deep.
The police arrived quickly, and within ten minutes, sirens could be heard in the distance.
After giving a brief explanation, Yin Ronglan went to give his statement, while Chen Zhan waited for the ambulance before heading to the station.
By the time everything was settled, it was nearly dawn.
Exhausted, Chen Zhan forced himself to freshen up before collapsing into bed and falling into a deep sleep.
The next morning.
Reaching for his phone on the bedside table to check the time, he groggily noticed an unread message.
[Lin Chiang: Stay single for life.]
At first, Chen Zhan didn’t understand. Then, he opened Weibo.
Trending at the top was a statement from Chen Ru’s studio, along with a video.
In the video, Chen Ru, wearing a hospital gown, tearfully apologized, struggling to speak through sobs:
"I was wrong… I shouldn’t have tried to boost my exposure with fake scandals. I nearly lost my life over it." She hiccupped through her crying and continued in a broken voice, "I hereby declare, I have absolutely no relationship with Chen Zhan. I hope anyone who holds a grudge against him stops coming after me… I truly regret it…"
The comments were all over the place:
[Brothers from all over: This is obviously a tragic situation, but I can’t help feeling like laughing.]
[Dark Blossom: I have a lot of sympathy… unless I really can’t hold it in.]
[The Village Belle: Just one question, Chen Ru—have you ever risked your life for someone else?]
[huiu: After this incident, I doubt anyone in the industry will dare to use him for clout again.]
Chen Zhan only read a few comments before closing the app. Then he checked the trending list—multiple hashtags with his name were marked “explosive.”
#Love me, are you scared?#
#Treasure your life, stay away from Chen Zhan#
#When a fake girlfriend meets a real kidnapper#
In that instant, he understood the meaning behind Lin Chiang’s message. After causing such a huge storm, who would dare to be his girlfriend now?
Chen Zhan stood frozen for a few seconds, then shook his head, deciding to temporarily put his worries aside and find something to eat first.
___
Author’s Note:
Chen Zhan: Who am I? Where am I? What did I do this time?
P.S.: The events in the story are a special case. If you ever encounter a kidnapper, please do not take any dangerous actions.
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