Talent Chapter 27

Chapter 26 | Table of Content | Chapter 28

Chapter 27: That clown doesn’t even look human!

Translator: Aafkee

Proofreader: ChaiTea

Han Dong was confronted with Feng Jun's insufferable, cold face as soon as he turned around. The driver honked at him impatiently a few more times. Han Dong was not in a good mood in the first place, so seeing these self-proclaimed high and mighty clothed beasts blatantly discriminating against people like him made his anger flare up even more. "How many fucking times are you gonna honk, huh? I have ears!" Wang Zhongding, sitting in the car's backseat, rolled down the window, "What happened?" Han Dong's bravado immediately deflated like a balloon letting out air the moment he saw Wang Zhongding. "A beggar is in the way," the driver stated matter-of-factly with an expressionless face. Han Dong was all prepared for his strategic retreat, but he rushed to the driver's car door to refute him when he heard what he said, "Who are you calling a beggar? Get the hell out of the car if you're ballsy enough!" The driver didn't dare to act rashly before Wang Zhongding gave his words. Han Dong only wanted to scold a sentence or two before he left, but he lost all his courage when he realised that Wang Zhongding was staring at him. The lack of courage was not due to his ugliness but because he was afraid that he wasn't ugly enough. To be on the safe side, he pointed at his future husband directly, "What the hell you lookin' at? Looking for a fight?" The bodyguards at the back stood up immediately upon hearing those words, only to be ordered by Wang Zhongding to sit back down. "Let's go. Drive carefully, and don't hit him." Wang Zhongding's calm tone and thoughtful exhortations made Han Dong's hair, even those on his mole, stand up. He felt a wave of fear crashing over him, "Fuck, he won't be attracted to me with that behaviour, right?" And the once-calm voice became freezing cold in the car that stopped not far away.
"Never let me see such a clown ever again." Feng Jun nodded, "Understood, Mr Wang. I will instruct the administration department to monitor and manage the situation strictly at the entrance." ...... Han Dong received a text message just as he returned to his residence. Someone had just transferred him 30,000RMB with a note saying, "I promised you, you don't have to return this." "Fuck! I don't give a shit!" And with that, Han Dong transferred the money back to where it came from. Ye Chenglin saw Han Dong sitting on the ground in a daze when he pushed the door open. His clothes were unchanged, and his "make-up" was not yet removed. He seemed to blend perfectly with the rubbish all around him. "What the hell, you scared me!" Han Dong patted the empty spot next to him, "Here, have a seat." "I think I'll remain standing." Ye Chenglin was disgusted, "Why is it so dirty?" Han Dong said unhurriedly, "Li Shang left. No one is here to clean up after me." "Oh right, didn't you say you'll meet him today?"
"I did, but he ignored me." Ye Chenglin couldn't help but speak the painful truth, "You've only known each other for a couple of days. Why would he be willing to dig out his heart for you? Besides, didn't you already know that he would betray you?" "Let's not talk about him." Han Dong lifted his head and stared at Ye Chenglin, "Are you going back to your hometown to get married?" "Oh, please. I don't even own an apartment here. How am I gonna get married here?" The thought of Ye Chenglin's hometown in Guizhou made Han Dong feel reluctant to part with him, "Then, will you still come to Beijing in the future?" "Of course! I'd come just to meet you!" Ye Chenglin laughed. Han Dong felt a lot better in his heart, "Why aren't you packing yet? Aren't you leaving in a few days? Can you make it in time?" "I have a bunch of old stuff that can't be taken away anyway, so I'm just going to tidy up briefly. I'll have a banquet here before I leave and invite the group of buddies in Beijing. I'll start packing then." "Sure, I'll give you a hand."

Chapter 26 | Table of Content | Chapter 28

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Talent Chapter 26

Chapter 25 | Table     of Content | Chapter 27

Chapter 26: You bastard!

Translator: Aafkee

Proofreader: ChaiTea

In the end, Liang Jing lost his rights as a director to produce the film anyway. Li Shang was also moved from a single suite to a group dormitory. Although he was treated less favourably than before, he was in a much better mood than before. He no longer felt so lost, and his life was no longer so dry.

"According to our mutual agreement, your stage name will be Li Tianbang. You come from a family of artists, and your grandfather was the chairman of the board of directors of the Chinese American Art Association. You immigrated to the United States with your parents at the age of ten and graduated from the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University. You were scouted by Producer Liang when you came to China for an exhibition..."

Like Li Xiang, the others were given different backgrounds. To avoid exposing each other in the future, the artists were only allowed to discuss their real backgrounds in private. It was even more so for someone like Li Xiang, who had gone under the knife.

"From today, each and every one of you will have to change your contact details and mobile phones. You must use the phone number provided by the company, and you must not contact any of your friends. This is to avoid any harassment you might face after your debut. Of course, once you've settled into your character and are able to manage your friends, you'll be free to do as you please."

It has been more than a week since Han Dong was discharged from the hospital. He tried to call Li Shang countless times, but no one answered. Ye Chenglin's wedding was coming up, and he only had a few hundred RMB left in his bank account.

"God damn it! I knew that guy wasn't reliable!"


Han Dong cursed. He refused to give up so easily. His so-called friends called each other brothers, but when it came to borrowing money, they all acted like cowards. Li Shang was the only person who agreed to help him, so who else could he call?

Just as he was about to leave the house, Han Dong suddenly realised a serious problem: Li Shang had signed a contract with Zhong Ding Films and Television Corporation. If he went looking for Li Shang now, would he run into Wang Zhongding?

Han Dong pinched his fingers and tried looking into his future, a bad omen!

That won't do, Han Dong thought. He had to primp up...

Han Dong changed into his old uniform, which had already been reduced to a footcloth. He paired it with a pair of nine-quarter trousers, the crotch of which was pulled down to his knees, revealing his eye-catching cotton leggings inside. He then rubbed some cooking oil into the corners of his lips and sprinkled some cinder into his hair, before adding seven moles to his face and a few strands of hair to the moles... Thinking that he was not dirty enough, he rolled around on the floor twice and even sprayed himself with shoddy insect repellent.

And just like that, he went out in that outfit!!

As expected, Han Dong was not even allowed through the company's entrance.

In the end, all he could do was wander around until the cold, serious guard begged him, "Bro! Can you stay away from me? I'm going to throw up my lunch."

Not much else was said after that.


A special van transporting managers and trainees slowly drove up to the entrance. The manager, who was eating, suddenly made an indecent dry-heaving noise before awkwardly pointing through the window at something: "Holy shit, that guy is too disgusting...".

Li Shang glanced out of the window and had a feeling that person was familiar.

Han Dong saw him at the same time and rushed over to stop the van.

"Hey, stop!"

Li Shang's roommate rolled down the window, but the smell was too strong, so he closed it again before asking, "Who are you?"

Han Dong shouted, "Li Shang! I'm Han Dong! Come out quickly!"

The manager questioned coldly, "Li Tianbang, do you know this person?"

Li Shang would have tried to give Han Dong a hint by winking or something but with his current costume... Li Shang did not even dare to look at him again.

"I don't know him."

Han Dong could not help himself and cursed as he saw the van drive away.

"Li Shang, you bastard!"

Just as he finished cursing, a brand name car behind him honked at him.

Chapter 25 | Table of Content | Chapter 27

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Talent Chapter 25

Chapter 24 | Table of Content | Chapter 26

Chapter 25: Can be cultivated.

Translator: Aafkee

Proofreader: ChaiTea

Li Shang agreed to take the limbs extension surgery in the end. The doctor broke the bones in his limbs, and two sets of steel pins threaded through each end of the joint. A ten-pound bone external fixator was then attached outside to make sure the operated limbs would not be moved. They used this method to stimulate the cells and tissues in his bones, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels to achieve rapid growth. It was already two days after the surgery, and the pain had yet to ease. Instead, it seemed to be getting worse. A few times, Li Shang wanted to ask the doctor to return the bones to where they were but could only grit his teeth and bear it when he thought of the cost he had to pay. However, this was only the beginning of his nightmare. On the third day, the doctor began to rotate the screw at the top of the fixator and forced it to stretch a millimetre. Li Shang almost fainted from the pain during the process. The ward was like a slaughter site, his howls filling the whole room. Night times were the most difficult to bear. The hospital bed was like a torture rack. Li Shang was handcuffed to it, not daring to make any phone calls as he was afraid it would be his cry for help when he opened his mouth. He would feel his blood run cold every time he recalled his loneliness, helplessness, and torment.
Excluding the two days of preparation and recovery each, Li Shang experienced ten days of inhumane torture! He lost a total of 6.5kg in mere ten days! As for the leg circumference that did not reach the expected standard, they forewent the liposuction and only did fat filling in his buttocks. And just like that, an artificial "perspective male lead" was successfully made. The greatest feeling Li Shang felt when the steel pins were removed was: money does not come easy for anyone! No matter how the money was obtained, you need to pay an equal amount in other ways. Liang Jing drove to the hospital to pick him up the next day. According to normal medical procedures, the recovery period was three months. Li Shang was not supposed to be leaving his hospital bed. However, he did not have a choice. Wang Zhongding had explicitly asked to meet him this time. Even if the path to him was full of nails, Li Shang must bring himself in front of Wang Zhongding even if he had to step over the nails while dripping blood. Li Shang thought the pain was over. Who knew? The moment his feet touched the ground, he felt as if he had experienced hell. The pain was almost suffocating. A mere sway on his feet made him feel dizzy, let alone him taking a step. "Why don't we help him to the car?" One of the bodyguards asked. Liang Jing rejected that idea without hesitation, "No, he has to walk by himself. If he can't do it now, he won't be able to do it in front of Director Wang." There was no turning back for Li Shang. He had already endured the cruel torture. If he gave up now, it would not be a pity but absolutely horrendous. Besides, he only needed to walk these few steps. He could continue with his recovery afterwards. With that thought in mind, Li Shang "blocked" his sensory system and tragically walked the stretch. "Director Wang, we have brought him here," Liang Jing said. Li Shang tried his hardest to control the muscles on his face, "Nice to meet you, Director Wang. My name is Li Shang." Wang Zhongding smiled and nodded before glancing at Li Shang's body. He could tell with just a look that Li Shang's figure, indeed, met his requirements. "You're really good." Wang Zhongding said to Liang Jing. Liang Jing smiled, "That was not me. It was thanks to him knowing how to grow." Wang Zhongding next words were unexpected, "The measurements are correct, but the feel isn't." Liang Jing's face froze, "What do you mean?"
"There are changes to the script. As an undercover agent, the previous script only required the male lead to change his appearance, but now, he needs to 'change his gender' completely. We need a male lead who can dress up as a woman and look stunning. We also need him to be able to handle the disguise skillfully. He must be able to switch between being a man and woman and have a figure good enough to look good in both genders." The temptation to 'flip a table and leave' was at the forefront of Liang Jing's mind. With his network and connections, he could transfer to other companies and could still do well. There was no need for him to face such humiliation. However, as Li Shang had suffered, when one needs to pay too big of a price, he also loses the courage to gamble his chances. "But..." Wang Zhongding watched the droplets of sweat forming on Li Shang's forehead, refusing to drip down, and finally opened his mouth, "this person... can be cultivated!"

Chapter 24 | Table of Content | Chapter 26

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Talent Chapter 24

Chapter 23 | Table of Content | Chapter 25

Chapter 24: An aggravation.

Translator: Aafkee

Proofreader: ChaiTea

Han Dong was fretting over the medical expenses when Li Shang visited him in the hospital. "God damn it! This hospital is too much! They are making me pay 15000 just for being hospitalised for a couple of days! I have no cash in hand. The money was borrowed from Ye Cheng. But he's going to get married in half a month or so, so he needs the money too. I don't want to owe him money for too long. I wanted to borrow some money from my girlfriend, but the line won't go through! Sigh, say, why can't I find someone who truly loves me?" "Are you sure you don't know the reason?" Li Shang laughed, judging him. Han Dong held his head with a painful look on his face. Li Shang asked, "How about your parents? Don't they know that you're hospitalised? You can borrow from them first." "They are not my blood-related parents. I'm not thick-skinned enough to ask." Li Shang was shocked, "Not blood-related?" Han Dong sighed, "Since I've started it, I might as well tell you the whole story. I've never told anyone about this. I'm telling you this because I think of you as my real brother." In reality, Han Dong had already told countless people. He would much rather the whole world knew about his family background. "I was born with six fingers. We have a saying that children with six fingers will bring bad luck to their parents, so my parents passed me on to my uncle. My uncle's family ended up having their own child and heard that a family in the neighbouring village had three daughters and wanted a son, so they decided to pass me on to that family, which is my current adoptive parents' family." Li Shang found it unbelievable, "Are you serious?" Han Dong reached out his left hand, "Look at this scar if you don't believe me. It was left behind from when my finger was chopped off." Li Shang asked again, "What happened after? How about your real parents?" "Dead." Han Dong replied without any emotions. "Dead?"
Han Dong's expression was dark, "Do they really think they would be fine after abandoning me? I can bring them misfortune in any case!" Li Shang was speechless. Han Dong returned to the topic, "Oh right, how are you doing over there?" "I'm going to sign the contract soon." Li Shang said. "Not bad! Bro, seeing as how you're gonna become rich soon, why don't you..." The expression on Han Dong's face betrayed his feelings of wanting to blackmail him. "I was going to mention it even if you didn't. I'll transfer you 30,000 once the contract money gets transferred to my bank account. 15,000 for Ye Chenglin, the other 15,000 for you." Han Dong was overjoyed, "As expected of my brother!" Three days later, Ye Chenglin rushed to the hospital and saw Han Dong shaking his leg while packing. He hurried over and asked, "Why are you discharging early? Tell me if you lack the money, and I'll pay for you first!" Han Dong turned and faced Ye Chenglin. The expression on his face was enough for him to apply for the Guinness Most Bitter Record. "I'm too embarrassed to stay any longer!" Ye Chenglin was anxious, "What's wrong with you this time?"
"I went to thank my benefactor last night, and guess what? That benefactor was the same young man I screwed over nine years ago! What's worse, he really ended up with a man!! And the worst is, his man is also a very good person. Now, he has lost his toe because of this accident!!! I wanted to pay them back by returning the favour, but it turns out to be an aggravation instead!!!!" "What happened next? Did they not want revenge on you?" "Of course they did!! If not for my trump card, I would have been crushed to pieces!" Ye Chenglin was unsure what he should say, "Just what kind of sins have you committed?" "Both of them were such kind people!" Han Dong pounded his chest, "I can't imagine how much retribution I must suffer for this! They would kill me!" Han Dong looked like he could already see the matchmakers with chilli water and holding leather lash, walking towards him with an evil grin... It seemed like he won't be able to avoid this disaster!

Chapter 23 | Table of Content | Chapter 25

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Talent Chapter 23

Chapter 22 | Table of Content | Chapter 24

Chapter 23: That’s too early to say!

Translator: Aafkee

Proofreader: ChaiTea

On the flight back from their business trip to Shanghai, Feng Jun told Wang Zhongding about what happened with Liang Jing. “Are you saying that the person Liang Jing found will fit all the requirements?” Wang Zhongding did not even lift his head as he said directly, “Impossible.” “How can you be so sure? I saw how confident Liang Jing was!” Wang Zhongding replied in an even more confident tone, “The data I have given him simply goes against human ergonomics. There’s no way anyone will meet that kind of standard.” Feng Jun asked knowingly, “Then why do you still insist on having Liang Jing look for such a person?” “It can’t be helped. This man is too greedy. The company has more than ten studios and so many executive producers and yet he wants to have sole control over everything. If I want to keep him in check, I have to split up the resources and projects in his hands.” Feng Jun puzzled, “Why don’t you just remove his rights as an executive producer for this film?” Wang Zhongding replied very seriously, “Don’t you guys say that I’m too straightforward, and the way I do things is too simple and crude? That’s why I’m a bit more tactful this time.” Feng Jun did not believe a single word he said. Every single person in the company was waiting for Liang Jing to make a fool of himself. Was Wang Zhongding serious about being tactful? “What if there really is this one divine person who happens to have a body with such nature-defying human ergonomics to prove you wrong?” Feng Jun looked at Wang Zhongding teasingly. There was no change in Wang Zhongding’s facial expression, “Then, I would really love to see such a person for myself. If the person does have such a figure, I’ll spare no effort in pushing him to stardom!” “Hahahaha…” Wang Zhongding got another urgent call not long after getting off the plane. He returned once again to the arrival hall. “Family matters, I can go alone. Keep an eye on the company for me.” Feng Jun nodded, “Then, Liang Jing…” “Let him struggle a little longer, and I’ll finish him with a single hit.”
Liang Jing was at a complete loss at the office. Having received a call saying that Wang Zhongding would be out on a business trip again for another two weeks, his blood, which had turned cold, began to boil again. Indeed, there was no way he could change anything in two days, but it was another story if it was two weeks. Including changes from cosmetic surgery, body shaping, it was common in the entertainment industry. Only that it would be extremely rare to meet Wang Zhongding’s requirements despite plastic surgery. And in this case, the person he found was 1.8 metres but his legs were not long enough. Even if he were to attach bones to make them longer, the legs would reach the requirement but the height would be above the maximum limit. Besides, there were other problems such as leg proportions and the limitations of the current medical advancement, etcetera. All of these made Liang Jing apprehensive. He had gone through the thick stack of papers filled with data in no time. Just as Liang Jing was about to mentally fall apart, Li Shang’s data had rescued him. “Director, look! Both this height and leg length are 18mm apart!” Xiao-Wen was amazed, “This is too awesome! This must be our lucky star!” Li Shang was already mentally prepared to pack his bags and leave. Instead, Liang Jing tossed the contract in front of him. “The signing bonus of the contract is three million dollars, you’ll get the lump sum after you signed!” But that was under the premise that Li Shang must undergo a series of body cosmetic surgeries, including liposuction, fat filling and bone lengthening. The first two on the list were still acceptable, but the last one had high risk. Xiao-Wen was very sincere in explaining the drawbacks of each surgery, including the fact that the medical technology was not yet mature enough and how it might lead to unpredictable after-effects. Three million was a sky-high figure for any celebrities starting out, a figure which Li Shang would not even dare to think about in the past. Moreover, with the contract and signing bonus, Liang Jing would utilise him in other ways to make money even if he did not get the role. With Liang Jing’s resources and power, it was only a matter of time before Li Shang got popular! Liang Jing tossed him another contract, clearly stating that if the surgery did fail, Liang Jing would bear the full cost of any follow-up treatments, with an addition of one million dollars as compensation for his mental welfare. “I can give you time to consider, but you need to understand that the longer you take, the greater the risk is to your body and the intensity of your recovery.”

__________

Translator's note:

MERRY CHRISTMASSSSSSSS.

Chapter 22 | Table of Content | Chapter 24

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Talent Chapter 22

Chapter 21 | Table of Content | Chapter 23

Chapter 22: Difference.

Translator: Aafkee

Proofreader: ChaiTea

Staying in a high-class apartment, wearing a bathrobe made of pure natural fabric, sitting on an imported leather sofa, and searching for famous blockbusters that Liang Jing directed and produced; Li Shang still felt a sense of unrealness. His classmate from back in university gave him a call, “Have you found a full-time job?” Li Shang was smiling as he replied, “Does being an actor count?” “Get out! I’ll fucking eat a bucket of shit if a mechanical engineer graduate like you can become an actor!” Li Shang laughed out loud. Just as he was about to say something, the doorbell rang. “Gotta go. Someone is here.” Li Shang went to open the door and realised the visitor was Liang Jing. Seeing the person in front of him, Li Shang could not help but become nervous. “I couldn’t fall asleep, so I’m here to check your body.” Liang Jing walked inside directly. Li Shang was astonished, “Check my body?” Xiao-Wen rushed in not a moment later and brought a height altimeter, a right angle gauge, and an angle gauge with him. “It has been ten days since we last met. Just a slight negligence in your diet may have caused a change in your data. If there is any slight deviation, we can still use these two days to make up for it.” Li Shang was very confused, “When… did we meet?” Liang Jing did not explain. He merely raised his chin towards Xiao-Wen, signalling him to do what he was supposed to do. Once again, Li Shang was stripped naked. Xiao-Wen meticulously took the measurements for each part of his body. Besides his height, hip circumference, and leg length that Liang Jing had mentioned before, the examination of other parts of his body such as thigh circumference, calf circumference, as well as the curve of his legs. The whole process took half an hour. Only after Xiao-Wen confirmed that there were no errors, did he hand the data over to Liang Jing. Liang Jing scanned the data from the top of the table to the bottom, the expression on his face changed as he went down the rows of data. Li Shang stole a glance at him from the side, and a sense of foreboding rose in his heart.
Liang Jing murmured with a sullen expression on his face, “I should have been accurate, there shouldn’t be such a major inaccuracy even if the measurements are dynamic…” He stood up as he was finishing his sentence and walked towards Li Shang, “I’ll take your measurements myself.” The measurements remained the same the second time. If gauged with the eyes alone, Han Dong’s and Li Shang’s figures look almost the same. But once the measurements were taken with clothes stripped off, the difference in measurement for each part of the body became obvious. Parts like the hip and leg circumferences were still fine, they can be covered by other means. However, Li Shang’s legs were 18mm long and his height was insufficient as well. It was impossible to change those measurements in two days. “Does this pair of trousers belong to you?” Liang Jing lifted his head suddenly and asked. Li Shang’s tongue stiffened, “W-What’s wrong?” Xiao-Wen jumped into the conversation, “Our director happened to find you on the street. You were already gone when we drove over, leaving a piece of cloth torn from your trousers on the fence. We only went to the entrance of Northern Film Studio to recruit people so that we could look for you. Otherwise, there’s no way a big company like us would be lacking acto-” “Enough!” Liang Jing interrupted Xiao-Wen and asked Li Shang directly, “So, does this pair of trousers belong to you or not?” Li Shang knew fully well whether or not those trousers belonged to him, but he was no longer sure whether his mouth was still his own. He felt as if he had won 3 million dollars with 10 thousand dollars, but ended up losing everything until he only had 10 thousand dollars left. Although he did not technically lose anything, his mentality was completely different from when he thought he was lucky. “Oh… that day? I ended up on the fence because I got into a fight with someone.” Seeing how Li Shang did not answer his question directly, Liang Jing’s hopes were completely shattered. “Wang Zhongding, it seems like you’re determined not to use me.” Liang Jing sneered. Xiao-Wen tried to comfort him, “Director, don’t rush it. We still have two more days to look for one.” “Find? From where?” Liang Jing roared in anger all of a sudden, “Do you think there will be any living person in this world who grows according to the requirements of others? I have been searching for three months now, and there is only one that’s anywhere close to what I’m looking for. And now? There is a difference of nearly two centimetres! Are you gonna attach those lacking two centimetres on to him?!”

Chapter 21 | Table of Content | Chapter 23

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Talent Chapter 21

Chapter 20 | Table of Content | Chapter 22

Chapter 21: Repentance.

Translator: Aafkee

Proofreader: ChaiTea

Ye Chenglin rushed to the hospital that night. Han Dong was lying in the hospital, shivering and holding a magazine before him as he talked to himself. "I can't even tell that he swings that way from reading his face. Just how will he end up together with me? Don't tell me it was a problem on my side?" Han Dong took out a small mirror with a trembling hand and examined his own face, left and right. "Tsk tsk, there's no one more manly than I am! How dare I suspect myself..." "What are you doing?" Ye Chenglin was surprised. Han Dong put away the magazine quickly and grabbed Ye Chenglin's hand as he lamented, "I was so unlucky today!" "What the hell is going on?" Ye Chenglin asked anxiously. Han Dong briefly summarised, "I fell into a 30 metres deep well. Thank god the kind police saved me!" "How did you fall into the well all of a sudden? Are you blind? How can you not see the well when it was so obvious?!" Han Dong could only cry out in his heart: You should be afraid of having good eyesight rather than worrying about having a bad one nowadays! If I didn't see it, I wouldn't have chosen to jump into it! "All right, all right, just lie down." Ye Chenglin tucked Han Dong into the blanket. Han Dong suddenly spoke out of nowhere, "Say, is this karma?" "Karma? What immoral deeds have you done?" It was unbearable to look back at the past, "Sigh... I ruined the life of a good young lad nine years ago!" "How did you ruin him?" Ye Chenglin was curious. "I just learnt about it from an online chat at that time. I don't know what went through my head then, but I added a male friend, and I started chatting with him... naked." Ye Chenglin's eyes widened, "You chatted with a man naked?" "Calm down and listen!" Han Dong held Ye Chenglin down, "I hid my birdy between my legs and pretended to be a woman. You know how long and fair my legs are; he did not suspect a thing. And then, I watched him rub himself cheerfully as I smoked a cigarette! When he was about to cum, I sent him a message..."
"What message?" "I said, ‘honey, don't you blink. I'm going to show you a magic trick." The corner of Ye Chenglin's lips twitched, "Don't tell me... you opened your legs?" Han Dong covered his face with his hands, "You understand me too well." Ye Chenglin did not know whether to cry or laugh, "And then? Did he not want to beat the shit out of you?" "I blocked him, so he couldn't find me. Even now, I have no idea where he is." "You have no sense of morals! What if he was traumatised and could not get hard when he sees women now?" "That's why..." Han Dong wept as he confessed, "I deserve the karma I received today." Ye Chenglin was still confused, "But what does that have to do with you falling into the well?" "How should I put it?" Han Dong was torn. He could not possibly tell him that he might have bent a straight man, which indirectly caused him to fall into the hands of another man now, could he? Ye Chenglin let out a sigh, "Forget it. You must have gone mad from soaking in the well for too long. Look at how cold it is! You should thank heaven for the kind-hearted police. If it were me, I wouldn't even have looked down." Han Dong could only feel another wave of emotions inside, "I have no thoughts other than wanting to repay my life saviour! Especially since I can't erase my past mistakes, nor do I know where the young lad is right now. I can only seize the opportunity in front of me and repent for my sins by repaying my saviour."

Chapter 20 | Table of Content | Chapter 22

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Talent Chapter 20

Chapter 19 | Table of Content | Chapter 21

Chapter 20: This goddamned ill-fated relationship!

Translator: Aafkee

Proofreader: ChaiTea

Before meeting Wang Zhongding, Liang Qing told Li Shang about the exact same “5 Don’ts” he had warned Tao Yunyun, without missing a single word. Li Shang was stunned, “How did you know about Han Dong?” “Han Dong?” Liang Qing could not understand Li Shang’s logic and line of thought. Li Shang nodded, “Yeah, isn’t the person you are talking about called Han Dong?” “What is Han Dong?*” Liang Qing was unhappy about Li Shang’s interruption, “I’m telling you about the type of person CEO Wang hates. I wasn’t talking about anyone specific!” “But that description sure does fit Han…” Liang Qing interrupted him bluntly, “Are you still half asleep?” Li Shang mumbled internally: I didn’t even get to sleep… Liang Qing gave a call to Wang Zhongding, “CEO Wang, are you free right now?” “I am out the whole day today.” “I see…” Liang Qing felt quite helpless, “I was hoping I could give you a nice surprise as soon as possible.” “There is no rush, there are three more days. Once the time limit is up, I’ll be asking you for it even if you don’t send it to me.” Liang Qing hung up the phone and spoke to Li Shang, “Go back and rest.” “W-We’re not meeting him anymore?” “Next time.” Han Dong did a full day of odd jobs. Although there was not much work, the tasks were too varied so he had to travel here and there. He already was exhausted after only half a day. It took all of Han Dong’s energy to endure until his lunch break. He sat down directly on the floor and devoured his lunch box the moment his butt touched the ground. The migrant worker sitting beside him asked with a laugh, “You have not done any manual labour before, have you?” Han Dong nodded, “I used to be an actor.” “Huh? That’s a pretty big difference from your current job.” “I was only an extra. It wasn’t very different.” “I guess you’re right, Both jobs are for the sake of making the film and tv industry better, there isn’t much of a difference!”
The corners of Han Dong mouth covered in oil lifted, “You sure know how to bullshit, What link does this job have with the film and tv industry?” “Why is there no link? This project here is the base for the films and tv!” The chopsticks in Han Dong’s hand paused, “We’re building a base here?” “Wasn’t it clearly written on that big board?” The migrant worker pointed. Han Dong turned his head, only to see big words “Zhong Ding Films and Television Corporation” written on the board describing their current project. Holy crap! Just what were the chances of him getting involved in a construction project that their company invested in?! Han Dong felt a chill run down his spine and he had a sudden urge to get the hell out of there. But the pay was given out by the day, so if he were to leave at that moment, all the work he had done in the morning would be for nought. Thinking about the hundred dollars that he was going to get his hand on soon, he hesitated. Wang Zhongding would probably not come to such a place, right? Even if he wanted to come, it did not have to be on the day that he was there, right? Han Dong’s eyes flashed. Right, he remembered Li Shang saying that he was going to meet Wang Zhongding, hahaha… Then there was no need to worry! “CEO Wang, let us have a look over there. Please be careful of the waste products on the floor…” Han Dong could already see the inspection team walking towards his direction just as he threw the empty lunch boxes into the dustbin. His legs began to tremble uncontrollably the moment he saw the face of the man who dared to put his own face on the front cover of the magazine without any photoshopping. He was definitely being pushed over the edge!! Han Dong felt as if he was going insane. There was no way he could start running now. What if he was too eye-catching while he was running away and got caught by Wang Zhongding and was forcibly kissed by him? The only choice he had left was to hide. But where? There was only a rubbish bin in front of him and if he did jump in it, the flies would give him away. Just as he was becoming anxious, he suddenly saw a well just about three metres away. With his two long legs, he should be able to stop himself from falling completely into the well by exerting force on the walls of the well with his legs, right? He only had to endure it until he walked a little further. Just as he was thinking that, Wang Zhongding’s gaze moved in his direction. This is bad!! To avoid a “fall in love at first sight” situation, Han Dong jumped down with no hesitation. In the end, he fell all the way down and reached the bottom…

Chapter 19 | Table of Content | Chapter 21

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Talent Chapter 19

Chapter 18 | Table of Content | Chapter 20

Chapter 19: He’s not a good person!

Translator: Aafkee

Proofreader: ChaiTea

Han Dong was back to his accommodation at about ten at night after “playing around” outside, only to see Li Shang tidying up the room. It was much more tidy than usual and all of Li Shang’s personal items were gathered in a single box. “Are you moving to a new place?” Han Dong asked. Li Shang was happy to share his feelings, “You were right.” Feeling Li Shang’s joyous mood, Han Dong probed, “You mean… you were chosen?” “Hahaha… Bro, it’s all thanks to your trousers!” Li Shang grabbed Han Dong’s hands enthusiastically and began describing the many “surprises” he experienced in the day without any pauses. Even Han Dong found it too good to be true, “They’re not scammers, right?” “What is there to scam from me? I have no money nor beauty.” Indeed, Han Dong thought. Li Shang could not help but feel smug, “Do you know how many graduates do not even have the chance to act for the Northern Film Studio? 150,000! And I, a science graduate with no background nor experience, was picked by the head director himself!” Han Dong felt sour, “Yeah, I’ve been squatting at their entrance for five years and nothing came out of it while you’re already excelling after only being here for five days.” “This is all thanks to your ‘advice’!” Li Shang was smiling widely, “I must make a shrine for this pair of trousers and worship it!” Han Dong hmphed, “Even so, there’s no need to move away from here so quickly, is there? What, do you think this place is reducing your class?” “What are you thinking? It’s only because my basics are so bad that I need to attend a completely locked-in Spartan training for three months so I have no choice but to stay in the company’s dormitory.” “Still, you don’t have to move in the middle of the night! Can’t you do it tomorrow?” Although he did not have a choice in this matter, there was still a hint of excitement in Li Shang’s voice, “I need to move to the company tonight because I have to meet an important director early tomorrow morning. Do you know Wang Zhongding? He’s the one on “Beijing’s Trendy Entertainment”’s cover page last season ーー Zhong Ding Films and Television Corporation’s boss! And I’m actually going to meet him tomorrow! Holy shit, this is almost like a dream!” Hearing that, all hints of sourness in Han Dong’s heart disappeared. Not only did he not feel sour anymore, he even felt as if he just had a mouthful of honey. He leaned towards Li Shang unhurried and reminded him in a whisper, “That Wang Zhongding is not a good person, you better be more careful around him.” “That can’t be. I even did a search on him online and this CEO Wang has an especially good reputation in this circle!” Han Dong clicked his tongue, “How can those comments online be trustworthy? They must be hired to say good things for him online.” “Then how do you know about him?” Han Dong thought for a long while before using a feeble excuse, “His physiognomy isn’t good!” Talking about physiognomy, Li Shang suddenly recalled something, “Oh, right. You know how to glyphomancy, don’t you?” “Yeah.” “Why don’t you help me think of a stage name that will ensure a fortunate and smooth-sailing path towards stardom.” “Li Tianbang*.” Han Dong blurted out. (T/N*: There is no explanation for this name yet but the name’s individual characters are 李天帮. 李 = surname, 天 = sky, heaven, 帮 = help. Not sure if that has anything to do with the meaning of the name Han Dong thought of.) “That was fast.” Han Dong let out a short laugh, “I’ve helped you think of that name since the start! When we both become big stars, you’ll be Li Tianbang while I’ll be Han Tianwang*, how majestic is that!” (T/N*: 韩天王, 韩 = surname Han, 天王 = emporer or god.) Just as Li Shang was about to say something, his phone rang. “The company’s car is already downstairs, I need to go now. Let’s keep in touch!” Han Dong stood next to the window and shouted while facing downstairs, “Don’t forget your brother here when you become rich!” “I won’t forget you!” Li Shang could not wait to get into the car after he finished his sentence. Han Dong gritted his teeth and thought that people with antics like Li Shang’s would definitely fall out with him once he got famous!

Chapter 18 | Table of Content | Chapter 20

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Talent Chapter 18

Chapter 17 | Table of Content | Chapter 19

Chapter 18:    Too good at giving birth.

Translator: Aafkee

Proofreader: ChaiTea

Li Shang arrived at the rehearsal hall of the venue early, there were only less than a handful of people in the enormous hall and most of them were staff members. “Hey, give me a hand and carry this table over there.” One of the staff said to Li Shang. Thinking that he had nothing to do at that moment anyway, he decided to lend a hand to the staff members and helped put out the set in order. More people were starting to arrive at the venue half an hour later. Other than those extra actors who were selected, there were also students from the academy, models and people with connections, each and every one of them was dressed in famous brands, giving off an impending aura. Some of them even “dragged their family along”, surrounded by their bodyguards, assistants, and makeup artists. Li Shang looked back at himself after seeing all those people around him. He felt as if he was at a level too low to compare to any of them, especially with that pair of worn-out trousers he wore. When he was queuing up to get his number, the handsome man in front of Li Shang took out his Armani suit jacket, turned around and pushed his jacket towards Li Shang, “Please help me put this in the cloakroom.” “Me?” Li Shang was astounded. The handsome man raised his brow, “Who else?” Li Shang waved the notice in his hand, “I’m queuing, too.” “I’m sorry about that, buddy. I saw you carrying the tables just now so I thought you were a staff member…” Li Shang pursed his lips tightly, pretending that he did not hear what the guy just said. It was finally Li Shang’s turn after standing in line for more than 20 minutes. He quickly handed over his notice and identity card. The registrar reached out his hand, “And the rest?” “The rest?” Li Shang was confused. “Wasn’t there a message sent to the group asking all of you to bring photos of your full body shot, a half-body shot, and a close-up of your legs?” “I didn’t know…” Li Shang fished out his phone quickly and had a look. Only then did he realise that his phone was set to block messages from unknown numbers automatically. The registrar waved his hand straight away, “Next.” Li Shang refused to leave, “Sir, can you please accommodate me just this once…”
“You’ll still have a chance next time. Besides, from what I see, you don’t look like you’re well prepared for this round.” He was implying that even if Li Shang did have all the documents and photos prepared, it didn’t seem like he would have a chance of being selected. Li Shang was pushed out of the queue forcibly by the person behind him but he was still unresigned. He decided to rush out and take those photos he needed, maybe he could make it back in time. Liang Jing saw a person bustling out of the entrance the moment he stepped out of the car. He did not see anything else except for Li Shang’s exposed knees. The sight of it alone made his blood pressure rise. “Quick! Stop him!” Li Shang shouted urgently, “Out of the way, it’s an emergency!” Liang Jing had put his mind to finding the right candidate for the past few days, he had not used his built-in “QR code scanner”* for a while now so naturally, it was not as effective as before. In addition, Li Shang and Han Dong had very similar builds, and Li Shang was also wearing the “evidence” that was constantly on Liang Jing’s mind for these few days. Overly excited, Liang Jing could not bear to wait for a second longer to confirm that Li Shang was indeed the person he had been looking for. “What emergency do you have?” Xiao-Wen asked Li Shang. “I need to have my photos taken if I want to take part in the selection, I need to hurry up and take them or I’ll be too late!” Liang Jing bent down and held out a piece of cloth that had been in his grip for a long time and put it against the hole to compare. A relieved smile, as if he had successfully escaped from a calamity, spread across his face in an instant. “Photos? What photos? Forget that, it has to be you!” Li Shang was at a loss, “What? It has to be me?” Xiao-Wen pat Li Shang’s shoulder, “We want to say our thanks to your parents in our boss’s stead.” “Thank my parents?” Li Shang was even more confused. Xiao-Wen nodded, “Tooーgoodーatーgivingーbirth.” Before Li Shang could make out what was happening, he was already escorted to the car.

Chapter 17 | Table of Content | Chapter 19

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Talent Chapter 17

Chapter 16 | Table of Content | Chapter 18

Chapter 17:    Changing jobs.

Translator: Aafkee

Proofreader: ChaiTea

On the day of selection, Li Shang woke up bright and early in the morning, dressed in new clothes and got himself ready for the casting. When he turned around to take his bag, he saw Han Dang holding up his pair of damaged trousers, his gaze begging, “Change into this.” Li Shang could not bear to dampen Han Dong’s enthusiasm so he stuffed the trousers in his bag. “I’ll change into it when I’m at the venue.” Han Dong could not sleep after Li Shang left. Instead, he “crawled” into Ye Chenglin’s room with a pile of messy and curly hair on top of his head, looking like a big poodle. He then face-planted himself into the bed, his gaze looking wan. Ye Chenglin patted the back of his head and asked, “Why didn’t you go with him?” “I want to isolate myself completely from this circle.” Ye Chenglin did not take him seriously at all, and he even teased him, “Didn’t you have a feeling two days ago that you’re going to become popular soon? Why are you announcing your retirement from the circle at such a critical time?” Han Dong was not thick-skinned enough to say the real reason, so he grudgingly replied, “I’m tired of it.” “Even you can get tired of it?” Since the day Ye Chenglin had known Han Dong, Han Dong had been stationing himself at the entrance of Northern Film Studio every single day without fail no matter what happened.* From Ye Chenglin’s understanding, Han Dong was someone who had a never-ending passion for the entertainment circle, someone who stubbornly insisted on his own ideas. (T/N*: Just an FYI, especially for those who are learning Chinese, the phrase used here is 三年如一日, which is directly translated to “seems like one day even though it has been three years”. It basically means that Han Dong’s enthusiasm had been the same as if it was his first day and did not wane throughout the three years.) “Why don’t you give me some ideas regarding what I can do?” Han Dong’s face was filled with worry. Ye Chenglin asked, “How much savings do you have at hand?” Han Dong dug out a handful of loose change and dropped them on the bed, “87 dollars and 30 cents. I have 12 dollars 70 on my transport card, they add up to a total of 100 nicely.” He might as well have not asked that question, “Then how about your education background… Oh, right, a graduate from a junior high school…” Han Dong emphasised, “You can test me on anything about the 300 Tang dynasty poems.” “Who cares about that?” Ye Chenglin thought for a second, “Right, haven’t you been doing face reading for others?” “I can only do that part-time. Besides, there are too many scammers coming into the mix, ruining our industry’s reputation so it’s getting harder and harder to get by with that profession.”
Helpless, Ye Chenglin expressed, “Then I guess you can only work as a temporary worker on public projects.” “Are you referring to those small jobs at the construction sites? With my build and my long legs? Don’t you think it’s a bit of a waste for me to do hard labour?” “What else is there? Which company do you think would hire someone with no educational background? Besides, there are many units in charge of construction that are hiring people with an undergraduate degree, you may not even get hired even if you’re willing.” Han Dong buried his head into the bedsheet and let out a deep sigh. … “We have arrived at XX Station. Please tap your card before you alight.” The driver had already closed the door the moment Li Shang stepped out of the vehicle. His bag was caught by the door so he quickly shouted towards the driver, “Hey, Mister, my bag is caught, please open the-” The driver started driving away before he could even finish his sentence. Li Shang could only stagger and run along with the bus. In the end, the bus stopped all of a sudden, the door opening before Li Shang could stabilise himself, causing him to fall backwards together with his bag. It just so happened that he fell right into a puddle of mud. And the strangest thing was, his top was absolutely fine while his trousers were stained completely. “Fuck! Did that Han Dong punk curse me?” Li Shang gritted his teeth. Although the trousers Han Dong gave him had holes, it could at least be considered a style while his own pair was absolutely ruined. Without any choices, he could only change into Han Dong’s trousers.

Chapter 16 | Table of Content | Chapter 18

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