In the present day, thousands of years later, humanity has divided history into three grand epochs: the Ancient Earth Era, the Space Era, and the current Galactic Era.
As an "ancestor" reborn from the Ancient Earth Era, Xize often finds himself perplexed by the mindset of future generations. The netizens of today seem vastly different from those of his time. The phenomenon of universal adoration for a single celebrity is something he has never witnessed before.
Xize, while browsing the web on his mobile light screen, noticed that his official website had garnered over 35 million followers. His emotions were a mix of joy and sorrow; joy because he had become an overnight sensation and was immensely popular right from the start, and sorrow because—damn it, he had nothing to do with Arnold!
Without a social network account of his own, Xize logged into Jane Anning's account on FW. Upon logging in, he immediately saw a trending image of himself standing next to Arnold. Initially puzzled by how the photo had been uploaded, he clicked to enlarge it and realized it was actually a GIF.
The GIF was somewhat blurry, possibly due to the photographer's shaky hands. It depicted Xize initially smiling directly at the camera, then pausing with a puzzled expression before suddenly turning to face Arnold.
Before reading the comments, Xize thought nothing of the GIF. At that moment, Arnold had merely asked him whether he could act or if he didn't want to. As a straightforward man, Xize simply responded, "I've never acted before and fear I might mess it up."
After his response, Arnold had nodded seriously, indicating he understood, and then walked away.
See, it was a perfectly innocent conversation, without a hint of impropriety!
However, upon opening the comment section, the top comment read:
"Look closely! Isn't Xize even more handsome in person than in photos? Doesn't his smile make everyone want to retreat to their beds for a moment? But that's not the main point! The main point is that Arnold approached Xize on his own. As a god-like figure who has always been cool and aloof, when has Arnold ever initiated contact with anyone like this?! Slow down the GIF by 0.5 seconds, and what do you see? When Xize turns to face Arnold, what do you see in Arnold's eyes?!"
What did they see? What was there to see?
Xize slowed down the GIF by 0.5 seconds but saw nothing unusual.
What did they see?
Opening the tens of thousands of comments below, he saw replies like:
"We saw it! We totally get it!!"
"Already swooned! Thanks for the high-res, we totally get it!"
"You get it, I get it, and hopefully, Arnold and Xize get it too."
What on earth did they get?! It wasn't Xize's fault for being slow to react. He had never intended to associate himself with Arnold. He had genuinely believed that slowing down the GIF by 0.5 seconds would reveal something. Only after scrolling through the comments did he realize that the GIF was being used to suggest a deep, mutual affection between Arnold and himself!
Realizing the misunderstanding, Xize silently closed the light screen, lit a metaphorical candle for himself, and consoled himself. If this were a few thousand years ago, having such a face would still attract fangirls' fantasies. As a celebrity, he had to accept the burdens that came with fame. He had just debuted and already had so many supporters; he should be grateful to his fans, who found joy in their fantasies.
When it came to such matters, Xize and Arnold were both clear-headed and rational. However, other young celebrities might have let such widespread attention inflate their egos.
At this point, Jane Anning was struggling to remain calm and rational. Television programs, movie and drama producers, and entertainment talk shows were all reaching out to her. Some wanted Xize to audition, others wanted to create a show specifically for him, and some wanted him to star in dramas or commercials. There was even a TV station that wanted to create a talk show centered around Xize's personal life.
Jane Anning declined as many offers as she could. Many of these were prestigious programs with high viewership ratings and renowned directors. Turning them down felt like a physical pain.
But there was no choice; Xize was only one person and couldn't handle such a packed schedule. The filming schedule couldn't be delayed, and future work commitments had to align with the movie's timeline. Fortunately, the movie wouldn't start filming for a while, so the current workload was manageable, allowing for some additional projects.
Initially, Jane Anning had carefully selected one endorsement and two scripts. Considering that endorsements often required attending various events and product launches, which might clash with filming schedules, they decided to drop the endorsement and choose between the two scripts.
The more Jane Anning interacted with Xize, the more she admired his excellence. Sometimes, she wondered how such a talented and handsome person had only become famous at nineteen. With the internet so developed, his photos should have gone viral long ago. But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. Jane Anning told Xize, "The show will air in mid to late October. Since you've already debuted, it's best to have some works appear before the public eye."
Xize flipped through the script in his hand. "So a web series is the best choice." In his era, web series were still in their infancy, but now they had become a well-oiled commercial machine. They had short filming cycles, small investments, excellent scripts, and quick approval processes. Most importantly, they had a unique monetization method. Users had to pay to watch, and because it was a mature commercial model, user retention was strong, and people were accustomed to paying for web series.
Most crucially, since web series were directly aimed at paying users, actors' salaries were often based on revenue sharing rather than per episode. If the viewership was high, the earnings could be substantial. Last year, a professional team analyzed the income from web series, and the top-ranked ones earned more than what a top-tier movie star would make from a film!
With short filming cycles and quick releases, Xize felt a surge of motivation for his work in the future entertainment industry.
He had two web series scripts in hand. One was about to start filming soon, and the other was a special project funded by Silver Fox, specifically tailored for Xize. The scriptwriter and production team had previously created the top-ranked web series of the previous year.
Since the second series was funded by Silver Fox and tailored for Xize, the filming schedule was flexible and could be adjusted as needed, with a planned start date two months later.
The other web series was an anthology, with future episodes dependent on viewership ratings. If the ratings were too low, the script would be abandoned. If the ratings were decent, more episodes would be produced. Anthologies could range from three to six episodes, or even dozens, depending on the viewership.
Jane Anning had chosen this particular web series from many scripts because of her keen market insight. The script was about Eastern mythology from the Ancient Earth Era, and Xize's Asian features suited the character perfectly. It was also a light-hearted and slightly bittersweet story, popular with web series viewers, with a strong, upbeat rhythm. Most importantly, anthologies were not exhausting to film, allowing Xize to present his work to his fans in the shortest time possible. So, overall, this script was the best fit.
Xize trusted Jane Anning's judgment. He might not fully grasp the current market and audience preferences, but Jane Anning certainly did. After reading the script, he also found it quite good, with well-defined characters and a solid plot. He decided to give it a try.
After Xize agreed to the project, Jane Anning contacted the director. During their conversation, the female director suddenly asked, "I heard you have a romantic subplot with Arnold. Would you mind if I added a romantic subplot to the web series?"
"…" Xize twitched his lips. Although he wasn't used to such conversations, he responded professionally, "I might not be able to perform well in romantic scenes. The romantic subplot with Arnold hasn't been finalized. If you ask me, I'd prefer not to have any romantic scenes."
The female director, aware of the ongoing online buzz, was itching to know if the rumors were true. But seeing Xize's serious and straightforward refusal, she was even more convinced that there was something between Arnold and Xize. Otherwise, why would he refuse so quickly? It was a classic case of protesting too much!
With several roles still uncast, the female director continued chatting with Xize. Eventually, she asked, "There are still a few roles left. Do you have any recommendations for male actors or stars? Newcomers or veterans, it doesn't matter; we just need some references."
As a newcomer, Xize wasn't in a position to recommend senior stars, and he didn't know many people in the industry. However, there was one male star he could suggest: "There's Zhou Yang from the 'Chasing Wind' group. He's also Asian."
The female director replied, "Got it, I'll look into it."
After ending the call, the female director contacted Zhou Yang's agent, who then reached Zhou Yang. Upon hearing Xize's name, Zhou Yang excitedly exclaimed, "How could you choose me? You should definitely choose Arnold for such a great opportunity!" Zhou Yang had become a die-hard fan of Xize, and so had three out of the four members of his group, except for Xi Ning.
The female director's thought process was that since Xize hadn't recommended any other newcomers and only mentioned Zhou Yang, Zhou Yang must be quite close to him and could be considered a "close friend of Xize." If even Zhou Yang, a friend in the industry, was so excited about Arnold… could there really be something going on?
The situation had spiraled beyond Xize's control, with the industry and the public buzzing with speculation. Directors understood that if a series could feature both Arnold and Xize, the viewership and ratings would undoubtedly skyrocket!
The female director was nervous, her palms sweating. Though she had worked with many top stars, she had never invited a megastar like Arnold. But women are often more impulsive than men. She decided to take a bold step and contacted Sam.
Sam was initially puzzled by the request for Arnold to star in a web series. However, the female director was persistent, emphasizing that her web series had ranked in the top twenty across the internet for the past two years, with two series topping the charts last year. The productions were high-quality, with significant investments and excellent scripts, far from being a small studio's work.
Sam recognized the director's capabilities, knowing she was a close collaborator with Tom's top screenwriter, having produced many high-quality web series. But he still replied, "Sorry, Arnold has never done a web series, and we have no plans for one this year."
The female director anticipated rejection and immediately played her trump card: "Xize has accepted the lead role."
Sam hesitated for a moment, his mind racing. "Oh, let me ask Arnold personally." He headed to Arnold's office, knocked, and entered. "Would you consider a web series?"
Arnold, busy with some personal asset documents, looked up from his computer screen.
Sam, feeling a bit uneasy under Arnold's gaze, explained, "Xize has taken the lead role." Realizing his own bias, he quickly added, "Sorry, I misspoke. I'll turn it down right away." He turned to leave.
Arnold, seemingly unfazed, continued his work. Shortly after, Xia Li sent a message. Arnold opened the light screen, reading the black text on the blue screen: [Is it convenient to connect for a call?]
Arnold swiftly replied with three words: [Not possible.]
Two seconds later, the office communicator rang. Arnold answered, hearing Xia Li's voice: "You haven't even heard what I have to say. Why did you respond with 'not possible'?" Xia Li's voice was calm, with his characteristic sly tone.
Arnold, still focused on his documents, closed his laptop with a snap and looked at the communicator. "You want to capitalize on the current buzz and have your Asian newcomer and me play along. Xia Li, you should know that's not possible."
Arnold, though not active online, was well-aware of the industry and the buzz surrounding him and Xize since Xize's debut. He wasn't blind to the speculations. He pressed a few buttons, and a blue light screen appeared three meters away, displaying Xia Li's image with arms crossed, looking serious.
Xia Li, clearly intent on convincing Arnold, spoke earnestly, "You're too stubborn, Arnold. Some of your ideas don't fit the industry's rules. You've seen this unfold without any planning. Xize's debut was unexpected. Initially, I only wanted him to join your show. He earned his role himself. The subsequent events were unforeseen. Arnold, even fate is helping you this time. Why can't you adapt? We're not deliberately stirring up rumors; it's all coincidental. Can't you go along with fate's arrangement and cooperate a bit?"
Xia Li's passionate speech seemed to have no effect on Arnold's steadfast demeanor. "Your newcomer doesn't need rumors to succeed. He has the talent, so he doesn't need this."
Xia Li, exasperated, slammed his desk, his face reddening with frustration. "Arnold, don't you get it?! It's not about Xize needing us; it's about us needing him! You've said it yourself: he has the talent to surpass you. But what about you? What about me? Silver Fox's internal strife is intense, and Rufus will return this year. Can you guarantee your position? Imagine Rufus leveraging Xize's popularity. If rumors spread about them, where does that leave you? Popularity isn't permanent. If Xize's appeal shifts to Rufus, where does that leave you? You've worked hard to reach this point. Do you want to experience being outdated?"
Arnold's brow furrowed slightly, giving Xia Li a glimmer of hope. But Arnold's response dashed it: "They probably wouldn't marry. Your newcomer doesn't even want to act in romantic scenes."
Xia Li nearly choked on his frustration, banging his desk with a notebook. "Arnold!! Did you miss the point of everything I said?!"
Please, dear god, could you not say such exasperatingly off-topic things with such a serious expression?