Chapter 358

The photography studio of Jia Ren magazine.

Old Zhou, who had grown even more rotund and carefree over the past two years, grinned like a Maitreya Buddha as he chatted with the magazine's editor-in-chief.

Over these two years, he had thrived in the fashion circle, treated as an equal by editors wherever he went, truly swimming like a fish in water.

All of this was because he held a "wild card."

This invitation from Jia Ren magazine could help Bai Liang complete his full set of achievements, but that didn't mean Bai Liang's team needed to grovel to them.

On the contrary.

If Jia Ren magazine really tried to act superior and refused Bai Liang the cover to assert their uniqueness,

the sponsors, fans, and market would teach them a lesson.

Fashion seems so highbrow; sometimes certain magazines refuse to feature even wildly popular celebrities, constantly claiming they lack fashion sense, that they're outdated and crude.

Some magazine editors, even makeup artists and photographers, are treated as honored guests by artist teams, treated with extreme courtesy.

The goal, of course, is to appear on these seemingly prestigious magazines that can be bragged about.

The result? These people have grown even more arrogant, acting as if they're picking and choosing with supreme disdain.

Old Zhou once thought fashion was inherently highbrow, but now he realized it was merely that these bastards had raised their thresholds.

Being very popular might not be enough, but if you're so popular you're purple, you'll still be forced to kneel and kowtow.

What fashion sense does our boss Bai have?

His clothing style is ridiculously simple—focused on comfort, for himself and for those who see him.

And that's it.

He has never been an eccentric image; since his debut, he's remained as mild-mannered as a capybara.

Yet this doesn't stop him from picking and choosing brand clothes—selecting pieces he finds reasonably handsome and not bizarre—and once he puts them on, everyone immediately raves about his fashion sense.

Because his influence is immense—so immense that any item he wears instantly triggers measurable feedback for the same model.

Even some Gao She pieces.

Meanwhile, Old Zhou, who daily immersed himself in the fashion circle, naturally picked up on many trends.

For example, Gao She endorsements.

These used to be extremely selective about artists, acting as if these top luxury brands never needed image ambassadors, that no one could possibly match the brand's elevated taste.

Go back even further, and even female artists at the level of the Four Dan and Twin Bing found it terrifyingly difficult to land such Gao She endorsements during their peak years.

Now? There are more and more.

Before coming today, Old Zhou had discussed this issue with Bai Liang.

The conclusion was simple: China's market sales.

If arrogance can bring profit, they'll stay arrogant—but what if they need to bow?

Those who refuse to bow will die; the market will teach them.

All problems seem to be economic problems.

Even the commotion Miss Jing Tian stirred up recently clearly illustrates this point.

A few years ago, such a thing would have been impossible—do these Gao She brands have no face to save?

But now? Some Gao She brands are practically plastering smiles onto Bai Liang's doorstep.

Faced with the true six-sided warrior, the king of commercial value, all fashion and Gao She reveal their warmest smiles—this world has almost become the shape of a capybara.

"Teacher Bai, our theme for this issue is wildness and aggression."

After Bai Liang finished makeup, styling, and other preparations, the editor-in-chief came over personally to discuss the shoot's style.

As he spoke, he grew increasingly excited.

All that talk about blending fashion style with current trends—Bai Liang listened for a long time before finally understanding his meaning.

Oh, riding the hype of Xiao Poqiu's box office surpassing Wolf Warrior 2.

Just say it straight~

Bai Liang was still easygoing; since they were so polite, he naturally didn't object—mainly because he couldn't object.

Because he truly didn't understand.

He had never studied magazine shoot styles.

But he had some understanding of acting—he could perform any style they required.

A generally bold and icy overall look, after he did a few push-ups to get his muscles slightly flushed, became undeniably aggressive, especially his piercing gaze, which even startled the photographer when their eyes met.

But the strangest part? He was also given a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.

This prop didn't amplify his aura—it slightly softened and balanced it.

Somehow, it gave him a touch of scholarly air in this very atmosphere.

Bai Liang: Guess I played the contrast role this time.

Old Zhou: No wonder you were a male model, Boss Bai!

The modeling industry truly tests overall aesthetics—not just the face.

Body, appearance, eyes, proportions.

Bai Liang is the kind of person who, without any eccentricity, can be instantly locked onto in a crowd—and only one glance is needed.

Old Zhou: Indeed, modeling is still his perfect fit~

The magazine cover shoot was still highly efficient, completed in just one morning.

Because Bai Liang had to attend the Cosmo Fashion Beauty Gala that evening.

"Old Zhou, since you're so well-connected in fashion, why don't you suggest they all cooperate and hold one unified gala? Why do each magazine do their own thing? So annoying."

Bai Liang stretched lazily—so many events, even a rock would feel tired sometimes.

If the girls weren't dressed so visually pleasing, he'd really rather skip them.

"Liangge, you're giving me a bit too much credit—if I could pull off something like that, I'd be the tyrant of China's fashion scene~"

"Could Su Mang?" Bai Liang asked curiously.

That editor from Harper's Bazaar seemed pretty well-connected, and she had thick skin too.

But he'd only been to that one Harper's Bazaar charity gala; he didn't know if she still dressed that way now.

"She could go screw herself," Lao Zhou shook his head. "Even when she was still CEO of the fashion group, she couldn't do it—let alone now, since she quit last year."

"Huh? She's not anymore?"

Bai Liang still remembered clearly the only Harper's Bazaar gala he'd ever attended—brilliant lights, rampant materialism, unforgettable.

Especially during group photos, he noticed all the stars around her wore polite, flattering smiles, carefully pleasing their "queen."

Yet no one expected that shutter click to be Su Mang's final moment of glory.

"Yeah, last time I met her, she sincerely thanked me for not ignoring her just because she'd quit."

"Really? That happened?"

"At some event—when she was still employed, she was bold and ruthless; now that she's out, she's all sentimental, going on and on about how good your character is, and how you deserve to be this famous!"

Lao Zhou sighed, "Ah, what a classic case of a man leaves, the tea cools."

Just because she quit, her so-called powerful network, built over twenty-four years in fashion, turned into a joke overnight.

Fame and fortune—gained, then lost again.

Oh right, Bai Liang's rapid full sweep actually owed a little to her.

Even though the man's gone and the tea's cooled, the tea doesn't cool instantly—it wasn't cold enough to freeze water on impact, so she still had a little warmth left to give.

Whether she truly felt moved because Bai Liang never changed his attitude toward her from start to finish, or whether she was proactively flattering him because of his status and fame—

Lao Zhou didn't care to tell the difference. It didn't matter.

Liang-ge from our own family is clearly warm and friendly to everyone; even people he has grudges with, he can greet with a smile—otherwise how did Shuangzi "convert"?

It made him think of Fan Fan Bingbing, who "died" last year—right before quitting, she still managed to feed Bai Liang a bite.

No wonder rumors spread in the industry that Bai Liang and her were lovers—and that she adored him deeply.

Whoever started that rumor must hate Hei Niu; those two hadn't even officially broken up yet.

"Lao Zhou, you jinx!"

"Hey, don't blame me—I had no idea they'd break up today!" Lao Zhou looked bewildered.

That's right—words become law.

People who didn't know might think Lao Zhou had magical powers, not Bai Liang, who carried his own insane luck.

He'd just joked about it, and that afternoon, Fan Fan Bingbing and Hei Niu officially announced their breakup.

Caption: We are no longer we, yet we are still we.

It even matched the format of their original announcement—neat beginning, neat end, a perfect drama.

No one knew if the heart-shaped stone had been returned—or if it had long been thrown away.

After checking the trending topics, Lao Zhou couldn't hold back: "Liangge, did you actually interface with her?"

End-to-end?

"Nope, she did it for her brother," Bai Liang insisted—he hadn't slept with her, and that was that.

This isn't some kid left without a parent needing him to play Duan Zhengchun and claim paternity~

By the way, the male lead Zhang Chi in "The Wandering Earth" did something similar—but Duan Zhengchun wanted to claim the grown Xuzhu, while Zhang Chi actually raised a little kid.

Hearing this, Lao Zhou's gaze dropped.

"Her actual brother—where are you looking?"

"Cough, cough, just glancing around, Liangge, you're full of energy!"

That sounded like a loan shark's debt collector in a casino.

Bai Liang couldn't help adjusting his aim—this wasn't the time to be energetic.

Tonight he had to keep an eye on Na Zha, Sister Reba, and the others—don't let them start fighting; if things got too desperate, he might have to shout: You're all my wings~

Fan Fan Bingbing and Hei Niu's breakup announcement was poorly timed.

Right now, the hottest thing online was "The Wandering Earth" officially surpassing "Wolf Warrior 2," with box office hitting 6.6 billion—Bai Liang's personal cumulative box office was nearing 18 billion; next year, the industry might see its first 20-billion-yuan movie star!

Such an absurd, outrageous achievement left everyone in the industry speechless.

Compared to Sister Tian Tian's three luxury purchases in one day—a feat never seen before—Bai Liang seemed to be playing his own private game, each hit dealing 9999 damage, every strike cutting straight through the major arteries!

No, even more absurd than a private game!

But whether you believed it or not, the staggering numbers were right there.

It made people recall Bai Liang's acceptance speech when he won the Golden Eagle Best Actor award:

The world is in a hurry to hear stories of young prodigies.

But the young man's path doesn't walk slowly—it's damn well flying!

And the next decade isn't just waving—it's already taking Bai Liang's shape!

Sister Yanzi: "Ugh, scripts keep piling up, my eyes are sore. So under these circumstances, Fan Fan Bingbing and Hei Niu's breakup didn't even make it to top trending."

It nearly got pushed to third place by Sister Tian Tian's three-luxury-purchases-in-one-day—after all, the scene of eighty-five thousand fans attacking Sister Tian Tian was terrifying enough to make even the invincible look shaken.

Fortunately, Fan Fan Bingbing's announcement didn't seem aimed at trending—after all, she'd already "died"; what use was trending?

Even though she'd tried a comeback—appearing at iQiyi's ninth anniversary event—it made no splash and faced fierce backlash.

After all, it wasn't yet time for people to remember and miss that "stupid but truly beautiful ex-wife."

As for Hei Niu, he probably didn't want it either.

He got together with her at her peak, then broke up before she'd even been out of the industry for a year—it just felt off.

This made netizens involuntarily compare him to Lu Han, who announced his breakup at his own peak.

Watching how Lu Hanqian, who looks so effeminate, acts so manly, while Hei Niu, the manly one from Run Man, always softens up at times like these.

Hei Niu: In a few more years, you'll know which choice is right~ Lu Han is still too young.

This wasn't said out loud, but netizens replied: We figured it out! Stubborn, stubborn, are you?!

Hei Niu:???

Then, besides bringing up Lu Han for comparison, they dragged out Bai Liang too.

!

The two top streamers take turns catering to just him.

They say: Look at him—after your girlfriend had her trouble, he still met you, comforted you—look at you!

This made Hei Niu feel the green dots on his head grow heavier.

Fuck, you even remember the premise is 'my girlfriend'?

Is this reasonable?

But a certain tall-necked guy, upon seeing this online, couldn't help muttering to himself: When I meet Bai Liang in the industry again, should I call him brother-in-law?

Even his own younger brother thought this—how could people not imagine the rest?

But Bai Liang's rivals were furious: Fuck, isn't this already a love scandal?! You people are actually praising him? What's there to praise?!

If this is true, isn't he Cao Cao?!

Yeah, should this be praised?

Jiang Wen gave a like.

Su Mang gave a like.

After all, who doesn't want to meet a kind, gentle capybara when their life is going downhill?

It's just like the wedding vow: whether rich or poor, sick or healthy—he looks down on you equally, towering above like a god, yet treating all alike.

The thread has already jumped to Shuangzi.

She was the first to see it so clearly—the view from Bai Liang's perspective.

"The high-angle view is great. I hope I can do this every time."

Bai Liang held a champagne glass, chatting with the executives of Fashion Cosmo, watching the bustling scene below, feeling utterly at ease.

"Boss Bai, you're up on stage soon," Lao Zhou said after finishing his rounds.

"That's later, hey, don't bother me—aren't those Zha girls coming up? Is the host today… Zhou Weiyi's wife?"

"Yes, Zhu Dan—she used to be a mainstay of Zhe Lan TV. Back then, I really liked her show 'I Love Singing Lyrics.'"

"I know that show—I loved it as a kid. But don't you think she looks… kind of not smart?" Bai Liang said uncertainly.

Lao Zhou studied her carefully and admitted he had no talent for judging intelligence.

But he thought Zha and the others looked truly stunning today!

They seemed to have poured all their effort into it—each dressed to the nines, clearly well-prepared.

Outshine them all! Urgent!

Unlike Unlike Unlike Ni Ni, Miss Jing Tian, Zha, Zhou Dongyu, Sister Reba.

Alongside their polished makeup was the tense, hostile atmosphere among some of them.

Zha: Die die die die die die~

Sister Reba: Tsk~ Loser, again? Need a beating.

Miss Jing Tian: Why are you two glaring at me like that? I'm not afraid of you!

Unlike Unlike Unlike Ni Ni: Fuck, this atmosphere is weird~ Where's that bastard Bai Liang hiding?

Zhou Dongyu, caught in the middle, was truly cursed.

She'd never been famous in the entertainment industry for her looks or figure—in fact, compared to those gorgeous beauties, she was far behind in both.

Yet at this event, everyone beside her was a stunning beauty!

And worse yet, she happened to be caught in their female rivalry—she'd been the first to stand still, and when she saw Zha and the others approaching, their waists swaying as if ready to fly, she froze.

Being overshadowed isn't scary—but being overshadowed by everyone? That's terrifying!

But the most terrifying thing was encountering an utterly unreliable host—Zhou Dongyu's soul nearly left her body.

Because Zhu Dan walked on and immediately called out to Zha: "Di Li Re Ma."

Yes, "Re Ma."

Zha was stunned, only able to pick up the mic and awkwardly smile: "I'm Zha."

Unlike Unlike Unlike Ni Ni, standing beside her, lowered her head, bit her lip, barely holding back her laughter!

Unlike Unlike Unlike Ni Ni: Save me, save me, save me.

But Zhu Dan's performance wasn't over—she turned, seemingly forgetting the whole thing, and called out to Sister Reba: "Zha, are you coming?"

Sister Reba: …

She glanced at Zha—their eyes met in midair, as if sparking.

Then Sister Reba smiled and nodded, "Sure."

She accepted.

Di Li Sister Reba: Today I'm temporarily changing my name to Gu Li Zha—I want to experience what it's like to be love-struck.

This made Zhu Dan feel something was off—but she quickly brushed it aside, because she "insulted" someone.

She called Zhou Bichang's name "Chou Bichang."

Unlike Unlike Unlike Ni Ni and Miss Jing Tian burst out laughing, then quickly covered their mouths—this time they truly couldn't hold back; it was too absurd!

Even Zha and Sister Reba, whose eyes had met again, couldn't help laughing—then resumed glaring at each other.

At this moment, Bai Liang was nearly laughing himself to death—this trip was worth it, so entertaining!

I never expected Zhou Yi's wife would be this entertaining. They're both hosts, but Wu Jing's wife, Xie Nan, is "way worse" at this.

Zhu Dan: Don't rush, there's more~

She turned and called out to Lin Yuer: "Lin Yuer!"

The key is, Lin Yuer herself actually showed up today. She's right over near Bai Liang.

Compared to her Chinese back when filming "The God of War Zhao Zilong," Lin Yuer can now understand it.

She even posted her certificate for the Chinese proficiency exam—her Chinese is fluent.

"Is she calling me?" Lin Yuer leaned close to Bai Liang and asked softly.

"No. Just speak Korean—I understand it." Bai Liang smiled at her.

Her eyes lit up. "Your Korean is so good! When we filmed together three years ago, why didn't you talk to me?"

"You still remember?" Bai Liang said, surprised.

Back then on the set of "The God of War Zhao Zilong," he was just a newbie playing a stand-in for Lu Bu—no fame, no connection with Lin Yuer.

But he often heard Lin Gen complain about Lin Yuer.

"Of course I remember—it left a deep impression," Lin Yuer nodded quickly.

Even if she hadn't remembered before, she'd definitely "remember" now.

Nearly eighteen billion in personal cumulative box office—what does that even mean?!

Over three trillion Korean won.

Although Sister Yanzi never bought Korean trending topics or marketing, just like people over here bring over Korean content,

Koreans also bring over Chinese entertainment news.

Plus, Bai Liang was already famous over there—and now it's exploded.

That string of zeros after the box office number left Koreans stunned.

At first they thought it was fake news—what the hell? Three trillion Korean won in cumulative box office?!

No Korean movie star has ever broken one trillion in cumulative box office; the highest is maybe five hundred billion Korean won.

Just like the top trending topic in China, tons of Koreans have been talking about him and "The Wandering Earth" these past two days.

He's basically gone viral in K-pop!

Many people now remember Bai Liang's name; some Koreans already describe him as "Asia's new-generation super idol" and other such nonsense.

As for Japan next door, Bai Liang isn't interested in checking it out—he's afraid they'll give him some overly otaku nickname. He's twenty-seven now; he's past his otaku years~

Unless they call him Super Invincible Tyrannosaurus Warrior.

"Oppa is really famous in Korea now~ If you ever travel to Korea or appear on a show, be sure to contact me."

"Definitely next time~"

"."

Bai Liang chatted half-heartedly with Lin Yuer, slightly distracted, yet his skill remained undiminished.

Soon, she beamed, leaning so close to Bai Liang their bodies nearly touched.

Tsk~ You're done for!

Unlike Unlike Unlike Ni Ni's gaze conveyed this message to Bai Liang—she was clearly delighted by his misfortune.

Sister Tian Tian beside him stared wide-eyed at Bai Liang; if they weren't on stage, she'd probably be pouting already.

Na Zha and Sister Reba also glanced over occasionally—but both were being interviewed.

The funny part? Sister Reba was still wearing "Na Zha" as a disguise.

Zhu Dan was already clueless, and now she was playing along like this. Luckily, Zhu Dan finally "caught on" and just gave them new names.

Zhu Dan: This time it's right, right~

Na Zha: You shameless Sister Reba, how dare you impersonate me?!

Sister Reba: You can call yourself Gu Li Na Zha, I can call myself Gu Li Na Zha, everyone can call themselves Gu Li Na Zha—dare to challenge me?!

Even as they exchanged fiery glances across the distance, they didn't ignore that bastard Bai Liang.

They're still fighting—and already flirting with that Korean little fox spirit?

Is that appropriate?!

Bai Liang: Look closely, I'm the passive one~

But the girls didn't care. After getting offstage, their steps were perfectly synchronized, their target identical.

Unfortunately, Lin Yuer still hadn't noticed anything wrong—still lost in Kapibara's gentle smile, utterly entranced.

The way she kept calling "Oppa" had grown melodic.

"Old Zhou!"

"What is it, Brother Bai?"

"Stay far away—watch out, you might get splattered with blood." Bai Liang's expression changed, as if facing a dire threat.

Okay okay, Brother Bai's playing now!

Old Zhou knew him well, but facing this coordinated girl charge, he still felt this place was too dangerous to stay.

After all, Bai Liang always survives in harem battles—truly the White Dragon of the Storm.

But if his puny frame got even a single tap from one of these "Imperial Concubines," he might not make it out alive.

Lin Yuer asked curiously: "Oppa, what are you talking about? What blood?"

Bai Liang said solemnly: "You still need more Chinese lessons."

"If you have time, could I ask you for lessons, Oppa?"

"Of course—learning foreign languages is good. You should learn them."

Their conversation ended there—because they were coming!

——

Three a. m., eighteen thousand, mwah.

Begging for monthly tickets!

(End of this chapter)