[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-became-a-movie-star-and-only-then-did-the-syst":3,"chapter-i-became-a-movie-star-and-only-then-did-the-syst-i-became-a-movie-star-and-only-then-did-the-syst-chapter-22":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I Became a Movie Star, and Only Then Did the System Finish Loading",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2285348,4470,"Chapter 22: Brother Tongzi, are you serious?","i-became-a-movie-star-and-only-then-did-the-syst-chapter-22",22,"\u003Cp>No matter how obsequious or defiant Qi Hao behaved, the system ignored him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Qi Hao remained deeply unsettled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reward of 0.1% of Tencent stock seemed worth only a ridiculous $5,500.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet it actually created a massive price differential of over nine hundred times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The positive effect of the time gap had finally emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Qi Hao were allowed to buy freely, he could have acquired Tencent outright—its valuation was just $5.5 million, and he’d borrow money to bring it under his control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Tencent wasn’t just worth over twenty billion; it held enormous potential and was one of the few high-quality assets amid the current economic crisis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In 2000, Qi Hao didn’t have $5.5 million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Tencent had been given to him, he couldn’t have run it—back then, no one was even interested in taking it over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that wasn’t the point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The point was, if the system could reward him with 0.1% of Tencent stock, why couldn’t it offer other similar things?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even a hundredfold appreciation would mean enormous wealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why, at this moment, Qi Hao truly felt the joy of having a cheat system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, painful but joyful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still had to consider falling on the red carpet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And because of the reward’s “strangeness,” he dared not cut corners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What he meant by cutting corners was spending money to arrange a private red carpet in a secluded place, or putting up a curtain to hide himself on the red carpet…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as no one saw his face, he wouldn’t be publicly humiliated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what if the system judged the task a failure?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was 0.1% of Tencent stock!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He absolutely had to fall hard in front of a crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking about it, he felt a little excited…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao suppressed his urge—knocking on Lao Tian’s door at this hour might make him overthink things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, the red carpet fall didn’t need his consultation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Better to calm down and see which actor the system randomly assigned today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After confirming the random selection, the original options—Random 1\u002FRandom 2\u002FRandom 3—rolled and changed to Ren Dahua\u002FXu Jinjiang\u002FCao Chali.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shitty system—no, Tongzi Ge, are you serious?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little brother thinks these three candidate NPC actors all seem sketchy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why wasn’t Shan Liwen on the list?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, Qi Hao planned to reuse the same actors today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just change the posture, try a new twist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now that he saw these three, he felt it would be a waste not to pick them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Choosing them wouldn’t cost him anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only problem was deciding whom to pick; after a moment’s hesitation, Qi Hao reluctantly gave up Xu Jinjiang and Cao Chali.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t because of The Irresistible Charm or The Shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Ren Dahua starred in many Category III films, his acting ability was excellent, with a distinct style—he could teach Qi Hao a lot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like in PTU, The Underworld, and others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also delivered outstanding performances in films like Stalker, Exile, and The Sparrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the actors he co-starred with were all top-notch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Look at who Cao Chali co-starred with—none of them were respectable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you’re going double-ended, don’t just focus on one plug.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao had spent some time in Xiangjiang, working minor roles on film sets; his best role was being chosen by Wang Jing to play Kele, the third male lead in Black and White Forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That film’s credits were chaotic, but Kele had substantial screen time—he was essentially one of the leads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, the film received a lukewarm response, and Qi Hao soon returned to the mainland entertainment industry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He once did a bit part in one of Ren Dahua’s films; there was a small incident—some drunk hooligans came to cause trouble, claiming the shoot disrupted their business and demanding compensation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was classic harassment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Usually, film crews paid off such people to settle things quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, Ren Dahua went over, talked to them for a few minutes, and the hooligans left without a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After choosing Ren Dahua, Qi Hao first tested his scene from PTU, playing the small-time thug Ren Dahua forced to scrub off his tattoo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thug had little screen time, but his character was fully realized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He endured blow after blow from Ren Dahua, his psychological pressure mounting until he desperately scrubbed his neck tattoo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let’s be honest—Galaxy Pictures films were just amazing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, this scene doesn’t need so much acting—slightly awkwardness makes it more authentic. You’re playing a thug, not a gang boss. Thugs like to put on airs…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ren Dahua slapped Qi Hao a few times, then stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Kong cinema couldn’t escape triads, and Ren Dahua had played too many gangster roles; no matter how hard Qi Hao tried, he couldn’t match even a fraction of Ren Dahua’s understanding of such characters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Like this?” Qi Hao tilted his neck, looking up at Ren Dahua.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, close enough—your eyes should be even more reckless. These guys don’t know their place; they rely entirely on brute force, especially since the arcade is their turf.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve made me doubt whether I can act at all—I’m an award-winning actor, for god’s sake.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Communication with NPCs in the training space could be more casual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao vented a couple of complaints, letting himself go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The philosopher Zeno had a famous analogy: human knowledge is like a circle; the more you know, the longer the circumference, and the more you realize how ignorant you are.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao had won an acting award and received a system bonus of +10 acting skill, yet he kept getting crushed in the training space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this might also be due to the NPCs’ high skill level and the fact that, despite their intelligence, they were bound by rules to never withhold anything from Qi Hao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the real world, who the hell would be so open-hearted with you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your acting comes from teachers or films, or your own guesswork—but real acting should come from life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Things elevated beyond life may be called art, but they aren’t necessarily suitable performance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ren Dahua’s words likely carried a jab at academic acting schools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In real life, he’d never say such a thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing the scene, Qi Hao switched to Ren Dahua’s perspective, portraying the role with a deadpan expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This style, if used in other films, might seem pretentious and poorly executed—but in Galaxy Pictures films, it felt as natural as a stranded fish returning to water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simply put—it just felt real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another exhausting night; after eight hours, Qi Hao still hadn’t gotten around to experiencing The Irresistible Charm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was all action scenes—nothing helped his acting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the living room, he saw Lao Tian eating breakfast, with a portion prepared for Qi Hao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you going home for the New Year?” Lao Tian’s breakfast was men ding rou bing with lamb offal soup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, I’ll go after the New Year—filming starts then.” Qi Hao’s breakfast was da guozi with lamb offal soup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither of them liked douzhi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have you had any recent conflicts with your parents?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lao Tian remembered when he first met Qi Hao, around 2000—this kid had been at war with his family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They wanted him to return to school; he insisted he’d make it in showbiz.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one knew where he got that confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it was precisely that bizarre confidence that made Lao Tian willingly follow him, step by step, to where they were today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao’s relationship with his family had long since thawed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, his face appeared often on TV—no matter how stubborn the parents, they had to admit their child had truly made it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I talked to my mom yesterday. My old man’s just stubborn—he’s proud of me but keeps calling me illiterate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao even mocked his own father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your dad’s right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lao Tian glanced at Qi Hao—strip away the titles of Four Great Young Actors and Golden Rooster Best Actor, he was still semi-literate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lao Tian, how’s your childhood bride? Did she marry someone else behind your back?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao shot back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“F**k, you idiot, why don’t you marry your cousin instead!” Lao Tian cursed outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s my actual cousin!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao and Lao Tian shared one trait: though both were only children, each had a “younger sister.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The difference: Lao Tian’s sister was formally adopted by his father, with no blood relation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao had met Lao Tian’s sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She jokingly called herself Lao Tian’s childhood bride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Qi Hao’s sister was his real cousin—his aunt’s husband ran off with a wealthy woman from Wanwan shortly after their daughter was born.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After his aunt died, the cousin was raised in Qi Hao’s home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao was deeply grateful to his cousin—she had acted as mediator countless times between him and his parents; without her, his relationship with them would never have healed as it had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She’s my own little sister!” Lao Tian insisted firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How about I become your brother-in-law?” Qi Hao laughed, nearly choked by the lamb offal soup overloaded with pepper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get lost! If you even think about laying a hand on my sister, I’ll ruin your reputation completely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lao Tian launched his last Men Ding Rou Bing at Qi Hao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine, I won’t covet her—I was just joking! Any red carpet events coming up lately?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao ate the Men Ding Rou Bing too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ll just spend extra time at the gym today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What trick are you up to now?” Lao Tian had developed a conditioned reaction to Qi Hao’s questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Look at what he’s done in the past two months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cameos, spicy strips, street singing, calendars…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean? I’m just checking your schedule. You’re not my agent anymore, but you still owe me responsibility.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, Zhang Nan already had a wife and kids—he couldn’t move in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A few days ago, Penguin Net held the 2007 Star Awards—you refused to go, but the exposure was pretty good. Penguin’s been strong these past few years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lao Tian began discussing work seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh! What’s the next one?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao had no choice—if only he’d finished the previous tasks faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Participating in Penguin’s event to complete the system task and earn Penguin shares was simply perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maximum ceremony…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The inaugural Capital TV Annual Film & TV Awards—I haven’t had time to decline yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lao Tian sensed the familiar pattern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think I remember… oh right, Fan Xuexue asked me if I wanted to go with her. Why would she ask me that? I don’t even know her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao was thoroughly confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he turned and saw Lao Tian’s expression of disgust—like he was staring at a dead cockroach.\u003C\u002Fp>",1773,"2026-06-20T03:01:22.774Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e930e8942effd77186bbedc328f4bf93f4ca0d66dc6cbf86e329c54e1d16c0a9","i-became-a-movie-star-and-only-then-did-the-syst-chapter-23","i-became-a-movie-star-and-only-then-did-the-syst-chapter-21",343,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-a-movie-star-and-only-then-did-the-syst-cover.jpg"]