Chapter 381: I Want to Step by Step to the Very Top (5k)

"You're the first young person daring to speak like this on my show, Ah Yi."

After the rehearsal, once the final episode of "Three Bald Guys" was officially recorded, Wong Jim looked appreciatively at Zhou Yi as he stood up from the sofa, his eyes full of admiration: "People like Xie Tingfeng wouldn't even dare to accept my show, and those who came, like Chen Long and Hung Kam Bo, weren't as honest as you."

Though slick as he was, Zhou Yi avoided not a single question; on that point alone, he left those others several streets behind.

For a superstar in his early twenties, this was no easy feat.

The fact that Warner, as an exclusive contract company, could always let Zhou Yi do this showed just how much freedom President Zhou Jianhui gave him.

"What's there to fear? Ah Yi's female fans don't care about these things anyway; some buy albums and merchandise while hoping to scold him awake so he can repent, which is utterly ridiculous." Lo Ka Ying, who had become hugely popular in the mainland thanks to "A Chinese Odyssey," sounded somewhat baffled when speaking of this matter.

He felt he was getting old.

None of the singers at the peak of the Hong Kong music scene dared to play like this, yet suddenly, after entering the new century, a Zhou Yi came charging in from the mainland and ate up all the profits of this track.

"You don't know anything; men must be bad for women to love them."

As a famous bald guy in Hong Kong and a former member of Cinema City, Mak Ka scolded: "Besides, Ah Yi is so young, so handsome, and so tall; there are plenty of girls willing to fantasize."

It was clear that Mak Ka truly envied Zhou Yi's height, which easily reached 185 or 186 centimeters even with just a pair of shoes on; after all, he himself was only just over 1.6 meters tall.

A male star's height in the entertainment industry is truly a flaw that no means can save.

The reason why Li Ming's popularity among the original Four Heavenly Kings could overpower the other three was that the temperament boost his height brought was indelible. Especially when the Four Heavenly Kings shared the stage, whoever was shorter was the one who was awkward.

"Don't slander me, Uncle Mak; I'm still a virgin."

Zhou Yi, whose thick skin was like a city wall, caused Wong Jim to burst into laughter again, his hearty laughter spreading throughout the entire recording hall.

"What a pity; if you had been born a few decades earlier, after we met in Hong Kong, we probably would have had a lot of fun together, and maybe even left behind many works." Feeling that this young man suited his taste, Wong Jim patted Zhou Yi's shoulder with some emotion after laughing.

One knows one's own situation; he couldn't last many more years.

If his creative energy hadn't been insufficient to support him in creating new masterpieces, he would have made one for this younger brother who suited his taste.

"There might be opportunities in the future too, Uncle Jim."

Not knowing much about Wong Jim's cancer condition, only that it would worsen completely and he would pass away two years later, Zhou Yi couldn't say anything and could only wish this master to enjoy happiness in his final days.

Hearing that this was just a comfort, Wong Jim was quite open-minded: "Let's go, let's go; I'll treat tonight, but no alcohol; you must protect your voice. Do you need me to find a few companions for you?"

"Then there's no need; I don't look up to those with no name or fame."

"You brat, quite the big talk; you like big names, right?"

As a long-time professional in Hong Kong's world of sensual pleasures, Wong Jim actually told Zhou Yi many gossip stories from his personal experiences at tonight's dinner, satisfying his curiosity.

So much so that Zhou Yi, having drunk a little alcohol, was still savoring the gossip he had eaten at the dinner table when he was sent back to the hotel.

Very good, very powerful.

Taking out his phone to check, the message from Little Green Tea Cai Zuoyan had arrived earlier than anyone else's, sent around nine o'clock in the evening.

Things like "Was today's recording very hard?" and other cares, focusing entirely on being heartwarming.

Hmm... pfft pfft pfft, what tea, what tea? Isn't this just a solid sweet little baby?

Zhou Yi, having finished reading the messages with a light laugh, did not reply but went to take a shower first. After drying his hair and changing into a set of pajamas, he then took his phone and sat in the rocking chair on the viewing balcony, gazing at Hong Kong's night view before replying with a message—

【It's okay; Uncle Jim and the others are quite interesting.】

Less than a dozen seconds after the message was sent, the other side immediately replied: 【Really? He scolded me quite fiercely; I thought he was an unapproachable little old man...】

Replied so fast?

Just as he put down his phone, Zhou Yi, who was comfortably rocking in the chair, raised his cup to drink some water; upon hearing the vibration sound of his phone, he instinctively turned his head to look back—1:58 AM.

Just as he was preparing to reply, Fan Xiaopang's phone call suddenly came in—

"Not sleeping late at night, why are you calling me?"

"You aren't asleep either; did you forget I can see whether the lights in your suite's living room are on or off?"

Fan Xiaopang's slightly weary voice came from the phone receiver: "Did you eat enough dinner? If not, do you want to go out for a late-night snack together? There are fewer people outside at this hour."

"You haven't eaten yet?"

"I just got off work."

Zhou Yi chuckled lightly: "You're busier than me; nothing to do tomorrow, going out for a late-night snack at this hour?"

"Who can compare to you, this Heavenly King superstar?"

Fan Xiaopang's voice carried a bit of mockery: "Just finished a promotional event for an endorsed product; Madame Chen gave me a day off; I can sleep well all day tomorrow."

"That's what you say; wait for me in the lobby downstairs."

Zhou Yi hung up the phone with a smile, casually threw his phone onto the living room sofa, and prepared to go back to his room to change clothes—as if thinking of something, the figure that had walked only two steps retreated, sending a message to Cai Zuoyan: 【I'm going to take a shower first; talk later.】

【Mm-hmm, goodnight.】

The message was replied to almost instantly; Zhou Yi, who had walked towards the bedroom without looking back, only saw it after changing his clothes and coming out; just as he wanted to reply, he thought again and stopped, instead putting his phone into the pocket of his black jacket.

The weather in Hong Kong in November wasn't too cold; a long-sleeved shirt with a jacket over it basically solved the problem.

Going downstairs, Zhou Yi also saw Fan Xiaopang, whose expression looked slightly haggard—simple blue jeans paired with white sneakers, and on top, she wore a red hooded sweatshirt.

Big red makes one look fair.

Under the warm-toned lighting of the lobby lounge, Fan Xiaopang, without any makeup, had her looks enhanced with a few more points of fragile delicacy.

"You're becoming more and more confident in yourself; now you invite me out to eat without even putting on light makeup."

"It's late at night; putting on makeup and then taking it off is too troublesome. Besides, you've seen my bare face many times; what's the difference?"

Fan Xiaopang smiled sweetly; as she stood up, she habitually put on the hood of her sweatshirt with both hands, walked over to the man, and at the moment she raised her eyes to meet his gaze, tilted her head towards the hotel entrance: "Besides, haven't you heard an old saying?"

"A woman's greatest confidence is facing the sky with a bare face."

"If you want to praise your natural beauty, there's no need to fabricate an old saying to gild your own lily." Zhou Yi raised an eyebrow noncommittally: "Although compared to two years ago, you are indeed much more confident."

Two years ago, Fan Xiaopang was still a thin and weak maid; although she had her own opinions when speaking and acting, her gestures still held some timidity.

The current Fan Xiaopang had completely abandoned that past image; not only had she become much plump and round, but she had also cultivated an indescribable aura—there is some truth to the idea that red energy nourishes people.

With the blockbuster TV series "Young Bao Qingtian 2," the hit movie "The Lion Roars," and the "BaBy" MV that went viral internationally, she overtook the other two members of the Zhenhuan combination in both trending buzz and achievements, especially in the film sector.

In 2002, Zhao Wei lost the halo of Xiao Yanzi; due to scandals, she turned to the film field, but the result was not only a complete collapse in box office and reputation, but she didn't even get a chance to snatch a Best Actress trophy.

Lin Xinru was much the same; all the films and TV dramas she starred in received a lukewarm response, even when paired with Ren Xianqi.

"The main thing is having money and fame; when your backbone is hard, your words naturally become confident."

After vanishing the trace of fatigue between her eyebrows in the blink of an eye, Fan Xiaopang reached into her pocket, pulled out a set of keys, and slid her index finger through the keyring, spinning it once: "Did you drink?"

"A little, not much."

"Then I'll drive; otherwise, if you get caught, you might follow in Xie Tingfeng's footsteps, or even face something more severe than him."

"Remove the word 'might'."

Zhou Yi chuckled softly, made a hand gesture toward the security team still diligently on duty nearby; the security chief understood immediately and arranged for someone to drive the car, preparing to follow while maintaining a certain distance.

It was a good thing it was past two in the morning; the roads could be described as sparsely populated.

"Where to eat?"

"Not far from this Mandarin Oriental Hotel is Hong Kong Park; there are a few late-night snack shops up there that probably haven't closed yet at this hour. I used to go there to eat something when I finished filming late or returned late from events." After getting in the car, Fan Xiaopang, who was still somewhat familiar with Hong Kong, skillfully started the Mercedes.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Zhou Yi only then took out his phone to reply to Cai Zuoyan with a text message—【Good night】.

"So driven?"

"What else could I do? For an actor like me, staying up late filming is just a daily occurrence. Sometimes we work back-to-back; after filming, I go home, sleep for about three to five hours, then get up again to film or attend events. At a young age, I'm already taking all sorts of medicine and am a regular at the hospital."

When speaking of her own busyness, Fan Xiaopang was somewhat casually indifferent, as if it had become a habit.

Under Zhou Yi's curiosity, she detailed some of the insane back-to-back speeds here in Hong Kong, leaving the former whistling in disbelief—

"Luckily I didn't debut in Hong Kong."

"You're a singer; you don't need to be this tired."

Fan Xiaopang rolled her eyes at the man, and after parking the car, led Zhou Yi to a late-night snack shop with a rather small storefront.

At this hour, aside from the owner, only two waiters preparing to close were left in the shop.

"Zhou Yi?!"

"Zhou Yi!"

"Zhou Yi!!"

The owner and waiters, who had hosted many celebrities, showed no surprise upon seeing Fan Xiaopang; instead, they all exclaimed in shock when Zhou Yi took off his mask—

Holy crap! A real Zhou Yi!

"Hello."

Zhou Yi, who had stuffed his mask into his leather jacket, generously fulfilled the requests for autographs and photos, while Fan Xiaopang temporarily served as the photographer.

"This owner has seen the world; stars like Li Ming, Chen Long, and Zhang Guorong have all eaten here. When I used to come here temporarily with my manager, Ms. Chen, they never asked for photos with me."

A very simple small table, two small stools, six cans of beer.

A superstar who had just rocked all of Hong Kong sat outside the shop like a neighborhood boy, watching Fan Xiaopang skillfully order from the menu while whispering to him as he checked off items: "People here are almost immune to celebrities, yet you're getting photos and signing autographs."

"No need to envy, no need to be jealous."

Zhou Yi, who still felt a bit nostalgic for this food stall environment, skillfully rinsed the cups: "In gaming terms, I'm basically using cheats."

"Using cheats gets your account banned."

Fan Xiaopang, while ordering, looked up and saw the man had already set the tableware for her; she smiled and teased, "If you get banned, how will I surpass you?"

"Your heart is quite big."

"People must have dreams."

The cold wind of the early morning swept past the ponytail disheveled by the hood on the woman's forehead, teasing her hair and blowing it onto her cheeks. After handing the menu to the waiter, Fan Xiaopang raised her hand to smooth her hair, hiding no ambition: "I will definitely become a superstar so red I turn purple, even redder than you. When I go out to eat then, it will be others taking photos with me, and you will be relegated to the one taking the picture."

"My suggestion is to drink these three cans of beer, then go home, wash up, and sleep." Placing the three cans of beer in front of the woman, Zhou Yi sneered, his tone pausing for a moment before he said, "In dreams, you have everything."

Fan Xiaopang immediately rolled her eyes at him.

Damn man!

He doesn't know how to encourage her at all.

"I'm serious; I've already planned it out. I'll work hard and be tired for these few years, first building my fame across the entire country..."

Chewing on the appetizer of kelp served with the beer, Fan Xiaopang, with a bare face, outlined the blueprint in her heart to the man: "I'm not afraid of you laughing, but when I first entered the industry, my dream was simply to make a lot of money, which is why I signed with Qiong Yao's company."

"Didn't you already make a lot of money from the World Cup? Why are you still so driven?"

Zhou Yi, holding a peanut to his mouth, rested his elbow on the small table, then put down his chopsticks, raised the beer can at his side, and clinked it against hers: "Sleeping at three or four in the morning and having to get up to work the next day; the money I earn is planned to be handed over entirely to the hospital.

"It's only because you're young now; if you get older, even the King of Hell would praise your health."

"The money from the World Cup alone isn't enough, so if I don't strive, I have no chance."

Fan Xiaopang shook her head: "I don't have your high musical talent, although I was a flute specialist when I was in school. I don't even have the acting talent of Zhou Xun and that group, who were fed by heaven; so I only have striving left, because I refuse to accept defeat."

Speaking of this, Fan Xiaopang looked up at the man sitting directly opposite her: "Do you know what she said to me when I told her I also wanted to try playing the female lead while I was at that old woman's company?"

Zhou Yi's speed of chewing peanuts gradually slowed—

As their gazes met, he moved his lips twice but said nothing; instead, he pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows to signal her to continue.

"She said I was destined to be a maid for my whole life, could never be a big star, and that only she could and was willing to promote me as a supporting character. She also wanted me to accept all the company's arrangements; if I wasn't willing or didn't accept, she would freeze me."

When speaking of her past, Fan Xiaopang put down the can in her hand, sniffed, pursed her lips, and looked up at the starry sky above; the moment she raised her head, her blinking frequency increased significantly: "I refuse to accept defeat, so I want to be famous, I must be famous, I must be famous enough that she kneels at my feet and admits she was blind."

"I wish you great success." Zhou Yi, not saying much, raised his cup and offered his most sincere blessing.

Fan Xiaopang, whose backbone had not yet been bent by Qiong Yao, was obviously not yet the blackened Fan Bayi; she still had her own pursuits and bottom lines.

Fan Xiaopang, who had removed all disguises in front of Zhou Yi, only withdrew her gaze from the starry sky after controlling her emotions—only to see Zhou Yi's beer can, which he had been holding up and waiting for her, the very next second...

While she struggled to control her emotions, he had never put his down, always waiting for her.

"Please raise your cup quickly, give me some face, okay? My arm is tired from holding it up; if you do this, I'll lose face."

"..."

Fan Xiaopang's lips curved upward several times, only to be suppressed by her again; after several repetitions, her clean, white face finally "broke into a smile through tears"—

A clear breeze blew, lifting the ponytail at the back of her head.

The disheveled strands of hair fanned out across the woman's forehead. Fan Xiaopang, who had wanted to say something several times, held back her words, finally pressed her lips together, smiled, and snatched up the beer can in her hand to clink it against his in midair: "Do you know what? I started a company. Once I make it big, my first target will be to acquire your lousy investment firm, and then acquire that old woman's."

Zhou Yi pressed his lips together noncommittally. Just as he was about to speak, two heavily made-up women passing on the opposite side of the road screamed out—

"Ah?! Zhou Yi! Zhou Yi?!"

"It really is Zhou Yi!!!! Hmm? Why is Fan Bingbin here too?"

Fortunately, it was the middle of the night and there were hardly any people on the road; otherwise, with that single shriek, who knows how many onlookers would have been drawn over.

"Zhou Yi! Can you sign an autograph for me?! I'm your fan, your die-hard fan!"

Unable to find a pen for signing, the two heavily made-up women even borrowed a ballpoint pen directly from the shopkeeper, then asked him to sign on their... underwear.

When the two women unbuttoned their black blazers, the strong scent of alcohol and the underwear that came into view made Fan Xiaopang, standing nearby, turn her head in surprise.

Drinking so much alcohol in the middle of the night? Dressed so lightly, aren't you afraid of catching a chill?

"Thanks for the support. This is my first time signing on something like this." With practiced ease, Zhou Yi found the best spot to sign on the underwear, finished the signature, and smiled as he thanked the two fans, who might or might not actually be his fans.

He even thoughtfully had his bodyguards come over to "escort" the two female fans home.

Fan Xiaopang laughed: "Maybe you'll have an unexpected gain tonight. Are you just letting them go?"

"I'm not so desperate that I'd choose a woman with such heavy makeup."

"What's wrong with heavy makeup? With the lights off, isn't it all the same?"

"Heavy makeup means I don't know if their base is any good. You know, I'm very picky."

"What about the one in the dark alley?"

"She doesn't wear such heavy makeup."

Zhou Yi, spinning a ballpoint pen in one hand, turned his head to look at her bare-faced, a smile curling at the corner of his lips: "As for whether you can acquire my company, we'll just have to wait and see."

(End of this chapter)