[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans":3,"chapter-the-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans-the-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans-chapter-292":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The More Tragic I Act, the Stronger I Get — My Fans Beg Me to Stop Killing Off My Roles",{"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},1297956,1723,"Chapter 292: Welcome to the Real Film Set of 'Icebreaker'","the-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans-chapter-292",292,"\u003Cp>Four days later, Yunnan province, Xishuang City Gaduong International Airport.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were no camera flashes, no screams from fans, and no banners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The afternoon sun was scorching hot, baking the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the airport exit, several inconspicuous black SUVs were parked quietly by the roadside, their bodies covered in dried yellow mud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several men with dark skin, wearing training tank tops, leaned against the car doors smoking,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>their gazes when looking at people were direct and rough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This setup didn't look like picking up a celebrity; it felt more like a secret rendezvous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Zhou followed closely behind Jiang Ci, his palm holding the suitcase handle slick with sticky sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes swept nervously around, feeling like every step he took was on the edge of a movie set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the brim pulled extremely low, and a faded old T-shirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked straight towards those SUVs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man at the head stubbed out his cigarette, looked Jiang Ci up and down, and blew out a smoke ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Jiang Ci?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man didn't say anything more, just waved a hand. Someone immediately came over from the side,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>snatched the suitcase from Sun Zhou's hand, and roughly threw it into the trunk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Zhou watched helplessly as his expensive suitcase was treated like that,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>his heart aching with a twinge, but he didn't dare utter a single word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The car started, left the airport, and merged onto the national highway leading to the border.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scenery along the way was completely severed from the bustling metropolis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Low-rise civilian houses, spiderweb-like power lines,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>locals in ethnic attire visible everywhere by the roadside, exuding a kind of untamed wildness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hotel where the film crew was staying was a three-star guesthouse,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>located on the edge of the small town. A few kilometers further south was the national border.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Large patches of white paint had peeled off the building's exterior wall, revealing dusty gray concrete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corridor was permeated with an inescapable damp, musty smell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Jiang Ci and Sun Zhou got out of the car,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>they saw several men with buzz cuts, covered in tattoos, squatting on the hotel entrance steps,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>smoking and laughing loudly in the local dialect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their gazes swept over, carrying a direct sense of scrutiny and aggression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Zhou instinctively shrank behind Jiang Ci.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A middle-aged man wearing a faded polo shirt and gold-rimmed glasses came out from the lobby to greet them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was Old Zhang, the producer of 'Icebreaker'.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Jiang Ci, you must be tired from the journey.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Zhang smiled amiably and extended his hand for a shake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Screenwriter Yan and Director Jiang are out scouting locations, they'll be back in the evening. Let me take you to your room first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Zhang was a well-known veteran in the industry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a \"traffic\" star like Jiang Ci who had exploded in popularity overnight,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he was polite on the surface, but inwardly he was observing and waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had deliberately arranged this most rudimentary hotel,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>just to see this young man's reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he showed even a hint of disdain or complaint, Old Zhang would know what to think.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The film crew's staff were unloading luggage from the cars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A young guy single-handedly lifted Jiang Ci's largest suitcase,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>probably thinking a celebrity's suitcase was full of clothes and shoes, how heavy could it be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as he exerted force, the suitcase slipped from his hand and hit the ground with a heavy, dull *thud*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The suitcase's latch was shaken open, the lid popping open a crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone's gaze was instinctively drawn over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The imagined brand-name clothes and high-end skincare products did not appear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What rolled out from the gap in the suitcase\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>was a smooth glass cupping device, a few brownish moxibustion sticks,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and a familiar, oversized army-green thermos cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exactly the same \"old cadre style\" one that made a fleeting appearance in the backstage sneak photo from *Vogue* and was turned into memes all over the internet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The luggage-moving young guy froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared dumbly at the things on the ground, then at the suitcase,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>completely unable to connect these items with the slim, capable male star before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Producer Old Zhang's smile also stiffened on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had seen actors acting arrogant, bringing piles of luxury goods, bringing a dozen personal assistants,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but he had never seen a male actor in his early twenties whose suitcase contained these things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene fell into silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Zhou wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. He hurried over, flustered, trying to stuff the things back in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci, however, very naturally crouched down, picked up the thermos cup, and patted off the dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at the flustered staff member and spoke calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's fine, nothing's broken.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, he picked up the cupping device and moxibustion sticks from the ground one by one, put them back in the suitcase, and snapped the latch shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout the entire process, he showed not a hint of displeasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching this scene, Old Zhang felt a complex mix of emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kid... seemed different from the rumors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the evening, Yan Zheng returned together with a tall, imposing man with a powerful aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was Jiang Wen, the director of 'Icebreaker'.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still carried the scent of dew and earth from the mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His sharply defined face was filled with an unyielding, authoritative strength,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and his gaze when looking at people was like examining material through a lens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't mention any welcome dinner, just jerked his chin towards Jiang Ci\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and said to Yan Zheng, \"So this is the 'treasure' you were talking about?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, his gaze settled on Jiang Ci and he spoke directly, \"Come on, let me take you to see a place.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The car drove through the chaotic streets of the small town and stopped outside a high wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barbed wire was strung along the wall; inside were several gray buildings. This was the local compulsory drug rehabilitation center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was exactly time for outdoor exercise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through two layers of barbed wire, you could see people inside wearing uniform blue prison uniforms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of them were emaciated, walking with unsteady steps, their faces showing a numb emptiness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some gathered in small groups talking quietly, while others leaned alone against the base of the wall, staring vacantly into space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Zhou only glanced once before his throat tightened, a wave of nausea churning in his stomach made him instinctively turn his face away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Wen stood beside Jiang Ci, not speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to see what this young actor's reaction would be\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>when faced with this most real, most ugly scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci leaned against the barbed wire, watching intently inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leaned forward, motionless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long time, he suddenly moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He imitated the posture of one person inside, slightly hunching his back, his shoulders instinctively curling inward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he walked, one leg dragged, as if that leg didn't belong to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His steps were slow, light, yet permeated with a kind of defeated exhaustion, as if all vitality had been drained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Wen's footsteps subconsciously halted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He watched Jiang Ci's back,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>watched every detail he imitated. His gaze was always scrutinizing and severe, but for the first time, it flickered with astonishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then that astonishment transformed into intensely excited focus,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>like a hunter finally spotting the prey he had long been searching for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't interrupt, but turned to Yan Zheng and lowered his voice,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>his tone brimming with suppressed excitement, \"Old Yan, you son of a bitch, you've really struck a true vein of ore this time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back at the hotel, as soon as the elevator doors opened, a heavy smell of smoke mixed with a sense of oppression hit them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man stood inside the elevator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked to be around fifty, burly, with a face full of coarse flesh and a ferocious knife scar running from his brow bone to the corner of his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wore a floral shirt, open at the front, revealing a thick patch of black chest hair and a thick gold chain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he turned his head and those murky eyes fixed on Jiang Ci, a terrifying aura of killing intent filled the entire cramped space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Zhou's legs went weak on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt like he was being stared down by a wild beast, his breath stopping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This guy has really killed someone, right?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elevator doors slowly closed. In the narrow space, the atmospheric pressure was terrifyingly low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Zhou trembled uncontrollably, cold sweat soaking his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci, however, showed no reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Body of Steel] made him almost immune to this kind of oppressive aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He just thought the smoke smell on this person in the elevator was a bit choking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, he very seriously sized the other person up a few times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Sun Zhou's horrified stare, Jiang Ci took a pack of tissues from his pocket and offered it over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the other could react, he spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uncle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His form of address was very polite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your liver fire is a bit strong, your eyes are full of red veins.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued in a tone discussing health maintenance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stayed up late? Want some chrysanthemum tea? I have some freshly brewed in my thermos cup.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"……\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The burly man's fierce expression instantly froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Zhou also petrified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was his boss doing? Was he giving a health science lecture to a dangerous person suspected of being a gangster?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few seconds later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"HAHAHAHAHAHA!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged man suddenly erupted in deafening laughter, laughing so hard the whole elevator seemed to vibrate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slapped Jiang Ci's shoulder with a startlingly powerful force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Interesting! You kid, you're really damn interesting!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wiped tears of laughter from his eyes and introduced himself, \"Lei Zhong, playing Cha Cai. Just testing you with a bit of acting earlier, didn't expect that...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lei Zhong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the top veteran actors in the country. To play a butcher well, he could go work in a slaughterhouse killing pigs for three months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That moment earlier was a test of acting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it was completely defused by a single phrase about \"chrysanthemum tea.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The evening welcome dinner was held at the greasy-spoon joint downstairs from the guesthouse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A greasy round table was surrounded entirely by burly, rough-looking men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were all actors playing drug dealers or police officers in the film.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no alcohol on the table, only tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone looked at Jiang Ci, the only fair-skinned, delicate-looking one at the table, their skepticism barely concealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could this tender-skinned, delicate guy withstand Director Jiang's torment?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don't start crying for his mommy during the first fight scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the corner of the joint, the TV was playing the evening news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...After days of searching by our side, the remains of the undercover police officer who went missing during the border anti-drug operation were discovered downstream today...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The female anchor's clear, precise voice carried clearly to the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The buzzing chatter in the joint from the previous second instantly fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone stopped using their chopsticks and looked at the TV screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the screen, several uniformed police officers\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>carried a stretcher covered with a white cloth, walking along the muddy riverbank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rough smile vanished from Lei Zhong's face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He picked up his teacup, drained it in one gulp, but couldn't control the redness that welled up in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the female anchor's voice from the TV continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ci lowered his head, looking at the clear tea in the cup before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fingers unconsciously rubbed slowly against the warm surface of the cup,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>until his fingertips turned slightly red from the heat.\u003C\u002Fp>",1951,"2026-06-05T18:00:08.557Z",1,"novelbin.me","effcdd38ee4542992c06a18e1a41b7f9fce6166811e55d24aa813f1c9c78ff71","the-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans-chapter-293","the-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans-chapter-291",366,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-more-tragic-i-act-the-stronger-i-get-my-fans-cover.jpg"]