[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-ring-of-fate":3,"chapter-the-ring-of-fate-the-ring-of-fate-chapter-970":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Ring of Fate",{"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},2298939,4496,"Chapter 970: The Performer","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-970",970,"\u003Cp>Holm Film Company, Talent Department.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, Jianna wore no exaggerated makeup nor deliberately made herself look ugly; she simply kept her natural dark hair and brown eyes, the soft-toned “color scheme” of a local woman, simple and fresh, fully revealing her natural beauty and feminine charm, drawing glances from many passing employees and fellow interviewees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Next, Jianna,” called the employee at the meeting room door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jianna stood up, recalled her training at the Old Pigeon Theatre, and walked in with graceful poise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The four interviewers—two men and two women—paused their sketching and looked up; all were momentarily struck by her presence, though their subtle reactions differed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jianna, graduated from the National Academy of Drama, Acting Department?” one female interviewer read aloud from her file.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the identity “Justice” Lady had crafted for Jianna; according to Jianna’s knowledge, “Justice” Lady’s dream counterpart was Holly, the actual controller of Holm Film Company and producer of *The Great Pirate 3*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, she was the boss of these interviewers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holm Film Company was merely a non-core subsidiary of the Holm Group, whose foundation lay in various banks and whose financial power in the dream metropolis ranked second only to the Intis Group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes,” Jianna did not hide her beautiful voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After each interviewer asked a few questions, the first one pulled out a card and handed it to Jianna:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perform a segment according to the instructions on this card.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Jianna’s delicate features and clean aura, the interviewer deliberately chose a performance theme centered on “seductiveness” to test her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jianna took the card but had not yet read the prompt when the interviewer added:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No makeup or costume changes are allowed—you must convey the content solely through your performance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jianna felt no tension; instead, she felt a flicker of excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During her apprenticeship at the Old Pigeon Theatre, she had dreamed countless times of such an opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She glanced at the card and couldn’t help smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seductiveness”? She had real-life experience with that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Jianna lifted her head, her gaze had become tender and bold, as if holding a thousand unspoken words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “Exaggerated Woman” had returned!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone whose eyes met hers—male or female interviewer—felt an involuntary shiver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By mid-performance, one interviewer had already reached for water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I haven’t even used “Enchantment” yet… Jianna took pride in her performance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hadn’t even made any overly vulgar gestures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew…” One interviewer, watching Jianna finish, exhaled involuntarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you have a boyfriend?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes,” Jianna answered bluntly, but did not mention the child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her resume didn’t mention it either; Ludwig’s household registration followed Lu Mi’an, and she and Lu Mi’an were not married. Holm Film Company wouldn’t send private detectives to dig deeper—they’d never find out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several interviewers exchanged glances:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a promising prospect—she could easily become the one star that dims all others—how could she already have a boyfriend?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Girl, wake up! You’re so young, why are you even dating?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Never mind. Once she enters the industry and sees what true luxury and decadence are, her old boyfriend will be gone soon enough. Just keep it secret for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first female interviewer turned her gaze back to Jianna and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go home and wait for our reply. We’ll get back to you soon—please try not to leave the city within the next three days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood,” Jianna bowed and exited the meeting room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since this was the Talent Department, where big stars might appear at any moment, a dedicated staff member escorted her out to prevent her from wandering or taking unauthorized photos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young woman escorting Jianna found this interviewee not only beautiful but uniquely so, with clear potential for stardom, and decided to build rapport, telling her which offices belonged to whom, which areas were reserved for which stars…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jianna was very interested, as Lu Mi’an had instructed her: “Pay attention to the actor playing Geerman · Sipaluo —see if he has any special traits.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they chatted amiably, they slowly walked toward the exit of the Talent Department.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, several people entered from outside; the leader wore sunglasses and stood about 1.8 meters tall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since they had entered the Talent Department, he removed his sunglasses, revealing a face that struck Jianna as vaguely familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bore a three-tenths resemblance to Zhou Mingrui—his head was smaller, his features more refined, his contours more sharply defined; unless Jianna deliberately searched his face for traces of Zhou Mingrui, she wouldn’t notice the similarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was Jia Yu, the actor portraying Geerman · Sipaluo , a mixed-race man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jianna quietly lowered her gaze, slightly disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Jia Yu himself resembled Geerman · Sipaluo  six or seven tenths, or closely resembled Zhou Mingrui, and merely transformed into Geerman · Sipaluo  through makeup, Jianna might have thought he held some special significance—a symbol of a key issue in the dream. But now, she believed that unlikely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No wonder Franca said there was no need to observe or approach the actor playing Geerman · Sipaluo … ‘Justice’ Lady didn’t mention Jia Yu in the files either…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But Franca’s reasoning was bizarre—she claimed Jia Yu means ‘fake jade,’ implying this person is fake and not worth investigating. But ‘Jia’ and ‘fake’ have completely different meanings. Clearly, I need Franca as a guide—only then can certain things become clear, certain symbols easily interpreted…” Jianna silently mused, passing by Jia Yu and his group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all instinctively turned to look back at Jianna’s back, clearly stunned by her presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once outside the Talent Department, Jianna asked curiously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Was that Jia Yu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The female staff member nodded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. *The Great Pirate 3* made him famous overnight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Does he have an English name? He looks very foreign,” Jianna asked casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Jia Yu’s English name was Kelaien · Moleidi , then he was still worth further observation and contact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman thought for a moment:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, he only has foreign ancestry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jianna felt a pang of disappointment when the woman lowered her voice and added:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, we didn’t originally cast him as Geerman · Sipaluo . We had planned for another actor—he was far more famous, a true international star.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Couldn’t you agree on a price?” Jianna asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman shook her head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He had a car accident. He’s now in a vegetative state.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?” Jianna’s heart jolted, then flashes of recent video keywords came to mind:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swordlight and blade shadows, blood and wind, fierce struggle…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s such a pity,” the woman sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jianna’s eyes flickered slightly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What was that star’s name? I’ve never heard of a car accident replacing an actor…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman frowned in thought:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t remember his name. The incident stuck in my mind, but the name just won’t come… it’s stuck… blocked…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I’ll look it up myself when I get back,” Jianna thought this was increasingly suspicious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She smiled and waved goodbye, leaving Holm Film Company.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xinhong Community, rental apartment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi’an received Jianna’s message and learned about the actor playing Geerman · Sipaluo .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He informed Anthony, and both searched for related news on different platforms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was indeed a case of a celebrity becoming vegetative after a car accident, but neither the news nor its comments mentioned the name or exact date—clearly avoiding the topic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even the all-knowing internet can’t find out who it was…” Lu Mi’an stood up and paced in the living room Jian dining area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly thought of someone, picked up his phone, and pulled up “a name that left a deep impression”:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have you heard this news? Do you know who it is?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below the voice-to-text transcription was Lu Mi’an’s copied and pasted news excerpt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, Anderson Hood replied:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“See? If I turned myself in, who’d give you intel?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still holding a grudge over last time? Are you really that petty? Lu Mi’an grumbled inwardly, then smiled and brought the phone to his mouth:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I’ll help you escape.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After twenty to thirty seconds, Anderson replied:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I don’t want to escape. You don’t need to go to war with this city for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The celebrity in the car accident was An Xiaotian. He’s still lying in a special ward at Red Moon Hospital.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“An Xiaotian?” Lu Mi’an looked at Anthony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Franca’s words, everyone shared the surname An—perhaps they were all related five hundred years ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anthony pondered for a few seconds, just as Lu Mi’an muttered aloud:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Antigonus?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was one of the Five Dukes of the Tudor Empire, former vessel of the “Fool” Singularity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of the Five Dukes of the Tudor Empire, Lu Mi’an—who had already encountered three of them in the dream—felt an unexpected pressure, given his lingering aura of the Blood Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The ‘Fool’’s avatar casting the former ‘Fool’… that fits the dream’s logic…” Lu Mi’an slowly nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the car accident is abnormal. What does it symbolize?” Anthony mused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Does it symbolize that Antigonus’s spiritual imprint within the ‘Fool’ Singularity has fallen into a vegetative state?” Lu Mi’an attempted an interpretation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He added quickly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The more suspicious point is that ‘Justice’ Lady didn’t mention it in the files.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whether or not An Xiaotian is Antigonus’s dream counterpart, as the originally intended actor for Geerman · Sipaluo  who had the accident and became vegetative, ‘Justice’ Lady should have mentioned it in the files, for both emotional and logical reasons.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If it's Antigonus, he would urge us to dig deeper into the issue; if not, why not simply explain a few words and spare us from wasting time on this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of thought, Anthony said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Perhaps he forgot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the Major Arcana cards, 'forgetting' itself indicated a problem related to An Xiaotian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi, standing, looked at Anthony and said thoughtfully:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Later, you go to Star Dream General Store to retrieve the letter and write a letter detailing An Xiaotian's matter and send it out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'll find a time to visit Red Moon Hospital and 'check on' An Xiaotian.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1658,"2026-06-20T06:22:37.987Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","1bcc5f30c7e6f8dbf19a3e6b2a4a9e52e04090d12714d0042c0c257c936fb014","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-971","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-969",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ring-of-fate-cover.jpg"]