ISWTDB Ch80 [Arc 7]

Chapter 80: The President is Very Fierce (1, 2)

When the previous world ended, Ying Zhao returned to the system space once again. He specifically asked Xiao Bai about Lu Yi’s situation after his transmigration.

Since there is a certain connection between the main system and the sub-system, Xiao Bai could also sense Lu Yi.

The flow of time in Ying Zhao’s world and Lu Yi’s world was different, so while Ying Zhao and his lover had already finished the previous world, only a few short years had passed for Lu Yi.

However, Xiao Bai informed Ying Zhao that Lu Yi was living very happily in the new world. Although there had been some ups and downs, he had found a lover who treated him as his life.

Upon receiving this news, Ying Zhao showed a comforting smile. After a brief rest in the system space, he left for the next world.

When he opened his eyes again, Ying Zhao found himself standing under a cherry blossom tree with petals fluttering down. At this moment, he was dressed in a celestial white robe, and his long hair was swaying in the breeze.

Seeing the distinctly ancient robe on him, Ying Zhao raised an eyebrow. He thought to himself, perhaps he had arrived in another ancient world.

However, before he had a chance to observe his surroundings, he heard someone beside him shouting in frustration.

Then, a chubby man with a large beard, wearing a beige vest, hurriedly ran up to him and said with an unhappy expression, “Ruihan, haven’t I told you many times to show that ethereal celestial aura? Don’t have a blank expression! What were you just daydreaming about?”

Hearing the bearded man’s words and seeing the photographers with cameras and the people coming and going around, Ying Zhao was momentarily confused.

Seeing that Ying Zhao seemed still quite out of it, the bearded man sighed helplessly and said sternly, “Alright, you should take a break. Find your state properly and think about what I just told you. If you still can’t get into character, I’ll really have to replace you! Even if my next film is invested by Yixing, it doesn’t matter! I will personally speak to Li Ge about this.”

Ying Zhao, upon hearing the bearded man’s words, nodded obediently. He thought it was a good opportunity to use this break to receive the storyline and memories of the original host in this small world.

However, he didn’t know where to go now. While Ying Zhao was lost in thought, he saw a pure-looking girl in a snow-white dress and high heels walking toward him.

When she reached him, she smiled gently and handed him a cup of coffee, saying enthusiastically, “Brother Han, you’ve worked hard. Please go rest in the dressing room! I’ve already prepared lunch; it’s made by me personally!”

Ying Zhao noticed a flicker of disdain in the girl’s eyes. He nodded at her and followed her into the dressing room.

Sitting in a chair, Ying Zhao looked at the rather weird-looking food on the table. The girl sat beside him, handed him the chopsticks, and with an eager expression said, “Brother Han, please try my cooking. I specially made this for you!”

Ying Zhao expressionlessly nodded at the girl but did not take the chopsticks. He gently said, “You can leave for now. I want to rest a bit before eating.”

The girl’s eyes flashed with displeasure upon hearing Ying Zhao’s words, but she made an effort not to show it. Instead, she put on an understanding smile, turned around, and left the rest area, even closing the door behind her.

Ying Zhao rubbed his slightly sore forehead and leaned back in the chair. Seeing that there was no one around to disturb him, he instructed the system, Xiao Bai, to transmit the storyline of this world to him.

As Ying Zhao understood, his identity in this world was that of a star named Ying Ruihan. His stage name was Ruihan, simply omitting the surname.

Although Ying Ruihan had been in the industry for many years, he had very few works. Moreover, the original host had no acting skills and was considered a well-known pretty face in the entertainment industry.

However, even though Ying Ruihan was a pretty face, he was a unique one. Despite the original host lacking acting skills, he possessed a god-like appearance and was truly a beauty of the age. He even had the title of “God-like Face.”

In terms of looks alone, Ying Ruihan would definitely be the nation’s top male idol. Looking at his face, no one would know that Ying Ruihan was already thirty-two years old.

His fans were all about looks and did not care about his acting skills. As long as their idol occasionally appeared, and posted some videos and photos, it was enough for them to scream with excitement.

But this was merely Ying Ruihan’s superficial identity. In reality, Ying Ruihan’s involvement in the entertainment industry was just for fun.

The original host’s family was a business giant that monopolized many industries. When he was twenty-three, after his father passed away, he took over as the head of the Ying family, becoming the true leader of the Ying family. Therefore, Ying Ruihan was the actual hidden richest person in the country.

When Ying Ruihan was young, he tried exploring several new fields on his own and set up a few entertainment companies, developing related industries.

He participated in some photo shoots like a hobby and unexpectedly became popular. However, for Ying Ruihan, the most important thing was his family’s business. That’s why he had so few works despite being in the industry for years.

He was originally a low-key person, and his work in the entertainment industry was just a way to relax. As for his real identity, few knew about it due to the influence of the original host’s power.

Even the well-known director Gao Sheng mentioned earlier was actually part of Ying Ruihan’s company, Yixing Entertainment.

Although the original host was not good at acting, he had an amazing talent for business. Like his father, he developed the family’s business very well. With the current strength of the Ying family’s industry, they had the capital to shake a country.

However, such a character, with astonishing looks and status, fell in love with someone he shouldn’t have. That person was the female protagonist of this world, Su Ying.

According to the plot of this small world, Su Ying was a typical Mary Sue character with the standard attributes of a white lotus. She was a beautiful girl with dreams, kind, and hardworking.

And in any Mary Sue story, a deeply affectionate second male lead is needed, and Ying Ruihan was such an unfortunate character. Despite being excellent in every aspect, he still blindly fell in love with the female protagonist.

Although Ying Ruihan was the real boss behind Yixing, very few knew his true identity. For him, the entertainment industry was just a way to relax.

Therefore, he did not deliberately arrange people and events around him. This allowed Su Ying to be assigned as his temporary assistant during the filming of Ying Ruihan’s movies.

As for why Su Ying came to the entertainment industry and chose to be a star assistant, it was because she was the number one fan of the actor Ying Chenghao.

She wanted to start by doing assistant-related work, get familiar with the entertainment industry, and then transition to becoming an actress. She dreamed of one day meeting her idol and, ideally, working with him.

In the plot, Su Ying was described as a very enthusiastic and kind-hearted girl. It was her innocence and kindness that attracted the original host’s attention.

Having lived in a complicated family since childhood and being used to deceit, Ying Ruihan naturally developed some affection for Su Ying. He directly made Su Ying his formal assistant and took good care of her.

Moreover, upon learning that Su Ying’s wish was to become an actress, he generously used his influence to provide her with some resources, helping her become a small star known to some people.

If the story ended here, it would still be somewhat reasonable. However, the subsequent plot was a large bowl of dog blood.

During a wrap party for a film, the original host encountered a bold and reckless young master who did not know Ying Ruihan’s true identity. Seeing the original host’s stunning appearance, he developed inappropriate thoughts about him.

So, the esteemed head of the Ying family was, in fact, easily and crudely drugged. Although the young master did not succeed and was ultimately eliminated by Ying Ruihan, the original host forced Su Ying, who was nearby, to partake in the drug’s effects.

However, Su Ying later understood that the original host was drugged and forgave him. Due to his guilt, Ying Ruihan treated Su Ying even better.

Ying Ruihan had always been a disciplined and abstinent person, so Su Ying was the first woman by his side in many years.

Thus, out of a sense of responsibility, the original host began pursuing Su Ying. However, the female protagonist rejected Ying Ruihan, stating that she was not interested in his fame or wealth and wanted to rely on her own efforts to achieve her future.

This made Ying Ruihan’s heart tremble even more, and he truly fell in love with the female protagonist. Thus, he used his powerful status to secretly support Su Ying, successfully promoting her and removing all obstacles from her path.

Since Su Ying was very hardworking, her acting skills were quickly recognized. Eventually, she became a superstar in film, television, and music. She fulfilled her wish to work with her idol, the actor Ying Chenghao, and sparks flew between them, leading to their relationship.

When the original host, Ying Ruihan, found out, he was heartbroken but respected the female protagonist’s decision. Thus, the deeply affectionate second male lead continued to foolishly watch the person he loved be with someone else and foolishly chose to silently guard Su Ying.

However, the story does not end here. Once, while Su Ying was filming a movie, she invited the original host to make a cameo, and Ying Ruihan naturally agreed.

In a scene involving an explosion, the props suddenly short-circuited, causing a real explosion. Ying Ruihan, noticing the danger, pushed Su Ying aside and protected her.

In this accident, the female protagonist only suffered minor injuries, while the original host, Ying Ruihan, was killed in the explosion.

However, from the god’s perspective, Ying Zhao knew that things were not that simple. In reality, the actor Ying Chenghao was also a member of the Ying family, but he did not belong to the main branch. His father was Ying Ruihan’s father’s younger brother, making Ying Chenghao Ying Ruihan’s cousin.

Ying Chenghao had always been very jealous of Ying Ruihan, who had been regarded as a prodigy since childhood. He pursued the female protagonist partly because he noticed Ying Ruihan’s affection for Su Ying.

The ability to take away Ying Ruihan’s love gave him great satisfaction. As for the explosion during the filming, it was also designed by Ying Chenghao.

With the original host present, his control over the family business was strict, making it very difficult for the side branches like his to gain any benefits.

Ying Chenghao knew that the main branch only had Ying Ruihan left. If he died, his own father could take over. Thus, he used the female protagonist to get the original host to make a cameo.

Originally, he intended to kill them all in the explosion, but unexpectedly, the original host pushed Su Ying away at the critical moment, sacrificing his own life for her.

After Ying Ruihan’s death, the female protagonist did not grieve for long before holding a grand wedding with Ying Chenghao. Ying Chenghao’s father also achieved his goal of taking over the entire Ying family.

Years later, when Ying Chenghao’s father passed away, Ying Chenghao naturally took over the Ying family. The movie star became a business mogul and was highly revered.

His union with the international superstar Su Ying was widely discussed. Thus, the male and female protagonists walked into their happy ending on top of the original host’s corpse.

After reading through the entire plot, Ying Zhao could not help but show a very disdainful expression. He suddenly wished there were some sort of management bureau or complaints department in this small world.

He really wanted to complain and didn’t know what the Heavenly Dao was thinking, creating such a foolish and annoying plot. It was full of dissonance and seemed completely unreasonable.

After receiving the original host’s memories, Ying Zhao knew that the woman who had just been by his side was Su Ying. Although she was dressed in a white dress pretending to be a pure flower, as an assistant, wearing such high heels seemed more like she was there for a runway show.

The food she personally prepared emitted an unpleasant odor. Without even tasting it, Ying Zhao could tell how poor her cooking skills were. He truly wondered how much the original host was lacking in love to not see the disdain in the female protagonist’s eyes and even be moved by her false concern.

After all, the original host, Ying Ruihan, was the head of the Ying family and held such a status. How could he not see through these completely low-level tricks and fall in love with such a calculating Su Ying?

Ying Zhao even suspected that the drugged medicine at the wrap party and the so-called coercion were likely part of Su Ying’s scheme to make the original host owe her a favor.

Although the female protagonist seemed like a naive and sweet character according to the original plot, she was actually neither proactive nor rejecting when faced with the original host’s pursuit and affection.

She enjoyed Ying Ruihan’s meticulous care and took advantage of the resources he offered her while claiming to pursue her future through her own efforts. This was truly laughable.

However, Ying Zhao also understood that, as Ju Mang had already told him, due to the Heavenly Dao’s attempt to break free from his control, the world’s consciousness in the small world had become chaotic. Everything had to yield to the protagonist’s luck and halo, making many plot elements seem irrational.

The Heavenly Dao, in its attempt to quickly gather luck, often chose protagonists who were unscrupulous. The Heavenly Dao aimed to use such people to create chaos in the small world to gain the maximum benefit.

No wonder Ju Mang’s expression was strange when he told Ying Zhao to enter the spiritual artifact, collect the Zhu Que’s soul fragments, and help him subdue the Heavenly Dao. It turned out that he had been schemed against in this way.

However, it was also thanks to the spiritual artifact created by Ju Mang that the Zhu Que’s soul could be nurtured, preventing his lover from dissipating into the heavens. In this sense, they really owed Ju Mang and Bai Rui a great favor.

Ying Zhao sighed helplessly and asked Xiao Bai in his sea of consciousness, “So, what is Ying Ruihan’s wish in this world?”

Upon hearing Ying Zhao’s question, Xiao Bai’s eyes sparkled with rapidly fluctuating data, and responded, “Host, the original host’s wish is to protect the Ying family from falling into others’ hands and to make those who plotted against him pay the price. He also wishes for a chance to start over and not to have been blind enough to fall for someone like Su Ying.”

Ying Zhao nodded upon hearing this. It seemed that, freed from the world’s influence, the original host was still rational.

Perhaps because Ying Zhao genuinely felt frustrated for Ying Ruihan after seeing this world’s plot, or perhaps because he knew that no matter where he went, his loved one would soon be by his side, he did not ask Xiao Bai where his man was now. Instead, he was considering finding an opportunity to deal with the scumbags first.

Having thought this through, Ying Zhao sighed comfortably in his chair and, feeling a bit hungry, finally wanted to eat something.

However, looking at the so-called loving lunch sent by the female protagonist, Ying Zhao lost all appetite. He couldn’t help but admire Su Ying’s courage to serve such terrible food. Was she really trying to win his favor or just trying to create enmity?

Without hesitation, he tossed the lunchbox into the trash can. Ying Zhao clapped his hands and thought about the original host’s memory. Today’s work was to shoot a liquor advertisement.

As the true boss behind Yixing, Ying Ruihan naturally received the best resources. Although the liquor brand was a new one, its quality was outstanding.

Their brewing technology was superb, and their high-quality products had won many international awards in recent years. They had become one of the most well-known national liquor brands. Their products did not need advertising, as they were already famous nationwide and even worldwide.

Therefore, getting such an endorsement was not easy for Yixing. Even the director for this advertisement, Gao Sheng, was specifically invited.

Gao Sheng was not very old but had many ideas. In recent years, he had won several awards but was always focused on making sentimental films and was unwilling to take on other work easily.

However, the film he wanted to make about taboo topics faced significant challenges, and finding investors was difficult. Yixing seized this opportunity to extend an olive branch.

As long as he agreed to shoot this advertisement for the original host, they would invest in his next film. Gao Sheng, being at a dead end, agreed.

It must be said that this director was indeed very capable, with excellent ideas and concepts for the advertisement. He planned to create a traditional Chinese-style advertisement.

The original host’s own qualities were indeed suitable for wearing ancient robes. However, despite Ying Ruihan’s outstanding appearance, his eyes were hollow and lacked any acting skills.

If it were another director, they might have considered his appearance. However, in Gao Sheng’s view, it was far from sufficient. Thus, the short advertisement had been repeatedly NG.

But Ying Zhao had no complaints about this. He always respected people who took their work seriously and did not see this as a flaw.

While he was thinking, there was a noise outside the rest room door. It sounded like Su Ying was repeatedly persuading someone outside, trying to prevent them from entering.

“Li Ge, Brother Han is resting in the lounge. Please come back later!”

Su Ying, blushing, looked at the handsome man in front of her. She knew that Li Ge was the best top agent at Yixing and was very capable.

She always felt it was unfair that Li Ge was responsible for an artist like Ying Ruihan, who had no acting skills. She felt that if she had such resources under Li Ge’s guidance, she would have become famous long ago.

Since becoming Ying Ruihan’s assistant, Su Ying had tried every means to talk to Li Ge, but unfortunately, Li Ge had always been indifferent, making Su Ying feel somewhat discouraged.

Li Ge. Ying Zhao remembered that the person outside was his agent. Li Ge knew the original host’s true identity and was responsible for Ying Ruihan’s work in the entertainment industry.

Although Su Ying outside kept emphasizing that Ying Zhao was resting and tried to chat with Li Ge, Li Ge seemed uninterested and directly pushed the door open.

When the door opened, Ying Zhao saw Li Ge, who looked completely different from the memory of the original host, raising an eyebrow.

Su Ying, seeing Ying Zhao, had an apologetic expression and said, “Brother Han, I’m sorry. I told Li Ge that you were resting, but…”

Su Ying did not finish her sentence, but her expression of seeming like a strict and terrifying boss and the obvious provocation in her words made Ying Zhao curl his lips.

Suppressing the sarcasm in his eyes, Ying Zhao smiled gently at Su Ying and said, “It’s alright, you can leave. I also have some matters to discuss with Li Ge.”

After Su Ying left and the door was closed, Ying Zhao looked at the tall man in gold-rimmed glasses, who still could not hide his charm. He raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Li Ge? I didn’t expect you to have such a new name.”

The visitor adjusted his glasses, his peach blossom eyes shimmering behind the lenses. Without courtesy, he sat down on a chair next to Ying Zhao and crossed his legs.

Supporting his cheek with one hand, he looked Ying Zhao up and down, concealing the concern in his eyes, and said with some disdain, “It seems you’re doing fine, just as expected.”

Ying Zhao clicked his tongue and said with a smile, “Yes, indeed. But Mu Qing, how did you end up here?”

Mu Qing waved his hand and said somewhat helplessly, “Don’t call me Mu Qing. Now I’m Li Ge. You still dare to ask me? If it weren’t for Bai Rui sensing that the system he refined with divine power had split into a subsystem, he wouldn’t have hurriedly found me to confirm whether you were facing any troublesome issues in the spiritual artifact.”

—

Author’s Note:

Mo Shui had previously researched that the divine beast Ying Zhao’s friend was the God of Hundred Flowers. However, there are many claims about the identity of the God of Hundred Flowers, with some saying it is Ju Mang. In this setting, Mo Shui has made a private decision that Ying Zhao’s friend is Mu Qing, the previous generation’s God of Hundred Flowers. (Mu Qing is the protagonist of The Wheelchair Marshal Online Gardening [Interstellar]. Due to certain reasons, he has retired, and the specific events will be detailed in that book.) The position of the Flower God was passed on to Mu Jin (the protagonist of That Brutal Guy Is Being Watched [Quick Transmigration]).

In this small world, Mu Qing and his old partner Ao Zhan will make a cameo and assist in delivering a divine artifact (a minor spoiler).