16. Jin Yuchuang’s Faltering Journey
The moment these words were spoken, an immediate uproar swept through the audience below. The journalists’ cameras flashed faster and faster, some even reaching a rate of 28 shots per second.
“Go, Mr. Jin! You’re number one! Everyone else is only fit to lick your shoes!”
“Marry me, Brother Achuang!”
“Brother Xiao Jin, you’re so domineering!”
Some fans, upon hearing Jin Yuchuang’s declaration, screamed with excitement on the spot.
Meanwhile, the onlookers and his detractors mostly responded with cold laughter, for Jin Yuchuang had just declared war on the entire entertainment industry.
“Silence!” Once the noise from the crowd had died down a bit, “Jin Yuchuang” spoke again:
“For as long as I can remember, the entertainment scene in Night Pivot City has been a stagnant pool. Incompetent idols scramble for the scraps, fighting tooth and nail to claw their way to the so-called ceiling of the industry.”
“If even the most worthless nobodies can make a place for themselves in Night Pivot City’s entertainment world, then the word ‘star’ will soon be synonymous with ‘clown.’ Here and now, I, Jin Yuchuang, declare that I will rise to the very top of this industry, to become the emperor above the ceiling!”
“What has happened recently is only the beginning. I will keep moving forward until everyone understands what it means to be a true star!”
As his fiery speech came to an end, the audience erupted once more with piercing screams and cheers. The fans’ voices surged in wave after wave, turning the scene into something akin to a cult ritual.
But in the next instant, a dazzling light suddenly flickered before everyone’s eyes.
A thunderous roar.
In a flash, the bomb hidden within a drone detonated. The shockwave erupted outward from the drone, blasting the entire stage into flying debris.
Immediately after, explosions rang out from all around the venue, as if someone had buried bombs beneath the ground in advance.
The venue’s alarm lights blared to life, the shrill wailing of sirens and the explosions blending into a symphony of panic.
Journalists and fans scattered in terror, and soon a massive stampede unfolded.
Even as the explosion struck, Jin Yuchuang’s shouted voice still blared from the stage speakers:
“Rejoice! This salute celebrates the birth of the king of entertainment!”
Then the speakers exploded a second time, and the broadcast was abruptly cut off.
No one knew how long it took before the venue was finally cleared, leaving behind only devastation and the charred remains of the blast.
A reporter, having escaped the hall for some time, suddenly snapped out of his daze and shouted excitedly to his intern:
“Hurry up and write it! ‘Jin Yuchuang Sets Off Bomb at Press Conference, Declares His Dominion Over Entertainment!’”
…
No one knew how much time passed before Jin Yuchuang finally shook off the rabid fans who had appeared out of nowhere.
The soundproofing in the lounge was excellent, and the crazed screaming of fans outside was so deafening that Jin Yuchuang was completely oblivious to what had just transpired on stage.
He tidied his disheveled hair and prepared to walk out for his speech.
“Good luck, Mr. Jin!” his manager said, flashing him an encouraging smile.
With a snort, Jin Yuchuang strode confidently out into the corridor and onto the stage.
But what greeted his eyes was an empty hall, strewn with the scars of explosions.
“Is… is this part of your arrangements, too?” Jin Yuchuang asked in utter confusion, pointing at the devastated venue as he turned to his manager.
His manager looked just as bewildered as he did.
That very afternoon, the news conference was splashed across the headlines of every major website.
To attract more clicks, Night Pivot City’s media outlets had long mastered the art of sensationalism.
“Jin Yuchuang Sets Off Bomb at Press Conference!”
“Jin Yuchuang Claims He Will Dominate the Entertainment Industry, Blasts Away All Competition!”
“Jin Yuchuang Plans to Occupy Longmen District, Detonates Bombs as Warning!”
“Jin Yuchuang Wants to Seize Political Power in Night Pivot City by Force!”
“Jin Yuchuang Suspected of Hosting a Forbidden Ritual in Dragon’s Nest Square!”
“Jin Yuchuang Becomes the ‘Bomb Fruit’ Superhuman!”
“Jin Yuchuang Wants to Rule the Universe and Establish the Great Han Empire!”
Reading headlines more absurd than the last, Chen Shang lay back on his living room couch, doubled over with laughter.
Meanwhile, the Collapse Index soared past three hundred—a meteoric rise.
On the other side, Han Tide Entertainment was shrouded in gloom.
Though everyone in the company knew this was a blatant frame-up, in the current climate, who would dare speak in their defense?
On PushBlog, Jin Yuchuang had become a national pariah.
“Arrogant megalomaniac,” “No moral bottom line,” “Treats human life as worthless”—every one of these labels was fatal for an idol.
Worse still, some of Jin Yuchuang’s fans continued to fight tooth and nail for him online, even posting things like, “So what if a few people died? Our brother’s reputation is far more precious.”
These remaining fans only pushed him further into the abyss, cementing his image as a cult leader.
Even companies who had business partnerships with Jin Yuchuang scrambled to issue statements terminating all relations with him.
Soon, the police stormed into Han Tide Entertainment, slapping an official notice onto the desk:
“Due to Han Tide Entertainment’s violation of the city’s Explosives Ban in the downtown district, Jin Yuchuang and other responsible parties must come to the station for investigation.”
Preliminary reports indicated that the bombing had caused more than a hundred casualties. According to Night Pivot City’s laws, this already qualified as a “minor casualty incident,” warranting a full investigation.
In truth, when Chen Shang planted the bombs in advance, he had deliberately placed them far from the crowds, intending solely to create a spectacle.
The vast majority of injuries and deaths resulted from stampedes and brawls between Jin Yuchuang’s die-hard fans and his haters.
Just as Jin Yuchuang was about to leave with the police, another squad arrived and slapped a fresh summons onto the desk:
“Someone has reported illegal funds totaling around four million in Han Tide Entertainment’s recent accounts. All company and personal assets under Jin Yuchuang’s name have been frozen. Please come to the station for investigation.”
It was a bolt from the blue for Jin Yuchuang. He hurriedly opened his mobile banking app, only to find that his accounts had indeed been frozen.
His manager suddenly understood. “No wonder your merchandise was selling so well these past few days!”
“Damn it, we’ve been played! Someone’s orchestrated all of this!” Jin Yuchuang cursed through gritted teeth.
No matter how they protested, their words were empty. They could only meekly follow the police to the station.
The moment Jin Yuchuang stepped outside the company, a horde of reporters surged toward him like hungry hounds.
“Mr. Jin Yuchuang, do you really want to become King of the Entertainment World?”
“Mr. Jin, was the bombing truly your idea?”
“Mr. Jin, can you tell us which dark god you were trying to summon?”
Shielded by bodyguards and police, Jin Yuchuang was finally escorted to the police car.
But just as the officers opened the car door and signaled him inside, a piercing female voice shrieked from the distant street:
“Teacher Achuang, we’re your support club!”
Everyone turned to see a pickup truck speeding toward them.
The truck was fitted with massive speakers, and the woman’s voice blasting from them was as deafening as an enraged elephant.
“Teacher Achuang, we believe in your innocence! You’ve been framed! Ignore the slander and rumors—we’re here to rescue you!”
The speakers continued to blare the frantic female voice as the truck accelerated, clearly about to plow straight into the crowd.
Even more bizarrely, no one was at the wheel—the truck was fully autonomous.
The blaring speakers drew everyone's attention. People scattered in every direction, and no one was struck by the vehicle.
The pickup barreled on, finally coming to a stop only when its front end crashed into a police car.
At that moment, the truck’s window suddenly shattered, and searing flames burst out.
“It’s a bomb! Get down!” shouted a seasoned officer, and everyone dove for cover.
The next moment, a thunderous explosion rang in their ears. The already battered pickup was blown apart by the bomb and the gas tank, leaving only half a burning chassis. Nearby police cars were flung aside, wheezing out their last fumes.
This time, there were no casualties, but Han Tide Entertainment now faced additional charges of “assaulting police” and “terrorist attack.”