Game over, superstar.

Jin Yuchuang’s residence was located in a standalone villa on the outskirts of Longmen. In this wasteland world, ravaged by sandstorms two hundred days a year, waking up each morning to see green hills and leafy trees was a rare happiness. Yet now, this luxurious villa had become Jin Yuchuang’s prison.

Three days had passed since he was taken away by the police for questioning. If it weren’t for Elder Xu Qing’s connections within the corporation, he would never have been released so easily on bail. Still, even after leaving the police station, he remained under house arrest. Security robots patrolled outside the villa day and night, armed with stun batons and mounted heavy machine guns, their combat capabilities at military grade. These robots were there both to protect Jin Yuchuang and to prevent his escape.

In these days, Jin Yuchuang could only keep up with his situation by checking Tweibo on his phone. To be precise, he used his backup Tweibo account, since his official one had been temporarily suspended by the platform. At first, he would open Tweibo every five minutes to search for news about himself. But soon, the interval stretched from five minutes to ten, then to an hour... Eventually, he smashed his phone against the wall and gave up trying to think.

The producers of “Nuclear Rebirth” had urgently withdrawn the film from release and demanded enormous compensation from Han Tide Entertainment. Even the original author of the novel posted personally, expressing “great disappointment” in Jin Yuchuang, the lead actor. Online public opinion was overwhelmingly despairing. A handful of diehard fans tried to defend him, but their foolish comments only made his situation worse.

He knew, he was finished.

“Ring, ring—You have a new call~”

Suddenly, Jin Yuchuang’s phone chimed crisply. He hurriedly picked it up, his voice trembling: “Big Brother Xu...”

He tapped the answer button, and Xu Qing’s holographic projection appeared above the screen.

“Big Brother Xu! Thank you so much for what you did the other day! If not for you, I’d still be stuck in that damned detention center!” Jin Yuchuang immediately leaned closer to the phone, speaking with tearful gratitude.

“It was nothing, don’t mention it,” Xu Qing waved his hand, his expression calm and unruffled. “I’m calling to inform you of a few things.”

“What things?” Jin Yuchuang was momentarily stunned.

“Han Tide Entertainment will soon declare bankruptcy. Some of their elite personnel will transfer to other subsidiaries of the Xu Group. Once the storm passes, we’ll start anew.” Xu Qing spoke steadily. “As for you, just rest well for now~”

Jin Yuchuang took a deep breath, asking impatiently, “Then, about your class reunion, Big Brother Xu...”

“I told you, just rest during this period,” Xu Qing repeated, then ended the call.

Watching Xu Qing’s projection fade, Jin Yuchuang’s expression shifted from anticipation to bewilderment, finally contorting into rage.

“Damn it! Who’s out to get me?!”

He kicked the corner of the table, pain making him shudder. Gritting his teeth, he sucked in a breath and grabbed the crystal trophy beside him, smashing it hard against the table edge.

“Damn it! Making me lose face in front of Big Brother Xu! I... If I ever catch you, I’ll tear your skin off piece by piece!”

“You have a new message~” At that moment, his phone chimed again.

Jin Yuchuang quickly picked it up, only to see a dialog box on the screen:

“I know who framed you. Do you want to know?”

Beneath were two options: “YES” and “NO.”

“What is... this?” Jin Yuchuang pressed his face close to the screen.

Perhaps blinded by rage, Jin Yuchuang reached out and pressed “YES.”

At once, a map of Night Pivot City appeared on his phone, with a star marking a specific spot—clearly a destination.

He knew it could be a trap, but Jin Yuchuang still retrieved a handgun from the room’s cabinet, his gaze fierce as he looked out the window.

After his troubles began, the police had confiscated all his household weapons, except for this concealed handgun and six bullets, which had escaped notice.

“An unfinished building next to Dragon Lair Plaza?” Jin Yuchuang donned a black coat and prepared to leave.

Though security robots patrolled outside, Jin Yuchuang could escape with ease if he wished. He hadn’t run before, simply to avoid being accused of fleeing prosecution.

But this time was different. If he escaped, he might catch the true culprit who had framed him!

Reputation, wealth, fans, popularity, and even Xu Qing’s approval... If he could find the real criminal, he could reclaim everything stolen from him!

Thinking of this, he smiled. If someone were in the room with him, they’d see it was the most charismatic smile he’d ever worn.

Following the villa’s emergency tunnel, Jin Yuchuang evaded the robots’ surveillance and slipped out quietly.

Within five minutes, the security guards noticed something was amiss and sounded the alarm.

“… ”

Guided by the map on his phone, Jin Yuchuang arrived at the abandoned building beside Dragon Lair Plaza and entered a deep, damp passage.

The abandoned tunnel was pitch black, filled with the stench of mold. Jin Yuchuang switched on his phone’s flashlight and cautiously pressed forward.

Normally, he might have brought a few private bodyguards along. But now he was utterly alone, with no one left at his side.

“Step, step, step…”

Suddenly, Jin Yuchuang heard heavy footsteps.

“Who?!”

Reflexively, Jin Yuchuang spun around and saw a blurry figure.

“Bang! Bang!”

Almost by instinct, Jin Yuchuang fired two shots at the figure, knocking it down.

But when he approached to check, he discovered it was just a mannequin—a fake target. He’d used up two bullets on nothing.

“How cruel, Axian. You shoot me the moment we meet.”

Just then, Jin Yuchuang heard a young man speaking from a distance.

“You... Who are you? How do you know my old name?” Jin Yuchuang aimed his gun at the source of the voice, his expression fearful.

“So heartless! I’m your childhood playmate, remember?” the young man replied. “Who would’ve thought the Axian who played in the mud with us in the slums would become a big star one day~”

“Childhood playmate...” Jin Yuchuang’s eyes widened, his hand trembling on the gun. “But... you should all be dead…”

“Ah, don’t mention it... Just three days before your debut performance, our side was attacked by the Sandjackal Mercenary Corps. No one survived in the whole town... Axian, why did it have to be? We pooled our money to buy a flower basket, planning to cheer you on in person.”

“Because... because...” Jin Yuchuang’s voice shook, his face ghostly pale.

“Because you were the one who sent the mercenaries to kill us~” the voice sounded regretful. “You didn’t want anyone to know you were from the slums, so you sent people to wipe us out.”

“That was the company’s decision! It had nothing to do with me!” Jin Yuchuang shouted desperately. “Stop pretending to be ghosts—show yourself!”

At his shout, the young man’s voice disappeared.

“Ahhhhhh!” But the next moment, a shrill, banshee-like scream echoed behind him.

“Who is it?!” Jin Yuchuang’s own cries joined with the ghostly wailing. He whirled around, firing two more shots, and collapsed to the ground in terror.

“…”

“Hehe, scared you, didn’t I~ I used to love frightening you like this~” The ghostly screech faded, replaced by a young woman’s laughter.

“You... Who are you now?” Jin Yuchuang felt as if he’d fallen into an icy cellar, every trace of warmth gone from his body.

“I’m Xiaomin, don’t you remember, Axian?” the young woman’s voice had a hint of reproach. “Back when we were in middle school together in the slums, we promised we’d always stay together.”

“Xia... Xiaomin...?” Jin Yuchuang’s face was grave, sweat pouring down his body. “No, it’s impossible, you can’t still be alive…”

The woman paused, her tone melodious.

“After graduating, you said you wanted to see the city center, and I said I’d always wait for you... But I waited and waited, and never heard from you.”

“One day, I saw you on TV. Even though your face had been altered, I’d never forget the aura of Axian! So I went to Han Tide Entertainment to find you, hoping to see how you’d changed over the years…”

“But you just cast a cold glance at me and had your bodyguards beat me to death and toss me in the incinerator. It really hurt... Your bodyguards hit so hard, one blow broke my bones... But what hurt most was my heart... Even if you didn’t love me anymore, a text to let me give up would’ve been better…”

By the end, Xiaomin’s tone grew plaintive, even chilling.

“Shut up! All of you, shut up! It’s all fake! Stop pretending to be ghosts!”

Frightened, Jin Yuchuang fired two more shots into the air. Realizing his magazine was empty, he desperately swung the empty gun, trying to fight invisible enemies.

—Impossible, all fake! It’s that bastard’s plot! You won’t fool me!

His thoughts were in chaos; he could barely muster the will to stand.

Next, it was as if a dozen voices echoed in his ears, each speaking to him in familiar tones:

“Axian, I’m your elementary math teacher. I’m so proud you became a star. Sadly, I was killed by the Sandjackal Mercenary Corps and can’t cheer for you in person.”

“Axian, how are you now? Mother worries so much, never received a reply from you all these years.”

“Jin Yuchuang, you brat, you poisoned me just to snatch the ‘Best Male Idol of the Year’ award?”

“Brother Jin, I’ve been your loyal fan for ten years!”

“Jin Yuchuang, nmsmshsa?”

“So looking forward to Mr. Jin’s ‘Nuclear Rebirth’!”

“Nonsense, Brother Chuang would never play such a lowly role—apologize now!”

“Axian, I miss the days we had snowball fights together…”

“They only lost their lives, but Brother Jin lost his traffic and performance opportunities!”

“Guess who’s out to get you? Use your pig brain and try!”

“Axian... don’t abandon me... We promised to always be together…”

“...”

Countless voices echoed from all directions, swirling in his mind, threatening hallucinations.

“Don’t... Don’t come near... Stop... I’m begging you all…”

Jin Yuchuang clutched his ears in agony, sweat soaking his shirt.

Suddenly, all the voices vanished. Jin Yuchuang finally collapsed in relief, his eyes empty as he stared ahead.

In a daze, he heard footsteps approaching and someone spoke to him:

“The game is over, superstar.”