Signing a Contract

Wei Hongxuan was determined to make his grandfather see Wei Linxuan's true colors. He bribed several classmates who often hung around with Wei Linxuan, having them not only keep constant watch over Wei Linxuan's movements, but also egg him on to fight and cause trouble.

This time, when Wei Linxuan fought someone over a minor celebrity, it was Wei Hongxuan who had hinted over the phone for those classmates to stir things up. Wei Hongxuan had originally wanted Wei Linxuan and his group of classmates to give that actor a thorough beating. He had even arranged for paparazzi to secretly film at the set. What he had not expected was for that actor to have so much guts that, in front of all those people, he actually dared to beat the Wei family's little prince into the hospital.

This was completely different from the script Wei Hongxuan had envisioned: "His cousin fought over a woman and used his status to beat someone into the hospital"! Even so, the scandal of Wei Linxuan fighting over a woman and getting beaten into the hospital was exposed by the paparazzi. For a time, the Wei family became the laughingstock of high society.

Wei Hongxuan had thought that after this incident, his grandfather would surely see Wei Linxuan for who he was. Yet although the old man was furious, what angered him was that someone had dared lay a hand on his precious grandson. To vent his beloved grandson's anger, Wei Xiaoyun had even wanted to use the Wei family's influence to blacklist that young actor.

Fortunately, after waking up, Wei Linxuan managed to talk the doting Old Master Wei out of it. Delighted by his coaxing, the old man took Wei Linxuan home that very day and fed him three meals and six bowls of soup a day to build him back up. The entire family treated him like a fragile piece of glass. Only Wei Hongxuan remained bitter, taking jabs at Wei Linxuan from time to time.

And so, those jabs gave rise to the reality show Exchanging Lives.

After gaining a full understanding of the Wei family's businesses, Wei Linxuan tried his hand at creating this program, which was part charity and part promotion. Ratings and profits were secondary. The key was that Wei Linxuan hoped to use the show to help Huaxia Imperial Entertainment out of the awkward situation where all its star talents had been poached. After all, Exchanging Lives was a reality show that strove for authenticity and did not need big-name celebrities to carry it. Secondly, the program could expand the company's, and even the Wei family's, social influence, drawing viewers' attention through filming while vigorously promoting charity and strengthening the company's brand image.

Most importantly, Wei Linxuan had used the project for personal gain by naming himself one of the guests for the first episode. That way, he could use filming as an excuse to escape the nourishing tonics his grandmother and mother served him three times a day and finally go outside for some air.

One plan accomplished several goals. With his sharp eye, Old Master Wei naturally supported his precious grandson's proposal. But afraid that his grandson would suffer, he did not agree to Wei Linxuan being a guest in the first episode. Wei Linxuan's father and mother felt the same way. After an arduous negotiation spanning three generations, Wei Linxuan ultimately emerged victorious.

To ensure that his son would not suffer too much during filming, Wei Zhanjie, the president of Imperial Entertainment, and Old Master Wei personally inspected more than a dozen filming locations. In the end, they chose the relatively stable environment of Lu Family Village.

So, when filming first began, no one had expected to dig up any selling point from Lu Heng. Yet Lu Heng, who had returned from rebirth, proved remarkably impressive. Before the program had even aired, he had delivered such an enormous gift package.

A rare commodity indeed!

Wei Linxuan, whose looks were exceptionally handsome—even more striking than those of most celebrities in the entertainment industry—curved the pair of peach blossom eyes he had inherited from his mother. He quietly assessed his young guest. Noticing Lu Heng looking over, Wei Linxuan even had the leisure to wave at him.

The room was in complete chaos. Lu's father, who had just finished roaring, was being scolded by Lu's mother as he bent down to gather the scattered broken wood and porcelain from the floor. Lu Heng looked at his former boss, who was leaning against the doorframe striking a pose, then silently looked away.

Signing a Contract

By the time Lu's father and mother had cleaned up the mess and everyone could sit down to talk, half an hour had already passed.

To ensure young Lu Heng's safety and keep the operation confidential, after presenting the banner and reward money, the J City Public Security Bureau simply kept the program crew—who had carried cameras and captured crucial clues—at the guesthouse for a few more days. The guesthouse mainly accommodated civil servants traveling on official business, so its sanitation and security were naturally stricter than those of privately run inns. The guesthouse arranged standard double rooms for Lu Heng and the crew members. They were just right for one person, not too crowded for two, but cramped with any more.

Wei Linxuan left most of the production crew outside and only brought director Chen Zhenggang into the room to discuss signing Lu Heng as an artist with Lu's parents.

Lu Zhenjun and his wife looked at each other as though they had just heard some fantastical tale.

Noticing the couple's hesitation and disbelief, Wei Linxuan gave Chen Zhenggang a meaningful look. Chen Zhenggang cleared his throat and began to persuade them. "Brother Lu, Sister-in-law Lu, I don't need to explain the situation in Lu Family Village. The two of you must understand it deeply. The environment is isolated, the teaching staff is limited, and there is even less to be said about educational resources."

He glanced at Lu Heng and continued, "Lu Heng is a promising kid. He looks good and knows martial arts. With proper packaging, he could take the path of a martial arts film star in the future. You've heard of Zhuo Yuheng, right? He's only a few years older than Lu Heng, but he earns over twenty thousand per episode now. One television drama can bring him several hundred thousand. I think little Heng is no worse than Zhuo Yuheng in any way. Most importantly, the child likes acting too. He even told the police that his greatest wish was to become a star."

Upon hearing that, Lu's father and mother instinctively looked at Lu Heng.

Lu Heng smiled faintly and nodded without revealing a thing.

Wei Linxuan, who had been sitting nearby and had barely spoken, suddenly said, "If Lu Heng signs with Huaxia Entertainment, then for various reasons, the company will transfer his student registration to Beijing. At that time, Lu Heng can study in Beijing."

"I attend Yanjing University Affiliated Middle School, which is also the best public middle school in Yanjing City. Students who graduate from junior high can advance directly into high school, and the high school division has a one hundred percent college admission rate."

The words hit their mark and immediately convinced Lu Zhenjun and his wife. The two exchanged a glance and were just about to agree when Lu Heng suddenly spoke. "If Huaxia Imperial Entertainment signs me, are you planning to keep airing the footage of me fighting the human traffickers at the train station on television?"

As soon as he said that, everyone in the room fell silent for a moment.