Chapter 23

Perhaps because the nightclub lighting had been too dim and the phone's camera quality was poor, the video was very unclear. There was no context, only the part where he beat people up. Still, through the blurry footage, one could vaguely make out his heroic bearing as he took on ten men alone. And that scumbag's disgusting aura of stupidity was practically bursting through the screen. Chen Mo narcissistically watched the video for a while before scrolling down to the comments—

Sure enough, there was every kind of comment imaginable.

"Ahhh!!!! My husband is so handsome! Not only can he play the piano, sing, and act, he can fight too. Look at those moves—he's like the male lead in an action movie beating up cannon fodder. He's so handsome I'm losing it!"

A whole crowd of little fans followed the comment with "Ahhh," leaving messages like "My idol is insanely handsome," "I want to have Monkey's babies," and so on.

Chen Mo smiled knowingly when he saw that. I think I'm insanely handsome too!

His finger slid down slightly, revealing more comments. Besides the lovestruck little fans fawning over his looks, there were also many more doubtful voices.

"Isn't Chen Mo a high school student? Why would he be at a nightclub fighting at that hour? Also, don't nightclubs check customers' IDs?"

"He fights so smoothly. He probably bullies people at school all the time too, right? All I can say is, wow. I'm absolutely hopeless about this face-obsessed world. You love-struck girls start screaming the second you see a pretty boy, without caring whether he has any character at all!"

"Artists nowadays have absolutely no standards. He hasn't even graduated high school, yet he's already out making money. The moment he gains a little fame, he starts hitting nightclubs, picking up girls, and fighting. He knows nothing, but because he's good-looking, he can make movies, TV dramas, and variety shows even without acting skills. He casually earns more than the annual salary the rest of us work our asses off for all year. It's because there are too many of these 'idols' that students nowadays refuse to study properly. They all cling to daydreams of entering the entertainment industry and becoming famous overnight. It's so unfair!"

That comment had a pile of likes and agreements beneath it. People cited their own real-life experiences as proof, earnestly recounting how they had been young and ignorant, neglected their studies because they worshipped idols, failed to get into good universities or find good jobs, and consequently lived unhappy lives, couldn't find wives, and couldn't afford to raise children. In the end, they fiercely nailed Chen Mo to the pillar of shame as a poor student in the arts who could only rely on his face, fight, and bully people.

Chen Mo curled his lips disdainfully at that and continued scrolling. In real life, he had to humbly listen to his elders' lectures and demands, or else face the misery of having his accounts frozen and getting whipped. But online, he only needed to casually listen to the people praising him. After all, they were strangers. Those who praised him might like his face or his money, but those who insulted him were definitely venting their dissatisfaction with their own lives.

That was the experience Chen Mo had gained in his previous life after being a rich second-generation heir, dating minor celebrities, and appearing in gossip magazines.

Brimming with inexplicable confidence, Chen Mo quickly tossed aside the online slander and kept reading.

"The person above is being completely irresponsible. You're not even a student at our school, so how do you know how Chen Mo usually behaves there? Do you really think our school is some low-tier vocational high school where nobody cares if students fight?"

Because of that cringingly childish comment dripping with the attitude of "you mortals are all idiots," the discussion completely went off the rails. Netizens began asking which school the commenter attended. Of course, some people also refuted the original poster, saying, "You're not a vocational high school student either, so how do you know nobody cares when students fight at our school? Our proper vocational high schools have very strict rules too, okay?"

The topic then veered into the difference between "proper vocational high schools" and "improper vocational high schools." After a fierce online brawl among various vocational schools, the original commenter finally replied, "I'm from Huajing Experimental No. 1 High School. Chen Mo is a student in Class One, Senior Year Three. Ever since he entered as a freshman, he's ranked in the top three of the entire grade in every exam. Even after taking a semester off and returning to school, he held firmly onto first place in the whole grade, scoring dozens of points higher than second place. If someone like Chen Mo can be called a poor student, then all I can say is wow."

That reply immediately sparked heated discussion among countless netizens. Everyone knew that even if Huajing Experimental No. 1 High School was not the best high school in the country, it was still one of the top three key high schools nationwide. It was said that fifty percent of its graduates entered key universities, while its university admission rate reached one hundred percent. It could be said that once a student got into Experimental No. 1 High School, one foot had already crossed the threshold of a key university. Calling them the favored children of heaven would not be an exaggeration.

So now the question was—

Chen Mo, whom everyone had subconsciously categorized as a poor student, was actually a god-tier academic powerhouse from this elite high school...

"Oh my god, are you even going to let the rest of us live?"

Naturally, while some people online wailed that Chen Mo was inhuman, others became fans because of his academic genius persona. Although modern China had been influenced by multiculturalism from around the world, and the old rules of etiquette, cumbersome rituals, and rigid conventions admired by aristocratic families were rarely seen in ordinary people's daily lives, certain ideas that had been passed down for thousands of years and seeped into the bones could never truly be erased.

Foremost among them was the reverence for scholars. For example, "All trades are lowly; only learning stands high," and "Those robed in crimson and purple are all men of learning."

Though the definition of "scholars" was no longer limited to studying the classics, histories, philosophers, and literary collections, for both the country and its people, academic qualifications and the prestige of one's school still represented the degree of respect one could receive.

And now, in an entertainment industry generally lacking in cultural depth, a god-tier academic figure who had become famous overnight suddenly emerged. One could imagine how shocking that was to netizens.

Within just a few hours, terms like "Academic God Chen Mo," "Huajing Experimental No. 1 High School Chen Mo," and "First in the Entire Grade Chen Mo" were once again pushed onto the trending charts.

Yang Qindong had just obtained the complete footage from the nightclub incident and returned to the company, preparing to work through the night with the publicity team. When he saw the new wave of "Chen Mo fever" sweeping the internet, he was left dumbfounded. Once he recovered, he could only marvel once again at Chen Mo's ability to trend and seize headlines.

After Yang Qindong instructed the publicity team to upload the complete video of Chen Mo fighting at the nightclub, the online comments overwhelmingly tilted in Chen Mo's favor, thanks to the deliberate guidance of paid commenters and the fact that the truth itself was already on Chen Mo's side.

Early the next morning, when Director Zhang and the main creative team of Emperor Wu of Han: The Young Emperor opened their computers or phones, they saw screens filled with "Chen Mo," "Chen Mo," and more "Chen Mo." Stunned and overjoyed, they immediately returned to the company and urged the post-production team to quickly produce promotional behind-the-scenes footage centered on Chen Mo, as well as an exquisite three-minute trailer. While the internet was still buzzing over Chen Mo being a "martial arts master and academic god," they would give Emperor Wu of Han: The Young Emperor another push.

At the same time, major television stations that had previously held back began calling Huaxia Entertainment, ready to purchase the first broadcast rights to Emperor Wu of Han: The Young Emperor at high prices. In the end, Banana TV, backed by its deep pockets, successfully bought the first broadcast rights for two million per episode. They also planned to air the drama during the prime slot of winter break. To build hype, Banana TV had already begun inserting trailers into its programming in December.

Of course, for the sake of the drama as a whole, Banana TV used the first version of the plot trailer recorded by the production team. Chen Mo did not have many scenes in it, but because the crew had pursued perfection, it included several classic scenes of Han Yan riding a horse, shooting arrows, and ultimately taking poison to die. It still gained plenty of fans.

As for online promotion, they mainly used the Chen Mo version. With television and the internet working together, Emperor Wu of Han: The Young Emperor quickly created a huge sensation. It practically carried the imposing air of, "When Emperor Wu appears, who can stand against him?"

Besides repeatedly airing plot trailers, Banana TV also invited Director Zhang and the other main creators of the drama to record a program. Banana TV's variety shows had always been among the most popular in the country. This was a win-win-win arrangement: promoting the drama, promoting themselves, and boosting the station's ratings. Naturally, no one would miss such a good opportunity.

However, they still had to coordinate the recording schedule. By mid-December, because of the enormous impact Chen Mo had caused in society, the leadership of Huajing Experimental No. 1 High School held meeting after meeting before finally deciding to summon Chen Mo back to school. They also stipulated that Chen Mo had to prove in the final exams of that school year that his "extracurricular activities" had not affected his studies before he could continue cooperating with the company and production team on various promotions.

Chapter 23

A student's duty was to study.

It seemed that no matter which world one was in, this was an unchanging, universal truth.

By the time Chen Mo returned to school, it was already late December. The weather was so cold it felt like it could freeze one's ears off, yet most students still desperately rushed to the sports field during the brief ten-minute breaks between classes. It was as though running onto the field would let them cast off their heavy schoolwork and gain freedom.

Standing at the school gate, Chen Mo looked at the noisy sports field, packed with people coming and going, playing basketball and running. Then he turned back to look at the busy street, where even pedestrians passing by were bundled up tightly against the bitter chill of winter. He had the strange feeling that the inside and outside of the school were two entirely different worlds.

Perhaps because his celebrity aura was too dazzling, Chen Mo was recognized the instant he stepped through the gates.

"Come look! Chen Mo's back at school!"

That shout from a student nearby spread at once, and students both near and far immediately turned to look. The crowd unconsciously began converging on Chen Mo. In the blink of an eye, he found himself surrounded. Familiar classmates greeted him with smiles, while others, their cheeks flushed, took out paper and pens to ask for his autograph.

Chen Mo felt uncomfortable from being squeezed by the crowd. He frowned, but before he could speak, someone outside the crowd shouted loudly, "What are you all doing?!"

Upon hearing that deep, booming voice, most of the students instinctively turned around. The dean of students' small yet agile figure was striding toward them from the distance. His expression was dark and stern, his steps powerful, and his entire body radiated an unmistakable aura of "keep strangers away."

Under the suppression of that predator-like presence, not even Chen Mo's aura could shine upon these young students who had been terrified senseless by the dean's lectures. The students surrounding Chen Mo scattered in all directions like startled birds and beasts, leaving only Chen Mo standing alone and deserted at the school gate.

Damn it, a bunch of bastards worse than even three-month fans!

Chen Mo, who had accidentally arrived a few minutes late, stood there stiffly. Before he could figure out how to explain that he had forgotten Senior Year Three's morning classes started half an hour earlier and had therefore been late, the dean of students—whose face had just looked like Chen Mo owed him five million—suddenly smiled like a blooming chrysanthemum. Patting Chen Mo on the shoulder, he said, "So Chen Mo has returned to school! You've done very well recently in bringing honor to the school. But you must keep working hard. No matter how well you do in these 'extracurricular activities,' you cannot neglect your academic performance. You need to work hard and become the national top scorer in the college entrance exam!"

Chen Mo merely smiled at that and said nothing. Whether he answered yes or no, it would not sound very good, so he could only put on a shy smile.

The dean of students was very satisfied with Chen Mo's reaction as well. He patted Chen Mo's shoulder encouragingly and said, "Class is about to begin. Hurry back to your classroom."

He did not pursue Chen Mo's lateness at all.

Chen Mo happily slipped away with his backpack. When he returned to the classroom, he was surrounded by his classmates again. His deskmate Zhang Zongming thumped his chest in admiration, threw an arm around Chen Mo's shoulders, and said, "So when you said you went to film a TV drama during summer break, it was actually true. I thought you were just lying to fool me. Say, you must have seen Lin Xia while filming, right? She's my idol. Do you still keep in touch with her? Could you get me an autograph sometime?"