Chapter 7

Zhang Feng gritted his teeth in hatred, taking his anger out on even Niu Zhuang, who had filmed the video.

Had that guy even recorded the video properly?!

He switched to an alt account and tried to steer the comments into slandering that pretty boy.

[With pictures this blurry, you have the nerve to call him a peerless beauty? Maybe up close, he's just an ugly, poor plastic surgery freak?]

The only thing Zhang Feng was grateful for now was that no one knew the real identity of that trash-picking guy. Judging by his appearance, he probably couldn't afford a high-end phone and didn't use Weibo.

At least for the next few days, that guy wouldn't be able to use this wave of attention to clear his name or draw even more attention to himself.

However, just as Zhang Feng was thinking this, another video suddenly emerged, slapping him squarely in the face and sending the pretty boy he had been cursing nonstop straight to the top of the trending searches.

Jade Arts Gossip King V: [Shocking! Huge scoop from Bicheng College of Arts: the Trash-Picking Immortal Pretty Boy who made fruit talent scouts fight tooth and nail, brought the God of Wealth Entertainment boss himself out of retirement, and told big shot @Shui Wuyuan V not to try to ride his coattails! Did that final glance strike you dead?! #Video# #Front-Face Screenshot#]

Author's note:

River Immortal Pretty Boy: Who is Shui Wuyuan? Don't try to ride my coattails. We're not close. Dealing with him would delay my trash-picking.

Shui Wuyuan: Heh... People have always tried to ride my coattails. How novel.

Later:

Shui Wuyuan: Honey! Cuddle! I'll help you pick up trash!

It had to be said that the Weibo blogger called Gossip King was quite skilled at grabbing attention and riding trends.

That string of descriptive prefixes alone had already caught the eyes of netizens. The words "talent scouts," "God of Wealth Entertainment boss," and "Shui Wuyuan" in particular made internet users swarm over like melon-loving raccoons that had caught the scent of gossip. Almost immediately, they rushed beneath the post to click on the video and enlarge the screenshots.

Then Weibo exploded.

[Oka-ka-ka-ka-ka-kay! I can handle this Immortal Pretty Boy!]

[I swear on my twenty years of titanium-alloy inspection eyes that this breathtakingly beautiful Immortal Pretty Boy is absolutely the same person as the one in that side-profile screenshot! If they aren't the same person, gouge out my eyes!]

[Oh my god, are we getting a repeat of that Bare-running Mountain God Bro story? What's this Immortal Pretty Boy's whole persona supposed to be? He actually said people should make offerings to ensure their safety? Also, what species is that black fish in the fish tank he's carrying? It's black, but for some reason, I feel like that fish has a bit of spiritual aura too?]

[I'm dying. The fruit talent scouts swarming out to hand over business cards was absolutely incredible. Since when did Strawberry Entertainment and Big Pineapple become so humble and start stepping on each other? The best part was that even the old man from God of Wealth Entertainment personally showed up and still couldn't sign this Immortal Pretty Boy. Is he too confident, or is something wrong with his brain?]

[Today's humblebrag notes: I'm not interested in the entertainment industry. I want to pick up trash.]

[Today's pretentious notes: Who is Shui Wuyuan? Don't associate Shui Wuyuan with me. Cold, glamorous, and noble.jpg]

[Even so, I actually think the Immortal Pretty Boy wasn't humblebragging or putting on airs, covers face. If he put on a set of immortal-style ancient robes and grew his hair out, then told me he was an immortal, I'd totally believe him orz. That's probably what absolute confidence in one's looks is like.]

[Absolute confidence in his looks +1. Setting everything else aside, Trash-Picking Immortal Pretty Boy's face might even be able to compete with Boss Water's. But when it comes to confidence and talking trash, no one can beat my idol! @Shui Wuyuan V here. Idol! Idol, hurry up and come see this! Someone told you not to try to ride his coattails! Someone's looking down on you! Come roast him and let him see how amazing the number-one male god outside the industry is!]

Then the entertainment-loving netizens began collectively @-ing Shui Wuyuan and madly reposting and liking the Weibo post, sending it straight to number one on the trending searches. Several discussion topics—#I Want to Pick Up Trash# #Don't Associate Me With Shui Wuyuan# #Make Offerings and I'll Bless You#—also made it onto the trends.

With such a huge commotion, Shui Wuyuan naturally couldn't have missed it. Boss Water, who practically owned a super ocean-view mansion—or even an island—on Weibo, saw the two posts about "He Qinglan" almost immediately.

When he saw the River God, whose figure was clearly different from when he had first seen him, looking as if he had been dulled by several dozen shades yet still far more attractive than ordinary people, picking up trash by the river, the water in Shui Wuyuan's cup spilled out.

Shui Wuyuan truly could not understand why a god who could flood Bicheng with a flick of his fingers would seal away all his power and pick up trash in the form of a mortal.

But when he watched the second video, he laughed.

Watching that man with his ethereal features and detached temperament carrying a broken bottle and a black fish, proactively asking humans to make offerings, Shui Wuyuan knew it: the Qinglan River God... was out of cash!

Boss Water burst out laughing on the spot. His silver-gray eyes once again openly revealed a gleeful, mocking smile. That smile softened even his overly sharp brows and features, making him seem much gentler and more focused. But when he saw the end of the video, where those deep-blue eyes stared into the camera and, in an extremely aloof and cold manner, asked who he was and told him not to try to ride his coattails, Shui Wuyuan's smile faded. Then his brows rose high as he gave a derisive snort.

Shui Wuyuan leaned back against his ultra-luxurious executive chair. From the depths of his memories, he dug up an image—

That man rose atop the waves in the long river. With one sweep of his flowing water-like sleeves, he could flood a thousand miles.

Even the Fire God could gain no advantage in his waters, and the Wind God's bindings could not trap him. He was clearly only the spirit of a single river's water vein, yet he was so powerful it was as though he were the master of all waters under heaven.

And then...

"Tsk."

Shui Wuyuan refused to let himself think any further. Yet at that moment, his spirits lifted, and the corners of his lips curled upward.

The moment secretary Shi Lin entered with coffee and saw his boss narrowing his eyes and smiling with curled lips, he knew another unlucky soul was about to get verbally shredded by their boss.

Gods above, may that person not die too horribly.

Thus, the netizens who had been madly @-ing Shui Wuyuan soon discovered that the person they had tagged had responded! And the content of that response made countless gossip-hungry netizens want to scream—