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[Trash company, why are you treating Little Xu like this? Hurry up and terminate the contract. I hope our Little Xu has a bright future!]

[Could some director please take a look at our guy? His acting is incredibly good! He works seriously! He's never perfunctory!]

Though there were not many comments, every one of them was sincere and full of affection for this actor.

Through the fan forum, Cai Jinbai clicked into the actor's homepage and searched for his basic information.

—Xu Yuqing, a contracted actor under Star Universe Entertainment, had exploded in popularity after playing the male lead in an idol drama. He had been the campus heartthrob in university, handsome, academically gifted, and an even better actor.

After graduating, he entered the entertainment industry, and from then on his career had shone brilliantly. It had taken him only a short time to go from supporting male roles to leading roles.

His face had once been praised as a high-end, perfectly sculpted face with no bad angle. Tall and slender, he looked flawless in both modern and historical costumes. He had even produced many viral photos, drawing hordes of fans to swoon over their screens. The number of followers and activity in his fan forum had once caused the page to lag. He trended every few days, with advertisements and acting offers pouring in. For a time, he had been immensely popular.

But Xu Yuqing had risen quickly, and fallen just as fast.

By now, Star Universe Entertainment had shelved him for three years. Back then, he had even been implicated in a scandal that had caused an enormous uproar in the entertainment industry.

Although Xu Yuqing had repeatedly proven his innocence, his popularity had still plummeted. The entertainment industry moved quickly, constantly replacing old faces with new ones. Three years had passed, and he had no roles to act in. He could not stir up even the slightest ripple in the industry. Like a meteor streaking across the night sky, however beautiful and dazzling, its brilliance was only fleeting, leaving behind nothing but darkness.

If not for a few fans who still supported him, believed in him unwaveringly, and maintained his fan forum every day, Xu Yuqing would probably have long since vanished from the entertainment industry without a trace.

When Cai Jinbai switched back to Xu Yuqing's fan forum, several glaringly sarcastic comments had suddenly appeared among the previously quiet and harmonious messages.

[Heh, what are you still waiting for? There's no way he'll ever make it in the entertainment industry again.]

[Getting involved with any one of porn, gambling, or drugs means you're finished. Mark my words, Xu Yuqing will never make a comeback.]

[Xu Yuqing's acting is pretty good, but he's not the only good actor in the entertainment industry.]

[What director would want your gege? A drug-addicted piece of trash, ptui.]

[Star Universe Entertainment did well. Letting someone like that be an actor would mislead the public. Good thing he was banned ages ago.]

[Get lost! Little Xu never did drugs, no, he didn't! I've said it so many times! He was tested over and over back then, and he didn't do it! He's innocent! If he had, the police would have issued a report and thrown him in prison long ago, instead of letting you spread rumors here!]

[If he had really gotten involved with drugs, I would have been the first to stop being his fan, and I would never support him again. But the evidence for Little Xu back then was conclusive. He never did drugs. Please don't pin baseless accusations on Little Xu! I'll sue you for defamation!]

[Heh, go ahead and sue me. You think I'd be scared? Who knows what he did behind closed doors? How could someone who hung around with Gao Chi be a good person? The photos were crystal clear. He attended that party. Maybe he didn't do drugs that time, but perhaps the second, third, or fourth time—sooner or later, he would have. If he attended that kind of party, there would always come a day when he couldn't resist. He was lucky the police caught him before he did it. Otherwise... heh.]

[Gao Chi is from the Gao Family. Star Universe Entertainment put justice above family, and Xu Yuqing was close to Gao Chi, so Star Universe Entertainment shelved him too. Is there anything wrong with that? Heh, nothing wrong at all. Only idiots like you are still defending someone with such questionable character.]

[Tsk, tsk. Keep deceiving yourselves. I can't be bothered wasting time here.]

Some fans still insisted on proving Xu Yuqing's innocence, but the passersby and anti-fans had already disappeared without a trace. After being shelved for three years, even his anti-fans had nearly gone extinct.

The fans posting comments seemed rather lost, not knowing where they could seek justice.

After a while, Xu Yuqing's fan forum returned to silence once more, this time like a stagnant pool.

Cai Jinbai tapped the screen with his long fingers and mused, "It's him."

He turned his palm over, gathering fortune aura within it. In an instant, a Golden Ingot emitting a faint glow appeared in his hand. It was about three inches long, plump and round. It wiggled twice, then a crisp, childish voice rang out. "Master, Master, Jinbao is here~"

A smile could not help appearing on Cai Jinbai's face.

Ever since he had begun cultivating fortune aura, his artifact-refining methods had steadily improved. By now, he was already a renowned master artifact refiner throughout the Heavenly Mirror Great World.

When he had first begun learning artifact refinement, he had handcrafted a magical artifact that could store fortune aura and record his cultivation progress. It had taken the form of a Golden Ingot. Later, he gradually perfected and continuously upgraded it, until an artifact spirit was born within the Golden Ingot. He named it "Cai Jinbao."

After arriving in this small world, Cai Jinbai upgraded the Golden Ingot again, integrating it with modern technology so that it could help him observe fortune aura and even connect to the internet.

"In modern terms, you're no longer a magical artifact. You're a system, and I'm your host." Cai Jinbai reached out and pinched the Golden Ingot, amusement in his voice. His voice was clear and pleasing, like jade striking jade, making people unable to help listening with their full attention.

Cai Jinbao shyly wiggled his round body. After calling him host twice, he said, "But calling you Master sounds better. Master, Master, Jinbao wants to call you Master."

"All right, as you wish." Cai Jinbai doted on this little artifact spirit.

Xuan Yu secretly curled his lips.

"Master is the best!" Cai Jinbao happily bounced twice in Cai Jinbai's palm. "Why did Master summon Jinbao?"

A thread of fortune aura trailed from Cai Jinbai's fingertips. It was exceedingly tiny, like a firefly, as though it could flicker out at any moment. This was the fortune aura attached to Xu Yuqing's final message before he went offline. It was the aura of Proper Wealth. Though three years had passed, it still carried a faint golden glow.

He said, "Follow this thread of fortune aura to find him. Observe his financial fortune, then return and report his current situation to me."

Everyone possessed a unique scent of fortune aura. Since Cai Jinbao could roam the internet, he could naturally follow fortune aura to find people as well.

Cai Jinbao stood at attention, straightening his tiny body. "Yes, Master. Jinbao guarantees the mission will be completed!"

Chapter 3

Xu Yuqing lived in S City. He rented a one-bedroom apartment with a living room. Its layout was especially simple, even shabby. Aside from necessary furniture and supplies, there was almost no other decoration.

It was hard to imagine that a celebrity who had once exploded in popularity and been frantically adored by fans would live in such a place, but it was the truth.

Xu Yuqing's career had suffered a severe blow three years ago when he had been implicated in a drug-use scandal. Although he had ultimately proven his innocence, his image had still sustained irreparable damage.

Moreover, Star Universe Entertainment had sabotaged him behind the scenes, causing him to lose all his endorsements and forcing him to pay enormous breach-of-contract penalties.

The amount was neither more nor less than all of his savings.

Once he had paid the penalties, he had little money left in hand.

His family background was ordinary, and his family was only moderately well-off. His mother was now retired at home, while his father had some minor health issues and would retire in a few years as well. Although his family had some money, it was all savings reserved for emergencies. Besides, given Xu Yuqing's personality, unless he had reached a truly hopeless dead end, he would never ask his parents for money or make them worry. He had always told his family only good news, never bad.

Three years ago, Star Universe Entertainment had shelved him, leaving him without any chance to work.

The company would no longer make connections or arrange opportunities for him, so he tried to seek out acting opportunities on his own.

Even if it was only a minor role, even if he had only one page of scenes, as long as there was a chance, he wanted to try.

Unfortunately, Star Universe Entertainment had been too ruthless in this regard, leaving him no way out at all.

Star Universe Entertainment's upper management had made it clear: Which production crew would dare take him? Dare use him?

Big productions did not lack an actor like him. Small productions would not offend Star Universe Entertainment, the leading company in the entertainment industry, for his sake. Even if a production was not afraid of them and he successfully auditioned for a role, all the pitifully few scenes he had would later be cut for one reason or another before the show aired.

Xu Yuqing knew this was Star Universe Entertainment's work behind the scenes again, just like what the company's president had once said to him—"Do you really think the principles you insist on are so important? Let me tell you: self-righteous people don't last long in the entertainment industry's filthy cesspool. No matter how innocent or kind someone is, they will eventually be stained black. You think what you do is right and that it lets you keep a clear conscience, but look at the outcome you'll face. One day, you'll bow your head to me, beg me to stop, and willingly do the things you once looked down on."

How had he answered back then?

He had said, "No. I will never betray my principles."

After saying it with resounding certainty, he had turned and walked away.

At that moment, he had not hesitated in the slightest. Now, Xu Yuqing gave a bitter smile. Although he still did not regret the decision he had made, the repeated blows, the times he thought a little hope had appeared only to be left with disappointment in the end, and one setback after another had truly shaken his confidence. After all, all his persistence and effort had brought him nothing in the end.

But principles were principles. If he cast them aside so easily, how could he face the teachings his parents had given him since childhood? Be a good person, kind but with boundaries. They did not ask him to be exceptionally outstanding or remarkable. They only hoped that he could live with a clear conscience, distinguish right from wrong, possess proper values, know gratitude, and keep light in his heart. Only then would there be a road beneath his feet.

He had always lived that way.

If there were no opportunities to act, then he would not act for now. He could diligently hone his skills. Ability rested in his own hands; no one could take it away. Acting skill was an actor's confidence. As long as an opportunity came in the future, he would be able to seize it. Even if he had to start all over again, he was willing.