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The tide of public opinion on the internet was like a summer storm, full of unpredictable changes. One moment it was thunder and rain, the next it could suddenly clear up; the reversal was often so fast that people were caught completely off guard.
That afternoon, the "Lu Chen Arrested in Korea" incident had exploded across the blogosphere. But by evening, netizens overwhelmingly rallied behind him, pushing Lu Chen's popularity to an even higher level.
A blessing in disguise, in a way.
Of course, the shift in public sentiment was not solely due to luck; it was also thanks to the help of Lu Chen's friends and business partners. Without their support, clarifying the truth would not have been so easy. After all, the forces opposing him earlier had been quite formidable.
This was the direct result of Lu Chen's long-term strategy of shared interests. He had always believed that, when one's own foundation was still weak, hoarding all the benefits for oneself was a sure path to ruin.
Take, for example, his new drama Full House, which is currently shooting. Lu Chen had brought together some of the industry's biggest players: Capital City TV, Zhedong Satellite TV, Crown Pictures, Flying Stone Records, and SPG. By sharing a piece of the cake while still securing his core interests, he had managed to solidify his standing in the entertainment industry.
So when something happened to Lu Chen, these partners naturally wouldn't just sit by and watch; their own interests were tied to his. Thus, when Lu Chen's official statement went public, support surged online almost instantly, quickly turning the situation around.
Those lurking in the shadows, hoping to drag him into the abys,s could only watch helplessly as their plans collapsed.
On the road to the top, Lu Chen was no longer alone. No one dared underestimate him now.
And, of course, his greatest supporters were still the tens of thousands of devoted fans.
When the incident first broke, most fans believed in Lu Chen and stood firmly by his side, refusing to be swayed by the online rumors, patiently waiting for the truth to surface.
A small number wavered, whispering doubts among themselves, and an even smaller group turned against him, "black fans" who expressed anger and disappointment toward Lu Chen across blogs and forums.
But once the truth came out, those fans realized their mistake. Some fell silent; others apologized to him directly.
As for the ones who had supported Lu Chen unwaveringly from the beginning, it was as if they had just won a glorious victory. They mocked and ridiculed the haters mercilessly, including several major influencers on Wave Blog, both big V and small V alike.
Yet, the thrill of a one-sided victory didn't last long. Once the critics had gone quiet and played dead, the fans, still fired up, quickly shifted their focus to something new.
The new spotlight was on Lu Chen's martial arts skills.
The video recorded by a Korean tourist, now circulating widely in both China and Korea, had been filmed with remarkable clarity. It showed, in full detail, the moment Lu Chen plunged into the chaos and took down six Japanese bodyguards by himself.
In reality, the entire fight had lasted less than a minute. From the instant Lu Chen intervened to when he ended it, it was over in under sixty seconds, yet he had successively defeated multiple trained opponents with moves so fluid and sharp they left viewers absolutely stunned.
Those familiar with Lu Chen knew he had trained in martial arts. Back in Hangzhou last year, he had saved Tian Tian during a concert when a crazed fan tried to attack her.
That video, too, had caused quite a stir online.
But this time was very different. In that earlier incident, Lu Chen had faced only one untrained attacker. The difference in skill wasn't that big.
This time, though, he was up against six professional bodyguards, who had been beating back members of the film crew despite being outnumbered. For Lu Chen to single-handedly reverse the situation so decisively only highlighted just how formidable he truly was.
"My Chen is awesome!"
"What do you think Lu Chen was using? Kickboxing? Sanda?"
"No idea, but whatever it is, it's amazing!"
"Honestly, when I first saw the video, I thought it was a scene from a Wuxia movie."
"Even Wuxia heroes aren't this good, this is real martial arts!"
"Now I kinda want to learn kung fu too."
It wasn't just Lu Chen's fans, even many celebrities and artists in the showbiz circle joined in the fun, reposting the video and praising his impressive moves. Some even jokingly said they wanted to apprentice under him.
Of course, they were half-joking, or just riding the trend.
One of the more respected senior actors in the industry, Tang Qiang, posted on his blog after seeing the video, quoting a line from Li Bai's poem "The Swordsman", praising Lu Chen as having the spirit of the ancient heroes, chivalrous, righteous, and brave in standing up for others.
"I know Teacher Tang," said Chen Fei'er, who was nestled in Lu Chen's arms in their Hilton Hotel suite in Jeju City, scrolling through her phone. "He starred in Three Heroes and Five Gallants, his Tai Chi is excellent. No wonder he appreciates you!"
The Heavenly Queen's tone was full of pride, after all, her lover was not only talented and handsome but brave and strong as well.
To be honest, even Chen Fei'er had been shocked the first time she saw the video.
She had known Lu Chen practiced martial arts regularly, but she had never imagined he was so skilled, strong enough to defeat six trained men so easily.
Unable to contain her affection, Chen Fei'er leaned forward and planted a kiss on Lu Chen's cheek.
Smiling, she teased, "I think if you ever made a Wuxia film, it would definitely be a blockbuster!"
"Wuxia film?"
Chen Fei'er had said it just for fun, but Lu Chen's eyes took on a thoughtful look. "That's… actually worth considering."
Chen Fei'er was startled. "Wait, you're not seriously thinking about it, are you?"
Wuxia films, born from Wuxia novels, had once been immensely popular in Hong Kong and mainland China during the 1980s and 1990s, but they had rapidly declined under the impact of foreign action movies.
Nowadays, Wuxia films had practically vanished from the industry. The current mainstream trend in the domestic market leaned toward fantasy and xianxia (immortal-cultivation) dramas, most of them adapted from popular online novels, and there were quite a few successful ones, both in film and television.
In the minds of the younger generation, Wuxia novels and films were relics of the last century. Even if Lu Chen had tremendous market appeal, if he tried to make a "retro-style" Wuxia movie, it was doubtful it would achieve high box office success.
Lu Chen said seriously, "What if I really am serious about it?"
Wuxia may have been in decline for a long time, but that didn't mean the genre was dead.
In Lu Chen's memory, the Wuxia films he had seen, whether in storylines or action choreography, were far inferior to those from the "Dream World." In that world, Wuxia films and dramas had achieved legendary success, with the kung fu movies derived from them even reaching worldwide influence.
That was a massive goldmine waiting to be tapped!
If he could bring some of those Wuxia classics from the Dream World to life again, would today's younger audience like them?
Lu Chen couldn't be completely sure, but this recent "incident" had made him realize that the timing might be just right.
Of course, times change. To shine again, some things must evolve with the era. Lu Chen's plan was that before shooting a Wuxia film, he would first create a popular "Wuxia IP", something with strong fan appeal and brand value.
"You mean… write a Wuxia novel?"
When Chen Fei'er finally understood his idea, she was left speechless.
She knew Lu Chen was a man of many talents, not only could he compose songs, but he could also write novels and scripts. Autumn in My Heart and Full House were both written by him.
But to jump from modern urban romance to ancient martial arts fantasy… wasn't that too big a leap? Was Lu Chen really not being whimsical this time?
Lu Chen smiled. "Why not give it a try?"
An idea was already forming in his mind: while filming Full House, he could start writing a long-form Wuxia novel, publish it online under a pseudonym, and see how the market responded.
If the response was good, he could use that novel as the foundation to adapt it into a TV series or even a film.
As his career grew stronger, Lu Chen's ambition was no longer limited to TV dramas, his sights were set on the higher tier of the movie industry, the stage where true prestige and influence resided.
With his current fame and position in the entertainment world, getting a leading role in a film, as long as it wasn't a massive blockbuster production, wouldn't be too difficult. There would definitely be partners willing to collaborate.
However, the competition in conventional film genres was brutal. Even with his confidence, Lu Chen wouldn't dare claim he could guarantee success on his first try, especially if he wanted creative control over the project.
To carve out a space in today's film market, he would need a unique advantage, and that, for Lu Chen, was the memory of the Dream World: the Wuxia and Kung Fu films that had once shaken the world.
Fulfilling that ambition wouldn't happen overnight. His ideas would need market validation, and a truly hot IP would require time to ferment and grow.
Originally, Lu Chen had planned to execute this project a year or two later. But the opportunity that had now presented itself made him wonder if starting earlier might actually be the better move.
"So you're saying you'll use a pen name, pretend to be a new author, and publish a Wuxia web novel?"
Chen Fei'er was stunned by his wildly imaginative idea. "Would that even work?"
Lu Chen chuckled. "Why not? If it becomes a hit IP, the studio can 'buy' the adaptation rights, and when it's made into a movie or a TV series, I'll play the male lead, and you'll be the heroine."
Chen Fei'er burst into laughter. "That's just passing money from your left hand to your right! Why not use your real name? And if we keep starring opposite each other in every project, won't the audience get tired of seeing us together?"
Lu Chen rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, that's a good point. Then who do you think should play the heroine instead?"
"No one!"
Chen Fei'er's attention was completely sidetracked; even Heavenly Queens could get jealous. "You dare to even think, mmph!"
But before she could finish, Lu Chen silenced her with a kiss.
After all, it was a beautiful night, and he wasn't about to waste it on debate.
In the next instant, Lu Chen pressed Chen Fei'er beneath him, and warmth filled the room.
(End of chapter)