「Parallel world, Blue Star.」
The scandal of top idol Wu Mu had been brewing for a week, not only failing to die down but also escalating further.
On Weibo and Douyin's trending lists, more than half of the top ten discussions were related to this.
#WuMuGotToTheTopThroughASugarDaddy#
#WuMuIsAMistress#
#WuMuToplessInBed#
#WuMuTheGrossBootlicker#
#XinghaiMobileDemandsWuMuPayEndorsementBreachCompensation#
Fans who unfollowed and criticized Wu Mu, original anti-fans who were already annoyed, and onlookers who enjoyed gossip were all fiercely arguing in the comment sections.
"Seems like, I've been disgusted by this guy's fans for a long time. They boast about how positive and inspiring their brother is every day, yet they still have the audacity to say that now."
"I didn't believe it when they said his JJ was upright, but now it seems true. Otherwise, how could a sugar mommy have taken a liking to him and bent the rules?"
"For heaven's sake, who will give me back the eyes that haven't seen the chat screenshots? His conversation with the sugar mommy is too nauseating! And what's with the 'If you don't want me, I'll die' line? This bootlicker is physically repulsive."
"Seeing his half-naked bed photo instantly turns me off. I feel like throwing up just thinking about how I used to be a fan of his."
"I've said it countless times, never get your phone repaired outside."
...
Wu Mu, slumped on the sofa, scrolled through his phone, looking at each comment in the comment section, feeling unworthy on "his" behalf.
"Brother, are you that desperate? You actually fell for a woman who's already married?"
"Damn, you could even say something this cheesy? Just drop dead already, and leave me to shiver from the goosebumps you gave me."
"Damn it, how am I supposed to pay back all this money? It's over, I'll have to become a defaulter."
Wu Mu slouched in a Ge You pose on the sofa.
Even now he was a little baffled, like, he was doing just fine as the boss of a game company on Earth. He hadn't been hit by a car or died of overwork, but in a blink of an eye, he'd crossed over to Blue Star in this parallel world.
And he'd crossed over into the body of a fallen idol.
The predecessor's fall from grace was really unfortunate.
It happened when his sugar mommy's phone broke and was sent for repair. The photos and chat records in the phone were secretly backed up by the repairman and posted online.
After that, his relationship with the sugar mommy was exposed.
On the surface, the idol was sunny, positive, and hardworking, but behind the scenes, he was actually a bootlicker to a rich person, who had been bent the rules to debut with the sugar mommy's support, and even became a mistress...
The fans, mostly wife fans, exploded instantly, imagining they could only dream about standing daily with the man who was someone else's partner.
This cyber-cuckoldry, the humiliation and disparity of being less than others, would kill someone if not vented.
The wife fans immediately unfollowed and retaliated, desperately tagging official accounts to ban Wu Mu for being an immoral artist, and flooded the brands and projects Wu Mu had cooperated with. If they didn't cancel contracts with Wu Mu, they threatened to boycott them, keeping a close watch on their products and people to report them.
They practically wished for Wu Mu's death.
But actually, aside from violating his public persona, Wu Mu hadn't done anything legally or morally wrong.
Because he genuinely loved the sugar mommy, and didn't know the sugar mommy had another husband, he was also a victim, manipulated into becoming a bootlicker.
His predecessor had a tragically messy background, with a father who was a gambling scum, using him as a punching bag since childhood whenever he was in a bad mood. His mother, a primary school teacher, loved him dearly but was accidentally beaten to death during a fight with his father, who was still in prison.
He became an orphan right away, didn't even finish high school, drifting through society with no future prospects, living day by day like a lost cause.
Then he was coincidentally noticed by the sugar mommy, brought into the entertainment industry, and step by step became a star.
In his eyes, the investor was practically a fairy coming down to redeem him.
If only the sugar mommy wasn't a bad woman, to be honest, it would've been a perfect story of a pure flower redeemed by a domineering president, then living happily ever after.
"What if he exposed all this and explained everything? Maybe there's a chance to salvage things?"
Wu Mu pondered.
Getting the wife fans back was impossible, but with such a tragic backstory, surely he could attract a crowd of mom fans.
However...
Wu Mu glanced at the still unhealed scar on his wrist and sighed.
"Forget it, at least I used this brother's body, so I should leave him some dignity."
His predecessor wasn't a fool, he obviously knew these things.
He chose to commit suicide instead of exposing it, clearly hurt too deeply by that bad woman, and unwilling to reveal his wounds.
"Being an idol is out of the question, maybe I should see if I can go back to making games. I can't really end up being a defaulter, right?"
Wu Mu calculated in his mind the money his predecessor needed to pay.
The predecessor had over twenty endorsements of varying sizes, although as of now, only the one trending on Xinghai Mobile expressly demanded he return the endorsement fee and pay damages for breach.
But as the controversy continued, it was predictable that other endorsements would follow suit.
The majority of the endorsements weren't demanding much in compensation, but the requirement to return previously paid endorsement fees was a killer.
His post-promotion endorsement fee was 25 million for two years, so if all the endorsement fees were refunded, at least three to four hundred million would be needed.
Although the compensations might not need to be fully paid, and even if they went to court, it might drag on for a long time, he still needed to prepare money in advance.
"He only had 40 million in savings, with a gap of two to three hundred million..."
"This is really messed up, I traveled over without enjoying any benefits, and I'm saddled with debts of hundreds of millions first."
Wu Mu sighed.
How many games would he have to replicate to earn that back?
The entertainment industry on Blue Star wasn't lacking. Bringing over those games from the previous life might not necessarily lead to easy wins.
As Wu Mu pondered how to start being a plagiarist game maker, a virtual screen popped up.
[Superstar Achievement System is booting.]
[System booted successfully.]
[Wu Mu]
[Age: 22]
[Appearance: 87]
[Constitution: 69]
[Points: 0]
[Starter Gift Package available]
Confirming it was no illusion, and there really was a virtual panel in front of him, Wu Mu grinned.
"Did I transverse with a system in tow?"
"Forget being a game plagiarist, I'll just lay back and use cheats!"
"Open the Starter Gift Package for me!"
Wu Mu touched the Starter Gift Package with his finger.
A golden light flashed across the screen, and the Starter Gift Package, shaped like a lucky bag, slowly opened.
[You've obtained an item from the Starter Gift Package—Performance Boost Card (One Billion)]
[Performance Boost Card (One Billion)]
[Effect: After use, it increases your performance sales by one billion. (Performance includes but is not limited to song sales, endorsements, advertisement product sales, drama play authorization fees, film box office, etc. The increase is achieved through real-life purchases by real people with certain guidance and marketing by the system to reach the goal, with no repercussions.)]
[Evaluation: A fallen idol? With this, even a dog could sell out.]
"Performance Boost Card?"
"One billion!"
Wu Mu marveled, the system really came through. Just mentioned being short on cash, and the system immediately handed him a little goal.
This way, that debt seemed trivial.
And it wasn't just about money.
This thing was just like those sneaky tactics from the previous life, inflating album sales or box office numbers to create the illusion that a celebrity was hot.
But unlike the hollow efforts of the past, the system used a degree of guidance and marketing that resulted in actual purchases by real people.
And since it was a real purchase, it would undoubtedly bring fame and clout, regardless of the circumstances under which it was bought.
Just like the evaluation said, with enough Performance Cards, even a dog could be hyped into a superstar.
"Let's use it and see what happens."
Wu Mu directly clicked on use.
His performance portfolio appeared, packed with various movies, TV shows, variety shows, ads, endorsements, and songs.
After doing some research, he chose one item from the list to use the Performance Card on.
[Use the Performance Card on the album "Farewell"?]
[Yes!]