Idol Chapter 141 Part 1

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From 2017 to 2019, Chi Ji was in deep slumber.

On January 6th, an additional chapter was added where Huo Ren ultimately awakens Chi Ji, a non-CP oriented grand finale extra. The end of the main text will also sufficiently hint at this.

All extras will be released sequentially after the main text concludes.

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“Our routine segment is to have you chat with yourself ten years from now,” the host said with a smile, calming the somewhat inexperienced boy in front of the camera. “Relax, you can talk about anything.”

Fifteen-year-old Huo Ren didn’t expect to have to improvise a short essay on the spot, he adjusted his posture by propping his hands on the chair, and couldn’t help but laugh.

“Hello, me ten years from now.”

“By then, you’ll be twenty-six.”

Twenty-three-year-old Huo Ren silently sat up straight, not wanting his current self to face that boy in too much of a disheveled state.

“Twenty-six… should still be in the golden age of being an idol, not yet time for the curtain to fall.”

“I’m currently waiting for the results, not sure if I can join Corona.”

The boy didn’t know his future, speaking lightly, with an air of doing his best.

“If I make it, I hope that Corona, ten years from now, will shine like a true crown, never fading.”

Huo Ren gripped the armrest of his chair tightly, taking deep breaths in search of more air.

“I also hope that the relationship among the six of us will always be very good, and that we’ll be laughing and drinking together when we watch this video ten years from now.”

Two more years.

But in 2019, will Xiao Chi come back?

If he really hides, where could he be?

Huo Ren had never given up on those slim chances of fantasy.

But he himself also knew, sharing these unrealistic thoughts with others would only hurt them again.

“Although I haven’t met the sixth person yet, he must be great too.”

Off-camera, the host’s understanding laughter can be heard.

“Chi Ji said the same thing just now.”

He said Mei Shengyao is a very good little friend, who will definitely be very happy in Crown.

“Hahaha, can this be shared?” the boy squinted and smiled. “I knew Xiao Chi likes us.”

“Besides expectations for the group, do you have any thoughts about yourself?”

“Well, I hope that ten years from now, I can maintain my habits of reading and learning, and not become a very boring adult.”

Huo Ren looked at the computer screen, the coldness in his eyes unconsciously melting away.

“If you encounter difficulties in the future, what would you like to say to him?”

The boy was somewhat surprised by this question, and borrowed a piece of paper and a pen.

“Unmoved by the eight winds”

Prosperity.

Two endorsements from blue blood, two endorsements from red blood, countless invitations from first and second-tier brands and fashion magazines, as well as the whole of Asia’s difficult-to-refuse hospitality.

Decline.

Cardiac neurosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, fatigue, tiredness.

Destruction.

His belongings, his only support, had already turned into powder under four signatures.

Reputation.

The youngest OSC crown award winner, leader of Asia’s top idol group, and recipient of over twenty national and international awards.

“Prosperity, decline, destruction, reputation. Praise and criticism, suffering and joy.”

The boy looked directly into his eyes, like a white wolf filled with ambition.

“Four favorable and four unfavorable, unmoved by the eight winds.”

“Huo Ren, do not forget your original intention.”

The young man suddenly looked up, his murderous intent dissipating all around.

As if a lone wolf suddenly heard the call of the distant years, its vigor fully rekindled.

He cannot admit defeat, he cannot be trapped here.

There are still many things undone—

For Chi Ji, for Corona, for himself, he must step out.

Pei Ruye also noticed his desire to stand up, simply extending his arm to the side for him to hold onto anytime, watching as the young man slowly stood up.

“Teacher.”

The young man finally spoke up, “Where’s the study?”

“The rehabilitation training plan is already prepared,” Pei Ruye protected him as they walked outside, saying without hesitation, “Let’s go downstairs for a meal first, we’ll talk about the rest later.”

This was their first conversation from February to early autumn.

When Huo Ren stepped into the dining room, all the servants felt surprised and out of place.

They had almost considered this person a permanent fixture in the house.

He can actually move, huh.

Pei Ruye slightly tilted his head, and immediately, someone brought over a warm nutritional meal, thoughtfully arranging the cutlery as well.

Huo Ren nodded in thanks and silently began to re-chew each type of food and fruit.

It seemed like he was back to his first year entering SPF.

Focused, self-disciplined.

Everything was for the ultimate goal.

To get the crown and at the same time, kill Han Qu.

He didn’t care what FALSE’s future relied on, whether they could get the crown or not.

It’s already the end of 2017, and the crown for ’18 is likely to go to another country.

But by 2019, everything must come to an end.

Huo Ren’s usual intake was too little, now swallowing hard food made his esophagus feel rough.

Months of stress had brought his control over his body to its lowest point.

He had no choice but to take a bite or two before stopping, then prolonging the chewing and swallowing time.

Pei Ruye propped his face, watching him eat, and after a long time said, “You don’t have to finish it all at once, you can gradually increase your food intake.”

Huo Ren mechanically swallowed a piece of chicken breast, and after thinking, asked, “What month is it now?”

“September,” the man concealed his emotions, his voice still very calm, “September 17th.”

Huo Ren nodded, lowered his head to cut all the chicken breast into small pieces, and continued, “How long will I have to train?”

“At the earliest, until around next May.”

Ruining one’s body is easy, but regaining condition is hard.

He looked up and calculated for a while.

May for recovery, then writing songs, releasing albums, promoting, and handling more matters.

He thought for a long time, allowing the chess-piece-like chicken cubes to be lined up in front of the plate.

Pei Ruye did not urge him, signaling the kitchen to prepare some other stomach-nourishing soups and porridges, ready to be fetched at any time.

“Actually, you don’t have to return as an artist.”

You and the fifteen-year-old you are completely different, the capital in your hands, the shares under SPF and YeHuo, all have enough say.

This career has brought you too much pain, you had no choice when you were younger, but now you at least have the right to avoid it.

Besides… I’m here.

“If it’s just killing Han Qu,” Huo Ren slowly said, “I don’t need any help.”

But to kill a man is to destroy his heart.

The stabs, white entering and red exiting, can never compare to cutting off and crushing all of someone’s hopes and loves.

He knew this so clearly because Chi Ji died this way, and he is now deeply mired in such mud.

Huo Ren has never been a person to mend the pen after the sheep are lost.

After Dr. Wu and Dr. Zhai took over all of Chi Ji’s care, he had been learning everything related to psychological issues.

Chi Ji suffered from PTSD and depression.

Then died from the mechanism of the disease and harsh stimuli.

Giving cigarettes and alcohol to a throat cancer patient, feeding deadly allergens to an allergic person, delivering the heaviest blows and mockery to someone with depression.

Depression is reflected in reduced personal initiative, more than ‘melancholy’ or ‘sadness’, it’s about ‘feeling worthless’, ‘guilt’, and ‘reduced function’.

Gender shaming was just the trigger that worsened his symptoms, PTSD would increase his extreme tendencies under stress, and his resistance to seeking help from others.

But Han Qu very likely passed some document to Chi Ji in the end, making Chi Ji believe he was the burden dragging everyone in the crown down, leading to his final leap.

To kill a man is to destroy his heart.

Huo Ren finished all the chicken and chickpeas, allowing his stomach to churn uncomfortably, wiped his lips with a napkin, and sat across from Pei Ruye.

He was a lone wolf, still bleeding from his heart.

“What Han Qu made Chi Ji face, I’ll make him pay back double.”

Public opinion, momentum, morals, self-respect, life.

Everything.

He wanted Han Qu to pay back everything with his blood.

Facing off against the investment from Mount Emei was one thing, but destroying the entire FALSE and Han’s entertainment industry chain was another.

To guide public opinion, one must stand at the highest place again.

The higher the popularity, the more flashlights there were, and the more miserably Han Qu would die.

He wanted to call back all the fame and attention.

Even to stand higher than before.

Before drafting the plan, Huo Ren found his hand trembling slightly when he held the pen.

It was a nerve reaction from long-term disordered eating.

He looked at the messy handwriting for a while, then looked back at Pei Ruye again.

The man hadn’t managed to hide his expression in time, just now he was frowning and staring at Huo Ren’s profile, his eyes full of concern and heartache.

Huo Ren paused for a few seconds, suddenly remembering that he and Pei Ruye once had a past.

Tender and understanding, with a deep tacit agreement.

But the unrequited love and obsession of the past years had long been frozen by intense emotions deep in Huo Ren’s heart.

As if they had never existed.

He felt the atmosphere was a bit awkward, and at this moment, he could no longer bring up those past vows, so his gaze fell back to the table and he asked again.

“Teacher.”

“I’m here.”

“Would you lie to me?”

“No.”

They looked at each other, suddenly feeling a strange silence.

“Xiao Chi… Did he really leave?”

Pei Ruye sighed softly, knowing Huo Ren would no longer give him any warm gazes.

He had wanted to find a chance to wish his little white wolf a happy birthday.

But on second thought, maybe the word “happy” shouldn’t be said.

“I didn’t manage to get to the scene in time.”

“Only CEO Qi and Director Su were in the hospital at the time.”

Pei Ruye was not informed.

In fact, a deeply hidden secret was known only to three people.

Su Rong who witnessed the fall from the second office, Qi Ding who followed the ambulance into the hospital, and his wife, Dr. Wu, who was in charge of the emergency treatment in the ambulance.

Qi Ding had repeatedly confirmed the hospital’s confidentiality agreement and related surveillance, yet he still had concerns.

He was completely kept in the dark at first, and it was only after calling Jiang Shu that he realized the situation was entirely different from his expectations.

But there had already been a mole in the company, and the hospital itself could not be fully controlled.

The mole was close enough to pass the fatal information to Chi Ji.

Now Chi Ji’s safety was still uncertain, and if more information was exposed, the situation might truly become irreversible.

—If they told Jiang Shu and Pei Ruye, they would likely tell Huo Ren.

Whether Huo Ren would tell the other four children was beside the point, he himself would definitely demand to visit and confirm the real situation.

The child was too smart and would not believe any reassurances in a state of pain, not resting until he saw with his own eyes.

The reason why Jiang Shu and Qi Ding agreed to let Pei Ruye take Huo Ren back to the United States for recuperation was to completely escape Han Qu’s surveillance and to create more illusions.

Killing one Han Qu was easy, but destroying the entire Han family was difficult.

Even if the Pei family and Long family would help, with one focusing on capital in the United States and the other on real estate rather than financial venture capital, it would take time to fully mobilize.

This secret must not be known to anyone until the dust settles.

Qi Ding had to unite with Su Rong, not only to deceive the entire company but more importantly to deceive Han Qu, and to use this opportunity to completely eradicate all moles and spies.

Striving for temporary fame and profit was secondary.

The corrupted SPF needed a thorough cleansing.

A cleansing that was thorough and clean.

The country was undergoing changes.