Huayu: I'm reborn, but you still force me to be a scumbag?

Chapter 601 Where did you put the bomb?
The ward fell silent immediately.

The air seemed to freeze, frighteningly heavy.

Then, Gao Yuanyuan's mother said in fairly fluent English, "Isn't it illegal for this person to come in and take these kinds of photos? Don't the police here in the US do anything about it?"

Allison replied, "Indeed, according to HIPAA regulations, and given Los Angeles local law's definition of private space, hospitals are highly private and off-limits areas. This behavior constitutes trespassing, an invasion of medical privacy, and harassment, and the police will certainly intervene, but—"

Allison paused, looked at Gao Yuanyuan's parents, and said, "By the time we finish the procedures, the photos will have already spread all over the world."

Gao Yuanyuan's mother thought for a moment, nodded with a grim expression, sighed slightly, and said, "You're right."

Mr. Gao appeared calmer, frowning as he asked, "Is there any way to contact him directly? He took these photos for money. We can give him as many as he wants, as long as we can buy back the negatives."

Upon hearing this, Chen Nuo also looked up at Alison.

Because that's what he was thinking at that moment too.

Paparazzi are all in it for the money.

Although we don't know how this person did it or how they followed them, since they have the ability to sneak into the hospital and take these photos, that's quite an achievement. In that case, we'll just have to pay to avoid further trouble and buy the negatives.

However, Allison shook her head with a wry smile.

“I just asked Amy,” she said slowly, “and she couldn’t guarantee she could handle it. Because this guy isn’t the kind of old paparazzi who only cares about money; he’s a newbie who’s just started out.”

“Newcomers are the most dangerous because they don’t know anything. They’re probably more interested in exclusive scoops that can make them famous overnight. Once they know we’ve found out about this, they’ll send out the photos even faster.”

"We need to carefully consider the risks involved. One wrong step could have consequences that money can't solve."

Upon hearing this, Chen Nuo's gaze involuntarily fell on Gao Yuanyuan, who was standing to the side.

Just as he looked over, Gao Yuanyuan also looked up.

Their eyes met in mid-air, and to Chen Nuo's surprise—her face showed little panic or worry. In this situation, she appeared remarkably calm.

Gao Yuanyuan spoke softly, "I think... how about this? If the photos really get leaked, you can tell the media that I gave birth here. You're just a friend who came to see me."

Chen Nuo was both amused and annoyed, and asked incredulously, "What did you say?"

Gao Yuanyuan smiled and said, "Just say that I gave birth to the baby, and that you know nothing about it."

"No—" Chen Nuo couldn't help but smile bitterly, "Do you think this matter has affected me more than it has affected you?"

In this timeline, because he had known her since 2005, many of the messy things that originally belonged to her past life were changed by his butterfly effect. But this bomb of having a child out of wedlock, once detonated, would be enough to destroy everything she had painstakingly built up.

Public opinion will show absolutely no mercy.

Chen Nuo could practically picture the scene: entertainment headlines, Weibo trending topics, and various self-media headlines like "Pure Goddess Gives Birth to Daughter Out of Wedlock," "Secret Relationship Exposed," and "Third Party Interference"—enough to instantly destroy Gao Yuanyuan's career. Not to mention the pile of commercial endorsements, advertising contracts, and brand image breach of contract clauses. This cascading butterfly effect would be enough to bankrupt her; she probably wouldn't even be able to afford to sell her house to pay for the damages.

And what about him?
While it's undeniable that this will have some impact on his career in China—for example, his past image has been completely ruined, his "scumbag" persona has been exposed, and he's been subjected to various criticisms by the domestic media—his appearances on variety shows, TV dramas, and movies will likely face boycotts in the short term. Some brands he endorses, such as Angel and Mattel, will probably be furious, as his perfect image is a major weapon for these children's product companies to attract mothers and children.

But that's all there is to it.

His career is now centered in Hollywood, and he mostly endorses global brands. Now that he's increasingly tied to brands like Harry Winston, Rolex, and Porsche, do these brands really care that he suddenly has a lover and a child?
Will not.

First of all, the contracts he signed with them did not include these kinds of things in the so-called breach of contract clauses. Instead, they included things like racist remarks, drug use, and serious crimes.

Secondly, in Hollywood, this doesn't even count as cheating.

As long as he's not married, he's a free man. He can date whomever he wants, and have as many children as he wants; it will only bring him more media attention and generate more buzz.

Just like the things Justin Bieber has done lately, any one of them would probably be condemned by public opinion in China, and he would have been labeled a disgraced artist long ago. But in the United States, he still holds onto his title as a pop star.

So when Gao Yuanyuan said that, Chen Nuo really didn't expect it. He could only guess and ask, "Were you planning to retire from the entertainment industry all along?"

Gao Yuanyuan said, "Yes. Do you think I can be like... that person, taking care of a child while filming? I can't do it. I want to be by her side every minute and every second, watching her grow up little by little. So, it's really okay, you can just push the work onto me."

Gao Yuanyuan spoke in Chinese, but Gulnazar was whispering next to Alison, presumably translating for her.

After he finished speaking, there was no sound in the ward.

Then Allison said, "This is definitely a last resort, Chen. Should I contact George Walker and see if he has any ideas?"

Chen Nuo didn't turn around, but maintained the eye contact with Gao Yuanyuan, and said, "Okay, go ask her."

He didn't directly refute her suggestion, but he understood perfectly well.

He believed that Gao Yuanyuan was telling the truth to some extent, such as her desire to spend time with her child.

However, to say that Gao Yuanyuan wants to give up her film career and retire from the entertainment industry is simply a lie.

If they truly had this awareness, then they wouldn't have held a grudge for so many years over the fact that "The Blind Man's Spring" didn't win any awards at Venice.

Why can't I let go?

That's naturally because I like and love it.

Allison's call didn't last long before she came in and said she had contacted her CAA agent, George Walker. His top Hollywood agent was already on his way to the hospital.

"How long will it take him to arrive?" Chen Nuo asked immediately.

He said it would take about 30 minutes.

What time is it now?

"It's almost eight o'clock."

Chen Nuo asked, "What did he say on the phone?"

"His suggestion was to contact them first and ask how much they would want. If they couldn't settle things with money, then they could just use money to settle things with the website."

Chen Nuo shook his head, unconvinced. He didn't believe it was that simple, but at this moment, he had no better option. He said, "Then just do it this way. Don't wait for him, just call him and tell him."

Alison nodded and said, "Okay."

Alison and Gulnazar both went out.

Linghu stood guard at the door.

Chen Nuo turned around and said to Gao Yuanyuan and her parents, "Don't worry, this matter will definitely not develop to that point."

Hearing this, Gao Yuanyuan's parents, whose expressions had been tense ever since Gao Yuanyuan made her declaration of retiring from the entertainment industry, relaxed slightly. Clearly, these two older intellectuals, who had grown up in an era where "women hold up half the sky," had very limited agreement with what the woman had just said about giving up her career.

"What if they don't want the money? Xiao Chen, what are you going to do?" the old man asked.

Chen Nuo sighed, shook his head, and said, "Uncle Gao, I haven't thought about it yet. We'll have to wait and see."

It turns out that no one in the world doesn't love money. It's just that some people love it more than others.

When Allison announced the figure—$5000 million—the entire room, including George Walker who had just arrived, fell silent.

Then, George Walker, his face flushed red, roared, "Is he insane?! $5000 million? Why doesn't he just rob a bank? What the hell was wrong with his brain to come up with that number?!"

Allison's face was also unusually grim: "He said Chen's photos were worth the price, and he could afford them. Otherwise, he would have posted those photos online."

“Online?” George Walker instantly calmed down, his face darkening as he said, “That’s a blatant threat.”

Allison said, "That's right, it's a threat. After he received our call, he guessed that we got the information from his superiors. Then, he got angry, felt betrayed, and now it seems that he's preparing to go it alone."

"Here, this is the paparazzi photo I got from Amy."

Allison handed her an A4 sheet of paper.

Chen Nuo glanced at him and saw that he was a young man in his early twenties with curly hair and a hooked nose, who seemed to have some Middle Eastern ancestry.

"Lucas Warren, 21 years old, from Los Angeles, is of mixed race. His mother is American and his father is an Arab tycoon who abandoned them when he was young. He may have inherited his father's blood. Amy told me before that he was very ambitious, daring, and more greedy than we imagined. Now it seems that's true."

George Walker said harshly, "5000 million? Does he really think he can handle that? Doesn't he know that this will have a far smaller impact on Chen than he thinks?"

“He knows,” Gulnazar suddenly interjected. “We told him, but he doesn’t believe us.”

"Fuck!" George Walker cursed, though it was unclear who he was cursing at.

In the extremely serious atmosphere, someone suddenly laughed.

Everyone looked over. Gao Yuanyuan blushed slightly, covered her mouth, waved her hand, and said, "I just think we can do it my way now. You can tell everyone that this is my child alone and has nothing to do with him. Wouldn't that solve the problem? Then I'll issue a statement. It's very simple. There's no need to be so nervous."

Upon hearing this, George Walker smiled with relief and said, "Ms. Gao, you are truly very understanding. Indeed, this is the most reasonable solution. Let that fool die clinging to his $5000 million fantasy. Ms. Gao, actually, this isn't a big problem for you. China is a conservative society, but America isn't. Believe me, our CAA can even offer you a contract to handle all your agency business in North America. I believe that with your acting skills and looks, many directors will be eager to work with you, and you will definitely make a name for yourself in Hollywood."

Gao Yuanyuan smiled and said, "Thank you, Mr. Walker, but no need. I just want to be with my child."

“Haha. Of course, of course, with great maternal love and a wealthy and comfortable life, who would want to make movies? Indeed, enjoying life should be the priority.” George Walker rubbed his hands together and said with a smile, “Miss Gao, you not only possess beauty but also extremely wise wisdom. I express my respect to you.”

After saying that, the shrewd agent turned to Gao Yuanyuan's parents and said with a smile, "You two have an exceptionally outstanding daughter. Congratulations!"

The two elderly people smiled somewhat reluctantly and nodded.

"Then... shall we proceed accordingly?" George Walker turned to Chen Nuo. "Chen, rest assured, the moment your photos appear online, CAA will immediately activate the highest-level public opinion damage control plan. All you need is a statement from Ms. Gao, and we can definitely handle this matter smoothly and minimize the negative impact on you... Chen?"

"Ok?"

Chen Nuo snapped out of his daze and said to George Walker, "Is there any way to confront him directly?"

George Walker was stunned. He then realized that the man had probably not heard a single word of what he had just said.

However, in his long career as a manager, what kind of artists haven't he seen? This is nothing special.

He immediately followed her train of thought, looking thoughtful, and said, "Chen, what do you mean by 'taking a hard line'?"

Chen Nuo shrugged and said, "It's just that he wants 50 million, which makes me very unhappy. I'm willing to offer 10 million now. Do you have any way to find him and physically get the photos he has?"

George Walker cursed inwardly and said with a wry smile, "Chen, America is a society governed by the rule of law. You can't just do whatever you want here because you have money. So... But, putting aside the legal risks, now..." He glanced at his watch and said, "It's already 8:30. In half an hour, that guy will put the photos online."

"Pretend to agree first, and stall for time."

“That can’t be delayed for long, at most half a day. He’ll get suspicious when he doesn’t see the money. And by then, we might not even be able to find his location. Even if we contact some gangs, Los Angeles is so big, no one can find him in a short time.”

George Walker sighed inwardly and said patiently, "Besides, the risks are just too high. Even if these photos were still posted online, it wouldn't be nearly as dangerous as what we're doing. If word gets out, we'll all face felony charges. Then... everything will be over."

“Yes, Xiao Chen, don’t be impulsive,” said Grandpa Gao. “Please, please don’t break the law. Let’s think of another way. If all else fails, let’s do as Yuanyuan said.”

Gao Yuanyuan's mother echoed with concern, "Yes, Xiao Chen, you mustn't be so foolish as to do something so illegal and disorderly."

Gao Yuanyuan did the same, grabbing his hand and shaking her head vigorously.

Chen Nuo looked left and right, then right up to George Walker and asked, "Does your CAA only know gangsters? Do you have any other powerful figures?"

George Walker exclaimed, "Chen, you mean... no, no, no, that's impossible..."

Chen Nuo cursed inwardly as useless. What a CAA! All that bragging and bragging, but when it really came down to it, it was utterly useless.

Violating laws and regulations?

He's the kind of person who wouldn't even evade taxes, how could he possibly do something like this!
He didn't want to make a woman a scapegoat, and he certainly couldn't possibly agree to give tens of millions of dollars to a greedy paparazzi, so after thinking it over, he could only come up with one solution.

He smiled at Gao Yuanyuan and said, "Don't worry, I won't do anything reckless."

After saying that, he took out his phone and dialed a number.

After waiting for a while, Chen Nuo thought the other end wouldn't answer, but the call was picked up again just before the last click of the phone being hung up.

A middle-aged woman's voice said very calmly, "Good morning, Chen."

Chen Nuo said, "Good morning, Michelle. Have you had breakfast?"

"I'm eating. Is there anything I can help you with, Chen?"

"It's just a small matter. Is your husband here? I'd like to talk to him for a bit..."

"Okay, wait a moment, I'll give him the phone."

Then, a rather magnetic voice, full of vigor, said, "Good morning, Chen..."

Chen Nuo spoke very briefly.

He basically said that last night at UCLA Medical Center, he discovered a suspected terrorist of Middle Eastern appearance, who seemed to be connected to the Boston Marathon bombing in April. The man had been sneaking into the hospital suspiciously, as if he were preparing to plant a bomb. So, as an international friend, he called to warn him to prevent a major disaster…

The other person kept nodding and listening attentively. After he finished speaking, he immediately said, "Okay, I understand, Chen. Thank you for your support of the United States' counterterrorism efforts. I am very grateful for that."

Chen Nuo cleared his throat and said, "You're welcome. Long live Sino-US friendship." "I'll have someone contact you right away... Oh, by the way, did that terrorist have any important items on him?"

"Yes, he did. When he came into the hospital, he took some pictures of me. I guess he might have wanted to kidnap me."

"Okay, I understand. Goodbye, Chen."

"Goodbye."

The phone hangs up.

The ward was completely silent at this moment.

George Walker stared at him with his mouth agape, as if he were an alien.

Gao Yuanyuan's parents were in a similar situation. The two elderly people, one sitting and one standing, stared at him with wide eyes, looking as if they had seen a ghost.

Gao Yuanyuan sat up and asked hesitantly, "Who...who did you call?"

"A friend..."

Chen Nuo sighed softly; the favor he had gained from last year's trip to the White House was gone just like that.

He originally didn't want to use it here, feeling it was making a mountain out of a molehill. However, CAA wasn't reliable, and after thinking it over, he realized that this was the only way to ensure absolute safety and prevent any problems.

Hey,
Forget it.

This thing is actually useless; it's better to part ways amicably and feel more at ease.

"Alison, you can go and tell that paparazzi that we're raising money..."

He said, "He should receive it in a little while."

……

……

"Matt Damon, or Robert Downey Jr.?"

Robert Downey Jr.

"Robert Downey Jr., or Will Smith?"

Robert Downey Jr.

"Robert Downey Jr., or Brad Pitt?"

Brad Pitt.

"Brad Pitt, or Noel Chen?"

“No, Chen.”

Lucas Warren lay on a motel bed, his hands behind his head, watching a woman in her thirties on television playing a Hollywood-style two-choice game in front of a reporter's microphone.

He couldn't help but laugh when he heard the name suddenly appear on TV.

Logically, he should be sleeping now, having barely slept a wink last night.

But he really couldn't sleep at all.

If before it was excitement, now it's euphoria!
They readily agreed!
Now he felt a little regretful.

Is 5000 million too little?

After all, the person opposite him is one of the most famous stars in Hollywood. Just like now, you can hear that strangely accented name on any TV program you turn on.

At the same time, he is one of the richest young people in their twenties in the United States and even the world.

On the surface, although Facebook's stock price has fallen somewhat this year, his 2% stake is still worth over two billion dollars. Just recently, he casually spent tens of millions of dollars to buy a huge private ranch in Montana.

Fifty million US dollars is an astronomical figure for ordinary people.

But for people like that, are there many?
Lucas was certain that the child that woman gave birth to was Chen Nuo's.

Once this matter is exposed, his flawless public image will inevitably collapse overnight.

Perhaps this won't have a fatal impact on Chen Nuo's career, but is he willing to give it up?
Lucas's lips curled up slightly.

That's what he's betting on.

And now it seems——

He won.

"No Chen, or Johnny Depp?"

“No, Chen.”

"Nuo Chen, or George Clooney?"

“No, Chen.”

"Nuo Chen, or Leonardo DiCaprio?"

"Hmm..." The middle-aged woman on the screen hesitated once again.

The host laughed and said, "What's wrong, Susan? Has Chen met his match?"

The woman said earnestly, "I used to be a huge Leonardo DiCaprio fan, but this morning I saw photos of him playing with a water gun online... so, I'll stick with Chen."

The host laughed: "Okay, Nuo Chen has finally emerged victorious! Are you a fan of Chen?"

"No, but I like his movies and TV series. He's really talented."

"He's also very handsome, right?"

"Yes, just like they say on TV, he's a perfect man."

"Haha, okay, thank you for accepting our interview!"

Yes—young, handsome, and talented—that's most Americans' first impression of this Chinese star; more importantly, he seems to possess an aura of success, having had almost no failures since his debut. People are naturally inclined to elevate winners to godlike status.

Until he met him, Lucas St. Warren! Finally, someone made this "Mr. Perfect" taste defeat.

Thinking about this, Lucas became increasingly smug, his dry chuckle turning into a loud laugh that echoed through the empty hotel room.

"Hahahahaha..."

After laughing, he snorted twice, his temper rising.

That bitch Amy Rogers!

They actually betrayed him, leaving him too ashamed to go home and forced to stay in this suburban hotel. Humph, he refuses to believe anyone can find him now.

That lousy job, I'll just quit.

With $5000 million, does he still need to work?

Suddenly, another thought popped into his mind.

A temporary price increase may not be feasible.

After all, they promised to transfer the money to him before the bank closed at 5 p.m. today.

But should we really return all the negatives to him? Could we make a copy ourselves? Maybe we can use it later.

Lucas's mind went blank.

Greed, anger, and scheming were all mixed together.

Just at this time--

A crisp "bang!" was heard.
The glass window on the outside of his room shattered instantly, and something flew in through the window and landed beside his bed.

Lucas was startled and looked down to see the dark, round thing that rolled twice on the floor and began to emit wisps of white smoke.

"...What the fuck?"

Lucas murmured.

The next second—

"Bam—!"

A blinding white light burst forth, and a deafening roar ripped the entire room apart.

He felt a ringing in his ears, his vision went completely white, and his head felt like it had been hit by a heavy hammer.

Almost at the same moment, the hotel door was slammed open with a loud bang.

One after another, guys wearing heavy bulletproof vests, black tactical helmets, and even gas masks rushed in. The first one, carrying an M4, charged in. Without a word, he slammed the gun into the guy's face, then pressed the cold muzzle against his cheek.

"FBI! Counterterrorism Special Agents! Get to the ground! Don't move!"

Lucas was in a daze. After being slapped in the face, his head was a complete mess, throbbing with pain. He was pulled to the ground by the other party. His eyes were blinded by the bright light and he could only see through his blurry eyelids several dark figures rushing into his room with standard charging and assault postures.

"Toilet safety!"

"The wardrobe is safe!"

"Safety under the bed!"

Then, he was immediately surrounded by people.

"Looked up."

Lucas raised his head and saw at least five dark gun barrels pointed at his face.

In that instant, he was utterly devastated. Coming to his senses, he screamed, "What are you doing? I'm an American citizen! You have no right to treat me like this! I'm going to sue you! I..."

"Shut up!"

A man in black swung the butt of his gun and smashed it hard into his face.

"Under the Patriot Act, anyone suspected of involvement in terrorism is not entitled to Miranda rights. Now—tell me! Where's the bomb?"

Lucas, dazed and confused, spat out a bloodied front tooth and asked blankly, "Bomb?!"

"Yes, a bomb! Tell me! Where is it!"

"I—I don't know..."

"Sir, we found the camera and cell phone. The cell phone is temporarily unusable, but the camera contains some photos of the hospital!"

"So you really are a damn terrorist, planning to attack the hospital, right? Tell me! Where's the bomb!"

"It's a misunderstanding...it's a misunderstanding, I really didn't know..."

"Shit!"

"Bang!"—Another blow with the butt of the rifle.

Lucas felt dizzy.

Before he lost consciousness, he heard the television in the room start another round of the "either/or" game.

The reporter asked, "Norchen, or Barack Obama?"

A female voice replied, "Yes, of course—"

who is it?

Lucas had a final thought in his mind before he was plunged into deep darkness.

ps:
I'm going to accompany a family member to the hospital for a check-up tomorrow, so I expect there will be fewer appointments.

Remember to book your November monthly pass, guys!
The beginning of each month is always a disaster!
(End of this chapter)