Returning to Taiwan in 2000 as a patriotic artist

That evening, Sister Yang, Sister Zhou, and Xiaoyun did not go home; they were probably out with Wang Zuxian.

Gu Bei was alone in the villa, his stomach growling with hunger.

He opened the refrigerator, and it was empty except for the milk he ordered every morning.

Having no other choice, Gu Bei drove to a supermarket outside and bought two packs of instant noodles.

"Just eat it as is."

He boiled some water, made some instant noodles, and sat in the empty living room, eating while watching TV.

After finishing his noodles, washing the dishes, exercising, and taking a shower, Gu Bei simply went upstairs to sleep.

I slept until I naturally woke up.

The next morning, Gu Bei went for his usual morning run, washed up, changed into casual clothes, and then drove to his temporary studio.

When he pushed open the door, he sensed that something was wrong.

Jay Chou was sitting in front of his computer typing, seemingly exchanging insults with netizens on a forum.

Fang Wenshan stood behind him, holding a glass of warm water and giving him pointers.

Hearing the door open, the two looked up simultaneously, exchanging strange glances as they greeted each other, "Gu Bei, good morning."

"What?" Gu Bei was confused by the stare. "Is there something on my face?"

He walked up to the computer, glanced at it, and was immediately speechless.

The screen displays a forum page, showing PTT (Taiwanese online forum), the gossip section.

The post title was highlighted in bold red, making it glaringly eye-catching:

Shocking! New singer Gu Bei went shopping alone at a supermarket late at night and did this!

No, did they study at UC Shock Department?

You understand what shock is.

Gu Bei raised an eyebrow and looked down.

The main body of the article contains a set of secretly taken photos. The images are blurry and clearly not taken with a professional camera.

Inside, a young man dressed in a white shirt, trousers, and leather shoes was standing in front of the supermarket shelf, holding two packs of Lucky Brand Crab Roe Noodles.

Although the photo is blurry, his height, build, and profile... make him look even more handsome than Leon Lai.

Gu Bei paused for a moment, then continued reading.

The following text is attached:

Last night, I ran into Gu Bei, the "patriotic singer" who's been all the rage lately, at XX supermarket.

This passionate young man on television actually stole instant noodles from a supermarket in real life?

He doesn't even have a singing assistant. What happened to the big star entourage? What happened to the powerful support from the Eagle King?

Does the company simply not care about him anymore?

Or has he fallen so low that he needs to steal instant noodles to eat?

There are already hundreds of replies to the post.

Gu Bei glanced at it briefly and found that most of the comments were sarcastic:

"Hilarious, your emperor went to steal instant noodles."

"No way, no way, not even an assistant? What kind of big star are you?"

"Other celebrities are surrounded by entourages when they go out, but Gu Bei is all alone, stealing instant noodles from the supermarket. How pathetic."

"What do you know, upstairs? This is called sharing joy with the people, hahaha... I can't take it anymore, I can't laugh myself to death."

"Sharing joy with the people? I think they're just broke. Wasn't 'Yellow Race' a huge hit? How come they can't even afford a singer and a backup singer?"

"My brother's song 'Yellow Race' was released for free, and you guys listened to it and are still here mocking it!"

Someone offered a feeble rebuttal, but it was immediately drowned out by other voices.

He pulled up a chair, sat down, and then flipped himself down.

Then he saw an even more speechless comment.

Someone posted a link, and when I clicked on it, it led to Taipei Evening News.

Last night, a TV station's entertainment news segment made an emergency broadcast, reporting this as its headline.

The host's tone was very aggressive, as if he were reporting some major social news:

"Last night, some people spotted the new singer who has been making headlines recently at a supermarket in Taipei."

According to the submitter, Gu Bei appeared alone in the supermarket and stole two packs of instant noodles without any assistant accompanying him, acting very stealthily.

"Some industry insiders analyze that this may be related to the decline in her commercial value due to her recent controversial remarks..."

Gu Bei stared at the screen, falling into silence.

"No way... I drove an Audi A6 to a supermarket to steal instant noodles, and people actually believe that rumor?"

He was genuinely amused by the situation.

Jay Chou asked cautiously, "Gu Bei, you're not angry?"

"Why should I be angry?" Gu Bei leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and said, "I didn't steal it; I went to buy it."

"They're just trying to smear me."

"It's the entertainment industry, you'll get used to it." He reached out and patted Jay Chou on the shoulder.

"So... you're really alright?" Fang Wenshan asked uncertainly.

"It's nothing." Gu Bei waved his hand and logged into his main account on PTT forum.

"Crackling and popping"

He sat up straight and his fingers flew across the keyboard, instantly transforming into a keyboard warrior.

A new reply suddenly appeared in the comments section of that PTT post.

ID: 随随工作室-顾北 (Officially Verified)

"I know it's those people trying to smear me, but it's okay. I'm Gu Bei, and I agree to it."

After sending it, he thought about it and felt it wasn't enough, so he added another message:

"The instant noodles are delicious, I recommend you try them. Remember to pay for the Lucky Brand Crab Roe Noodles!"

Fang Wenshan leaned over for a look and was immediately dumbfounded.

"Gu Bei, won't this reply... excite them even more?"

He felt as if Gu Bei had delivered a "thug's excitement punch".

"It's okay, being infamous is still being famous. What celebrities fear most is not having any buzz," Gu Bei waved his hand dismissively.

He refreshed the page and found that his reply had been pinned to the top.

The comments below exploded instantly:

"Holy crap, it's me???"

"That's hilarious, 'I agree,' Gu Bei, you're really cheeky."

"Lucky Crab Roe Noodles, pay me? Hahaha, Boss Cai got robbed of his money for no reason."

"Aren't the haters embarrassed? They don't care at all."

Gu Bei: Feel free to criticize, but if you're serious, I'll admit defeat.

There were also a few sarcastic ones:

"Don't pretend to be magnanimous. You don't know how bad it is inside."

"It's just a forced smile."

Gu Bei glanced at it and replied below: "Getting anxious, getting anxious!"

Just then, he saw another news article.

The title immediately alerted him:

[Exclusive] Mysterious source warns: If Gu Beiruo continues to make "extreme remarks," a boycott of all his activities in Taiwan will be led.

The main text consists of only a few lines:

This report received a tip from an anonymous source that if Gu Bei continues to make "extreme remarks" in public, appropriate measures will be taken.

He will join forces with several entertainment organizations in Taiwan to reject all of Gu Bei's activities in Taiwan.

This includes, but is not limited to, concerts, commercial performances, announcements, etc.

The person stated, "Taiwan does not welcome artists like Gu Bei."

Gu Bei stared at the screen, tapping his fingers lightly twice on the table.

Fang Wenshan and Jay Chou also saw this news.

Both of their expressions became very serious.

"Gu Bei, how about we pack it up?" Zhou Jielun suggested.

"It's nothing." Gu Bei waved his hand, using his other hand to operate the mouse.

This time, he didn't post it on the forum.

He logged into the message board of Suibian Studio's official website and posted a pinned message using his verified account.

The content consists of only two sentences:

We live in an era of free speech, and I can say whatever I want.

You disagree? Come and hit me then.

"Gu Bei..." Fang Wenshan pushed up his glasses, feeling somewhat excited: "Isn't this a bit too arrogant?"

"We can't let the enemy's arrogance overwhelm us." Gu Bei stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at the streets of Taipei.

He wouldn't care at all.

These are the most hypocritical people.

Those who follow them will praise you, flatter you, and treat you like a hero.

If you say something they don't like to hear, they'll curse you, slander you, and try every means to mess with you.

In her previous life, Zhang Shaohan went to the 2008 Olympics as a torchbearer to demonstrate the One China principle.

Because there is a mysterious force suppressing things on the mainland, they are causing trouble in secret.

While Zhang Shaohan was receiving treatment for her heart condition, her parents actually betrayed her, accusing her of being unfilial and abandoning them.

The incident immediately sparked a public outcry, and the company sidelined him.

Fortunately, many companies in mainland China lent her a helping hand, otherwise she would have been taken away in one fell swoop.

Just then.

Gu Bei's phone rang.

Caller ID shows Lin Yichen...

"Hey? What's up?" He thought it was another call to comfort him.

Then came an excited, almost screaming voice from the other end, crisp and bright, like the first bite of an ice-cold watermelon in summer.

"Gu Bei, I passed!"

"I passed the audition for 'Meteor Garden'!"

Lin Yichen's voice trembled; she was clearly incredibly excited. "Sister Chai said she wants me to play Daoming Zhuang, Daoming Si's older sister!"

"I'm so, so happy, so incredibly happy!"

"Thank you, Gu Bei! Hurry up and come! I want to treat you to a big meal!"

"Oh!" Gu Bei's lips curled into a slight smile. "Congratulations!"

It's just a minor supporting role, look how excited you are... you're practically flying high!

"Okay, I'll go over now."