ALWARFC Chapter 9

No one can resist the joy of surfing the internet, not even an ancestor who has lived for hundreds of years.

On the first day after Su Weisheng woke up, he quickly learned all the slang and jargon of the entertainment industry.

By the first week, he had thoroughly studied modern history and various gossip magazines.

By the second week, not only had he learned how to play video games, but he was also running around the canyon with his newly practiced Ma Chao[mfn]character from the game; not sure what game though…[/mfn], beating up opponents—forming a tragic contrast to Su Ran’s short-legged Luban[mfn]also a character from a game[/mfn], who was getting pummeled.

When the production team arrived at the door, it was precisely when his great-grandson’s fury was at its peak. He tossed his phone aside and spoke with obvious impatience, “Why do you need a camera just to sign a contract?”

“It needs to be recorded,” the assistant director replied in a daze. His eyes shifted slightly before he finally snapped back to reality. “Excuse me, which one of you is Su Ran’s great-grandfather?”

He Heng: “…” Why ask again? Is reality so hard to accept?

But it was clear that the assistant director’s struggle was completely in vain. As the young man sitting on the couch—who looked even younger than Su Ran—calmly responded, “I am,” the assistant director’s stiff expression completely shattered.

#Mom, I suspect Su Ran has gone crazy over money and randomly hired an actor to join the show for the appearance fee#

#He didn’t even bother hiring an old man to pretend to be his grandpa#

Unwilling to give up, the assistant director reminded, “Signing the contract requires a household registration book and proof of kinship. Have you prepared those?”

Before Su Ran could start cursing, his diligent little assistant had already raised the folder in his hands. “Prepared, prepared! Everything is absolutely in order, not a single issue!”

The assistant director took a look—damn, was this real? Such an absurd grandparent-grandchild relationship actually existed?

“He Heng, you never told me about this. I need to report to Director You first,” the assistant director said hurriedly.

Watching him rush off to make a call, Su Ran clicked his tongue. “So slow.”

Su Weisheng withdrew his gaze and said calmly, “He’s backing out.”

Su Ran immediately grew anxious. “Then what about my fifty million?”

“He’s just worried that you’re scamming them for money,” Su Weisheng glanced at his clueless great-grandson and reminded him.

The great-grandson: “…”

On the other side, the assistant director was indeed worrying about that exact issue as he spoke into the phone with his superior. “I haven’t verified the authenticity of the kinship documents yet. Isn’t Su Ran in desperate need of money lately? Maybe he and the company are working together to scam us?”

“Even if the relationship is real, his situation is too complicated. If we’re not careful, our show might get caught up in the mess too…” The assistant director rambled anxiously into the phone.

He kept grumbling on and on.

The person on the other end remained silent, simply listening quietly. After a long pause, a chuckle finally came through.

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

The assistant director choked on his words before cautiously asking, “You mean…?”

On the other end of the line, the crisp sound of ice clinking against a glass could be heard, followed by a man’s lazy voice uttering something extremely twisted: “I enjoy a good spectacle. The more entertaining it is, the more it’s worth my money. If this little ancestor and his great-grandson were plain and uneventful, I’d actually have to question whether they’re worth the fifty million I’m putting down just to watch the show.”

“Hurry up and sign them before they get away.” The chief director even sighed regretfully. “It’s a shame the show won’t air until the end of the month—I’m already getting impatient.”

Assistant director: “…” He was momentarily speechless.

Right. He had forgotten. His boss had always been this shameless.

«Another Side of Family Life» was a family-themed variety show. Its first four seasons had been wildly popular, consistently dominating trending discussions with every episode. However, it never followed the typical heartwarming and tear-jerking route. Instead, the production team specialized in stirring up drama, exposing celebrity secrets, and revealing their true selves.

And all of this was because the show’s chief director and investor, You Sui, was an unapologetic drama enthusiast.

No one knew who backed You Sui or how powerful his connections were. The only thing certain was that he owned a print media company that was notoriously fearless, reporting on anything and everything, offending countless people—yet no one had ever been able to touch him.

Eventually, perhaps dissatisfied with his own media company’s limitations, he decided to personally fund and oversee «Another Side of Family Life». a variety show so absurd that celebrities feared it like the plague. They avoided it at all costs.

Yet, every single time, You Sui managed to invite the top-tier celebrities he wanted. The reason was simple—some people couldn’t afford to offend him, while others needed something from him.

The assistant director had always hoped to shape the show into a positive and long-lasting program, but unfortunately, his boss was a shameless drama addict. In the end, he could only grit his teeth and sign the contract with this bizarre grandparent-grandchild duo.

—

As the production crew filmed, the assistant director placed two photos on the table and invited them to take a look. He explained,

“Our show will officially air live on the 27th of this month. Aside from the two of you, there will be three other pairs of guests. You’ll be paired with one of them for a month-long cohabitation experience. The selection process is simple—please pick a house you like from these options.”

The photos displayed two choices: a traditional courtyard house and a detached villa. The two pairs who chose the same house would be arranged to live together.

Su Weisheng decisively picked the detached villa with a garden. He then glanced at his great-grandson and remarked,

“This house isn’t as good as my old residence back in the day, but it’s far superior to yours.”

He paused before adding, “Oh, wait. You don’t even have a house.”

After all, this crappy apartment was just a company dormitory.

—Pfft! What a ruthless burn!

The assistant director had been feeling quite heavy-hearted, but he couldn’t help laughing out loud—only to receive a deadly glare from Su Ran.

The top idol couldn’t lash out at his great-grandfather, but that didn’t mean he was a pushover. Without hesitation, he started shooing them away.

“Assistant director, do you still have business here? Or would you like to stay for lunch with your crew?”

“Ahem. Actually, there’s still one more step left in the process.” The assistant director suppressed his laughter and quickly composed himself, not giving Su Ran any chance to retaliate. Turning to Su Weisheng, he asked with professional seriousness, “For the upcoming month-long cohabitation, may we ask what luggage our little ancestor plans to bring? Could you give us an introduction?”

Su Weisheng drawled lazily, “I have nothing to my name right now. The only thing I can bring along is this precious great-grandson of mine. If you all really want to see something interesting, I could have him perform a talent show for you?”

His great-grandson sneered and turned to the camera, enunciating each word, “Do you want to see it?”

“No need! No need at all!” The assistant director immediately backed down, shaking his head vigorously. As long as the little ancestor could keep Su Ran in check, that was enough. The production team had no intention of provoking this volatile top idol. Hastily wrapping up the process, they made their escape.

—

After signing the contract, Su Weisheng’s life remained largely unchanged. He continued reading books and surfing the internet, patiently waiting for the show’s premiere. Su Ran, on the other hand, had once again disappeared without a trace, clearly up to something.

Assistant Bai had even specifically reminded Su Weisheng, “Grandpa Su, you need to keep an eye on Brother Ran. The show’s advance payment is about to come through.”

Su Weisheng raised an eyebrow, immediately understanding his implication.

The advance payment was 10% of the total fee and, per the contract, would be transferred to the company account within ten business days. Ever since signing the contract, that kid Su Ran had been fixated on this sum—he was undoubtedly plotting something behind the scenes.

“If I recall correctly, he owes the company 3.67 million?”

Bai Songyin replied, “He added another advertising compensation debt a couple of days ago. It’s closer to 4.5 million now.”

Su Weisheng nodded. “That means, in the end, he’ll only be able to withdraw 500,000.”

Bai Songyin was shocked. “You know he’s planning to use that money to invest in a new film?”

Su Weisheng leisurely waved his phone at him. “It’s not just me. The entire internet probably knows by now.”

Bai Songyin peeked at the screen. Damn! The moment the show’s official announcement dropped, it had already hit the trending charts!

—

Another side of Family Life V: All four groups of guests are officially confirmed! The show will be broadcast live on the 27th of this month. Please welcome our guests: @BestActor Xie Wei and his same-sex partner, @Investor Lu Huanjin and his father, @Award-Winning Producer Sunny and his beloved cat. And finally, top idol Su Ran and his great-grandfather!

—

Netizens: ???

【Is this show getting more and more ridiculous? Sunny and a cat? Su Ran and his great-grandfather? What kind of bizarre lineup is this???】

【Holy—! This is a family reality show. Who says a cat can’t be family? Reasonable. Very reasonable.】

【The most absurd one is still Su Ran. I distinctly remember his profile always saying he was an orphan. Where the hell did this great-grandfather come from? Did he just hire some random extra to scam a paycheck?】

【People have been saying Su Ran has a trash personality, and his fans always tried to cover for him. LMAO, looks like your precious “Ran San-Sui” is completely washed up and scrambling to cash out before disappearing!】

As a top idol with countless industry rivals, Su Ran’s haters quickly flooded the comments section. The top ten trending replies were all dirt on him. The other guests’ fans initially tried to control the discussion, but no matter how hard they worked, their comments kept getting drowned out in the chaos. Eventually, they gave up.

At the same time, a major marketing account seized the opportunity to fan the flames with a poll.

Predicting it now—this top idol joining a variety show for a quick paycheck definitely isn’t because he’s planning to flee the industry. I’d bet he’s just having acting withdrawals again. Let’s open a poll—guess which drama he’s going to invest in:

A: Director Zhang’s art film A Warm Summer

B: The highly popular novel adaptation of The Rise of the Cannon Fodder Comparison Group

C: Teaming up with his “good partner” Jiang Yimian for a new drama in an attempt to redeem himself.

—

There was no heated battle between fans and haters under this post. Even Su Ran’s own fans were surprisingly chill, joking about him while casting their votes. Option C took the lead, with the top comment reading:

【I’ll tell you guys the truth—I’ve already seen the actor he’s partnering with. A rookie who just debuted, super handsome with a great presence, and really gets into character. Unfortunately, he just has terrible judgment—he actually trusts my baby Ran San-Sui (crying emoji).】

Underneath, a flood of veteran fans responded in unison: Ran San-Sui, look at what you’ve done!

—

Su Weisheng also came across this post. Amused, he raised an eyebrow and even went out of his way to repost it.

@Su Weisheng: I choose D. He’s going to give all the money to me.

—

Not many people saw his tweet, but there were always a few enthusiastic little flames who clicked in. Seeing his post, they assumed he was a new fangirl fantasizing about Su Ran, so they earnestly left comments to warn him:

【Newbie sis, please don’t get too obsessed with Su Ran—you’ll get hurt!】

【Yes, yes! Let me fill you in on our dear idol’s very dark history. Read these links first before deciding if you really want to stan him! (link) (link)】

【Su Ran is like a crashed stock—anyone who buys in is going to lose everything (crying emoji). Don’t love him, loving him leads to heartbreak!】

—

Su Weisheng actually laughed out loud.

Wow. They really thought he was just joking and were worried about him? These little girls were surprisingly kind.

Leaning back in his chair, he casually played with his phone, then patiently typed a response to the netizens:

@Su Weisheng: I’m being serious. Director Zhang from option A has signs of an early demise. The copyright holders of option B are about to run into trouble. And as for Jiang Yimian from option C—his fate is extremely yin-heavy, and his birth chart is too overbearing, making him a curse to all his collaborators. He and Su Ran will never work together again.

—

Netizens: ???

—

Wait. How did this conversation suddenly turn into some metaphysical fortune-telling session?

Curious, some users clicked into the profile of this [@Lucky Money, You’d Better Behave] account. Scrolling down, they found that every single one of his posts was in the same divination-style tone, predicting people’s fates.

—

【Damn, wasted my emotions for nothing. Turns out this is just some clout-chasing fortune-telling account!】

【What the hell? Trying to gain followers and spreading slander about Director Zhang? Reported! Your account’s getting banned, you damn clickbaiter!】

【What did Jiang Yimian ever do to you?! This pisses me off—marketing account, go drop dead already!】

【Laughing to death, this fake fortune-telling tactic is so familiar to me. As long as I accuse enough celebrities, one of them is bound to get caught, right? Only Su Ran’s fans would be dumb enough to get involved with people like this.】

Su Weisheng’s reply, which seemed plain and unremarkable, immediately exploded online. The comment section was flooded with insults directed at him. Soon his post was trending.

Bai Songyin saw it too, fuming with anger: “What do they even know? Just open their mouths and insult people, calling us a marketing account? Does this ancestor need to piggyback off his grandson’s heat? Grandpa, I’m going to get my Weibo verified and slap them right back in the face… By the way, if you confiscate Brother Ran’s money now, we could get back at them immediately!”

“Don’t rush,” Su Weisheng said calmly, still browsing Weibo. “I told you, once he’s promised to return the money to me, he’ll do it.”

Meanwhile, Su Ran had already received the advance payment of 500,000 yuan and immediately met up with Jiang Yimian.

Jiang Yimian was also excited: “I’ve got 200,000 in savings. With your 500,000, we’ll have enough for the initial investment. Once my royalties come through and your show’s final payment arrives, we’ll be set!”

Jiang Yimian was an oddball. He had been a top writer for male-focused web novels, all of which had been hits. But for some reason, every time his novels sold their film and TV rights, something went wrong—either the buyers ended up in jail or the series flopped.

He didn’t give up and believed it was his novels’ bad “feng shui”, so he decided to write an original script and produce it himself. This brought him together with Su Ran, who was eager to prove himself as an actor. It was a perfect match for two people who were both driven by their own goals.

Now that they had the money, the two were on cloud nine.

Jiang Yimian was already planning for the future: “I asked my uncle. He said that our grandma inviting us to dinner tonight probably doesn’t have any hidden agenda. She just likes us, so don’t overthink it!”

“I’ve arranged with my uncle. In a couple of days, we’ll go over to perform a ritual, asking for protection from the God of Grain, so that our new drama will go smoothly!”

“Sure, sure!” Su Ran agreed immediately. “Finally, I get to shoot a drama. All the days I’ve suffered with Grandpa will finally pay off. From now on, he won’t be able to control me anymore!” Thinking of this, he could hardly contain his excitement.

At last, he would get to show his Grandpa who was boss!

“Eh?” Jiang Yimian was tagged in multiple posts on Weibo. When he checked, his face darkened. “Who the hell is this Lucky Money, You’d Better Behave? How dare they curse our new drama before it even starts filming?”

Furious, he immediately commented on the person’s Weibo: “Idiot, you’ve got it wrong. Our new drama is going to start shooting right away!”

Su Ran saw the comment and immediately felt annoyed. He was always impulsive and didn’t hesitate to log into his own account to repost, with an incredibly arrogant message: 【I choose C. Official announcement—new drama filming soon.】

To their surprise, the marketing account still dared to interact with them after being called out.

【Lucky Money, You’d Better Behave】 replied to 【Jiang Yimian】: Your drama won’t work out. Not only will Su Ran’s money go to waste, but yours will be gone too.

【Lucky Money, You’d Better Behave】 replied to 【Su Ran】: Wanna bet?

Damn, this person was really bold! The two of them were fuming.

Su Ran responded viciously: 【Bet? If my new drama gets made, you’ll be waiting for your account to be banned!】

【Lucky Money, You’d Better Behave】 replied to 【Su Ran】: Okay. If it doesn’t get made, you’ll have to change your name. From now on, you’ll be called Zhaocai.

Su Ran: ???

---

Moonlit: Ran Ran, don’t risk it! HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA