Chu Zhi smiled and said, "The food today was pretty good. The grilled saury was delicious. Even though the restaurant is known for its broth hotpot, everyone has their own preferences."
That broth hotpot, called chouzu, was a specialty of Niigata Prefecture—essentially a fish-based hotpot.
"Huh?" Higuchi Hanato didn't quite get why Chu Zhi had suddenly changed the subject. Then it hit him.
"I don't enjoy massages," Chu Zhi said lightly, "so I'll have to decline your generous offer, Mr. Higuchi."
There's a saying: the four strongest bonds in life—sharing a foxhole, sharing a classroom, splitting stolen goods, and visiting brothels together.
But no matter what the old adages said, if joining a certain circle or getting a certain opportunity meant sleeping around, Chu Zhi wasn't interested.
And worst-case scenario, he had his system bros helping him out. Why should he swallow his pride for this?
"Mr. Chu, do you even understand what you're doing?" Higuchi Hanato asked, his voice sharp. "You're about to pass up the best opportunity of your life. Are you rejecting my friendship?"
Ever since Higuchi Hanato was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and became a national icon in Japan, no one in the entertainment industry had dared reject him. He'd gotten so used to people kissing up that he practically forgot what rejection felt like.
"To me, your friendship holds little value," Chu Zhi replied flatly. "Honestly, I'd take another serving of that grilled saury over it."
Those words hit like a slap, and Higuchi Hanato's fury flared.
"Well then, thank you for the meal," Chu Zhi said as he stood. "I'll be going."
Was that a threat? Chu Zhi might act easygoing, but if anyone tried to intimidate him, he wouldn't play along.
Ignoring the burning rage in Higuchi Hanato's eyes, he turned and left the private room.
"A Chinese singer without my backing? Let's see how you expect to get into WOA!" Higuchi Hanato ground his teeth as he glared at Chu Zhi's retreating figure.
He did truly admire Chu Zhi's talent. After all, when it came to head-to-head competition on stage, mutual admiration could lead to friendship. But in this industry, no one trusted anyone unless they held some dirt on each other.
Higuchi Hanato hadn't expected Chu Zhi to be so ungrateful.
Sure, he had earned Western recognition for his skills, but part of that was due to his Western-style rock flair. And as he adopted their musical style, he also picked up their hedonistic habits—openly admitting to having three lovers.
In his mind, no celebrity was ever squeaky clean. Chu Zhi, by rejecting him, had basically slapped him in the face.
While Chu Zhi and Higuchi Hanato had their falling-out, gossip back in China's entertainment industry was also going strong.
The latest buzz came from a newly launched idol survival show.
The trainees were given a training curriculum: singing and dancing, teamwork, and mastering a foreign language.
The first two were standard. But the third—language proficiency—was a direct result of the Emperor Beast wave. The influence had trickled into variety shows. Producers figured that speaking a foreign language was one of Chu Zhi's standout charms and encouraged trainees to work hard at it.
Most of the trainees picked English. A few trying to show off chose French. But the scandal came from one trainee who had crafted a "genius scholar" persona.
That trainee claimed to be fluent in English, French, and Russian. Turns out, he was faking it—memorizing lines before the camera, but in truth, not fluent in any of them.
"Lying like a rookie. Fluent in three languages? Please. What, you think you're brother Jiu, the language prodigy?"
"Unbelievable. I thought he'd at least know some English. Didn't expect him to be such a flop."
"When it comes to the 'smart idol' image, I only believe in brother Jiu. By the way, how many languages does brother Jiu speak? Japanese, Korean, Russian, and English, right?"
"Four isn't enough for you? And he's fluent in Japanese and Russian too."
"Let this be a lesson to idols out there. You can't just fake a genius persona. Think about how hard Jiu-yé works every day."
In the online discussion forums, Chu Zhi's name kept popping up. His image as a language prodigy had deeply taken root in the public's mind.
Variety shows were key to building public persona. Just like how Emperor Beast was preceded by Journey of the Stars and followed by Back to the Hearth.
Even in Niigata, Chu Zhi had a van waiting for him. Driver Lao Qiu and assistant Xiao Zhu were both there. Lao Qiu had even gone as far as getting a Japanese driver's license—he was seriously committed.
"Power and money corrupt the soul," Chu Zhi murmured, eyes closed as he leaned back in the van. "Luckily I'm different. I'm aiming to be a global idol. A tiny temptation like that won't sway me."
Not long after, they arrived back at the hotel.
Zheng Huo, Liao Yiwu, and the others were also staying in the same hotel, mostly for convenience. But at that moment, they were still out eating.
Chu Zhi freshened up. He was going to do some reading and then head to bed. But his stomach had other ideas, growling in protest.
"If I fall asleep, I won't feel hungry."
"…Fine. You win."
He changed clothes and slipped out of the hotel. It was a quiet night in Niigata. Wearing a mask, Chu Zhi headed to a 24-hour convenience store and bought two cups of instant noodles.
The grilled saury had been tasty, but it hadn't filled him up. The hotel didn't serve food at night either. If he were in Tokyo or Osaka, at least he could've found dumplings or grilled chicken skewers.
Modern instant noodles were a Japanese invention. Chu Zhi picked two flavors, but even they didn't compare to the simple braised beef noodle cup back home.
Still, it filled his stomach enough to sleep through the night.
The next day brought white clouds and warm sunshine.
At the Naeba Ski Resort, the Fuji Rock Festival continued. The most talked-about location was the pitch-black Stage Three.
Each ticket was valid for one day only, so those attending today had no idea what had gone down yesterday. Footage from the event wouldn't be uploaded until the festival ended.
Curious attendees walked over to the unlit stage. Was the equipment broken?
A sign posted at the entrance read:
[Stage Performer: Chu Zhi!
On August 1st, he achieved a stage shutdown, honored here.]
Achievement details: Successfully challenged with the song In Springtime, seizing the reigning title from Pattern 14...
"Chu Zhi? That stunning Chinese star who looks prettier than me? He achieved a historic milestone? Damn, I should've picked yesterday's ticket."
"I missed an incredible performance."
"Five consecutive wins, and he even beat Higuchi Hanato."
The mystery only deepened curiosity. Fans flooded the official website with comments, begging for the video and audio to be released as soon as possible.
Chu Zhi didn't stay for the full festival. After two days, he left early to return home for scheduled appearances. His goals for this trip had been met.
He said his goodbyes to Zheng Huo and the others and boarded his flight home.
Up next was his appearance on Back to the Hearth. As per his usual routine before filming, the Emperor Beast started preparing by researching the permanent cast. Understanding them in advance made it easier to connect and form real friendships.
The show had two core cast members: Kun Yun and Lan Wuyi. Kun Yun and Pan Ying from the "Daily Team" were the two pillars of Mango TV.
Kun Yun was 45 years old, with more than two decades of hosting under his belt. His style was classic control-and-flow. As long as he was present, nothing would go off track.
The other was Lan Wuyi. Just the name alone screamed "artsy intellectual." He was 49, a graduate of Central Academy of Drama with a degree in theater and film acting. In his junior year, his striking looks got him cast by a top director.
Lan Wuyi had exceptional skill in theater. He was the youngest winner of the Golden Lion Award for Drama, and also a recipient of the Plum Blossom Award. Within the acting world, he was a true veteran. But among the general public, he had been relatively unknown—until Back to the Hearth brought him back into the spotlight.
"Good thing I started prepping two days early," Chu Zhi muttered, making time in his busy schedule to read through several of Lan Wuyi's plays and Kun Yun's autobiography.