The next day at noon, Jinling Fuzi Street.
The street bustled with people, tourists with smiles on their faces, holding up their phones to take pictures.
Young women struck various poses, basking in the warmth of the sun.
Vice-director Guo Jianrong sat on a bench by the roadside, accompanied by three television station staff members: a makeup artist, an outdoor reporter, and a news editor.
Guo Jianrong's face was etched with worry as he incessantly scanned the passing tourists.
Last night, he had agreed to Yuan Chengji's request to help tarnish Lu Ming's reputation and had immediately begun preparations.
However, after much effort, he embarrassingly discovered that he couldn't find anyone who looked remarkably like Lu Ming!
Guo Jianrong had brought in several individuals with similar builds to Lu Ming, instructing the makeup artist to recreate Lu Ming's appearance based on photos. Yet, no matter how they tried, the resemblance was lacking!
For some inexplicable reason, Guo Jianrong felt that Lu Ming possessed a special aura that ordinary people could not possess.
Others simply couldn't impersonate him.
Little did they know, this was the unique regal dominance of the Dragon Warlord!
How could mortals possess such a trait?
Guo Jianrong, burdened by his worries, chain-smoked, lighting one cigarette after another. If he couldn't find a convincing impersonator of Lu Ming, his plan would fall apart.
In that case, wouldn't his opportunity for permanent employment slip away?
Guo Jianrong took a deep drag from his cigarette, utterly despondent.
Just then, the sharp-eyed reporter suddenly pointed at a man in a short-sleeved shirt amidst the crowd and exclaimed, "Brother Rong, doesn't that man look like Lu Ming?"
"Who?"
"Him, by the oil-paper umbrella shop."
Guo Jianrong followed the direction of the finger and indeed, the man bore a resemblance to Lu Ming.
Guo Jianrong immediately pulled out his phone and opened Lu Ming's photo for comparison.
The comparison was startling.
The man in the short-sleeved shirt looked nine-tenths like Lu Ming! Moreover, the man in the short-sleeved shirt also possessed that indescribable special aura.
"Brilliant, he's the one!"
Guo Jianrong gave the reporter a knowing glance. The reporter quickly rose and hurried towards the man in the short-sleeved shirt.
Unbeknownst to them, that man in the short-sleeved shirt was none other than Lu Ming himself!
Jiang Mengxin had repeatedly urged Lu Ming to quickly deliver the crown to the Dragon Warlord without delay. Reluctantly, Lu Ming pretended to go deliver the crown.
In reality, he had directly handed the crown to Xiu Luo and then came to Fuzi Street to sightsee.
This was to avoid returning too early and being nagged by Jiang Mengxin again.
As Lu Ming was strolling, the reporter jogged up to him, a grin on his face, and said, "Hey, buddy, you've got good fortune."
Lu Ming paused for a few seconds, "What fortune?"
The reporter said, "You look very much like someone, do you know?"
"Who?"
"Jiang family's useless son-in-law, Lu Ming!"
"Hm?"
Lu Ming's brow furrowed slightly. Was this person here to cause trouble? However, judging by his words, it didn't seem like it.
Lu Ming chuckled and retorted, "So what if I look like Lu Ming?"
The reporter smiled, "Looking like Lu Ming can earn money!"
Oh, really?
Lu Ming himself was amused. Was he some kind of big celebrity? Could he earn money by impersonating himself?
He asked, "How can I earn money?"
The reporter beckoned Lu Ming closer, "Come with me, and Brother Rong will explain it to you in detail."
And so.
With immense curiosity, Lu Ming followed the reporter across the street to where Vice-director Guo Jianrong stood.
Guo Jianrong scrutinized Lu Ming from head to toe, growing happier with every glance.
He thought to himself: He looks so much like him, almost exactly the same!
Guo Jianrong asked, "Young man, what's your name?"
Lu Ming's expression grew serious, and he lied, "My name is Lin Zi'ang."
"Oh, Brother Lin, I have a money-making project here. I wonder if you're interested?"
"What project? Tell me about it."
Guo Jianrong looked around, cleared his throat, and leaned closer to Lu Ming, whispering, "It's like this. We are from the television station. We want to do a prank show and humiliate Jiang family's son-in-law, Lu Ming. We plan for you to impersonate Lu Ming and perform according to our script. The more cowardly, the better; the more despicable, the more fantastic!"
Lu Ming's brow furrowed as he listened.
What was this all about?
Wasn't this deliberately smearing him? A prank show? What nonsense, it was simply a low-handed act of malice.
Seeing Lu Ming's puzzled expression, Guo Jianrong quickly continued, "Don't worry, Brother Lin. We won't have you working for free. If you cooperate with our script and play a scene, I'll give you 10,000 yuan!"
Ten thousand yuan was quite a sum!
Just finding a random person on the street to cooperate in a scene and earning 10,000 yuan was like pie falling from the sky.
There was no reason to refuse!
Lu Ming's lips curved slightly upwards, and he added, "I don't know how to act."
Guo Jianrong waved his hand, "No acting skills are needed, it's very simple. Later, when you pass by my three subordinates, you'll accidentally bump shoulders. Then my subordinate will be displeased and demand that you kneel and kowtow to apologize. You'll initially refuse, then get slapped a couple of times, and then meekly kneel and kowtow. For anything else, you can improvise."
Lu Ming listened, utterly speechless.
If this were to happen, what would become of his dignity? He couldn't understand why this person, whom he didn't even know, would scheme to harm him.
Someone must be behind this!
Lu Ming's brow furrowed slightly, "This is too much of a sacrifice. Ten thousand yuan might not be enough?"
Guo Jianrong cut to the chase and held up two fingers, "Twenty thousand! I'll give you the money now."
"Deal!" Lu Ming readily agreed, carefree.
Subsequently, Lu Ming happily accepted Guo Jianrong's twenty thousand yuan, put on his earpiece, and stood across the street to await Guo Jianrong's instructions.
Everything was ready.
Guo Jianrong glanced at his watch, "It's almost time. Old Yuan should be here by now, right?"
Before he finished speaking, they saw an old man and a young woman walking from a distance.
It was Yuan Chengji and his daughter, Yuan Keying!
Today, Yuan Chengji had cunningly persuaded his daughter to go shopping with him. Ostensibly, it was to enhance their father-daughter bond, but in reality, he wanted Yuan Keying to witness Lu Ming's pathetic display and make her give up her affection for him.
As a father, Yuan Chengji had gone to great lengths.
Time, place, and people—all were in place!
Guo Jianrong picked up the walkie-talkie and shouted, "All personnel, stand by, cut!"
At his command, the performance officially began.
Across the street.
Lu Ming walked east, while the reporter, editor, and makeup artist walked west, side by side.
The distance between them rapidly closed.
Ten meters.
Five meters.
Three meters.
One meter.
Crash!
Unlike the original script, Lu Ming was not knocked down by them. Instead, the three people from across the street were sent flying by Lu Ming and landed heavily on the ground!