Lance: "[If any director accepts an actor like Denis, then we will no longer be walking the same path.]"

Lance directly posted a statement that very night, pushing the situation into even more of a frenzy. Based on his achievements in the directing circle, along with the resources and wealth he possessed, it wasn’t just actors who tried to curry favor with him—many directors had to do the same. Because Lance was not merely a producer; he was also an investor.

His connections within the directing circle were extremely extensive. If all the directors he knew chose to blacklist Denis, then Denis would likely have no choice but to become a cheap actor in vertical short-form web dramas.

The other artists whom Denis had mentioned by name also expressed their stances one after another, taking Lance as their leader, clearly showing an attitude that would not allow Denis to continue developing in this industry.

"AAAA!"

Denis roared like a madman, sweeping everything off the table with both hands. His phone was flung aside as well, the screen warped and flickering. Mocking comments kept flashing across it, as if laughing at his crazed state.

Denis grabbed another phone and frantically called his manager. Are those useless pigs at the company just sitting around doing nothing?! Don’t they know how to suppress that kind of public opinion?!

He absolutely, absolutely would not roll out of showbiz!

What he didn’t know was that the company had already begun to abandon him completely, because an order had come down from above. The Adonis family had decided to take care of this matter themselves...

"Joshua, did that bastard Denis really lay a hand on you?!"

This was almost not the first time that day Joshua had heard those words. Despite their packed schedules, Lance and Luis had come straight to the Adonis family mansion to visit him.

Luis had only just left when Lance arrived right after.

Seeing the dark circles under his eyes, Joshua spoke softly, "It’s already over, and besides, I’m fine now."

Lance looked at Joshua, shook his head, and said in a low voice, "If I’d known what that bastard was thinking back then, I would’ve cut off his junk on the spot."

Joshua couldn’t help but laugh. Seeing that Joshua truly didn’t seem to care about it anymore, a faint smile finally appeared on Lance’s lips.

He chuckled and said, "But who knows what’s wrong with him. He actually went and exposed everything himself—probably got high on something and lost his mind."

Although many people were furious at Denis, it couldn’t be denied that his act of deliberately ’lifting a rock only to smash his own foot’ was extremely strange. A lot of people felt that he might have some kind of mental issue.

Joshua said casually, "Maybe his brain really is messed up."

Lance looked at Joshua sitting on the sofa, his legs curled up, a large peach hugged against his chest. His soft cheeks pressed into the fuzzy peach, making his lips pout slightly—a thoroughly bored-looking expression.

Lance couldn’t help but laugh and reached out to pinch his cheek lightly. "What’s with that face? Am I annoying you?"

Joshua raised his eyes to look at Lance. "No, it’s just that everyone’s been asking different things since this morning. I’m getting sleepy."

"Then want to go out and have some fun?" Lance asked, his expression carrying a hint of anticipation.

Joshua shook his head. "No. I haven’t even breathed in enough air at home yet."

"Such a decisive rejection. You’re really good at breaking my heart, Joshua," Lance snorted.

Hearing that, Joshua blinked, looking utterly innocent.

Two more days passed, and images of Denis being taken away by the police began circulating online. The exposed evidence showed that he was connected to an organization that brokered prostitution involving young artists or those who weren’t very well-known.

This incident didn’t involve only Denis; it could also drag a great many people down with him, including quite a few veteran artists.

[Holy shit, I’m getting chills.]

[Anyone still stanning these people right now can probably only cry.]

[Has anyone noticed? Most of these artists come from entertainment companies under the Atius Group.]

[Talk about bad luck, hahaha.]

[Fuck, a bunch of disgusting trash—best if they all get life sentences.]

[I remember there were already clues about this case a long time ago, but it kept getting suppressed. Didn’t expect it to be exposed again like this.]

[In the end, it’s still because someone even more powerful stepped in.]

[I’m starting to wonder who’s really backing Joshua.]

[Having rich and powerful teammates sure is nice, hahaha.]

Many former fans of the artists who had been victimized and forced to leave showbiz also appeared, crying and venting—total chaos.

Even so, the day of ShineOn’s comeback had arrived.

This time, they would be participating in the famous horror–mystery game show "Who Is the Legendary Detective?!" with a three-person lineup: Joshua, Henry, and Luther. Leonard and Justin each had their own separate schedules. Justin had an appointment to shoot an advertisement for a top men’s fashion brand, while Leonard was tied up with undisclosable family matters.

The moment the official announcement was released, fans immediately screamed and cried tears of joy.

So much had happened recently, and Joshua in particular hadn’t appeared in front of them for a long time. On top of being at the center of so many incidents, the fans were genuinely extremely worried about his situation.

At last, the day of filming arrived. Louis personally drove Joshua to the studio. As he took Joshua’s luggage out of the car, he reminded him, "If anything happens, remember to tell me. Absolutely don’t endure it alone... and really, can’t you come home tonight?"

Joshua shook his head. "Everyone’s staying anyway." Then he smiled and added, "I can take care of myself. I’m not made of paper."

Louis smiled as well. He ruffled Joshua’s hair before getting back into the car and returning to the company.

Inside the filming area, all the cameras were already running at full capacity, capturing every single moment. ShineOn’s visuals had always been famous, and now the comment section was flooded with thirst— Polaris, as well as fans of the show itself.

[I’ve always heard ShineOn is a visual monster, but this is way too insane.]

[I seriously can’t choose—why is everyone perfect?!]

[Why choose when we can have them all?] 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

[Keep dreaming, hahaha.]

[Luther looks a bit worn out, doesn’t he?]

[Seems like he’s lost a bit of weight.]

[Where’s Joshua? I want Joshua!]

Almost the moment that comment flashed by, Henry and Luther both turned their gazes toward the entrance at the same time.

Joshua had finally arrived. Today, he was wearing a pastel pink hoodie paired with light blue jeans.

His hair was a little longer than before, making his face look even softer and more beautiful. One hand pulled along a small suitcase, his eyes looking straight into the camera as he smiled, dimples showing. "Hello everyone, it’s me—Joshua."

Luther couldn’t help but complain, "You clearly saw me first, so why didn’t you greet me before greeting Polaris?!"

[Hahaha, don’t be jealous.]

[Who could be more important than fans? Even best friends can’t beat fans!]

[Luther is really competing with the fans.]

[Sorry, Joshua’s heart belongs to us.]

At this moment, Henry and Luther also stood up and walked toward him. Henry looked at the camera and said, "Please look forward to the show."

Luther nodded as well. "To keep the suspense, we can’t spoil anything more."

The director’s voice sounded immediately afterward, and the screen turned pitch black and silent. Even though they had already expected this outcome, the fans still couldn’t help but scream.

[Did they even spoil anything? This is unacceptable!]

[I have money—take my money! Why does this show not know how to do business at all?!]

[Strongly agree.]

[When will Sunday finally come?]

[It’s only Monday today.]

[I’m breathing oxygen here, I can’t take it anymore.]

Sunday every week was the broadcast schedule for this game show. With anticipation skyrocketing like this, the director was in an exceptionally good mood.

And at this moment, the script at the filming site officially began.

"...The first location we’re visiting today is the famous haunted house, DarkG!"

"You are a group of students exploring the haunted house with three other friends. Unfortunately, one of your friends suddenly disappears under mysterious circumstances. The entrance door to the haunted house is sealed shut, and now you can only move forward, relying on the clues left behind inside the haunted house to unravel the mystery and rescue your friend!"