Chapter 349 Do you want to be a big star in the future?

When Xiao Chen heard his mother's name, a warm feeling flashed in his eyes, but he still kept joking around.

"That's perfect. Once Douyin is launched, I'll have Ms. Ye become one of the first livestreaming hosts to sell our own tea."

Wang Jinhua was amused by him, and most of her worries disappeared.

"You silly child, you even have designs on your mother. Fine, I'll start making preparations for this when I get back to the capital."

After hanging up the phone, Xiao Chen put his phone in his pocket and turned to look at the Mushroom House in the distance.

"Chenzi! Come back quickly, the villagers have set up tables at the village entrance!"

A gentle, warm voice came from behind.

Xiao Chen looked up and saw Leslie Cheung standing on the stone bridge waving at him.

Time seems to have left few marks on my brother's face; instead, it has given him a layer of serene clarity.

Anita Mui stood next to Leslie Cheung, holding a large palm-leaf fan, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

"Actor Xiao, you've got quite the entourage! You made us old folks wait this long?"

Xiao Chen hurriedly ran over, his face beaming with his signature, universally adored smile.

"Sister Mei, what you're saying..."

"You're not old at all! You're in the prime of your lives!"

As he got closer, his flawless face came into view of the camera, a godsend for post-production editors.

The two of them grabbed Xiao Chen from either side, their doting affection stemming entirely from instinct.

In their eyes, the child they watched grow up will always be their obedient younger brother.

"Brother Xiao Chen!"

A crisp sound rang out, and then a pale yellow figure came into view.

Sixteen-year-old Dilraba, carrying two cucumbers, ran breathlessly, her big eyes filled with bright, admiring eyes.

She was Xiao Chen's childhood sweetheart and the most diligent bright spot in this Mushroom House.

"The villagers prepared a lavish feast to thank you for helping them sell their wine."

Wu Zhenyu and Chen Xiaochun also followed behind Dilraba.

They both appear fierce, but are actually kind and gentle at heart.

They never expected that such a small favor they did for the villagers would earn them such sincere gratitude.

Both of them were somewhat moved by the scene.

"Ah Chen, you've really broadened our horizons this time."

"For an actor, the most important thing is to accumulate life experiences, and this time I've accumulated enough."

After Wu Zhenyu finished speaking, Chen Xiaochun also spoke.

"Yes, this is my first time working in the fields."

"I just helped sell some things again; I've never done sales before."

"But Ah Chen, you're really something, managing to sell so much stuff. You're the top salesperson!"

Xiao Chen casually took the cucumber from her hand, took a bite, and did so naturally and freely.

"That's right. Don't you know who I am? With this face, anything I sell will be a bestseller."

Hearing Xiao Chen's narcissistic words, Dilraba didn't find them greasy at all; instead, she thought Xiao Chen was even more handsome and energetic.

Chen Xiaochun and Wu Zhenyu thought so too, and they smiled at each other.

In the entertainment industry, the only person who dares to say something so arrogantly and yet isn't disliked is probably Xiao Chen.

When everyone arrived at the open space at the village entrance, the scene was truly spectacular.

Dozens of large red square tables were put together and lined up from the beginning of the village all the way to the middle of the village.

The air was filled with the aroma of cured meat, stewed chicken, and homemade rice wine.

The old village chief held Xiao Chen's hand, his voice trembling with excitement.

"Teacher Xiao, if it weren't for your 'live stream,' how could we sell the treasures in our mountains?"

Xiao Chen grasped the old man's hand in return, adopting an extremely humble posture, and responded with a smile.

"Old Party Secretary, you're too kind. From now on, I'll take care of all the local specialties in our village."

At this moment, the chief director, Wang Zhengyu, came over with a bitter face, still clutching that stingy task card in his hand.

"Teacher Xiao, according to the rules, ingredients must be earned through labor. What you're doing is a serious violation..."

Xiao Chen glanced at him sideways, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

"Director Wang, you just don't understand, do you?"

"This is called 'going deep into the masses,' which is the core essence of our program."

"If we don't eat what the villagers have so kindly offered, wouldn't we be hurting their feelings?"

He leaned closer to the director, lowered his voice, and acted like they were good buddies.

"Besides, I didn't calculate the commission from the live-streaming sales just now, so consider this meal on the sponsor's behalf."

Director Wang was speechless, since this guy was both the investor and the chief planner.

"Alright, alright, this is the last time. You've essentially 'robbed' the production team in public."

Xiao Chen laughed heartily, then turned around and pulled Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui to sit in the main seats.

"Don't just stand there, everyone, let's eat! Tonight, we're drinking until we drop!"

During the meal, Xiao Chen was adept at navigating social situations, drinking with the village's strong men and handing out candy to the village children.

His face, kissed by God, looks perfectly natural whether on a Hollywood red carpet or at a banquet in a remote mountain village.

The men thought he was loyal and approachable; the women looked at him and thought he was so handsome that he seemed to have stepped out of a painting.

Dilraba sat to the side, resting her chin on her hand, her gaze fixed on that figure.

She remembered that when Xiao Chen wrote that groundbreaking song "Baby," he also had this confident and carefree demeanor.

At that time, he had not yet won a Grammy or starred in "Titanic," but he had already revealed his ambition to control the world.

Now, he's going to dive headfirst into that technology field to create something called "TikTok".

Although she didn't understand what it was, she knew that whatever Xiao Chen wanted to do, he would succeed.

As night deepened, countless stars filled the sky.

After a few rounds of drinks, the guests staggered back to the Mushroom House amidst cheers from the villagers.

Leslie Cheung walked at the front, humming a tune from "Farewell My Concubine".

Mei Yanfang leaned on Xiao Chen's shoulder, her eyes blurry with drunkenness as she sighed.

"Chenzi, wouldn't it be wonderful if life could always be this peaceful?"

Xiao Chen reached out to steady her, but his gaze was fixed on the dark mountains in the distance.

"Sister Mei, quiet is for those who want to be immortals when they get old."

"We ordinary people still have to make a difference in this era."

Back at the Mushroom House, Dilraba thoughtfully brought out some tea to help with the hangover.

Xiao Chen sat on the wooden bench, looking at the little green plum who hadn't fully blossomed yet.

"Dilraba, do you want to be a big star when you grow up?"

Dilraba paused for a moment, then nodded emphatically.

"I want to! I want to become as outstanding as Brother Xiao Chen."

Xiao Chen gently ruffled her hair; it felt soft and fluffy.

"Then you'd better work hard. In the future, being good-looking will just be a stepping stone; being interesting will be the key."

The rise of Douyin (TikTok) short videos came to his mind.

At this point in 2010, he had already secured all possible paths to heaven.

From movie star to tech giant, this leap is considered crazy by others.

But in Xiao Chen's eyes, it was just another place to get "perfect marks".

He leaned back in his chair, listening to the chirping of insects outside, enjoying the pleasant feeling of being slightly tipsy.