Chapter 85: The Little Demon King, Chen Zuming

"It's different—if it's just singing, I can find an excuse to send him away, but if he wants an interview, I’d have to wait until after the show!"

On the other end of the line, Chen Long sighed in frustration.

"In my memory, Ming always seemed a bit afraid of you," Liu Qingshan remarked, recalling the one conversation he’d had with Chen Zuming.

"He’s just pretending. The moment he gets some wild idea in his head, that boy becomes downright reckless!"

"Come on, what father talks about his own son like that?"

"It’s not slander. That’s just how he is!"

"Alright then. Is there anything I can do to help you, big brother?"

"Haha, you really are clever! I’ll be blunt—tomorrow, you take him with you. Yes, bring him to Hengdian! I don’t care if he causes trouble. You promised me you’d look after this Chen Zuming!"

"He’s two years older than me—why am I the one who has to look after him?"

Despite his protest, Liu Qingshan couldn’t help feeling a headache coming on. He knew all too well what kind of person Chen Zuming was. All that talk of being a second-generation star or rich kid was just on the surface. In reality, his unruly ways sometimes fit the word “profligate” perfectly.

Still, at his core, he was a good person. He’d inherited Chen Long’s diligence, gratitude, patriotism, sense of responsibility, and optimism, but also his father’s mischievousness and willfulness. More often than not, he was like a spoiled child—stubborn and forceful when it came to things or people he liked.

"That’s not my concern. As long as you remember your promise to me, that’s all that matters! It’s settled. I’ll have him meet up with you tonight!"

"Hey, wait, big brother—come on! Damn, he hung up!"

Annoyed, Liu Qingshan tossed his phone onto the table and stared blankly at the dishes before him.

Park Hye-jin chuckled from the side, "Only that big brother from Hong Kong could make our Qingshan this upset!"

She didn’t need to say it; the others had already caught bits of the conversation and pieced together the story.

A few of them couldn’t help gloating—Yu Yi, for instance: "Serves you right. You’re always picking on me, now someone’s coming to deal with you!"

Park Hye-jin shot him a look. "I heard that Chen Zuming is quite the little terror. Maybe he’ll take a shine to one of the Korean girls on the crew."

She turned to comfort Liu Qingshan, "So Chen Long’s sending the little terror to you? Don’t worry, just don’t bring him to set and everything should be fine."

"Sis Hye-jin, that’s exactly what I’m worried about. Do you really think he’ll stay quietly in the hotel?"

Liu Qingshan’s expression was a little bitter.

"I heard he admires your martial arts?" Yu Rongguang added.

"That’s about the only thing I can count on," Liu Qingshan replied helplessly.

It wasn’t that he had no way of dealing with Chen Zuming. Ever since promising Chen Long back in India, Liu Qingshan had thought about how to get along with the young man.

His greatest passion was actually music, and Chen Long had found him a teacher who was a legendary superstar—Li Zhongsheng.

Clearly, his starting point as an artist was unusually high, with his own mother, Lin Fengqiao, acting as his manager. What could possibly go wrong with Sister Qiao handling things?

As he weighed his options, Liu Qingshan considered that if his martial arts—his Thirty-six Flower Fist techniques—couldn’t win Chen Zuming over, he’d try something musical instead.

Back then, he hadn’t yet qualified to unlock the shopping mall in the Super Star-Maker System.

Now, things were different. He could splurge some reputation points to exchange for a professional guitar technique, since Chen Zuming had adored such instruments since childhood.

As far as he knew, even the world’s top ten guitarists were only at SS level. If he upgraded his new guitar skills to intermediate, he’d be on par with most professionals.

With that realization, Liu Qingshan’s worries eased considerably.

So, not long after, he excused himself to the restroom, and while squatting on the toilet, gritted his teeth and spent fifty-eight reputation points.

Fortunately, with his influence steadily growing throughout the day, his reputation value had been slowly climbing, and the last three stars had returned to full red.

Chen Zuming arrived before the dinner was over, dragging a rolling suitcase—clearly planning a long stay in Sha Jiabang.

Fortunately, he didn’t live up to his reputation—at least for now, he appeared every bit the obedient and well-mannered young man, showing none of the “little devil” attitude he was known for.

After a few drinks, he was soon laughing and chatting comfortably with everyone present.

Park Hye-jin leaned over several times, voicing her confusion in Liu Qingshan’s ear.

Though surprised himself, Liu Qingshan got his answer on the way back.

"In truth, my life in the capital has been pure luxury—every day surrounded by friends and parties. Last night, my dad showed me your video, and suddenly, I was overwhelmed with the desire to become an ambitious male artist!"

"Come on, Ming, don’t tell me you were moved. That’s too fake!"

Having learned a bit about him beforehand, Liu Qingshan chose a forthright approach.

"No, call me Qingshan, and I’ll call you Jaycee. That’s how my friends do it."

"Alright, Jaycee, then tell me what you really came to find me for."

"I want to learn martial arts from you. I want to leave my muddled days behind and try living differently!"

"Learning kung fu is fine, but let’s be clear: I won’t formally take you as a disciple. Let’s just consider it a normal friendship. I’ll teach you what I can of the Thirty-six Flower Fist, but how much you grasp depends on your own understanding. Don’t expect to learn the most essential secrets."

Even though he was Chen Long’s son, Liu Qingshan didn’t intend to make exceptions. Testing one’s character was the foundation for passing on true martial arts—no one could bypass that.

"But I heard you already took your first disciple—and he’s a foreigner."

"First, Kunal is devoted to martial arts, almost to the point of obsession. Second, taking him as a disciple came with conditions. You know my Snowland Studio was only built so quickly because of Kunal’s boss, Cram. Without his help, it would have been nearly impossible. Besides, I didn’t teach him everything, either."

Chen Zuming stared at Liu Qingshan for a long moment. "I believe you’re telling the truth."

"It’s only because you’re family that I’m so direct. Do you know why I refused you so bluntly? Perhaps your father’s hinted at it: the Thirty-six Flower Fist is a true killing art. At its highest level, it’s no exaggeration to say one could kill without leaving a trace. I do have a duty to pass down our ancestors’ legacy—but only to those whose character is beyond reproach."

"Qingshan, I understand. You’re afraid the person you teach could go astray?"

In truth, Chen Zuming was extremely sharp. Even without Liu Qingshan spelling it out, he could grasp the essence.