Offered as a Stand In

替身相许

offered-as-a-stand-in

Argument

What kind of status does Xihua Entertainment have in the industry?


 One of the entertainment companies in the country currently recognized as having the most potential, backed by the Xihua Group, it once produced "one emperor and two empresses." A-list stars like Zhou Xiaoqi, who were on par with Zhong Guanhua, were only considered upper-mid-tier in the company. If Xie Guan joined Xihua Entertainment, his former agent Wang Zhe would have to use a respectful title the next time he saw him.


 “This... This is too...” Xie Guan looked completely stunned by this pie falling from the sky. “Do you really know the boss of Xihua? No, what I mean is... does your word really carry weight?”


 At first, Huo Mingjun found his dazed look amusing, but the more he listened, the more it rubbed him the wrong way. He tapped the desk with a bent finger, his expression displeased. “Xie Guan, do you have some sort of misunderstanding about me?”


 What a joke. Boss Ye's older brother, Xihua Group's Vice Chairman Ye Jun, had to call him Mr. Huo when he saw him. Furthermore, the Huo Family and the Ye Family had a friendship spanning many years. Arranging a spot for someone was a trivial matter, yet this little brat actually dared to doubt him!


 “No, no,” Xie Guan quickly said with an apologetic smile. “Mr. Huo is so generous to lend a helping hand, how could I dare to misunderstand you, hahaha...”


 A breath caught in Huo Mingjun's throat. He had a premonition that if this troublesome thing stayed any longer, his entire morning would be ruined by him.


 He sent Xie Guan an email address and said, “Go back and send me a resume. I'll have the staff from Xihua contact you directly then. Is there anything else? If not, hurry up and disappear from my sight.”


 Xie Guan smiled, thanked him again, and rose to leave. Huo Mingjun called Zhong Heguang in to see the guest out. After the person left the office, he couldn't get back into the mood for work either. He leaned back in his chair, and recalling Xie Guan's every word and action just now, he couldn't help but shake his head and smile.


 But as he smiled, a sour bitterness in his chest, like an unending, surging tide, gradually flooded his heart.


 He was simply too similar.


 He was constantly reminded of that person. If he were still alive, wouldn't he be just like this: the face, the profile, the small gesture of raising his eyebrows, the curve of his eyes and lips when he smiled.


 He might not have been that smart, or that likable, but as long as he lived safely and peacefully, Huo Mingjun would naturally have protected him so he could live out his life without a care in the world.


 The path had become overgrown with weeds before it could even be paved; the next page of the story was torn out before it could even be told.


 Even though Huo Mingjun tried his best to make amends, even pathologically extending this compensation to the similar-looking Xie Guan, what use was it? The person who was already gone could never perceive it.


 No matter how much he did, it was merely a comfort for the living.


 Huo Mingjun was lost in thought when Zhong Heguang returned from seeing the guest out and knocked on the outer door. He reined in his thoughts, cast his gaze upon the computer screen, and called out, “Come in.”


 “Boss.”


 Zhong Heguang stood before his desk. Huo Mingjun waited for him to continue, but after a long while without a sound, he couldn't help but glance up at him strangely. “What is it? Stop hesitating. If you have something to say, just say it.”


 Zhong Heguang rarely played the "hesitant to speak" card in front of him. This attitude, on the contrary, made Huo Mingjun take it seriously.


 His usually steady number-one assistant was uncharacteristically hesitant. “Something was strange just now, but I'm not entirely sure. Please just hear me out.”


 “I remember you said that after the accident, you were confined to the hospital for treatment, and Second Master Huo handled all the aftermath,” he paused, stealing a glance at Huo Mingjun's increasingly grim face, then calmly continued, “Including the news of that person's death, which he personally witnessed before relaying it back.”


 “What are you suspecting?” Huo Mingjun said coldly. “There were other people at the scene besides him. His subordinates and the police forensic examiner could all prove that person was indeed dead.”


 That incident from ten years ago was Huo Mingjun's sorest spot; touching it would unleash a tempest. However, since he had already started speaking, Zhong Heguang could only bite the bullet and continue: “That's not what I wanted to say. You may not have noticed, but when I brought Mr. Xie to your office today, Second Master Huo came face-to-face with Mr. Xie.”


 The person who had come to discuss matters with Huo Mingjun this morning was precisely the Huo family's second master, Huo Mingjun's paternal uncle, Huo Zhongting. His relationship with Huo Mingjun couldn't be considered good—of course, the number of people in the entire Huo family who had a good relationship with Huo Mingjun could be counted on one hand.


 Huo Zhongting's son, due to his involvement in that case back then, had been forced by Huo Mingjun to flee to Europe and still didn't dare to return to the country. It couldn't be said that Huo Zhongting didn't hate Huo Mingjun, but he held a position in the group. Under someone else's roof, even if unwilling, he could only swallow his anger and bow his head to this junior.


 Almost everyone in Huo Mingjun's father's generation was weak and cowardly, whereas in his generation, each was more ambitious than the last. Huo Mingjun knew in his heart that his second uncle couldn't stir up any big waves. He gestured for Zhong Heguang to continue. “So?”


 “The reason you noticed Mr. Xie, and even had me investigate him, is because he looks like that child from back then,” Zhong Heguang said. “You were the only one who had contact with that child, so you remember him more clearly than anyone. Even you don't dare to make a final judgment about Mr. Xie, which means his looks are not merely 'similar'... he's at least eighty or ninety percent identical, isn't he?”


 The light in Huo Mingjun's eyes turned cold.


 The office was uncannily quiet. Zhong Heguang chose his words carefully and said slowly, “Second Master Huo didn't recognize Mr. Xie, didn't even give him a second glance. Isn't that somewhat illogical?”


 When Huo Mingjun first saw Xie Guan, he was so shocked he went straight over and grabbed him to ask questions. So what about Huo Zhongting? He had personally confirmed that person's death back then. Now, upon seeing Xie Guan, who bore a striking resemblance to the deceased, why didn't he show the slightest hint of surprise?


 Huo Mingjun said: “When the accident happened, my dad was grounded, and Grandpa sent Second Uncle to H Province to handle the aftermath. Although his son also had a hand in it, that was only discovered later. Under the circumstances at the time, he had no reason to pull any tricks on a rural family he didn't even know.”


 “Besides...” He closed his eyes, calming his emotions. “They told me later that the child fell off a cliff, and his body was mangled beyond recognition. In the end, his identity was only confirmed through his clothes and a DNA comparison. It's normal for Huo Zhongting not to recognize Xie Guan. Even if he had seen photos or been to the scene, he might have forgotten after so much time.”


 Zhong Heguang said: “If it were an insignificant person, it would be normal not to recognize them after ten years. But that person back then was the most crucial figure in the whole affair, and Second Master Huo handled it personally. Even if he didn't make a point of looking, he would have developed a deep impression of this person after repeated mentions.”


 Huo Mingjun frowned and said, “Are you saying that Huo Zhongting is pretending not to know Xie Guan? What's his motive? Or do you think there's something wrong with Xie Guan?”


 Zhong Heguang shook his head, his expression grave. “I'm not clear on the inside story from back then, so I shouldn't speculate recklessly. But Boss, what I mean is... it might be true that Second Master Huo doesn't recognize Mr. Xie.”


 Behind this sentence hid a terrifying conjecture. Before the words had even faded, Huo Mingjun's expression had completely changed.


 “This matter is already ten years in the past,” he stared at Zhong Heguang, his voice clear and cold, like a sharp, thin blade grazing past one's ear. “I will not allow anyone to disturb his peace, no matter who it is, and for whatever reason.”


 “You may leave.”


 Zhong Heguang knew Huo Mingjun's temperament well. He rarely interfered in his private life, nor would he directly talk back when he lost his temper. But today, he had stepped on two of his landmines at once.


 “Boss...”


 “I said, get out.” Huo Mingjun looked up, clearly enraged. “What, you don't want to work here anymore?”


 Zhong Heguang didn't know where he got the guts, but he actually retorted on the spot: “Since you feel this matter has already been settled, why are you still promoting Xie Guan? No matter how much Xie Guan looks like him, he's not that person from back then. Why are you clinging to a high-quality imitation?”


 Huo Mingjun, furious, barked, “Zhong Heguang!”


 Zhong Heguang faced his boss's fury and said fearlessly, “Repaying a debt of gratitude to Xie Guan... Mr. Huo, forgive me, but I can't tell whether you've given up all hope, or if you're just unwilling to let go.”


 Huo Mingjun raised his hand, and a folder smashed head-on into Zhong Heguang's chest. A dozen white papers scattered with a 'shua' sound, fluttering and showering the floor.


 As the pages drifted down, they revealed Huo Mingjun's cold, detached face behind the desk.


 “What I do is not for you to pry into,” he said. “One-week suspension to reflect at home, and a deduction of half a year's bonus. Get out.”


 Xihua Entertainment moved quickly. The next day, Xie Guan received a notification to go to the company headquarters for an interview.


 The other party's professional attitude actually put him at ease. Xie Guan was afraid that Huo Mingjun would act like a rich second-generation heir trying to woo a minor celebrity, directly piling money and resources on him. It might not make him famous, but it would definitely get him a bad reputation.


 On the day of the interview, Xihua Entertainment had three agents, an artist director, and a vice president in charge of performing arts—a very large lineup. With Huo Mingjun's prior assurance, Xie Guan wasn't particularly nervous. He smoothly answered the questions thrown at him by the interviewers, and their expressions gradually softened.


 The biggest taboos for an artist are stage fright and impatience. Xie Guan had been through a lot recently and had become much calmer than before, so his temperament appealed to the interviewers.


 The director looked down, flipped through his personal materials, and casually praised, “Your resume is very well done.”


 Xie Guan was slightly surprised internally, but on the surface, he smiled politely and said, “Thank you.”


 With his hack-job computer skills, his resume was made entirely using the software's default templates. For it to earn a compliment from an artist director who had seen countless people, Huo Mingjun must have had someone help him revise it.


 The only female agent, Lin Yao, who was sitting in the middle, asked, “I see you've worked as a martial arts stunt double for a long time. Do you have a background in martial arts?”


 Xie Guan said, “I haven't studied it systematically. It's all routines I learned from instructors while filming. There's no problem performing in regular martial arts scenes.”


 Lin Yao asked, “Can you give a demonstration?”


 So Xie Guan stood up, took off his suit jacket, loosened his tie, rolled up his sleeves slightly, and stretched his wrists and neck. He was semi-professional as a stunt double, with a tall and slender figure and a handsome, open face. His casual little movements were full of a mature man's charm, completely different from the currently popular pretty-faced, eyeliner-wearing young idols.


 The agents' eyes lit up. With such excellent physical attributes, decent skills, and the right packaging, he'd be called 'husband' by fans in minutes after being promoted.


 The three agents exchanged a look, each with their own calculations in mind.


 With no suitable equipment at hand, Xie Guan performed a set of fist forms on the spot. It was a set he had compiled and choreographed himself. There was nothing new in it; it was mainly traditional Tai Chi, Nanquan, and Wing Chun routines, mixed with a bit of modern martial arts like Sanda and Muay Thai. It wasn't effective for actual combat, but its strength lay in its graceful, eye-catching movements. When still, he was like spring water and willows, unhurried; when moving, he was like wind, thunder, and lightning, stunningly cool.


 The few people who had been on film sets year-round could tell at a glance that his skill level was far above that of an ordinary actor, and they instantly felt like they had found a treasure. Xinghui Entertainment truly lived up to its industry reputation as the "Talent-Gifting Heavenly King"—their eye for signing people was steady, accurate, and ruthless, but it was a pity their follow-up nourishment was lacking, so they mostly ended up paving the way for others.


 This time was even more extreme—they had personally uprooted a good seedling from their own field.


 Xie Guan was an artist that the higher-ups had instructed them to sign. The agents had originally thought the interview was just a formality, and they would pass the buck to see which unlucky person would get stuck with him. They never expected a potential blue-chip stock to show up, and now they were all a bit eager to try.


 The agent Lin Yao, who had her eye on him first, didn't give the others a chance this time. She smiled gracefully and said, “As it happens, I have a script on my hands. It's one of the company's key investment projects this year, about a youth martial arts team. The director is currently casting. If you're willing, I can get you an audition.”


 The other two sucked in a sharp breath, their gazes instantly locking onto Xie Guan.


 Raging waves surged in Xie Guan's heart. He took a deep breath, stood up, and gave the interviewers a solemn bow.


 “Then I... thank the company for its cultivation.”

Offered as a Stand In

Offered as a Stand In

Chapter 11 - Argument

Windwalker