Chapter 11 Park Byung-ryul

  Before he knew it, the winter break had arrived. Without the burden of schoolwork, Zhang Chengyuan spent more time working part-time jobs. As for his cultivation, due to the lack of spiritual energy that caused his progress to stagnate, he had no choice but to stop cultivating intensively and instead only meditated for two hours before bed and practiced martial arts for two hours in the morning to maintain his current state.

  The extra time is spent either reading news reports or some miscellaneous books, or wandering around the streets of Seoul. Apart from further understanding Korea's customs and modern cityscape, which is different from the old era, I also reminisce about the scenes I saw when my soul wandered through the divine continent in my previous life.

  Every time he dreams at midnight, he always thinks of the bits and pieces of his hometown in China. If it weren't for not having enough money, he would have taken a plane back to his hometown in China long ago.

  That evening, Zhang Chengyuan came to the Hanjiang Park on the island of Ruye, adjacent to the Han River, to clear his mind. Looking at the rolling waters of the Han River flowing westward, he couldn't help but sigh like Confucius: "The past is gone, just like this." The past and present, two lifetimes apart, over a thousand years of time, yet fleeting away in an instant. The world has changed so much, it's overwhelming.

  Under the impression, Zhang Chengyuan's temperament, which was originally cultivated by Taoism, became more and more ethereal. With his handsome and elegant face, almost perfect physique, he looked exceptionally dazzling in the warm light of winter. The crowd passing by the riverbank couldn't help but stare at him, and even some bold young girls stopped in their tracks, standing not far away, gazing at him constantly.

  Zhang Chengyuan seemed to sense something, turned around and looked back, seeing so many people staring at him with their eyes fixed on him, couldn't help but frown in confusion, feeling a bit uneasy in his heart. He took out the large-framed glasses he usually wore in school from his upper pocket and put them on his face, covering half of it, also covering most of the brilliance on his body. Before long, the crowd gradually dispersed, and Zhang Chengyuan also stepped forward, preparing to leave along the Han River.

  Just a few steps away, a middle-aged man in a suit and tie suddenly appeared before him. He was around 40 years old with a sturdy build and an honest face that made people feel at ease upon first glance. The man walked up to Zhang Chengyuan and asked warmly, "Student, what's your name?" Such a question would have been considered extremely rude and impolite by the Zhang Chengyuan of his past life, but in South Korea where social hierarchy was clear-cut, it was nothing out of the ordinary.

  Firstly, this middle-aged man was significantly older than Zhang Chengyuan. In Korea, a one-year age difference can make a big difference in seniority, and this person could be considered a senior to Zhang Chengyuan. Secondly, judging from his attire, this person appeared to be a successful white-collar worker, while Zhang Chengyuan was just a student, making their social status vastly different. Furthermore, the man's tone of voice was already quite gentle, at least softer than Zhang Chengyuan's school principal. Therefore, Zhang Chengyuan did not show off, but instead politely asked: "Excuse me, do you need something?"

  Middle-aged man: "Oh, I'm Park Hyung-ryeol from Logosfilm Advertising Agency. Here's my business card."

  Zhang Chengyuan took the business card and quickly scanned it, learning that the person in front of him was a representative of an advertising company, and thought to himself: "Could this person be looking for me to shoot an advertisement?"

  Park Byung-ryul continued, "I've been observing you for a while now, and I think your image is excellent. You'd be very suitable as an advertising model. Are you interested in giving it a try?"

  Zhang Chengyuan thought for a moment and asked: "How much can be earned from shooting an advertisement?"

  Park Byung-ryul smiled and said, "It's hard to say for sure. Some people can only earn enough to cover their travel expenses, while others can earn 100 million won from a single advertisement. But don't worry, with your image, although you're currently only earning enough to eat, I guarantee that within one or two years, you'll become extremely popular and start making a lot of money. Who knows, maybe in the future, you'll even be able to transition into being a TV star or a movie superstar, and then 10 billion or 100 billion won won't be a big deal."

  Zhang Chengyuan listened and thought to himself, "This person is so boastful, he must be a swindler. Our Dao has been working hard for four months to earn five million, and we're already exhausted. How can ten billion or one hundred billion be that easy? I'll teach him a lesson." He then reconsidered, thinking, "If I were to beat up an older person in front of everyone, I'm afraid it would lead to public disapproval. Never mind, since our Dao hasn't suffered any losses, I'll let him off this time."

  Thinking of this, Zhang Chengyuan was no longer polite and reluctantly said: "I have something to do, I'll leave first!" He bypassed Park Hyeon-ryeol and prepared to leave.

  Park Byeong-ryeol saw an unmined gold mountain and was unwilling to give up easily. He anxiously grabbed Jang Seong-won's hand and said, "This student, I'm not that kind of smooth-talking swindler who deceives people out of their money. You might think I'm exaggerating because you're not familiar with the world, but it's all true. Although it's hard to believe, in our Republic of Korea, those top stars really can earn endorsement fees that ordinary people can't even imagine."

  Although Park Byeong-ryul grabbed Jang Seung-won's left hand with both hands, he couldn't pull him back and instead was dragged several steps forward. However, his efforts were not in vain as Jang stopped after hearing his explanation.

  Zhang Chengyuan asked: "What makes you think I should believe you?"

  "Alright, to make you believe me, I guarantee that from now on, we won't charge you any fees. Moreover, all the expenses related to your work will be covered by our company until you start earning advertising fees. Not only that, but our company will also provide you with some acting training, assign a dedicated agent to you, and take care of all the trivial matters as well. Are you satisfied now?"

  Zhang Chengyuan said, "Is there such a good thing? Then you tell me what I should do and what I shouldn't do?" With benefits, there must also be sacrifices. After this period of hard work, Zhang Chengyuan had already felt this point.

  Park Byung-ryul said: "It's hard to say clearly for the time being. Why don't we find a coffee shop and have a good chat?"

  Zhang Chengyuan shook his head and said: "I'm very sorry, I have to go to work at the fried chicken store right away."

  "Then, I'd like you to make some time tomorrow and come to my office for a detailed discussion. How about that? I'll be at the company from 10 am till 8 pm, so just let me know when you're free."

  "There's no need to go through so much trouble. Tomorrow at 2 pm, I will go to your office according to the address on your business card. I will be punctual, and I hope you won't be hard to find by then."

  Park Byeong-ryeol said with a smile: "Alright then, let's make it a promise. We'll meet tomorrow. Ah, wait a minute, I still don't know your name!"

  "My name is Zhang Chengyuan, goodbye!"

  "Park Byung-ryul bowed his head and muttered, "Jang Sung-won? The name is okay, it can be used as a stage name." He looked up to see only Jang Sung-won's back, and hastily waved his hand, shouting loudly, "Sung-won student, you must come tomorrow!"

  Jang Sung-won quickly left amidst Park Hyung-ryeol's cries of "You have to come!", thinking to himself: "If I can really make more money from advertising, that wouldn't be bad either. Not only would I have more leisure time, but I could also buy a ticket back to China to search for my roots. Great Song, my motherland, your name has been changed to China now, ah... I swear, I will definitely return."

  At the same time Zhang Chengyuan left, three 15 or 16-year-old girls were sitting on a nearby lawn. One of them, a very beautiful girl, heard Park Hyung-ryeol's last loud shout "Chengyuan" and couldn't help but say: "It turns out it was really him, I didn't expect him to be so handsome without glasses."

  These three girls arrived at the Hanjiang Park a little earlier than Zhang Chengyuan, and they had already noticed Zhang Chengyuan's extraordinary demeanor when he wasn't wearing glasses. They were infatuated with Zhang Chengyuan to the point of being dizzy, and even after he put on his glasses, their gaze hardly left him. Adolescent girls are always prone to indulging in fantasies about Prince Charming, which has become a common affliction among them.

  When the beautiful girl said that sentence, the two girls next to her immediately asked: "Who is he? Do you know him? Tell us quickly!"

  The beautiful girl replied, "He is a first-year student at Jiu Lao High School in the Jiu Lao District, surnamed Zhang and named Chengyuan, known as the 'Four-eyed Miracle', a person who rose to fame overnight while wearing ugly black-framed glasses all day."

  I heard that he was a short and timid student who was often bullied by bad students in the previous semester, but now he is the top student in the whole grade, with full marks in all subjects in the final exam, and even excellent physical education results. He won multiple championships in events such as high jump, long jump, and sprint at the inter-school sports meet held in Jiulao District this year, breaking two national university records. It can be said that he is now the most popular star in Jiulao High School.

  I also heard that Jin Yu-ki, the former bully of his high school days, now avoids him and takes a detour whenever he sees him. Many people speculate that Jin Yu-ki might have been intimidated by Jang Sung-won.

  "A girl who didn't believe said, "Really? I've heard that Jin Youji is the most violent high school student in the southwest of the capital, and even the underworld doesn't dare to mess with him. How could he be afraid of Zhang Chengyuan? He looks so gentle and refined, it can't be true what you're saying, it must be a rumor."

  Another girl said, "Huibin, how do you know so clearly, are you interested in him? But this is normal, such an excellent and handsome boy, which girl wouldn't have fantasies about?"

  Hui Bin said in her heart: "I'm not as infatuated as you, but I think that for the next few days, I definitely won't be able to forget his dazzling appearance when he's not wearing glasses."