Chapter 116: Past Stories of the Entertainment Industry. Many thanks to 0Silence0 for the gift of a jade pendant.

After asking that question, I kept my eyes fixed on Charlie, unease gnawing at my heart. I feared my hopes were in vain. Whether it was the blue book, whether it was true or false, whether Charlie was the murderer, who lived or died—it had nothing to do with me. Unmasking the real culprit was only to understand why the Guman Doll case was connected to me.

Yet, my fears proved true. Upon hearing my question, Charlie instinctively asked me which photo I meant. I shifted my gaze to Z, whose face was ashen; she still kept her head bowed. Neither of them knew why Wu Qingshan had placed a photo of me inside their Guman Doll.

Had I not thought to saw open that Guman Doll back then, the photo might have remained hidden forever. I clenched my fists and took a deep breath. Pointing at Charlie, I asked him whether he wanted to live or die. Charlie nodded, and I gave a cold smile. I told him to confess everything he ought to, and I would stop his bleeding.

But Charlie’s bleeding wouldn’t stop. Though the gunshot hadn’t hit a fatal spot, if the blood kept flowing like this, he would be in grave danger from blood loss before the police arrived. Without much hesitation, Charlie told me everything had to start from two years ago.

Charlie revealed that the real actress Z had also died two years prior. Back then, Z was still very young—perhaps because of youthful arrogance or early fame, her temper was terrible, and she could not tolerate anyone, not even Charlie. As Charlie spoke, his expression twisted with rage, cursing, “That damned woman! If it weren’t for me, would she have become a big star?”

Charlie’s wound throbbed painfully as he got worked up, gasping for breath before finally calming down.

In the early days, Charlie was a rather unknown agent in Hong Kong’s entertainment circle, with no other artists under his wing. He had once attended acting classes but remained mediocre, realizing he lacked the talent for it.

Born into poverty, the entertainment world was the easiest place to become an overnight sensation. Yet, despite years of effort, Charlie never soared like others. He was decisive and immediately gave up on becoming an actor himself, opting to become an agent instead.

Unable to be a star, he decided to discover and cultivate potential talents, which could also bring him fame and fortune. The first few years were tough; among his peers, Charlie was almost at the bottom. Then he met Z, who was just a young girl with blonde hair.

Z was stunningly beautiful even at a young age, with remarkable acting talent. Charlie took a gamble, investing heavily in her training. Neither he nor Z expected that a single drama would catapult her to instant stardom. As Z became famous, more production teams sought to work with her and Charlie, and his earnings grew.

But Z’s personality changed drastically from that moment on. In public, she appeared gentle and charming, but in reality, she often yelled at Charlie. He was deeply uncomfortable; he felt that her success was entirely due to him, yet she showed no gratitude and frequently berated him.

Z was crucial to Charlie—like a money tree. Every time he shook it, countless riches and good reputation fell. But the real Z was no longer a good girl after rising to fame. She smoked, drank excessively, and even took drugs; all manner of vices clung to her. She also secretly dated many handsome men, indulging in reckless debauchery without restraint.

Charlie tried repeatedly to advise Z to stop, but he simply couldn’t control her. Knowing she wouldn’t listen, he only urged caution and heightened his own vigilance to prevent media exposure. But in show business, some things are impossible to guard against.

A leaked photo triggered a wave of scandal. The images showed Z naked and half-asleep in a man’s bed, her expression languid and indulgent. When Charlie first saw the photos, he knew disaster was imminent. Before he could devise an explanation, several more compromising photos were exposed.

News of Z’s promiscuity swept through Hong Kong’s entertainment circle and even reached cautious mainland China. The photo scandal acted like a fuse, igniting a firestorm of negative public opinion. Rumors of Z’s bad temper, promiscuity, and alcoholism spread like wildfire.

Charlie panicked, powerless against the overwhelming media storm.

“That woman? She regretted it then,” Charlie said, suddenly sneering. “She begged me for help! I wanted to strangle her! It was all her own fault!”

I scoffed, “But you had to help her because you couldn’t stand losing, right?”

Charlie nodded and continued to recount the entertainment world story he had kept hidden.

At that time, suppressing his anger, Charlie arranged for Z to hide until the scandal died down, planning to revive her career later. Z lived with her mother. Perhaps after some thought, she had truly decided to quit show business and find a husband for support.

Young Z sought out the men she had relationships with, but after the scandal, every one of those lovers severed ties with her. When Charlie learned this, he couldn’t help but scold Z harshly. The media, ever watchful, caught wind of this as well.

From then on, Z truly fell into despair.

Within months, Z’s anorexia and depression aged her decades. She became frail, emaciated to skin and bones. Charlie secretly took her to many doctors, but none could help—her ailment was psychological.

As Z’s condition worsened, Charlie began to give up. With her state, even if the scandal passed, she could never make a comeback. Yet, at this low point, Charlie encountered a situation that would either be his blessing or his curse.

He met Zhang Mu.

This was how I finally learned the real name of the fake Z before us.

Zhang Mu—a somewhat masculine, ordinary name. Orphaned, she had come to the city to work since childhood, living a hard life. By chance, Charlie saw Zhang Mu’s face, and his entire criminal plan took root then.

Charlie discovered Zhang Mu looked strikingly like Z. At Zhang Mu’s workplace, people often joked she had a celebrity face. After much thought, Charlie made a bold decision: he approached Zhang Mu and asked if she wanted to be a star and make big money.

Zhang Mu was tempted, though Charlie initially did not tell her that Z would be killed.

Charlie realized that with makeup, Zhang Mu resembled Z about seventy to eighty percent. His heart surged with excitement—he saw a new chance. Charlie was unwilling to accept defeat; he had bet his future on Z, but lost everything because of her.

Not only was he left with nothing, but he also endured scorn and ridicule. Due to Z’s scandal, everyone shunned Charlie. Finding another star was nearly impossible. Despite the negative news, Z still had a fanatical fanbase.

Refusing to give up, Charlie resolved to have Zhang Mu completely replace Z and become the new Z.

With Charlie’s temptation and assistance, Zhang Mu quit her job and went into hiding, undergoing Charlie’s secret training. Charlie, meanwhile, used the mystical legend of the Guman Doll to convince Z, taking her on pilgrimages and falsely promising to bring peace to her life.

Charlie deliberately allowed the media to catch Z’s disfigured appearance, aiming to make the public gradually forget what Z originally looked like, paving the way for Zhang Mu’s substitution.

Charlie told me he never initially planned to kill Z but intended for her to die slowly. He believed Z’s passive state meant she wouldn’t live long.

“But that woman was like a cockroach—no matter how many times you try to kill her, she just won’t die!” Charlie suddenly widened his eyes.