8. Acknowledging a Father for the Sake of Making a Living

The viewers in the livestream room on this boring morning weren’t just fans of the SK boy band; there were also some people who happened to be resting at home on the weekend and idly scrolling through their phones who had wandered into the livestream. When they heard Xie Yunze claim he could carry twenty thousand bricks in a single day, they were genuinely shocked.

Some who had never been to a construction site immediately looked up how many bricks a laborer could carry in one day. The results were straightforward: a bricklayer could carry twelve thousand bricks in a full ten-hour shift. So, if someone claimed to carry twenty thousand bricks in a day, wouldn’t that mean working nonstop the entire day?

Could such a pretty boy really do that? What a blatant exaggeration!

[Cloud and Sea: Ha, I said this guy must be from a noble family, a thirty-seven-year-old man with a strong fatherly vibe, and he’s claiming twenty thousand bricks! I really want to slap you!]

[Riverside View: Haha! I saw Kang Bing and those little celebrities trying hard to keep their expressions in check. It’s hilarious. They must be struggling to hold it in when faced with someone who boasts without a filter!]

[Watermelon Ice: Seriously though, big brother, with your frail frame, don’t even talk about carrying twenty thousand bricks, even two thousand sounds impossible. You’re just spouting nonsense! You definitely never carried bricks before.]

[Today’s Big Day: Poor little Yi Ming, teaming up with such a fatherly guy. At first, I thought you looked okay, but turns out you’re just full of hot air. I want to see how you manage to carry twenty thousand bricks!]

[Swallow Laughter: Is he really from the royal family? If so, that’s incredibly foolish. Does he really think the audience is just a bunch of fools who only care about looks?]

The viewers in the livestream room flooded the chat with complaints. Whether they had carried bricks before or not, everyone agreed that one person carrying twenty thousand bricks in a day was absolutely unrealistic.

Kang Bing also thought Xie Yunze was boasting and reminded him.

“Brother Xie, this is a twenty-four-hour live broadcast show. Many viewers are watching us right now. When you carry bricks, it will all be live-streamed.”

“So could you please stop exaggerating? Look at your thin frame; how could you possibly carry twenty thousand bricks in one day? Are you kidding?”

The four members of the SK boy band said nothing. They thought Xie Yunze was bragging but still maintained polite smiles.

However, Xie Yunze remained silent. Instead, several bricklayers spoke up.

“If Brother Xie says he can carry twenty thousand bricks, then he definitely can! I believe Brother Xie! He never lies!” Kong Miao immediately vouched for Xie Yunze, recalling what Zhang said—that Brother Xie was a super special forces soldier! Carrying twenty thousand bricks might be impossible for an ordinary person, but Brother Xie was no ordinary man!

Brother Xie is a super special forces soldier! Carrying twenty thousand bricks—or even thirty thousand—should be no problem for him!

“Yes! Little Xie is different from us. We’re old now and can’t put in much strength when carrying bricks. Don’t be fooled by his fair and delicate appearance; his strength and skill are beyond us! If he says twenty thousand bricks, he can definitely carry twenty thousand!” Li Dongfeng’s eyes shone as he wholeheartedly agreed with Xie Yunze, looking at him with hopeful anticipation. He wondered if Little Xie was about to show his true strength in front of them—after all, he was a super special forces soldier!

???

Kang Bing and the SK boy band members were genuinely surprised that the tanned Li Dongfeng would also vouch for Xie Yunze. Had they really misjudged him by his appearance?

“Little Xie, are you really going to carry twenty thousand bricks today? Amazing!”

Shi Hongju immediately gave Xie Yunze a thumbs-up, excitedly scanning him. She knew that on the construction site, Xie Yunze usually took it easy and played around casually. But now that his son was here, he was showing his real ability! No wonder he was a super special forces soldier...

“Little Xie, I believe you can definitely do it!” Zhang Liang also expressed his thoughts right away. Thinking of the super special forces soldiers in novels who could march dozens of kilometers while carrying heavy loads, carrying twenty thousand bricks should be a breeze for Little Xie.

These four showed an almost fanatical trust in Xie Yunze, which piqued the curiosity of the SK boy band members. They looked at Xie Yunze, trying to discern what made him different from ordinary people, given he didn’t look like a bricklayer at all.

Jin Fei, the most innocent and naive of the bunch, blinked with wide curiosity when he heard Xie Yunze’s coworkers vouch for him.

“Brother Xie, can you really carry twenty thousand bricks in a day? That’s like four hundred bricks an hour!”

[Ding! Jin Fei’s trust level +1000!]

Xie Yunze smiled at the silly kid.

“Of course I can. Do you believe me? If you do, I’ll treat you to lunch and dinner today.”

What was there left to hesitate about? Jin Fei immediately nodded enthusiastically.

“Believe, believe, believe! Brother Xie, you will definitely carry twenty thousand bricks today, so I’ll shamelessly mooch off your meals~”

With lunch and dinner sorted, Jin Fei was ecstatic and quickly gave his brothers a sly wink as a ‘reminder.’

[Ding! Bai Yucheng’s trust level +1000!]

“Brother Xie, I believe you too. If I don’t carry enough bricks, can I join you for a meal?” Bai Yucheng thought Xie Yunze must be a noble arranged by the production team. Hanging around him to get a free meal was a safe bet, and he didn’t want to offend anyone with connections on this CCTV show.

[Ding! Kang Bing’s trust level +1000!]

“Little Xie, I believe you as well. Since we haven’t been involved in this line of work before, I’m sure you have your own tricks!” Kang Bing thought no profession should be underestimated; if someone had been doing it long enough, they must have some special skills. If Xie Yunze wasn’t planted by the production team, then he definitely had some brick-carrying secret!

[Ding! Congratulations, host has completed the third lying task. Reward: one Strength Pill, which grants inexhaustible and infinite power upon consumption. Please prove to everyone that you are the strongest brick-carrying king on this construction site!]

Receiving the system reward, Xie Yunze smiled calmly, nodding to everyone.

“Whether I can do it or not, you’ll see today. The brick delivery trucks will be here soon. Let’s head over first.”

As Xie Yunze spoke, the grim reality of work set in. Everyone gathered their emotions and prepared to walk to the area where the brick trucks were stationed. The production team finally announced the mission.

“The fifth episode of ‘Challenge the Stars’ officially begins! Our invited guests Kang Bing, Chu Yiming, Xiao Zhe, Jin Fei, and Bai Yucheng will spend the coming week working on a construction site to experience the life of bricklayers.”

“The production team will not provide any meal allowances or financial aid. All daily expenses will rely solely on the guests’ daily wages. Each guest must complete the task of carrying six thousand bricks per day. Failure to meet this target will result in no daily wages. All guests, please work hard and carry those bricks diligently!”

After Kang Bing read the production team’s instructions, everyone inexplicably felt relieved. According to Kong Miao, a newcomer like him could carry eight thousand bricks, so the guests’ daily target of six thousand bricks should be achievable.

“All right! Since we’ve received the mission from the production team, let’s get to work! Charge!”

Kang Bing raised his hand to encourage everyone. The four SK boy band members also raised their hands, showing their determination to complete the task.

Li Dongfeng and the others didn’t join in the rally but watched the celebrities with curiosity, wondering if they could really finish six thousand bricks in a day.

The group walked toward the designated brick unloading area, about ten meters away. They saw several large trucks unloading bricks. The truck beds were raised, and the sound of red bricks clattering onto the ground rang out. Thankfully, the bricks were good quality and didn’t break.

The loud noise of bricks falling made the guests cover their ears, and a huge cloud of dust rose. After all, it was a construction site, always dusty.

Xie Yunze stepped forward and shielded Chu Yiming behind him.

“Wait until the bricks finish unloading; the dust will still be flying for a while.”

He turned his head and spoke softly to Chu Yiming. His voice was low but strangely gentle. Chu Yiming was momentarily stunned. After realizing Xie Yunze was shielding him from the dust, he smiled.

“Brother Xie, I’ll be counting on you when we start working.”

Although Brother Xie often sounded unreliable, Chu Yiming could tell from his actions that he was a considerate person.

Growing up at home and then joining a talent show to debut, Chu Yiming had always been the caretaker in his family and the SK team. Now being cared for himself, he wasn’t naive and naturally saw through it.

“You call me Brother Xie?” Xie Yunze was hearing this for the first time and laughed, smiling warmly at the boy.

To be honest, Chu Yiming’s appearance bore some resemblance to Xie Yunze’s—the nose and mouth seemed cast from the same mold. Only the eyebrows and eyes resembled his mother’s. Those eyes gave Chu Yiming a softer look, while Xie Yunze’s phoenix-shaped eyes slanted slightly upward with a playful yet stealthy sharpness.

“...Then, Uncle Xie?” Chu Yiming was only eighteen and knew Xie Yunze was about twenty years older. Calling him “brother” felt odd, so he changed to “uncle.”

Upon hearing “Uncle Xie,” Xie Yunze laughed again and couldn’t help teasing him.

“You’re about the same age as my son. Why not call me Dad? Every time I see you, I feel we’re connected.”

???

Chu Yiming was stunned, his peach blossom eyes blinking stupidly at the smiling Xie Yunze. How did it go from Brother Xie to Uncle Xie, and now he was supposed to call him Dad???

Nearby, Li Dongfeng and the others were eavesdropping. When they heard Xie Yunze tell Chu Yiming to call him Dad, they all burst out laughing. Even Kang Bing and the other three members of the SK boy band were shocked.

“...We’re just here to carry bricks, no need to find a dad just for that, right?”

Jin Fei’s mouth ran ahead of his brain, and his words helped ease Chu Yiming’s embarrassment.

Seeing Chu Yiming so flustered and speechless, Xie Yunze patted the boy’s shoulder.

“All right, all right, I’m just teasing you. Just call me Xie Yunze. No need to call me brother or uncle. I want to hear you call me by my name.”

He comforted Chu Yiming, seeing the boy visibly relax. He added,

“My little son is about your age too, but he was stolen by bad people just after he was born. I’ve been searching for him all along. When I saw you, I felt if my son had grown up, he would probably look like you.”

Chu Yiming was initially shocked, but when he heard Xie Yunze’s son was missing, he felt sympathy and spoke kindly.

“You’ll definitely find him. Though I can’t call you Dad for him, I believe one day he will return to you.”

He thought for a moment and added,

“Do you have childhood photos of your son? I have quite a few fans in the entertainment industry. I can post on Weibo to help you search. Maybe we can find him.”

He was truly a good kid, and Xie Yunze was certain of that, so he smiled.

“I already have news about my son. Yi Ming, thank you for wanting to help. You’re a very good kid.”

Li Dongfeng and the others nodded as well, thinking that even without knowing Xie Yunze’s identity, Chu Yiming was willing to use Weibo to help find the child—it showed his good nature.

Feeling praised, Chu Yiming was a little shy. Jin Fei and the others quickly chimed in.

“If needed, I’ll help post on Weibo too!”

“Me too!”

“I’ll help as well.”

The four SK boy band members had all just come of age. Hearing that Xie Yunze had lost a child stirred their youthful, warm-hearted spirits. Xie Yunze thought these kids were really good.

This variety show wasn’t just targeting Chu Yiming but the entire SK boy band. Since Chu Yiming had troubles, the others gradually faced challenges too. This time, Xie Yunze intended to protect these kids well.

“Thank you all in advance for your help. If I need anything, I’ll let you know.”

The atmosphere on the spot grew warm, causing the livestream viewers to smile. Fans who had been furious at Xie Yunze jokingly telling Chu Yiming to call him Dad softened when they heard about his lost child and how close in age he was to Chu Yiming.

But who exactly was Xie Yunze? Was he really a noble arranged by the production team? Why would he have a missing child storyline? Could it be that he came on the show to find his son?

Meanwhile, Jin Hui Entertainment, which had already investigated and discovered that Xie Yunze and Chu Yiming had a father-son relationship, was watching the livestream early on. Gao Kai, the agent of Dai Ziru, watched Xie Yunze in the video—handsome and imposing even from difficult angles—and then glanced at Chu Yiming standing beside him. He sneered coldly.

“Is this Xie Yunze the person you found? Chu Yiming’s biological father?”