Thug and Idol: 10X Rewards Second Identity System

The journalists were so focused on the increasingly agitated film director that they didn't notice Tristan and Nelson at all. There were at least twenty of them, including the cameramen, in that crowd, and they literally had Ilom with his back to the wall.

Although the overall noise of the avenue and the loud questions of the journalists made it hard to notice Tristan's and Nel's approach, Tristan still got annoyed that they ignored them so completely.

He could—and wanted to—just shove people out of the way, but even for a "rogue" persona like Tristan, this was a cause for a scandal.

He couldn't have a scandal when the Californian Young Star contest was going to happen so soon!

But Tristan quickly had an idea.

"I think the crowd is thinner in this direction. Try to go there and switch their attention, Nel. And I will try from this side."

Nel made a mock salute.

"Got it, Tris. I will give them an interview before they even ask!"

Tristan grinned.

"Yeah, it's not like half of them can even make a shot of Mr. Ilom's face. What they are doing is pointless."

"You don't say," Nel said with a slight wince, and went to the place on the other side of the crowd.

It really looked thinner than the others, and after Nel began pestering the nearest people with unsolicited opinions and commentaries, some journalists were forced to turn toward him.

However, it didn't distract the main group. But that's why Nel's actions, in reality, were just a distraction from Tristan himself.

Right now, Tristan could already feel the amount of gazes on him lessening—especially because he used his stealth skills to change posture and seem more unassuming, even blend a little with service staff in their dark uniforms.

Moving with nonchalant grace, Tristan walked past a cameraman with an especially large camera, fitted with a huge flash lamp. Tristan walked around him, looking for another way through the crowd.

Then he stumbled on someone's leg in the crowd and fell sideways right at the cameraman.

Frantically grasping for purchase, Tristan accidentally pushed the cameraman and his huge, unwieldy camera right toward the loud crowd of journalists.

"Not the camera!" the camera operator shrieked, stretching out his arms to protect his expensive equipment.

But the real protector of the camera was a female journalist it had fallen on!

With a panicked cry, the woman grasped for her neighbors, causing a domino effect of falling people. In seconds, all attention was diverted from Ilom to the accident, especially as accusations of who pushed who began flying.

Of course, Tristan had already moved away from all of it. Although, with his acting skill of 1315 points, everybody here who saw him fall would absolutely believe that it was an accident.

Which it wasn't, of course. Tristan was too dexterous to trip like that.

In the commotion, Ilom sneaked away, too. But Tristan saw him entering the hall of the cinema theater and immediately went after him. On his way there, he caught the eye of Nel and gestured to him to follow.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Did you do that, Tris?" Nel asked in a low voice after catching up with Tristan. Read new chapters at m_v-l'e|-NovelBin.net

"Do what?" Tristan asked with an innocent smile. "Mr. Ilom just got lucky. Oh, and speaking of him—"

He was blending with the shadows of the theater's hallway on the way to the cloakroom. There weren't many people in here yet, just a few staff members going back and forth. Tristan felt the man's eyes on himself before he looked there.

On closer inspection, the eccentric film director looked like a ghoul. Despite his height, he stood slightly hunched, and his long black hair covered the sides of his face like a curtain. There were deep bags under Asher Ilom's eyes, and even his suit sat on him like on a coat hanger. But his green eyes were bright, almost manically so.

"You two… Gemello and Mayar… You should've done your job better," he said.

"Huh?" Nel asked, tilting his head.

Tristan narrowed his eyes and approached the man.

"Our job? What are you talking about?"

"A distraction. I thought if I invite some fresh, juicy bait for them, the press will focus on you more than on me!" Ilom complained, pointing a finger at them. He huffed. "But at least they got off my back now."

"Huuuuh?! S-seriously?!—"

"Quiet!" Ilom snapped at Nel. "Don't attract more attention to me. Or better yet, leave? Will you? I'd like to wait until it's time for my speech in peace."

Tristan looked around, then gestured deeper toward the cloakroom. He didn't like Ilom's attitude at all, but he was getting curious about this weird person.

And he was still here to network.

Ilom nodded, and the three wordlessly went away from the entrance.

"We actually did help you, Mr. Ilom," Tristan said, looking at Ilom with narrowed eyes. "But perhaps next time you need help, you ask directly and suggest your payment for it instead of hoping that people will just do it."

Ilom shuddered.

"No. I had enough asking, and pleading, and convincing… No."

Nel huffed and flailed his arms in frustration.

"Man, if you don't like people so much, why making a grand ceremony out of it and all? Just sit at home if you are such a recluse."

"You don't understand how this industry works! You probably think that only actors need to show their faces and be all smiley to the public, but no. If you are the creator, you must promote your work, personally too, or else it will fail and you will get no investors giving you money for the next one! So here I am." Ilom made a pause and hissed the word, "Promoting."

Tristan shook his head, unsure if this was worth a laugh or a cry. That man… Well, his dedication to making movies despite his obvious dislike for social activities was impressive, but his attitude…

"Anyway, that accident earlier… was it your work?" Ilom asked, eying Tristan and Nel suspiciously. "Then perhaps we can work together in the future. But I will only suggest it once."

"Suggest what?"

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