Possessed No More: The True Star Returns to Claim Her Throne-Chapter 92: Can’t Even Take One Punch

[Everyone, quiet down! If the crew finds out, we won’t get to listen in anymore.]

[I’m gonna go tell people to come watch the drama.]

Miles Ford was disappointed he couldn’t team up with Silas King, but he was happy enough to be paired with Ethan Shaw. He had wanted to be with Silas King because he knew the man was physically fit and wouldn’t hold him back. To put it bluntly, he was just in it for the million-dollar prize.

But since Silas King was out of the picture, teaming up with Ethan Shaw wasn’t bad either. After all, the guy was a top celebrity. It would be a good chance to ride his coattails for some exposure and gain a few fans.

"Victoria, don’t worry about it. Even though we’re not on the same team, Mr. Ford will definitely look out for you."

Victoria Koenig was mortified, unable to find the words to describe how she was feeling.

Riley Perry just let out a sarcastic "Heh."

A sudden silence fell over the bus.

Ethan Shaw had heard of Riley Perry before. After all, for the past six months, she’d been trending for some scandal or another almost every month. As a part of the entertainment industry, it was hard not to know her name. He hadn’t thought much of it at the time. They were all in the same business, and it was full of baseless rumors. A few photos didn’t prove a thing.

But today, his impression of Riley Perry was completely different. ’She’s got some serious guts!’

Silas King also gave Riley Perry a second glance. He was thirty-six and had been in the business for eighteen years, making him the most senior of the six guests. ’What kind of person haven’t I seen in this industry?’

’But this is the first time I’ve ever seen someone dare to mock a senior to their face like this.’

Miles Ford’s face instantly darkened. "Riley Perry, what’s that supposed to mean? I’m your senior, for God’s sake, and we’ve even worked together before. I let it slide when you were disrespectful to me in the past, but what is this supposed to be?"

Riley Perry stood up, a mocking sneer on her face. "Respect? Do you deserve it?"

Miles Ford’s mind flashed back to the set of *Immortal Demon Tribulation*. All he’d done was lightly trace his finger across her palm, and that little bitch had gotten his scenes changed. After that, outside of their shared scenes, the little bitch hadn’t spoken a single word to him.

"What are you trying to say?"

Riley Perry looked impatient. "It means exactly what it sounds like. Don’t you get it? Are you illiterate or something?"

Miles Ford shot up from his seat, his fists clenched and his face contorted with rage. He looked like he was about to charge over and hit her. "You!"

Ethan Shaw and the others quickly jumped in to hold him back. "Hey, Mr. Ford, don’t! You’re the senior here. You can’t stoop to a junior’s level."

Victoria Koenig grabbed his arm. "That’s right, hitting people is wrong! You mustn’t use your fists. A delicate little thing like Riley Perry could never withstand a punch from you."

The viewers in the livestream chat all exploded. HOLY CRAP! [Is this about to turn into an all-out brawl?!]

[Is Miles Ford breaking character?]

[I feel like there’s some tea here. Why else would Riley Perry single him out with such a bad attitude?]

[Heh heh, c’mon, has-been, spill the tea! We’re all waiting for the drama to unfold.]

[I’m so scared the production team will notice something’s wrong with the stream. Praying.]

[Praying!]

And as they prayed, the *Go on an adventure together* production team started trending.

#GoOnAnAdventureTogether Livestream Accident: Mistake or Intentional?#

#ActionStar Almost Throws Punches on Reality Show#

#NoNameActress Disrespects Veteran Actor#

And so, after the *Go on an adventure together* livestream was "shut down," the viewership didn’t drop. Instead, it skyrocketed. The number of people "listening in" online quadrupled!

[Here for the audio-only stream! Heard Riley Perry went head-to-head with Miles Ford. I respect her for that, she’s got guts!]

[Oh crap, it’s trending. Director Warren is gonna find out the stream is bugged, isn’t he? Does that mean we can’t watch the drama anymore?]

Director Warren wasn’t about to "discover" a problem with the livestream. He was the one who had created it.

In the second van on the way to the airport, the assistant director asked cautiously, "Director, is this really a good idea?"

"What’s not a good idea about it? The audio not being cut was a staff error. Besides, the contracts all state that the production team can turn the livestream on or off at any time. Who can Miles Ford blame but himself for attracting all this negative attention?"

The assistant director thought, ’Yeah, right! This was clearly your plan from the beginning!’

Director Warren’s original intention wasn’t to humiliate the guests on the livestream. He just wanted to leverage the audience’s curiosity to attract more viewers. He just hadn’t expected Miles Ford to be so impulsive.

But it wasn’t a big deal. It was just a verbal spat. At worst, it would trend for a day, which just saved him the expense of buying a trending topic!

At Stellaris Studio, Justin Locke stared at the black livestream screen, speechless.

"Boss, the way this show is going... it feels a little out of control. Should we leak some of Miles Ford’s dirt ahead of schedule?"

Justin Locke answered almost without thinking. "No need. Let him keep making a scene for now. The show he filmed with Riley Perry, *Immortal Demon Tribulation*, hasn’t been released yet."

’It’s just a minor squabble. Perfect for using him to generate some buzz for Riley Perry.’

’Of the six people on the show, only Riley Perry can’t stand him. When his career inevitably implodes, Riley can ride that wave of traffic, too.’

’In the eyes of Justin Locke, the master of paparazzi, everything was an opportunity to piggyback on for fame.’

There was no immediate benefit to Riley Perry if Miles Ford’s career was ruined right now. Letting him make a fool of himself for a while longer was just good resource management.

"Oh, right. Have our people start pushing the narrative that Riley Perry has a ’blunt’ persona. That she’s just a straightforward person who can’t stand phonies."

The people in the conference room immediately pulled out their phones and started issuing orders.

The online trolls mobilized quickly. They posed as neutral netizens, commenting that they hadn’t known Riley Perry before, but after watching the show today, they found her to be refreshingly direct—a genuine person who wasn’t putting on an act.

They also took the opportunity to bash Miles Ford, saying that for a senior actor, he was too quick to resort to violence over a simple disagreement. They expressed their sympathy for Riley Perry.

Even those who had initially criticized Riley Perry for being rude were swayed by the new narrative. What had the girl really done wrong? She was just a bit too honest. If she didn’t like someone, she didn’t pretend to.

As for why she didn’t like him? Sometimes you just don’t like a person. Does there always have to be a reason?

Miles Ford isn’t money; he can’t expect everyone in a country of over a billion people to like him, can he?

Besides, some people don’t even like money!

Back on the bus, Miles Ford was finally calmed down. Roxanne Fulton pulled Riley Perry to a seat in the very back. "You’re way too bold! What would you have done if he’d actually hit you?"

Riley Perry scoffed. "That’s assuming he could even land a punch."

Victoria Koenig, sitting on her other side, wondered where on earth she got all that confidence.

"The man has actual martial arts training, you know. He’s even won awards at national competitions. A little thing like you wouldn’t be able to take a single punch from him!"

Riley Perry thought, ’Heh, he couldn’t even handle one of my fingers!’

The bus arrived at the airport over forty minutes later. After they got off, the camera crews got into position. Riley Perry asked Director Warren, "Director, can you tell us where we’ll be filming the show now? At the very least, could you tell us the local temperature?"

Director Warren chuckled. "The filming location is about five to ten degrees warmer than Dragonspire. In a moment, the staff will give each guest a map. After you get off the helicopter, the livestream will turn back on, and you’ll have to find the rest of the way on your own."