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"My protective golden aura... shattered by that crazy woman?!"
The scene on the NBN broadcast shifted to the UCLA campus courtyard. The audience had originally thought Asher Reed (Asher Reed) was about to have a "Main Character" moment, showcasing the legendary family techniques to silence his doubters.
But expectations were subverted in a split second.
With a few bored, lightning-fast moves, Jo (Riley Evans) didn't just beat him; she tore Asher's designer hoodie and jeans to literal shreds. He fell to the grass, barely covered by a strategic digital mosaic.
"Hmm... what is this little brother of yours up to?"
Jo squatted down, looking at Asher's mosaic-covered lap with a complete poker face. Her eyes were vacant, showing zero embarrassment. "How about this? You agree to be my slave. Otherwise, I'll let the whole school know the secret of your 'little brother'."
Asher, his face turning a shade of purple, roared back, "Bullshit! No way! I have a reputation!"
Jo continued in a flat, clinical monotone. "I will let everyone see your little brother. I will also let everyone know that you are still a virgin. I will let everyone know that your morning glory is very painful. I will post the high-definition photos on the campus board."
The silence lasted for exactly one frame.
Asher Reed immediately dropped to his knees, his forehead hitting the dirt. "Mistress Jo! This humble servant, Asher, is your slave from this moment forth! Please feel free to order me around! Treat me like a dog! Never, ever treat me like a human being again!"
The national audience was stunned for two seconds, and then a hurricane of laughter erupted in living rooms across the country.
[I'm curious, how much did Leo Vance pay Asher to take this role? That's not acting; that's a sacrifice!]
[Sorry, I usually have high standards for comedy, but I actually spat out my beer! Jo is too domineering!]
[Asher Reed is a true man of the era! He can bend and stretch, wait, Jo said he can't bend? Hahahaha!]
[Do you understand the pain of a twenty-year-old UCLA virgin?! Jo is a psychological terrorist!]
Blue Ridge Mountains.The Living Room of "Mountain Retreat".
To be precise, it wasn't a living room anymore. It was a high-definition public execution site.
Gordon Ramsey, Ryan (the host), Dakota Fanning, Asher Reed, and Zane were all huddled around the TV, the live-stream camera capturing their reactions for the variety show.
After holding it in for a full ten seconds, Dakota Fanning was the first to break. She covered her mouth with a frantic giggle, waving her hand as she turned away from Asher. "I'm sorry... Asher, I really tried. But the 'slave' line... oh my god."
As Dakota burst into laughter, the tension in the cabin shattered.
"Asher, son... you've really grown up," Gordon Ramsey said, his voice dripping with a terrifying, British sarcasm. "That's what I call 'committing to the bit'. I hope your parents aren't watching."
"Asher is sacrificing his dignity for the sake of High Art!" Ryan added, his high-EQ host instincts trying to save the boy, though his eyes were also crinkling with amusement.
"That's right! His spirit is worth learning from!" Zane added with a straight face, though he was secretly glad he had been cast as the cool, collected character instead.
Asher Reed was currently sweating so much he looked like he'd been caught in a rainstorm. You guys are laughing now? he thought, his eyes darting toward the door. What about the 'Bird Stroll' in Episode 3? He seriously contemplated kicking the TV into pieces before the next segment aired.
Then came Asher's first "Legendary" scene: The moonlit "Naked Hero."
"Legend has it that on the night of a full moon, the Naked Hero will dance across the rooftops!" the narrator intoned. "And any couple who catches a glimpse will surely find true love that night!"
The audience howled again. The show was becoming a viral meme factory. There's a cruel truth in show business: a large portion of the audience's happiness is built upon the visible suffering of the lead actor.
By the time the second episode rolled around, the tone shifted.
Asher was kidnapped by a rival faction, tied up in a warehouse, and eventually rescued by a whirlwind of kitchen knives and martial arts courtesy of Jo.
The rescue scene was a masterclass in cinematography. The high-speed choreography and the "Budget-Breaking" special effects confirmed what the internet had suspected: Leo Vance was the true soul of the production. The fight scenes in The Outcast shared the same "Picturesque Violence" that had made Jujutsu Kaisen a hit.
However, despite the technical brilliance, a wave of skepticism began to rise on TikTok and Reddit.
[From what I've seen, this is just a suggestive comedy. How did this win the #1 spot at the NAC Tournament?]
[Is it all just 'Back-Door' politics? I heard the Vance family practically owns the National Arts Council.]
[I like Jo and Scarlett, but Asher is a terrible protagonist. He's a coward and a pervert. Where is the 'Heritage'?]
Leo Vance, sitting in his penthouse, watched these comments with a calm smirk. He knew exactly what he was doing. In his previous life, the first few chapters of this story were always a slow burn. The world didn't realize that Asher Reed was the "Ceiling" of complex protagonists.
"Just wait to be slapped in the face, keyboard warriors," Leo muttered.
As the episodes continued to drop, Xander made his debut. The white-haired, elegant master of the "Northern Sect" immediately had the female audience screaming. "Handsome guy! Please, step on me next!"
But the real turning point arrived in Episode 4.
Jo had subjected Asher to a month of brutal, secluded training in the mountains. Inside the cabin, after a month of being treated like a pet, Jo had "hired" several elderly local women to "keep Asher company" as a way to test his mental discipline.
Asher Reed finally broke.
"I've realized something," Asher (Zhang Chulan) said, walking toward the door of the cabin. His tone was eerily calm, but his eyes held a long-suppressed, cold fire. "If I pretend to be a loser for too long... the world starts to believe I actually am one."
"Asher, do you know what happens if you take another step?" Jo asked, her voice flat as she pointed a short knife at his throat. For the first time, her "hollow" eyes showed a flicker of actual emotion, confusion.
"I know. I'm not your match. If I keep walking, I'll probably leave a few fingers on this floor." Asher ignored the blade, his chest pressing against the cold steel. "But if I stay, I'll lose my soul. And I think that's a much worse trade."
Asher walked past her, the blade nicking his shoulder, and he didn't look back.
The audience, who had been laughing at him for three episodes, went silent.
[Wait... Jo went too far this time.]
[Asher... that was actually a boss move. He chose dignity over survival.]
[Is he finally going to stop being a bootlicker? I'm actually getting chills!]
But in the comment section, a "War of Words" broke out:
[Bootlickers, get out! Simping is a disease!]
[What's wrong with being a simp for Jo?! I'd be proud! If I simp for one girl, I'm a dog. If I simp for a hundred... I'm a Wolf Warrior!]
Leo Vance watched the "Wolf Warrior" comment trend and laughed. The "Healing" was about to begin.