I Swapped Bodies With a Female Celebrity - Chapter 19

“Xuanxuan, aren’t you hot?”

Outside, the sun was blazing.

But Qin Lang was dressed head to toe in full gear—face mask, sunglasses, and a wide-brimmed hat—covering almost every inch of his face. Just looking at him made others feel sweaty.

“I’m fine,” Qin Lang nodded. “Let’s just hurry up and go.”

Mu Zhiyan shrugged, a hint of disappointment flashing across her face.

She had thought today would be her chance to show off her makeup skills on Qin Yunxuan’s face, but… clearly, Qin Yunxuan didn’t trust her abilities at all.

“And here I thought we were best friends. Is this really the level of trust between us?”

What Qin Lang didn’t expect, however, was that Mu Zhiyan had driven over—and in a luxury sports car, no less!

Qin Lang didn’t recognize the brand, but just from the sound of the engine, he could tell this car wasn’t cheap.

“This tech expo is a major event in Jiuyang City! It’s the opening day today, and I heard there’ll be a lot of celebrities performing on stage!”

On the way, Mu Zhiyan asked curiously, “Xuanxuan, you’re a rising star now. Didn’t you get an invitation?”

Qin Lang’s lips twitched. “Nope.”

A “rising star” ranked beyond 300th?

Just thinking about his ranking made Qin Lang’s chest tighten.

When will my ranking ever go up?

Right now, he didn’t even feel confident speaking.

“Oh, by the way, I heard Liu Qingcheng was invited to perform at the opening ceremony!”

Qin Lang instinctively replied, “Liu Qingcheng? Who’s that?”

Mu Zhiyan shot him a surprised look.

“Liu Qingcheng! How could you not know her?”

Qin Lang’s heart skipped a beat.

Oh no. Is this person really famous in this world?

But that couldn’t be—he had checked yesterday, and none of the top-tier female artists in this world were named Liu Qingcheng!

“Are you just that carefree, or do you really look down on everyone?”

Mu Zhiyan rolled her eyes. “Liu Qingcheng debuted around the same time as you. She’s always seen you as her rival!”

Qin Lang raised an eyebrow. Oh, so that’s how it is.

“She’s publicly criticized you more than once, and you don’t even recognize her name?”

Qin Lang said dismissively, “Just a petty clown. Why make a big deal out of it?”

“But rumor has it she’s already a third-tier artist now! Her new song is ranked second on the charts! If it weren’t for Chen Qiyun’s new song dominating the rankings, hers might’ve taken first place!”

Hiss—

A third-tier artist? This Liu Qingcheng was that good?

Qin Lang felt a headache coming on. If he remembered correctly…

I’m still a fourth-tier artist on the charts!

Damn it. I just called her a petty clown, and now I’m the one getting humbled.

Thankfully, with his mask on, Mu Zhiyan couldn’t see his flushed face.

Still, if she’s already a third-tier artist and still holding a grudge against me, she must be really narrow-minded.

Twenty minutes later, Mu Zhiyan and Qin Lang arrived at the tech expo hall.

The expo was being held at Jiuyang City’s Convention and Exhibition Center—a sprawling complex divided into multiple exhibition halls, capable of accommodating tens of thousands of people. It was one of the city’s landmark buildings.

This tech expo was massive, featuring many of the most advanced technologies of the era.

The opening ceremony included a performance, though the audience watching wasn’t particularly large.

Just as Manager Lin had said—people attending the expo were far more interested in the tech exhibits than in celebrity performances.

“Up ahead is the AI exhibition hall, and further in is the virtual 3D tech hall,” Mu Zhiyan explained as they walked.

Qin Lang found it odd. “You seem really familiar with this place?”

Mu Zhiyan stopped in her tracks and gave him a strange look.

Qin Lang’s heart lurched. Oh no. Did I say something suspicious again?

How am I supposed to know what’s safe to say and what’s not?!

“You do remember, right? We both tested into the Jiuyang Academy of Sciences together. But your uncle pulled you into the entertainment industry, and this expo is actually hosted by our academy!”

Qin Lang broke into a cold sweat.

So Qin Yunxuan’s best friend is a tech geek too?

No wonder they became close. Birds of a feather flock together, after all.

As they walked, Mu Zhiyan enthusiastically explained each exhibition hall, giving Qin Lang a rough understanding of this world’s technology.

In short, the cutting-edge tech here was insanely advanced. Many scientific challenges that remained unsolved on Earth had already been cracked in this world—they just hadn’t been widely applied to civilian use yet.

“By the way, do you know what the highlight of this expo is?”

Mu Zhiyan lowered her voice mysteriously.

Qin Lang rolled his eyes. How the hell would I know?

Listening to her explanations felt like deciphering an alien language. He could barely keep up, yet he had to pretend he understood—all while worrying about slipping up.

This is exhausting.

“It’s Sky Eye Technology!”

Mu Zhiyan’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “This tech can detect and analyze mysterious signals from outer space. With it, we can gain a deeper understanding of the universe!”

Then, her voice dropped to a whisper.

“Rumor has it the academy has already intercepted several strange signals and is decoding them now. Who knows? We might soon make a discovery that shocks the world!”

Qin Lang’s eyes widened. “Seriously?! Please tell me you’re not planning to respond to those signals!”

“I heard the higher-ups are considering it.”

“Don’t!” Qin Lang grabbed her wrist urgently. “You cannot reply to those signals. Absolutely not!”

“Huh? Why not?”

Qin Lang took a deep breath.

“If the universe is a vast dark forest, then every civilization is an armed hunter…”

He proceeded to explain the Dark Forest Principle—a theory from Earth. Though it was just a hypothesis, Qin Lang firmly believed in it.

Better safe than sorry.

If they accidentally attracted the attention of a more advanced civilization… would this world even survive?

Qin Lang had just transmigrated here! He hadn’t even achieved his dream of becoming a top celebrity yet. He couldn’t let these mad scientists doom the entire world!

Mu Zhiyan had never heard anything like this before. By the time Qin Lang finished, she was completely stunned.

She stared at him in disbelief.

Qin Lang grew uneasy under her gaze. Did she notice something off about me?

“Xuanxuan… I always thought you’d given up on the path of science. But I was wrong. You’re still you—you’ve just gone even further ahead!”

“While I’m still studying the methods, you’re already exploring the principles!”

Qin Lang chuckled awkwardly. Well… I guess I accidentally showed off.

“Can you tell me what this theory is called?”

“The Dark Forest Principle.”