Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio Idol [Entertainment Industry]

[Slow burn, entertainment industry, adored by everyone]

One day, the rules of the hugely popular boy group STOALS leaked, sparking heated discussion across the internet.

Other groups' rules: Pay the taxes you owe, and don't sleep with people you shouldn't.

STOALS' rules:

1. Humans don't peel off their faces in front of cameras. Keep your face under control.

2. Humans don't grow dragon horns, wolf ears, or merfolk ears. If anyone asks, say, "They're not real. They're just decorations."

3. Humans don't suddenly die in front of cameras.

4. If you break Rule Three, contact the captain as soon as possible. Don't silently come back to life in front of the cameras.

Nobody knew that all these rules had actually been written by one person.

"Strange Tales? Monsters? It's just a group concept. Nobody would take it seriously, right?" said Tang Yulu, the captain of STOALS.

While the reporters weren't looking, he leaned down and pushed a teammate who'd just returned from working in the underworld and popped his head out of the ground right back into the land of the dead.

*

As the only human in the group, Tang Yulu didn't care what species his teammates were.

All he wanted was to build his idol career and land a few more trending topics.

Unfortunately, he had an unusual fate.

He attracted ghosts and monsters, and troublemakers even more.

During a magazine shoot, he cooperated enthusiastically, doing his best to get the perfect shots. A few days later, he did indeed trend:

[Shocking! A famous photographer forces celebrities to pose for indecent photos! An entire hidden-camera network lies behind him! Countless victims!]

[Source: Concerned Citizen Mr. Tang]

Onstage, he gave it his all, trying to put on the best performance possible. A few days later, he trended again:

[Scandal! Idol exposed for secretly hooking up with his biggest fan, fathering a child. When he failed to persuade her to terminate the pregnancy, he flew into a rage and put several nails in the performance shoes of the fellow performer who exposed him!]

[Source and victim: Righteous Citizen Mr. Tang]

Fine, fine. This time, I'll do nothing and just eat. Surely nothing strange will happen while I'm eating.

A few days later, the trending topics exploded yet again:

[Breaking! Popular singer secretly invests in a restaurant, whose signature dish turns out to be made of human flesh!]

[Source, witness, and victim: Kindhearted Citizen Mr. Tang...]

Mr. Tang was practically living at the police station by now.

He couldn't understand why there were so many demons and monsters in this world.

And why they always liked to flock to him.

If that was the case, he'd deal with each one in turn, using the right remedy for every problem.

His enemies were treacherous and unpredictable? Then he'd use the strange powers of the monsters from Strange Tales to fight poison with poison.

Ordinary people had nowhere to turn for help? Then he'd write songs about social issues and speak up for victims with nowhere else to go.

When he came to his senses, it seemed he'd already drawn far too many eyes, from his teammates and his rivals alike.

Tang Yulu: Focus on my career. Focus on my career.

He would rise from the bottom of the idol world, step by step, and become a top-tier star.

And, as a bonus, earn his group a new nickname: "The Law-Abiding Boy Band."

A boy band that obeys the law and sends its fellow celebrities "inside" to learn a lesson.

"Reading Tips"

1. A plot-driven story about a protagonist adored by everyone. He's the center of attention.

2. A semi-ensemble cast.

3. Two storylines run in parallel: the boy band's entertainment career and the monster-hunting plot from Strange Tales, in roughly a six-to-four ratio.

4. Slow burn, with a long buildup at the beginning. Alternate history, heavily reimagined Strange Tales, and made-up occult lore.

5. Lots of bullet comments and forum-style chapters, with schemes and fanbase fights.

6. A story of mutual salvation between a kind, sensitive protagonist and a cast of deeply flawed characters.

7. Hope you enjoy reading!

[Updates follow the rankings. Chapter comments are now unrestricted.]

Premise: Do what you want to do, and have no regrets