Moving twenty thousand bricks in a single day.

The show "Challenge the Superstar" is a program wholeheartedly supported by China Central Television, aiming to bring celebrities closer to everyday life. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have celebrities challenging themselves by moving bricks on construction sites. In the previous episode, the challenge was for celebrities to work as security guards. The show’s chief producer is a well-known heavyweight at CCTV, and even Kang Bing was directly seconded from the station.

Because of this, Kang Bing wasn’t entirely sure if anyone from a noble background was planted in the show. After noticing the staff's perplexed looks, Kang Bing shifted his gaze to Xie Yunze’s face, thinking that if the man was really thirty-nine years old, he probably wasn’t someone arranged by the production team.

After all, the saying goes that the earlier you become famous, the better. What was a thirty-nine-year-old old hand still doing in the entertainment industry?

With that thought, Kang Bing put on a flawless smile and immediately waved over the four fresh-faced young members of the SK boy band.

“Come over here! These are going to be our teachers for the coming week. Did you hear their introductions just now? Now it’s your turn to introduce yourselves—I’ll go first.”

Kang Bing held great respect for manual laborers and earnestly introduced himself.

“I’m Kang Bing, a host from China Central Television. But here, I’m your apprentice for this coming week. I want to work hard at moving bricks and learn how to survive on a construction site. I hope all of you big brothers and younger brothers will guide me well.”

The four SK band members quickly introduced themselves as well, but they noticed that whenever they spoke, the older workers’ gazes lingered on their faces for a long time. Only the man who seemed to be planted by the show—the "noble"—looked at them kindly, making the four feel a bit uncomfortable.

After the introductions, the camera casually panned back to Xie Yunze’s face. Even under the direct CCTV live shot, it was evident that Xie Yunze wore no makeup, yet he was so strikingly handsome that he was unforgettable at first glance.

The live chat for "Challenge the Superstar" exploded with astonishment.

[AmberTeoh]: “This brick-moving big brother is way too handsome! With a face like that, why are you moving bricks? I want to sponsor you! I can pay 200 yuan a day!”

[PenDrawsNoMakeup]: “Is he really an amateur? I don’t believe it! I feel like the production team is up to something. With the show being so popular, there’s no way they didn’t sneak in someone special to ride the hype. Production team, you’re joking, right?!”

[XianYu]: “I want all the info on this guy within ten minutes. Are amateurs really this good-looking nowadays?”

[lewana]: “Ha, even this 'Challenge the Superstar' show has nobles infiltrating. This guy’s name is Xie Yunze, right? Planning to climb the ranks by stepping on the SK boy band? How old is he—thirty-seven? Still moving bricks on a construction site and smiling like that?”

[Nanjie Ancient Wine]: “…Seriously, production team, do you think we’re fools? You say this is a pure amateur with that kind of face? And he’s supposedly been moving bricks on a construction site long-term? You must be kidding. This guy’s fair complexion screams ‘rich woman’s companion,’ not brick mover.”

The live broadcast room instantly erupted into chaos. Aside from fans praising Xie Yunze’s handsome look and demanding information on this so-called amateur, the SK boy band’s fans united in tearing apart the production team. They were convinced that Xie Yunze was on a completely different level from the other brick movers and must have been planted by some entertainment company—a noble sneaking in to ride their band’s popularity. Absolutely unacceptable!

At the construction site, Kang Bing and the others were oblivious to the chaos unfolding online. After everyone introduced themselves and learned each other’s names, Kang Bing resumed his role as host according to the program’s next steps.

“Big brothers, in the coming week, the five of us will pair up with you five to move bricks. Now the choice is yours. We are all rookies at moving bricks and have never done this before. But I’m seasoned and strong, and the other four boys are young and vigorous. You can choose who you want as your apprentice. You have the fluorescent safety vests for this job—once you pick someone, put the vest on them and they’re officially your apprentice.”

This was a great icebreaker, forging a connection between previously unfamiliar people through the vest and mutual selection. The four SK boys, as potential apprentices, grew nervous. They secretly glanced at Xie Yunze, knowing that whoever he chose would get the most camera time.

Teaming up with an ordinary worker meant fewer impactful shots on camera, but pairing with a handsome "noble" guaranteed maximum exposure!

Having debuted nearly two years ago, the four already understood the unspoken rules of camera time in the entertainment industry. Though they smiled outwardly, each hoped to be chosen by Xie Yunze to have more opportunities to shine.

As Kang Bing finished speaking, the live chat viewers witnessed something even more extraordinary, and those present at the site, including Kang Bing and the SK band, felt a subtle shift in the atmosphere.

After Kang Bing invited the workers to choose their apprentices, Li Dongfeng and the others immediately all looked at Xie Yunze. The youngest, Kong Miao, was understandable, but Li Dongfeng, Shi Hongju, and Zhang Liang were all older than Xie Yunze, yet they quietly awaited his choice, their eyes fixed on him.

“Brother Xie, you pick first. After you choose, we’ll pick,” Kong Miao said, having been eyeing the four handsome youths from the moment the camera caught them. Each looked like they could be Xie’s son—one look here, one there—all very handsome, making it impossible to tell who was whose child.

“Yeah, Little Xie, you go first. After you choose, we’ll follow,” Li Dongfeng added, wondering why the four kids didn’t look like they were cut from the same mold as Xie Yunze—maybe they resembled their mother instead.

Shi Hongju and Zhang Liang nodded in agreement, feeling it was only right to give Xie Yunze, who might be the father, the first chance to pick closely.

Xie Yunze, understanding their goodwill, simply nodded without hesitation and chose Chu Yiming, causing the others’ surprised gazes to fix on him.

“Oh, this little guy must be Xie’s son?”

Their eyes studied Chu Yiming with curiosity, as if meeting him for the first time. The boy’s fair complexion and doll-like face stood out. His peach-blossom eyes looked nothing like Xie’s phoenix-shaped ones, but his high nose bridge bore some resemblance.

“Hello, Brother Xie. You can call me Yiming. Please take care of me in the coming days,” Chu Yiming said, having just realized he was chosen. Although he didn’t know why, he stepped forward proactively.

Xie Yunze approached holding the fluorescent vest. Everyone then noticed he was not only handsome but also tall—about 1.9 meters. Standing next to the nearly grown Chu Yiming, who was 1.86 meters, Xie Yunze was even a bit taller.

“Don’t worry, the work on the site is simple. I’ll teach you well,” he said as he began to put the vest on Chu Yiming. The boy had already reached out to put it on himself, but Xie Yunze held on, carefully dressing him in the bright yellow vest.

Honestly, it felt like being treated like a child, making Chu Yiming a little embarrassed.

Li Dongfeng and the others watching thought this showed how deeply Xie loved his son—eighteen years without seeing him. If the boy hadn’t been lost, Xie Yunze surely would have dressed him and bought him all kinds of treats from the start. He was the best father in the world.

But it wasn’t too late now—Xie Yunze had finally found his son.

They had no idea the live chat was already blowing up with rage. Chu Yiming’s fans exploded, accusing the "noble" of leeching off Chu Yiming’s popularity—everyone was going crazy.

After Xie Yunze made his choice, the others picked as well.

Kong Miao chose Jin Fei, who had stood beside Chu Yiming from the start. Li Dongfeng picked Kang Bing, Shi Hongju wanted Jin Fei but settled for the cute Bai Yucheng since Jin Fei was taken. Zhang Liang and Xiao Zhe ended up paired together last.

Normally, after choosing, the vests would simply be handed over to those selected. But following Xie Yunze’s example, Li Dongfeng and the others made the chosen celebrities stand and raise their hands while carefully putting the vests on them.

“I’m actually enjoying the feeling of having a vest put on me. Thanks, Brother Li,” Kang Bing joked before continuing.

“This selection isn’t fixed for the week! We’ll do it daily. For the first five days, you can team with different people; the last two days will be mutual selection and free matching. Everyone understands the rules?”

Everyone confirmed they did, and with the groups set, it was time to start the day’s work.

“The brick truck hasn’t arrived yet, so we have about ten minutes to learn about the brick-moving job. If you have questions, now’s the time to ask the big brothers.”

Though Kang Bing had researched and even secretly trained before joining the show, he still wanted to give the kids some time. Assigning one worker to each celebrity was to ensure the daily brick-moving tasks would be completed.

The four SK boys looked curiously at the five brick movers. Their hardest work was in the dance studio—they’d never moved bricks before.

“Moving bricks isn’t complicated. Once the bricks arrive, you just move them from the unloading spot to the designated place. Nothing much to teach, just tiring,” Li Dongfeng said with a goofy smile, explaining the job.

Jin Fei’s eyes lit up. He was talkative and asked naively, “Brother Li, I heard online that moving bricks can earn 700 or 800 yuan a day. Is that true?”

This question drew glances not only from Li Dongfeng and the others but also from Kang Bing, who looked at the newly adult, naive boy helplessly. Why did he believe everything online? If moving bricks truly earned that much, everyone would be doing it.

Chu Yiming and the others couldn’t help but laugh and cry at Jin Fei’s innocence.

“No way,” Shi Hongju said, shocked, looking at the pretty kid. “Here, a red brick costs two mao each—that’s considered high. A seasoned worker can move 10,000 bricks a day and make about 200 yuan. Young workers moving more might make 300 to 400 yuan, but it’s exhausting.”

So earning 700 to 800 yuan a day was impossible—it was beyond human limits.

“What? Moving 10,000 bricks earns only 200 yuan?” Jin Fei was stunned, eyes wide and looking pitifully cute. Chu Yiming, Xiao Zhe, and Bai Yucheng wore serious expressions. They didn’t know how many bricks the production planned for them daily, but 10,000 already sounded overwhelming.

“Yeah, moving 10,000 bricks means working ten hours a day. I’m talking about small red bricks here. Different bricks have different prices, so you all must study hard and not end up like me, moving bricks on a construction site,” Shi Hongju earnestly advised, thinking of his academically outstanding daughter with pride.

Kang Bing also felt overwhelmed, his lower back aching just hearing it, but he still spoke seriously.

“Looks like moving bricks isn’t what most people imagine. That’s why we have to try harder. For rookies like us, how many bricks can we move in a day?”

10,000 bricks sounded like an impossible task.

“I moved 8,000 bricks a day when I first came to the site. You guys should be about the same,” Kong Miao said at that moment, but even 8,000 bricks caused the five celebrities to grimace in disbelief.

“This is bad! I really don’t know if I can finish the task,” Jin Fei complained, adding, “I heard from the production that they won’t provide free boxed meals anymore. We have to earn our lunch by moving bricks. What if I can’t even afford to eat?”

Indeed, "Challenge the Superstar" became wildly popular because celebrities weren’t allowed to use their own money to survive during challenges. They had to live off daily earnings, making some succeed and enjoy lavish meals, while others went hungry. This raw authenticity won many fans.

“I won’t starve. I’ll work hard moving bricks. When we pool our money, we’ll have enough for meals,” Chu Yiming immediately promised as the SK band’s leader, naturally taking on the responsibility to care for his younger brothers.

His words made Xie Yunze look over. Li Dongfeng and the others thought, no wonder this kid was Xie’s son—he showed real responsibility.

Zhang Liang also rarely spoke up.

“Follow us, and you won’t go hungry. We’ll make sure you get boxed meals,” he said quietly, sneaking a glance at Chu Yiming. He wondered if the boy knew Xie Yunze was his biological father.

The celebrities forced smiles and thanked Zhang Liang silently, psyching themselves up. Now that they were on this challenge, they couldn’t afford to lose face. If 10,000 bricks was impossible, maybe 8,000 was doable?

Kang Bing believed Li Dongfeng and the others could move 10,000 bricks a day but doubted Xie Yunze could. Looking at the tall, lean man, Kang Bing asked out of curiosity.

“Brother Xie, can I call you that? Li said they move 10,000 bricks a day. How many can you move?”

The SK band members also looked at Xie Yunze. Chu Yiming felt nervous—Xie didn’t look like a brick mover, and if they teamed up, they might not finish the task.

But the next moment, everyone heard Xie Yunze say casually,

“If I’m in a good mood, moving 20,000 bricks a day isn’t a problem.”

…Was that really necessary to brag so much?

Kang Bing and the SK boys were speechless, thinking this noble was way too clueless. With his slight frame, how could he move 20,000 bricks a day?

Yet Li Dongfeng and the others’ eyes lit up.

[Ding Dong! Li Dongfeng trust points +500!]

[Ding Dong! Zhang Liang trust points +500!]

[Ding Dong! Shi Hongju trust points +500!]

[Ding Dong! Kong Miao trust points +1000!]

[Beep! Host’s trust points accumulated to 5000. New mission unlocked: Within 24 hours, tell a third lie and gain 100% trust from three people. Countdown 23:59:59…]

Hearing the familiar system prompt, Xie Yunze was unafraid. Facing the surprised stares, he said confidently,

“Moving 20,000 bricks a day difficult? It’s easy for me.”

…Everyone was at a loss for words. The live audience went wild with laughter.

“Do you even know how many bricks 20,000 is? You dare to brag like that? Prove it then!”