This Star Only Wants More Money - Chapter 15
Translator: Diviner
Two days later, almost everything was delivered by courier.
New clothes, new instruments, new live streaming equipment, various posters, and decorations to change the room style… and so on.
Xu Feng first changed into an outfit he had never shown to anyone before, turned on a few filters and beauty effects, then picked up the newly purchased bass and began playing the accompaniment for “Ugly Monster.”
Halfway through, he thought for a moment, went out to buy some fake nails, and then replayed the entire piece after putting them on.
No mistakes could be left behind!
After finishing the song, Xu Feng carefully watched the video multiple times to ensure there were no flaws.
Arm thickness, behavior, body proportions, playing style… everything was meticulously disguised, and no one would likely realize that he was Xu Feng.
Very satisfied, Xu Feng titled the video, “Who do you think plays better, me or Teacher Xu Feng?” and clicked publish.
“To earn this 100,000 yuan, I’m really going all out… but playing this several times did slightly improve my skills. Not bad.”
Improving his skills didn’t always have to wait for a mission; he could do it through regular practice too.
A few minutes later, Xu Feng’s account received a notification that the video had passed the review and was now visible to everyone.
As for buying promotions or traffic for the video, Xu Feng didn’t bother.
He believed that the embarrassed program team would be more anxious than he was—the time was on Xu Feng’s side. If the team didn’t act quickly to attack him, once Xu Feng had a stable base of fans and a few signature works, smearing him wouldn’t be easy.
Public relations costs grow exponentially.
To make Xu Feng lose face as soon as possible, they would have to swallow their pride and help the “Ding Henrun” account by purchasing promotions and traffic.
After publishing the video, Xu Feng logged out of the “Ding Henrun” account and switched back to his main account.
Previously quite deserted, his account was now flooded with private messages, and his followers had surged from a mere dozen to hundreds of thousands.
Under normal circumstances, a finalist who doesn’t manage or promote their profile would never gain so many fans in such a short time.
But thanks to the enthusiastic internet users, both of Xu Feng’s performance clips had been exposed. This rookie, who had both the ability to create buzz and solid professional skills, and was clean and handsome, quickly drew a lot of attention.
Even his academic background left most semi-literate figures in the entertainment circle far behind.
Xu Feng was a genuine graduate from a top 211 university, leagues above the so-called “Dr. Zhai,” who didn’t even know what CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure) was.
He casually browsed through the comments, most of which were light-hearted banter, while a small number of low-level accounts, who had never posted any content, were furiously jumping up and down.
After setting his account to reject messages from strangers, Xu Feng changed into another style, picked up a different bass, and played “Ugly Monster” once more, uploading it to his account.
To maximize the hype, Xu Feng made only slight distinctions in style between the two accounts’ bass playing. It was hard to tell which version was better.
Having been busy all day, Xu Feng exhaled deeply: “Everything’s set; just waiting for a spark to ignite…”
Before he could finish his sentence, he noticed a comment had already appeared under his video.
Moreover, it was from a very high-consumption user!
User “Bird Spins and Spins”, “Xu Feng! You should go look at this video. How can you be so unconcerned about your own matters? You have no videos or posts on your entire account, and you don’t even read private messages. The sky is about to fall, ahhh! [Link]”
Xu Feng was taken aback for a moment.
How long had this person been waiting to comment as soon as he posted the video? Could it be that he already had a die-hard fan before becoming famous?
Judging by the username, it seemed like a rather abstract, foot-scratching man…
Xu Feng chuckled and clicked on the link.
“Huh, it’s Ding Henrun’s account… Looks like this fan is loyal but maybe a bit clueless.”
…
Inside a spacious flat overlooking the entire cityscape of Luohe, Cheng Luan, dressed in a dark blue and white intricate lolita dress, held her phone with a look of anxiety.
“Ahhh, Xu Feng, answer your private messages! The situation is critical! They are practically riding on your face now, how can you not be worried!”
After finally showcasing his talent on a variety show, he immediately withdrew, made no posts, released no videos, and didn’t even upload the studio version of his song. Besides a lukewarm statement on Weibo confirming he was still alive, it was as if he had vanished from the earth.
With no updates or videos to comment on, and no response to private messages, that “Ding Henrun” user was crazy for traffic, yet Xu Feng showed no reaction, letting the situation snowball.
It was her first time seeing a singer so unconcerned about his career.
Although the reason for his withdrawal hadn’t been revealed yet, anyone could guess that it was undoubtedly due to some backstage maneuvering by the show’s producers.
Cheng Luan had already blacklisted the entire variety show from her watchlist.
Yet, Xu Feng himself seemed indifferent, with that lazy attitude?
Infuriating.
Cheng Luan paced back and forth in her room. Suddenly, her phone pinged with a notification.
“Your subscribed creator Xu Feng has released a new video. Go check it out~”
Finally…
After so many days, Mr. Xu, you’ve finally decided to make a move.
What kind of video did he release? Was it a statement about the unauthorized use of his song? Or the studio version of “Ugly Monster”?
Cheng Luan felt as if she were nurturing a small flame, worried it might get extinguished at any moment. Having found a newcomer who perfectly matched her aesthetic from looks to talent, she worried about what might happen if someone blew it out.
Especially when it seemed like this little flame had a tendency to jump into the water on its own.
Fortunately, he finally showed some reaction and would now post videos and manage his account!
Feeling a bit relieved, Cheng Luan clicked on Xu Feng’s new video, watching from beginning to end with great expectations. Her expression slowly turned from comfort to confusion.
Huh?
Just a simple accompaniment?!
That’s it?
Forget about the studio version of “Ugly Monster,” Xu Feng didn’t even open his mouth in the whole video, just played the accompaniment, and it ended!
Unable to hold back her frustration, Cheng Luan angrily left a comment, rebuking her idol’s inaction: “Xu Feng! Go watch this video, don’t be so careless about your own matters! Your entire account has no posts or updates, and you don’t even read your private messages. The sky is practically falling, ahhh! [Link]!”
After venting, Cheng Luan sighed heavily, sat down on a barstool at her private bar, and thought about saying something more meaningful.
Perhaps she could suggest releasing an album, producing some merchandise… Otherwise, she couldn’t even find a way to financially support him.
Before she could finish typing, she saw a new message pop up in her private chat window.
It was a follow-up from Xu Feng, with a summary reply to all her unread messages, “Relax, buddy. I’ve got it under control.”
Cheng Luan’s lightly swaying legs immediately stopped moving.
Did she actually get a reply?
And Xu Feng said he had everything under control?
Her previously frustrated and anxious expression instantly turned to joy and excitement. Cheng Luan unconsciously brought her phone closer. “Oh, great! Mr. Xu, keep it up! I’m rooting for you!”