This Star Only Wants More Money - Chapter 3
Translator: Diviner
‘Lin Shenghuan wants to talk to me?’
For the layman, this might just have been some fun with a nursery rhyme, but for professionals, it was a different story altogether.
Perhaps she heard something in my performance, which is why she wants to see me?
Xu Feng, who had worked his way up from being an ordinary worker, immediately sensed the scent of an “opportunity.” He nodded quickly, “No problem, please lead the way.”
He then turned around, patting the stunned chubby guy, who kept glancing back and forth between Xu Feng and the manager. With a light tone, he said, “Go ahead and order the barbecue, I’ll join you shortly.”
The chubby guy shivered at the pat, muttering, “Dude, you’re really something…”
Xu Feng just smiled and followed the manager to the backstage area of the concert.
From a distance, he could see several staff members busy wrapping things up. Lin Shenghuan was leaning on a temporary sofa, draped in a thin blanket, her eyes slightly closed, her body gently rising and falling with each breath.
The manager flashed Xu Feng an apologetic smile and jogged over, gently waking Lin Shenghuan.
“Hmm… He’s here?” Lin Shenghuan stretched lazily, and the thin blanket slipped off, revealing her captivating figure under the qipao once again. “Come over here, have a seat.”
She rubbed her eyes and lifted her gaze, her voice not as high-pitched or melodious as it had been on stage, but rather more casually relaxed, “Sorry, concerts like these are physically exhausting. I closed my eyes and just fell asleep.”
Was this really the elegant and charming beauty from earlier? Why did it feel like her style had completely changed?
Xu Feng thought to himself with a bit of amusement but went with the flow and sat down on the nearby sofa. He got straight to the point, “Sister Huan, what did you want to see me about?”
Hearing the question, Lin Shenghuan’s gaze immediately became more probing, “Your name is Xu Feng, right? You’re not lying, you really never practiced singing before?”
If he had systematically trained in singing before, his performance would have been understandable, but if not, then it meant Xu Feng was highly talented.
Xu Feng nodded with certainty, “Never trained. It shouldn’t be too hard for you to check, right?”
Nowadays, buying a ticket requires real-name verification; with some basic information, it’s quite easy to trace where Xu Feng went to school and what he studied in college.
Hearing this, Lin Shenghuan felt even more that the handsome guy in front of her was a diamond in the rough, “Then if you don’t mind me asking, what do you do currently?”
Xu Feng searched his predecessor’s mind for a few seconds and then replied with a hint of frustration, “Currently? I’m in flexible employment.”
If his predecessor had had a proper job, Xu Feng wouldn’t have had such a headache.
Lin Shenghuan took a few seconds to figure out what he meant by “flexible employment” and couldn’t help but burst out laughing, “You’re quite a humorous guy… Alright, I won’t beat around the bush. I want to ask if you’d like to consider switching lanes in your life?”
Hearing this, Xu Feng perked up immediately.
Here it comes! The main point!
If he could have a guide when entering the entertainment industry, many things would be much easier.
At least he wouldn’t be without a chance to prove himself.
Xu Feng suppressed the urge to agree immediately, displaying a perfectly timed hint of curiosity on his face, “Switch lanes?”
Lin Shenghuan, who was always enthusiastic and elegant on stage and off, became a bit more serious, “Have you ever seriously considered debuting and trying your luck in the entertainment industry? I think you have a lot of talent in many aspects. You’re still young; it’s not too late to give it a shot.”
Hearing what he had most hoped for, Xu Feng felt a weight lift from his heart, but he still maintained a hesitant expression, “Who doesn’t want to be famous… But, Sister Huan, I don’t have any connections.”
“Two weeks from now, there’s the variety show ‘Tomorrow’s God of Song,’ where I’m a judge.” Lin Shenghuan’s eyes sparkled. “I still have two spots available. If you’re willing, I’d like to let you try… Do you get what I mean?”
‘Tomorrow’s God of Song’ was one of the hottest music variety shows in recent years!
Even at the audition stage, countless people fought tooth and nail to get in, and even after passing the auditions, you had to pay various “fees” to qualify for the show. The total cost would be at least 150,000 yuan.
150,000 yuan was nothing to Xu Feng in his past life, but now, even if he sold everything, he couldn’t come up with that much money.
Resources in the entertainment industry were both scarce and highly unequal. For Lin Shenghuan, offering such a spot wasn’t exceptionally valuable, but for the current Xu Feng, it was undoubtedly a lifeline.
To obtain resources, you have to pay a price.
Of course, having a price to pay wasn’t necessarily a bad thing—Xu Feng now had the mercenary system and hoped others would be as explicit in their demands as possible.
“I could give it a try,” Xu Feng wasn’t one to be coy at crucial moments. He immediately nodded and, without hesitation, threw out the question, “What do I need to do to get this spot?”
Lin Shenghuan smiled, “I’m different from many of my peers… I worked my way up step by step, and I understand better than anyone the difficulty of not taking shortcuts or making compromises. So, I’m willing to give a talented person a chance.”
Willing to give a chance?
Xu Feng felt a little dizzy.
So, this spot is free?
Is she just offering the reward without any commission?
Then it wouldn’t count as employment!
Xu Feng, who had been in a good mood, suddenly felt anxious—this wouldn’t do. Without a commission, he wouldn’t receive any temporary abilities, and without those, his amateur skills would only lead to embarrassment on stage.
He had to find a way to get Lin Shenghuan to give him some work…
He took a deep breath and shamelessly said, “Sister Huan, is there anything I can do to help you?”
Lin Shenghuan was taken aback—had she not made herself clear earlier?
So, she decided to be straightforward, “This is my way of supporting new talents who have potential. Don’t worry; you don’t need to do anything. Just perform well on stage, and of course, I won’t show any favoritism when it comes to scoring.”
If you don’t let me do anything, I can’t do anything!
With his singing ability rated at a measly 3, going on a music variety show would probably get him accused of premeditated murder!
Xu Feng inwardly cursed the system, but his smile remained unchanged, “Sister Huan, why don’t you let me do something? I feel a bit guilty taking this spot for nothing.”
Lin Shenghuan, who had already talked until her mouth was dry, felt a bit confused. Was everyone like this now, refusing free offers and insisting on doing something in return?
Still feeling uneasy? Trying to make it a fair trade?
“Fine! I’m glad you have that attitude.” Lin Shenghuan, now amused and slightly irritated, stood with her hands on her hips, “Get into the top five for me and make me proud. If not, I’ll come looking for you!”
As soon as her words fell, a system prompt sounded in Xu Feng’s ear.
[Commission detected]
[Lin Shenghuan is offering a 150,000 yuan entry spot for ‘Tomorrow’s God of Song’ on the condition that the host achieves a top-five ranking… Calculating]
[Based on the employment value, the host gains a +50 singing ability buff and a choice of +80 proficiency in any niche musical instrument.]
Seeing the buffs added, the oppressive feeling that had been weighing on Xu Feng lifted considerably. He smiled back, “Alright! I promise not to disappoint you, Sister Huan.”
With these buffs and an impartial judge on the panel, getting a good ranking was still quite solid.
“No need, just don’t say I gave you the spot if you embarrass yourself.” Lin Shenghuan clapped her hands and glanced at her smartwatch, “Opportunities are just that—opportunities. Whether you can seize them depends on your own skills… It’s getting late; where are you headed?”
Xu Feng snapped out of his thoughts, a bit confused, “Where to?”
Was this beautiful woman’s topic-jumping always this fast?
“It’s late, and it’s hard to find a ride. Let me give you a lift as a little VIP fan perk,” Lin Shenghuan glanced at Xu Feng’s face and spoke as if it was the most natural thing in the world,
“Where to?”
Fans get perks like this?
How come he’d never heard of such a thing before?
But saving on a taxi fare was also good… He was no longer the successful professional of his previous life; every little bit counted now.
Xu Feng pulled out his phone, marked the location on the map, and thanked her earnestly, “Then I’ll trouble you, Sister Huan!”
…
Twenty minutes later.
A luxury executive car suddenly pulled up rapidly beside a rather down-to-earth barbecue stall. With a screeching brake, Xu Feng jumped out of the back seat, waving his phone towards the car.
“Alright, Sister Huan, I’ll contact you later on WeChat!”
The chubby guy sitting on a plastic stool stared at the scene in disbelief, muttering, “Dude, you’re really something!”
He actually got a ride in Sister Huan’s private car and even got her WeChat?!