This Star Only Wants More Money - Chapter 4
Translator: Diviner
“Swish, swish, swish.”
Xu Feng mechanically stuffed skewers of barbecue into his mouth, chewing and swallowing without much expression, as if he were chewing on wax rather than the fragrant, juicy meat skewers.
It wasn’t that Xu Feng disliked barbecue; it was that the stingy system had deducted a commission from the meal and done so without any mercy. It had stripped away all the taste, satiety, and even the texture of the meal.
Chewing air—what other feeling could that bring besides frustration?
He might as well finish up quickly and go home to think about how to use this system to make a name for himself on the music variety show stage.
If he didn’t perform well, there was no way a newcomer like Xu Feng, who had no achievements in the entertainment industry, could secure any decent “employment commissions.” Without commissions, he couldn’t improve his abilities, gain exposure, and would be stuck in a vicious cycle.
On the other hand, if he could put on a standout performance, everything could start to fall into place, creating a positive cycle.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that ‘Tomorrow’s God of Song’ was Xu Feng’s most critical opportunity.
Thinking of this, Xu Feng once again sped up his movements.
Suddenly, a probing voice came from the other side: “Hey, bro, is it to your liking?”
The chubby guy beside him, watching Xu Feng wolf down the skewers, couldn’t help but be intrigued. Thinking back to Xu Feng’s performance on stage and his easy banter with Lin Shenghuan, he felt that this guy was anything but simple.
Moreover, he believed Xu Feng was very likely to make a name for himself in the future.
Making a connection now might prove valuable later, and at the very least, he could brag about it to others.
Xu Feng looked up, a bit puzzled, “It’s okay, why?”
“Well, since we know each other now, why don’t we add each other on WeChat? You know, in case we need to get in touch later?”
After all, this was his first client. Xu Feng thought for a moment and nodded, “Sure, I’ll scan you. Just give me a note.”
“Just call me Cheng Zhao…” Cheng Zhao said, his pupils suddenly widening, “Xu Feng, look at Weibo! You’re trending!”
So soon?
The concert had just ended; how long had it been?
Xu Feng finished the last skewer in his hand, took out his phone, and opened Weibo.
“Someone’s breakup is your wedding?”
Xu Feng clicked into the trending topic and couldn’t help but scoff at the title—these gossip mongers didn’t even get it right. They were never together, so how could it be a breakup?
Upon entering, he saw that the top post on the trending list was a video accompanied by a humorous meme.
From the very first second of the video, the screen was almost half-filled with bullet comments.
When Xu Feng cut ties with the “green tea” girl and stepped on stage, many viewers were already shouting in the comments.
“They clearly came together, pretending not to know each other. Big scoop! Does anyone have insider information?”
“So even a handsome guy like this gets played by trash? Fair enough.”
“Is this handsome guy about to sing a breakup song?”
“Seriously, I’ve never heard a German song before. A multi-talented handsome guy—if you don’t want him, I do!”
“…”
When Xu Feng appeared on stage, many people were eagerly speculating what kind of song he would sing under so many watchful eyes.
Then, when the song started playing in the video, the bullet comments noticeably thinned out.
It took a full two to three seconds before the comments erupted again.
“WTF?! What song is this?!”
“Huh?! Huh?! I’ve got my speakers on, man! Don’t do this to me! My parents are right beside me!”
“Are you telling me this is a German song?”
“Good! Setting a new example of civility, my mom just rewarded me with my favorite ear-splitting slap after listening.”
“I suddenly understand why this video is trending; this guy is amazing. Singing this kind of song in front of so many people—just for his nerves, he deserves a perfect score.”
“This handsome guy is definitely a tough one. That ‘green tea’ chick doesn’t stand a chance messing with him.”
“Without knowing the full picture, I won’t comment. But for now, I’m just here for the fun.”
“Aside from the lyrics and everything else, I think this guy’s singing is actually quite good!”
“I know a bit of German. Although it might sound a bit civilized to most of you, his pronunciation is actually quite standard. He must have practiced.”
“I’m kind of hooked; let’s hear it again.”
“Does he have a Weibo or any other social media account? Feels like an interesting person; I want to follow him.”
“…”
The discussions on the topic were very lively, and it seemed Xu Feng had already garnered a lot of attention with this stunt.
However, Xu Feng knew these fleeting moments of popularity were like a tree without roots—they wouldn’t last long. If he wanted to hold onto this wave of traffic, he needed to come up with something truly his own as soon as possible.
In the end, his hopes still lay with ‘Tomorrow’s God of Song.’
“The first performance is coming soon. I’d better get back and prepare.”
After watching the video and reading the comments, Xu Feng finished the last skewer and stood up. He bid farewell to Cheng Zhao and left the barbecue stall.
Returning to his cramped rental room, Xu Feng plugged in his almost-dead phone and noticed several new messages on WeChat.
Lin Shenghuan: “Just took another nap and realized I forgot to send you something important. Here’s the schedule for ‘Tomorrow’s God of Song.’ You should be familiar with most of the segments, so I won’t say much. The most important part is the elimination round from 8 to 5. I’m not sure if you’ll make it to that stage, but I’m giving you a heads-up.”
“‘Tomorrow’s God of Song’ has 10 episodes in total, and the 8 to 5 elimination round will likely be in the seventh episode. The competition format is highly intense, requiring the singer to perform an original song and play their own accompaniment. If you really can’t play any instrument and opt for the official accompaniment or go a cappella, you’ll be at a huge disadvantage in the final scoring.”
“If you know any instruments, start preparing early. For composing and arranging songs, the show will have teachers to help, so don’t worry too much.”
“If you really can’t, just focus on participating. Don’t take my joke about aiming for the top 5 too seriously. Good luck and may you perform exceptionally well!”
Instrumental performance…
Xu Feng glanced at the system reward that gave him a “+80 proficiency in a niche musical instrument,” feeling somewhat lucky.
With an additional +50 to his singing ability, making it into the top five and completing the task seemed fairly achievable.
“Singing and playing aren’t issues now; the question is, which song should I perform?” Xu Feng muttered to himself, feeling a bit conflicted.
Even with his memories from his previous life, Xu Feng couldn’t just recreate an entire work of entertainment—a familiar song, a novel, a movie—from memory.
If he were to collaborate with the show’s professional staff, there might be a decent chance of successfully recreating something. However, the issue of copyright ownership would be a massive headache.
Looking at the system panel and his pitiful 300 points, and seeing the note that said “can be used to draw entertainment works,” a bold idea popped into Xu Feng’s mind.
Why not go all in?