This Star Only Wants More Money - Chapter 5
Translator: Diviner
“The song library is completely random, and the more points you invest, the higher your chances of drawing a work,” Xu Feng muttered, reading the rules for the system’s lottery.
“Each draw requires a minimum of 100 points, with a maximum of 100,000 points.”
“It seems like the odds of winning should be pretty low…”
Xu Feng thought for a moment and decided to try his luck first—after all, holding onto these 300 points was pointless. If he didn’t win, he could think of other ways later.
The prize pool was divided into categories such as songs, films, and literature. Without hesitation, Xu Feng chose the “songs” category.
He felt a mix of expectation and nervousness; as long as he won something, he could be well-prepared for the 8-to-5 elimination round!
Of course, he hoped he wouldn’t draw some joke of a song.
A few seconds later, a large line of text appeared before his eyes.
[Congratulations! You have won (Due to this being your first draw, the chance of winning is 100%. Subsequent draws will revert to normal probabilities.)]
[You have obtained the song ‘Ugly Monster.’]
[The song will be automatically registered for copyright upon release.]
Xu Feng breathed a sigh of relief.
It turned out the first draw had a 100% winning rate—he had worried for nothing.
Moreover, the song he had drawn was quite normal, a classic piece, not something like “Schnappi,” which would only serve as a joke. It was definitely a song he could showcase on a variety show.
With Xu Feng’s current singing ability and the song in hand, completing the task of making it to the top five on the show shouldn’t be a problem.
“Everything is ready except for the crucial moment… What should I do for the next few days?”
He had only been in this world for half a day and wasn’t someone with a significant background or connections. He was unfamiliar with the entertainment industry, and his only connection, Lin Shenghuan, could at best be considered an acquaintance.
In any world, the entertainment industry was generally a young person’s game. To make a name for himself, time was his most precious resource, and he couldn’t afford to waste even a second.
Even though he had a portable agent from the system to shield him from the industry’s murky waters, he couldn’t waste time.
After a moment of thought, Xu Feng decided that he couldn’t just wait for the competition to come; he needed to hone his skills.
While ability was crucial, experience was just as important.
The system only provided abilities, but that didn’t mean Xu Feng couldn’t practice to elevate his skills even further.
So, singing practice it was!
Xu Feng put on his headphones, copied the song file from the system’s music library, and began practicing.
He spent almost the entire night practicing his singing—of course, he kept his voice under control, so he wouldn’t disturb the neighbors above or below him.
As he finished the last practice round and was about to go to bed, a system prompt suddenly popped up.
[Singing ability +0.5, current level is 4.5 (The higher the ability, the harder it is to improve.)]
Xu Feng, who had been ready to close his eyes, couldn’t help but feel pleasantly surprised,
“Practicing on my own can also improve my ability?”
He had been worrying about how to maneuver in the entertainment industry with such a low singing level, and now a solution had practically fallen into his lap.
Xu Feng became energized and decided to shut himself in for the next few days, focusing on improving his singing as much as possible.
“No sleep! More practice!”
…
Three days later, with his singing ability now at 6, Xu Feng felt refreshed as he took a taxi to the set of ‘Tomorrow’s God of Song’ at Luohe City Television Station.
After showing his contestant badge, Xu Feng encountered no obstacles and walked straight into the TV station.
Along the way, he saw all sorts of eccentric people—big men with flamboyant braids, blue-dyed humanoid creatures, cross-dressing men in cosplay outfits, and mages covered in tattoos and body modifications with metal implants all over their bodies.
It made one wonder just how much flesh remained in their bodies.
“What a bunch of freaks…”
“Surprised?” Before Xu Feng could finish his comment, Lin Shenghuan’s familiar voice suddenly came from nearby. “Don’t think of your opponents as too formidable; just relax.”
Xu Feng turned to look at her. Today, Lin Shenghuan was dressed in a sporty outfit with a short skirt, looking less classical and more dynamic.
Seeing Xu Feng turn around, Lin Shenghuan, who was about to take her place as a judge, raised an eyebrow with a full smile, “How’s the preparation going, Xu, the handsome guy?”
Xu Feng originally wanted to be modest, but after thinking about the people he had just seen, he decided to be honest, “I think I’m pretty well prepared.”
It would be embarrassing to admit that he couldn’t compete against this bunch.
“Don’t get complacent. Among the weirdos, there are also some real talents. I’m heading in, I’m looking forward to seeing how you do.”
Xu Feng nodded slightly and walked into the waiting room.
…
In the city center of Luohe City, at night, in a luxurious penthouse in an upscale neighborhood.
On the 21st floor, there were sounds of rummaging and clattering.
A chubby guy was holding a pile of memorabilia from a certain famous female singer, his face full of shock, “Sis, are you sure you want to throw all of these away?”
These items must be worth at least a hundred thousand!
“Yes, she’s finished. She can get out of my life.”
The woman speaking wore an elaborate, slightly extravagant outfit. Her figure was graceful, her perfect legs gently swaying under layered skirts, her long hair meticulously styled with exquisite hair accessories, and her slender fingers held two standees. Her beautiful, delicate face was filled with disdain, as if she were holding garbage.
She was Cheng Zhao’s older sister, Cheng Luan. Since her brother, who was a university student, was staying over, it was only natural for him to take care of chores like throwing out the trash and cleaning.
Cheng Zhao, struggling with a pile of stuff, complained, “Why don’t we just hire someone to help you throw this out? There’s so much.”
“Do you think you can live here for free just because I’m not charging you rent? Be a good college kid and do the hard labor.” Cheng Luan placed the standees on top of the pile of trash and patted her brother’s shoulder. “Throw it out and then come back for dinner.”
After sending her foolish brother off, Cheng Luan took a few plates from the kitchen and set them on the table.
She didn’t start eating immediately but instead took out her phone to find something to watch while eating.
These days, it felt like something was missing if she didn’t watch something while eating.
“What to watch? ‘Dead Mouse Khan’ hasn’t updated… I’ve finished all the recent dramas. The trashy ones are really awful—can the entertainment industry please improve a bit and stop going downhill?” As a hardcore fan of entertainment, Cheng Luan sighed and continued scrolling through her phone.
After a few minutes of fruitless searching, she finally gritted her teeth and made a decision, “Fine, I’ll watch this year’s ‘Tomorrow’s God of Song!’“
The reason Cheng Luan was somewhat reluctant about this variety show was that these music shows were often filled with cringeworthy praise and emotional manipulation, which ruined the viewing experience.
Some songs were clearly bad, and some contestants sounded like they were shouting into a mic, yet they still managed to get decent scores, followed by a shower of exaggerated compliments.
“Forget it… I’ll just turn off my brain and watch for fun.”
“Well, at least with so many episodes, it’ll keep me entertained for a while.”
Cheng Luan clicked on the first episode, and the moment she saw that group of performance artists, her pretty eyebrows furrowed slightly.
But, realizing that there weren’t many good entertainment options lately, she decided to endure it.
As she continued watching, Cheng Luan’s eyes suddenly brightened as if she had seen something captivating.
At that moment, her brother, who had just finished throwing out the trash, returned. He cautiously moved closer and asked, “Sis, what are you watching so intently?”
Cheng Luan’s gaze remained fixed, “Don’t disturb me! I’ve discovered a singer with great potential! Your sister might just become his first hardcore fan. His singing has something special, and he’s so handsome!”
Have you only ever been a fan of one person, and you’ve just seamlessly switched fandoms after quitting the last one?
I thought you’d take a break…
Cheng Zhao silently mocked in his mind, then curiously moved two steps closer, “Who is it? Let me see.”
Two seconds later, a surprised shout echoed through the entire living room.
“Holy crap?! Isn’t that Xu Feng?”