Translator: Atlas Studios
Editor: Atlas Studios
When Qin Baobao appeared before Qin Ze, she looked gloomy and pouty as if she were about to cry.
Qin Ze rolled his eyes. “Stop pretending; you passed the audition, didn’t you?”
Her expression changed instantly. “How did you know?”
“We grew up together; I probably know you better than you know yourself.”
…
“Qin Baobao is not bad. The company needs people like that. I suggest that we give her the D-class contract. What do you all think?” General Manager Zhang said after a discussion with everyone in the conference room.
The few judges agreed.
“Wait!” Mei Changhong said loudly.
General Manager Zhang frowned. “Manager Mei, speak your mind.”
Mei Changhong did not reply. Instead, she looked down and fiddled with her phone. If she could not find it by title, the title might be fake. Maybe a hit would turn up if she searched by lyrics.
No? It cannot be!
Mei Changhong had no choice. “I felt that the song from earlier was a little familiar. Maybe it was a rip off of another song. How can someone who has never learned music professionally know how to write music? Don’t you all think it’s weird?”
“There are always people with exceptional talent in different areas. Just because someone has never learned music, it doesn’t mean that they can’t write songs,” said General Manager Zhang. “Is it familiar to anyone else? I’ve never heard that tune before.”
The others shook their heads in agreement.
Mei Changhong still was not convinced, but General Manager Zhang dismissed her. “Our job as the HR department is to discover talent for the company. If she doesn’t have talent, you can have her. However, she clearly has a lot of potential as everyone has seemed. The workplace favors the able. Let’s set the matter with your niece aside first.”
…
In the corridor, Qin Ze received the notification. “Host, congratulations on completing the mission. You are rewarded with three hundred points!”
It’s done!
He was elated. He was about to say something when the door of the conference room opened, and an assistant stepped out. “Qin Baobao, come in!”
Everything that happened after was as Qin Ze has predicted. Qin Baobao signed the contract successfully and then followed the assistant around to complete the procedures. Qin Ze sent her a text to tell her that he was going down for a breather.
Qin Ze used to read on the internet that contracts with entertainment companies were often rather iffy and filled with imparity clauses. However, he was not worried. Qin Baobao was a graduate, and she was intelligent. She had also spent a year in a foreign firm so she knew about the common tricks people used in business.
He left the Star Talent building and smoked a cigarette on the streets as cars passed him by. It was only then that he felt alive, and the fatigue seemed to leave his body a little. His legs were trembling when he entered the elevator.
Qin Ze launched the interface of the system. The points icon was lit up, and he clicked into it.
The interface changed to reflect a diverse range of categories: entertainment, art, life, mechanics, economics, languages, industry, literature, computing, martial arts, physical education…
“What are these?” Qin Ze was stunned. He felt like he was in the middle of a life management app.
“The host can exchange anything in here with the points,” the system said, “You can read the details and description yourself.”
Qin Ze clicked into the entertainment category, which was sub-divided into more categories: film, music, variety, stand-up comedy… it was endless.
He clicked into the music category. The interface changed to reveal many song names in Chinese, Cantonese, English, Russian, etc. Each one was blacked out, with points attached at the end. He found the song called ‘Invisible Wings’. It only cost 30 points!
The system’s words resounded in Qin Ze’s mind: “I can change your life, I can change your fate…”
After today, his life was going to change; and his future will be changed forever.
No, not just his life.
Qin Ze was confident. He was going to the man that changed the world.
Half an hour later, Qin Baobao exited the building with a beaming smile.
Qin Ze waved to her, and she walked over. “What kind of monster are you? Reveal yourself to me now.”
She then put her arms around Qin Ze’s neck. Qin Ze pushed on her forehead to get her away. “What monster?”
“Tell me, where did that song come from? When did you learn to write songs? How come I never knew?” Qin Baobao pouted.
“There are plenty of things that you don’t know.” Qin Ze beamed. “Do I have to tell you everything? Do I have to report to you when I’m dating someone? You’re my sister, not my mother.”
Qin Baobao immediately became wary. “You’re dating someone? What vixen dares to seduce my brother?”
“I can’t be bothered with you.” Qin Ze took a cigarette out and put it between his lips.
Qin Baobao followed after him in her heels and bag.
Qin Baobao started her car and beamed at her brother. “I’m in a good mood today; it’s my treat.”
However, Qin Ze was rather listless. “Let’s order delivery. I don’t feel like eating out. I want to go home and rest.”
His feet were still weak.
“Party pooper!” Qin Baobao wrinkled her nose. She looked around and then lowered her head shyly. “My dear brother, you’ve done well today. When we get home, I’ll reward you with that…”
That caught Qin Ze’s attention. “I’ll take your word for it; don’t go back on your word!”
Qin Baobao nodded awkwardly. “En.”
The car left the parking lot and sped away.
It was 11 in the morning. Traffic was not as crowded as it was during peak hours, and the pair of siblings got back home after forty minutes.
Qin Ze grabbed Qin Baobao’s hand and sprinted into the lift. He pressed on the buttons frantically. The lift made its way up and stopped on the sixth floor.
Qin Ze got his keys out to the door and stuck them in the lock. He then took a deep breath and looked towards his sister. “Sister, we’re home.”
Qin Baobao looked down. “En!”
“I’m so excited, so nervous; my heart feels like it’s going to beat out of my chest!” said Qin Ze.
“Look at you!” Qin Baobao rolled her eyes at her brother.
“It’s been about half a month since the last time we…” Qin Ze said excitedly, “and now you’re finally agreeing to this.”
“Hurry up and open the door already.” Qin Baobao rushed him.
Qin Ze twisted his key and opened the door.
A few minutes later, music resounded in the room. It was accompanied by Qin Ze’s cries: “Sister, heal me, heal me.”
“Aiyo, please be more aware. The opponent has got me, and you’re still distracted…”
“Why are you using a secondary character? Help me kill them…”
“We’re doomed, we’re doomed. If the other side gets a double kill, we’re a goner.”
Qin Baobao, “Shut up, I know how this works.”
“Why are you jumping around? Get over here so I can heal you.”
“Aiyo, I’m stuck in a trap; help.”
“Use your abilities after you hide yourself in the grass. See? The other party managed to get away.”
“You’re so useless; I’m not playing with you next time. I just got promoted to platinum… wu…”
At three in the afternoon—after five rounds of defeat, the pair of siblings threw their mouse aside. Qin Baobao stood by the table, and Qin Baobao stood by the bed. They pointed fingers at each other and looked down on each other. Qin Baobao could not win her brother in an argument so she resorted to throwing pillows. Qin Ze fought back in anger and threw a pillow back.
Surprisingly, the pillow fight ended with Qin Baobao emerging victorious. She chased him from the room into the living room and to the kitchen before Qin Ze sought refuge and locked himself in his room.
Qin Ze tossed himself onto the bed as he panted. He felt tired and weak. The system had just extracted his energy earlier in the day. Else, he would be the winner now, having his sister beg for mercy.
Sleepiness swept him away as he fell asleep. At 7 PM, Qin Baobao knocked on the door to get him to eat. It was a delivered meal since Qin Baobao did not know how to cook. After the meal, he went back to sleep in his room.
He woke up at four in the morning. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He was especially energetic.
“System, I can’t fall asleep.”
“Host, I don’t have hypnotic powers.”
“No, no, no, I want to learn from that Energy Cultivation Manual. You did me in today, and I don’t want to have another taste of that.”
“I’ll immediately come up with a training plan for you. Please wait!”
After a few seconds, the system’s interface appeared before Qin Ze’s eyes, and on it was his training schedule.
“1. Wake up at 6 every day and run for an hour.”
“2. Practice 12 duanjin qinggong!”
“I’ve only heard of the Taoist 8 duanjin qigong.”
“12 duanjin qinggong is just the default name that the system has assigned to a type of breathing exercise. If you don’t like the name, you can call it taichi.”
“Okay, the name’s not important. However, what do I do? I don’t know it!”
“Host, please pay a hundred points. The system will automatically transfer the information to your brain afterward.”
That’s expensive!
Qin Ze then proceeded to make the payment.
He felt a boom in his head as if something was trying to squeeze its way in. He then lost consciousness for a while. When he came to, he suddenly knew the 12 duanjin qinggong already.
“Oh, wow, did I just pick something up without learning?” Qin Ze was stunned. “What principle and theory is this?”
“The human brain is how humans store and record messages…” The system went on and on.
“No idea what’s going on, but cool.” Qin Ze was confused, but he was not bothered by it. He put on his clothes and snuck out of his room. The living room was pitch black, and Qin Baobao’s room door was closed. He grabbed the keys and headed out, locking the door behind him.
It was 4:30 in the morning. The estate was quiet, the lights were dim, and the security was dozing off in the lobby.
He zipped up his jacket and ran out of the building.
He took a left after leaving the estate. There was a park two kilometers out. There used to be houses and an elementary school there. It was bustling with activity when he was a child. The seniors would exercise in the park, and the schoolchildren would play in the park after school. Now, the park was overtaken by line dancers who danced twice a day.