Chapter 42: What Schemes Are You Plotting Now?

Weibo Trending Topics:
Hot #1: Certain stand-up comedian crosses the line!
Hot #2: Strange "Raging Wind" set for release!
Hot #3: Is Su Mu really that good?
Hot #4: Why does everyone say Su Mu is a great actor?
Hot #5: Hearing the hurt in your breath! (Su Mu #SuperTopic)
Hot... CBA Champion...
Hot... MSI Losers Bracket...

Right after the media announced the release date for "Raging Wind," several keywords related to Su Mu dominated the trending charts. There was no doubt about it: an idol who rose to fame for his looks finds it hard to shake off public stereotypes overnight. Even if he goes from a ‘standstill performer’ to a ‘fish-slaughtering maniac,’ it hardly matters. So, rather than the public eagerly anticipating the new drama, it was more that they couldn’t wait to see just how bad Su Mu’s villain role would be, so they could legitimately start criticizing.

Yet, for the production team and the streaming platforms, this was an absolute boon. There was no need for heavy promotion; those haters themselves ramped up the anticipation to the maximum.

…

These past few days, Su Mu had been staying at a hotel in Jing City. With two promotional events still ahead, he wasn’t going to bother moving around anymore. But Qian Jida, on the other hand, was swamped. His phone barely stopped ringing. As Su Mu’s popularity soared, people swiftly recognized the value and sent waves of invitations and film offers.

In the past, Qian Jida would have simply picked the ones with the highest pay and accepted them all. Now, he wouldn’t accept just any invitation—even knowing Su Mu would need a substantial workload over the next two years to fulfill the remaining billions in his company contract. But he understood better than anyone what Su Mu needed most at this stage of transformation: one dazzling work after another that would make audiences and fans gasp in admiration.

Too much temptation can cloud judgment. If you can’t see the road ahead clearly and blindly chase every benefit, you’re sure to fall hard—many before him had learned that lesson.

…

[Male Artiste Panel]
Strength: 1.1
Speed: 1.1
Vocal Range: 0.1
Stamina: 6.1
Brainpower: 11.1
Skill Points: 28.3
[Speech Proficiency lv3: 2/5000 (Exceptional Artisan)]
[…]

Inside the room.

Su Mu was studying his attribute parameters. After yesterday’s media interview, his speech proficiency had risen from LV2 to LV3. With this, plus script, emotion, expression, lines, and behavioral imitation, he now had six proficiency options at LV3. He could add another round of attribute points—up to 5 points per attribute at a time. With 28.3 skill points left, if he added 5 points to all five attributes, that would use 25, leaving 3 points for drawing blind boxes.

Su Mu thought it over. He felt basic attributes needed to keep pace, otherwise even if proficiency reached a certain level, insufficient physical talent would make it hard to sustain. Whether filming or participating in other variety shows, there would inevitably be demands for special skills. His next project, "Langya List," would see him playing Mei Changsu—a sickly character who didn’t need much action. But in the future, if he took on martial arts or urban war films, physical foundations would be crucial. Preparing early was always wise.

"Add attributes, 5 points each."

[Notice: 25 points needed]
[Remaining: 3.3]

Strength: 6.1
Speed: 6.1
Vocal Range: 5.1
Stamina: 11.1
Brainpower: 16.1

As the attributes rose, Su Mu felt subtle changes in his body—a slight itch, followed by a surge of energy.

[Blind Box Task:
Current Weibo followers: 18.9 million / 20 million (incomplete)
Current Douyin followers: 7 million / 10 million (incomplete)
Reward:
[Item Blind Box*1]
[Skill Points +5]]

Su Mu checked his task progress. The recent spike in popularity had brought him plenty of attention—several million new followers on both Weibo and Douyin. Now, only two promotional events for "Raging Wind" remained. Weibo would be easy; with his trending physique, another million-plus followers would come swiftly. Douyin was lagging by three million—he’d barely made any short video content there, focusing more on Weibo, so perhaps that was the reason. Still, there was hope: one of the two upcoming events was a live-stream with the main cast, sure to draw a large online audience—a perfect opportunity to boost his follower count.

Thinking about this, Su Mu took out his prepared lyrics and began his vocal practice. With the improvement in his vocal range attribute, his previously constricted vocal cords relaxed, making his singing more fluid than ever.

"Hearing the hurt in your breath."
"Hearing the wildness in your heartbeat…"
[High Note Proficiency +1]
[Mid-Low Note Proficiency +1]
[Breath Proficiency +1]
"When~ you enter this lively hall."
"A toast to the dawn, a toast to the moonlight…"
[Mid-Low Note Proficiency +1]
[Breath Proficiency +1]
[Skill Points +0.01…+0.01]
"Lights blazing in the streets."
'Suddenly, a chill sweeps through.'
'Distant tenderness…'
[High Note Proficiency +1]
[High Note Proficiency +1]
[Skill Points +0.01…]

…

Yadong Records.
Recording Studio.

"These! These are all your own creations?" Liu Yadong stared at the sheet music Su Mu handed him, dumbfounded. One was a powerful, passionate anthem—"Salvation." The other, "Dispelling Sorrow," had profound lyrics and a folk-like vibe.

As a seasoned music producer, he could easily discern the quality of these pieces—they were every bit as good as Su Mu's previous hit, "Listen."

Liu Yadong finally couldn’t hold back: "I truly don’t understand what Qian Jida is thinking. You’re obviously a genius songwriter! Why insist on shifting your focus to film and TV?"

Su Mu: "It pays more."

Liu Yadong: "……"

He wanted to argue, but had nothing to say.

Su Mu: "So, what do you think, Teacher Yadong? Are these songs passable?"

Liu Yadong’s eye twitched—passable? They were phenomenal!

"Su Mu, with this talent, you could absolutely release your own album. Original music is much like film and TV—you can sign with music platforms and earn royalties. If your songs become hits, the revenue keeps coming in. The main platforms now are NetEase Cloud, Cool Cat, Penguin Music. Douyin, though focused on live and short videos, also buys music rights. You’ll have to decide between a buyout or revenue share. If you’re interested, write a few more songs; I can be your producer."

Liu Yadong spoke calmly, but in truth, he was deeply earnest and cherished Su Mu’s talent. Right now, releasing albums and earning royalties was the only avenue he could think of to persuade Su Mu to devote himself to music.

Su Mu: "Don’t worry, Teacher Yadong. If I ever make an album, I’ll definitely come to you."

Liu Yadong: "Good, it’s settled then. By the way, are you releasing these two songs as singles today?"

Su Mu shook his head: "No, I just want you to help me create the backing tracks."

"Oh, only the backing tracks?" Liu Yadong was surprised, studying Su Mu. "Just backing tracks—are you planning a live performance? What scheme are you and Qian Jida up to?"

Su Mu smiled: "Nothing much, just planning to use them during the upcoming livestream."

Liu Yadong: "???"