"Probably."
Su Hua lowered her eyes. She both hoped he would remember what happened five years ago and dreaded the thought of it. Back then, he had seen her brutal and bloodthirsty side, and the disbelief in his eyes had been unmistakable.
Someone as gentle as him would surely dislike such a violent and ruthless version of her, wouldn’t he?
With that thought, Su Hua clenched her hands tightly. What if he found out about her condition? Would he think she was terrifying?
After breakfast, Su Hua headed to the company to handle some work. Meanwhile, Lin Xuan went to the bank to withdraw a large sum of money, accompanied by Butler Wang and two bodyguards. Lin Xuan casually stuffed the money into a sack, completely unfazed by the possibility of robbery.
He walked out of the bank carrying a sack full of cash.
The onlookers were practically blinded by the sight.
"Holy crap, is that all money in there?"
"What else would it be? He just walked out of the bank with it!"
"Damn, he’s loaded. Look at his bodyguards, his outfit, and his car. He’s definitely a tycoon. Ugh, why are there so many rich people in the world, and why can’t I be one of them?"
"Carrying money in a sack—that’s my dream."
Several young men with brightly dyed hair stared greedily at the sack Lin Xuan was carrying.
They wanted to follow him and rob him of his money.
But when they saw the two bodyguards, they chickened out.
Lin Xuan drove his Koenigsegg all the way to Dream Studio.
At that moment, Dream Studio was enveloped in a heavy, lifeless atmosphere.
"Dieyi, I’m sorry. I got eliminated early this time," Yu Wanqing said, her eyes red.
"It’s not your fault," Su Dieyi replied, stubbing out her cigarette in the ashtray. "Starlight Entertainment is targeting us—no, more accurately, they’re targeting me."
Because she had refused to play along with the industry’s underhanded tactics, Li Wei had become furious and tried to pressure her by threatening her career. Without hesitation, she paid a hefty termination fee and left Starlight Entertainment.
But the entertainment industry was a dark place, and she chose not to sign with another company.
She had won numerous awards in the music industry, and her concerts were always sold out. Yet, right before her first concert after leaving Starlight Entertainment, a wave of so-called "scandals" was exposed about her.
Accusations of being a homewrecker, ungrateful, and heartless toward her parents were thrown at her. Overnight, she became a public enemy.
Fans turned their backs on her, concert tickets were refunded, and her singing career was effectively over.
But she refused to give up. She started her own studio, hoping to nurture the next big star. However, she had underestimated Starlight Entertainment’s power. They made sure none of her artists could rise to fame.
They were untouchable, while she was nothing more than an insignificant ant, powerless to fight back.
"I’ve dragged you all down," Su Dieyi said, her voice hoarse.
"Dieyi, don’t say that. We’re grateful for everything you’ve taught us. Without you, we might have already left the entertainment industry," Yu Wanqing said, clutching Su Dieyi’s hand.
"Dieyi, if we stick together, we’ll get through this."
"It’s no use," Su Dieyi shook her head, smiling bitterly. "No matter how much effort we put in, it’s futile. I’ve already sold my house and car, and I can’t keep the studio running anymore."
All the money she had earned over the years, apart from paying the termination fee to Starlight Entertainment, had been poured into the studio. And yet, it had all come to nothing.
"Dieyi," a man and a woman walked into the meeting room.
"Xue’er, Gu Bin, you’re here. Please, sit," Su Dieyi greeted them.
But Gu Xue and Gu Bin remained standing.
"Dieyi," Gu Xue bit her lip. "My brother and I came today to terminate our contracts. I don’t want to waste any more time here." At Dream Studio, all she saw was darkness and no future.
If she wanted to make it big in the entertainment industry, she had to leave Dream Studio.
"Dieyi, we won’t be paying the termination fee. You promised to nurture us, but your studio hasn’t done anything for us. If the studio can’t give us anything, why should we pay the fee?" Gu Xue spoke with conviction.
Su Dieyi looked hurt, a mocking smile tugging at her lips.
After a long pause, she said, "Alright, I agree to terminate the contracts." She signed the termination papers.
Gu Xue and Gu Bin took the contracts, visibly relieved.
"Dieyi," Gu Xue’s tone turned condescending. "My advice? Quit the entertainment industry while you still can. Running this studio will only drag others down."
She felt like Su Dieyi had already wasted a year of her life.
Yu Wanqing snapped, "Since you’ve terminated your contracts, you’re no longer part of this studio. Get out!"
"Fine, we’re leaving. Like we care anyway," Gu Xue sneered, leaving Dream Studio with Gu Bin. They headed straight to Starlight Entertainment.
"Dieyi, don’t take Gu Xue’s words to heart," Yu Wanqing comforted her.
"She’s right. Running this studio only brings others down," Su Dieyi said with a bitter smile. "Wanqing, Zhou Wei, you should leave too."
"Once you’re gone, Starlight Entertainment won’t target you anymore. With your talent, I’m sure you’ll make it big in the music industry."
"Dieyi, I’m not leaving!" Yu Wanqing cried. "I’ll work without pay if I have to."
Zhou Wei sighed. As much as he hated to admit it, disbanding the studio was the best option for everyone.
"Wanqing, even if you work without pay, I can’t keep the studio running. The rent, utilities, and my own living expenses—I’ve almost run out of the money from selling my house and car. I have no choice but to close the studio."
"Don’t be sad. All good things must come to an end. We’re all still in Yundu City, so we’ll see each other often. It’s just that we won’t be working together anymore."
Su Dieyi brought out a bottle of red wine she had brought with her. "Let’s have a toast."
The group drank in silence.
Before leaving, Yu Wanqing threw herself into Su Dieyi’s arms, sobbing. "Dieyi, I’m going to miss you so much."
Su Dieyi smiled gently. "The place I’m renting now is just a few hundred meters from your home. If you miss me, you can come see me anytime."
"Dieyi, goodbye," Yu Wanqing said, her eyes red as she left the studio.
Su Dieyi stayed alone in the empty studio for an hour and a half. Her eyes were hollow, devoid of any light.
She had thought she could stand up to the industry’s powers, but she had been naive.
As long as Starlight Entertainment existed, she would never rise again.
Su Dieyi laughed at herself, then got up to pack her things. She carried a large cardboard box and walked toward the door. Just as she opened it, Lin Xuan appeared.
He waved at her. "Hello, Miss Su."
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
end. Thus one must continue to cultivate, and become a saint or great emperor, in order to prolong one's life. Chen Xia, however, completely reversed this. Since his transmigration, he has gained immortality, and also a system that awards him with attribute points for every year he lives. Thus between the myriad worlds, the legend of an unparalleled senior appeared. "A gentleman takes revenge; it is never too late even after ten thousand years." "When you were at your peak I yielded, now in your old age I shall trample on you." - Chen Xia
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
