Spare Tire No. 08

Master

An Yi had just opened his mouth when his mind went blank, choking back sobs as words failed him.

Facial cleanser!?

The sheer lethality of this was a bit too much!

Mu Qingyi's eyes glazed over in confusion!

What on earth was she doing?

No, she had to snap out of it.

Mu Qingyi clenched her teeth.

An Yi let out a pained howl.

Damn it all!

Why the hell are you biting me?!

Shen Muxuan, who had been sleeping soundly, rubbed her bleary eyes.

Where had the master beside her gone?

And why was An Yi screeching like a banshee?!

Moonlight spilled like water.

The room fell silent again.

An Yi touched the teeth marks on his body, wincing in pain.

No denying it—this woman, whether in temperament or dental strength, was terrifyingly formidable!

A row of bloody bite marks lined his shoulder, likely taking weeks to fade.

The sound of running water echoed from the bathroom.

An Yi couldn’t help but let his imagination wander.

Just a moment ago, Mu Qingyi had snapped back to her senses, preventing the situation from escalating further.

An Yi sighed deeply.

Thankfully, they’d pulled back from the brink—otherwise, he wouldn’t have known how to face Shen Muxuan.

Time to sleep. I’m dead tired!

Yawning, An Yi lay down, only to bolt upright again: Why the hell is the bedsheet damp?!

The next morning.

Before dawn, An Yi fled with the Celestial Star Grass in tow.

Home was no longer safe.

If Mu Qingyi realized he was the one behind this mess, she’d bash his skull in.

To spare Shen Muxuan from widowhood, his only option was to run.

Before leaving, he made sure to grab the potted plant.

This thing was his lifeline!

His fortune depended on this grass! What if Mu Qingyi trashed his place in a rage?!

Driving his beat-up taxi, An Yi whistled as he sped toward the An Corporation.

The blaring, ear-splitting pop music was pure torture.

An Yi felt nauseated: What the hell is this garbage?

He used to listen to these same songs—why did they sound so unbearable today?

Forced to endure, he switched to the radio for news updates.

"Shangguan Qianqian has amicably terminated her contract with Tianyu Media. Together with top agent Xie Yan, she has founded Yilan Media Co., Ltd., which officially launches today—"

Shangguan Qianqian?

An Yi paused at the entertainment news, momentarily surprised.

Then it hit him. He quickly checked his system.

Sure enough, the mission to establish an entertainment company had been completed—back at midnight.

And the reward? [Singer].

Being a real singer wasn’t just about humming a few tunes on Douyin—it came with actual standards.

At the very least, one needed to understand music theory, not to mention having original work.

Now that he’d acquired this professional skill, those plagiarized, formulaic pop songs were unbearable.

Buzz—

His phone vibrated. An Yi answered.

"Boss! Did you see the news? Did you? Qianqian-jie and I just launched the company!"

Nie Qinglan’s excited voice blasted through the phone, nearly rupturing his eardrums.

An Yi grinned. "Good job. So, funding’s all set?"

"Well…"

Nie Qinglan hesitated, then passed the phone to Shangguan Qianqian, whispering guiltily, "I’m not sure—let Qianqian-jie explain."

"Boss."

Shangguan Qianqian’s cool voice came through.

An Yi smiled. "Congrats on the launch. Any operational hurdles?"

Just a polite question—he knew he couldn’t actually help.

Starting an entertainment company had only been a temporary system mission.

"None for now. Operations are running smoothly."

Shangguan Qianqian spoke firmly.

The role of deputy sect leader was tricky, but this was the Asura Sect’s deputy leader—she had to prove her capability in managing sect affairs.

She understood clearly: overseeing Yilan Media was An Yi’s test for her.

What he wanted was results.

She had to deliver—otherwise, she wasn’t fit for the position.

Nie Qinglan took back the phone, chirping, "Boss! With Xie Yan-jie’s help, we poached a bunch of established stars and fresh talent!"

"One newcomer’s already making waves—her coconut milk ad went viral in just days!"

"We’re planning to dive into variety shows first, have these rookies join a competition—"

Listening to Nie Qinglan’s rapid-fire updates, An Yi chuckled.

Maybe this accidental venture could actually become an entertainment empire.

"Boss, how can we celebrate the company’s launch without you? When are you coming?"

Nie Qinglan’s voice suddenly dropped to a whisper.

"An Yi… I miss you."

An Yi jerked, slamming the brakes just in time for a red light.

He sighed. He was still a virgin, yet drowning in romantic entanglements!

No wonder players struggled—being a playboy wasn’t easy!

"So? Are you coming? We’re all waiting! You didn’t even pick up yesterday." Nie Qinglan pouted.

An Yi pondered. "I can’t make it to Yunzhou right now. My identity… it’s complicated."

Though he wasn’t famous, plenty in this world wanted him dead.

Entertainment companies were under constant public scrutiny. If Yilan Media took off, he’d be thrust into the spotlight.

And that was the last thing he wanted.

Silent wealth was the way to go.

Nie Qinglan sounded dejected. "Fine… Boss, visit when you can, okay?"

After hanging up, An Yi headed straight for An Corporation with the Celestial Star Grass.

Last month’s profits had been impressive.

But trends were fickle—without maintaining Jade Beauty Elixir’s hype, sales would crash.

Expansion was ongoing, and the Tiger Yang Pills had just launched. Lan Ruoxi was stretched thin.

With inventory running low, he needed to stockpile more "packaged mud" to avoid shortages.

The Celestial Star Grass grew in cycles.

An Yi harvested it periodically, storing the fresh batches in his dimensional storage.

Too bad there was only one plant.

If only it could flower and seed.

Outside Huachuang Tower—

Wang Yuan stood heartbroken before a girl with an internet-famous face.

"Babe… I saw how you labeled me in your contacts—‘Backup No. 8.’ Fine, whatever. But why is Uncle Liu ‘Backup No. 7’?!"

"The man’s seventy-five! He can’t even walk without… leaking! And you ranked me below him?! You’ve shattered me! Aaargh—"

Yu Baobao took a drag from her cigarette, unimpressed.

"Since you’ve figured it out, let’s break up."

"Wait—can’t I move up a spot? Just don’t leave me behind Uncle Liu!" Wang Yuan pleaded pitifully.

Yu Baobao scoffed. "Uncle Liu owns a 100-square-meter apartment. Do you? He gets welfare subsidies. Do you? He’ll die soon. Can you?"

Wang Yuan took a deep breath, fists clenched.

"Listen. I’m now an executive at An Corporation. My monthly salary is in the hundreds of thousands. Everything you want—I can give it to you."

"Executive? An Corporation? The one selling Jade Beauty Elixir for a million a bottle? You’re delusional!"

Yu Baobao scoffed, "A monthly salary of hundreds of thousands? Then where’s your money? Dressed in cheap rags!"

Wang Yuan awkwardly replied, "I just started this job—my first paycheck won’t come until next month."

"Pfft! What a load of crap!"

Yu Baobao rolled her eyes. She’d rather spend time entertaining some cheerful old man than waste another second on this lying loser.

Though preferably, one who didn’t have the runs.

"I can prove everything he said is true!"

Just then, a beat-up taxi screeched to a halt.