My Sister is a Superstar - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: A Novice’s Mission and His Assisting Tool

Translator: Atlas Studios

Editor: Atlas Studios

“Miss Qin, on your resume, you mentioned you were approached by a scout during high school. You should know when we pick someone with potential, we usually prefer to pick one who is much younger. It’s tough to package you as an artist when you’re twenty-five years old unless you’re in a group act. However, we don’t have any suitable rookies for a girl group in Star Talent lately.” General Manager Zhang paused and smiled at her bitterly before continuing. “Do you have a special talent that you can show us? Otherwise, with the company’s limited resources, I’m afraid we won’t be able to sign you on as an artist.”

Another examiner added, “When we choose an entertainer, age is not as important if you have the right talent and skills. For an artist, however, we need someone young; preferably between the ideal ages of eighteen to twenty-two years old. Teen idols are becoming a trend in the entertainment industry now. It’s a bit awkward when we have people like you.”

“The dancing you did during junior high doesn’t count. Even my daughter can dance better than you.” The middle-aged woman’s face looked surly.

Qin Baobao felt she had been underestimated by the panel of interviewers. Nevertheless, she told herself to be calm. The group of uncles and aunties were unworthy of her greatness.

“I can compose and write songs.” Qin Baobao threw them a heavyweight bomb with confidence.

General Manager Zhang straightened himself unconsciously with exhilaration. “Can we hear it?”

The rest of them looked at one another clearly in doubt.

“Can I go to the bathroom first?” Qin Baobao asked.

The middle-aged woman smiled, “Go ahead. You can come back after lunch. We have another batch of interviewees in the afternoon anyway.”

Once Qin Baobao was out of the conference room, the examiners behind its door no longer had to suppress themselves. “The girl does have some qualities.”

“Indeed. She is outstanding in looks and physique, but beauty alone is not enough in the entertainment industry.”

The middle-aged woman sneered and said, “Nowadays, girls are particularly ambitious especially those who look prettier. They think they are the center of the world. In the end, they are being too ambitious.”

The middle-aged woman is Mei Changhong. She might be jealous of Qin Baobao, but at her age, she wasn’t trying to find faults with the latter. There was a reason why she had been targeting Qin Baobao. This time, the company was only giving out six contracts: three for Class C and three for Class D. They had already signed on with a few rookies with potential over the past few days. The interviewers had two contracts left, one Class C and one Class D. The candidate for Class C contract had been predetermined. Mei Changhong wanted to save the last remaining Class D contract for her niece who had just graduated from drama school.

She had passed this through with her colleagues beforehand and made arrangements in all aspects. Some had not agreed, but they didn’t say anything, too. General Manager Zhang, for one, had agreed tacitly.

Her heart shuddered when she saw Qin Baobao. The young lady was simply too outstanding. The eyes of her male counterparts who sat beside her lit up like light bulbs the moment Qin Baobao entered the room. They were old enough to be her father! Fortunately, the foxy girl was simply a vase. If she had both the talent and skills, the last Class D contract would be hers. In Mei Changhong’s opinion, Qin Baobao had excused herself to go to the bathroom in order to escape the embarrassment.

Mei Changhong had been spot on with her guess.

Qin Ze looked at his sister’s sullen face when she came out of the room. Both siblings exchanged a silent look. No words were needed; her expression explained everything.

“They didn’t sign you.” Qin Ze was disappointed.

“I have the looks and the body. Who are they to reject me? How dare they say I’m without talent and too old? I’m still young and innocent at only twenty-five years old. In what way am I too old?” She vented all her bitterness at her brother.

“I already said you won’t succeed. You’re twenty-five-years-old without any formal training. You didn’t even have singing lessons. You expect to make a living in the entertainment industry just by looking pretty?” Qin Ze began to turn pale.

“You’re just like them.” Qin Baobao glared at him, aggrieved. “In my moment of anger, I told them I can compose music and write songs. They said they want to worship my work so I made up an excuse and told them I needed to go to the bathroom. Let’s get out of here. It’s too embarrassing. They didn’t want me here, but that doesn’t mean I’m not wanted elsewhere. Oh, why do you look so pale?”

This was one incompetent woman.

Qin Ze not only looked pale, but his heart was also turning cold.

Mission failed.

Zero points accumulated.

System to search for a new host.

His energy would be sucked away before the system leaves his body. He would become a vegetable. He was a young man, and he hadn’t even held a girl’s hand. His life would be over before his time. Game over.

He came up with a poem to describe his current feelings:

The peach blossom lake is a thousand feet deep;

I met my doom by my sister’s own hands.

Qin Ze understood with great pain. Big Boss had one remaining drop of blood, and he would die after being touched. However, from Big Boss’s point of view, the existence of a new village rookie like Qin Ze was also a weakling who would die after touching Big Boss.

I have no advantage in the first place.

He didn’t forget to add salt to his sister’s pain. “The connection from your ex-boss was merely enough to secure you a slot for an audition.”

At this point, the voice of the long-lost system sounded in his head.

Ding. “Mission tool activated. Master needs to check it now.”

Qin Ze froze as though he suddenly thought of something. He opened the system interface with his hand shaking and tapped on Mission Tools.

What’s this?

“System, is this a song?”

“Yes. You can’t possibly have a novice mission from h*ll’s mode. Master can have a walkover for this one.”

“What a good walkover! I almost peed in my pants,” Qin Ze complained. “Download it to my cell phone.”

“It’s been downloaded.”

“Sis, I have a song in here.” Qin Ze took out his cell phone and tapped on ‘Local Music’. However, he didn’t bring his earpiece along. Luckily, Qin Baobao had one in her bag. His cell phone and Qin Baobao’s were a couple model. She had given it to him as his birthday present last year.

Qin Baobao stared at him blankly, unable to comprehend what her panicking brother was doing.

Qin Ze tucked her silky hair back and placed the earpiece in. He tapped on ‘play’ as he said, “I wrote this song and recorded it in a recording studio at the beginning of the year. Initially, it was recorded as a keepsake. I didn’t expect it would come in handy.”

Qin Ze was always a kid who could lie well. It only took him a second to come up with one.

A look of amazement appeared on Qin Baobao’s beautiful face. Her expression turned gradually into fascination. It ended quickly. At the end of the three-minute song, her red lips parted. “Y-You… wrote this song?”

“Mmm.” Qin Ze pulled her up on her feet towards the conference room. “Now is not the time for your drama. Go in quickly with the earpiece in your ear. Our life and death depend on you.”

Qin Baobao was at a loss when she entered the conference room.

The examiners were arranging their documents, sipping their tea, as they prepared to take their break.

“Why have you returned?” Mei Changhong was shocked.

“To sing you my song.” Qin Baobao raised her chin like an arrogant swan.

This little wench.

Hatred began to well up inside Mei Changhong.

There was surprise as the examiners exchanged looks with one another. General Manager Zhang coughed and broke the silence. “Please… proceed. Don’t force yourself to do it. You can always consider the position of being a secretary in my office.”

Qin Baobao lowered her head and played the music from the beginning. A few seconds after its opening, an ethereal and pleasant female voice sounded in her ears. At the same time, Qin Baobao sang along with it.

Each time, I wander between loneliness and trying to stay strong.

Each time, I stopped myself from crying no matter how hurt I am.

I always knew I had a pair of invisible wings

That takes me away from despair

Towards the beautiful sun without a thought for my pain.

I witnessed the daily changes in the sunset.

I always knew I had a pair of invisible wings

That takes me towards hope…

Some interviewers had been tidying up their documents, some were checking their cell phones, some had their head lowered as they sipped on their tea, and some were admiring Qin Baobao’s hot body. However, all of them had stopped whatever they had been doing and were listening intently to her. Bit by bit, they immersed themselves with her voice.

I finally saw all my dreams blossom

And realize how loud the voice could be from a dream-chasing youth.

My heart began to soar, no longer afraid.

I would fly as far as the wind blew

Towards the beautiful sun without a thought for my pain.

I witnessed the daily changes in the sunset.

I always knew I had a pair of invisible wings

That takes me towards hope…

Dreams?

Wings?

General Manager Zhang straightened his back unconsciously and stared at Qin Baobao’s face.

Mei Changhong’s heart was filled with dejection.

The interviewer in his early thirties seated at the far left closed his eyes as he immersed himself into the song.

Qin Baobao’s magnetic voice, filled with a hint of a young girl’s unaffected innocence, reverberated in the spacious conference room. It sent her audience soaring with her voice.

“I’m done.”

Qin Baobao sighed in relief once she finished singing the song.

“Oh? You’re done?”

“What a great song!”

“Th-this… doesn’t sound like it had been composed by an amateur. The lyrics are well-written. The best was the song composition.”

“The singing wasn’t too bad. With some training, it will become a good sapling.”

“Didn’t you say she is not suited for the entertainment industry?”

“Who knew she could really write songs and sing, too? On top of everything, she is also beautiful. She turned out to be one with so much potential.”

The interviewers whispered among themselves.

Qin Baobao remained expressionless, but she was jumping on the inside.

Mwahaha… you dare to look down on me and say I’m too old for this? Now, bear witness to my greatness.

General Manager Zhang coughed before he asked pleasantly, “What is the title of this song?”

“Invisible Wings.” Qin Baobao checked her cell phone.

Mei Changhong’s first reaction was to take out her cell phone to do an online search. However, there wasn’t a song titled ‘Invisible Wings’ although there were a lot of related words.

No?

Is it really an original?

“This is a song about dreams. It’s well-written and the singing is even better. It’s about you, right?” General Manager Zhang expressed his admiration for Qin Baobao. “Actually, I still hope that you will be the secretary in my office.”

Please stop saying the word ‘secretary’, Qin Baobao thought to herself.

“However, your talent left me in awe. I give you nine points for this audition.” He continued jokingly, “The one point is to keep you in check in case you get too arrogant.”

Chill, bro. The humor is too much for a man your age.

Qin Baobao smiled sweetly and radiantly. “Thank you.”

“Please step outside. We have much to discuss among ourselves.”

Qin Baobao bowed respectfully and turned to leave the room.

Qin Ze asked the system as he waited along the corridor, “Is the song good enough?”

The system was silent.

“Do you know how to write songs? You’re just a smart system.”

Again, it was silent.

“Hey, are you there?”

A few seconds later, the system replied, “Master, due to insufficient power in the system, I have automatically absorbed yours.”

The next moment, Qin Ze had fallen onto the floor. His head was spinning, and he felt weak as though he had spent the whole night playing with himself.

It took him a few minutes before he recovered and burst into a rage. “You… you… what the h*ll have you done to me?”

“In the words of your world, it’s called charging,” the system replied.

“The answer to Master’s questions earlier… first, the success rate is above ninety percent; second, the song was not written by me as it came from another parallel universe; third, I’m still here.”

“That’s not important. You can charge for all I care. What’s important is why did I become your power source?”

“Do you know about pregnant women? While the fetus is in a pregnant woman’s womb, all the nutrients are provided through the mother. In a way, a fetus is no different from a parasite.”

“Bulls**t! Parasites are harmful.” Qin Ze was seething. “In a way, you are no different from a parasite, too. When something goes wrong with the fetus, something will go wrong for the mother, too. A mother can die from having a difficult birth so a fetus is no different from a parasite.

“Right now, you are the fetus; and I am the mother. I become your power source when you need charging?”

“Yes.”

“I want to hear you call me ‘Daddy’.”

“…”

Qin Ze said, “Don’t you dare make a fool of me. I can’t take the torture. I am just a normal human being. Will I live a shorter life when you absorb my energy like this? Will I become impotent?”

“Master, you have to work hard to train your body. You will follow the workout regimen stated in the system’s Energy Cultivation Manual. It will help to transform your body.”

“What is ‘Energy Cultivation Manual’? I have only heard of ‘Youth Cultivation Manual’.”

“Please wait,” the system replied a few seconds later, “I have done a search. In human language, it’s called ‘Chi Cultivation’.”

“F***. Didn’t you say I can’t be a deity in this world? Shouldn’t a person be honored as the founding father of the country after building it?”

“According to this world’s literature, a human body has qi. By cultivating one’s qi, one can prolong one’s life and gain great power. Actually, it is the process whereby a human absorbs energy from the outer world. Charging a cell phone is one such example. However, the so-called ‘great power’ is limited to an ordinary human being within the biological sphere. There is no such thing as immortality.”

At this point, he saw Qin Baobao’s crestfallen face as she exited the conference room.