Chapter Fifty-Two: Ghost Stories and Radiant Spirits

Because the contract specified three songs, and Jiang Yun had already performed two, there was still one left. Initially, he planned to sing "Blue and White Porcelain," but seeing the audience before him made Jiang Yun change his mind.

"Sing ‘Get Rich’! We want to hear ‘Get Rich’!"

"Yes! We want ‘Get Rich’!"

Jiang Yun smiled; it turned out the crowd at this commercial show was made up of working folks. It was no surprise—after all, the primary consumers of most products were the countless wage earners.

"Alright!"

Jiang Yun stepped offstage, changed into a loose sweater and jeans, then returned to the stage.

The music began.

"Ah-oh-oh-oh!"

"Ah-oh-oh-oh!"

The beautiful harmonies echoed through the venue, tinged with a sense of self-mockery.

"If one day I become rich,
My first choice wouldn't be to travel the world.
I'd lie on the world's biggest, softest sofa,
Eat, sleep, wake, and eat again, just passing a whole year like that.
If one day I become rich,
I could keep everyone I care about by my side,
Every day full of joy, eating, drinking, chatting,
Never worrying about tomorrow or any farewells.
To get rich, I want to be rich..."

"Ah-oh-oh-oh!"

"Ah-oh-oh-oh!"

Mao Yi, a rising star among young singers, stood in the corner, eyes flickering as he watched Jiang Yun perform.

When the song ended, the audience erupted in thunderous applause. Jiang Yun left the stage and headed backstage.

"Mr. Jiang Yun, please wait a moment!"

Jiang Yun turned around. "You are... Mao Yi, aren't you?!"

"That's me, Mr. Jiang Yun!"

Both were recognized for their vocal talent, but Mao Yi still addressed Jiang Yun as ‘teacher’ out of respect.

"What is it?" Jiang Yun asked.

"Here’s the thing, Mr. Jiang Yun," Mao Yi took a deep breath. "I feel like I’ve always lived in your shadow! The way you sing, it’s as if I’ve seen it before. Especially when you sang ‘Get Rich’—I felt it should have been me singing it!"

"What?" For a moment, Jiang Yun felt a chill down his spine. He had traveled through time, reborn with a system. This was supposed to be the story of his rise to glory, a tale of turning the tables. Now, it seemed the story of his comeback had taken a supernatural twist.

"No, no way!" Jiang Yun laughed nervously.

He tried calling out to the system, but received no reply. He cursed inwardly; the system, usually so lively, was nowhere to be found. The system’s silence, coupled with Mao Yi’s words, made Jiang Yun’s imagination run wild, his hairs standing on end.

Just as Jiang Yun’s back was prickling with unease, the system finally responded, "Host, aren’t you a little too timid?"

"System, what’s going on?!"

"Nothing at all. It’s just intuition—everyone has it. Don’t make a big deal out of it!"

Jiang Yun finally relaxed at the explanation. Otherwise, he might have really believed he’d seen a ghost in broad daylight.

"Don’t overthink things. Live well!" Jiang Yun flashed a warm smile and patted Mao Yi on the shoulder.

"Mr. Jiang Yun, I’ve admired you for a long time. I want to learn music from you! Please accept me as your student!" Mao Yi said excitedly.

"What?" Jiang Yun was surprised. Everything he had came from the system. How could he teach music to someone else? Besides, before he was reborn, he wasn’t a star—just an ordinary office worker, drifting through a nine-to-five existence, living for the next meal.

Of course, he’d always had a small passion for music and performing in his spare time.

"Ding! Host, don’t underestimate yourself. You can do this! If you take Mao Yi as your student, you might unlock a hidden feature!"

Emboldened by the system’s words, Jiang Yun straightened up.

"I’ll give you a month to put your affairs in order. Report to Magic City in a month!" Jiang Yun commanded with an air of authority.

Mao Yi was elated, his face brimming with joy.

"Mr. Jiang Yun, which company are you with now? I’ll switch over to your company!" Mao Yi said earnestly.

"Company?" Jiang Yun was momentarily taken aback. Since leaving his previous company after arriving in this world, he hadn’t signed with anyone.

"I have no company," Jiang Yun shook his head.

"No company?" Mao Yi frowned in thought. "Teacher, it’s a big disadvantage not to be with a company!"

"It’s not so bad," Jiang Yun replied, not seeing much difference either way.

"That’s because you’re popular and famous, so you have plenty of resources! For people like us, without a company, there are no resources and no gigs," Mao Yi explained.

"And you? Which company are you with?" Jiang Yun asked.

Mao Yi smiled sheepishly, "I don’t have a company either!"

Jiang Yun rolled his eyes.

"Teacher..."

"What is it?" Jiang Yun asked, puzzled.

"Teacher, have you ever thought about starting your own company?!"

"I..." Jiang Yun nearly swore.

He patted Mao Yi on the shoulder. "Young man, I really admire your spirit! You’re full of drive—I have to say, you truly dare to dream, to act, to fight!"

"Thank you for the compliment, teacher!"

Jiang Yun rolled his eyes again. Was that really a compliment? He was actually complaining—complaining about Mao Yi’s fearless naivety!

But Mao Yi didn’t pick up on Jiang Yun’s true meaning and continued, "Teacher, if you start your own company, you could sign artists, invest in films, and eventually build something strong enough to break into the Fortune Global 500!"

Build a great company, make it into the Fortune 500! Damn, that did have a nice ring to it.

Mao Yi became more animated the more he spoke, gesturing excitedly.

This guy must be a bit delusional.

"Alright, alright, enough!" Jiang Yun cut him off.

Mao Yi’s voice stopped abruptly. "What is it, teacher?"

"Nothing, what you said has got my blood pumping!" Jiang Yun replied, feigning calm wisdom.

"Teacher, you’re only twenty-five or twenty-six. Aren’t you a bit too mature for your age?"

Jiang Yun certainly wasn’t going to tell Mao Yi that he’d lived twice already.

They dropped the subject and returned to the hotel.

Back in his room, Jiang Yun opened his laptop to write, but his thoughts kept drifting and he made frequent mistakes—his S-class typing speed was of no help, and he found himself deleting and rewriting over and over.

Mao Yi’s words echoed in his mind.

"Sigh..." Jiang Yun let out a long breath.

Li Lulu was tidying up his clothes and noticed his state. "What’s wrong, boss?"

"Nothing!" Jiang Yun replied, his back to her so she couldn’t see his expression. "Lulu!"

"Yes? What is it?"

"Lulu, what do you think about me starting my own entertainment company?"

Li Lulu froze, the clothes in her hands slipping to the floor. "Boss, did I hear you right?!"

"Yes, you heard correctly!" Jiang Yun stood up from his chair and slowly turned around.

"Yes, you heard right! I’m going to start my own company!" Jiang Yun’s eyes shone with vigor.

At this moment, he felt a surge of boldness—if a man is alive in this world, he should dare to dream, to act, to fight for what he wants.

If even Mao Yi could have such resolve, how could Jiang Yun let himself fall behind?

Yes, he would start his own company! Just now, Jiang Yun had made his decision.

ps: This chapter should have ended at "Jiang Yun’s eyes shone with vigor," to leave the suspense for the next chapter, but I needed more words, so I added the rest. Dear readers on the free channels, please visit Qidian to vote for my book or leave a comment if you don’t have a ticket. Your support means the world to me.