While others were engrossed in the variety show, Ye Huanqiu slept soundly in bed, completely unaware that the Star Mark on his back had begun to glow brightly.
A steady stream of energy from Earth Star flowed into the Star Mark.
The next morning, when Ye Huanqiu woke up, he felt more refreshed than ever before.
"Good morning, Host," Starbeam greeted him.
"...Starbeam, what's up?" Ye Huanqiu mumbled, still half-asleep.
Starbeam, the alien technology that often greeted Ye Huanqiu, was more advanced than any AI he knew. With such a sophisticated entity at his disposal, he hardly needed to seek out human conversation. It greeted him every morning and evening.
"Host, Starbeam has received the energy gift from Earth Star. 'Chinese' has successfully achieved a 'Renowned Far and Wide' level of propagation. Would you like to claim your mission reward now?"
"Starbeam, this was my first mission, and I nailed it! The reward should be substantial, right?"
Ye Huanqiu, never one to shy away from pushing his luck, figured that since he'd already received the beginner's package, they wouldn't skimp on the reward for his first successful mission.
"As you wish, Host. Your reward for completing your first mission has been increased tenfold compared to the usual reward for a mission of this level, making it comparable to the reward for completing a mission that would make you famous worldwide."
Perfect!
Ye Huanqiu immediately said, "Claim reward."
"First mission reward granted: All Languages Mastery, three Improvisational Song Draws, and one Special +1 Lucky Card."
Once again, Ye Huanqiu's entire body was enveloped in strange, code-like text, and his mind flooded with a torrent of bizarre and exotic languages.
Previously, he only knew basic English vocabulary, necessary for working with music programming software.
But now, he could speak fluent English effortlessly. Not only that, he had mastered all major Asian languages and even understood complex minority tongues.
The sheer value of All Languages Mastery was terrifying!
Come to think of it, I could probably coast through the rest of the year working as a translator.
Pah! Working is out of the question.
"Three Improvisational Song Draws—does that mean I get three chances? And how do I use this Starbeam?"
"Host, the Improvisational Song Draw is designed to help you with the variety show you're currently participating in. If you're given a specific theme to write a song about, this draw significantly increases your chances of selecting a song with the same theme."
Ye Huanqiu wasn't convinced. He'd seen game companies promise "extremely high" probabilities for item enhancements or gacha pulls, only to discover the actual odds were around one percent.
Sensing his hesitation, Starbeam added, "The probability is as high as eighty percent."
Holy crap! What kind of conscientious system offers an 80% success rate? Even private game servers wouldn't dare offer odds like that!
"So, what's this '+1 Lucky Card'?"
"This Lucky Card allows you to copy any special skill possessed by another person and enhance it by one level, hence the '+1' designation."
"Regardless of level?" Ye Huanqiu figured there had to be some limitations. Freely copying skills below the Grandmaster level and upgrading them seemed too good to be true.
"Yes, it ignores skill levels," Starbeam replied. "To use it, the target simply needs to stand before you, the Host, without any physical contact. The skill will be replicated instantly."
Ye Huanqiu was ecstatic. This was a treasure, and he absolutely wouldn't waste it on copying some trash-tier skill.
Good news always brightened his spirits. Although he had recently paid his rent, slightly depleting his funds, the first episode of the variety show had already replenished his account with 100,000 yuan.
His thoughts drifted to his hometown. He decided to set aside 50,000 yuan for his parents and went to the bank to wire the money.
Their new house was built, but they lacked the funds for interior finishing. Borrowing more was out of the question—debts in his hometown weren't just about money; they were debts of social obligation. Monetary debts could be repaid easily, but debts of favor were a headache.
While 50,000 yuan wouldn't cover much, it would allow them to lay proper flooring over the bare concrete and set up basic utilities like electricity and plumbing.
That was all the money would stretch to for now. Ye Huanqiu remained confident that he would soon save enough to ensure his parents could live comfortably in their new home without financial strain.
Even on a Sunday, the employees of Nuocheng Company were required to work. The company continued to function despite losing one of its "workhorses," but its efficiency had noticeably suffered.
Wang Tong's mood had been sour lately, and his complexion reflected it. This wasn't just because of Ye Huanqiu's departure; it stemmed from his reckless act of kicking down the door at the Labor Arbitration Bureau, injuring one of their staff.
After a costly settlement and a humiliating apology, his temper remained foul.
Back in his team's office, he paid little attention to the hushed whispers of his female colleagues discussing the latest variety show—a common topic of conversation among fans of idol audition programs.
As he passed by, he noticed a staff member watching the show in landscape mode. Just as Ye Huanqiu appeared on screen, Wang Tong's attention sharpened. While others might remember Ye as unkempt or not at all, Wang Tong knew better. He had seen Ye Huanqiu in his earlier days. Though the man on the phone was noticeably bulkier, that face and those goofy glasses were unmistakable.
"Give it here!" Wang Tong snatched the phone, his eyes fixed on Ye Huanqiu's stage name: "One Leaf Knows Autumn."
After skipping through the episode, Wang Tong found no mention of Ye Huanqiu claiming affiliation with Nuocheng Company.
"What a joke! That guy's actually on the show? He must have signed with some company and is still composing and writing lyrics..."
Fueled by days of pent-up frustration and recent humiliations, Wang Tong's judgment was clouded. He tossed his phone aside and stormed into the Legal Department, demanding they retrieve the original contract with Ye Huanqiu.
The contract contained a non-compete clause. If they sued him, he'd be barred from the show until the matter was resolved. "Let's investigate thoroughly first," Wang Tong fumed. "Then we'll demand millions in compensation. That'll wipe that smug look off his face!"
With the contract in hand, Wang Tong instructed a lawyer to draft a formal demand letter. He brazenly posted the letter on Nuocheng Company's official Weibo account, tagging the I Am a Creator show.
The variety show had just started gaining traction, but Director Zhang's highly anticipated star, Zhang Yanzhuo, had already left. Now, Nuocheng Company was stirring up trouble.
What on earth was going on?
The lawyer's letter was carefully worded. It didn't explicitly reveal Ye Huanqiu's real name, referring to him only as "Mr. Ye, known as One Leaf Knows Autumn." The letter accused him of violating the non-compete agreement and demanded he appear at Nuocheng Company for negotiations immediately, or they would file a lawsuit against him.
Ye Huanqiu was out for lunch when his phone rang. Shen Tao called to break the news.
"They're suing me? On what grounds? Have I even violated the non-compete agreement?"