C8 Dusk Had Exploded! Ling Xuerou's Help!

Qin Mo checked his follower count. Since his livestream yesterday, his followers had skyrocketed from single digits to a million. Every time he refreshed the page, there were 99+ notifications for likes, comments, messages, and new followers.

On his way, Qin Mo glanced at a post about a bar for sale. There were two replies: one from someone looking to buy second-hand furniture, leaving a phone number, and another from a moving company advertising their services. Clearly, selling a business wasn't going to be easy.

Qin Mo changed the name of his old Twitter account to match his Conboat handle—Mr. Vicissitude. Based on his persona, he planned to sing some heartfelt songs to break into the market. Personally, he preferred simple, folksy tunes, but for now, making a living took priority; dreams could wait.

At twenty in his past life, he was full of ideals and scoffed at the idea of chasing money. But harsh realities had shifted his perspective. By forty-five, he had amassed a personal fortune, understanding the importance of financial stability.

Right now, two things mattered most: fame and fortune.

Qin Mo ordered takeout and browsed the internet while eating. After seven years of heavy drinking, his life had become a blank slate, and he needed to catch up on the world. Two hours online gave him a good sense of the current entertainment scene. Back in the 1980s, Rhelaweth on Blue Star had experienced a tech boom.

Significant support was given to research projects, drawing a large number of talented individuals into the tech field, causing the entertainment industry to lag behind. Around the early 2000s, foreign entertainment culture began to flood into Rhelaweth, making it nearly impossible for local original content to thrive. TV and online platforms were filled with various pretty boys and boy bands, leaving no room for quality original music and films.

This situation provided Qin Mo with ample opportunities. He opened his system panel, noting that the task hadn't refreshed; it was still the previous one, requiring a thousand tips from three live performances. He calculated that the first performance received about a hundred tips. To complete the task, he needed to find a way to boost customer tipping enthusiasm.

Qin Mo could organize a raffle to encourage tipping, but he was reluctant to do so, as it felt like begging online, which could damage his reputation. In the entertainment industry, reputation is crucial! That's why so many idol stars face scandals—they fail to manage their behavior before fame, and once negative rumors start, it can be disastrous.

At 3 PM, Qin Mo logged into the Conboat backend again. His song "Dusk" had quietly climbed the new song charts, marked with a "hot" label. The song's play count reached fifty million, with over a million likes! As a result, Qin Mo earned his second trending topic on Conboat—Mr. Vicissitude's new song.

He chuckled, "Not a bad track record!"

For now, he could only trend on Conboat. He couldn't afford to trend across the entire internet, nor did he have a way to achieve that—too much competition. Conquering Conboat first would be just fine.

Qin Mo picked up his guitar, opened his livestream, and began today's session. "Hey everyone, what song do you want to hear today?"

"All the new songs are great! Sing them all!"

"I want to hear 'Five Hundred Miles' from yesterday again! I couldn't understand it, but it was still amazing!"

Qin Mo strummed a chord casually, "Alright, let's do it!"

...

Ling Xuerou sat in the luxurious van, leaning back against the comfortable leather seat. Her beautiful face showed a hint of fatigue. Faang Yaping opened the door, climbed in, and sat across from her. With a thud, her phone dropped onto the small table.

Ling Xuerou opened her bright eyes, looking at her manager with curiosity.

Faang Yaping said with displeasure, "You said Qin Mo was reliable, but I don't think he's someone who can settle down!"

Ling Xuerou picked up the phone and saw a short video of Qin Mo singing on Conboat. She quietly put the phone down.

Faang Yaping continued, "You just got divorced, and now he's launching his career. After living off you for so many years, he's probably going to use your fame now..."

Ling Xuerou turned her head, her voice cool, "Pingping, it's not fair to make things up."

"You..." Faang Yaping was at a loss for words.

Ling Xuerou had a point. Qin Mo was just doing live streams, roadshows, and releasing new songs, claiming to be an independent musician. He hadn't engaged in any publicity stunts or tried to leverage Ling Xuerou's fame. But what about the future? With Qin Mo's circumstances—older age and limited resources—he might not resist temptation when he's out of options.

Faang Yaping wanted to remind Ling Xuerou, "Should we make him sign a confidentiality agreement?"

Ling Xuerou closed her eyes again, tiredly saying, "Pingping, I'm exhausted. Can you please stay out of my personal matters?"

"You..." Faang Yaping was extremely frustrated but couldn't say much more. Ling Xuerou's popularity was unmatched; she was already a top-tier star. She excelled in acting, singing, dancing, and hosting. Her Twitter followers were expected to surpass a hundred million next year. She was a real cash cow!

Even though Faang Yaping had been with her since the beginning, she couldn't go against her wishes too much. Seeing Ling Xuerou's indifference, Faang Yaping gave some work-related instructions and left the trailer.

Once she was gone, Ling Xuerou picked up her phone and opened Conboat. She realized that Qin Mo hadn't managed his social media accounts in the past, and due to her work, she hadn't followed his account either. Her own following list was completely empty—not a single account. Ling Xuerou lowered her long, dark lashes.

She thought about following Qin Mo, aware that doing so would boost his visibility significantly. Yet, her finger hovered above the screen, hesitating to press down. Qin Mo had said they were divorced, just strangers now. What did her actions mean? Would it hurt a man's pride?

Ling Xuerou listened to all the songs Qin Mo had posted on his profile. She was surprised. They had grown up together, and she knew he had some talent. But now, his music seemed to exceed what she thought he was capable of. Were these songs really his original work?

A wry smile tugged at Ling Xuerou's lips. Ironic, isn't it? She had protected him for so long, while he drowned his sorrows in alcohol. Now, without her, he seemed to have pulled himself together, on the verge of making a remarkable breakthrough. Perhaps under a woman's protection, a man truly can't grow.

Unbeknownst to Ling Xuerou, the current Qin Mo had come from another world. She was feeling a bit fatalistic. Finally, Ling Xuerou made a call. "Hey, Sam, I need a favor..."

...

By the time Qin Mo finished his livestream, it was evening. He logged off and tallied up the day's earnings. The stream had attracted over a million viewers early on, and the audience was more generous with their tips than yesterday. After splitting the profits, he would take home about $20,000.

All earnings from this month will only be available for withdrawal by mid-next month.

Qin Mo walked downstairs to grab some noodles at the place he visited yesterday.

He received a message from Ling Xuerou on WhatsApp.

Ling Xuerou: A friend of mine is organizing a music competition show and there's an extra spot available. See if you have time to join.