After learning that the little brat was actually Lin Mu, Lu Qing thought that while he was investigating her, it would also be necessary to take his sister to "Twilight Coffee" to witness what a 【true genius】 looks like.
If Su Ling's situation could be described as a "self-motivated + hardworking" type of novice musician, then Lin Mu herself is an 【unstoppable】 musician of the "prodigy + heritage + relentless effort + eternal stability" kind.
Young in age, with a petite, doll-like figure.
Top-notch equipment, jaw-dropping skills.
Loves to curse, though it's just her mouth running wild.
Teammates would often scatter in fear of her prowess, feeling they could never catch up to even a fraction of her ability.
They might even form cliques within the band, isolating Lin Mu.
This kind of scenario was all too familiar to Lu Qing.
"Hmph.
"Maybe she wasn't being completely honest with me either?"
He thought to himself.
After all, in a band, when a superstar emerges, the outcome is usually one of the following possibilities—
1. Everyone clings to the superstar, letting them handle all the difficulties, and this help is all free, exploiting the title of 【teammate】 to freeload, slowly wearing them down.
2. Everyone fears the superstar's overwhelming talent and might form small groups, like:
A. Creating private chat groups behind their back;
B. Choosing songs without consulting the superstar, privately coordinating votes, and then outvoting them, effectively coercing them.
3. Mooching off the superstar's equipment, messing with their mindset, and pushing their luck.
The most fatal of all—【borrowing instruments】.
"Hey, Lin Mu, can I borrow your wife for a bit?"
"Lin Mu, you have a lot of equipment, right? Can I use your effects pedal matrix?"
"I'm broke, so can you give me a pedal?"
Hah.
As everyone knows, for those who truly 【love music】, their instrument is undoubtedly their other half.
And equipment, often painstakingly acquired through saving and effort, can be incredibly rare. Even with Lin Mu's family background, getting a full set of the discontinued Vivie would require scouring the second-hand markets in Japan.
In the world of equipment, many things, once missed, are 【gone forever】.
—All the legendary gear is limited edition.
"She's such an unapologetic little brat."
Lu Qing sighed softly, almost able to visualize the flaws in such a team dynamic.
He could even accurately guess the kind of absurd situations a genius like Lin Mu would encounter in her high school "playhouse" band.
The brilliance of a genius cannot be buried in the mud for long.
Lu Qing believed that Lin Mu going solo was an inevitability.
She had no obligation to play with a group of "classmates" who weren't even friends, let alone carry them.
It would only hold her back, and there was no necessity for it.
To solve the core issue in her band, the answer was simple.
In Lu Qing's mind, there was only one solution—
【A band full of superstars】.
……
……
When.
A band is fully equipped with top-tier talent.
That is, the vocalist can write lyrics and compose, the lead guitarist can record and arrange, the bassist can write their own parts based on the sheet music and even adapt it, the drummer can handle sampling and even pull off drum solos, the keyboardist is a music theory guru, effortlessly handling harmonies—
Then such a team.
Can immediately start creating original music and debut on the spot.
Few know that the only path for a rock band to transition from quantity to quality is through 【originality】.
The same applies in many other fields.
In the 【path of creation】, when an author sheds the shadows of others and creates their own style, leading a trend;
Such 【original works】, compared to practice pieces or novice works born from imitation, have a much higher chance of success and irreplaceability.
Anything that becomes "irreplaceable" is unique in this world.
It's something you can never find elsewhere, at any other time.
Therefore.
The standard by which even those who don't understand music can immediately gauge a band's strength.
Is, "Do you have original music?"
Thinking from another angle, this sentence carries too much meaning.
Such as:
"You can play the guitar? Have you written any songs? Do you have original works?"
"You know how to arrange music? How long have you been studying? Still copying others? Or have you written your own compositions?"
"You write books? Are they original? Do you have your own world? You're not writing fanfiction, are you?"
"You draw? What stage are you at? Copying or conceptualizing? Have you developed your own style?"
(Note: The above remarks often deliver a fatal blow to newcomers in various fields, being low-EQ comments that are likely to get you punched. Do not bring them up lightly.)
However, in Lu Qing's eyes, Lin Mu's situation was completely 【in a league of her own】.
Through last night's all-night observation, a clear conclusion could be drawn—
Current Lin Mu, in her own words, is an 【ACG titan】.
She doesn't just play the guitar.
Her overwhelming technical skills, honed through her rock-solid practice habits, aren't even her most impressive trait.
What's even more terrifying is that she has solved a problem that plagues all musicians.
—「Most music enthusiasts can't afford high-end equipment. Some highly skilled players, despite their diligent practice, simply can't afford legendary gear, as the current music environment doesn't support musicians making a living purely out of passion.」
In other words, those in music are 【likely to struggle financially】.
And Lin Mu.
Perfectly solved this problem.
She has an endless flow of funds. She can afford any instrument she wants.
Lu Qing took out his phone during his free time to look up the latest model of the "Mosse" electric piano.
And found that the online price was 24,000, an unreleased internal product.
(Note: Electric pianos usually cost a few thousand yuan, with 3,000 being enough to buy a Kawaii or a decent Roland.)
Lin Mu doesn't even play the piano. She probably just thought it looked good and, snap, bought this luxurious item.
This reality made Lu Qing wonder—
"Where does the little brat get her money?"
According to Old Li, if she had already cut ties with her family, it was unlikely that Mu Xianchun would continue to provide funds to support Lin Mu, let alone directly send her one of their products.
After all, he had never been fond of Lin Mu at home, and his role as a stepfather meant that, even if he had some decency, there was a high chance he wouldn't fulfill his duty of support.
—If he really cared, he would have taken her back home long ago.
The Mu family is wealthy and influential. If they really wanted to find Lin Mu's little hideout, they could.
Lu Qing didn't believe it.
So, Lin Mu's "fortune" definitely didn't come from Mu Xianchun.
Then where did she get the money? Did she earn it from running a café?
As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Lu Qing actually laughed.
He found it ridiculous himself.
"Constantly cursing, showing no kindness to customers; staying up all night, not even opening during the day. If she's making money, I'll eat guitar strings standing on my head."
Almost instantly, Lu Qing dismissed this speculation.
At some point, he had developed a keen interest in how the kids he cared about "earned money and secured their income."
To be specific, it probably started when Bai Xing went all out to save her grandmother. That was when he was truly impressed.
Moved by Xing Bao's determination and resilience.
From then on, no matter who it was, he would always wonder, "How do you make money?"
"Hmm... So, Lin Mu's source of income is quite mysterious."
Lu Qing stroked his chin, entering the third stage of his thought process.
"Logically, a bassist could earn recording fees by selling tracks to arrangers and mixers. But such small gigs, often paying 200 per track, or maybe 300 to 500 for better ones, are extremely unstable, with months passing between jobs. There's no way that could sustain the little brat's expenses."
"Moreover, she's so reclusive, hardly the type to proactively contact producers and establish long-term business relationships."
"That's more my style."
Lu Qing continued to ponder.
If she didn't have these channels, then how exactly did she make money?
“The rent for that location, the Twilight Café storefront, must be at least ten thousand a month, right?”
Even though it’s not on the first floor and is tucked away in a corner, almost like a hidden spot, it’s still considered half-downtown, so the price is undoubtedly steep.
To turn such a place into a *piano room*, not even running it as a business, just practicing piano all day, shutting herself away…
This kid…
Spending without earning, constantly buying pianos. Sleeping during the day, staying up at night, obsessively recording videos.
Not running the shop, not attending school, yet she doesn’t seem the least bit anxious, her emotions as steady as an old cat.
“There’s something about her.”
At his workstation, Lu Qing put aside his thoughts and opened WPS Mind Map and his writing assistant software.
He decided to set aside Lin Mu’s money-making secrets for now and revisit them when he and his sister would “venture into Twilight” again this Sunday.
After all, exploring with a purpose would be more interesting and accurate than blindly guessing.
“Hmph, this time, it won’t just be a simple coffee run.”
Lu Qing chuckled, feeling a slight sense of anticipation.
After booting up his computer,
he casually clicked on the bouncing icon of his automatically logged-in QQ.
[Your friend: Lubia (ID: I’ll Always Love Hanako) has sent you a file.]
[Accept/Decline]
Attached message: “Boss… the fully completed succubus L2D has been sent to you… Take a look and let me know if there are any issues… I, I’m going to sleep now! Good afternoon!”
“…Why so shy?”
Lu Qing sighed and clicked [Accept], wondering if Hanako had pulled another all-nighter to finish the last 20% of the progress.
Thinking this, he glanced at the time in the bottom right corner—
Good grief,
it’s already 1 PM.
…
…
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
