There are seven heroes of the gourd!

When it came to making money, Chen Pi truly had some tricks up his sleeve. After all, back in the day, he’d hustled alongside Li Jie from one gig to another, raking in a decent amount. But that was then. Times change—what used to work for child stars rarely does now, and hardly any of them manage a comeback.

Li Jie, though, had an advantage other child stars didn’t: song royalties that would last a lifetime. While “The World Only Has Mothers” had faded from popularity, “The Vastness of Heaven” was still occasionally covered, keeping the revenue flowing. The song was famous, but its singer wasn’t—such was fate. Now, cover artists were the ones in the spotlight.

As for “Orchid Grass,” it wasn’t exactly a hit either, but it brought in tens of thousands each year. In ancient times, “wherever there was well water, people sang Liu’s lyrics.” Now, wherever there’s a sprinkler truck, you’ll hear “Orchid Grass,” albeit in electronic tones.

All things considered, Li Jie was different from other faded child stars—he still had solid foundations.

“Let’s start like this. We’ll sell this mask—”

“It’s the ‘Masked Gourd Hero.’”

“Fine, fine, we’ll sell ‘Masked Gourd Hero’ merchandise first, ride the wave of popularity. As long as we have authorization, this stuff can easily bring in six or seven million. I’ve already contacted several major online shopping sites—their interest is strong, everyone wants exclusive rights to a single product!”

“What kinds of products are there?”

“Masks, hoods, cultural T-shirts, phone cases, mugs, keychains, stickers...”

Online single-product hits are like a gust of wind: either nothing happens, or you profit for three years at once. Timing is crucial.

Now that Li Jie could present the original design plan, Chen felt as if a pie had fallen from the sky.

“How much licensing fee can we get for each?”

“It’s not fixed. Some are eighty thousand, some are a hundred and eighty thousand. Oh, and that local Pingjiang company I mentioned—they want you to endorse their ‘Vacuum High-Speed Six-in-One Electric Cup,’ but they also asked if we could do a ‘Masked Gourd Hero’ novelty hood. I used to think this didn’t require licensing, but since you say it does, it’s easy to handle now, isn’t it?”

“A novelty hood?”

“You’re young, maybe you haven’t seen much in this area. But I’m different, I—”

“You’re not only single but also a hopeless simp. Give it a rest.”

“…”

Chen fell silent, not because he didn’t want to retort, but because Li Jie’s blunt words stung! Was he unaware of being a simp? After all these years, he’d lost his car, lost his house, and life as a thirty-something simp was tough—he knew it better than anyone.

But… could he just stop chasing? No, he couldn’t.

Li Jie looked at Chen with contempt. “Chen, let me give you some advice. You earn a few thousand a month—how many short-term relationships could you have near Lion Forest? Why bother?”

“My heart can’t hold anyone else. You don’t understand, this is—”

“Come on, forget it. It’s fine if your heart can’t hold anyone else, but your body needs to be able to. Look, when we make money this time, you start with material progress, then strive for spiritual progress. Those girls at the salons near Lion Forest, you’re friends in business, just play along. Your heart still belongs to your goddess!”

The words left Chen in awe.

“Li, I was blind before, not recognizing the real Buddha. You’re my life mentor! I toast you… with a Coke.”

“We’ll learn from each other…”

Li Jie raised his Coke and clinked glasses with Chen.

He hadn’t changed his agent all these years—not because Chen was exceptional at his job, but because once, while performing “The Vastness of Heaven” out of town, Li Jie caught a fever after singing in the rain. Chen never left his side in the hospital, carrying him in and out.

Back then, Chen was dependable, but not long after, he transformed into a hopeless simp chasing the goddess in his heart.

Counting back six or seven years, the loquat tree in the “Little Red Star” courtyard now stood tall and lush.

After so many years of simping, not a single house to show for it. Li Jie, with two or three million in savings, could only sigh: simps never get the house.

Unless something unexpected happened, Chen would keep simping…

If he switched targets, he probably wouldn’t know what to do.

Li Jie had always found it odd: Chen was usually quite bold, flirtatious with young women and older ladies alike, but when it came to major life decisions, he became bewitched, refusing anyone but his “goddess.”

Li Jie suspected it might be some kind of roleplay…

But Chen’s emotional issues weren’t important. As long as it didn’t interfere with business, Chen was still quite useful.

After all, nothing had gone wrong all these years.

Besides, Li Jie, in this post-transmigration “Innate Orphan Saint Physique,” needed the right person to help him. With twelve mothers, each with their own priorities, Chen was still the most reliable.

Now, having squeezed plenty out of the dog system, Li Jie figured he might as well use it, so he explained the entire “Masked Gourd Hero” concept.

After finishing three diet hamburgers and two servings of quality protein chicken nuggets, Chen Pi looked delighted. “So there are seven Gourd Heroes?”

“Of course. If we’re selling merchandise, we need to cash out while it’s hot—who knows how long the trend will last?”

“You’re sharp, Li!”

“How else do you think I’ve saved a few million? It’s all skill.”

“So the First Hero is red, mighty and strong; Second Hero is orange, with farsight and keen hearing; Third Hero is yellow, with a copper head and iron arms, impervious to blades; Fourth Hero is green…”

Chen calculated—this would earn them a lot more!

“Li, why don’t we pitch ‘Masked Gourd Hero’ to a TV station and get it filmed?”

“No way!”

The dog system’s wool hadn’t all been plucked yet.

“This way, I could secure funding—the station would be interested.”

“No, I haven’t finished outlining the story and characters yet. Besides, if the station produces it, whose copyright will it be? With the time you spend, it’s better to borrow funds from the station, make it yourself, then sell it back.”

“…”

“What’s with that look? The station’s always done it this way; you just never had the clout to get a piece.”

“True—‘strike while the iron is hot.’ Let’s make money first, then we’ll have a voice.”

Once they got the benefit from this wave of traffic, they could set up an audiovisual studio, launch a project, and then sell it to the station—how satisfying would that be?

Plus, Li Jie’s agent contract was a commission agreement, renewed annually with little constraint. Setting up a studio to collaborate with the station was entirely feasible.

[Ding!]

[“Superstar System” reminds you: Filming requires caution; harmony ensures safety.]

[Please check your “Masked Gourd Hero Filming Guide.”]

[Please check your “Film Pyrotechnics and Explosion Techniques Classification.”]

[Please check your “Action Scene Analysis and Production Tutorial.”]

…

[Wishing you speedy funding for your shoot, and may you present a classic to this beautiful world!]

The dog system popped up at the right moment to remind Li Jie it was time to work.

But all Li Jie wanted was to milk the system for more; filming could wait.

Besides, Li Jie had a point: the system itself said “filming requires caution.” If he was careful, what’s wrong with that?

That, too, is what it means to follow advice flexibly.