004 Dog System, the Mischief Maker
["Superstar System" reminds you: Darkness shrouds all things, yet you are the dawn within the darkness, shattering it with thunder!]
...
The system's prompt was detailed, and Li Jie glanced at it, finding it rather odd.
[Children are the future of the world. Masked Gourd Hero, you will become the beacon of hope for children trapped in darkness!]
[Filming 'Masked Gourd Hero' reward: You may purchase the talent skills utilized during the filming process.]
[Reputation Mall is now open.]
[Available talent skills for purchase: Photography Technique (Beginner)/100 Reputation Points, Film Pyrotechnics & Explosion Technique (Beginner)/100 Reputation Points, Basic Action Scene Choreography (Beginner)/100 Reputation Points…]
At this moment, Li Jie finally understood. According to the system, after he filmed 'Masked Gourd Hero', it would count as completing a filming task, and upon completion, there would be rewards.
Those rewards were the skills used during the making of 'Masked Gourd Hero', ranging from filming techniques to action choreography—these all fell under talent skills, which could be bought with reputation points earned from filming.
Reasonable.
The system's design was actually quite logical.
But he didn't really need it.
[Host: Li Jie]
[Works: 'Boundless Sky', 'Only Mother is Good in the World', 'Orchid Grass'...]
[Talent Ability: Acting 38, Singing 25...]
[Reputation Points: 233,233,233]
He glanced at the indescribable panel, thinking he had over two hundred million reputation points, accumulated over the past ten years thanks to songs like 'Boundless Sky' and 'Only Mother is Good in the World'.
Li Jie now understood how reputation points worked—when listeners or viewers resonated emotionally, reputation was generated.
Whether it could be counted repeatedly, he couldn't test at the moment.
But there was no need to ponder how reputation points were obtained; he had over two hundred million. Why bother with some pointless 'Masked Gourd Hero'?
He could simply buy whatever he needed.
[Ding!]
...
"Ding your mother! Go eat shit!"
Li Jie ignored the system's prompt—it was obviously nudging him to gather funds for filming 'Masked Gourd Hero'.
He stood by his principle: not a penny would be spent recklessly.
He even watched 'Big Thunder' on 'ShakeYin' without ever liking a post. Every bit saved counted—it was the survival principle of the 'Innate Orphan Saint Physique'.
Of course, if 'Big Thunder' was willing to help him out with muscle relaxation after training, spending seven or eight hundred for technical services was justified—that was a principle.
Save when you can; spend when you must.
Li Jie had no idea how much reputation filming 'Masked Gourd Hero' would generate. Without going on screen, it was pointless to think about it—at most, it would be the size of a kindergarten, maybe a hundred reputation points.
In other words, if he actually went through with it, he'd spend a bunch of money and end up being able to buy only one talent skill?
What a waste.
This system...
Damn gold.
But with over two hundred million reputation points, he could just buy blindly.
"Photography technique, film pyrotechnics and explosions, basic action choreography… all sound useful, I'll buy them. Model posture training… huh? Does 'Masked Gourd Hero' even need this? Never mind, I'll buy it anyway."
He didn't know how many he bought, but buying was all that mattered.
[Host: Li Jie]
[Works: 'Boundless Sky', 'Only Mother is Good in the World', 'Orchid Grass'...]
[Talent Ability: Acting 38, Singing 25...]
[Reputation Points: 233,231,133]
His reputation points had dropped by two thousand one hundred.
"Is that it? Didn't feel much… Oh, oh, now I feel it… damn!"
Suddenly, Li Jie felt dizzy and feverish; his vision went black.
The bullet train continued its smooth journey. The passing attendant glanced at the passenger who, after devouring four meal boxes, lay down and fell asleep, her expression slightly complex. Only upon reaching Jianye Station, as she smiled at the business class passengers to bid farewell, did she notice the one who ate four meal boxes was still fast asleep…
"Sir, we've arrived. Sir? Hello? Sir, we've reached Jianye… hmm?"
Passengers disembarking witnessed the disparity of society: second class travelers carried their own luggage and walked off on their own, while in business class, the attendant helped carry bags and pull suitcases—and people were even carried off by the train police.
Such excellent service.
Li Jie awoke to find himself lying in the bullet train's medical station.
Damn system… what a menace!
Although, the outcome was decent—his business class ticket was refunded, the train crew collectively apologized, and if anything untoward happened later, the railway company would compensate, funeral expenses guaranteed.
Both parties reached an understanding.
Long live mutual understanding.
He pulled out his phone to find twenty-eight missed calls, all from 'Tiger Mom'.
He hurried to call back, only to be greeted by a tiger's roar from the other end: "You useless child, how many times did I call and you didn't pick up?! Where have you been wandering off to?! I've been waiting at the station for ages—if you weren't so big and burly, I'd really worry someone would kidnap you..."
"It's not that, Tiger Mom, I overslept. I'm on my way now, I'll bring you 'Saltwater Goose'."
"And bring a roast duck as well, your She Mom can't stomach the food here."
"Alright, I'll be there soon."
Li Jie ordered a 'Bandit Car' and rode from the station straight to Ox Head Mountain. As for Jianye Art Academy, that could wait.
He was headed to Ox Head Mountain mainly because two of his twelve mothers were there as charity volunteers, participating in a social welfare project launched by the Sanjiang Provincial Assembly, with the Pingjiang Civil Affairs Department assigning duties to 'Red Star Welfare Institute'.
Thus, Tiger Mom Hu Wenjing and She Mom She Qingchun, one a health worker and the other a sanitation worker, though nearing retirement, volunteered in the urban-rural fringe, and even across city lines.
All twelve mothers complained that the authorities disliked 'Red Star Welfare Institute', deliberately making things difficult.
If only 'Red Star Welfare Institute' had relocated honestly ten years ago, there wouldn't be so many 'little shoes' to fill.
The 'Bandit Car' weaved through streets and overpasses, and after leaving the ring road, plunged into remote countryside. The rural roads were a bit bumpy, but near the industrial zone, things grew lively again.
Arriving at a place resembling a 'village within the city', Li Jie got out and saw two middle-aged women waiting at the roadside, scanning left and right—one tall and stout with broad shoulders and a wig, indistinguishable from a Russian matron; the other with a classic 'Auntie Perm', clutching her phone and scanning everywhere.
"Baby, over here, over here…"
The woman with the classic 'Auntie Perm' waved at Li Jie.
Hearing the nickname, passersby glanced over, then their pupils trembled—after all, that 'baby' stood at least six feet three, maybe weighed nearly two hundred pounds, and with those arms swinging, they could only cry, "Scared the baby to death!"
"She Mom, don't call me that, I'm eighteen."
"Eighteen so what? Even at eighty, you're still my baby."
She Mom smiled warmly, then said in a worried tone, "Did you run into any trouble on the way? Out in the world, you have to be careful…"
...
Li Jie looked at his own arms, nodded helplessly, "Mm, I'll be careful."