Chapter 4: Absolutely Not, Absolutely Not
Amidst the bustle of the villa, the three people sitting on a corner sofa seemed a bit out of place.
Chen Shang Shang looked at Dong Ling and said, “Are you serious?”
Dong Ling nodded: “I am. I’m not playing around, I’ll run this company properly.”
Dong Ling initially just wanted to find a natural way to complete the plot, but when she decided to actually start and run a company, she would do it seriously.
Chen Shang Shang thought for a moment, then nodded: “Okay, I know your personality. If you’re going to do it, you’ll do it well. As your sister, I’ll definitely support you. I have some spare money, selling a couple of pieces of jewelry can get you a few million.”
Chen Shang Shang’s family was in the gemstone business. She had a lot of jewelry. At most, she would wear the same jewelry repeatedly when going out, which was worth it for her sister.
Hearing this, Tang Qianxi put on an expression of pained resignation as if her wallet was bleeding: “I can also sell a couple of apartments and get you a few million.”
If someone else had asked them to invest, they would have hesitated, but since it was Dong Ling, they weren’t so hesitant.
Dong Ling was amused by Tang Qianxi’s expression and said, “You trust me that much?”
Chen Shang Shang waved her hand grandly and patted Dong Ling’s shoulder: “Ling Ling, let’s just say, we still believe in your talent. Didn’t the two songs you composed and arranged last year top the charts? The domestic music market is much better now than it was a couple of years ago. If you go in that direction, not to say you’ll make a killing, but you definitely won’t lose money.”
Tang Qianxi nodded: “She’s right.”
Chen Shang Shang and Tang Qianxi both knew that Dong Ling used a pseudonym in the music industry to avoid being discovered by her family, so they were very happy when those two songs became big hits.
Dong Ling was very touched by her sisters’ strong support and wholehearted trust, but… Dong Ling corrected them with embarrassment: “I plan to train artists for the entertainment industry.”
Chen Shang Shang: ???
Tang Qianxi: “I guess I was wrong. Can I take back what I said and withdraw my investment? I think my apartments have more potential for appreciation than your company.”
“You heartless woman,” Chen Shang Shang expressed strong condemnation towards Tang Qianxi, then touched her chin and said to Dong Ling, “Ling Ling, your company might go bankrupt, but my jewelry won’t depreciate.”
Wow, is this the touching sisterhood?
“Trust me, the person I’m going to sign is definitely worth investing in. She will definitely become a big hit in the future!” Dong Ling said with certainty, then adopted 021’s tone, “This is not a simple investment, this is a small step for you, a giant leap for mankind!”
021 applauded: [Well said! This is not a simple business agreement, this is maintaining world peace and stability! Hear the applause!]
Tang Qianxi narrowed her eyes: “Is it that exaggerated? How good-looking? Do you have a picture? What’s her name, what has she acted in?”
“I’ll tell you later. Qianxi, go home and ask your mom for me first.”
Dong Ling winked mysteriously at Tang Qianxi, looking confident, but in fact she didn’t even have Song Mingzhi’s contact information, let alone a photo.
“What little meeting are you three having? Come and play, come and drink!”
Dong Nuo, the party host, approached wearing a witch’s pointed hat, and shouted at the trio.
Chen Shang Shang responded, and Tang Qianxi nodded to Dong Ling, indicating that she would definitely do it.
Dong Ling was pulled into the crowd, swaying gently to the music. She didn’t participate in the drinking games, but was still inevitably given a few drinks.
After a few drinks, a blush crept onto her face, which even the pale foundation couldn’t completely cover.
Amidst the noisy din, Dong Ling heard the system’s voice.
[Task: Take a moonlit stroll hand-in-hand with Song Mingzhi and recite the line ‘The moon is so beautiful tonight’. Completing this will increase the main storyline progress by 0.2%.]
This voice was relatively flat and mechanical, different from 021’s voice.
The next moment, 021’s voice sounded urgently: [Host, did you hear that?! A new task has appeared, how can we stop here, go, go, go!]
Dong Ling was a little dumbfounded, and asked in her mind: [Where am I supposed to find her?]
Whether she could take a moonlit stroll hand-in-hand with Song Mingzhi was one question, but the bigger question was that she had no idea where Song Mingzhi was right now. Where was she supposed to find her to take a stroll?
021 stuttered for a moment: [Good question, host. To be honest, locating the female lead requires energy…]
Dong Ling had a bad feeling: [How much? You might as well rob me! We only have 0.3% now, and checking will cost 0.1%, how many days can that last?]
And even if she found her, she couldn’t just pull her to a place where they could see the moon and take a stroll. They didn’t even know each other, how could she rashly hold someone’s hand? The level of awkwardness would probably be a hundred times worse than this morning.
021 said meekly after being scolded: [It’s not up to me.]
Dong Ling: [Aren’t the tasks up to you either? Can’t you make the tasks more reasonable and adapt to the current progress? Even a task to get Song Mingzhi’s contact information would be better.]
Wasn’t it absurd? First it was a wall-slam with ‘I’ll give you my life’, then hand-holding and saying ‘The moon is so beautiful tonight.’ It would be hard to avoid ending up in a mental hospital.
021 explained: [Host, it’s not that I don’t want to, it’s that I really can’t! The task system is like an add-on, it comes standard, issuing tasks strictly according to the original novel’s progress to ensure the storyline progresses smoothly. If there are any changes, I can contact headquarters for a change assessment, but I can’t contact headquarters now…]
In other words, it couldn’t be changed now. The script wouldn’t re-adapt and plan tasks just because the bound person had changed, it would only rigidly follow the original progress and issue task instructions.
Dong Ling was horrified: [So if the original novel progresses to the point where the male and female leads get married and have children, won’t I have to go and find a woman? Absolutely not, absolutely not! And I have no way to get the female lead pregnant, not to mention, if we were together, who would be sleeping with whom?!]
She couldn’t, she absolutely couldn’t. Awkward lines were fine, but wasn’t sacrificing her body a bit much?!
021 said, in a wronged tone: [I can’t help it.]
Dong Ling almost choked: [Cut it out, I don’t fall for that, a middle-aged man acting coquettish just makes people want to beat you up even more.]
Hearing the chaotic and censored thoughts floating through Dong Ling’s mind, 021 couldn’t help but hold its head: [Stop scolding, stop scolding, I’m not a middle-aged man.]
Dong Ling smiled but said nothing, the stream of silent curses continuing in her mind. 021, knowing it was in the wrong, didn’t dare to say anything.
Dong Ling felt a pang in her heart. She originally thought it was just a challenge of social death, but it turned out to be just the beginning. She couldn’t see or unlock the subsequent plot, and didn’t know what would happen.
With something weighing on her mind, she couldn’t enjoy the party anymore, so she stood up from the sofa.
Chen Shang Shang was playing dice with someone else. Seeing her stand up, she casually asked: “Where are you going?”
“To get some fresh air, it’s a bit stuffy.”
The heating on the first floor was too high, making it somewhat stuffy.
Dong Ling walked up the stairs to the second floor, away from the bustle.
There was a large floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor of Dong Nuo’s house, without curtains, and a hanging wicker chair.
Moonlight shone in through the glass window, casting a soft silver glow on the floor.
Dong Ling was feeling a bit tipsy, but only slightly. She rested her hand on the cold glass, gazed at the moonlight for a while, then sat down in the wicker chair, recalling the limited plot she knew, trying to find something useful.
She wasn’t planning to do the system’s task tonight. It wasn’t appropriate. The wall-slam could be disguised as a dare, but this task wouldn’t work. Everyone pretty much knew the meaning of Natsume Soseki’s line ‘The moon is so beautiful tonight.’
Dong Ling stared at the silvery ground, somewhat lost in thought. The moonlight tonight was indeed beautiful.
The same moonlight fell into someone else’s eyes.
Song Mingzhi and Wang Buli finalized the last details, had Wang Buli sign the equity transfer agreement, and calmly sipped her coffee while looking at the moonlight outside the window.
After signing, Wang Buli said with a sigh of relief: “Mingzhi, thank you for helping me fight for this. If I had gone alone, it probably wouldn’t have fallen into my hands.”
“It’s good that you didn’t immediately agree to exchange money for this share. Based on the current value of that entertainment company, your share is worth far more than that.”
Wang Buli nodded: “Yes, it’s good that you understand. But I might need you to go with me again tomorrow. I have three surgeries scheduled and might not be able to get away.”
“Okay, I’ll see it through.”
With tonight’s business concluded, Song Mingzhi left the study and was drawn to the astronomical telescope on Wang Buli’s balcony.
Wang Buli asked with a smile: “Want to take a look? Feel free to adjust it, I have the numerical records, but you probably won’t be able to observe anything now. I plan to wait until December to search for M74.”
Song Mingzhi walked over and offered her congratulations: “Good luck.”
Song Mingzhi had some knowledge of astronomy. M74 was an extragalactic galaxy in the constellation Pisces, generally considered one of the faintest Messier objects. It would probably be difficult to find if you weren’t experienced.
“I appreciate the well wishes.”
Song Mingzhi adjusted the telescope to look at the moon.
It was a full moon tonight. Looking through the eyepiece, it had a beautiful, fulfilling roundness.
She moved it casually, and the image she saw made her pause.
The houses in the villa area where Wang Buli lived were a certain distance apart, but that distance was clearly visible through the telescope. Between the trees, she saw a dazed… little vampire?
The face she had just seen today flashed in her mind. Song Mingzhi thought with amusement that they were quite fated to meet again under such circumstances.
Compared to the girl’s daytime appearance, this cooler-toned makeup accentuated her features, giving her a sharper, gloomier look, like a wild rose in the night. The vampire fang decorations and black dress deepened this sense of quietness.
A vampire under a full moon should have been a dark and glamorous oil painting, but thinking of her forced calmness today and the way her lips unconsciously pursed when she approached, Song Mingzhi felt this seemingly fierce ‘Vampire Queen’ was harmless. Perhaps not a queen, but a princess.
Quite cute, and she wondered if those fangs could pierce human skin.
Realizing what she was thinking, Song Mingzhi moved the telescope upwards, feeling she was being a bit mischievous. It was probably the first impression that made her unconsciously want to tease her.
Wang Buli watched Song Mingzhi walk in from the balcony and asked cheerfully: “It’s a full moon tonight, isn’t it beautiful?”
Song Mingzhi smiled and nodded. Both the moon 380,000 kilometers away and the Vampire Princess she saw tonight were beautiful.
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