If the one you’re bound to is an ex-girlfriend who’s a green tea type, then of course you want every possible word, not a word more or less.

If she’s willing to help, you’re already very grateful—taking further advantage would just weigh on your conscience. Learn to be content.

Having made up his mind, Brian Clark explained, “What I want to ask you for help with is this: graduation is coming up, and there’s a really great opportunity to showcase myself. I’d like to invite you to join me in a music talent show.”

“A talent show?”

Grace Carter sounded surprised. She looked up, thought for a moment, and asked, “Is it that show called ‘The Birth of a Group’?”

Brian Clark nodded with a smile. “Yes, yes, yes, you’ve heard of it too? That’s the one. I need your help—I can’t do it alone without you.”

“But if you ask me, won’t your girlfriend mind?”

“She won’t mind!”

Brian Clark shook his head. What girlfriend? The girlfriend is dead—burn some paper if you need something.

“Oh.”

Grace Carter glanced at her roommate, who was puffing up with annoyance, pursed her lips, and hesitated. “But I still have a part-time job. How long would participating in that show take?”

Brian Clark wasn’t sure either—it would depend on how far they made it in the rankings.

“I can’t say for sure. You might have to pause your part-time job. Actually, joining this show is better than a part-time job. If you get a good ranking, it’ll be much easier to find a job later. I won’t let you work for nothing—just treat the show as your part-time job. I’ll pay you—how about a thousand yuan per episode?”

His childhood friend’s family was in tough shape, and art school tuition was expensive. She’d even borrowed money from relatives just to attend, and she’d never stopped working part-time during college to cover living expenses. Brian Clark felt bad about making her give up her job, so he planned to make up for it with this money.

“That’s not what I meant…”

Grace Carter hurriedly shook her head, lowered her gaze, and after a moment of silence, pulled her hand free from her roommate’s and made up her mind. “Okay, I’ll join you.”

“Really? It’s great that you can help—partner, looking forward to working together!”

A hint of joy flashed in Brian Clark’s eyes. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he tentatively reached out his hand.

[Ding!]

[Co-op Entertainment System successfully bound!]

As their fingertips touched, the countdown flashing before Brian Clark’s eyes suddenly vanished, and the system notification sounded in his ear.

[Bronze Newbie Gift Pack 1 is being distributed…]

[Congratulations, host, you have received the song component ‘Above the Moon’. The system will automatically register the copyright for the reward song in your name.]

Above the Moon?

Hearing those words was like a key unlocking a treasure chest of sealed memories—he instantly recalled everything about this song from his previous life.

“Above the Moon” was a smash hit back in the day, played everywhere—so many people used it as their ringtone, and it dominated the speakers of countless middle-aged and elderly folks!

But… is it really appropriate to sing this on a talent show?

“Zhixing? If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back now.”

Grace Carter waved her hand in front of the absent-minded Brian Clark.

“Ah…”

Snapping back to reality, Brian Clark noticed her roommate was already quite impatient. Since the issue was settled, he didn’t want to bother them further. “That’s all. You must be tired from your part-time job—go get some rest. I’ll come find you after dinner to talk more about the show.”

“Okay, see you tonight.”

Looking at the smiling Brian Clark, Grace Carter felt something indescribable. The person standing before her didn’t quite seem like the one she used to know.

“See you tonight!”

Brian Clark walked her all the way into the campus, watching her figure gradually recede into the distance, the corners of his mouth rising all the way to his ears.

The bronze gift pack isn’t bad at all—a partner skilled in folk singing, paired with a Phoenix Legend song, this could be interesting!

As a MOBA game expert, Brian Clark knew one thing well—the weirder the lineup, the faster you win!

The Birth of a Group, here I come!

Lost in dreams of a bright future, Brian Clark was grinning foolishly when suddenly a system panel appeared before his eyes, and the system notification sounded again in his ear.

[Host: Brian Clark]

[Age: 21]

(Music) Rap: E (0/2).

(Music) Rock: D (4/5).

(Music) Pop: C (5/10).

(Music) Folk: B (16/50).

(Dance) Modern Dance: A (9/100).

(Dance) Duet Dance: A (6/100).

(Dance) Square Dance: S (Max).

……

This…

Brian Clark glanced over the system panel. This system covered quite a lot—music, dance, instruments, performance…

The ratings, from lowest to highest, were E, D, C, B, A, S—six levels in total.

At first glance, Brian Clark thought the system had made a mistake—how could his singing be so bad? Then he realized it was because he’d inherited the original owner’s stats.

Things like vocal tone couldn’t be changed, but dance was muscle memory—after all, it used to be his livelihood. These scores were acceptable.

It was probably the limitations of this body—otherwise, modern and duet dance wouldn’t be so low. A maxed-out square dance score was to be expected.

Back when Brian Clark first started his business, his dance training center was doing terribly. To recruit students, he even went to the square at night to perform.