Newbie Quest, Auxiliary Item

"Miss Qin, your resume says you were scouted by a talent agent in high school, so you should know that we usually look for promising newcomers as young as possible. You're twenty-five now—hard to package unless you're in a group, but Xingyi doesn't have any new female acts lined up soon." Director Zhang paused and gave a wry smile. "Unless you have some special skill that catches our eye, company resources are limited, and it's tough to sign you."

Another examiner chimed in, "When selecting artists, if they're professionally trained with acting chops or talent, age doesn't matter as much. Otherwise, we need younger ones—eighteen to twenty-two is ideal. The entertainment industry is leaning more and more toward Little Fresh Meat types, so you're in an awkward spot."

"Dance lessons from middle school don't count—my daughter dances better than that." The middle-aged woman's tone dripped with sarcasm.

Qin Baobao felt underestimated. She told herself to stay calm—these old-timers weren't worth unleashing her Primordial Power.

"I can compose and write songs." Qin Baobao dropped a bombshell with full confidence.

Director Zhang sat up straight, intrigued. "Can we hear them?"

The others exchanged glances, half skeptical.

"I need to use the restroom first," Qin Baobao added.

The middle-aged woman snorted. "Go ahead, take your time—even after lunch is fine. There's another batch of interviewees this afternoon anyway."

As Qin Baobao stepped out of the conference room, the interviewers behind her didn't bother lowering their voices. "That girl's got good qualities."

"True, her face and figure stand out, but the entertainment industry isn't just about being pretty."

The middle-aged woman sneered, "Girls these days have huge egos, especially the decent-looking ones who think they're the center of the universe. In the end, it's just being too ambitious."

Her name was Mei Changhong. Though women can be jealous, a middle-aged woman like her had no real reason to pick on Qin Baobao. Her targeting had a reason: the company only had six contracts this time—three C-Rank and three D-Rank. Over the past few days, several promising newcomers had been signed, leaving the interviewers with two contracts: one C-Rank and one D-Rank. The C-Rank was already reserved for a connection, and Mei Changhong wanted the D-Rank for her niece, a Shanghai Theater Academy grad.

She'd already tipped off a few colleagues and greased the wheels. Some hadn't agreed but hadn't objected either—Director Zhang, for instance, had tacitly allowed it.

But the moment she saw Qin Baobao, her gut clenched. That little vixen was too striking. As soon as she walked in, the old men around her—old enough to be her father—lit up like lightbulbs. Luckily, the girl was just a pretty face. If that seductress had talent too, the D-Rank contract would slip away. In her mind, Qin Baobao's bathroom break was an excuse to save face.

Mei Changhong wasn't far off the mark.

Qin Ze saw his sister walk out with a gloomy face. The siblings exchanged a wordless look—expressions said it all.

"Didn't get in?" Qin Ze's heart sank.

"I've got the face, I've got the body—why wouldn't they take me? They said I have no talent, no skill, and I'm too old? I'm only twenty-five, fresh and tender! Where am I old?" Qin Baobao vented to her brother.

"I told you it wouldn't work. You're twenty-five, no professional training, never studied singing—you think a pretty face is enough to make it in the entertainment industry? There are gorgeous women everywhere on Earth," Qin Ze said, paling.

"You sound just like them," Qin Baobao shot him a hurt look. "I got mad and told them I can compose and write songs. They said they'd love to admire my work. Lucky I was quick—I used the bathroom as an excuse to escape. Let's run, it's too embarrassing. If they won't have me, someone else will... Hey, why do you look so awful?"

This useless, trouble-making woman.

Qin Ze's face wasn't just pale—his heart was ice cold.

Mission failed!

Points reset to zero!

System reselecting a host!

And before it left, it would drain his body's energy, turning him into a vegetable. Young, never even held a girl's hand, and game over early!

A line of poetry summed up his mood: "Peach Blossom Pool's waters a thousand feet deep—my sister's hand sends me to my grave."

Qin Ze understood now, painfully understood—even if the big boss had just one drop of health left and a single touch would kill it, in the big boss's eyes, he was just as weak, a noob fresh out of the tutorial.

I really had no advantage.

He couldn't help but snark, "That 'connection' of your ex-boss only got you an interview slot, didn't it?"

Just then, the long-missed system voice rang in his mind:

"Ding!"

"Mission item activated. Host, please check promptly."

Qin Ze froze, then realized something. With trembling hands, he opened the system interface and tapped the mission item.

This was...

"System, is this a song?"

"Yes. A beginner mission wouldn't be on 'hell' mode. The host can just coast to victory."

"Some coast—I almost pissed myself from fright." Qin Ze grumbled. "Import it to my phone."

"Already imported..."

"Sis, I've got a song here." Qin Ze pulled out his phone and opened the local music folder, but he had no earphones. No matter—Qin Baobao had some in her bag. Their phones were a matching pair, a gift from her on his birthday last year.

Qin Baobao stared at him blankly, not understanding his sudden fuss.

Qin Ze brushed aside her hair, put the earphones on her, and hit play. "This is a song I wrote. I recorded it in a studio earlier this year, meant it as a keepsake. Never thought it'd come in handy."

Qin Ze had always been a good liar—he spun the story in a second.

Surprise flickered across Qin Baobao's pretty face, slowly turning into rapture. The song was only three minutes long, ending quickly. She parted her red lips. "This... you wrote this?"

"Yeah." He pulled her up and pushed her toward the conference room. "No time to chat now. Go in, keep the earphones on. Life or death depends on you."

Bewildered, Qin Baobao stumbled back into the conference room.

The interviewers were already packing up files, sipping tea, ready to wrap up.

"Why are you back?" Mei Changhong blinked.

"To sing." Qin Baobao lifted her snow-white chin like a proud swan.

This little wench... Mei Changhong cursed inwardly.

The interviewers exchanged glances, all wearing expressions of surprise. Director Zhang cleared his throat. "Well, then, go ahead and sing. If it doesn't work out, don't force it—you can consider coming to my office as a secretary."

Qin Baobao lowered her head and restarted the music from the beginning. After a few seconds of intro, an ethereal, pleasant female voice rang through her earphones. At the same time, Qin Baobao began to sing along: Every time, I grow strong in hesitation and solitude / Every time, even when hurt, I don't let tears glisten / I know I've always had a pair of invisible wings / Carrying me to fly, flying past despair / I don't think about the beautiful sun they have / I see the sunset change every day / I know I've always had a pair of invisible wings / Carrying me to fly, giving me hope.

Some interviewers were sorting documents, some looking at their phones, some sipping tea with heads down, and some admiring Qin Baobao's fiery figure—but now, everyone involuntarily set aside what they were doing and focused on the song. As the melody flowed, they gradually sank into it.

I finally see all dreams blooming / The youthful voice of pursuit rings so clear / I finally soar, gazing intently, unafraid / Wherever there's wind, I'll fly as far as it takes / I don't think about the beautiful sun they have / I see the sunset change every day / I know I've always had a pair of invisible wings / Carrying me to fly, giving me hope.

Dreams?

Wings?

Director Zhang couldn't help but straighten his back, staring at Qin Baobao's face.

Mei Changhong's heart sank.

The interviewer on the far left, in his early thirties, closed his eyes, his face full of rapture.

In the spacious conference room, Qin Baobao's magnetic voice echoed, carrying a hint of a little girl's innocence and longing to soar.

"I'm done."

Qin Baobao finished the song and let out a soft breath.

"Huh? Done?"

"What a great song!"

"This, this... it doesn't sound like something an amateur would write at all. Great lyrics, even better melody."

"And the voice, too. With some training, she'd be a promising talent."

"Didn't you say she wasn't suited for the entertainment industry?"

"Who knew she could actually write songs? She can sing and compose, and she's this gorgeous—turns out she's a hidden gem!"

The examiners murmured among themselves.

Qin Baobao's face was expressionless, but inside she was ecstatic. Wahaha, look down on me, will you? Say I'm too old, huh? Watch this old lady's face-slapping prowess.

Director Zhang cleared his throat and said amiably, "What's the name of this song?"

"Invisible Wings!" Qin Baobao glanced at her phone.

Mei Changhong's first reaction was to pull out her phone and search for the song title. There was no song called "Invisible Wings" online, though many related terms popped up.

Nothing?

It's really original?

"This is a song about dreams—it's about you, isn't it? Beautifully written, even better sung." Director Zhang expressed his admiration for Qin Baobao. "Honestly, I'd still like you to come to my office as a secretary."

Please, stop mentioning secretary. Qin Baobao thought to herself.

"But your talent has amazed me. For this interview, I'll give you a nine." He added jokingly, "Saving the last point so you don't get cocky."

Old enough to be this witty—steady, bro!

Qin Baobao smiled radiantly, her face glowing. "Thank you!"

"You can step out now. We'll discuss it."

Qin Baobao gave a slight bow and turned to leave.

In the hallway, Qin Ze communicated with the system: "That song's fine, right?"

The system didn't respond.

"You can write songs? Aren't you an AI system?"

The system still ignored him.

"Hey hey, are you still there?"

A few seconds later, the system replied: "Host, system energy is insufficient. It has automatically drawn from the host's energy."

The next moment, Qin Ze pitched face-first onto the ground, dizzy and weak in all four limbs, feeling like he'd jerked off a dozen times in one night.

It took him several minutes to recover, and he was both shocked and furious: "You, you, you... what kind of stunt are you pulling now?"

"In the terms of your world, this is called charging," the system shot back.

"Replying to the host's earlier questions: One, the success rate is over ninety percent. Two, this song wasn't written by me—it comes from another Parallel Space. Three, I'm still here."

"None of that matters. What matters is, why am I the power source when you charge?"

"You know about pregnant women? When a baby is in the womb, all its nutrients must come from the mother's body. From a certain angle, a fetus isn't much different from a parasite."

"Bullshit. Parasites are harmful." Qin Ze bared his teeth. "From a certain angle, you're no different from a parasitic beast."

"If something goes wrong with the fetus, the mother has problems too. It's not like there aren't mothers who die in childbirth. So a fetus and a parasite are no different."

"So you're saying you're the fetus now, I'm the mother, and when you need to charge, I'm the power source?"

"Yes."

"Then call me 'Dad' first."

"..."

Qin Ze said, "Can you not screw me over? I can't handle your crap. I'm just an ordinary person. If you keep draining my energy like this, will I die young? Will I go impotent?"

"So the host should work hard on physical training, following the energy training manual provided by the system, to achieve a transformation of the body."

"What the hell is an energy training manual? I've only heard of a 'Youth Training Manual.'"

"One moment..." A few seconds later, the system replied: "I searched it up. In human terms: Qi Cultivation!"

"Oh come on! Isn't this world supposed to be one where you can't become immortal? No becoming a spirit after the founding of the nation?"

"According to this world's written records, the human body does contain qi. Through Qi Cultivation, one can extend life and gain formidable power. It's essentially a process of humans absorbing external energy, like how a phone charges. But the so-called 'formidable power' is only relative to ordinary people—it still falls within biological limits. There's no such thing as becoming immortal."

Just then, he saw Qin Baobao walk out with a gloomy expression on her pretty face.