Songbird

Biodata

History

Leadership Succession

Songbird was formerly led by Tao Xueshan. After his death, his younger brother Tao Xueji succeeded him as president. Xueji remained largely unknown to the public, while Vice President Xiao Jun handled much of the guild’s management. Tao Xueqing described Xiao Jun as practically family because of his support for the Tao siblings 20 23.

Huaiyin Second-Team Disaster

Songbird’s second team entered Huaiyin No. 4 Middle School, also called Locust Sound, expecting an A-rank item-farming run. Instead, its five-person party triggered a hidden SSS-rank nightmare side quest. A boss in a concealed corridor killed three teammates, leaving Captain Tao Xueqing and Xiao Jun unable to defeat it 9 13 14.

Xueqing used her rare teleportation card to force the critically injured Xiao Jun out of the instance, sacrificing her own escape opportunity. He required forty-eight hours of emergency treatment and woke another four or five days later. Xueqing remained trapped, with her survival uncertain 14.

The incident traumatized both survivors and members who had watched the livestream. Xiao Jun believed that rescuing Xueqing and overcoming the disaster’s psychological impact were necessary to prevent Songbird from falling apart. President Tao Xueji ordered that she be brought back alive—or that her body be recovered 9 10 14.

Attempt to Recruit Zheng Xun

Songbird approached Zheng Xun during his debut instance, keeping a recruitment offer pinned in his livestream. Its initial silver-contract offer drew attention because such contracts were normally reserved for core players. Xiao Jun then traveled to District 1089 and publicly raised the offer to Silver+, treating Zheng Xun as a prospective core member despite his newcomer status 5 6 7.

After Zheng Xun cleared the instance, Songbird’s bodyguards escorted him away from reporters to meet Xiao Jun. The proposed contract came with an urgent request: lead a new team into Huaiyin to recover Xueqing. Zheng Xun refused membership but accepted the rescue assignment, negotiating temporary authority over the participating Songbird members 9 10.

Xiao Jun continued trying to retain him. He instructed publicity staff to announce that contract details were under negotiation, hoping the appearance of an imminent signing would discourage rival recruiters. Privately, he considered even six months or a year of Zheng Xun’s service valuable for Songbird’s reputation 12.

Rescue Operation

The return party consisted of Zheng Xun, Xiao Jun, Cheng Jie, Li Shuang, and an apparent substitute called Xiao Wu. Songbird did not commit its first-team mainstays, although Xiao Jun personally entered alongside Zheng Xun. Xiao Wu was eventually revealed to be President Tao Xueji when he defended himself with the inherited Juque Sword 15 17 21.

Triggering the hidden route proved harder than clearing the ordinary instance. Zheng Xun repeatedly reset Huaiyin while Songbird members remained nearby to provide support; the later press conference put the total at seventy-six resets. The operation ultimately brought Xueqing out unharmed, with no injuries to the rescue team 19 23 25.

Songbird rewarded Zheng Xun with money, game items, and weapons, while allowing him to keep all gold earned during the runs. The leadership also offered him a vice president’s position, which he declined 23.

Xunhui Guarantee and Loan Agreement

Zheng Xun instead asked Songbird to guarantee his application to establish an independent guild. Its eighteenth-place ranking qualified it to provide the required top-twenty guarantee. Songbird agreed, and Xiao Jun, a manager, and an assistant prepared the operating proposal overnight 24.

At Songbird’s press conference, Zheng Xun announced the planned Xunhui Guild and an agreement to loan himself to Songbird for three A-plus dungeons over one year. Xiao Jun later secured two additional dungeon runs in exchange for a General Association recommendation, also counting the Azure Mist marked-dungeon map he had previously supplied 25 36.

Organization and Personnel

• Tao Xueji — Current president and younger brother of former president Tao Xueshan. Entered the Huaiyin rescue under the identity “Xiao Wu” and carries the inherited Juque Sword 20 21.
• Xiao Jun — Vice president and principal day-to-day administrator. Handles recruitment, publicity, negotiations, and external recommendations; also personally participates in dangerous instances 9 12 14 23 36.
• Tao Xueqing — Captain of the second team and the president’s younger sister. Seventeen years old when introduced, she had taken command the previous year and already cleared an S-rank instance 13.
• Su Hairong — Xiao Jun’s assistant and an active player. Helps with administration and public events; remained behind to assist guild operations during the planned Huaiyin return 6 14 25.
• Cheng Jie — Xiao Jun’s assistant and a member of the Huaiyin rescue party. Becomes Zheng Xun’s roommate and frequent companion during his stay at Songbird 6 13 15 26.
• Li Shuang — Second-team substitute who participates in the Huaiyin rescue attempt 15.
• Tao Xueshan — Deceased former president. His Juque Sword passed to the succeeding president 20 21.

Team and Administrative Structure

• Two principal teams: Songbird has first- and second-team formations. Each captain originally held one of the guild’s two teleportation cards 14 15.
• Substitute players: The second team includes substitutes such as Li Shuang 15.
• Staffing shortages: After an operations-team reshuffle, some administrative positions were temporarily filled by senior players because suitable professionals had not been found 13.
• Coordinated combat: Songbird did not encourage members to imitate Zheng Xun’s lone-wolf methods. His exceptional individual strength was useful, but his approach could undermine an established team’s coordination 17.

Resources and Facilities

• Private aircraft and ground transport — Uses a private plane bearing its emblem and guild vehicles for interdistrict travel and recruitment 6 9 13.
• Training facilities — Maintains player training rooms and regular training schedules 24 26.
• Internal teleportation point — Provides access to suitable material instances. Xiao Jun grants Zheng Xun permission to use it during his temporary residence 26.
• Residential and communal facilities — Includes members’ rooms, a cafeteria, consultation rooms, and administrative offices 24 26 36.
• Custom player wristbands — Can commission wristbands with better functionality than basic supermarket models 10.
• Teleportation cards — Originally possessed two rare purple cards capable of extracting critically injured players. Xueqing uses hers to save Xiao Jun 14.
• Replay access — Supplies recordings of previous instance runs for preparation and review 13.
• Publicity and security staff — Maintains livestream recruitment publicity, organizes press conferences, and deploys bodyguards to escort players through media crowds 5 9 12 25.
• Member materials — Provides new-member handbooks, guides, guild jackets, and mascot plushies 10 13.

Contracts and External Relationships

Zheng Xun’s Agreements

Relationships

• Zheng Xun — External collaborator and temporary resident, not a Songbird member. Even after accepting the loan arrangement, he continues staying at its headquarters. Xiao Jun later offers help against an online smear campaign, which Zheng Xun declines 10 26 31 50.
• Xunhui Guild — Songbird guarantees its establishment and prepares the application proposal, but explicitly refuses responsibility for running it. Zheng Xun must supply the registered capital, property, and long-term funding himself 24 26.
• Azure Mist — Xiao Jun declines to intervene officially in Zheng Xun’s attempt to rent Huo Ziyan, but supplies a map of Azure Mist’s marked dungeons. Cheng Jie encourages Zheng Xun to poach those instances and later publicly emphasizes that he is not a Songbird member 29 30 31.