A hundred flavors of life

Chapter 1381: Choose C for all! (Please subscribe!)
On the opening day of Huashier's "brothers and sisters" internet cafe, there were not only cultural performances, but also a big red banner that read "To celebrate the opening, three days of free internet access," and it was almost instantly packed.

These days, internet cafes don't need to worry about customer traffic, and nobody does free services anymore, but Hua12 is aiming for a huge opening with full houses.

In addition, some people who have never been online before may go to an internet cafe because it's free. Once they experience the games and the fun of surfing the internet, who could refuse to go online? These are all potential customers.

The Rose Band sang three songs in a row. Hua Shier saw that they were going to keep singing all night, so he quickly told them to stop and rest, saying it would be bad luck.

Zhao Ye and Lin Jiamo quickly brought over the prepared drinks, while Lao Guo and Young Master Yu had already gone on stage to begin their performance.

After Lao Guo and Yu Gongzi performed two crosstalk routines, drawing cheers from the audience, Hua Shier announced the end of the cultural performance.

Zhao Ye and Lin Jiamo immediately stepped forward to hand out coupons to the crowd.

After the three-day free period at the internet cafe, you can enjoy one hour of free internet access after three hours of internet use, plus a free bottle of mineral water.

After finishing his performance, Guo Degang, seeing so many tricks up his sleeve, couldn't help but give a thumbs up in admiration, jokingly saying:

"Twelve has been smart since he was little, and he's clearly a natural at doing business!"

Teacher Yu is used to playing the straight man in comedy, and he even plays the straight man after the performance:
"How so?"

Old Guo pointed to the banner that said "Three days free," then pointed to Zhao Ye and Lin Jiamo, who were handing out coupons:

"Look at these tricks, like an old sow wearing a bra, one trick after another!"

Old Liang and the others burst into laughter. After they finished laughing, he asked Hua Twelve:

"Is that all? It's a business among brothers, and we were planning to put in a good amount of effort!"

Although he's known as the Godmother of Rock and Roll, he's a genuine Northeasterner, known for his generosity and meticulousness. When he heard that Hua Shier Internet Cafe was opening, he took the initiative to come and perform, showing his support.

Hua Twelve smiled and said:
"Come on, there are too many people gathered here. Don't attract Uncle Hat on such a joyous occasion. Let's get going. I've already made arrangements at the restaurant. Let's have a few drinks together, brothers!"

Upon hearing about drinking, Teacher Yu instantly perked up:

"This is the important matter. You can stop singing now and not delay the important business!"

The crowd burst into laughter again.

Hua Shier had booked a table at Bianyifang Roast Duck Restaurant in advance. At the table, he toasted Lao Liang, Lao Guo, Yu Gongzi, and others, thanking them for their strong support. Then he took out two pieces of paper:
"This is a gift for you two. If you're brothers, don't refuse!"

He gave Lao Liang a song called "Fly Higher" by Wang Banbi. Lao Wang's voice cracked in the later stages of the song, so Hua Shier decided to give it to Lao Liang, aiming for a win-win situation.

Old Wang: I should thank you, you idiot?

The gift for Lao Guo and Teacher Yu is their own work, "My Whole Life," which is the crosstalk segment about the difference between jumping from the second floor and jumping from the twentieth floor. It's the segment that made Lao Guo famous all over the country.

It's not that Hua Shier didn't want to borrow from other crosstalk performers, but he mainly listened to relatively few other people's crosstalk performances and couldn't think of anything funny. He figured it would be better to take out Guo Degang's popular routines and let them be released earlier, saving Guo Degang and Yu Qian from taking so many detours over the years.

At first, Lao Liang and Lao Guo didn't take it seriously, but in the blink of an eye, they treated it as a treasure. Lao Liang shook his head and sighed:

"Dude, you're awesome! You're doing a cow doing a handstand, that's incredibly cool!"

Guo Degang, standing to the side, was displeased: "You're a rock singer, you're not allowed to steal my lyrics!"

The crowd burst into laughter again. The other members of the Rose Band, along with Young Master Yu, became curious and took the manuscript from Lao Liang and Lao Guo. After reading it, they were all amazed, and all the words of praise that were on the tip of their tongues turned into:

Awesome! Absolutely fucking awesome!
Even after the three-day free trial period ended, business at the internet cafe remained booming. Hua Shier had initially planned to offer coupons and then introduce membership cards later.

Deposit 100 and get 30 free!

Looking at it now, it's completely unnecessary; people waiting to board have to queue up.

With funding from internet cafes, Huashier also started recruiting employees to set up the platform. He had T1000 develop the core of Weibo, which could be easily modified by his team for direct use.

One month later, Weibo was officially launched.

Hua Shier didn't even need to spend money on advertising. He just gave Pony Ma a heads-up, and Tencent proactively promoted him through pop-up ads.

However, advertising alone is definitely not enough for the emergence of a new thing. Hua Shier felt that it was still lacking and was thinking about how to promote it.

That day, he overheard his female classmates talking about how the pop diva had returned to Beijing to prepare for her new album. He raised his eyebrows, knowing that his opportunity had arrived.

During break, Hua Shier found a corner on the playground, took out her phone, and made a call. The call connected, and a familiar voice came through—somewhat languid, somewhat ethereal, but mostly carefree.

"Who is it? Oh wait, I'll take it, two of bamboo."

Hua Shier chuckled to himself. This woman had the same hobby no matter which world she was in; she was already playing around with it in the middle of the morning.

He didn't say who he was, he just sang a few lines:

"I couldn't help but transform into a stubborn fish, swimming alone against the ocean current to the very end."

A voice came from the other end of the phone: "Holy crap, your song is pretty good!"

Hua Shier thought to himself, "I'm sorry, Lao Na," and chuckled.
"I heard you're working on a new album. Do you want this song? If so, pick me up at the gate of No. 4 Middle School tonight after school and treat me to dinner. Remember not to call during the day, I have to go to school!"

He hung up the phone as soon as he finished speaking, leaving the princess on the other end completely bewildered.
"Going to school? Who's this?"

She was playing mahjong and her eyes were glued to the table. She answered the phone casually without even looking at the caller ID. Only now did she realize it wasn't a friend. The voice sounded unfamiliar, but for some reason, it felt strangely familiar.

Hua Shier hung up the phone, a confident smile playing on his lips.

He knew that with the princess's sensitivity and appreciation for music, the few melodies he sang would be enough to pique her great interest.

Sure enough, during class in the afternoon, his phone, which was on vibrate and kept in his desk, lit up several times, showing the same number, but he didn't even look at it and just turned it off.

As soon as the school bell rang, Lin Jiamo and Zhao Ye, as usual, gathered around to go with him to the internet cafe to check on its business.

Hua Shier shook his head: "You two go first. I have something to do tonight. Someone is inviting me to dinner."

"Someone invited you to dinner?"

Lin Jiamo blinked curiously, then asked with some wariness:
"Who is it? Male or female? Do I know them?"

Hua Shier, seeing her gossipy little eyes, deliberately paused before saying casually:

"That's the princess who sings."

The air was quiet for a second.

Immediately, Lin Jiamo and Zhao Ye exchanged a glance and burst out laughing at the same time.

Zhao Ye laughed so hard he slapped his thigh: "I was just saying Liu Dehua invited me to afternoon tea, but I turned him down so I could attend class with you guys!"

Hua Shier smiled and shook his head, offering no explanation. The three of them left the school gate together, and he looked at a black van parked across the street.

The car model is understated, but those in the know can tell it's quite valuable.

He smirked: "Look, the person who invited me to dinner has arrived."

After saying that, he ignored the two people behind him who were still laughing wildly, handed the bicycle to Lin Jiamo, and walked straight towards the nanny van.

Lin Jiamo and Zhao Ye quickly pushed the cart and followed, wanting to see what Hua Shier was up to this time.

Under the stunned gazes of the two, Hua Shier walked to the nanny van and gently knocked on the window.

The car window slowly rolled down, revealing a face with sunglasses that couldn't hide its cool and aloof features—it was the princess.

Sitting next to her was a short-haired woman with a large build and a powerful aura; she was her manager, Sister Kuan, who had considerable influence in the Hong Kong and Taiwan entertainment industry.

Hua Shier grinned:
"Hello, Miss Wang. My name is Hua Shier. We spoke on the phone this afternoon. It seems you've made up your mind about that song!"

The princess removed her sunglasses, revealing a pair of eyes filled with curiosity and a hint of surprise. She looked Hua Twelve up and down, dressed in a school uniform, looking neat and upright yet unable to hide his youthful air, and blurted out:

"You really are a student?"

Sister Kuan frowned slightly; she hadn't expected the person who asked her to sing to be so young. She said in a deep voice:
"You want Ah Fei to treat you to dinner, right? Get in the car and we'll talk!"

Hua Shier nodded, then turned and waved to Lin Jiamo and Zhao Ye, who were still standing dumbfounded at the school gate as if frozen in place, signaling them to go first.

Lin Jiamo and Zhao Ye stared at the face of the pop diva they often saw on TV and in magazines, their worldviews seemingly shaken. Zhao Ye murmured:

"Wow, she really is a princess!"

Lin Jiamo covered her mouth, her eyes wide open, watching Hua Shier open the car door, naturally get into the van, and the vehicle slowly drove away and disappeared into the traffic.

A subtle silence fell over the car.

The princess broke the deadlock by speaking first:

"Let's find a quiet place to eat and chat. I know a good private restaurant." Hua Shier nodded and smiled, "Okay, whatever you say!" His composure and calmness were completely unlike that of an ordinary high school student.

In the private room of the restaurant, Sister Kuan was the first to speak, her tone scrutinizing:

"Young man, did you really write that song? Do you know what the consequences are of impersonating a creator?" She was worried that this was a trap set by a competitor, or that the boy in front of her was just a mouthpiece.

Without further ado, Hua Shier took out a sheet of paper with the complete lyrics and music of "Silence" written on it, which he had prepared beforehand, and handed it over.

"If I didn't write it, who else could it be? Have you even heard this song on the market? Besides, I've already registered it."

The princess took the paper and began to read it. As her gaze moved between the lyrics and notes, her expression gradually shifted from initial scrutiny to focused concentration. Later, her fingers even unconsciously tapped out a rhythm on the table, and she began to hum softly:
"I can't help but transform into a stubborn fish, swimming alone against the ocean current to the very bottom, the vow I made sincerely in my youth silently sinking into the deep sea."

A few minutes later, she looked up, her eyes sparkling with excitement and approval: "I want this song!"

She is an extremely talented singer with an incredibly keen sense for good songs. Although the melody of "Silence" is more suitable for Lao Na, she is confident that she can sing it in her own style. Most importantly, she really likes the artistic conception of the lyrics.

Seeing this, Sister Kuan knew the song was truly excellent, but she immediately switched into business negotiation mode:

"Young man, the song is good, name your price."

Hua Shier shook his head: "I don't want money."

"for free?"

Sister Kuan was stunned, and the princess also looked at him curiously.

"Yes, it's free."

Hua Shier looked at the princess and said seriously, "I can dedicate this song to Miss Wang."

"Give it away?" Sister Kuan became even more wary. There's no such thing as a free lunch; the most expensive thing is to give something away for free. "What are your conditions?" She instantly thought of many possibilities, such as signing a contract or even more outrageous demands.

Hua Shier smiled and revealed his true purpose: "My condition is very simple. I hope Miss Wang can join an online platform—Weibo."

"Weibo?" The princess looked blank; she didn't usually pay much attention to these emerging online phenomena.

Sister Kuan reacted quickly; she immediately understood Hua Twelve's intention and scoffed:
"Kid! You've got a good plan! Trading a song for A-Fei to advertise for you? Do you even know how much A-Fei charges for a commercial endorsement these days? You're really good at getting something for nothing!"

Hua Shier remained calm and began to "educate" the two ladies: "Sister Kuan, Ms. Wang, do you know what a blog is?"

The princess shook her head. She rarely even touched a computer, didn't play with QQ, let alone blogs.

Hua Shier explained:

"A blog is an online journal where you can publish text, pictures, and even videos. It's very popular abroad, and many celebrities use it. It entered the Chinese market last year, but it hasn't taken off yet. I think the blog format is still too cumbersome and not real-time or interactive enough. So, I developed a new product called 'microblog'."

He explained patiently:

"Weibo can be understood as a 'microblog,' which is simpler and faster. Ms. Wang, you can post your recent updates, moods, beautiful selfies, or share some behind-the-scenes moments from work or snippets of new songs on it."

"Your fans can see it immediately, and they can leave you messages, like your posts, and interact with you directly! It's like a fan meeting and press conference that's always online and just for you, which can greatly shorten the distance between you and your fans and is of great help to your acting career and personal image!"

Hua Shier's description of the future made Kuan Jie's eyes light up, and she clearly understood the benefits, but the princess herself was not very interested.

Sister Kuan immediately started bargaining: "Just one song definitely won't do."

However, the princess suddenly interrupted Kuan-jie, looking at Hua Twelve with a trust and closeness that she herself couldn't quite explain, as if they had known each other for a long time:
"Although I still don't quite understand what Weibo is, I think it's a good idea. Let's go with it."

"Ah Fei!" Sister Kuan exclaimed anxiously.

The princess waved her hand, her tone casual yet firm:

"A good song is something you can only come across by chance. I think this kid is quite interesting. The Weibo post sounds good too, let's give it a try."

Seeing that the princess had made up her mind, Sister Kuan knew that further persuasion would be useless, so she could only sigh helplessly and glare at Hua Twelve, which was taken as tacit agreement.

After the party ended, on the way back, Sister Kuan couldn't help but complain to the princess:
"Ah Fei, what's wrong with you today? That boy may look quite dashing, but you were too hasty! I noticed something off about the way you looked at him! Let me tell you, things haven't completely calmed down with Xiao Xie's situation yet, the media is watching closely. Don't cause any more trouble. This guy is even younger than Xiao Xie; if something really happens..."

The princess was amused by Sister Kuan's words, and shook her head helplessly:
"Sister Kuan, what are you saying! When I saw him, I felt like I had known him for a long time, and it felt so familiar."

She herself found the feeling strange and inexplicable.

Hua Shier was naturally aware of the princess's current emotional state and the public opinion storm. He knew that in this world, the two of them were destined to never be able to rekindle their past relationship.

His main purpose in seeking out the princess was to promote his Weibo account.

His strategy proved successful.

With the pop diva's high-profile announcement of joining Weibo and posting her first greeting and behind-the-scenes footage of the recording of "Silence," the entire internet instantly exploded. The pop-up notification from Tencent, coupled with the diva's massive online following, acted as a powerful boost to the fledgling Weibo platform.

The number of registered users on Weibo has surged exponentially, driven by the fans of the princess.

Many Hong Kong and Taiwanese celebrities were pulled along by the princess and registered accounts one after another. Mainland celebrities followed suit and joined the trend, afraid of falling behind.

The internet industry has never lacked followers, and soon, products with similar Weibo functions appeared on the market.

However, thanks to its first-mover advantage, the massive user base of Tencent, and the top-tier celebrity effect brought by the princess, Huashi12's Weibo has firmly established itself as the market leader and formed strong user stickiness, making it difficult for newcomers to shake its position.

At the same time, the works that Hua Shier "sent out" also began to show their power.

Once released, the ethereal and melodious tune and the touching lyrics of "Silence" quickly swept across major music charts, further solidifying her status as a diva. She also frequently shares the story behind the song on Weibo, which inadvertently brings a lot of popularity to the platform.

Lao Liang and his Rose Band rose to fame in the rock scene with their enchanting and wild style of "Fairy," which blends Northeast Errenzhuan (a traditional folk art form) with rock. Even the godfather of rock, Lao Cui, said: "These guys are pretty good."

This allowed Lao Liang and his group to quickly gain a large number of 'mentally ill' music fans.

Well, the term 'mental illness' here isn't a derogatory term. After all, Lao Liang himself said in later years: "Without a five-year history of mental illness, you can't listen to the Rose Band!"

Hua Shier had them post performance information, band activities, and videos of their "Xian'er" performance on Weibo, attracting a large number of young netizens.

Guo Degang and Yu Zheng, in particular, became an instant hit outside the crosstalk circle and a popular internet phrase thanks to the classic joke about "jumping from the second floor and jumping from the twentieth floor" in their song "My Life".

The small theater where they performed, which used to have few audience members, suddenly became a must-see, and their Weibo followers grew exponentially. Guo Degang's label as a "non-famous crosstalk performer" became a thing of the past.

Time flies, and three years of high school have passed in a flash.

During the final sprint before graduation, Lao Hou walked into the classroom and announced some news:
"The school has decided to hold a graduation party for you before the college entrance examination. Each class needs to prepare three performances."

Cheers and reluctant sighs filled the classroom. Men Lingcao raised her hand and said:

"Teacher, I study every day and don't even have enough time to sleep. How can you have a party?"

Teacher Hou chuckled softly, his gaze sweeping over the tired yet youthful faces:
"I know you are tired, but the graduation party is not a burden, but a gift."

"On Friday night, there will be balloons, glow sticks, and surprises prepared for you by your younger schoolmates in the auditorium. You have studied for three years and are now facing the college entrance examination. What you need is not an extra hour of review, but to release the pressure so that you can unload your mental burdens and go into the exam with a light heart, so that you can perform to your full potential!"

"Alright, anyone who wants to perform, go sign up with Chen Xun after class!"

Hua Shier was initially uninvolved, but after playing ball for a while after class, Lin Jiamo gave him a surprise when he returned:
"Twelve, I've signed you up for a solo song performance!"

She knew that Hua Shier wrote songs for Wang Fei and Lao Liang, and she wanted to see her boyfriend in the limelight, so she ran to Chen Xun after class to sign Hua Shier up!
Hua Shier was so helpless; he was betrayed by his girlfriend the moment he turned around.

That night, as he lay in bed thinking about what to sing, the system suddenly gave him a notification after a long silence. It told him that although the fusion of the primordial spirit was not yet over, the main consciousness of the original body had dissipated, and he would no longer need the system's assistance. He could now participate in the lottery from the previous world.

Hua Shier instantly perked up, quickly got up to shower and change, and then began the lottery draw.

"Ding! Congratulations, host, you have drawn the skill 'Detection'. You can claim it at any time!"

(Note: This skill can be used once per day on a single target. Once used, it has a 100% chance of uncovering the target's secrets!)

Hua Shier was speechless. This gossipy skill must have come from Qu Xiaoxiao. That woman loves to investigate others behind their backs the most.

After mentally grumbling, he started the second lottery draw.

"Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained the flawless version of the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, the last three stages of the cultivation technique!"

(Note: "Eight-Nine Arcane Arts" is the same as "Nine Revolutions Arcane Arts"!)
Hua Shier was speechless. The item was good, but the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique only gave him the last three revolutions. What about the first six revolutions, brother?

He communicated with the system in his mind, and the system's reply was roughly: "You're just unlucky, is it my fault?"
"Damn it!" Hua Shier's face darkened even more.

He wanted to open the skills page, but the system told him that fusion with the host's original spirit would cause changes in the host's attributes, and this function was temporarily unavailable.

The graduation party arrived as scheduled, and Hua Shier stood on the stage, holding a guitar:

"The college entrance examination is a challenge, but also an opportunity. When we are faced with choices and feel lost, let me dedicate the song 'Choose C for All' to all students who are about to take the college entrance examination!"

Burned by dreams
Don't just breathe in mediocrity.
What I want is not here.
Your answer is meaningless.
How could I possibly lose to you right now?

So I chose C for each one.
Thank you to 08a and Little Tiger of the Demon Realm for the donations, and thank you to all the brothers who voted with monthly tickets and recommendation tickets. Thank you so much!