A song called "The You of the Past" has prompted the entire internet to beg me not to leav

"Old Li, well done!"

As the golden words "Passed the Level" finally appeared on the screen, Lin Yan excitedly slapped Old Li on the shoulder and burst out laughing.

Old Li also let out a long sigh of relief, rubbing his sore wrists. A hint of childlike smugness appeared on his wrinkled face.

"It's alright. This so-called magic ring is nothing special to me. If you can keep the rhythm right, it's a piece of cake."

"Mr. Li...?"

A trembling voice suddenly rang out at the door, shattering the internet cafe atmosphere in the living room.

Old Li turned his head at the sound and saw Shen Qingqiu standing at the door with a look of utter disbelief on his face.

The old man coughed lightly, his back straightened instantly, and he placed his hands on his knees, switching back into the mode of a highly respected senior in a second.

"Qingqiu is back." Old Master Li said slowly, adopting the airs of an elder.

Lin Yan glanced at Shen Qingqiu, then at Old Li, and belatedly scratched his chin.

"Qingqiu girl? Old Li, so you're not a food delivery guy?"

Shen Qingqiu strode over, glared at Lin Yan, and then turned to Elder Li with a smile and apology.

"Mr. Li, I'm so sorry! I went out to take care of some errands, I had no idea you'd arrive early. Lin Yan didn't know your identity, I hope he didn't cause you any trouble?"

"fine."

Old Li waved his hand and glanced at Lin Yan sideways.

"This kid, aside from being bad at games, has a personality that I quite like."

Lin Yan was displeased upon hearing this.

"Who played so badly? If I hadn't been frantically positioning and directing the play just now..."

"Shut up."

Shen Qingqiu gave a low shout and quickly pulled Lin Yan aside to introduce him.

"This is Mr. Li Mingchang, the president of the Chinese Music Association! He personally spearheaded and oversaw more than half of the top music projects in China!"

Lin Yan paused for two seconds, then suddenly realized.

"Oh... I see. So that roast duck wasn't some upgraded meal from a food delivery platform, it was bought by you, Lao Li?"

"You're not completely blind after all." Old Li stood up and patted the wrinkles on his clothes.

"That's not very kind of you, old man," Lin Yan said, pursing his lips.

"I ate half a duck of yours, and you made me do half a day of unpaid work to help you beat the boss."

Shen Qingqiu was almost choked by his words and desperately tried to wink at Lin Yan, her eyelids twitching almost uncontrollably.

Old Li was not annoyed at all; instead, he threw his head back and laughed.

"Hahaha! That's funny. It's been so many years since anyone dared to tease me like that to my face."

As the laughter subsided, Old Li's gaze became deep and sharp, staring intently at Lin Yan.

"Xiao Lin, the reason I'm making this incognito visit today is to try and gauge the character of the person who wrote 'Sorrow.' Now I see, you're very pure. You haven't been tainted by any of the filthy bad habits of this circle."

Old Li's smile faded, and his tone became solemn.

"The national team has a major cultural export project next year called 'The Rise of Chinese Pop.' We need truly meaningful works and producers who can carry the banner of Chinese music. Would you be interested in registering your name with me?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Qingqiu stopped breathing.

An invitation from the national team! Just a nominal appointment!

What does this mean?

This means that from now on, Lin Yan is essentially wearing a resurrection suit in the entire Chinese entertainment industry!

Starry Entertainment, let alone sending some bullshit lawyer's letter, even if their big boss personally came to their door and knelt down to apologize, it would all depend on whether Lin Yan was in a good mood today!

This is an incredible resource that countless top singers in the industry wouldn't even dare to dream of!

Shen Qingqiu looked at Lin Yan with shining eyes, waiting for him to kowtow and express his gratitude.

However, Lin Yan simply picked at his ear slowly, his face completely calm.

"Not interested."

Three words, as crisp and decisive as cutting tofu with a knife.

Shen Qingqiu was stunned.

Old Li was also stunned.

"Why?" Old Li's brows furrowed into a knot.

"Do you know how many people in this industry would go to great lengths, even selling their possessions, to get this spot?"

"I'm too tired."

Lin Yan slid down and landed on the sofa in a standard "salted fish slouch".

"Old Li, let me be frank with you. I'm not a very ambitious person. I just want to eat well, drink well, and sleep until I naturally wake up. The national team sounds prestigious, but there must be a ton of rules. I'm not going to join that group. It's too tough a pie to chew on."

"You..." Old Li pointed at Lin Yan, his beard bristling and eyes wide with anger.

Where did that quick wit you had while playing the game go?

He actually complained that such a huge piece of pure gold pie was hitting him on the head?

"Lin Yan!" Shen Qingqiu was so anxious she wanted to bite someone. "This is..."

"Boss, what's written in our contract in black and white?" Lin Yan interrupted her directly, pointing to the ceiling.

"Absolute freedom, no forced work. I'm now exercising my sacred right."

Looking at this stubborn piece of meat that wouldn't budge, Old Li took several deep breaths before forcibly suppressing his anger.

He figured it out; this kid was like a stubborn mule—he wouldn't move no matter how much you tried to lead him, and he'd only back down if you pushed him.

"Alright. I won't force you to drink water." Old Li nodded, regaining his composure.

"However, we still have more than half a year to prepare for the launch of this project. Before that, I hope you can show us some real skills and not let your talents go to waste."

After saying that, Old Li turned and walked towards the gate.

"Hey Lao Li, come visit sometime! Remember to bring some lamb spine hotpot next time!" Lin Yan was still shouting carelessly from behind.

Old Li suddenly stumbled, but without turning his head, he waved his hand and left.

The door closed.

A deathly silence fell over the living room for half a minute.

Shen Qingqiu stared intently at Lin Yan, her eyes filled with a look that seemed to wish she could slice him into a sashimi platter right there and then.

"Do you know what you just threw away? That was a get-out-of-jail-free card!" Shen Qingqiu gritted his teeth.

"Winning a gold medal means having to do hard labor; it's a losing proposition."

Lin Yan shrugged indifferently, picked up the controller, and prepared to continue clearing out the monsters.

"Fine. You don't want to take on the national team projects, I'll respect that. After all, it's your prerogative." Shen Qingqiu walked over and yanked the power cord off the television.

"But there's something you need to tell me straight today."

Lin Yan stared at the screen that had suddenly gone black and sighed helplessly, "What's wrong now, my boss?"

Shen Qingqiu pulled a document out of his bag and slammed it onto the coffee table.

"I've been invited to be a regular cast member for the seventh season of 'Leisurely Days.' I just went back to the company to discuss this opportunity."

Shen Qingqiu crossed her arms and looked down at him.

"It's a slow-paced variety show that focuses on rural life, cooking, and chatting, and it consistently ranks at the top of the domestic ratings. The director is an old acquaintance of mine. He heard your song and specifically asked you to join. You'll be a regular cast member with me."

Lin Yan glanced at the document cover but didn't even move his butt.

"I'm not going."

"Give me a reason to convince me?" Shen Qingqiu was so angry that he wanted to tear Lin Yan apart.

"There are too many variety show scripts. You have to create a persona and act awkwardly with those people. I have severe social anxiety." Lin Yan made up a lie without even blinking.

"Social anxiety?"

Shen Qingqiu sneered and pointed to the seat where Lin Yan had just been sitting.

"Who was that who played games with the music association president for over two hours, calling him 'Old Li' so affectionately?"

Lin Yan coughed lightly: "Once is stranger, twice is familiar. A gathering of acquaintances doesn't count as socializing."

"I'm putting this out there today: Xingyao spent a lot of money hiring online trolls to stir up trouble for you. Although your two songs received rave reviews, if you can't capitalize on this wave of popularity to gain exposure and solidify your fanbase, your online following will dissipate in a few days. This variety show is all about authenticity and no script; treat it like a vacation. You have to take this job whether you like it or not."

"I'm not going." Lin Yan turned her head away, completely unmoved.

"I'm willing to be a nobody. Fine, you can deduct my base salary if you want."

Seeing this pig's nonchalant attitude, Shen Qingqiu suddenly took a deep breath and calmed down.

She walked to the other end of the sofa, sat down, picked up the document, and casually flipped through it.

"If I don't want to go, then I don't want to go. Anyway, I think the conditions in the countryside are too harsh, and I'll get sunburned easily."

Shen Qingqiu sighed affectedly, his face full of regret.

"I had heard from the director that this season they chose a pristine island. Every morning there are fishing boats setting sail, and at noon there's an abundance of sea urchins, abalone, and oysters..."

Lin Yan's ear twitched visibly.

"Moreover, the production team went all out for ratings, even hiring a retired master chef from state banquets as the on-set chef. I heard that the braised pork was stewed to a beautiful reddish-brown color, rich but not greasy, and melted in your mouth. And the crispy roast suckling pig, fresh out of the oven, sizzled with oil, and crumbled in your mouth with every bite..."

Shen Qingqiu fixed her gaze on Lin Yan out of the corner of her eye and began to recite the names of the dishes in a vivid and detailed manner.

Lin Yan's Adam's apple bobbed heavily as he swallowed.

"Oh, what a pity. You spend your days lying in a big villa by the sea, enjoying the sea breeze and seafood, without having to do any hard work. This kind of miserable life of eating and waiting to die is really not worthy of your noble soul." Shen Qingqiu closed the file.

"I'll call the director right now and cancel. You can continue eating your takeout at home. I can go to the production crew for a seafood feast."

Shen Qingqiu took out his phone, as if to dial a number.

A hand shot out like lightning and pressed down hard on her phone screen.

Lin Yan sat up abruptly, looking at her with a righteous and awe-inspiring expression.

"Boss, I've just had a deep reflection on this." Lin Yan's tone was more serious than ever before.

"You've gone to so much trouble for me, if I continue to slack off like this, I'll really be letting you down, and my conscience won't be at peace."

Shen Qingqiu forced back a grin that almost reached his ears: "Oh? Don't you have severe social anxiety?"

"For the long-term development of the studio, and for the future of Chinese music, I am willing to overcome all difficulties!"

Lin Yan snatched the variety show invitation document and hugged it tightly in her arms like a precious treasure.

"You just said that seafood and roast suckling pig are unlimited, that's written into the contract, right?"

Looking at the salted fish whose life was firmly in the grasp of the delicious food, Shen Qingqiu finally revealed a satisfied smile, just like the sixth brother.

"There will be plenty. Pack your bags, you're coming to the set with me tomorrow."

Lin Yan happily opened the document and began to study with great interest whether a menu was included.