Chapter 9

The middle-aged man smiled apologetically.

"Not to hide it from Master, our troupe just happened to have a job these past two days."

"The employer is quite wealthy and hired two suona troupes for a head-to-head."

"My suona just broke, so I took time off specifically to buy a new one, which is how I happened to meet you."

"If it's convenient for you, could you help us with this job?"

"The pay is negotiable—given your skill, you're clearly a Master. I'll pay you five hundred a day!"

Oh? A head-to-head white job?

Su Meng immediately became interested.

This was also a local rural custom.

When an elder passed away, families would hire a suona troupe.

In wealthy households, they would even hire two suona troupes to play together.

When both sides clashed, refusing to yield, each showcasing their skill, the performance became truly spectacular and lively.

For the employer, the louder and more boisterous the playing, the more face they gained.

But for the suona troupes, this was a real PK.

Skill level was revealed instantly in comparison.

The skilled troupe naturally felt triumphant and gained more confidence for future jobs.

The unskilled troupe naturally lost face and even had to settle for less pay.

And today, he had actually stumbled upon such a job?

"No problem, I'll take this job!"

Su Meng slapped his thigh and accepted outright.

The cameraman beside him opened his mouth but said nothing.

Whatever. He was just a lowly cameraman—what the star did was his own business!

Hearing him accept at once, the middle-aged man's face lit up with joy.

He had been doing white jobs for over a decade and was no stranger to the trade.

But he had never encountered a musician who could make someone burst into tears with a single tune.

If such a Master joined his troupe, his troupe would surely become famous overnight!

He was shrewd enough to know his offered price was still a bit low.

He immediately volunteered to pay for Su Meng's new suona.

Su Meng did not refuse.

After all, this star experience left everyone penniless—he couldn't possibly ask Su Meng to pay out of pocket.

…

At this moment, Su Meng's livestream audience had surged to seventy or eighty thousand viewers, all of whom were stunned.

"Holy shit! I thought he was just joking, but he actually took a white job?"

"Is this a joke? Isn't he the king of tycoon roles? Why does this feel so off?"

"Su Meng's image should be suited for a tuxedo and piano in a concert hall—but he's taking white jobs? This is way too down-to-earth!"

"This aesthetic is just too beautiful—it's shattered my entire worldview."

"I always thought Su Meng was pretentious, but today I see—he's clearly a clown!"

"Bro, kill me! Bro, kill me!"

"This star actually has substance—far better than those stars clueless about common folk's hardships."

"Wait, Su Meng can play the suona? What normal star learns this stuff?"

As more and more people flooded into the livestream, Su Meng's system saw his popularity value rise rapidly.

Seeing this, Su Meng nodded inwardly.

This move was the right one!

…

Inside a minivan, the middle-aged man drove while speaking.

"Oh, by the way, I'm Wang—everyone calls me Wang Laowu. Our troupe is called Wang Family Troupe. What should I call you, Master?"

Su Meng didn't mind and replied casually.

"I'm Su."

"Master Su, nice to meet you!" the middle-aged man said offhandedly, then asked curiously.

"By the way, Master Su, what was the name of that tune you played in the music shop?"

"It's clearly a white job piece, but I've never heard it before."

You'd never have heard it!

Su Meng couldn't help silently grumbling—it was a tune from his past life on Earth.

Naturally, it didn't exist in this world.

"Oh, that tune? It's called 'Grand Funeral.' I composed it myself!"

Holy shit?

The middle-aged man was startled.

Has the bar for white job suona players risen this high these days?

Do you now need to compose your own music just to be a suona master?

He thought for a moment, then asked weakly again.

"Master Su, besides this 'Grand Funeral Procession,' have you made any other tunes?"

"Of course! Loads of them!" Su Meng was instantly excited and began counting on his fingers.

"'Grand Funeral Procession,' 'Crying the Five Watches,' 'Weeping to the Emperor of Heaven,' 'Blue Sky Song,' 'Farewell Lament,' 'A Safe Road to the West'…"

Hearing him count off these tunes, the livestream chat fell silent at once.

It seemed that, faintly, a gust of yin wind blew past.

Aren't you a big star? Aren't you supposed to be a musician?

So what kind of underworld tunes are you making?

Please, give us something from the world of the living!

……

A new book sets sail — on my knees, I beg for all kinds of data!