Chapter 148: Open Five Blind Boxes? Have I, White Spirit, Ever Lost?

As the saying goes, "The flower you planted intentionally may not bloom, while the willow you planted unintentionally may provide shade."

For Bai Ling, having her "true fans"—who smugly claim, "No one understands Bai Ling better than I do"—arrive at such an interpretation was, in its own way, a stroke of good fortune. At the very least, with this commotion stirred up, everything would seem perfectly logical once she eventually revealed her true identity. Furthermore, every time Bai Ling soared to new heights, Xinghui Entertainment and her "wonderful" parents, Bai Zhengyi and Lin Fenfang, would inevitably be dragged back into the spotlight.

Bai Ling exited the video and went off to attend to her own affairs with peace of mind. She had long known this episode would go viral, so seeing the results now, she naturally had no lingering concerns. Tonight, she simply needed to wait quietly for the system to deliver her rewards.

Sure enough, in the middle of the night, as the popularity of "Guess Who I Am" continued to skyrocket and its view counts surged, Bai Ling successfully received the system's notification.

"Congratulations to the host for obtaining a random script!"
"Congratulations to the host for obtaining a random song!"
"Congratulations to the host for obtaining a random musical skill!"
"Congratulations to the host for obtaining a random acting skill!"
"Congratulations to the host for obtaining a mystery box."

Bai Ling fell silent. "You damn system, you act like you gave me five rewards, but in reality, they’re just five mystery boxes. Is this supposed to be funny?"

The system said nothing; it likely didn't dare. Fortunately, Bai Ling was generally quite satisfied with the mystery boxes this "damn system" provided, so she didn't harp on it any further. She opened the rewards one by one.

"Congratulations to the host for obtaining the script 'Handsome Siblings'!"
"Congratulations to the host for obtaining the song 'When the Wind Rises,' and mastering it perfectly!"
"Congratulations to the host for obtaining the skill 'Opera Vocal Technique' (Proficient)!"
"Congratulations to the host for obtaining the skill 'Immersive Performance' (Randomly Triggered)!"
"Congratulations to the host for obtaining the skill 'Soul-Stirring High Note' (Three uses)!"

Good heavens, Bai Ling was instantly thrilled. As expected, when it came to opening mystery boxes, Bai Ling never lost!

'Handsome Siblings' was a rather unique drama. It had a wide reach and was a massive success that transcended the typical fan base. Securing this script, even if it didn't contain a role perfectly suited for her right now, would at least serve as a solid foundation for her future studio.

As for 'When the Wind Rises,' while the song was highly popular and had broken out of its niche, Bai Ling hadn't been particularly invested in it—until she saw the words "mastered perfectly." This meant that her rendition of 'When the Wind Rises' would be unsurpassable. That was quite a significant claim.

Moving on, the ability to master opera vocals at a "Proficient" level was roughly equivalent to a decade of rigorous training. Above this were the "Extraordinary" and "Mastery" levels. If she ever reached the level of "Mastery," Bai Ling could claim to be the number one figure in the entire contemporary entertainment industry's opera scene. Even esteemed teachers like Wen Huaiyu or seasoned veterans with decades of experience wouldn't necessarily be able to outshine her.

Of course, she knew the system wouldn't make it easy to reach the "Mastery" level. But even at the "Proficient" stage, Bai Ling was already leaps and bounds ahead of where she had been when she performed 'Wukong.'

The "Immersive Performance" ability was designed to increase the audience's sense of empathy and immersion. It was no exaggeration to say this skill was heaven-defying. Once activated, the performance would be explosive. Anyone who saw it would undoubtedly praise her acting as otherworldly. The only pity was that it was randomly triggered and not under her control.

"That really diminishes the utility," Bai Ling thought with a hint of disappointment, though it was still within an acceptable range.

As for the "Soul-Stirring High Note," it was equally monstrous. It could achieve a "world-destroying high note." If that person from the music variety show in her past life who had spouted such arrogant nonsense had actually possessed a "Soul-Stirring High Note," Teacher Han Hong wouldn't have been angry enough to slam the table—she might have stood up on the spot and clapped until her hands were raw.

Bai Ling had practiced high notes before, but the state she achieved during 'A Diao' was already rare and unsustainable, falling far short of this "Soul-Stirring High Note." The only drawback was that it could only be used three times.

"These three chances are precious; I must seize them well. Sharp steel must be used on the blade!"

...

Having harvested her rewards, Bai Ling slept exceptionally well. The final showdown of "Guess Who I Am" might be a test, but for her, it posed no trouble. She had already decided on the track. 'When the Wind Rises'? It was a good song, and she had mastered it perfectly, but it wasn't suitable for the final stage. She had other ideas in mind.

She didn't need to worry about that. In the coming days, she would head to the recording set of "I Am an Actor" to rehearse with Lin Yubai, Su Zhaolin, and the others. If it weren't for the presence of Su Zhaolin, she might not have been so attentive. After all, she was intent on winning him over and signing him to her agency.

In fact, the progress on Ouyang Ruofeng’s end was also moving at lightning speed. The production team had already been assembled; all that was missing were the leads. Whether for the role of Xu Feng or Run Yu, they needed to choose the right people. Su Zhaolin was well-suited for Xu Feng, but the casting for Run Yu had remained elusive.

The character of the "Little Fish Immortal" was incredibly iconic; in some ways, the elder dragon was no less impressive than the second phoenix. If possible, Bai Ling hoped to find someone who truly fit the role. Otherwise, it could affect the overall performance of the entire series. That was the nature of idol dramas. To make one, the script was important, but handsome actors and beautiful actresses were indispensable. A great character could even have a decisive impact on the final success of the drama. In her past life, Bai Ling had seen plenty of disastrous dramas ruined by ugly male leads and mediocre actresses in period idol roles, so she was quite persistent about this.

In short, once she got there, she would have to find a way to solve this problem. Of course, things wouldn't progress as smoothly as she imagined. After they began rehearsals, Su Zhaolin did seem interested in signing with her. However, he was currently contracted to the production team and might not have the time to film with her. Furthermore, even if he did sign with her, he would have to pay a hefty breach-of-contract fee—as much as a million.

That was a sum Su Zhaolin couldn't afford. Although he had debuted as a child star, his savings were long gone. With his current lack of popularity, his income was pitifully low. After learning this, Bai Ling felt a surge of emotion. Although they were both participating in "I Am an Actor," their fates were vastly different. Bai Ling earned over a million per episode, while Su Zhaolin might only get thirty or fifty thousand. The difference was astronomical.

She didn't pity him—making thirty or fifty thousand for a single show was still far better than what the average person earned—but she gained a deeper understanding of the rigid class distinctions within the industry.