Chapter 165: KTV Princess?

Bookmark this page to continue reading "How Did the System Take My Cosplayer Photoshoot Seriously?" anytime, anywhere.

Liu Chiwang put down his beer, incredulous: "Lin Man? You mean Lin Man from the Hunan Normal University dance team?"

"Do you know him?"

"I wouldn't say I know them, but I've heard of them."

Liu Chiwang took out his phone, swiped around a few times, pulled out a photo, and handed it over: "Are you sure it's her?"

Qian Pu nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes! It's her!"

The photo shows Lin Man's daily life at Hunan Normal University. She is standing in front of a display board for a campus event, with a bright smile.

Liu Chiwang put his phone away, his tone complicated: "That shouldn't be the case. Her family should be quite wealthy. She usually drives a car worth four or five hundred thousand yuan. How could she possibly work in a place like this?"

"That's not necessarily true."

Qian Pu curled her lip, revealing a hint of cynicism: "The more glamorous someone appears on the surface, the more likely they are to be short of money behind the scenes. Otherwise, how could they maintain such a high standard of living? Aren't all those socialites online like that? I think Lin Man is pretty much the same."

Chen Mo whispered, "Don't make wild guesses. Maybe they're just guests who came to sing?"

"impossible!"

Qian Pu confidently stated, "I personally witnessed her walk into the staff backstage area, and many of the staff seemed quite familiar with her, calling her 'Little Man' in a friendly manner."

Ding Heng leaned back on the sofa and did not participate in the discussion.

He had previously used his True Sight Eye to spy on Lin Man's information.

Her father died early, and her mother was imprisoned for financial problems, so she was not valued in the family.

But no matter what, it shouldn't come to the point of working at a KTV, right?

As Ding Heng was pondering this, a "ding" sound suddenly went off in his mind.

[Mission Issued - Congratulations on infiltrating the magnificent palace of the evil heretical kingdom! Capture a heretical princess within the palace and bring her back to your territory to be punished!]

"Cough! Cough! Cough!"

Ding Heng coughed for a moment, and the beer bottle in his hand almost slipped from his grasp.

What the hell?!

A princess from a pagan country?

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and carefully considered every word in the system prompt.

A magnificent palace—a dazzling planet.

That princess...

Ding Heng's gaze fell on the half-open door of the private room. Dim light from the corridor shone through, and the sounds of women laughing and joking could be heard outside.

"Old Ding, why aren't you saying anything?"

Liu Chiwang's voice brought Ding Heng back to reality.

"It's nothing."

Ding Heng stood up and patted his pants: "I'm going to the restroom too."

The interior of the dazzling planet was much larger than I had imagined, and the decor was still in the luxurious style of more than a decade ago, with crystal chandeliers, gold wallpaper, and marble corridor floors...

Although it's clear that it's been renovated in recent years, the outdated sense of luxury is still undeniable.

Ding Heng walked along the corridor, still thinking about the system mission, when a woman in a sequined miniskirt passed by him.

A system notification suddenly popped up in my mind.

[This princess has lost her virginity and her rating is too low. She does not meet the mission objectives. Please choose carefully!]

Ding Heng's lips twitched.

As expected—even a KTV hostess is still a princess!

He continued walking and encountered several more women dressed similarly, ranging in age from their early twenties to their thirties, with heavy makeup and varying body types.

System prompts popped up one after another.

Loss of chastity, collapse of beliefs, excessive erosion, etc.

In short—"Does not meet the mission objectives."

At the same time, on the fourth floor of Brilliant Planet, in the general manager's office.

The door was suddenly pushed open, slamming against the wall with a dull thud.

Lin Man wore a loose sweatshirt and jeans, with her face completely bare.

"Lin Zhiyuan!"

In the office, a man in his early thirties was sitting behind a large desk, flipping through documents.

He was wearing a simple coat, had regular features, and wore silver-rimmed glasses, making him look very refined.

Hearing the noise, Lin Zhiyuan looked up and saw the person at the door, his heart skipped a beat.

Trouble is brewing.

He put on a smile and walked around the desk to greet her: "Oh, my dear sister, what brings you here? Sit down, sit down, don't stand."

Lin Man didn't move, her gaze sweeping coldly across the office.

It's been a few months since I last visited, and the place has changed dramatically.

The original outdated decor has been renovated, the desks have been replaced with more impressive solid wood ones, an unknown oil painting hangs on the wall, and a potted plant that is half a person tall is placed in the corner.

Lin Man questioned, "What's going on? Why are you recruiting princesses and young masters again?"

Lin Zhiyuan's smile remained unchanged as he reached out and pulled her arm: "Come, come, sit down and let's talk. I'll make you a cup of tea, some newly arrived Jin Jun Mei. Grandpa specially had it sent from Fujian Province."

Lin Man dodged his hand, but still walked to the sofa and sat down.

Lin Zhiyuan was not annoyed and turned to busy himself at the tea table.

Warming the cup, adding tea leaves, rinsing the tea, and brewing—his movements were fluid and skillful, clearly those of a seasoned pro.

A short while later, a steaming cup of black tea was placed in front of Lin Man.

"Try it."

Lin Zhiyuan picked up the teacup and gently blew on it.

Lin Man stared at the amber-colored tea, her voice icy: "Answer my question first."

Lin Zhiyuan sighed softly: "Xiaoman, don't worry... There's nothing I can do about this, it's his grandfather's wish."

Lin Man's gaze was sharp as a knife: "What does Grandpa mean?"

"right."

Lin Zhiyuan nodded.

"Over the past few years, as the largest shareholder and legal representative of Brilliant Planet, you should know better than I do. Let's do the math: how much does the property management fee, utilities, maintenance, labor... all added up each month?"

Lin Zhiyuan counted on his fingers, one item at a time.

"The maintenance of the central air conditioning alone costs hundreds of thousands a year. Then there's fire safety, security, system maintenance, copyright fees… and that doesn't even include daily cleaning, beverage procurement, and marketing. How are we supposed to break even if we sell those private rooms for 200 yuan a day to poor students on platforms like Meituan and Douyin?"

Lin Man picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and said nothing.

Seeing that she didn't refute him, Lin Zhiyuan's tone softened even more: "So what Grandpa means is that while we still have some assets, we should revitalize this shop. Brilliant Planet was once the top brand in Star City, if it weren't for that incident..."

"Enough! Lin Zhiyuan, stop giving me this nonsense. You know I'm the largest shareholder and legal representative."

Lin Man put down her teacup, her eyes blazing with anger: "Last time, being too successful made my mother get locked up. Now you want to send me in too, to keep her company?"

Lin Zhiyuan's smile froze. He picked up his teacup again, took a small sip, and carefully considered his words.

"Xiaoman, you're being too polite. We're family, blood is thicker than water, how could I possibly harm you?"

He leaned forward slightly and said sincerely, "Grandpa plans to spend some money to buy out your shares and change the legal representative as well. From now on, the store's affairs will have nothing to do with you, and you don't need to worry about them."

Lin Man narrowed her eyes.

Lin Zhiyuan quickly added, "Don't worry, I definitely won't let you suffer a loss. Double the price, double the market price."

Lin Man didn't say anything.

She lowered her head, her gaze falling on the teacup.

The amber-colored tea reflected the ceiling light, shimmering slightly.

She knows best how badly Brilliant Planet's business has been operating in recent years.

Since the crackdown in 1988 and 1989, this KTV, which used to make a fortune every day, has become a hot potato.

The shares she held were worth almost nothing, and she even had to put money into them occasionally.

But no matter what, this was the only thing her father left her...

"Of course, Xiaoman, you can also just change the legal representative and retain a small portion of the shares... That way you can still receive dividends every year without taking any risks, isn't that great?"

Lin Zhiyuan continued to persuade him, as if coaxing a child.

"Xiaoman, my dear sister, you have to think about this... This is one of the best locations in Xingcheng, and it's been abandoned for seven or eight years. The land, the property management, the renovations—we've poured real money into it. The family is planning to revitalize this place; we can't just let it languish like this forever, can we?"

Lin Man raised her head and met Lin Zhiyuan's gaze.

Lin Zhiyuan said confidently, "Don't worry, I'm confident I can rebuild Brilliant Planet's reputation just like my aunt did back then. You can just sit back and collect the money; you won't have to worry about anything!"

Lin Man gently ran her fingers along the rim of the teacup. .

She knew Lin Zhiyuan was right.

A karaoke bar in this location can't just be used for people to sing.

A private room that costs 200 yuan a month doesn't even cover the water and electricity bills.

If you want to make money, you have to find other ways.

Meanwhile, her uncles and aunts had long coveted this prize, thinking that Lin Man was just hogging the spot without doing anything.

"OK."

Lin Man put down her teacup, her voice calm: "I can relinquish control and sell shares; I won't interfere with how you operate the business."

Lin Zhiyuan's face lit up with joy, and he was about to speak when Lin Man raised her hand to interrupt him.

"but……"

Lin Man's gaze suddenly sharpened: "Why fire those long-time employees? They were all my mother's people back then, and many of them even worked for my mother..."

"Xiaoman."

Lin Zhiyuan interrupted her in return, his tone calm but his attitude firm.

"Now that the KTV has been renovated, we naturally need to hire young and professional staff. Otherwise, when customers come and see a bunch of old faces, how can we increase the average spending per customer? How can we compete with XX in Hangzhou or XX in Shanghai?"

He named several high-end KTVs in the industry, his tone confident and determined.

"This time, the family has a big plan, not a small-scale operation. Your old employees are all getting old, and their image and service awareness can't keep up. Keeping them will only hold us back."

Lin Man dug her fingernails into her palm.

She took a deep breath and tried to keep her voice steady.

"I don't care, you have to find them new jobs first, or don't blame me..."

Lin Zhiyuan quickly waved his hand, and a smile appeared on his face again.

"Alright, alright, we're all family here, we won't get upset over a few outsiders. Don't worry, I'll have HR keep an eye out for them and give them priority for suitable positions."

"real?"

"Cousin, when have I ever lied to you?"

"Then it's settled."

Lin Zhiyuan breathed a sigh of relief, picked up his teacup, and took another sip.

"Xiaoman."

When he spoke again, Lin Zhiyuan's tone changed: "Sometimes it's not that I'm criticizing you, but you take so much money from the family every year for nothing, and many of your aunts and uncles have complaints. This year, your eldest aunt is making a fuss again, and it was your maternal grandfather who put an end to it."

Lin Man frowned.

Lin Zhiyuan said earnestly, "So you should also think about your grandfather's feelings and not throw tantrums all the time, making things difficult for him."

What does "getting something for free" mean?

Lin Man's voice suddenly rose: "This is all I deserve! My father is dead, my mother..."

"Xiaoman."

Lin Zhiyuan interrupted her for the fourth time, his tone tinged with weariness: "Can we not talk about this anymore? The past is the past, there's no point in bringing it up."

Lin Man swallowed back the words she was about to say, picked up her teacup and took a big gulp.

Seeing that she had calmed down a bit, Lin Zhiyuan changed the subject: "By the way, Xiaoman. I heard you're in the dance team at Hunan Normal University now?"

Lin Man put down her teacup and looked at him warily: "What?"

Lin Zhiyuan smiled and said casually, "Your school's dance team must have a lot of beautiful girls, right? Do you think you could introduce a few to work? Brilliant Planet is starting up again and is short of people."

Before he could finish speaking—

"Splash!"

A cup of hot tea was splashed on his face.

Lin Zhiyuan cried out in pain from the burn, jumping up from the sofa and frantically wiping the water off his face. Tea leaves clung to his glasses, making him look quite disheveled.

"Lin Man! You—"

"Don't disgust me."

Lin Man stood up, her voice as cold as ice: "If I find out you're using my connections to get my friends to make dirty money, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Lin Zhiyuan took off his glasses, wiped his face with a tissue, and his chest heaved violently.

He only intended to find a topic to make a joke, half-jokingly, but he didn't expect Lin Man to react so strongly.

He instinctively wanted to get angry, but he held back in the end.

Take a deep breath, then exhale.

Lin Zhiyuan put his glasses back on and forced a smile.

"Dirty money?"

He said mockingly, "Xiaoman, isn't your annual dividend also dirty money? And that online gaming shop you run, isn't that also selling..."

"What do you mean?"

Lin Man's voice suddenly rose, her eyes almost spitting fire: "You want to turn against me?"

Lin Zhiyuan quickly waved his hand, and a smile returned to his face.

"No, no, no, besides Grandpa, who in the family would dare to mess with you, my dear sister?"

Lin Zhiyuan completely lowered his stance: "I just want to give you a piece of advice... We're all family, we eat from the same pot, we'll see each other all the time, there's no need to make things so tense."

"Nausea."

Lin Man turned and left, the office door slamming shut behind her.

Lin Zhiyuan stood there, the smile on his face slowly fading.

He looked down at his soaked coat, snorted, and ripped off his glasses, throwing them onto the table.

Lin Man walked out of the office and down the corridor toward the elevator, each step filled with anger.

She walked to the elevator, pressed the button, and the numbers jumped up one by one.

"Miss Lin!"

The voice came from behind her, and Lin Man turned around.

A middle-aged man in a security guard uniform jogged over, panting.

He was in his fifties, with dark skin, and his security guard uniform looked loose on him.

"Miss Lin, we've finally been waiting for you!"

He ran up to Lin Man, bent over and panted for a while, a fawning smile on his face: "Um... Brother Biao wants to see you."

Lin Man resolutely refused: "I won't see you."

The security guard's smile vanished instantly, then quickly returned, "Miss Lin, please go see Brother Biao. We haven't been paid for three months, and now we're about to lose our jobs. Everyone's..."

Tell him not to rush.

Lin Man interrupted the security guard, her tone irritated: "I'll cover your wages tomorrow, and Lin Zhiyuan will arrange new jobs for you afterwards. From now on, we'll completely sever ties with Brilliant Planet. This isn't a good place, and I don't want to have anything to do with you."

The security guard nodded repeatedly upon hearing that his wages were secured.

"Okay, okay, Miss Lin, don't worry, I will definitely tell Brother Biao. Thank you, Miss Lin, thank you..."

He thanked them as he backed away, nearly bumping into a flowerpot in the corridor. He quickly regained his balance, turned around, and hurried away.

Lin Man watched the security guard's hunched back disappear around the corner of the corridor and let out a long sigh.

"bite."

The elevator has arrived.

Lin Man went inside and pressed the close button.

Just as the door was about to close, a hand reached in and blocked it.

Lin Man raised her head, her pupils suddenly contracting.

"Ding Heng?!"

"good afternoon."

Ding Heng stepped into the elevator and nodded to her.

The elevator doors closed, and the car began to descend.

Lin Man asked curiously, "What are you doing here?"

It's my friend's birthday.

Ding Heng spoke calmly, then countered with, "I just heard you work here?"

"what?"

Lin Man was both amused and exasperated, thinking that Ding Heng had probably misunderstood something.

Just as she was about to explain, a thought flashed through her mind, and her foxy eyes began to dart around as a wicked idea came to her.

The next second, Ding Heng suddenly heard a sob.

The sound was very soft, but it was exceptionally clear inside the elevator.

Ding Heng raised an eyebrow: "Why are you crying?"

Lin Man raised her head, her eyes slightly red and her eyelashes glistening with tears.

Her already alluring face, coupled with her pitiful expression, made a man's heart pound.

"Um...I'm sorry, I...you..."

Lin Man perfectly portrayed the panicked and incoherent state of someone suddenly having their secret exposed.

"Please, please don't tell anyone..."

Ding Heng remained silent.

Lin Man continued sobbing, "I know it's wrong to make money this way, but I really have no other choice..."

Ding Heng watched her performance quietly, feeling genuinely happy.

Good heavens, why is this vixen learning dance? She should be an actress!

As he was pondering how to reply, the system notification popped up in his mind again.

[System notification: The princess of the heretical kingdom has appeared.]

Beneath the resplendent palace, the tendrils of sin quietly grow. She wears magnificent robes and a golden crown, yet in the shadows she kneels before heresy. The holy light is tarnished, hearts are corrupted; the princess, tainted by worldly affairs, awaits a fiery baptism.

Young, sworn oath of light, your sword has been tempered by holy flame. Go! Go and punish her! Tear her disguise with holy light, let her rise again from the ashes. True redemption never flees from sin, but confronts the abyss and then fills it.

[Mission Objective: Punish the heretical princess "Crown of Thorns"]

[Quest Rewards: 3000 Divine Merit, +15 Perception, Unlock the Relic "The Penitent's Whip".]

"bite."

The elevator arrived at the first floor.

The door opened, and Lin Man went out first.

"Lin Man".

Ding Heng's voice came from behind.

Lin Man stopped and turned around.

"Is there anything else?"

"In that case, may I ask you something?"

"you say."

"How much do you charge for sex?"

Lin Man was stunned.

She opened her mouth, then closed it again.

The expression on his face changed from blank to astonished, wanting to laugh but holding it back...

According to her plan, Ding Heng should at least be more tactful and then put on a show of persuading prostitutes to reform.

Ding Heng tilted his head to look at her: "Don't tell me you've never been on stage in this line of work?"

Lin Man bit her lower lip, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

A few seconds later she looked up and forced a smile.

"If I said no, would you believe me?"

"That's perfect."

Ding Heng took out his car keys from his pocket and tossed them in his hand.

"Save your first time for me. Are first times really that expensive in your line of work?"

"what?"

Lin Man was dumbfounded.

"Think it over carefully first, so you don't end up feeling cheated if you sell it too cheaply."

Ding Heng handed over the car keys: "I've been drinking, so you drive."

Lin Man looked at the car keys, then at Ding Heng's face.

"OK!"

She strode towards the beat-up Chang'an, opened the door, and got into the driver's seat.

Ding Heng sat in the passenger seat and leaned back.

Lin Man started the car and slowly drove out of the parking space.

As the car merged into the main road, the setting sun cast flickering shadows on Lin Man's face.

Ding Heng feigned curiosity and asked, "Isn't your family quite wealthy? Why are you working in a place like this?"

Lin Man gripped the steering wheel tightly, her eyes fixed on the road: "We're used to spending lavishly, but suddenly our family's fortunes have declined, and we can't bring our spending down."

"How did your family fall into decline?"

Lin Man was silent for a few seconds, then lowered her voice: "My father passed away, and my mother... went to jail. A bunch of relatives came to divide the property, and they took everything they could get."

Ding Heng was secretly pleased.

Goodness, he wasn't lying.

"So you came to work at a karaoke bar?"

"Otherwise what?"

Lin Man laughed self-deprecatingly: "I don't know how to do anything but spend money, so I have to find a way to make money quickly."

"Are companion gaming shops not profitable?"

Lin Man's hand paused slightly, then quickly returned to normal.

How did you know I run a companion gaming service?

"That's what Baima said."

"Oh……"

Lin Man said bitterly, "Actually, I'm not the boss. I'm just helping a friend by registering their name. It's enough to earn some pocket money, but not enough for me."

The car stopped in front of the Chujiang Hotel.

"Since you're so short of money..."

Ding Heng unbuckled his seatbelt, exhaled a breath of alcohol towards Lin Man, and gave a half-smile.

"Have you decided yet? How much are you planning to charge me for my first time?"