Chapter Seventy-four: All Perished

"Sixth Brother... are you really Nian Nu Jiao?" The big guy asked as they walked toward the cafeteria. Pang Chong and the others were equally bewildered, still in a state of disbelief.

They hadn't listened to every song by Nian Nu Jiao, but they'd definitely heard "I Believe," and more or less knew a few others, like "Sailor." In their eyes, Nian Nu Jiao was an absolute superstar. Yet, to their surprise, this "superstar" was right beside them, their dormmate.

Su Tong shrugged. "Big guy, you've asked several times already."

"Ah haha..." The big guy was so excited, he glanced at Third Brother, who still looked terribly embarrassed, and said to Su Tong, "Sixth Brother, your songs are so popular—are you really rich? Is it you who's keeping someone outside? And you lied to us, saying you’re being kept. That’s too wicked!"

Third Brother's face flushed red and then pale in turn. It was a slap in the face—he’d looked down on Sixth Brother for living off others, and now the tables had turned.

"Famous songs, not a famous face. If I were rich, wouldn't you all have recognized me by now?" Su Tong was a little exasperated. He was grassroots, with no team behind him. Maybe more people online knew him, and some companies wanted to invite him for events, but no one knew how to contact him.

"Oh my god." At that moment, Pang Chong, the eldest, cried out, holding his phone. "I checked online—Sixth Brother’s also a show host, and writes books! Damn, Nian Nu Jiao’s not just a singer!"

"What, where? Let me see!"

Everyone crowded around Pang Chong’s phone, full of interest.

"Popular show host, over a million fans, annual income of several million..."

"Rookie of the Year for DianDian (the year’s not over, but by the numbers, it’s guaranteed)..."

"Extraordinarily talented singer-songwriter..."

"..."

"Say no more. Forget the cafeteria—Sixth Brother’s treating us today!"

Their dormmates’ eyes were all red, especially at the mention of a million-dollar annual income, which left them completely stunned.

Pang Chong, the chubby eldest, wailed in regret. "I sometimes watch beauty livestreams—how did I never know Sixth Brother was there? No wonder I’ve been a loser all my life, blind as a bat!"

Su Tong laughed heartily. "Don't believe everything online. I only signed last month, and I stream once or twice a week at most. No way I make that much money."

As the six walked, five girls suddenly appeared before them.

Su Tong looked up, feeling a faint sense of familiarity, though he couldn’t recall where he'd seen them. After a moment, it came to him—they were from the school’s Arts Department. When he’d been on stage for the program auditions, he’d glanced down and seen these girls.

"Su Tong, could we trouble you for a few minutes?" The girl with a slightly large frame and somewhat short legs blushed deeply as she spoke quietly to him.

Ding Wei and the others had failed in their attempts and could only send her over, even the girl who served as the vice secretary of the student union came along.

Su Tong glanced at them; all five girls looked terribly awkward.

Wu Lingxiu knew this incident would fracture their already not-so-united sisterhood. Some members had genuinely liked Su Tong, but for the sake of appearances, they'd voted against him. If they couldn’t convince him to return, Wu Lingxiu, as department head, would have to step down immediately.

Pang Chong and his dormmates were transfixed. Wu Lingxiu herself was rather ordinary-looking, but the other four girls were true beauties, each more attractive than the last.

"What can I do for you?" Su Tong feigned ignorance.

"We’re from the school’s Arts Department. Those boys came to you before, so you should know why we’re here—we’re very sincere," Wu Lingxiu’s voice grew softer and softer, until she couldn’t even look up. As the head of the Arts Department, overseeing more than twenty colleges, she’d always been one to command, never to beg.

"I heard those guys say you were rejected by them, not their fault. So why are you here now?" Su Tong wore an innocent expression.

Wu Lingxiu and the others fumed inside. Ding Wei and those bastards—so unmanly.

In truth, Lu Liang and the others had said that to try and win Su Tong back, but he’d refused, leaving them empty-handed.

"Su Tong, we were wrong. We apologize, and we hope you won’t hold it against us. The freshmen would be thrilled to see you on stage. Please..." The vice secretary started, intending to ask Su Tong to reconsider, but remembering Teacher Xing’s words, she forced herself to say, "You’re a good student, a part of MinDa. You’ll put the greater good first, won’t you?"

The girls pleaded in low voices for Su Tong to return to the stage. Even his dormmates, who hadn’t seen many women, couldn’t bear it and switched sides completely.

"Sixth Brother, just give in—no, just get on stage."

"Sixth Brother, they’re so sincere, coming here time and again. Didn’t you say you’re not a celebrity? Don’t act like a diva."

"Yeah, Sixth Brother, it’s just one song—a few minutes."

"..."

Su Tong glared at his dormmates, then turned to the girls with some regret. "If you’d come to me before I posted my announcement last night, I wouldn’t have refused. But the announcement’s out, and I have to stream tonight. At the very least, tens of thousands of viewers are waiting for me."

The vice secretary’s face changed, especially Wu Lingxiu’s, who turned pale instantly. It was over—she’d be dismissed, maybe even kicked out of the Arts Department.

"Three thousand or so in the audience versus tens of thousands online—who do you think I’d choose?" Su Tong’s gaze suddenly sharpened.

Wu Lingxiu and the others had looked up Nian Nu Jiao’s info after returning last night; they already knew he was a popular show host.

The big guy and the rest opened their mouths but dared not speak. Su Tong’s streams brought in at least tens of thousands each time, not to mention the money. Three thousand people versus tens or hundreds of thousands—no comparison, and those tens or hundreds of thousands were his real fans.

To put it crudely, they were his bread and butter. If he didn’t cherish them, but went to the auditorium to be snubbed, he’d be crazy.

With that, Su Tong ignored the girls and walked off toward the cafeteria.

The big guy and the others were at a loss, but when the Arts Department head burst into tears after Su Tong left, they instantly knew what to do—run for it.

If they didn’t, it’d look like they were bullying a girl.

The girls felt aggrieved—what terrible luck.

If the principal hadn’t said anything, or if Teacher Xing hadn’t intervened, who would know who Su Tong was?

But just mention Nian Nu Jiao, or the original singer of "I Believe," and almost every student knew.

Both parties were defeated, and when Teacher Xing heard the news, he was furious.

Damn it, I have to go myself, swallow my pride and beg.

"Why won’t he come?" Teacher Xing asked the vice secretary, struggling to control his anger. He bore some resentment toward Su Tong—so many students had begged him, yet he kept up the act.

"It’s like this..." The vice secretary relayed Su Tong’s words verbatim.

"Ah, this is a tough one. Even if I go, it might not work. You... you’ve ruined me," Teacher Xing felt bitter. This incident had become a stain on his career at MinDa. If it wasn’t handled well, as long as Principal Song remained above him, he’d never get ahead.