In the outer sect, countless musicians and performers lined up in a long queue.
When Chu Xinghe learned that this was a line to receive advance payment for performances, his eyes welled up with tears of joy.
Lu Chengqing truly is a lucky star. He’s worried that Senior Brother Xinghe might suffer a loss, fearing that delays might lead to complications. Paying in advance is a very clear approach!
Compared to Chu Xinghe's excitement, the Great Elder frowned deeply.
Although Xinghe had mentioned the advance payment earlier, the Great Elder was internally opposed to it.
Why pay in advance?
The performance hasn't even started yet. Can they perform with peace of mind after getting paid first?
What if something goes wrong later?
Besides, hasn't the rule always been that musicians get paid after their performance?
Our Grand Sky Sect is wealthy; we can afford this, right?Even though we're wealthy, the thought of the musicians' fees still made the Great Elder's heart twitch...
Because altogether, it was indeed quite expensive.
But this is the Millennium Grand Festival, after all, so if it's expensive, so be it.
However, isn't paying in advance a bit too outrageous?
Such a large sum, why didn't Lu Chengqing report this to the sect? Shouldn't the Great Elder be informed?
Could it be arranged by Xinghe?
The Great Elder didn't think Lu Chengqing had the guts, so after thinking it over, he was sure this was Xinghe's arrangement. Since it was Xinghe's arrangement, it should be done this way...
Accompanied by Xinghe, they arrived at the room where the labor fees were being distributed. From a distance, the Great Elder saw piles of Spirit Stones stacked like mountains inside the room.
Seeing these Spirit Stones, the Great Elder's heart twitched again...
Although our Grand Sky Sect is very rich now, giving away so much money, why does it feel more and more uncomfortable?
But just as the Great Elder was feeling slightly uncomfortable, several disciples of the Grand Sky Sect, under Lu Chengqing's instructions, began moving countless Spirit Stones out of the room, uniformly loading them into Space Rings to be sent out.
Seeing this, the Great Elder was a bit confused...
Isn't today the day to give out performance fees?
Shouldn't the Spirit Stones be brought here from the treasury? Why are they being moved out?
What's going on?
But just as the Great Elder was confused, something even more bewildering happened.
The Great Elder saw a musician approach Lu Chengqing with a flattering expression. Lu Chengqing calculated the performance fee with an abacus, and then the musician took out double the calculated fee from his own Space Ring and handed it to... Lu Chengqing?
What the hell is this?
But before the Great Elder could recover from his confusion, something even more baffling happened.
Lu Chengqing slapped the table, saying, "You gave too much!"
The musician's previously flattering face changed dramatically, then pointed at Lu Chengqing, saying, "President Lu, even if you are the president, you can't talk nonsense. What I gave is correct!"
Then the musician ignored the amount calculated by Lu Chengqing, left double the amount, and turned to leave, as if afraid that if he lingered, Lu Chengqing would catch him and return the Spirit Stones.
The Great Elder was completely stunned... What the hell is going on? I've lived so long, why can't I understand any of this?
But what happened next was even more incomprehensible. Everyone in line successfully handed over their performance fees.
But why the hell are these musicians giving their performance fees to Lu Chengqing?
Who's performing for whom?
As confused as the Great Elder was, Chu Xinghe was even more baffled... Chu Xinghe just wanted to say, right... who's performing for whom?
Isn't today the day to pay the musicians for their performances?
Why the hell are the musicians giving their performance fees to Lu Chengqing?
Are you sure what you're giving are Spirit Stones and not bombs? You're performing and still giving money to our Grand Sky Sect? Are you crazy?
How did Lu Chengqing convince them?
You let people perform and then make them pay you. What did you do, Lu Chengqing?
The Great Elder, being an impatient person, rushed in immediately.
Facing the sudden arrival of the Great Elder, Lu Chengqing and countless disciples of the Grand Sky Sect hurriedly paid their respects.
When the musicians heard that the person was the Great Elder of the Grand Sky Sect, they were all shocked.
And when they saw that standing next to the Great Elder was none other than the legendary number one young man, Chu Xinghe, countless young and beautiful musicians and actors were so excited they almost wet themselves.
One by one, they cast flirtatious glances at Chu Xinghe, their minds concocting hundreds of stories of the young number one falling in love with them in just a few seconds...
But Chu Xinghe was dumbfounded at the moment, having no time to notice their flirtatious glances.
Chu Xinghe just wanted to know, what the hell is going on...
Lu Chengqing seemed to see the Great Elder's confusion and first invited the Great Elder into the inner room, then personally explained why such a bizarre scene was happening.
"Great Elder... this was not my doing. I'm just a runner. The entire plan was devised by Senior Brother Xinghe..."
Then Lu Chengqing explained how Senior Brother Xinghe made the plan and gave these musicians and actors opportunities. As for the performance fees, it was the same; Senior Brother Xinghe gave them such an opportunity, and they willingly offered their performance fees as a reward to the Grand Sky Sect.
The Great Elder was dumbfounded for a full five minutes after hearing this.
The Great Elder's mind couldn't process it.
No wonder Xinghe was so excited about giving money earlier... it turns out this giving money wasn't us giving money to them, but them giving money to us...
Xinghe... how does your brain work?
How did you come up with this?
Letting people perform for us for free, and then making them pay us?
And they even have to thank us?
The Great Elder didn't know how to express his feelings anymore. He only knew he had wronged Xinghe.
When Xinghe first said he wanted to do something big, the Great Elder's first thought was how much it would cost.
But now he realized that Xinghe never intended to spend money, and even made a profit...
This money, along with the money from various chambers of commerce selling out, not only covers the consumption of the Grand Sky Mirror, but our Grand Sky Sect also made a profit?
Xinghe's actions are said to be wild and unrestrained, but the Great Elder never imagined Xinghe could be this wild and unrestrained.
When the Grand Sky Sect decided to make the Millennium Grand Festival so grand, everyone was calculating, thinking that such a large expenditure was reckless behavior.
Chu Xinghe has made you a lot of money, but can you really afford to be so reckless?
But now the Great Elder just wanted to tell them, you don't understand a thing!
Xinghe reckless?
Our Xinghe can't stand the sect consuming even a little... you only see Xinghe's expenditure, but do you know how much Xinghe has earned for our Grand Sky Sect?
Chu Xinghe didn't know how much he had earned; he just felt that he was about to lose control of Thunder Shadow...
What the hell is this? I invited musicians and actors to perform, and I was supposed to spend money... Lu Chengqing, how did you interpret it this way?
Not spending money is one thing, but making them pay? This is robbery, do you know that?
No, wait... robbery has costs and risks, who the hell has ever seen the robbed willingly deliver money to the doorstep?
How does your brain work, Lu Chengqing?
Of course, Lu Chengqing didn't dare take credit, even making a self-deprecating remark... saying he almost misunderstood Senior Brother Xinghe's intentions at first, but luckily he consulted Senior Brother Ma Liang, who enlightened him to the deeper meaning behind Senior Brother Xinghe's words.
Hearing that Ma Liang was involved... Chu Xinghe felt indifferent...
Ma Liang, can you have some normal thoughts in your head?
This isn't just taking an unconventional path, your sword is practically poking my face, do you know that?
The outside world calls you Ma Liang, the Ghost Emperor of Fengdu, but I think you're the king of backstabbing!
I, Chu Xinghe, just wanted to use the Millennium Grand Festival to have the sect spend some money, who did I offend?
No, I must inform Ouyang Ling to dig up the Ma family's ancestral grave...
But thinking about it... it seems useless... Ma Liang had long severed ties with the Ma family, and a few days ago, when the Ma family sent a letter, Ma Liang burned it with a single flame and instructed the disciple who delivered it that if anyone dared to accept a letter from the Ma family again, they'd have their legs broken!
If Ouyang Ling were to dig up the Ma family's ancestral grave, Ma Liang would probably thank Junior Sister Ouyang on the spot for her righteousness.
So now Ma Liang is just a piece of unyielding meat, right? No method can deal with him?
When someone is shameless, they become invincible, and Ma Liang has long been invincible...
Chu Xinghe didn't know how he walked out of the room, he only knew that the Great Elder's previously furrowed face now looked like a blooming chrysanthemum.
Listen to what Lu Chengqing said, is that even human language?
What do you mean those musicians willingly handed over double?
Do you have any shame? It's not easy for musicians to earn money, and you're extorting them like this?
But look at those musicians, saying if the Grand Sky Sect doesn't accept double, they'll die on the spot in the Grand Sky Sect, do you have any shame?
And Great Elder... you're even encouraging Lu Chengqing?
What do you mean by saying since they're sincere, Chengqing shouldn't refuse?
Lu Chengqing, with such widespread unspoken rules, are you planning to become the number one in entertainment industry unspoken rules in the future?
But at this point, no matter how angry Chu Xinghe was, it was useless. This was purely a willing buyer and a willing seller, what can you do?
Soon, the news that the Grand Sky Sect invited over ten thousand musicians and actors, who not only performed for free but also brought their own performance fees to the Grand Sky Sect, spread across the world.
Everyone who heard this news was dumbfounded.
How the hell did you do it? Has your Grand Sky Sect become this outrageous?
How did you convince others to come to your door and give you money?
Do you still have any sense of reason?
When we usually hire musicians, we have to pay them, and the more famous they are, the higher the fee. But your Grand Sky Sect also hires musicians, and the more famous they are, the more they pay you? How the hell did you do it?
Some suspected it might be due to coercion or threats?
Is that why they did such an outrageous thing?
Should we ask other musicians?
But asking only led to more outrageous revelations...