I Became an All-round Artist

Even the Qinzhou Art Institute was buzzing about "Big Fish," so it was no surprise that major entertainment companies in Qinzhou were paying close attention. Various entertainment media outlets began reporting on the song as well.

"There's a movie that's been creating quite a buzz recently," the host of an entertainment program announced with a professional smile. "The film is called Dance of the Fish and Dragon, and its box office earnings have already surpassed 800 million. As the movie gained popularity, its theme song, 'Big Fish,' also became a viral hit online."

"I won’t mention the song’s name just yet," the host teased. "Many of you might recall the intense competition during November's Newcomer Season, where a fierce battle unfolded on the Newcomer Chart. In the end, a song called Life Like a Summer Flower claimed the top spot, even surpassing the highly favored Qian Xingyu. The creator of that song is none other than today's subject of discussion, Xianyu!"

"Yes, many of you have already guessed it," the host continued. "The theme song Big Fish was also composed by this rising star in the music industry, Xianyu. After hearing 'Big Fish,' many people were captivated by it, and it's hard not to notice this talented newcomer."

"I'm sure you're all curious," the host said. "In just two short months, Xianyu has produced two exceptional songs. Even in Qinzhou, where talent is abundant, such rapid success is rare..."

With a click, the television screen inside the headquarters of Radiant Silverlight, one of Qinzhou's top three entertainment companies, went dark as Chief Agent Xi Mei turned off the TV with the remote.

At that moment, her assistant rushed in, panic evident on her face. "Something's happened! Big trouble, sis!"

"Has the sky fallen?" Xi Mei, known for her strong-willed nature—a trait common among the chief agents of Qinzhou's top three entertainment companies—remained calm and composed. "Take a deep breath and speak clearly."

The assistant took a moment to steady herself before speaking in a low voice. "Starworks just announced that Zhao Yingchrome has signed with them!"

"What?!" Xi Mei's expression froze, her eyes narrowing. "She chose Starworks? Do you know why?"

"I heard a rumor..." The assistant hesitated before continuing, "A classmate of mine works at Starworks, and they mentioned it might have something to do with Xianyu. But I don’t know the exact reason."

"Xianyu again?" A glint appeared in Xi Mei's eyes.

Xianyu’s success in topping the Newcomer Chart hadn't concerned her much—after all, flashes of brilliance happen in the industry all the time. But recently, Big Fish had caught her attention, making her recognize Xianyu as a promising talent. However, she hadn’t anticipated that Zhao Yingchrome, whom she had been trying to recruit, would join Starworks because of Xianyu. This development made Xi Mei take Xianyu more seriously.

"Looks like Zhao Jue has found himself a real gem," Xi Mei mused. "But we can't let this matter with Zhao Yingchrome slide. Get in touch with Sahara."

"Sahara?" The assistant was surprised. Radiant Silverlight, Starworks, and Sahara had never been on friendly terms.

Xi Mei smiled. "Starworks has been making quite a splash lately. I imagine Sahara isn't too happy about that. This time, we have a common enemy. We can collaborate with Sahara on this."

Meanwhile, Lin Yuan was aware of the ongoing discussions about "Big Fish." His class group chat was often filled with people sharing the song, and some even speculated that it might be included in their exams. Fortunately, the teachers had some mercy and didn’t ruin the students' enjoyment of the song.

The more people talked about it, the more popular the song became. Lin Yuan couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. How much reputation had Big Fish earned him so far?

He called up the system, and a few lines of text appeared before him:

Age: 19 Lifespan: 27 Painting: 45 Literature: 105 Music: 26,494

The values for literature and painting remained unchanged, so the system didn't bother displaying the combined reputation points. However, the music reputation was still increasing, and it was roughly what Lin Yuan had expected—nearly 30,000 points so far.

"But I still have a long way to go to reach a million," Lin Yuan thought, frowning. He glanced at his inventory, where he still had two bronze treasure chests left.

Having used up all the songs he had on hand, Lin Yuan knew he needed to replenish his stock to continue his work. "Open the two treasure chests," he commanded.

Congratulations, you've received the song 'Red Rose.' Congratulations, you've received the special novel 'Prince of Tennis.'

Two chests opened. The first one, as expected, contained a song. But the second one yielded something rather unusual.

Lin Yuan asked, "What kind of novel is Prince of Tennis? I've never heard of it."

The system explained: "This is a one-million-word novel adapted from the classic anime Prince of Tennis, modified to fit the high school setting of Qinzhou on Blue Star. It tells the story of a group of high school students who love tennis and pursue their dreams, blending elements of youth, confusion, passion, and emotion. The novel retains the essence of the original anime while aligning with the reading habits of Blue Star’s audience. The plot is tight and well-suited for publication—"

"Is the system just tooting its own horn?" Lin Yuan wondered.

So this is what a "special novel" means?

Intrigued by this unusual offering, Lin Yuan decided to see for himself. "Read," he silently commanded.

Instantly, his mind was filled with the novel's story. According to the system, the plot was 80% similar to the anime Prince of Tennis, preserving the original's core while adapting it to Blue Star's setting. The writing style was also tailored to appeal to Blue Star’s readers, making it well-suited for print publication.

"Quite an interesting twist," Lin Yuan thought, noting how the system had creatively transformed a popular anime into a novel, complete with Blue Star's cultural background.

Indeed, it is somewhat unique, as The Prince of Tennis was originally an anime adapted from a manga, and there never seemed to be an official novel version—though there were plenty of related fanfictions in my previous life.

"Ding-dong."

The system chimed: "Congratulations, you have triggered a new mission. The system hopes that you will make some significant achievements in the literary field by the end of this year."

Mission Name: Comprehensive Development
Mission Objective: With the Supernova Writing Contest approaching, the system challenges you to successfully publish the novel Prince of Tennis and achieve over 10,000 reputation points in the literary category.
Mission Reward: Three Bronze Treasure Chests

Lin Yuan perked up at the notification—finally, a new mission, and this time, the reward was three bronze treasure chests!

"Accept," Lin Yuan decided without hesitation.

It seemed that the reputation gained from novels would be counted under the cultural category—a positive development for Lin Yuan. Having an additional avenue to accumulate reputation points could help him resolve his life-or-death crisis sooner.

Oh, right.

The "Supernova" mentioned by the system sounded vaguely familiar. Hadn't he overheard Xia Fan and Jian Yi discussing it earlier?