Chapter 17

Not long after the 'so bored' post went live, Sang Yu's mentions were flooded with messages.

'OP, you're a legend. Can you help the victims' families in the XX high school murder case? The killer's family has connections and dodged sentencing—!'

'One word: judicial processes are slow. If an influencer interferes, they'll be in a cell before long (.'

Sang Yu: Fair point.

Still, providing some financial aid shouldn't be an issue.

'Sang Zong, can you buy the rights to Nine Star Alchemist and remake it? The special effects and alchemy furnaces were just... I couldn't even look.'

'Ugh, you just triggered last month's trauma. That was a top-tier zero-to-hero classic, and they butchered it.'

'It's one of the big three male-lead novels, how did it end up so tragic...'

'Domestic Entertainment is a factory for trash dramas. Even good source material turns into a pile of crap when adapted. A remake won't change much.'

'Would the big boss spend money on things outside of film? Like idol performance stages? There's literally no soil for idols in this country, boohoo.'

'Speaking of which, are there even any legit idols in this country?'

'There are! You're just biased. The amateurs are great, it's just that domestic talent scouts don't pick them!'

'That music show scandal a while back was so infuriating. Sang Zong, will you ever do a music show? If it's fair, I'll definitely pay for a membership!'

Sang Yu read through them, then processed the situation.

Something was off.

It had turned into a wishing well. Did she post the wrong thing?

Sang Yu went back to check. Nope, she hadn't. It just happened.

Bzz—

Her phone vibrated.

Sang Yu picked up.

It was Xi Xingfa.

'Sang Zong, I saw your post! Oh, I'm free, if you're looking to have some fun, want me to tag along?!'

Seeing Sang Yu was bored online, Xi Xingfa got instantly excited. When it came to killing boredom, he was the expert.

'Sang Zong, if you want something thrilling, I know some guys in racing!'

Xi Xingfa's tone was pumped. 'Or hunting? I've got a hunting ground with plenty of game. Real guns, live ammo — total stress relief.'

His brain spun fast, tossing out more options: yacht trips, auctions, extreme sports... you name it!

Xi Xingfa didn't have a talent for business, but when it came to being a good son, sidekick, or friend, he had plenty of experience.

So, sucking up to Sang Yu was second nature — he was a total pro.

If he could play along and maybe talk a little business on the side...

Even better.

Even if it wasn't related to entertainment, landing investment for his family's other ventures would look great on his record.

Even if it wasn't his department, as long as the old man was alive, they all shared the Xi name.

Sang Yu thought about it. That could work.

She really was bored. The Demolition Office had started filming, meaning it was on track, so she didn't need to visit as much.

She was like a hands-off boss, dumping everything on others, leaving Cui Jin and the crew to watch the progress.

With the hype for The Demolition Office cooling down, she was free, and with freedom came emptiness.

Xi Xingfa's excitement spiked. 'Great, I'll have people prep it.'

The hunting ground was actually on a small island abroad.

Everything from firearms and protective gear to night-vision goggles was ready to go. The key was the fun factor — it had to be meticulously planned.

Sang Yu: 'Is Xi Zong not busy lately?'

Sang Yu had no talent for socializing and couldn't make pretty small talk in the workplace either. It was a flaw. Back when she was broke, she tried to refine her speech, but now that she was rich, she just let herself slack off.

Because no matter what she said, no one would dare call her out to her face.

Behind her back?

She couldn't hear it anyway.

So sometimes she spoke without filtering, just stating facts.

Like this casual remark — it sounded like a jab, but she meant it literally.

Xi Xingfa didn't mind.

'What's there to be busy with? Sang Zong, I won't lie, unlike you, I'm just a kid who hasn't grown up at home.'

Everyone knew the biggest chunk of money he'd ever touched was the inheritance from the old man.

He was living off the family palm.

Sang Yu suddenly froze.

She thought of Sang Ying.

Would she feel this way too?

Sigh, better buy her two more apartments...

Information about other people was hard to dig up — it was like a modern-day 'Cthulhu' myth, and it worked on family members too.

To save trouble and explain her source of wealth, she'd previously claimed she made money writing novels. But that had a cap.

Last time she gifted Sang Ying a river-view flat, she thought Sang Yu had gone to Macau to gamble it all away, and grilled her for half a day.

She almost thought Sang Yu had gotten into the gray market and was terrified.

Sang Yu realized she needed a chance to 'upgrade' her identity.

What excuse should she use...

She scrolled through the comments while thinking, not really paying attention.

When your brain hasn't worked for a long time, getting it to move is hard.

Maybe she could use the 'Sang Zong' cover, claim she was working for Sang Zong. She liked her, they shared a surname, so she gave her half...

Yeah, right! Who would believe that?

Whatever.

It'll work out.

Sang Yu had a flash of inspiration.

But the 'Sang Zong' persona — the richer it was, the better.

Thinking about it, the amount of money Sang Yu got for working for 'Sang Zong' could be a matter of sophistry —

If Sang Zong spent a hundred million, that was like Sang Yu spending a dime. So if Sang Zong spent a few more dimes on someone she liked? Totally reasonable.

That logic held up.

Crucially, the existence of 'Sang Zong' was already vague to the public.

There was almost zero info on her online; you couldn't even find a photo.

People only knew she was rich, had a temper, and loved to flex and act crazy online.

Sang Yu admitted that being taken for a lunatic was a high probability — after all, who would guess a 'God-Tier Wealth System'?

She should find a way to showcase Sang Zong's wealth as a setup. Maybe people would rationalize it themselves?

Sang Yu's fingers stopped.

Besides buying things, what could she do to flex that also served as promotion?

Shooting a massive xianxia blockbuster and buying a whole mountain to build the set — that should burn through some cash.

Most domestic film studios had ancient-style architecture, but not much that fit a true xianxia aesthetic.

Most xianxia dramas relied on green screens and cheap effects, lacking texture.

If she could build a dedicated xianxia location — with mountains, water, and architecture — that would be it.

Or, invest in a high-end version of Golden Legend, something in the vein of Eastern fantasy?

Right, didn't companies have annual meetings?

Her company's prizes were small stuff — ovens, air fryers, snacks — and you had to win them in a raffle.

Aurora Entertainment couldn't be that stingy. Giving away houses would work too.

Annual meeting prizes were a way to show off the boss's wealth, right?

...

Sang Yu was aimlessly scrolling through the comments, not really looking, when she suddenly snapped out of it, forgetting why she was scrolling in the first place.

Just as she went to exit, she saw a colorful post.

Literally colorful, because of the emojis.

She didn't know if it was because she'd been looking at those colors, but inspiration struck.

That idea about a xianxia film base plus a man-made scenic area — couldn't she apply that to different landscapes across the country?

In places with high peaks and forests, she could build mountain gates related to swords — after all, sword cultivators in novels always had to go down the mountain to train.

In caves, it would fit the trope of falling off a cliff, surviving, and accidentally stumbling upon an ancient legacy.

In deserts or Gobi regions, places with few people, she could build ruins of great battles, demon exile zones, or desolate demonic realms.

And islands...

That was pure Penglai!

Sang Yu's eyes grew brighter.

Those ideas were definitely solid. If she expanded the settings in detail, just like writing a novel —

Building architecture, costumes, and local customs to match different landscapes in different regions would be so much fun!

Like auctions, herb gardens, divine beast pavilions, alchemy halls — the essential check-in spots for domestic cultivation novels.

Mountain gates, caves, Gobi deserts, islands... different landscapes for different sects, different dungeons, different experiences.

And if she hired people to act as NPCs in these spots, it would be even better.

Right, it would be great if people could join the sects.

With some 'identity proof,' wearing sect robes, and immersively playing through the 'plot' across the country.

Just imagining it felt amazing.

Sang Yu had traveled all over the country before.

Natural scenery was majestic and breathtaking, but the man-made stuff was... how to put it? Template-like?

Not ugly, exactly.

But not good either.

Some 'ancient-style' streets felt too artificial.

Cookie-cutter blue bricks, gray tiles, red lanterns, maybe a small bridge and a boat for tourists to take photos.

And don't forget the grilled skewers, stinky tofu, silver shops, and Russian snack stores.

When you walk in, the first thing you smell isn't 'ancient' — it's duck skewers.

The first time you take a photo, it's nice, but after seeing the same ancient town over and over, you go numb. You just think —

Oh, another influencer check-in spot.

Boring.

That's why Sang Yu preferred natural scenery. But she didn't hate good man-made sets, and this gave her an idea.

Develop that kind of man-made scenic area.

Sang Yu wrote novels because she grew up reading them — cultivation and Eastern fantasy were her enlightenment.

In middle school, she'd hide under the covers with a flashlight, reading novels she rented from classmates chapter by chapter.

Protagonist starts as a loser, gets looked down on, awakens a cheat code, and fights back, slapping the faces of those who mocked them.

Every new dungeon, every new power-up, got her heart racing.

Her brain would fill in the gaps, leaving her blood pumping.

She'd pick up sticks on the road and pretend they were immortal swords.

Later, after graduating college and entering the workforce, working nine-to-nine, getting yelled at by clients, pushed by bosses, and scapegoated by colleagues.

She wrote then, too.

She registered an author account, spent her spare time typing away, wrote a ton, but nobody read it. She gave up.

But she kept reading, putting herself in the protagonist's shoes. Getting her fix in the world of novels.

Even if she was a nobody in the real world, she'd had her fill of thrills in the virtual one.

After that, she bound the God-Tier Wealth System and hadn't read novels in a long time.

But seeing those novels now, she felt a spark — the bizarre and wondrous worlds of cultivation and fantasy.

She marveled at the brilliance of those worlds and the talent of the authors...

So, Sang Yu —

Why not just bring those worlds into reality?

Build a dream.

An immersive dream where the stories she grew up with come to life.