15: Chapter 15: Get Eleven Grandmaster Skills for Free!

Huang Bo reached out and patted Lin Chen on the shoulder. "Brother, I wouldn't say I'm close with Li Qingfeng, but everyone in the industry says that kid is full of tricks. As the saying goes, it's easy to dodge an open spear but hard to guard against a hidden arrow; don't be impulsive when you encounter trouble. If you're really in trouble, call me anytime, and I'll stand up for you."

Lin Chen found it amusing. "What kind of hidden arrows could there be? Is he going to pull out a gun and shoot me?"

Huang Bo rolled his eyes. "You're just being argumentative! It won't go as far as shooting you, but there are plenty of underhanded ways to mess with people in this industry."

Lin Chen became interested. "Tell me about it, how do you guys mess with people in your line of work?"

Huang Bo leaned against the tree trunk. "Hiring internet trolls to ruin your reputation—does that count as an underhanded trick?"

Lin Chen shook his head. "Doesn't count. I'm not in the entertainment industry, and besides, my reputation is already rotten to the core."

Huang Bo got anxious. "It can always get worse! Even if you don't work in the industry, if you go out to find other jobs later, having a stain on your resume will still affect you."

Lin Chen was very confident. "Doesn't matter. I trust my own skills."

Huang Bo opened his mouth, but was left speechless.

He really couldn't argue with that. As long as the kid didn't poison the food, with his god-level Culinary Arts, he would be fought over wherever he went and would never starve.

"It's not just about reputation. For example, he could get the entire Film Crew to isolate you, so that nobody talks to you..."

Huang Bo stuttered halfway through.

He suddenly realized that Lin Chen wasn't even an employee of the Film Crew.

Looking at his indifferent attitude, he probably couldn't wait for no one to bother him.

"Damn! You're a professional at arguing!"

Huang Bo got worked up. "What if they pay a few thugs to put a sack over your head in the middle of the night and beat you up? Cripple you!"

Lin Chen smiled. "I'm even less afraid of that; I've practiced martial arts."

Huang Bo scoffed. "Forget it! What era is this to be talking about martial arts? Anyway, just be careful. Don't try to be a hero if something happens; call me. I can definitely cover you on this turf. You hear me?"

Lin Chen nodded, not rejecting the other's goodwill.

Huang Bo turned and returned to the film set next door.

Lin Chen didn't go to the private tents of Yang Mi and Dilraba.

He only took money to be responsible for three meal times; he had no obligation to hang around as a lackey the rest of the time.

Did they think 100,000 yuan could buy his 24-hour service?

As a Grandmaster-level divine chef, this price was already a huge bargain for the two beautiful bosses.

With his Grandmaster-level Qi Cultivation running automatically, Lin Chen felt neither sleepy nor stuffy.

He decided to continue wandering around the film studio.

Although it was all artificially constructed scenery, the Ming and Qing Palace, the Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival, and the Guangzhou and Hong Kong streets were quite quaint and had nice views.

At noon, not a single tourist could be seen outside, and the Film Crew was all on lunch break.

The large film studio was empty and unusually quiet.

Lin Chen strolled around leisurely, not feeling bored at all; on the contrary, he quite enjoyed the peace.

When he reached the end of Hong Kong Street and was about to leave, Lin Chen stopped.

There was actually a physical bookstore open at the corner of the street.

He initially thought it was just an empty storefront used for filming, but when he walked in, he was surprised to see it was operating normally.

The store only had one floor, with several large bookshelves standing in the middle and around the sides.

A young man of seventeen or eighteen was sitting at the cash register, cigarette in his mouth, staring intensely at the computer screen playing games, not even looking up.

Lin Chen scanned the aisle and immediately understood why this shop was opened in the scenic area.

The shelves were full of the most hardcore professional books.

Martial arts, directing, acting, vocal music, musical instruments, oil painting, Calligraphy, magic, dance... a wide variety.

It was obviously catering to the behind-the-scenes staff and extras of the Film Crew.

Lin Chen didn't have much interest in these side jobs.

But with the mindset of "might as well since I'm free" and that getting skills for free is never a loss, he stood in front of the shelves and started reading.

Once he started, he went at it for the better part of the day.

By the time he walked out the door, the horizon was filled with a crimson sunset.

The young man at the cash register was still furiously playing on the computer, probably not even knowing that a living person had been in the shop.

These details didn't matter.

Lin Chen stood on the side of the street, looking at the information refreshing in his mind, his expression becoming quite fascinating.

[Universal System]

[Host: Lin Chen]

[Skills:]

[Culinary Arts: Grandmaster-level, 11/1 billion. You are a top-tier divine chef, capable of making all the delicacies in the world.]

[Medical Arts: Grandmaster-level, 16/1 billion. You are a Grandmaster divine doctor, possessing the art of miraculous healing.]

[Grandmaster-level Qi Cultivation: Grandmaster-level, 25/1 billion. You are a Grandmaster-level Qi practitioner, having reached perfection.]

[Combat: Grandmaster-level, 67/1 billion. You are a Grandmaster-level King of Fighting, possessing perfect fighting techniques, unrivaled.]

[Directing: Grandmaster-level, 122/1 billion. You are a world-top famous director, possessing supreme control, and your works will surely be global hits.]

[Acting: Grandmaster-level, 54/1 billion. You are a thousand-faced film emperor, and your acting makes people intoxicated.]

[Singing: Grandmaster-level, 31/1 billion. You are a perfect singing god, possessing the sound of nature.]

[Musical Instruments: Grandmaster-level, 44/1 billion. You are the King of Musical Instruments, proficient in eighteen types of instruments.]

[Painting: Grandmaster-level, 90/1 billion. You are a titan of the painting world, with god-like painting skills.]

[Calligraphy: Grandmaster-level, 12/1 billion. You are a Grandmaster of Calligraphy, having formed your own school.]

[Magic: Grandmaster-level, 78/1 billion. You are a divine magician, with techniques as dreamy and illusory.]

[Dance: Grandmaster-level, 203/1 billion. You are the peerless dance king, showcasing the ultimate art of the human body.]

...

The system panel became completely full; at a glance, it was all Grandmaster-level titles.

Getting so many top-tier skills for free in one go should have been something that made one feel ecstatic.

As the saying goes, having many skills is never a burden; walking sideways through life would be no problem.

However, Lin Chen's expression was a bit strange now, even revealing a hint of lingering fear.

He suddenly realized that the Universal System was not truly flawless.

It had a very fatal side effect.

The problem lay in the three words "Grandmaster-level".

Below the Grandmaster level, upgrading relied entirely on rote memorization and the accumulation of muscle memory.

But once one enters the Grandmaster realm, relying solely on experience is useless.

One must undergo a qualitative transformation in one's state of mind.

What is a Grandmaster's state of mind?

Fanaticism, obsession, absolute self-confidence, wholehearted devotion.

To reach the pinnacle in any field, one absolutely cannot do it without this kind of fanatical mindset.

But everything has its limits.

Once this mindset exceeds the body's limit, self-confidence turns into arrogance, persistence turns into mental paranoia, and obsession turns into madness.

With one or two Grandmaster-level skills, Lin Chen only felt mentally energized.

But now, he had a full eleven!

Ordinary people get cocky just from earning a little money in a certain field.

Eleven instances of fanatical, obsessed emotions tearing at his brain simultaneously—if it were an ordinary person, they would have already developed schizophrenia and become mentally ill by now.

Fortunately, Lin Chen had died once before. Having lived two lives, combined with the support of his Grandmaster-level Qi Cultivation, his soul was tough enough to force himself to withstand this wave of mental impact.

But that was as far as it went.

He had touched the limit of what his brain could withstand.

He could continue reading books in the future, but he absolutely could not upgrade new skills to the Grandmaster level.

The dream of infinitely maxing out all professions had to stop here.

The evening breeze blew in his face, dispelling the stuffiness of the day.

A crimson sunset hung on the horizon, the scenery beautiful beyond words.

Lin Chen stood at the street corner with his eyes closed, and it took over ten minutes before he slowly opened them.

The complex emotions on his face were swept away.

Having died once, what he valued most was no longer some system or divine skills, but having thoroughly figured out what kind of life he wanted.

This was his biggest trump card.

Whether he had an invincible cheat or not didn't matter at all; what was important was how to live happily and how to enjoy the stunning beauties around him.

A day of living gloriously and happily was better than living a hundred years like a work machine.

...

The "falling goose long fly" film set.

Yang Mi had just finished filming a major scene and dragged her exhausted body into the resting tent.

Dilraba was sprawled on a folding lounge chair playing on her phone.

"Lin Chen hasn't come back yet?"

As soon as Yang Mi entered the door, she pulled down the zipper of her heavy costume from the back and took off the entire antique-style long dress, throwing it on the floor.

Inside, she was drenched in fragrant sweat, her fair, tender skin covered in glistening water.

Two large, snow-white mounds lost their restraint and bounced out, the deep cleavage extremely eye-catching.

Dilraba was wearing a pair of silk shorts as thin as a cicada's wing, her two smooth, long legs crossed, her pink, tender feet dangling in mid-air.

She shook her head. "Haven't seen him."

"What's he busy with?"

Yang Mi walked over, sat down, and took a big gulp from a water cup.

Dilraba didn't even look up. "He's in a WeChat group with Shishi, Nazar, and the others having a meeting, discussing today's hot scene at noon."

Yang Mi was stunned for a moment. "What hot scene?"

"The romantic scene between you and Lin Chen!"

"What kind of romantic scene could I possibly have with him?"

Dilraba sat straight up, her big eyes staring at Yang Mi. "You actually didn't notice at all? Lin Chen definitely has his eyes on you!"

A few black lines flashed across Yang Mi's beautiful face. "Are you sick? What kind of garbage do you have in your head all day?"

Dilraba leaned forward. "I swear I'm not talking nonsense. Look, Li Qingfeng lusts after your body; the whole Film Crew can see it, right?"

Yang Mi bit her red lips and didn't say a word.

Although Li Qingfeng didn't say it explicitly, his eyes were full of desire whenever he tried to curry favor. How could a big boss like her, who had made it into the capital circle, not see through it?

"At noon today, Lin Chen and Li Qingfeng directly clashed over you to your face, not even letting you drink water. That's not false, right?"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Yang Mi rolled her eyes at her. "Which eye of yours saw that it was because of me?"

Dilraba snorted coquettishly. "Stubborn as a mule! Every eye on my body saw it. Two big men going head-to-head—it was clearly fighting over a woman, pure jealousy!"

"Can't be bothered with you!"

Yang Mi lay down on her side, leaving Dilraba with an alluring back view.

The tight skirt outlined her perfect peach-buttock curves, which were breathtaking.

Dilraba stretched out her slender, white finger and gently poked the soft, smooth flesh on Yang Mi's waist, teasing, "Avoiding it is useless; this is an ironclad fact."

"But I really don't understand your attitude. I just said he wants to sleep with you; I didn't force you to strip naked and go sleep with him tonight. Why are you resisting so much?"