Superstars of Tomorrow

The date for the auction was inching closer, and every day, Kevin Lin was even more anxious than Fang Zhao. Kevin Lin was worried that rushing Fang Zhao would just add pressure, which would affect the quality of the item. Thus, he could only worry helplessly from the side.

Bie Liao joked about Kevin Lin in private: the emperor was not worried but the eunuch was anxious. However, they were all eagerly anticipating the auction. They had been disconnected from the internet for too long and did not have means like Kevin Lin’s to connect back to Earth’s internet. The base’s intranet could not be considered internet. Every day, they could only view military and political news, and in this sort of restricted environment, the information they could receive had its limits.

"I heard that Fang Zhao prepared a broken tooth with song scores inscribed on it. Do you reckon it will sell?" Riode asked Bie Liao.

Bie Liao gave an unsure reply: "Probably? Didn’t Kevin Lin say that Fang Zhao’s song scores cost a lot? Surely people will buy it."

It was not that they didn’t think much of Fang Zhao’s item but that they did not understand this aspect. If it was up to them, they would definitely not spend a large sum to purchase a broken tooth. Even if the sounds of nature were engraved on it, they still would not buy it.

But whatever they said, Fang Zhao was a member of Outpost 23. If Fang Zhao’s item could really fetch a high price, they would also benefit too. Should there be any gathering with comrades from other outposts in the future, they would be able to brag a whole bunch about it.

"Let’s say Fang Zhao’s auctioned item fetches a high price. Would our outpost be able to receive one-tenth?" Riode.

Since Riode had mentioned it, Bie Liao also had this thought now. "If so, I will send in an application request." After all, money made from the auction would be diverted to planet Baiji’s construction fund. The base would not lack any money, so it would be up to each outpost team to fish for funds.

Noticing Bie Liao having ideas, Riode continued to give advice. Lowering his volume, he said, "I heard from Kevin Lin that none of Fang Zhao’s past works were worth less than this figure."

"Ten million? The rumors were true? That means that even if we receive one-tenth, one million, we can upgrade a lot of equipment." Now that Bie Liao had assumed the leadership role, his shoulders felt burdened with a heavy responsibility. Especially after the terrorist attack, he fully approved the words "If you lag behind, you will come under attack!" displayed at the base. With upgraded equipment and facilities, even if development teams wanted to come over to the outpost’s area, they would have power.

Equipment issued from the top was fixed, but there could never be enough of these kinds of things, and occasionally, additional equipment and tools were requested rather then hoping for others to hand them over.

One’s own territory had to be safeguarded securely.

Whether it would be approved or rejected was a different matter, but if they did not even try, how would they know it was not possible?

Therefore, after the talk with Riode, Bie Liao immediately wrote an application request and sent it in. His words were sincere and staggering. Bie Liao’s letter to the leaders bemoaned the poor and destitute conditions of the outpost. Before the auction started, it was best to take advantage and fight for some benefits.

——

Over at the outpost, outside the security fencing of the experimental plots, on a large tree that had been growing for who knows how many years, Fang Zhao sat leaning against a tree branch. In his hands were a pen and a notebook, and he was writing and drawing in it.

The area survey had already concluded. The engineers had already returned to base to give their reports. Fan Lin and his team had also disappeared back into the laboratory. Now that the outpost team no longer needed to protect these people when they headed into the woods, other than making their daily patrols around the area, their only other duties were standing guard and extending the outpost.

A new batch of soldiers had arrived at the outpost and their numbers had doubled. Everyone was getting along just fine.

A few off-duty outpost soldiers were playing cards a short distance away from Fang Zhao. This place had much less electronic entertainment equipment, so they could only use some ancient entertainment items to enrich their lives here.

Among the new batch of people, there were some that came looking for Fang Zhao’s autograph after arriving at the outpost. They might not necessarily have been the ones chasing celebrities, but they at least had relatives who were fans of Fang Zhao.

After completing a round of cards, someone from the group playing cards in the shade of a tree glanced at Fang Zhao and softly said, "What is he writing?"

"No idea. Perhaps a diary?"

"There are really people who keep a diary while undergoing military service? I persevered for a few days but could not continue writing on."

"Someone said he was composing?"

"Shut up, everyone. Don’t you know his "Diting ears" nickname? Don’t think he can’t hear you even if you are whispering."

The few of them stopped gossiping and continued playing cards.

Regardless of whether the sky was clear or overcast, whether the winds from afar were strong or weak, they carried with them moisture and sweat blended with the smell of mud, grass, and leaves.

In the surroundings, every single sound originating from nature, from the rustling of branches to the chirping of insects to the beating of a bird’s wings and the cries of creatures, brimmed with the vigor of life.

With his superior hearing, Fang Zhao could hear the distant river that was blocked by the woods. In his mind, he could imagine the splashes created by aquatic creatures leaping in and out.

There was a lack of the apprehension and restlessness of the Period of Destruction. Although there was danger in this world, its nature had a peacefulness here that people during the Period of Destruction could never have hoped to imagine.

Every single sound seemed to carry musical notes that embedded themselves in Fang Zhao’s mind and came out in scribbles when the pen nib touched the notebook.

This time, Fang Zhao had chosen a more gentle style that did not have the thickset flavor of an epic. This was something he had composed after arriving on planet Baiji and after coming over to Outpost 23. From filtering the sounds of the mountains and forests, the sounds of all living things, he had a tranquil tune.

After amendments, Fang Zhao transcribed the score sheet. However, this time, his annotations were using musical symbols of the New Era and not his own symbols that only he could read.

Without the need for any musical instruments, Fang Zhao performed this piece in his mind countless times.

By the time he got off the tree, it was already noon. Kevin Lin had already begun his afternoon training. Fang Zhao glanced over for a bit before entering the outpost and heading for the equipment store. There he took out the engraving machine.

Fang Zhao had spent six days amending his composed score. Today was the seventh day of amendment. The score was finally complete, and he started the engraving.

During the Period of Destruction, many people had liked to use the teeth and bones of creature they killed as a form of significant ornamental jewelry. Children born during that period had also loved these sort of decorations, as they portrayed ferociousness and bravery.

Fang Zhao would only know whether the creature’s tooth was suitable for engraving when he tried it. That creature’s tooth that had been broken off by a bullet belonged to the sort that was suitable for engraving.

First, a cleaning fluid had to be used to remove the bloodstains. After that, the shattered corners had to be ground till they were smooth and then polished till they shone. Only after all this came the engraving.

The tooth did not have the hatred and blood a mutated beast had, but it still had a primitive flavor to it.

The engraving machine was not large, and it could inscribe delicately. All Fang Zhao needed to do was set the stipulated area for engraving, then write down the song scores for engraving on the writing board.

Fang Zhao wrote every single stroke earnestly. The blade of the engraving machine carved each note on each part of the tooth according to how Fang Zhao wanted it. Every stroke was exactly the same as Fang Zhao had handwritten it, just much smaller. The strength that Fang Zhao used for each stroke on the writing board would affect how the the engraving blade cut.

With the aid of the machine, this song score was inscribed very quickly.

When Fang Zhao returned to his room, it was one of the rare occasions where Kevin Lin was not like a corpse. Kevin Lin was holding on to his camera, and when he noticed Fang Zhao, he asked eagerly, "Is it done?"

When Kevin Lin had returned after his military training today and heard that Fang Zhao was in the equipment store, he knew right away that Fang Zhao was over there engraving. He had wanted to go over and film it but had been afraid of disturbing Fang Zhao and interrupting the engraving. Thus, he had waited back in the room.

Fang Zhao handed over the creature’s tooth with the inscribed song score. "It is finished."

Kevin Lin carefully accepted the case with the creature’s tooth in it and gently placed it on the table and starting taking photographs.

However, he changed his method of photo taking. He changed the focus so that the song score on the creature’s tooth would be blurry, but he also revealed a clear portion of some musical notes.

Kevin Lin showed the photographs he had taken to Fang Zhao. "Do you think these shots are all right?"

Fang Zhao did not find anything inappropriate. He could guess what Kevin Lin wanted to do. "They are fine."

The next morning, Fang Zhao submitted that broken tooth with song scores engraved on it to the base. Kevin Lin logged into his social platform and posted a few photos of the creature’s tooth taken from different angles.

"Fang Zhao spent seven days making this. On it is his latest work, which was personally engraved by him~. It has already been sent to the base."

Fang Zhao had used a machine to aid him, but the notes had been handwritten by Fang Zhao, so it could be considered to have been personally engraved.

When Kevin Lin updated his status, he did not add anything else. The videos taken from the woods would have explanations. Fang Zhao had picked up that broken tooth to make an item for the auction. It was already finished, and the song score engraved on it was new and had never appeared before!

That meant to say that whoever won this broken tooth would own this song score.

So what if it was a new song? How was the quality? Other than Fang Zhao, perhaps only the person who had the winning bid would know.

However, not many people thought well of it.

After all, Fang Zhao was still considered a newbie. Although he had works in the entertainment circles, they were not many and were not concrete enough.

"How much can that piece of tooth even be auctioned for?" someone asked. This was the question the normal internet audience was dying to know the answer to.

"Wait for a professional to appraise it."

There were experts in this area. Some old masters who had many years of experience working at auctions finally had a chance to show off their skills.

For the value of an auction item, they would evaluate it from many different aspects. Not only would the material, manufactured place, manufacturer’s status, and commercial value be considered, there were also a number of other factors from different aspects to take into account.

Finally, a few old master appraisers’ joint comprehensive evaluation had this outcome: the item put forward to planet Baiji’s auction activity was valued at 30 million to 50 million. It would not be lower than 30 million.

When this valuation was reported, it was met with doubt from many people.

"Isn’t this too high?"

"It’s just a creature’s tooth with some song scores engraved on it and it’s worth 30 to 50 million? Nonsense!"

"Last year, there was this really famous film star who auctioned off a jade pendant, and the winning bid was only slightly more than 50 million. Fang Zhao can’t be considered on his level."

"That’s right, overhype! It’s definitely overhyped!"

"Was the appraising master bribed?"

"Sit tight and wait for some face-smacking."