Perfect Superstar.

Back on stage, Lu Chen performed two more songs.

This time, he didn't sing *My Old Classmate* or *Cinderella*, but instead chose two love songs he was familiar with. Both were well received, earning him plenty of applause and tips. After stepping off the stage, he chatted briefly with some regular customers.

"Little Lu, those two songs you sang earlier were fantastic!" One loyal patron praised. "You're so talented! If I ran a record company, I'd definitely sign you!"

Another guest at the table chimed in with a laugh, "There's hardly any good original music nowadays. Just listen to those so-called idols, boy bands, and girl groups— they're all covering songs from the U.S., Japan, or South Korea. Everything sounds like it's been produced from the same mold."

"Exactly! The really good songs are still from the '80s and '90s."

"Haha, if you say you like retro, some might call you outdated!"

"Well, everyone has different tastes."

Lu Chen mostly listened, only occasionally joining the conversation. The atmosphere in Daylily Bar was always friendly, with customers and singers getting along well, chatting like friends without any pressure.

Noticing it was already past 10 p.m., Lu Chen stood up to say goodbye, and the guests didn't try to make him stay.

The bars in Houhai operate primarily at night, with peak hours from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. However, this time slot was reserved for signed resident singers. Lu Chen no longer had to juggle being a waiter, so there was no need for him to stay.

He collected his performance fee from the bar's accountant.

Resident singers receive their salary and tips immediately. That night, Lu Chen had sung five songs. With each song paying 30 yuan, he earned 150 yuan from the bar, but the real profit came from tips. He received 70% of the 2,150 yuan in tips, totaling 2,300 yuan for the night.

If he could make this amount every day, earning 100,000 yuan a month wouldn't just be a dream— but that wasn't realistic.

Daylily Bar's patrons weren't wealthy second-generation heirs throwing money around; they tipped rationally. The reason Lu Chen earned over 2,000 yuan in tips for two consecutive nights was due to the drastic improvement in his guitar playing and singing, plus the novelty and emotional impact of his two original songs.

But this kind of excitement wouldn't last forever. Under normal circumstances, he could make over 10,000 yuan a month, but to earn more, he'd have to perform at other bars too.

As far as income went, a bar singer with a steady gig could still do quite well. At least in a place like the capital, where living costs were sky-high, it was enough to get by.

The problem, though, was that few could sustain a long career in this line of work. Most pursued it with dreams of fame and stardom, but when those dreams were shattered, they either retreated in disappointment or fell into obscurity.

Lu Chen had dreams too— big ones.

After leaving the bar, he deposited his money at an ATM on the pedestrian street and then rushed to the nearby subway station.

He returned to his basement apartment just in time— it was 11 p.m.

That was pretty quick for the evening commute. If it had been during the day, when the subway was packed with people, it would have taken much longer.

Li Feiyu wasn't home; he was always out enjoying himself on the last night of the weekend.

So for Lu Chen's debut livestream that night, he was on his own.

The microphone and camera had already been upgraded. He turned on his computer and logged into the *StarryLive* platform, entering his account details to access the *Lu Fei Live Room*.

Although his computer was old, it ran the live streaming platform without any issues. His image appeared on the screen in clear quality.

"Testing, testing!"

Lu Chen spoke into the microphone, testing to see if everything was running smoothly.

To his surprise, five or six comments popped up on the screen almost instantly.

"Yangtze River calling, this is Yellow River!"

"Yep, we can hear you! Boss, you're finally online— we've been waiting for ages!"

"Throwing flowers in celebration!"

"Hey honey, come see this handsome guy!"

"…"

Only now did Lu Chen notice the number of viewers displayed at the top of the streamer interface— 427 people were waiting for him to start the broadcast. That explained why the comments were coming in so fast.

Although he had posted an announcement earlier, setting his stream time for 11 p.m., he hadn't expected such a big turnout. He felt both excited and a little touched.

"Sorry about that."

Lu Chen quickly apologized, "I just got off work and didn't manage my time well. I'm sorry for keeping everyone waiting!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the comment section blew up.

"Wait, the streamer works on weekend nights? What kind of company is that heartless?!"

"Yeah! Let's all call in complaints to the labor department!"

"Working until 11 p.m.? That's too much!"

"Poor handsome guy!"

"…"

Lu Chen couldn't help but laugh. He quickly explained, "I sing at a bar in Houhai. I'm a bar singer, so my work hours are at night. That's why I'm late."

"Houhai? I go there all the time. Which bar? I don't remember seeing you there!"

"Oh, a bar singer! No wonder your singing is so good!"

"Stop wasting time, everyone! Let the streamer sing already! My ears can't take the suspense anymore!"

"So itchy? Then go grab a cotton swab and poke it— you'll feel better."

"Hahaha."

Lu Chen couldn't help but feel a wave of joy as he watched the lively barrage of comments. The nervousness he felt from hosting his first solo livestream quickly disappeared, and he found himself relaxing without even realizing it.

The atmosphere of live streaming online was completely different from performing in a bar, but once he adapted, it felt amazing.

The number of viewers was skyrocketing, jumping from the initial 427 to 725, and the chat was flooded with greetings.

This kind of experience was unimaginable in a bar— this was the charm of the internet!

"Hey, it looks like the streamer changed rooms. This doesn't look like Fei's old room!"

"You're just being dramatic. He probably just renamed the room."

"Ugh, no, I mean the room the streamer is in now—haven't you noticed?"

"Yeah, yeah! Where does the streamer live? The conditions look pretty rough!"

"Looks like a basement. I used to rent a place like that."

"Poor streamer!"

"…"

The conversation quickly shifted to discussing Lu Chen's living conditions.

His renting place was in a decades-old building, and the room was a converted basement—naturally, it wasn't in great shape. Although Li Feiyu lived next door, he had spent money renovating his space, making it much nicer than Lu Chen's simple room.

**System notification:** *Happy888 (Silver I) has gifted the streamer 100 Starlight!*

**System notification:** *Superman with Underwear Outside (Iron II) has gifted the streamer 100 Starlight!*

**System notification:** *Abyss Dragon Knight (Bronze V) has gifted the streamer 100 Starlight!*

**System notification:** *Crystal Jelly (Bronze II) has gifted the streamer 100 Starlight!*

…

**System notification:** *Prophet Li Bai (Gold III) has gifted the streamer a Galactic Battleship!*

Another Galactic Battleship— and again from Prophet Li Bai!

Lu Chen hadn't even started singing yet, but the tips were rolling in. Prophet Li Bai had once again sent a Galactic Battleship, a high-value reward.

A Galactic Battleship meant 1,000 Yuan, but more importantly, it was a chance for Lu Chen to appear on the entire live streaming platform.

Lu Chen felt a warm sense of gratitude. It was clear that these viewers saw the tough conditions he was living in and were using tips to show their support and sympathy.

At that moment, the number of online viewers soared past 1,000, increasing at a remarkable pace!

Instinctively, Lu Chen glanced at the follower count.

5,279!

What was going on?

He could hardly believe his eyes. Earlier that afternoon, his account only had 2,722 followers— how had it doubled by the evening?

Lu Chen was still new to *StarryLive*. Although Li Feiyu had taught him a lot, he was still a rookie and didn't fully understand everything. He couldn't figure out what had caused this surge in followers.

But since he couldn't figure it out, he didn't dwell on it. After all, it was a good thing!

"Thank you, Prophet Li Bai, for the Galactic Battleship," he said into the microphone. "And thanks to everyone for your support. I'll start by singing an original song I wrote called *My Old Classmate*. Many of you have probably already heard it, but I hope the new viewers will enjoy it."

After a brief pause, Lu Chen continued, "Tonight, I'll also be performing another original for everyone!"

Without paying attention to the scrolling comments, he picked up his guitar and began playing *My Old Classmate*.

"So good!" 

"Touching!" 

"I feel like crying!"

The charm of this classic hit was universal. Whether at Daylily Bar or on *StarryLive*, whether they had heard it before or were hearing it for the first time, everyone was deeply moved.

The most important thing was that after performing the song multiple times, Lu Chen had an even better grasp of the emotions it conveyed. Coupled with his unique voice, he easily won over the livestream viewers, who weren't particularly demanding.

After finishing *My Old Classmate*, Lu Chen was showered with praise, and a flood of tips lit up the screen!

Riding the momentum, he went on to perform five more songs— popular hits he was skilled at. Though none caused as much of a sensation as *My Old Classmate*, they still kept the livestream buzzing with excitement.

Between performances, Lu Chen also interacted with his ever-growing audience, answering many of their questions.

Li Feiyu had told him that interaction was key in livestreaming. Just singing wouldn't engage the audience fully. Chatting or sharing jokes would not only strengthen the connection with viewers but also give his voice a rest.

In the world of online streaming, success comes from cultivating a fanbase. Popularity equaled money, and the number of fans a streamer had determined their standing on the platform—it truly was a winner-take-all scenario.

Although Lu Chen still lacked experience in this area, he found that as long as he was willing to be approachable, interacting with these passionate viewers wasn't hard at all. While a few seemed to be there just to stir up trouble, the majority were kind and supportive.

Time flew by amid the performances and interactions, and before he knew it, it was already 1 a.m.

(End of Chapter)