Perfect Superstar.

Luo Hongyi was one of Daylily Bar's regulars. 

Having worked hard in Capital City for many years, he could now be considered a semi-successful individual. Although his work was busy, he often came to the bar in the evenings, ordering a few cocktails and spending the quiet nights there.

Luo Hongyi didn't like loud environments and didn't want to be alone. The atmosphere at Houhai bar made him feel comfortable. He came here not to look for a romantic encounter but to relax and unwind.

Tonight, he was sitting in his usual spot at Daylily bar.

Then he heard Lu Chen sing "My Old Classmate."

"...

You used to be so careful,

Asking to borrow half an eraser,

You once unintentionally mentioned,

That you liked being with me.

Back then, the sky was always so blue,

Days always passed too slowly,

You always said graduation was far off,

In the blink of an eye, we went our separate ways!

Who met the sentimental you,

Who comforted the crying you,

Who read the letter I wrote for you,

Who left it to the wind."

As a career elite, Luo Hongyi had long been accustomed to office politics. He once thought his heart was as hard as steel and impervious to being moved or touched by anyone or anything.

However, hearing this clean, fresh, and nostalgic folk song, he suddenly realized that his heart was not as hard and cold as he had imagined. It still harbored a tender softness that needed no shame.

A classmate might be the most profound presence in everyone's youthful memories. For many, a classmate is the most moving first love. Although they didn't understand love at that time, such feelings— unaffected by worldly concerns or secular influences— are the most beautiful!

Luo Hongyi also had a classmate engraved in his memory, a girl whose name included the character "Tong."

Knowing, familiarizing, falling in love, arguing, reconciling… then graduating and going their separate ways!

It felt like a melodramatic modern drama, but it was Luo Hongyi's own Motherf*cker youth!

The past was irretrievable, but at this moment, Luo Hongyi suddenly felt a strong impulse. He wanted to call Tong, just to ask— Are you doing well now?

But he had lost contact with her a long, long time ago.

"...

The days of the past are long gone,

I too will have my wife.

I will show her photos,

And tell her about My Old Classmate.

Who married the sentimental you,

Who comforted the crying you,

Who put up your long hair,

Who made your wedding dress,

La."

Luo Hongyi suddenly stood up, almost knocking over the small table in front of him. Ignoring it, he grabbed an unopened bottle of alcohol from the table and strode toward the stage.

On stage, Lu Chen had just finished the last line of the song.

The entire room was silent as if a Buddha statue had been enchanted with magic, freezing time at that moment.

Lu Chen felt great.

All eyes were on him. No one was talking, drinking, walking around, being casual, or ignoring him.

Here, on this stage, he had conquered everyone with a new song!

Except for one well-dressed middle-aged man who quickly navigated through the tables, his steps slightly unsteady as he reached the stage and placed the bottle of alcohol on the anti-slip hardboard surface.

Next, this man, who looked like a career elite, pulled out his wallet, counted out five hundred yuan notes, and placed them next to the bottle. After hesitating for a moment, he added three more.

A total of eight new red bills, were held down by the bottle.

"Sing it again!"

The middle-aged man looked up at Lu Chen and said in a hoarse voice, "Please sing it again!"

In his dark eyes, there was a strange gleam.

Lu Chen was initially startled but quickly understood and said, "Thank you for the support, sir. I'll sing it again. I hope everyone will enjoy this original new song."

Such a way of tipping was rare at Daylily Bar, as most patrons were office workers, artistic youths, university students, or show business people— people with quality and rationality.

The classic qualities of "My Old Classmate," combined with Lu Chen's debut performance, had a touching magical effect.

At this moment, applause erupted in the bar, so intense it seemed like it might lift the roof off!

Lu Chen bent down, took the bottle of rum, took a big swig, and then returned it to its original place. He nodded at the man, picked up his guitar again, and began singing the song for the second time.

The recently thunderous applause was like a summer shower, arriving suddenly and fading even faster. The bar quickly returned to silence, with only the faint, distant noise from the street outside drifting in through the glass door.

Lu Chen's voice and guitar blended together, gradually filling this unforgettable moment.

Behind the bar, Su Qingmei's eyes sparkled as she tightly grabbed Chen Jianhao's arm and whispered, "I want him, I want him!"

Chen Jianhao rubbed his forehead in frustration and forced a smile. "My dear, can you be a bit aloof?"

"He's yours, but if he's not..."

"He can only be mine!"

Su Qingmei interrupted with an air of unspoken confidence. "I don't believe he'll refuse my invitation, but only if you don't interfere. And this song is truly his own original work."

Chen Jianhao shook his phone, which he had been holding in his left hand, and said, "I've used a 'Search Your Song' app, and there are no matching or similar works. If you want to verify, check the music library yourself."

The 'Search Your Song' app is quite popular nowadays. By recording a snippet of music or singing, it could identify the song title with high accuracy.

Of course, compared to the Great China Music Library, the app's professionalism and authority were lacking.

Su Qingmei smiled and released Chen Jianhao's arm, saying, "No problem then."

With the charm of a mature woman and the slyness of a young girl, she combined two different traits to possess a unique allure, like a legendary enchantress.

But Chen Jianhao kept his distance. "You're fine here, and I still have work!"

He left the bar counter and walked toward the backroom.

On stage, Lu Chen continued his performance.

In the large backroom, Sister Hong and the male singer surnamed Ye exchanged glances, their faces displaying a mix of shock, bewilderment, envy, and jealousy. They were silent, their expressions shifting.

The large room lacked the soundproofing of smaller private rooms, so the echo of the song was clearly heard throughout the bar.

Having spent so much time at Daylily Bar, both were well aware of Lu Chen's previous level of performance. 

As resident performers, both Sister Hong and the male singer surnamed Ye had always looked down on Lu Chen, seeing him merely as a bar singer relying on his appearance to get by, essentially a bar staffer, never considering him a rival.

However, tonight, Lu Chen, initially serving as a filler act, first impressed everyone with his performance of "Flying Pigeons," and then stunned the entire audience with an original song, earning thunderous applause!

Is this the Lu Chen they knew?

Neither could believe it, dared to believe it, or wanted to believe it!

"Where could he have copied this from?" 

After a moment, the male singer surnamed Ye muttered, "It sounds a bit familiar. He dares to claim it's original?"

Sister Hong forced a smile but secretly despised the low IQ of her counterpart.

Whether a song is original or not can be verified with a quick phone search at the scene. Unless Lu Chen was out of his mind, bragging here would only lead to embarrassment if exposed. 

What she found unbelievable was that neither of the two songs Lu Chen performed had been auto-tuned!

What was the sound engineer in the studio doing?

At the same time, in the sound studio.

The sound engineer and the server, Little Gao, were both dumbfounded.

They had hoped to sabotage Lu Chen by bypassing the mixer and delivering the raw sound, thinking this would expose Lu Chen and satisfy their dark desires.

However, the outcome was entirely different from their expectations. Not only did Lu Chen not embarrass himself, but he also won the praise of all the patrons, his performance far surpassing previous ones!

The sound coming from the monitors was even clearer than what was heard in the bar.

Their little scheme had been in vain.

And Lu Chen actually had original songs!

The sound engineer shook his head in frustration and reached to turn the mixer back on.

Little Gao grabbed his arm and asked in a low voice, "Fatty, can you make his voice sound worse?"

Strong jealousy gnawed at Little Gao's heart like a venomous snake, making him nearly lose his sanity.

But the sound engineer remained calm. He wasn't that hostile towards Lu Chen and, after the initial shock, said urgently, "What are you talking about? It's my job that is on the line here! Out of the question!"

While audio can be adjusted to sound better or worse, doing so blatantly would be too obvious. Did this guy think that other people here were fools?

Little Gao, still unwilling to accept the outcome, clung to the sound engineer's arm, trying to persuade him further.

At that moment, the door to the sound studio was suddenly pushed open.

The two schemers turned their heads in unison to see Chen Jianhao standing in the doorway, and they both looked at him with startled and terrified looks on their faces!

Chen Jianhao's face was grim, his piercing gaze sweeping over them before settling on the still-closed mixer. His eyes glinted with barely contained anger.

The sound engineer slumped in his chair, his face filled with despair as he spoke:"Boss, I..."

Chen Jianhao ignored him and coldly addressed Little Gao. "Little Gao, go to the cashier and collect this month's salary. Don't come back here."

The owner of Daylily Bar was very clear about what had happened and knew who was to blame.

Like a bolt of lightning striking his head, Little Gao suddenly woke up, all his jealousy, bitterness, and anger evaporating, leaving only fear and regret.

"Boss, I'm sorry. Please give me another chance!"

Being a server at Daylily was actually quite good— with stable work and decent pay. Boss Chen Jianhao wasn't harsh with employees, and year-end bonuses were generous.

Little Gao truly didn't want to lose this job, and Chen Jianhao's intention to keep him away from Houhai bars was clear!

Chen Jianhao might not be able to influence all the bars in Houhai, but with a few words, who would hire someone so prone to trouble?

Being told to collect his salary and leave was already a generous concession!

Begging was futile.

Little Gao could only feel helpless— self-inflicted misery!

(End of Chapter)