Chapter 49: Surviving Is Easy, Living Well Is Hard

Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Surviving Is Easy, Living Well Is Hard

Director Lin stood by the railing. His knuckles were white from gripping it so hard in excitement, though he didn’t even realize it. He was still immersed in the perfect ending: "An extroverted Lonely Patient in need of acknowledgment."

He wasn’t at the absolute pinnacle of Dragon Country’s music industry, but he was certainly in the top tier. He had heard no fewer than a dozen versions of "Lonely Patient," but this was absolutely the best one apart from the original.

Of course, merely singing well wouldn’t be enough to make him this excited.

Amateurs watch for the spectacle, but experts look for the technique. Details determine success or failure, and this was especially true for musical works. Every released song was actually pitch-corrected countless times, making this kind of live house setting the ultimate test of a singer’s fundamental skills.

Yet the man standing on that unglamorous stage, radiating brilliance, had handled every single detail to the absolute limit. It could even be called perfect. In the piece he had just performed, although the band’s level was merely passable, he had flawlessly executed the song using his own vocal tone and technique.

In all his years in this industry, it was his first time encountering an "ordinary person" who could handle every vocal run and vibrato so exceptionally well.

But how could such a genius have never appeared in the music scene?

After pondering it over and over, there could only be one reason: He must have received professional training, perhaps even receiving a music education abroad since childhood. Otherwise, it would be impossible to reach this level.

Time flew by as his imagination ran wild, right up until the man prepared to sing his second song.

On the stage, a faint smile hung on Su Yunzhou’s lips. The emotional feedback from the audience made his heart surge with excitement. After a moment of thought, he finally decided what to sing. He waved his hand, and the audience quieted down once more.

"The second song of the night, which is also the final one, is ’To Live’. I dedicate this to everyone here."

The band members exchanged a glance.

A brisk intro suddenly rang out, and the melancholy brought by the previous song slowly dissipated. The audience spontaneously waved their arms to the rhythm. Su Yunzhou took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Images of "living" from this recent period of time surfaced in his mind, and his voice became a bit more relaxed.

"Every day I stand on the high-rise,

Looking at the little ants on the ground.

Their heads are so big...

Life is always full of endless trouble,

Even now, I still haven’t gotten used to it.

They all say money is a bastard,

But it looks so damn good...

Could it be that only after I turn sixty,

Will I go searching for the freedom I desire?..."

When the song ended, thunderous applause erupted!

Director Lin was ecstatic. This song was even better than the previous one, surpassing it in every way. There was only one voice left in his heart right now: "I want you!"

...

The audience cheered and leaped with joy, excitedly waving their arms, completely immersed in this audiovisual feast.

First, "Lonely Patient."

Now, "To Live."

Two completely different yet deeply resonant songs had thoroughly energized the entire venue. Amidst the excitement, many people sprouted a sudden urge to go out and travel. Many middle-aged people in the crowd kept raising their glasses.

Money was hard to earn, and life was a bitter pill to swallow. For the sake of their lives, work, and families, they hadn’t been their true selves in a very, very long time. Let alone going out for a trip.

Sometimes, immense pressure was like an overinflated balloon—if they weren’t careful, it would burst. This was also why so many men would smoke a cigarette in the basement or sit in their cars for half an hour after work before going home. That fleeting moment of peace and freedom was just to find an outlet to release the pent-up emotions in their hearts.

Just like what was sung in this song. A person might live a suffocating life in this city. But life had to go on, and everyone had reasons they had to persevere. Days were just like this—panicked, rushed, and hurried.

Putting in the hard work might not necessarily yield the desired results, but without hard work, there would never be any. Surviving was easy, but truly living was hard.

Su Yunzhou looked at the passionate crowd below the stage, suddenly filled with myriad emotions. If he didn’t have the system, he might have spent his entire life just surviving for the sake of surviving, instead of enjoying life like he was now.

"Thank you all for your support." Su Yunzhou smiled and bowed.

The applause in the venue grew even louder.

Amidst the audience’s immense reluctance to see him go, he stepped down from the stage. Another staff member immediately went on stage, taking the microphone to announce the good news of tonight’s discounts to the crowd.

Su Yunzhou returned to the backstage area. For the first time, Jiang Shiyue’s expression looked utterly serious as she earnestly gave him a thumbs-up.

"Thumbs up! You sang so well!"

Su Yunzhou smiled faintly, checking the time. "It’s about time! I’m going to head back now."

"Mhm!" A bit of reluctance rose in Jiang Shiyue’s heart. "Let’s go! I’ll walk you out."

The two walked side by side. Stepping out of the backstage area, they were met with pairs of excited eyes.

"Bro, you sang so well!"

"When are you coming back next time?"

"A cup of unfiltered wine soothes the soul. After hearing your songs, the alcohol tastes even better."

Su Yunzhou didn’t say much; he merely smiled in response and continued walking toward the exit.

Jiang Shiyue looked at his back, sensing an indescribable sense of tranquility and incongruity. She didn’t know why she felt this way, but it seemed as if the man before her sang simply because he wanted to, or perhaps to fulfill an agreement of his own. He didn’t care about empty fame or the opinions of others at all. It was a strange thought, yet it seemed completely traceable.

Just as they were about to step out the door, a shaved-headed man—wearing sunglasses at night—blocked their path with his arm around a scantily clad, alluring woman.

With a trace of drunkenness on his face, he said, "Friend, you sing pretty well!"

Seeing that the other party didn’t speak, the man shook his wrist to show off his large gold watch, flaunting his hard cash. "My girlfriend really likes your singing. She hopes you can sing another one. We can easily negotiate the price."

"Heh." Su Yunzhou sneered, casting a fleeting glance at the drunken man before turning to leave.

"Eight thousand yuan! How about one more song?" the shaved-headed man called out a price.

Seeing that the other party was unmoved, he adjusted his sunglasses and continued to up the ante.

"Ten thousand?"

"Hmph."

"Fifteen thousand?"

Seeing that the other party still didn’t answer, the man instantly grew a bit angry, especially with the beauty beside him constantly urging him on. "Twenty thousand! Don’t be ungrateful, kid!"

Su Yunzhou frowned at the noisy drunkard and finally spoke. "I’m not short on money! Move out of the way!"

"What kind of attitude is that?!" the shaved-headed man bellowed. Being repeatedly rejected by the other party made him lose a lot of face.

Although there were few guests at the door, this shout still attracted quite a bit of attention.

A middle-aged man in a formal suit with rolled-up sleeves looked disdainfully at the sunglass-wearing thug and said, "Last time, this bro bought a round of drinks for the whole venue. You think he cares about your twenty thousand?"

A beautifully dressed young woman chimed in, "If you yell at my male god again, believe it or not, I’ll make one phone call and have my husband arrest you."

Seeing more and more people speaking up, the shaved-headed man snatched off his sunglasses, revealing a ferocious expression. "Do you think I was born yesterday? Paying you to sing is giving you face. Don’t piss me off, or I’ll—"

Before he could finish his sentence, a figure darted nimbly in front of him. Gu put an affectionate arm around the man’s shoulders. "Liu Qiang, still remember me?"

"Fuck off! Why the hell are you touching me?" The shaved-headed man turned his head in a fury, but his cursing abruptly ceased halfway. Even the drunkenness in his eyes sobered up a bit. "Gu... Brother Gu... you’re out?"

Gu stopped the man’s words with a sharp look and shouted to the surroundings, "Everyone, this buddy is just drunk. Let’s all disperse!"

After saying that, he gave Mr. Su and the boss who had called him over a reassuring look. He then whispered to the shaved-headed man, "Let’s go! Let’s have a chat outside."

The shaved-headed man’s previous arrogance seemed like an illusion. He nodded obediently and followed Gu outside without any fuss.

Su Yunzhou frowned slightly and asked, "Will Gu be okay?"

"Don’t worry!" Jiang Shiyue looked out the door at the two who had gone off somewhere. "He’s quite good at handling these kinds of problems. He’s also in charge of security at my bar."

"Oh." Su Yunzhou acknowledged, though he was still a little worried. He sent a "heading out now" message to Liu Yiyi.

After waiting at the entrance for a few minutes, he saw Gu returning with a cigarette dangling from his lips. When Gu saw his boss and Mr. Su, he immediately pinched out the cigarette butt and quickly walked over.

Jiang Shiyue cast a look of disgust at Gu, who reeked of smoke, and then blinked at Su Yunzhou, as if saying, "See! I told you it would be fine."

Su Yunzhou relaxed and gave Gu a friendly smile. Without asking how he had handled it, he turned and walked toward where he had parked.

But he had only taken a few steps when Jiang Shiyue’s phone rang. She answered it, spoke a few sentences, and then asked Su Yunzhou somewhat helplessly, "Umm... I have a regular customer... Someone from an entertainment company or something. He wants to meet you. Would that be convenient for you?"