Chapter Fifteen

  Two months later.

  "Kuaile! Kuaile! Kuaile!"

  Deafening music, dim lights, soaring wine fumes, and deep into the night, countless people waving their arms and twisting their waists in a drunken frenzy.

  In the bar, Li Jin was diligently huddled over the counter writing and drawing. As the only light above his head grew smaller, he wisely raised his arm with moderate force and a precise angle to gently push away the drunken woman who was about to collapse onto him.

  "Lu Fei! Look, it's Lu Fei!" The drunk woman lay on the table like a rotten mud, screaming at the person on stage.

  "Yes, I know it's Liu Fei." Li Jin jumped down from the high stool, carefully avoiding her and choosing a new position at the bar to sit down, "If he were Andy Lau, I would have rushed up long ago."

  "Camel flies! I love you!" The drunkard shouted loudly and fell asleep on the bar.

  Li Jin rolled his eyes and from the corner, the bartender who was busy showing off his skills threw him a "I feel sorry for you" glance.

  Yes, as a bar singer, Ruo Fei has been in the business for over a month now.

  Li Jin looked up at the stage, where Luo Fei was holding the microphone with just two fingers, looking provocative and flashy, every cell in his body exuding male hormones, making Li Jin swallow uncomfortably.

  A month ago, after the concert with only one audience member, Luo Fei decided to work hard again for his singer dream, and Li Jin also confirmed that he wanted to create a new generation of heavenly kings who surpassed Shu Mu, which was Luo Fei. But ideals are plump, reality is bony, the two have no money or power, and they can't become overnight sensations just by working hard at home.

  Then, Li Jin's first thing to do was to post Luo Fei's singing video online.

  In the internet age, hyping up with the help of netizens is a compulsory course for every broker. Moreover, Lu Fei's strength is exceptional, and compared to some so-called singers, he is more deserving of his fame. So he carefully chose the last song that Lu Fei sang that night, "Swallowtail Butterfly", and released it online. A week later, when the two went to the supermarket, they were stopped by a woman.

  "Excuse me, are you Luo Fei?" she asked.

  "Right." Luo Fei had no idea what was happening.

  "Oh my, I really like your song, your voice is so good! You're even more handsome in person than online!" The girl was infatuated. "Can you sign an autograph for me?"

  After seeing off a certain woman with a signed photo, Luo Fei asked: "What happened?"

  "I posted the video of you singing that day on the internet." Li Jin smiled, "Congratulations, you're famous now."

  "Huh?" Luo Fei laughed in disbelief, "You... when did you take this?"

  "You don't know when." said Li Jin.

  Most online celebrities end up being fleeting, so Li Jin only released one video, and it was the last one that night. In the video, Luo Fei's eyes were slightly red, his voice hoarse, he said to everyone in front of the computer: "My throat is not good, so this is the last one..."

  Then those who didn't get enough asked, where are the other few songs?

  Immediately afterwards, Li Jin released the second, third and fourth songs. Within a month, Luo Fei's singing videos topped the click charts on major websites, and classmate Luo Fei tasted the flavor of fame for the first time.

  At the same time, record deals came pouring in. Although the record market was not doing well, record companies were sprouting up like mushrooms after a spring rain. Unfortunately, Li Jin had no intention of selling Ruo Fei cheaply, and besides, both he and Ruo Fei had outstanding breach-of-contract penalties to pay. That contract and the million-dollar fine hung over their heads like the sword of Damocles, and small companies couldn't afford to take them on lightly.

  He then contacted several record companies with real strength, while agreeing to the invitation of a certain bar, letting Luo Fei become the resident singer and first sing in the bar for three months.

  "Thank you everyone..."

  The music ended, and Li Jin supported his head with one hand, quietly watching the boy on stage. In the flashing lights, a beam of light swept across the entire venue, finally freezing on the smiling youth on the circular stage, who took the guitar from someone in the audience below, flashed a signature smile, and lightly plucked the strings.

  "I want you to accompany me, watching that sea turtle swimming in the water..."

  Li Jin lowered his head and continued to write and draw on the notebook. The person on stage seemed to be born for the stage, since he debuted in the bar, he has gained a large number of fans, and even had people coming just to see him perform...

  "He shouldn't be singing a song like that." Someone suddenly said beside Li Jin.

  Li Jin turned his head and smiled wryly.

  If you see someone wearing oversized black sunglasses in a nightclub that's already dark, you'd laugh too.

  "Which singer hasn't sung a mouth-watering song." Lai Kam-moon shrugged nonchalantly.

  "If he sings like this more often, it will bury his talent." The man nodded and took a big gulp of Martell.

  "No. Talent is like a gem, if you take it out and fuss over it every day, it may easily become tarnished, but if you bring it out at the right time, it can be stunning." Li Jin handed over a glass of water, "By the way, this family's Ma Da Li is imported, very strong."

  "Hmmph!"

  No sooner had he finished speaking than a great gush of water burst forth.

  Li Jin couldn't bear to look directly, and carefully handed over a cup of clear water.

  He downed the whole cup in one gulp, which slightly alleviated the discomfort of the intoxicating rush. He took two deep breaths, removed his black sunglasses, and a pair of narrow, beady eyes gleamed with an obscure light.

  "People say you're Lu Fei's agent?" The man sneered, "I've never heard of a bar singer having an agent."

  "After Luo Fei debuts, it's inevitable that he'll become a professional singer. Adapting to life with an agent early on will be beneficial for him." Li Jin closed the script, "Besides, ending the trial period between the agent and artist early is also a good thing for both of us."

  Xiao Yan's smile faded: "You seem particularly confident that he can become a professional singer."

  "I just have confidence in myself." Lí Jǐn said very frankly.

  "Haha." Xiao Yan's eyes seemed to have heard a huge joke, "What's the basis? Is it because you're now singing these mouth-watering songs in a bar? Or is it because of the audience in the venue who don't have any musical appreciation and just want to get drunk? Or is it because of that so-called training plan you made for him?"

  He exaggeratedly pointed at Li Jin's just-closed book, sarcastically.

  That book contains Li Jin's training plan for Luo Fei. Except for the most basic rest time every day, other times are divided by Li Jin into several blocks, learning English, music theory, even how to dress elegantly and walk gracefully.

  According to Lai Kam, these are essential courses for becoming a qualified artist.

  Last month's plan was barely completed under Lijin's pressure. The plan Lijin is working on now is for next month, perhaps the bar was too noisy and affected his senses, and he didn't even notice that someone had been peeping at him.

  "I've said it before, I'm relying on myself." Li Jin countered without batting an eyelid. "What's the big deal about singing at a bar? At a bar, you'll meet all sorts of people with different requests and tastes. If you can handle them, then naturally you'll be able to handle those fans who love or hate your music in the future. Moreover, who is your target audience? Not those music professors who analyze every little note, but ordinary people who don't understand music but have a lot of money to spend on records. Being among them will make it easier for you to know what they want. Once you become famous, they'll be your first supporters. As for that training plan, when someone has the same resources and singing skills as you, whether or not they can speak English, whether or not they can compose independently, even whether or not they have the marketable aura in their every move, becomes the key to winning."

  "It turns out that being a resident singer in a bar has so many benefits." Xiao Yan's eyes sparkled with excitement as she dramatically clapped her hands.

  "Not only that, there are many more benefits to being a resident singer in a bar, but the biggest benefit is actually..." Lei Jin smiled, "being able to meet star scouts like you who come with a purpose."