Perfect Superstar.

Just after 7 PM, Lu Chen arrived early at the Daylily Bar. 

He hadn't forgotten the lesson from the previous night, and after resting during the day, he decided to take the subway to Houhai before the evening rush. There, he had a quick, simple dinner near the pedestrian street.

When he pushed open the door and entered the bar, Lu Chen was surprised not to see the owner, Chen Jianhao, at the counter.

Instead, the tall, slender bartender with a neat mustache nodded at him with a smile.

Before yesterday, Lu Chen wouldn't have received such a warm reception.

"Good evening, Brother David!"

He walked over and greeted the bartender, curiously asking, "Is the boss not here?"

Chen Jianhao had invested his life savings into the Daylily Bar, so he managed it with great care. Unless something unexpected happened, he was usually present every evening, sometimes even serving drinks to customers himself when it got busy.

David, the bartender, poured a glass of mint water for Lu Chen and shrugged. "The boss probably has something to do."

David's Mandarin was not very fluent, carrying a distinct foreign accent. Although he was also of Chinese descent, he had grown up abroad and only returned to China a few years ago.

"Thank you, Brother David!"

Lu Chen downed the glass of water in one go and prepared to head to the back room. He wasn't sure about the evening's performance schedule.

"You're welcome."

David put away the glass and said seriously, "I really liked the song you sang last night. Cool."

He gave Lu Chen a thumbs up. "Keep it up!"

Lu Chen smiled, gave a fist salute, and then headed to the back room.

To his surprise, Lu Chen found that he wasn't the first to arrive tonight; several people were already there.

In addition to the Daylily Bar's resident singers, Sister Hong (Li Hong), Brother Ye (Ye Zhenyang), and Wang Little Shu, even Sister Na was present, along with the host. The five of them were sitting together, chatting.

"Little Lu!"

Seeing Lu Chen enter, Sister Na was the first to stand up. She approached him with a big smile and gave him a warm hug. "Congratulations on your promotion!"

Lu Chen, feeling a bit embarrassed, said, "Thank you, Sister Na."

Sister Na, whose real name was Zhang Nana, had just turned 40 this year. She was one of the most senior and experienced singers in both Daylily Bar and the Houhai music scene. It was said that she had left home at 17 to pursue her passion for music.

Sister Na was a contracted singer at Daylily. Her appearance was quite ordinary, even a bit unattractive, with high cheekbones, thick lips, a slightly flat nose, and deep crow's feet at the corners of her eyes when she smiled.

However, no one underestimated Sister Na, as she had a unique talent for singing. 

Her wide vocal range and rich experience allowed her to effortlessly handle many challenging songs. She was considered a powerhouse among the vagabond singers.

Chen Jianhao had once privately mentioned that the reason Sister Na hadn't become famous after more than 20 years in the industry, aside from her looks, was that she hadn't found the right song or a mentor who truly understood her musical talent.

If it weren't for that, Chen Jianhao wouldn't have been able to recruit her to perform at Daylily.

Despite her circumstances, Sister Na had a very open and cheerful personality. She didn't carry the frustration of unrecognized talent. 

Whether she was dealing with the most ordinary bar staff or the most prominent bands, her attitude was always warm and friendly.

As a result, she was very well-liked by everyone.

Lu Chen also had a good relationship with Sister Na. When he first started performing at Daylily, it was Sister Na who put in a good word for him, convincing Chen Jianhao to give him a chance.

For this, Lu Chen had always been grateful.

With Sister Na taking the lead, the others quickly offered their congratulations. They all knew that Lu Chen had now become a resident singer at Daylily.

Previously, Lu Chen was the only request-based singer at Daylily, the lowest position. Now, he was at least on par with Li Hong and Ye Zhenyang, enjoying the same treatment and conditions.

"Sister Na, Little Lu sang an original song last night," Li Hong said with a smile. "He brought the house down, and someone even wanted to sign him to an entertainment company!"

Although it seemed like a casual comment, there was a hint of jealousy in her tone that she couldn't quite hide.

Besides Sister Na, both Ye Zhenyang and Wang Little Shu's expressions turned a bit unnatural.

Daylily Bar wasn't large, and there weren't many staff or singers, so any news spread quickly within their small circle.

Last night, Lu Chen's original song, "My Old Classmate," won the hearts of all the customers and even caught the attention of Qingyu Media, who wanted to sign him as a new artist to cultivate and promote.

If that were all, they might have just felt envious. After all, in the Houhai music scene, there were many stories of struggling singers who were discovered and then shot to fame. Lu Chen was just one of the lucky ones.

But what shocked them was that Lu Chen actually turned down the offer!

This was something they couldn't comprehend. How could Lu Chen not treasure such a rare opportunity that others would give anything for?

How were they supposed to feel about that?

Ye Zhenyang chuckled. "It's a pity Little Lu has such high ambitions. Otherwise, when he becomes a big star, he could bring us along and let us share in his glory!"

Compared to Li Hong, Ye Zhenyang was even more displeased with Lu Chen. He couldn't feel at ease without making a few bitter remarks.

Just two days ago, Lu Chen was a minor player he could easily ignore, but now not only had he become a resident vagabond singer like Ye Zhenyang, he was even more eye-catching!

Lu Chen frowned slightly.

Ye Zhenyang's comments were hard to take seriously. He couldn't address it directly, nor did he want to engage in a pretense of false politeness.

"Little Lu will definitely become a big star in the future!" Sister Na clapped Lu Chen on the shoulder and said, "I missed hearing your original song last night. You must sing it again tonight!"

Lu Chen quickly replied, "Sure, I'd be grateful if Sister Na could give me more pointers."

Compared to others, Sister Na's attitude towards Lu Chen was undeniably more genuine. Her few words easily defused the tension.

No one dared to challenge Sister Na's authority.

Sister Na smiled and said, "I wouldn't dare to give you pointers, Little Lu. With your talent, you should have showcased it sooner. How about you write a nice song for Sister Na too?"

Lu Chen thought for a moment and replied seriously, "Okay!"

Sister Na was taken aback by his earnest response.

She had been joking earlier and didn't actually expect Lu Chen to write a song for her. 

Creating original music was difficult nowadays, and the domestic environment wasn't very supportive of it. Besides a few top figures, many professional songwriters barely managed to produce one or two quality songs a year.

For an amateur like Lu Chen, getting lucky enough to create one good song was already remarkable. To continuously produce excellent works, especially custom ones, was quite rare.

Sister Na thought Lu Chen was also joking, but seeing his serious attitude surprised her.

As an experienced figure in the industry, Sister Na quickly composed herself and said with a smile, "Well then, I'll look forward to your song!"

She didn't dwell on the topic further, clapping her hands and saying, "The time is almost up. I'll arrange the evening's performance. Little Shu, you go ahead and sing a couple of songs first."

With the boss Chen Jianhao absent, Sister Na took charge as the unofficial boss. Aside from the Wandering Band, both Li Hong and Ye Zhenyang had to defer to her. No one questioned her arrangements.

Even Qin Hanyang, the lead singer of the Wandering Band, treated Sister Na with respect.

Since it was the last night of the weekend, the bar started filling up with more customers after 8 PM, mostly college students in pairs.

Houhai was near the university town, which hosted several renowned national universities, including Midrange and Jingyin.

Many college students liked to frequent bars in Houhai and Sanlitun, especially couples who, after having dinner on the pedestrian street, came to take a table for two and order a few cocktails or beers. 

They enjoyed live performances while spending a little money in a romantic setting.

As the bar neared full capacity, the host quickly went out to warm up the crowd, and Wang Little Shu took the stage to perform a few songs.

When it was Lu Chen's turn, it was already 9 PM.

As he took his seat on the stage with his guitar, a customer immediately whistled loudly.

"Little Lu, sing 'My Old Classmate'!"

Lu Chen smiled and nodded. Only that regular customer could whistle so uniquely.

He had to show respect!

"Tonight, I'll first bring you an original song of mine," Lu Chen said as he lightly strummed the guitar strings and spoke into the microphone. "Here's 'My Old Classmate.' I hope you all enjoy it!"

"Enjoy it!"

As soon as Lu Chen finished speaking, someone shouted, "Sing it twice!"

Laughter and cheers erupted in the bar, creating ripples of joy like stones dropped into a pond.

Many new patrons were surprised because they had never heard this song before, especially since it was an original.

They couldn't understand why the old customers were so enthusiastic, as such enthusiasm was rare in Daylily Bar, especially for a young singer like Lu Chen.

Without further ado, Lu Chen played the prelude and began his performance for the night.

"Will you remember tomorrow, the diary you wrote yesterday…"

The song seemed to cast a spell, swiftly changing the atmosphere in the bar. Conversations, clinking glasses, and even phone ringtones gradually faded away.

Both old and new patrons listened quietly to Lu Chen's performance.

For the regulars, Lu Chen's rendition of "My Old Classmate" was even better, filled with more emotion. They closed their eyes and deeply felt the emotions embedded in the song—nostalgia, melancholy, and longing.

For the new patrons, hearing "My Old Classmate" for the first time, they found it fresh and enjoyable.

They were deeply moved.

The charm of a classic song could transcend time and space, shining brightly even in different worlds!

In just five or six minutes, Daylily Bar was incredibly quiet.

When the song ended, after a brief pause, the applause erupted with fervor!

...

(End of Chapter)