There's a saying in Northeast China: "Pinch your nose and pour cold water in."

Lin Jianye was drinking beer while holding his nose. After three bottles, he was seeing stars and was about to fall over if he didn't hold onto the table.

"Impressive drinking capacity! Now let's get down to business. What is it again?"

Yan Liang immediately chimed in: "A friend of a local boss, the kind who's super famous in the local underworld, specifically asked to hear Blue Shark's song. Boss Cheng wants you to go back immediately and perform for your guest."

"Brother Yan! Although we're classmates, this is business, so we have to be professional. How should we calculate the compensation? We're not here to be Lei Feng."

Everyone says that talking about money hurts feelings, but in front of Han Chui and Yan Liang, it's as simple as hammering a steel hammer.

As an agent, you should be glaring at the top of your lungs at this moment.

"Our current model for nightclub is to give outside singers a guaranteed appearance fee, which is very low, only a few dozen yuan. The rest depends on their own ability to earn it."

"Don't be vague, explain clearly how you're going to try to win me over," Han Chui said, sounding like a manager, meticulous and calculating.

"It's all about the tips from the customers. Half of the tips go to the performers, and the other half goes to the nightclub."

The appearance fee is only a few dozen yuan; the rest of the income depends entirely on the individual's ability.

Half of the dance hall that provides the platform is taken away, and the remaining half belongs to the performers.

This model is similar to the treatment of writing novels online twenty years from now.

Han Chui looked at Liang Liang.

Liang Liang nodded slightly.

"Alright! Let's go now!"

Liang Liang turned to Meng Xiangshun and asked, "Want to travel 100 li to broaden your horizons? If you do, come with us!"

Upon hearing this good news, Meng Xiangshun immediately stood up to pay the bill.

Lin Jianye was completely bewildered. This wasn't right! Wasn't it agreed that Yan Liang would also have to drink three bottles?

So he was the only one who drank three bottles!

He wanted to stand up to protest, but as soon as he stood up, he felt an earthquake. Why did the earth start to spin?

This was the first time he had ever drunk so much beer. Despite his daily interactions with singers, he usually doesn't drink at all.

But it felt pretty good. My feet felt like they were walking on cotton, so light and airy. Walking felt like I was floating on clouds.

It's just that my sense of direction is a bit hard to grasp. How did I end up heading straight for that big tree?

With a loud crash, Lin Jianye bumped into a tree by the roadside.

If it weren't for a long-haired man pulling him up, he might have ended up lying down while hugging the tree.

Including Yan Liang and Lin Jianye, who needed assistance, the group of 11 people walked to Putong 100 Dance Hall in just over ten minutes.

It was past 10 p.m., and the dance hall was still in the midst of its lively revelry.

Liang Liang followed Yan Liang, while Liu Yuyong and the keyboardist of the Flying Fire Band helped Lin Jianye.

"You can't hold your liquor. You can't even keep up with your legs after three bottles of beer. How can you possibly manage? With your drinking capacity, you'll be someone else's wife if you ever get married."

Although Lin Jianye was a little dizzy, he was still clear-headed.

What does your drinking capacity have to do with your wife?

It's hard to say whether alcohol has anything to do with one's wife, but it certainly has a lot to do with work.

Cheng Yuankai could tell from Lin Jianye's appearance that he was drunk. He frowned and said, "I told him to go find someone, but he's drunk like this. Let him go down and sober up. What kind of state is this, staggering around like this?"

Lin Jianye was helped down to sober up.

Where did you find them?

Cheng Yuankai's question was extremely unwise; wasn't he just giving Yan Liang an opportunity to boast?

Liang Liang didn't hear how eloquent and persuasive Yan Liang was in front of Cheng Yuankai, because they had already gone on stage.

The stage at Putong 100 is quite impressive, much better than the stage at the Ocean Shipping Ballroom.

The singers who were about to perform on the stage looked at the band that had suddenly joined them with puzzled expressions.

Nobody knows this band.

"Where did this band come from? Does anyone recognize them?"

"I don't know where they came from, but they're pretty arrogant. They didn't even use the famous Puton 100 band; they just did their own accompaniment."

"This doesn't necessarily mean they're being arrogant. Maybe they're singing their own songs and the nightclub's band isn't providing good accompaniment."

This possibility is quite high. Even if there is sheet music, there will definitely be problems if there is no rehearsal. It is not surprising that the other party accompanied themselves.

"If nobody's heard of them, that means they're not famous at all. So why would they compete to get on stage?" Some people are fans of the "ask if you don't understand" series.

"It seems that it was the boss's bodyguard who asked to hear this band perform that allowed them to go on stage."

"So they came from Xianggang?"

"This possibility definitely exists, and it must have come from Xianggang."

What Liang Liang didn't know was that the Blue Shark Band had transformed into a band from the countryside.

Liang Liang and his group didn't bring any equipment with them this time, so they had to use the musical instruments from Putong 100 Dance Hall.

After tuning his instrument according to his own habits, Liang Liang stood on the stage with his bass slung over his arm.

First, he smiled and nodded at Chen Min.

His ability to stand on the stage of Putong 100, the best competition in China in the 1990s, must have been largely due to him.

Chen Min also smiled and greeted Liang Liang.

Cheng Yuankai, who had been observing the situation closely, intuitively concluded that someone in the Blue Shark band was a relative of Chen Min.

Liang Liang took a few steps on the stage. Standing on this stage... she didn't seem to have any special feelings.

"Good evening, everyone! We are the Blue Shark Band from the North. We will now perform a song called 'Hometown' for you. We hope our song will bring you joy."

After the brief introduction, Liang Liang nodded to Liu Yuyong.

Liu Yuyong gently plucked the strings with the pick.

Xu Wei's compositions are mostly suited to acoustic guitar, so Liu Yuyong chose an acoustic guitar to accompany them.

The prelude begins.

From EM to Asus4add9, then through Cmaj7, and back to Asus4add9…

The members of the Flying Fire Band were seated in the back row of the studio, and the four of them listened quietly to the Blue Shark Band's performance.

Xu Wei's songs usually have relatively simple chord progressions. This piece uses a major seventh chord in G major, which is cheerful yet subtly melancholic.

The prelude is somewhat like a rushing spring.

The intro immediately captured the hearts of many audience members in the dance hall.

The drum kit and keyboards come in, and the rhythm suddenly takes on a metallic feel.

The setting sun once again illuminated my face.

It reflected my uneasy heart once again.

What place is this that remains so desolate?

That endless journey was so long…

Liang Liang's slightly hoarse voice vividly depicted a three-dimensional picture in front of everyone.

The entire performance hall was completely silent.

This isn't a street stall or a music festival.

Those who can afford to shop at Putong100 are mostly successful people, both big and small.

This group lacks the impetuousness and arrogance of young people; they have all experienced the ups and downs of society, and their composure and tranquility have been tempered by it.

Even though the song struck a chord deep within them, they remained outwardly calm, though some had tears welling in their eyes…