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"Cheers!"
Countless glasses were raised high, the golden liquid inside swaying and bubbling with white foam, sparkling under the bright lights, filling the air with the unique aroma of beer.
The guests at Daylily Bar raised their drinks in unison to toast Chen Jianhao, who had arrived late, congratulating him on his upcoming departure from singlehood and entry into the realm of marriage.
A famous person once said that only men who have married and started families truly understand what responsibility means and can genuinely mature.
There are also those who say that marriage is a prison and a grave for men, binding the wings of eagles that once soared against the wind.
The joys and sorrows of this journey are known only to oneself.
But regardless, friends gathered here to offer the most sincere blessings to the groom-to-be.
'Enjoy your last moments of being single!'
Amidst laughter and applause, Chen Jianhao downed a large glass of beer.
With joy comes a refreshing spirit; the boss of Daylily, Chen Jianhao, appeared to have shed several years, drinking with great enthusiasm and refusing no one who came to toast him.
For the bachelor party that night, Daylily Bar had cleared most of the tables, replacing them with long dining tables filled with various drinks and snacks, adorned with fresh flowers for decoration.
Upbeat music echoed in the bar, and waitresses dressed in bunny girl uniforms gracefully moved through the crowd, adding to the joyful atmosphere.
Compared to bunny girls at bachelor parties abroad, their outfits were much more conservative, yet still cute and charming.
There were no strippers, which was a small benefit for the groom-to-be and his friends.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Someone knocked on a plate.
When everyone's attention turned, he quickly jumped onto the stage, opened the microphone, and said, "Dear friends and guests, I suggest we let our groom-to-be, Brother Jianhao, perform for us first. He can sing, dance, or tell a joke; what do you all think?"
"Good!" Many troublemakers immediately cheered loudly, even whistling.
Chen Jianhao was pushed onto the stage by the crowd.
He smiled wryly and said, "You want this old man to sing and dance? Isn't that asking for my life? You guys are too ruthless!"
Chang Wei, the owner of Blue Lotus Flower, directly exposed his past: "Brother Chen, don't be modest. You were once the famous rock prince of the show business community. Even if you've only got half your skills left, you can still hold the stage!"
Rock Prince!
Lu Chen almost spat out the beer in his mouth.
Thinking of the young Chen Jianhao, with long hair, holding a guitar and singing rock, the image was simply too beautiful!
Everyone burst into laughter, urging him, "Sing one!"
"You, you, you..." Chen Jianhao pointed at Chang Wei in indignation and said, "You wait for me!"
Having thrown down the gauntlet, he still had to sing.
Chen Jianhao didn't hesitate; perhaps he was a bit tipsy, he called up the band, Wandering Band.
They collaborated on a classic rock song by Black Crow Band, "Rebirth Tomorrow."
Black Crow Band was a national rock band active in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They released three albums, with total sales exceeding 20 million, and were considered a pillar of national rock.
Unfortunately, in September 1993, the lead singer and soul of Black Crow Band, Gao Yi, tragically fell from the stage during a concert rehearsal, suffering severe skull injuries, and ultimately passed away at Chaoyang People's Hospital at the young age of 32.
Gao Yi's untimely death was undoubtedly a heavy blow to national rock, and the once-leading Black Crow Band never recovered, disbanding two years later, leaving endless sorrow for rock fans.
The fall of the Black Crow Band mirrored the decline of national rock; with the rise of commercial pop music, pure rock faced severe impacts, the market continuously shrinking, and its influence diminishing.
Some rock vagabond singers adapted to the trend, actively changing their overly personal and idealistic styles to sing light rock or folk, but many rock musicians stubbornly defended the last bastion of national rock, refusing to bow to the market.
However, most of these guardians remained anonymous.
Now, national rock has become a distant term, with only a very small number still struggling to persist.
The song "Rebirth Tomorrow," sung by Chen Jianhao, was not only a signature piece of Black Crow Band but also a pinnacle of national rock; every rock vagabond singer who has ever sung rock has covered it!
Lu Chen thus saw another side of Chen Jianhao.
In Lu Chen's long-standing impression, the boss of Daylily Bar was stern and deep, with a hint of a businessman's shrewdness and commercialism, never easily revealing his inner emotions, usually keeping his feelings hidden.
However, today, standing on stage, this middle-aged man who had reached the age of understanding was filled with passion and fervor, belting out with all his might under the accompaniment of Wandering Band.
His face was flushed, veins bulging on his neck and forehead, his eyes filled with blood as if he were a burning flame, containing boundless power!
In terms of singing skill alone, Chen Jianhao was not particularly good; he even hit a few wrong notes during the climax, but the emotion he poured into his performance moved everyone present.
People applauded or roared along with him, the massive sound waves seeming to threaten to lift the roof off!
Lu Chen, caught up in the moment, felt his blood boil.
He raised his arm, clenched his fist, and joined in the loud shouting!
"Tomorrow I will be reborn, facing my regretless youth once more!"
"Please never forget my true name!"
As the song ended, the crowd erupted!
"Thank you!"
After singing "Rebirth Tomorrow," Chen Jianhao seemed to have exhausted all his energy.
He was sweating profusely, smiling and panting as he asked, "Is everyone happy? Did you like it? Was it powerful enough?"
"Happy!" "Like it!" "Powerful!"
His friends responded loudly; this was a side of Chen Jianhao that many had never seen before, very refreshing.
The person who had invited Chen Jianhao to sing just now shouted, "Brother Jianhao, take it easy; remember you have to consummate the marriage tomorrow! If you run out of energy, your wife will definitely scold us!"
Everyone burst into laughter, the air filled with particles of joy.
"I'll remember you!" Chen Jianhao shot a fierce glare at the instigator, handing the microphone over to Qin Hanyang.
"Big Qing, it's your turn!"
At Daylily, the bachelor party was overflowing with vagabond singers; there were at least four or five bands present, not to mention the seasoned performers mingling in Houhai.
Tonight was special; many were willing to earn a little less just to come and support.
Qin Hanyang wasted no time, leading Wandering Band to perform "In Spring."
If Lu Chen had become a legend in the Houhai circle, then Wandering Band's "In Spring" was nothing short of a myth, revered and admired by countless bar vagabond singers!
This song had maintained its popularity on major music platforms, still holding a spot on the Original Sound chart, not to mention having dominated the charts for weeks, becoming a phenomenon and a classic.
Though not purely rock, "In Spring" awakened memories of the once-glorious national rock era, and Wandering Band had become a hot new force in the pop music scene, reportedly with performance invitations lined up until next year.
At Daylily Bar, where Wandering Band had once fought and thrived, hearing the authentic "In Spring" brought a sense of pride to many!
And the original creator of "In Spring" was also present.
No one had forgotten Lu Chen; as Wandering Band finished "In Spring," someone immediately shouted his name.
That was an old customer of Daylily Bar.
If we were to count, Lu Chen hadn't been away from Daylily for long.
But for those old customers, it felt like he had been gone for ages.
They missed the tall, handsome young man, missed him sitting on stage, holding a guitar and singing "My Old Classmate," a feeling that couldn't be experienced through a screen.
Everyone knew Lu Chen wouldn't linger at Daylily; they were happy for him to move on to a bigger, brighter stage and wished him well for his future.
At the same time, they still hoped to hear Lu Chen perform live again.
Tonight was the perfect opportunity.
Qin Hanyang spoke into the microphone, "Next, let's invite our little boss from Daylily Bar to sing a new song for us! Something we haven't heard before!"
"Good!"
Everyone clapped and cheered enthusiastically in response to Qin Hanyang.
For other vagabond singers, such a request might seem like a deliberate challenge.
But for Lu Chen, his astonishing talent in songwriting was regarded as an incredible miracle in the show business community.
In just a few months, Lu Chen had produced over twenty original songs.
While some composer s in their creative prime might also produce that many works in a short time, no one had ever done it like Lu Chen, with every piece being a gem or even a classic.
What was most impressive was his boundless imagination in songwriting, with styles ranging from folk, light rock, and love songs, to the mainstream, as if his creativity was endless!
In the circle, Lu Chen had even earned the nickname "Melody Tycoon."
So, what was a challenging request for others was clearly a reasonable and necessary one for Lu Chen!
A new song had to be an original creation!
"Lu Chen! Lu Chen! Lu Chen!"
It was unclear who started it, but everyone began to chant Lu Chen's name in unison.
What was supposed to be Chen Jianhao's bachelor party had seemingly turned into Lu Chen's stage.
But Chen Jianhao didn't mind; instead, he joined in the chanting, pushing the atmosphere to its peak!
(End of this chapter)