We're all just trying to make a living, why create such chaos?

I thought it was going to be a major showdown, but who would have expected Sun Jian to actually hold back, and even seem distracted?

Seeing Chu Tian looking their way, Yang Lin, Wu Ya, and the others quickly refocused, putting their full attention on the song in their hands.

"Hmm? 'Twilight'?"

Wu Ya glanced at the lyrics in his hand, his eyebrows knitting slightly.

It wasn't that the piece was bad—he hadn't even read it yet—it was simply because the name was too common.

Common, as if chosen at random—like giving people very simple, everyday nicknames, the kind of single-syllable names you hear all the time, even a name like Gang.

Not unpleasant, but it felt a bit... unsophisticated?

Suppressing that thought, he continued to read on.

Below the simplified score were the lyrics. As he read them and looked at the sheet music, the tune of the song began forming in his mind.

Gradually, his eyes brightened, and the range of his body movements grew larger.

Eventually, he couldn't help but start humming quietly to himself.

Realizing it wasn't quite appropriate here, he turned and walked towards the window, snapping his fingers and softly humming the tune as he went.

As he got further into the song, he even started singing softly.

He really loved this piece. It felt tailor-made for him, fitting perfectly with his preferences.

So much so that its melody resonated with him strongly, allowing him to become familiar with it very quickly.

The result was that the more he sang, the smoother it became, and the more he loved it.

"Can never finish a song"

"Tired, DA DA DA, dark circles..."

"In the world of emotions"

"Hurt is inevitable~"

"Twilight, no matter how beautiful, HUM HUM, brings the night~"

Wu Ya, standing near the window, was smiling as he sang and danced, as happy as a child with a beloved toy.

But the expressions of the others were mixed.

Especially Yang Lin and Chen Feng, who exchanged glances and saw a complex mix of emotions in each other's faces.

Chu Tian, who had been watching them, seemed to sense their feelings and asked, "What's wrong? Not satisfied?"

Satisfied? It was hard to say they were. Just now, Yang Lin and Chen Feng had taken a look, and it felt like this song was... a folk song? But not quite, as the underlying melody had pop elements. Yet the overall style was odd. They couldn't quite put their finger on exactly how, just that it felt a bit... unsophisticated?

"President Chu, is this really the song for us?" Yang Lin asked tentatively.

Instead of answering their question, Chu Tian smiled and asked, "Do you think it's not suitable?"

Yang Lin hurriedly waved her hands. "Not really. It's just that we've never sung this type of song before. We're afraid we won't perform it well."

Chu Tian, who had seen through everything, knew exactly what they were thinking.

They were definitely dissatisfied but too embarrassed to say it.

Chu Tian shook his head and countered, "Do you trust me?"

"Huh?"

How did this turn into a question of trust?

Yang Lin and Chen Feng didn't know what to say for a moment.

To say they didn't trust him, wouldn't that be like undermining their boss? But to say they trusted him, with this song right in front of them, was also something they couldn't easily voice.

Seeing their hesitation, Chu Tian played his trump card.

He pointed in the direction Li Guang had left and said, "Fame or face, which will you choose?"

Fame or face?

Yang Lin and Chen Feng looked at each other, suddenly realizing how well-posed the question was; they didn't know how to answer.

If they could choose, of course they'd want both face and fame. But from Chu Tian's words, could it be a choice between one or the other? Or did the company already have a debut plan for them?

Thinking about Li Guang's current situation, Yang Lin suddenly felt extremely conflicted.

Face? Of course! Who wouldn't want it? Becoming famous not only brings in money but also lets you go back home and show off. Every year, when you go home, friends and relatives ask what you do. Hearing that you're a bar singer versus a big star definitely doesn't pack the same punch, right? But if this big star has a less-than-stellar reputation... Ummm, that's a tougher choice.

In the end, it was Chen Feng who saw things clearly. He glanced at Yang Lin, still hesitating, and pinned her down with one sentence. "President Chu means, do you want to earn money or keep your face?"

"Of course I want to earn money!" Yang Lin blurted out without even thinking.

After she spoke, she realized she had known the answer in her heart all along.

Is money important? If you're not short on cash, then it isn't. But what if you're alone in a strange land? What if you've lived in a basement in Capital for three years, moving on average three times a year? What if the most spacious place you've ever lived was a dilapidated flat in an urban village, a place older than yourself, and you spent your days scrounging for takeout coupons? What if, when a friend was leaving Capital, you'd rush over at their call to pick up their unwanted scraps, slowly using them to furnish your own little den?

Thinking of that life with no end in sight, the choice was actually obvious.

Yang Lin never wanted to return to those days of living from meal to meal.

She wanted to make money. She wanted to earn enough to buy a big house. She wanted to drink milk tea until she felt sick, and she dreamed of sitting contentedly in a café, wearing a stylish coat, carrying a designer bag, and using luxurious cosmetics.

But all these things required money, and money had to be earned.

Chu Tian also figured out their answer and said with a smile, "Trust me, just sing this song. I can't guarantee it'll be a smash hit, but it will definitely change your current lives."

Yang Lin and Chen Feng's eyes fell back on the song title on the paper.

"The Most Dazzling Ethnic Style."

This was the answer Chu Tian had given them.

Was this song tacky? Maybe a bit. You could call it tacky, but you couldn't say it wasn't popular!

Thinking of the sound blaring from the loudspeakers of the square dancing aunties, Chu Tian saw each one as a potential customer. Every loudspeaker represented a unit sold.

With this crowd as a base, how could he be afraid of not making money?

"I understand, President Chu! Don't worry, we'll definitely sing this song well!" Yang Lin declared.

"Good, give it your all. Trust me, you won't be disappointed," Chu Tian encouraged.

Having reassured the duo, Chu Tian then remembered Sun Jian hadn't made a peep in a while. What's wrong? Is he throwing a fit?

He turned to look and saw Sun Jian practically glued to the coffee table, drooling over the sheet music.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Chu Tian asked.

"Eh? Ah?" Sun Jian responded belatedly, taking a long moment to realize he was being addressed.

As he lifted his head and saw Chu Tian's complicated expression, and Chen Feng and the others staring wide-eyed behind him, he felt a bit embarrassed.

After the initial embarrassment, however, his attention promptly went back to the sheet in his hands.

He stood up, lightly tapped the paper, and exclaimed, "Ahem, President Chu, this Youmeng is truly incredible!

"This song is epic! It's exactly what I wanted, what I wanted to write. Every single lyric seems to have been written into my heart. It's just amazing! One word: badass!

"Let me tell you, President Chu, this Youmeng is definitely a genuine Capital lad. The local flavor in this song is just too authentic. I was practically bowing down as I read it; every word seems to have been written right into my heart.

"As long as I sing this song, I dare say it's bound to be a hit! If it doesn't, I'll eat that water cooler."

Chu Tian never expected this headstrong artistic young man to actually praise someone.

Even though Sun Jian was praising him—or rather, Youmeng—Chu Tian didn't feel much. After all, the original author *was* a true local of Capital, so of course, the flavor was spot-on. He just found Sun Jian a bit off-putting. What 'practically bowing down'? Does that look like bowing down? Head down, butt up, sprawling on the coffee table. People who didn't know better would think he was licking something—turns out he was just basking in his own admiration for the song. Ugh~ Just the thought gave him the chills.

Chu Tian retorted, "Alright, alright, sing it first before anything else. If you like it, practice well. Cut the nonsense.

"Eating the water cooler, you say? That's company property. Is your salary not enough? Thinking about scrounging free meals and drinks now?"

PFFT.

No sooner had Chu Tian finished speaking, and before Sun Jian or Chen Feng could react, Yang Lin couldn't hold back any longer and burst into laughter, bending over.

Sun Jian himself hadn't expected Chu Tian to twist things into a joke like that, but thinking about it, he couldn't help laughing either.

"Hahaha, scrounging meals and drinks! President Chu, you're really something else! How do you come up with this stuff?"

"Laugh all you want, but go find somewhere else to do it," Chu Tian said. "Are there any problems with the song? If there are, speak now. If not, I'm leaving."

Seeing no one had further issues, Chu Tian didn't linger and turned to find his girlfriend instead.

Compared to them, his girlfriend was far more appealing.

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