Love You Walking Alone in the Dark Alley?

The Chief of Staff was under forty, with a dark, lean face that was quite handsome. Although he had a genuine Southwest accent, his features had the sharp angles of someone from the Northwest.

But at that moment, he was cussing up a storm, sounding exactly like a nagging woman from Sichuan or Chongqing.

"My motorcycle!"

"Hao Chengbin, surprise! Surprise!"

"You bring back a lousy pipa for my surprise?!"

Fang Huai couldn't help but interject, "Chief of Staff, it's not a pipa, it's a guitar..."

Hao Chengbin immediately chimed in, "Right! Fang Huai wrote a song! The Regimental Commander asked for sign-ups for the opera house gala the day before yesterday, I was thinking he could try it."

The Chief of Staff raised his hand to cover his face.

"You know it's for the opera house gala, and you bring a pipa?"

Fang Huai's forehead was covered in black lines. "Guitar..."

"Guitar, guitar! Back when we were soldiers, who didn't know how to play this thing?" the Chief of Staff said, reaching out and taking the pipa, no, the guitar.

He opened it, took a look, and adjusted the tuning.

He was very skilled.

He strummed it a couple of times and actually started playing.

It was recognizable as "Love You," but his technique was rather rough. He strummed the sixth string when he shouldn't have, there was no dynamic variation, and it sounded very flat.

Still, being able to strum it was, at best, a talent.

After he finished a section, everyone started clapping.

"The Chief of Staff plays well!"

But the Chief of Staff was dismissive, handing the guitar to Fang Huai.

"Here, you! Don't think I don't know! Lots of people in our unit know how to play this thing! Play a section!"

Wang Jian and the Sixth Squad Leader immediately looked at Fang Huai with smiles that said, "You think you're cool, but you've met your match."

Fang Huai stood at attention. "Yes, Chief of Staff!"

Then he relaxed his posture. "Chief of Staff, this is a classical guitar, and there's no strap. I need to sit down to play, is that okay?"

The Sixth Squad Leader immediately started laughing. "Kid, you have so many demands? Didn't the Chief of Staff just play standing up?"

The Chief of Staff heard his request but didn't refuse. "Hao Chengbin, go to the company headquarters on the first floor and get him a stool."

"I'll go get it!" Fang Huai immediately followed Hao Chengbin into the New Recruit Building.

A minute later, they came out with a decent-looking stool.

Along with them came several squad leaders and cadres who were curious to see the spectacle.

Seeing that there was an audience, Fang Huai first adjusted the tuning, strummed the guitar a couple of times to get familiar with it, and then played a difficult harmonic and a tremolo.

"The Qingming Bridge in the Rain" was a 2019 piece, very difficult. Fang Huai didn't have the skill for it, he'd only learned about thirty percent of it. Anyway, no one would be able to tell.

But it was clearly much harder than what the Chief of Staff had played earlier.

"This doesn't sound good!"

"Yeah, yeah, play something we can understand!"

"The Chief of Staff can play too? Chief of Staff, you play one!"

The voices in the air were all about social niceties.

Fang Huai had no choice but to seize the moment. He strummed the strings a couple of times and switched to a melody.

The classic "Country Roads, Take Me Home."

It was also the song he relied on to make a living while working at the bar.

As the melody started, Fang Huai tried to keep his voice low and deep.

"Almost heaven West Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains Shenandoah River Life is old there older than the trees Younger than the mountains Growin like a breeze Country roads take me home…"

(Country Roads, Take Me Home)...

It's an English song too! It sounds familiar!

Everyone around had to admit, Fang Huai sang well, and the Chief of Staff started stroking his chin.

Hao Chengbin's face lit up with excitement. He's really something! It wasn't a waste borrowing this guitar.

After finishing the song, the Chief of Staff decided to give him a chance.

"Young man, did you write this song yourself? Sing it for me?"

Fang Huai was taken aback and pointed to the front. "Chief of Staff, I'm supposed to sing it right here?"

The Chief of Staff scoffed, "Are you afraid someone will steal your work?"

Fang Huai shamelessly played the victim. "I've been adapting it for two years! If I put it out there, I'd definitely sell it for money!"

Could sell for money?

The people nearby became curious.

Immediately, a Squad Leader shouted, "Don't worry! In our unit, we have Discipline Regulations! No one dares to spread it around!"

The Chief of Staff glanced around at the familiar faces and promised, "I guarantee you! No one will spread it outside! If it's a good song, we'll help you apply for copyright!"

"That's not necessary... it's an adaptation of a Mongolian folk song."

Fang Huai said, then nodded. "Alright, I'll play and sing it here then."

Fang Huai said this intentionally. He had hundreds of songs in his repertoire. Saying this was simply to make everyone listen attentively.

For folk music, without a quiet environment and attentive listeners, it truly wouldn't have the desired effect.

As expected, after some polite refusals, everyone felt that listening to this song was a rare opportunity, and the surroundings immediately quieted down.

Fang Huai strummed his guitar and slowly began to sing.

"The wind that blows across the wilderness, please go slower. I tell you in silence, I am drunk... The night in Ulaanbaatar So quiet, so quiet Even the wind cannot be heard, cannot be heard The clouds drifting towards the horizon, please go slower I tell you by running, I won't turn back..."

Three minutes later, the song faded. The surroundings remained quiet for a moment.

Everyone tilted their heads back, eyes closed, with expressions that seemed to say, "Honey, are you listening?"

They were entranced.

"A great song! A great song! It evokes the loneliness of a soldier guarding the frontier!" The Chief of Staff led the applause.

This was a forced interpretation of guarding the frontier.

Fang Huai couldn't help but curl his lips.

Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Outer Mongolia! Was he trying to forcibly expand our country's territory by 1.56 million square kilometers?

The soldiers just thought it sounded good and applauded loudly.

"Is this the original melody?" the Chief of Staff asked.

Fang Huai nodded. "Yes, the main melody is from the original song, but it's in Mongolian, which is quite difficult to pronounce. So, while changing the lyrics, I also changed some of the melody."

"How much did you change?"

"About seventy to eighty percent."

The Chief of Staff, clearly knowledgeable, said, "Then isn't that original creation?"

"Ah, I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare, Chief of Staff, it's just an adaptation."

Fang Huai repeatedly waved his hands. Before his rebirth, a song like "Rakshasa Sea Market" had already caused a huge stir. Even a Northeastern folk tune could get him into trouble, so he didn't dare to touch that.

Whether it's an adaptation or not, those who understand will understand. As long as it spreads and people recognize his "musical talent," that's enough.

The Chief of Staff carefully recalled the lyrics and felt that this kid was indeed talented. He couldn't help but encourage him.

"This is good! This kid is not bad! With such talent, he should spend some time and see if he can create a regiment song for our New Recruit Regiment!"

Fang Huai was stunned.

A regiment song?

Never mind, his ambitions lie elsewhere.

However... this could be an opportunity, and it was time to unleash a big move.

"Chief of Staff... actually, I'm working on a promotional song for the fire department. I've finished part of it, but without instrumental accompaniment, I'll probably need to wait until I'm assigned to a unit and find a professional recording studio."

The Chief of Staff's eyes widened like copper bells.

"What the heck? You actually have something?"

"A propaganda song for the fire department, this is a big deal! If you can really pull this off, then the new recruit training for the year will have a huge highlight!"

"The fire department is different from other units. More than half of the annual funding and benefits come from the government, so propaganda is extremely important."

"Who could resist this kind of temptation?"

As he thought, he noticed the mischievous smile on Fang Huai's face and said with a bit of exasperation, "Stop being coy! Sing a couple of lines, let me enjoy it!"

"Then sing a couple of lines?" Fang Huai smiled.

Hao Chengbin immediately put on his Squad Leader demeanor, hands behind his back, and said, "The Chief of Staff wants to hear it, so sing a couple of lines for him to hear!"

As he spoke, he glanced triumphantly at the Chief of Staff.

Does this count as a surprise? Huh? Old Man Yang!

"Yes, Squad Leader!"

After speaking, Fang Huai picked up his guitar again and strummed a powerful, uplifting introductory chord.

"I love you... walking alone in the dark alleys!"

He paused.

"I love your unyielding spirit!"

He paused again, even glancing at the Chief of Staff.

The Chief of Staff swallowed.

Damn it, this sounds pretty damn good!

The strumming picked up.

"I love you for confronting despair, refusing to shed a tear! I love you for your tattered clothes, yet daring to block fate's gun. I love you... your serious expression, your dark, sun-tanned face! Should I go, is it worth it, this ragged cloak? Should we fight, fight, with the humblest dream? To the whimpers and roars in the dark night, Who says only those standing in the light are heroes!"

The line "I love your serious expression, your dark, sun-tanned face!" was a last-minute change made while looking at the Chief of Staff's dark complexion.

"Who says only those standing in the light are heroes..." the Chief of Staff murmured twice, then scratched his head, marveling, "Wonderful, wonderful! You young man, you're incredible! You've got talent!"

Fang Huai immediately seized the opportunity, "It's all thanks to the Squad Leader encouraging my creativity! He thought it could bring glory to the fire department and even helped me borrow instruments from far away!"

The Chief of Staff beamed, "Good! Hao Chengbin, this is indeed a great surprise! I won't make you pay for the motorcycle anymore! Did you get scratched on the leg just now? Go to the infirmary to get it checked later!"

Hao Chengbin wanted to laugh and curse at the same time.

So, if it wasn't a surprise, I wouldn't even be worthy of going to the infirmary for a check-up?

But the Chief of Staff's next words soothed all his pain.

"This song... young man, if you complete it, I'll report it to the Regimental Commander, no, I should report it to the Detachment, and we'll get you a commendation! Don't worry, you won't have to wait until you're assigned to a unit. Our training base and many other units have fire training programs. A mere recording studio, I'll find one for you!"

The Chief of Staff imagined that Fang Huai was planning to wait until he was assigned to a unit to finish the song, and felt like propaganda themes and news reports were slipping through his fingers. He quickly added, "Young man, you focus on your creation! Tomorrow, at the weekly meeting, I'll report this matter to the Regimental Commander and the Political Commissar!"

Everyone else was green with envy.

Especially the Sixth Squad Leader, who now wanted to go back and beat up the new recruits to see if they had any other hidden talents.

"Yes, Chief of Staff! I guarantee I won't delay training!" Fang Huai immediately stood at attention and said.

With such favorable conditions, he couldn't hold back his talent.

The Chief of Staff's lips trembled, words failing him.

If you can really create it, it's fine to delay training a bit!

Fang Huai didn't need to delay training.

He just needed the System to improve his memory. He had even heard a fire department version of "The Lone Warrior," he just couldn't recall the lyrics.

He was calculating in his mind.

Actually, for the next mission reward, he didn't need leg strength improvement.

...Should I borrow some money from the System at high interest?

[Interest Rule: Interest Rate 50% (Borrow for two rewards)]

As Fang Huai's thoughts moved, this line immediately appeared before his eyes.

High-interest loans make one calm.

Cough, let's reconsider, let's reconsider.