Drummer Jia Lu

Liang Yin said casually, "What are you nervous about? He's my employee now. You don't need to be nervous!"

"She's my bestie. She came back after studying abroad, and she's been a top student since she was little. She skipped grades, too. She's four years younger than me."

"She majored in African drums and now teaches them at an educational institution. The moment she heard you were recruiting a drummer, she came right over to apply!"

Jia Lu took a deep breath and said,

"Liang, you're right. I want to be the band's drummer."

It seemed to take a lot of courage for Jia Lu to say those words. Only after she'd finished did she dare look up at Lin Chudong.

With her idol standing right in front of her, she still felt a little awkward.

Lin Chudong said, "Relax. Don't be nervous. Boss lady, bring out an African drum and let her try."

Liang Yin brought over a high-end African drum. "This is the most expensive one in our shop. It cost over ten thousand."

Jia Lu held the drum between her knees, took out her phone, and picked a song at random.

"Okay, I'll get started!"

She parted her cherry-red lips and breathed out softly. As the music played, she gently tapped the drum with both hands.

The soothing music paired with the African drum's ethereal sound made everyone feel refreshed.

Jia Lu played the high and low notes with great precision, and her tone was well controlled. Even the way she swung her arms had a certain grace to it.

When the song ended, Jia Lu's face was full of anticipation.

"Brother Fei, how did I do?"

Lin Chudong nodded. "Very good. When it comes to the African drum, you're definitely a professional. Try the drum kit."

Jia Lu was overjoyed by his praise. The dimples on both sides of her cheeks seemed unable to disappear.

She sat down in front of the drum kit and asked,

"Brother Fei, what should I play?"

"One of my songs. 'Keep Up With The Rhythm.'"

It was a fast song by Da Fei Band, with mostly sixteenth notes. It put a drummer's skills to the test and was considered an intermediate-to-advanced drum-kit piece.

Jia Lu nodded, her expression turning serious. This was her idol's song, and playing it in front of him was bound to be nerve-racking.

Liang Yin patted her shoulder. "Don't be nervous. Just do your best."

Then she folded her arms and stood to one side.

Lin Chudong didn't know what to make of it. Am I auditioning her or watching you?

Dum-dum-dum-dum...

The intro began, and Jia Lu started moving her hands.

She'd received formal training in African drums and had taught herself to play the drum kit. Though both were drums and shared some similarities, they were ultimately different instruments, and the drum kit still required its own training.

Jia Lu's rhythm was steady, but it was obvious she'd taught herself. Her posture and the way she held the drumsticks were both quite amateurish.

Just as the song was about to reach the chorus, Lin Chudong suddenly stood up and walked behind Jia Lu.

She could feel the pressure of his presence, but her rhythm didn't change. Jia Lu kept up the dong-ci-da-ci beat on the drums.

When the chorus ended, Jia Lu wanted to show off a little, and began muttering under her breath.

"One-two-three-four, one-two-three-four, one-two-three-four..."

She was getting ready to add a drum fill!

Drum fills were basically a combination of thirty-second notes and syncopated rhythms.

Used appropriately, a drum fill could sound wonderful, stir the audience's emotions, and take a song's appeal to another level.

Dong-ci-da-ci, dum-dum-dum-dum...

Jia Lu's hands began moving rapidly. The thirty-second notes came fast, but then she suddenly hesitated.

She'd just missed the bass drum!

She'd focused so much on her hands that she'd neglected her feet, causing her to falter for a moment.

But after leaving half a beat of silence, she resumed the dong-ci-da-ci rhythm.

"Okay, that's enough."

Jia Lu stopped playing, looking a little dejected. She'd practiced for so long, yet she'd still made a mistake. It hadn't affected the song too much, but Lin Chudong had stopped her right after it happened. It was obvious she'd made a bad impression, and probably wouldn't make the band.

Liang Yin said,

"Hey, can't you give her another chance?"

"No need," Lin Chudong replied. "I've seen what I needed to see."

Liang Yin frowned and gave him a look. "Come inside."

The two of them went into the room. Liang Yin asked, "She's not that bad, is she?"

Lin Chudong smiled. "Who said she was bad?"

"Then why the serious face? You scared my bestie. She's your fan, so be a little gentler!"

Lin Chudong sighed. "I'm conducting an audition, sis. If I don't take it seriously, the money you're spending won't last very long."

Liang Yin was at a loss for words. "Fine, then. How is she, exactly?"

"She's got the skills, and her rhythm is very steady."

"There are two things that matter most for a drummer. First, rhythm. Second, mental fortitude."

"Even with a metronome, the drummer is the one controlling the rhythm for every instrument onstage. They have to perform well under pressure. When I stood up just now, she wasn't affected."

"After she messed up the fill, she left half a beat of silence, then recovered very well. Overall, she's a promising talent. She just needs some guidance from a master."

"Let me sum it up. If this girl wants a monthly salary of over thirty thousand, don't hire her. If she'll take less than thirty thousand, she's a good fit."

Liang Yin let out a sigh of relief. "You could've said that earlier! You were so serious, you scared me to death!" She patted her chest, which bounced softly like jelly.

"I offered her a base salary of eight thousand, and she agreed on the spot."

Lin Chudong gave her a thumbs-up. "Good. Once the paperwork's done, we can sign the contract. Don't let her play the drum kit in public for now. I'm worried someone else will poach her."

With just a little training, a promising player like her could become a good drummer. A professional drummer at such a low price would be snapped up in no time if word got out.

Keeping a beauty hidden away was standard practice.

Liang Yin nodded. "I get it. She's your kept woman."

"..."

Wasn't that the wrong way to use that word?

They went out to tell Jia Lu the good news. She immediately beamed, then stood up bashfully, clutching the hem of her shirt, and bowed to Lin Chudong.

"Thank you, Brother Fei! I'll work hard!"

Lin Chudong held out his hand. "Welcome to Liang Yin Band."

Jia Lu clasped his hand with both of hers, trembling with excitement. Her soft, smooth hands were ice-cold with nerves.

Liang Yin was excited, too. That damned sense of ceremony—she could already picture their band performing at a concert.

Lin Chudong let go and said, "I'll find a master to train you sometime."

"Thank you, Brother Fei!"

After the tense atmosphere had passed, everyone began chatting.

Liang Yin said, "Da Fei, for the promotion of 'Chengdu,' I'm thinking of spending some money on Douyin. It's a short-video platform, and songs can go viral easily nowadays. Maybe this song will make you popular again."

Lin Chudong shook his head. "That's not a good fit. 'Chengdu' is a folk song, and it takes time to grow on people. Short-video platforms aren't suitable for it. Even if we paid to promote it, the money would go to waste."

"Then what should we do?"

Promotion was a crucial part of releasing a song. No matter how good your music was, what was the point if nobody had heard it?

Actually, Lin Chudong had been worrying about that, too.

"No rush. We still have a few days. Let's wait a little longer."

Just then, a crowd suddenly rushed past outside, many of them carrying cameras.

"What are they doing?"

Jia Lu said, "I know! It's the Super Challenge Program Group. They're filming a reality show right here in Magic City. Want to go take a look?"

"Of course! Maybe we'll get picked as lucky audience members and get to interact with the celebrities. Let's go!"

"Da Fei, are you coming?"

Lin Chudong nodded.

"I'm coming!"