Chapter 39

"We don't want to hear songs! Can't you take a joke?" A roar suddenly came from the crowd below. "Cheng Lang, are you even a man? Have you got what it takes or not?"

A customer shouted, "I want to request a song! 'What Kind of Man,' dedicated to you!"

"I want to request one too. 'Not a Man,' dedicated to you!"

"Then I'll request 'Men Should Stand Up' for you."

"..."

Yao Liangsheng and Yao Liangjing, who had already returned to the audience, stared dumbfounded at the bar as it descended into revelry. They finally understood why the Grand View Stage's customers kept complaining that its atmosphere was lacking.

Most people wouldn't stand a chance against customers this wild!

Fortunately, Cheng Lang was no ordinary person.

Looking at the customers below, who had already worked themselves into a frenzy, Cheng Lang held his guitar and said, "Chen told me I'm not allowed to accept song requests from customers whenever I please."

Chen, who was listening to the comedy routine with Qin Mu, hadn't expected Cheng Lang to pin the blame on him again. He hurriedly picked up his radio and told Wang, "Let him sing! Anything he wants! And request 'Boys Should Stand Up Too' for me while you're at it."

Wang couldn't help laughing, though he held it back as he relayed Chen's words to Cheng Lang.

In an instant, the crowd grew even more boisterous.

Cheng Lang couldn't resist asking, "Does that song even exist?"

Wang said with a laugh, "That doesn't matter. What matters is that you have to sing!"

Cheng Lang: "..."

Holding his guitar, Cheng Lang asked with a look of grief and indignation, "Do you have an erhu?"

Wang had no idea why Cheng Lang had suddenly brought that up. "No. Why?"

No reason! I just wanted to play 'Moon Reflected on the Second Spring' for myself.

Cheng Lang held his guitar, adjusted the strings, and, filled with grief and indignation, played a guitar arrangement of "Moon Reflected on the Second Spring."

The customers listened quietly for a while before someone couldn't help saying, "It's actually pretty good."

Good as it was, everyone still wanted to hear "Men Cry, It's Not a Crime." The domineering female executive who had been coveting Cheng Lang's good looks even requested "Mature Boy." Cheng Lang strongly suspected that she was trying to ripen him ahead of schedule.

Sure enough, the moment Cheng Lang finished performing, the executive called him over. "Interested in being with me?"

Cheng Lang shook his head, looking utterly distraught. "Ma'am, I really can't."

"That's not what I meant," General Manager Lü said. "I was asking whether you'd be interested in doing PR at Qin Dynasty Records."

PR? Cheng Lang blinked, looking astonished. "Isn't Qin Dynasty Records a respectable record company? You offer that kind of service too?"

General Manager Lü: "..."

General Manager Lü drew a deep breath and explained through gritted teeth, "Crisis PR!"

Understanding dawned on Cheng Lang, and he gave an awkward laugh. "Sorry. Habitual thinking can really get you into trouble."

General Manager Lü looked at Cheng Lang, curious about just how he had been raised.

"I saw the video online of you going to that calligraphy and painting exhibition to 'collect a debt.'" General Manager Lü paused, then looked at Cheng Lang with a faint, knowing smile. "I knew you were good with words. But I hadn't expected your way of handling things to suit my tastes so well. You're still young. Being a resident singer at White Jade Capital isn't a long-term plan, after all. If you're willing, you can come to Qin Dynasty Records. I'll mentor you personally."

"I'll turn you into Qin Dynasty Records' star agent," General Manager Lü said with a smile. "Don't you want to be the client, to be a CEO? I can give you that opportunity."

Cheng Lang had dealt with countless people and could tell that General Manager Lü was serious. He smiled. "Thank you for thinking so highly of me, General Manager Lü. But I'm very happy with my part-time job right now. I don't want to leave White Jade Capital just yet."

General Manager Lü teased him with a smile. "You really intend to earn a hundred million at White Jade Capital?"

Cheng Lang nodded. "When you're starting a business, you have to find some way to build up a little capital."

With that, there was little more General Manager Lü could say. She poured Cheng Lang a glass of water. "You talked so much onstage just now. You must be thirsty. Have some water to soothe your throat."

Cheng Lang was indeed thirsty. He drank the entire glass of water and needed to make a trip to the restroom as well.

But before he had even left the dance floor, Wang stopped him again.

Looking at the sweat-covered Cheng Lang, Wang couldn't help marveling, "You're something else, kid! You really did find your own way to break through."

His voice slightly hoarse, Cheng Lang said with a grin, "I told you, being shameless gets you further than relying on your looks."

"Fair point." Wang nodded, hesitated, then asked anyway, "What did General Manager Lü say to you just now?"

"She wants to train me to be a domineering CEO. I couldn't bear to leave White Jade Capital, so I turned her down."

Wang sighed, then suddenly said, "After Tianye left White Jade Capital, he went to compete in a talent show."

Cheng Lang raised an eyebrow, not particularly surprised.

Wang continued, "I heard you were the one who pointed him down that path."

Cheng Lang said, "I just mentioned it in passing."

"I was puzzled too. He's so stubborn, yet he actually listened to you." Wang said, "Could you help me persuade him to come back and sign with Qin Dynasty Records?"

Rather than answering Wang directly, Cheng Lang asked, "Why won't he sign?"

Wang fell silent.

"You need leverage before you can negotiate terms," Cheng Lang said. Without leverage, even if you made it to the negotiating table, you were nothing but a fish on the chopping block.

Wang gave a quiet laugh. "All right. I get what you're saying."

He looked at Cheng Lang, his gaze complicated. "I really didn't expect you to have such a clear understanding of life at your age."

Cheng Lang said with a smile, "I wouldn't call it a clear understanding. I can see things clearly because I'm an outsider. You care about him, Wang, so it clouds your judgment."

Wang patted Cheng Lang on the shoulder without saying anything.

Cheng Lang squeezed his way off the dance floor and instinctively turned toward the VIP area upstairs. He had only taken a few steps when he sensed someone following him. Looking back, he found the brothers Yao Liangsheng and Yao Liangjing standing side by side behind him.

Cheng Lang: "..."

What was with everyone tonight? Cheng Lang chuckled. "Are you two looking for a heart-to-heart with me too?"