Shū Hóngmíng smiled and said, "Also, I have more good news for everyone. If you really like the song 'My Future is Not a Dream,' you can log on to the DK Original Music Network and search for the song title. We uploaded it this afternoon. Additionally, the version on DK Music is performed by the Giant Stone Band standing next to me. It's definitely better than my amateur rendition."
Shū Hóngmíng took the opportunity to advertise the song on DK Music.
"Haha! So it's already uploaded to DK Music? Great, now I won't run out of songs to listen to."
"A song this good, I definitely have to recommend it to my friends so they can enjoy it too."
"'My Future is Not a Dream.' Listening to this song feels like it's igniting something inside you. I bet it'll become hugely popular very soon…"
Some of the patrons below already had their phones out, searching for the song title.
Someone then shouted up at the stage, "Qín Shuò and the others are teachers at the conservatory, many of us regulars know that. You must be surnamed Shū, right? They've mentioned you, are you also a teacher at the conservatory? How come you're an amateur?"
Shū Hóngmíng smiled and replied, "It's different. I am also a teacher, but I teach Classical Chinese Appreciation."
"Holy cow, you're kidding me!"
"Yeah, singing this well, and you're a Classical Chinese Appreciation teacher?"
"This night is the happiest of the year. We heard a great song and a funny joke."
A group of patrons chuckled, thinking Shū Hóngmíng was joking.
Shū Hóngmíng said goodbye again, then waved and bowed with Hé Lěi and the others before heading backstage.
At the same time, thunderous applause erupted in the bar.
Once backstage, Xiǎo Hú and Xiǎo Jiǎ, who had somehow made their way backstage, immediately rushed over, "Brother Shū, Brother Shítóu, Brother Zhū, you guys were amazing! So good!"
Shū Hóngmíng smiled, while Hé Lěi lowered his head sheepishly, "Brothers, I'm sorry. I was overconfident today and almost messed it all up."
Zhū Yán, Qín Shuò, and Cháng Bō all rolled their eyes, "You punk! You think a simple 'I'm sorry' will get you off the hook? We're lucky Brother Shū came today, or we really would have blown it."
"Given your throat condition, we won't resort to physical punishment. But you owe us a month of lunches, or else!" Qín Shuò laid down the terms.
"I have a pile of smelly socks under my bed, wash them for me, and I'll forgive you," Zhū Yán teased with a laugh.
Hé Lěi, who had been silent until now, couldn't help but retort, "Wash what? Old Zhū, you haven't washed your socks since the year before last. You wear them inside out, then turn them right side out again, and finally, just toss them under the bed. Those socks are like biochemical weapons now; one whiff can knock you out…"
Seeing Hé Lěi dare to "resist," Cháng Bō and the others immediately moved to "suppress" him:
"Do you know what we're talking about? This is punishment! Punishment! Understand?"
"Exactly, if you don't suffer a little, can it even be called punishment?"
"Just accept it honestly, and you still dare to talk back?"
The few of them teased and laughed. Shū Hóngmíng waved his hand, "Alright, stop messing around. Shítóu, shut up, say less. Your throat already has problems, and you're talking so much, are you looking for trouble?"
As Shū Hóngmíng was speaking, the bar owner, Brother Shān, walked over again and cupped his hands towards Shū Hóngmíng and the others, "Teacher Shū, Shítóu, you performed beautifully."
Qín Shuò, picking his teeth with a toothpick, immediately said, "Brother Shān, thank you for what happened just now."
Qín Shuò was referring to Brother Shān helping them by quieting the heckling patrons and allowing them to perform again.
In other bars, the owner would have simply kicked them off the stage and been done with it, caring nothing else.
Brother Shān smiled and shook his head, "It's fine, no need for thanks, that's too formal. When I was young, I was not much different from you, and I know what you're thinking. However, I must say, I couldn't compare to you back then. I wandered around with a beat-up guitar, sometimes without even money for food…"
Brother Shān sighed wistfully. Shū Hóngmíng asked in surprise, "Brother Shān, you're also a veteran?"
Although Shū Hóngmíng had been to this bar a few times before, he didn't know anything about Brother Shān's background.
Brother Shān chuckled, "Enough, why am I talking about this? Let's drop it. Shítóu, I've tallied up the drinks the customers gave you as tips. Your Giant Stone Band gets fifteen thousand yuan. I'll transfer it to your account later."
"Okay," Hé Lěi replied.
Brother Shān patted Hé Lěi on the shoulder, "Take care of your throat when you get back. From now on, the path you take will be different from what it is now. If you have time in the future, come by my bar and sing a couple of songs to support me…"
"Don't worry, Brother Shān, we'll come often," Hé Lěi and the others quickly agreed.
With tonight's song, 'My Future is Not a Dream,' the Giant Stone Band's reputation has surely been established. It's possible an artist management company will find them soon to sign and promote them, turning them into real singers, no longer just grassroots bar performers.
Brother Shān smiled again. Someone called out to him from behind, and Brother Shān said, "Excuse me," and hurried away.
Then, four more people walked over, giving a thumbs-up to Shū Hóngmíng and the others, "Brother Shítóu, you guys were awesome tonight! And we love this song of yours! Thank you for singing such a classic!"
These four people giving thumbs-ups were the Giant Stone Band's rivals, the Tianxing Band.
However, the four of them were now genuinely here to congratulate them. This was because they saw in the Giant Stone Band the spirit of perseverance for their dreams. Forget Hé Lěi and the others; weren't the four members of the Tianxing Band the same? They met in the crowd, then came together for their dreams, holding onto persistence, strength, and belief.
The song 'My Future is Not a Dream' that Shū Hóngmíng and the others sang was also about their own lives.
"Haha, it's great that you guys liked it," Qín Shuò and the others said with smiles. No one foolishly said something like 'We're better than your songs' – achieving success discreetly like this was actually quite satisfying.
After bidding farewell to everyone backstage, Shū Hóngmíng and the others left the bar through the back door.
Not long after they left, the four members of the Tianxing Band gathered, "The Giant Stone Band hit it big this time. With this song as their foundation, they might debut before long."
"Sigh, when will we be able to write such a great song? Brother Shítóu mentioned that the songwriter was that Brother Shū, right?"
"I remember Brother Shū was always responsible for writing lyrics for the Giant Stone Band, wasn't he?"
As they were talking, Chāo Zǐ suddenly slapped his forehead, "That guy's last name is Shū, and he's a teacher at Jingyin Academy. Doesn't that sound familiar to you?"
"It's normal for it to sound familiar, right?" someone next to him said faintly, handing his phone to the group. "Look at this."
The phone screen displayed the clean interface of DK Music.
Shū Hóngmíng, nicknamed Big Shu, a teacher of Classical Chinese Appreciation at Yanjing Conservatory of Music, has songwriting credits for 'Grade One,' 'Let's Row the Oars,' 'The Mouse Loves Rice,' and…
'My Future is Not a Dream'!
Chāo Zǐ and the others looked at each other blankly—
So, that slightly handsome Brother Shū was the legendary 'Big Shu'! They truly had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai.
PS: New book uploaded, seeking clicks, recommendations, favorites, and tips~~ All kinds of requests!
Also, please help me make it onto the new book charts! Thank you!!
31. Chapter 31 Graduation, the Season of Parting
PS: A reader group has been created, group number: 42165913. All friends who like it, come in to chat, blah blah blah~~
…
Leaving the bar, they walked along the street. This was a famous bar street, bustling with people every night. Hé Lěi and Qín Shuò often performed here and ran into acquaintances, greeting them casually.
"Where is the nearest hospital?" Shū Hóngmíng asked.
Qín Shuò pointed in a direction, "Over there, about a five-minute walk."
"Then let's hurry."
"Hey, Old Shū, are you that worried about me? Aren't you afraid your big Mǐ will be jealous!" Hé Lěi said with a laugh, rubbing his neck. "I know my own condition, it shouldn't be too serious…"
Shū Hóngmíng rolled his eyes, "Whether your throat condition is serious or not isn't up to you to decide, it's up to the doctor."
As they walked towards the hospital, their conversation somehow turned to the bar owner, Brother Shān.
The bar owner's surname was Zhào, and his name was the rather rustic Zhào Dàshān. Zhào Dàshān came from a well-off family and loved music when he was young. After graduating from junior high school, he resolutely embarked on the path of pursuing his dream against his family's wishes.
However, his experience was much more difficult than Hé Lěi's. Zhào Dàshān didn't go to high school. Because his family opposed him, he left home with a beat-up wooden guitar and became a wandering singer, living day to day, not knowing where his next meal would come from. Finally, after three years of persistence, a severe cold ruined Zhào Dàshān's musical journey. After returning home, Zhào Dàshān used money from his parents to start a small business, and later opened a bar here, which is Chun Tian Bar.
Shū Hóngmíng listened and couldn't help but sigh—Dreams… How many people are scarred by their dreams.
"… It's precisely because of his experiences when he was young that Brother Shān takes good care of people like us. The singers and bands performing in the bar are treated well…"
Zhū Yán said this, then suddenly pointed ahead, "We've arrived at the hospital, it's just around the corner."
They entered the hospital, registered, and had an examination. The doctor's diagnosis was not serious. He advised Hé Lěi to use his voice less for a while and prescribed some medication. That was all.
…
Shū Hóngmíng returned to the hospital at 10:30 PM.
Entering the ward, Shū Hóngmíng greeted Zhāng Cǎixiá. Mǐ had already come over, "Big Shu, you're finally back. Did you have a drink?" As she spoke, Mǐ sniffed Shū Hóngmíng vigorously, checking for the smell of alcohol. Her nose twitched, reminding one of a certain animal…
"No, I didn't drink," Shū Hóngmíng smiled, then turned to look at Xiǎo Mǐ, who was propped up in bed watching cartoons, her little head nodding intermittently, "Alright, Xiǎo Mǐ is almost asleep. You take Xiǎo Mǐ back to sleep first."
"Okay," Mǐ replied, and yawned, pouting. Yesterday night, she had been too excited about gaining followers to sleep until midnight. During the day, she hadn't felt tired because the excitement hadn't worn off, but now at night, she was extremely sleepy. "Then Mǐ and Xiǎo Mǐ will go back to sleep. Call me if anything comes up."
Saying this, Mǐ walked over to Xiǎo Mǐ and patted her head, "Xiǎo Mǐ, let's go back to sleep."
"Oh…" Xiǎo Mǐ groggily rubbed her eyes. Seeing Shū Hóngmíng, she greeted him, "Big Shu…"
"Xiǎo Mǐ, hurry up and get ready, let's go sleep. Look, you're drooling," Shū Hóngmíng teased with a smile.
Xiǎo Mǐ dazedly reached out to touch her smooth chin, feeling no wetness.
"Big Shu, you're lying to me!"
Xiǎo Mǐ complained.
The two sisters tidied up, greeted Zhāng Cǎixiá, and left the ward together without asking Shū Hóngmíng to escort them. They were going to rest in Shū Hóngmíng's school dormitory, and the area they were passing through was busy and safe, so there was nothing to worry about.
In the ward, Shū Hóngmíng chatted with Zhāng Cǎixiá for a while. After Zhāng Cǎixiá fell asleep, Shū Hóngmíng turned on his computer, logged into DK Music, and went to the artist backend. He opened and checked the four songs related to him one by one.
'Grade One,' Online plays: 165,248, Downloads: 64,215.
'Let's Row the Oars,' Online plays: 46,722, Downloads: 20,154.
As for 'The Mouse Loves Rice,' the data was much more impressive than the first two songs: Online plays: 567,412, Downloads: 298,476. The data was so strong partly due to the lingering effects of yesterday's Weibo buzz, and partly because DK Music featured it in a prominent rotating banner on the homepage this morning. Homepage rotating banners are the hottest recommendations on DK Music, essentially the exclusive domain of first-tier artists; it's very difficult for grassroots singers to secure a spot.
This recommendation slot brings terrifying traffic.
Furthermore, on the DK Music forum, 'The Mouse Loves Rice' had become a hot topic. Two out of every ten posts were related to 'The Mouse Loves Rice,' with countless people shouting about the rise of a master. Some calculated that 'The Mouse Loves Rice' had been noticed for less than a day and a half, yet its online plays and downloads had already matched many established first-tier singers, and the numbers were still soaring. Many active forum users and grassroots singers had already predicted that 'The Mouse Loves Rice' reaching three million total downloads was only a matter of time.
On DK Music, reaching three million total downloads for a song was equivalent to achieving platinum status! Artists at this level would have countless management companies waving money at them, inviting them to sign contracts!
In addition, there was a newly uploaded song, 'My Future is Not a Dream,' performed by the Giant Stone Band. However, because the song had not yet passed review, it could not be played yet, and thus had no real-time data.
Closing the interfaces for the songs, Shū Hóngmíng opened the short message section of the artist backend and was immediately greeted by hundreds of messages.
Shū Hóngmíng scanned them briefly. Most were requests for songs, some sought collaborations, a few were from other music websites trying to recruit him, and there were even a few idiots from who-knows-where asking Shū Hóngmíng for money… He clicked on all the short messages and chose to delete them. Shū Hóngmíng then adjusted his settings to reject messages from strangers. Otherwise, these short messages alone would be troublesome enough every day.
Turning off DK Original Music Network, Shū Hóngmíng logged into the Yanhuang Literature Platform again, opened his author's section, and checked the collection count for 'The Legend of the Swordsmen of the Shu Mountains' displayed in the backend.
9!
That's right. Shū Hóngmíng's 'The Legend of the Swordsmen of the Shu Mountains,' has been published for five days, and only has 9 favorites!
Shū Hóngmíng clicked on the webpage for 'The Legend of the Swordsmen of the Shu Mountains' again and glanced at it.
Total word count: 35,984
Total clicks: 741
Member clicks: 62
Total recommendations: 1
…
Shū Hóngmíng was speechless—the pitiful data was a complete flop! This was Huanzhu Louzhu's epoch-making masterpiece, 'The Legend of the Swordsmen of the Shu Mountains,' wasn't it? How could it have flopped this badly? If Huanzhu Louzhu knew, he would be furious enough to come back to life!
Smiling wryly, Shū Hóngmíng shook his head again and opened the book review section:
"Custom cover design available, add TT number 42165913 (reader group), special prices…"
"The language is very flavorful, but it's a bit slow to get into."
"Good book, the plot needs further strengthening. Please join group 42165913 (still the reader group) so we can progress together."
"What a pitfall. Luckily I read a bit further, or I would have missed a good book. But how to deal with this half-classical language? I really want to drop the book."
"Trash book, not reading anymore!"
"Masterpiece collected. This humble one, along with 'XXXX,' is borrowing your space to advertise."
"…"
The book review section was a complete mess, mostly advertisements. There were only about seven or eight comments with actual content; two praised the book, and the rest were criticisms, either complaining about the writing style or the plot.
Shū Hóngmíng glanced at it a couple more times, directly clicked 'X' to close the webpage, then opened a document and started typing, 'dada da'.
No matter how poorly this book performed, Shū Hóngmíng would continue writing it. The wonderful world of Huanzhu Louzhu's 'The Legend of the Swordsmen of the Shu Mountains' had begun, and he would not give up halfway.
Moreover, Shū Hóngmíng believed that as time went by, the performance of 'The Legend of the Swordsmen of the Shu Mountains' would definitely not continue to flop like this. Once the magnificent scroll truly unfolded before the readers, it would be irresistible!
PS: New book uploaded, seeking clicks, recommendations, favorites, and tips~~ All kinds of requests!
Also, please help me make it onto the new book charts! Thank you!!
32. Chapter 32 Campus Original Song Competition!
PS: A reader group has been created, group number: 42165913. All friends who like it, come in to chat, blah blah blah~~
…
Jingyin Academy, Thursday afternoon.
Outside the classroom, the bell rang for the end of class.
Shū Hóngmíng looked down at his notebook, then looked up at the dense crowd of people in the large classroom. He smiled and closed his notebook, "That's all for today, class dismissed."
"Goodbye, Teacher!" The students in the classroom stood up in unison.
"Goodbye, students," Shū Hóngmíng closed his notebook, put it into his computer bag, and walked out of the classroom. He took out his phone and turned it on, only to hear a series of text message notification sounds.
Looking at the string of calls from unknown numbers, Shū Hóngmíng wryly shook his head—his phone number had been leaked by someone. Now, he received quite a few calls every day asking him to write songs or discussing contracts to become a singer. Some of these people were quite sincere, others were arrogant, and some were bizarre like they were from another planet. But no matter the type, Shū Hóngmíng found them annoying.
These calls initially only came during the day.
Starting the day before yesterday, people even started calling late at night, disturbing Zhāng Cǎixiá as well. It was unbearable and simply intolerable.
"Looks like it's time to get a new phone number."
Shū Hóngmíng pondered internally. He would get a new number later and only give it to a few close people.
"Teacher Shū, Teacher Shū!