In the world of Lu Chen's dreams, there were far too many unfamiliar people and things. Although the development of history and technology seemed remarkably similar, vast differences existed in cultural fields such as music, film and television, and literature.
All the famous singers, movie stars, music, movies, and literature that Lu Chen was familiar with were completely nonexistent in the Dream World. Yet the Dream World was by no means lacking in celebrities and classic masterpieces; its artistic richness and brilliance even surpassed reality.
Li Feiyu's words had reminded Lu Chen, making him suddenly realize what a massive treasure trove he possessed!
Merely considering those original pop songs... What Lu Chen had just opened on his computer was a software named Singer-Songwriter Master.
Famed as a composition artifact, Singer-Songwriter Master integrated song creation, arrangement, synthesis, and output into one. It possessed a massive online cloud material library, remaining professional yet simple to operate. Whether ordinary enthusiasts or veteran musicians, anyone could use this software to create original works.
Lu Chen had majored in computer science in college, and coupled with his love for music, he had long been able to skillfully use Singer-Songwriter Master to compose and arrange music, experiencing what it felt like to be a singer-songwriter.
Only, his previous songwriting was nothing more than self-amusement, and he couldn't even put together a complete song in a year or a half.
As for the quality, that really went without saying.
But now, relying on the memories from his dream, Lu Chen took less than half an hour to complete the composition and lyrics for two songs.
After finishing the arrangement, Lu Chen strummed and sang along with the screen a few times, modifying some errors and omissions.
Finally, he sent the complete sheet music of the two songs to the Greater China Music Library for a copyright inquiry.
Co-established by the Chinese Culture Bureau, the Chinese Copyright Bureau, the Chinese Musicians Association, and the Chinese Performing Artists Association, the Greater China Music Library was an online music copyright inquiry, registration, and trading website with a history of twenty years, holding supreme authority regarding music copyright.
The website platform was open to everyone and provided complete services, but it was not entirely free.
A single copyright inquiry cost one hundred yuan, and two songs instantly wiped out two hundred big ones from Lu Chen's Yifu Pay account, equivalent to ten days of his living expenses! The inquiry process was very slow; the music library's program would conduct a comprehensive comparison based on the sheet music and previously registered works to determine whether there were any similarities, overlaps, or plagiarism.
The database of the Greater China Music Library was extremely vast, and intelligent comparison and judgment required massive amounts of computation. Therefore, even with a supercomputer supporting it in the background, a certain amount of time was still needed to complete the inquiry.
Yet no matter how long it took, Lu Chen would persist in waiting, because this was a necessary step for registering copyright and also the most crucial basis for him to compare the dream with reality.
Time ticked away bit by bit. Lu Chen guarded the computer, staring unblinkingly at the progress bar.
His heart had never been as apprehensive, anxious, and terrified of gain and loss as it was right now.
Because Lu Chen knew that this was likely the only chance to change the destiny of himself and his family!
Ding! As if an entire century had passed, a green prompt box suddenly popped up on the computer screen.
Inquiry passed!
Lu Chen was stunned for a moment, failing to react immediately.
Ding! The exact same prompt box popped up again.
Inquiry passed!
This time, Lu Chen finally understood that the two songs he had uploaded had both passed the copyright inquiry of the Greater China Music Library, meaning he could proceed with copyright registration and subsequently own the full copyrights to the songs!
The next moment, overwhelming joy and excitement flooded Lu Chen. He couldn't help but clenching his fists and waving them vigorously, wanting to let out a long roar to the sky to vent his emotions at this very moment.
Yes! It really works!
Yet things were not over yet. Suppressing his inner excitement, he gripped the mouse and clicked on copyright registration.
The cost of copyright registration was much higher than the inquiry, requiring five hundred yuan per work, and an annual archiving fee had to be paid thereafter to prevent abusive registrations.
Lu Chen had become a member of the Greater China Music Library long ago and had just passed the system inquiry, so after paying one thousand big ones, the two songs were quickly logged and recorded under his name, completing the copyright confirmation! As the registration completion prompt box appeared, Lu Chen finally relaxed.
However, the joy in his heart only grew, for he had confirmed that the memories acquired in his dream were real! Leaning back in his chair, Lu Chen let out a long breath.
He reached out to pull open the drawer beneath his small desk, fishing out a cup of instant noodles and a ham sausage.
After a moment of thought, Lu Chen took out another ham sausage—he was happy today, time for an extra treat!
He got up to fetch water in the bathroom, plugged in the electric kettle, and soon poured the boiling water into the noodle cup.
In the air, the familiar and alluring scent of instant noodles diffused!
It wasn't that Lu Chen didn't want to go out and have a proper, lavish meal, but after paying the copyright inquiry and registration fees, the balance in his Yifu Pay was down to just over one hundred.
As for the loose change in his pocket, it wasn't even fifty.
And there was still a full half-month left until payday! This little bit of money wasn't even enough for meals, but Lu Chen didn't panic much. He ate the instant noodles clean down to the last drop of soup, tidied up simply, and left the basement carrying his guitar case on his back.
Taking the subway, Lu Chen arrived at the Forget-Me-Not Bar in Houhai when it was already close to eight o'clock in the evening. Though called a sea, Houhai was actually a massive artificial lake—a former imperial private pond and also one of the components of Shichahai, bounded by Di'anmen Outer Street to the east, Xinjiekou to the west, Ping'an Avenue to the south, and the Second Ring Road to the north.
As early as the Yuan dynasty, Houhai had been a prosperous commercial district in the metropolis. The banks were lined with taverns, singing stages, shops, and workshops, while the former residences of princes, nobles, and literary figures were ubiquitous all around. To this day, it remained the center of Beijing.
Today's Houhai was even more bustling than in the past, usually teeming with crowds. By nightfall, all the bars lit up their signs to welcome customers who loved nightlife.
Houhai's snacks were famous, but its bars were even more famous.
The Forget-Me-Not Bar was one of the hundreds of bars in Houhai and also the place where Lu Chen worked part-time at night.
"Little Lu, why are you late?"
The waiter standing at the bar entrance mocked when he saw Lu Chen hurrying over. "Aren't you usually the most punctual? Did you forget the time because you were looking at beauties today?"
Lu Chen glanced at him without speaking, pushing open the door to enter the bar himself.
This fellow was about Lu Chen's age and had worked longer at Forget-Me-Not than Lu Chen. The two originally had no grudges, but after being criticized by the boss for being late a few times, he had harbored resentment toward Lu Chen.
Because when the bar boss reprimanded him, he used Lu Chen—who always came to work on time—as a comparison. Lu Chen had simply caught a stray bullet while lying down, which was truly unjust.
In addition, there was another important reason: among all the waiters at Forget-Me-Not, Lu Chen was undoubtedly the most handsome, leaving this acne-ridden fellow behind by at least three streets, and he usually earned quite a lot of tips based on his looks alone.
Harboring jealousy, the guy seized every opportunity to sneer and mock Lu Chen. Knowing there was no reason to be reasoned with such a person and not wanting to stir up trouble, Lu Chen simply treated the other party as air.
Ignorance was actually a very powerful counterattack! The prime time for nightlife had not yet arrived, and there weren't many guests in the bar.
The scale of the Forget-Me-Not Bar was medium for Houhai, remodeled from an old warehouse. Its six-meter-high interior space was divided into upper and lower floors, with the middle suspended, equipped with a stage, lighting, curtains, sound systems, and other facilities.
Surrounding the central stage, dozens of wine tables and stools were placed across the first and second floors, which, together with the scattered seating in front of the bar counter, could accommodate a maximum of two hundred guests. The entire decoration reportedly cost nearly two million.
When Lu Chen walked in, the bar boss Chen Jianhao was tallying accounts behind the bar counter, while a charming woman sat beside him, leisurely savoring a glass of blue cocktail.
Lu Chen hesitated for a moment, walked over carrying his guitar case, and said, "Boss, I'm sorry, I'm late today."
His specified work time was 7:30, and it was already 8:00, making him thirty minutes late.
Chen Jianhao was a middle-aged man in his forties, but he looked only about thirty. He had a well-proportioned figure and very meticulous attire, possessing the suave demeanor and scholarly temperament of a successful person.
Having worked part-time at the Forget-Me-Not Bar for over half a year, Lu Chen knew that his boss disliked people being late, and even more so disliked making excuses to cover up mistakes, so he simply apologized directly and sincerely.
Chen Jianhao put down the pen in his hand and said indifferently, "I'll let it slide this time, but don't let it happen again."
Normally, according to the bar's rules, waiters who arrived late would have their wages deducted, but Lu Chen had always performed well and it was his first offense, so he let it go as an exception.
Lu Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly said, "Thank you, boss."
"Right."
Chen Jianhao said, "Sister Na and Xiaoshuai will be coming a bit later. You can warm up the stage tonight."
Lu Chen nodded in agreement and said, "Alright!"
Inadvertently, he noticed the charming woman standing beside Chen Jianhao looking toward him, her brows and eyes smiling faintly.
The woman wore an aqua-blue dress, with her hair coiled into an exquisite bun. Her figure was graceful, alluring, and enchanting, and her delicate face wore light makeup, with slender painted eyebrows and fox-like eyes.
Their gazes met, and the corners of the charming woman's lips curved into a small arc. She blinked at Lu Chen, her fox-like eyes captivating and brimming with a seductive slyness.
Vixen!
Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly turned his head to walk toward the backstage area.
He was afraid that if he sustained eye contact with this unfamiliar woman for a moment longer, he would lose his composure and make a fool of himself on the spot.
Such a vixen-like figure was not something an ordinary mortal could handle! Behind him came the woman's soft, giggling laughter.
Chen Jianhao looked at her helplessly and said, "Xiaomei, why are you teasing my employee?"
The woman used her right hand to tuck a strand of dark hair cascading down her temple behind her ear, gently swirling her wine glass with her left hand, and said, "Because I like to."
Chen Jianhao laughed bitterly and remained silent.