PS-Chapter 34 Who Steps on Whom!

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Lu Chen was feeling puzzled when suddenly someone patted him on the shoulder. Instinctively, he turned around to find Sister Na standing behind him without him noticing her arrival.

Along with her were Qin Hanyang and the other four members of the Wandering Band!

Lu Chen couldn't help but feel delighted. "Sister Na, Brother Qin, you're all here?"

"We're here!" 

Sister Na smiled and said, "I had some business with Big Qing at the bar, but luckily we're not too late. You arrived early."

Qin Hanyang nodded and suddenly asked, "Little Lu, do you know Xiaocheng and his group?"

"Xiaocheng?" 

Lu Chen was a bit confused. "Brother Qin, are you talking about that guy just now?"

Now it was Qin Hanyang's turn to be surprised. "You really don't know him? That's Cheng Xiaodong, lead singer of the Flying Range Band. They're regulars at Flaming Rose and have become quite popular recently."

Lu Chen had never heard of Cheng Xiaodong, but he was familiar with the Flaming Rose. 

Flaming Rose was a famous bar in Sanlitun, known for its large venue and booming business.

It was said that Flaming Rose originally started in Houhai but, due to its style not fitting with Houhai's atmosphere, it moved to Sanlitun a few years ago, where it rebuilt its reputation. Most people in the music and bar circles knew about it.

Interestingly, many bars in Houhai had names associated with flowers, like Blue Lotus Flower, Daylily, Hyacinth, and Dandelion, which were quite different from the more exotic and trendy names of the bars in Sanlitun.

Flaming Rose had kept its name even after moving to Sanlitun.

Lu Chen smiled wryly, "I really don't know him. I've never even been to Flaming Rose. He just suddenly came up to me."

He didn't mention Cheng Xiaodong's provocation, but Qin Hanyang had probably noticed the throat-slitting gesture Cheng Xiaodong made earlier.

Sister Na, thoughtfully, remarked, "It seems like Little Ye is quite familiar with the Flying Range Band."

It was a subtle hint, but Lu Chen immediately understood. 

Little Ye referred to Ye Zhenyang, the resident vagabond singer at Daylily.

Qin Hanyang said, "Let's sit down first. Tonight we should perform well; we've got a decent amount of time on stage."

Blue Lotus Flower's music nights were famous within the scene. Every vagabond singer playing in the bars wanted a chance to get on stage and showcase their talent, but the performance slots were always limited, and competition was fierce.

Daylily's singers had performed several times before, but they were usually only given about 15 minutes on stage.

This time, though, Blue Lotus Flower's music night was the biggest event yet, co-sponsored by a new media company in the industry. Countless people were desperate to secure a spot just to make an impression.

Daylily had secured two vagabond singers and a band, and they had a full 30 minutes of stage time! 

Even Chen Jianhao had said that Boss Chang had been incredibly generous.

As for how the time would be allocated, Blue Lotus Flower didn't interfere; they only arranged the order of performances for the vagabond singers.

The group gathered around the table and sat down.

Qin Hanyang said, "The performance is about to start. Let's first decide how we'll divide the stage time. Sister Na?"

Deciding who would allocate the time was important. As the Big Brother of Daylily, Qin Hanyang naturally had the responsibility, but he still deferred to Sister Na's opinion.

Sister Na said, "I'll just sing one song, give me 5 minutes. Little Lu can take 10 minutes, and perform two songs!"

Normally, performance time would be allocated based on seniority, with Qin Hanyang and Sister Na each getting two songs, while Lu Chen would get one. In total, five songs would fit neatly into the 30-minute slot.

Each song typically took around 4 minutes, with time for entering, exiting, and saying a few words in between, making 5 minutes for each performance.

For a solo vagabond singer, this was sufficient. A band, however, needed a bit more time, so half the slot would go to Qin Hanyang's Wandering Band.

Yet, Sister Na's suggestion to give one of her songs to Lu Chen was quite surprising!

Lu Chen quickly said, "Sister Na, one song is enough for me."

Sister Na smiled and said, "One song isn't enough! My Old Classmate and Cinderella — leaving out either one would be a shame. Everyone should know that Daylily has a talented vagabond singer. I'll sing the song you wrote for me!"

Qin Hanyang nodded and said, "Sister Na is right. The song you wrote for her is excellent!"

In Lu Chen's mind, Qin Hanyang had always been a rather stern vagabond singer. As the lead vocalist and leader of the Wandering Band, he usually kept to himself with his bandmates in a small room at Daylily, rarely paying attention to outside matters. He only came out when it was time to perform.

In the three years Lu Chen had worked at Daylily, he had spoken with this Big Brother fewer times than he had today!

So, hearing Qin Hanyang's praise made Lu Chen feel a little flattered.

"I'm just lucky to have met Little Lu!" Sister Na said with a wide smile. "Little Lu, Big Qing has already helped with the music arrangement for the song you gave me. Tonight, I'll perform it with the Wandering Band accompanying me. As for the rest of the time, it's all up to you!"

Speaking of composing music, Lu Chen felt somewhat embarrassed. While his memory was filled with countless classic songs, and he had no trouble organizing melodies and writing simple music scores, composing a complete arrangement was still beyond his current ability.

The main reason was that Lu Chen lacked experience in this area. He realized he needed to study and improve; otherwise, if he could only write melodies without mastering composition, it would lead to criticism in the future.

Regardless, with Sister Na insisting and Qin Hanyang having no objections, the two-song slot for Lu Chen was set.

The lead guitarist, bassist, drummer, and keyboardist of Wandering Band all glanced at Lu Chen with a look that seemed to say, "You're a lucky kid," making him feel a little embarrassed.

Qin Hanyang picked up the event schedule from the table, which Lu Chen hadn't had a chance to look at, and quickly browsed through it. He frowned slightly.

Sister Na, being sensitive, immediately asked, "What's wrong? Is there an issue?"

Qin Hanyang shook his head and said, "It's not a big deal, but Little Lu's performance is scheduled separately from ours. He's set to go on after Flying Range Band and before Compass Band, with us coming on afterward."

Normally, performers from the same bar would have their time slots scheduled together. Many vagabond singers were accompanied by their own band, like Sister Na and the Wandering Band.

It was rare for someone like Lu Chen to be singled out and scheduled separately like this.

Sister Na didn't mind. "That shouldn't be a problem, right? Little Lu's guitar and singing style are best suited for solo performances!"

Qin Hanyang hesitated. "I've heard that this music night is mainly to promote Compass Band."

Compass Band was formed two years ago, with its lead singer, Gan Lang, being a talented vagabond singer. They were currently signed to Blue Lotus Flower bar and were known for their light rock style, with much more fame than the Wandering Band.

Qin Hanyang had received word that Compass Band had recently signed a contract with Qingyu Media Company, and this Blue Lotus Flower music night was organized to promote them, with an official announcement planned after the performance.

Qingyu Media had even invited several industry insiders and media reporters to the event.

As a result, Compass Band was set to be the highlight of the night. With Lu Chen scheduled before them, and with the rapidly rising Flying Range Band performing right before him, it looked like he was being sandwiched between two big acts.

Both Qin Hanyang and Sister Na, being experienced in the industry, quickly understood the situation. After thinking for a moment, Sister Na asked, "Little Lu, do you want to change your song?"

Both Flying Range Band and Compass Band followed a rock style, and their performances would undoubtedly be full of energy and excitement, easily riling up the crowd and raising the overall atmosphere.

If Wandering Band were performing in between, Qin Hanyang's seasoned skill could easily hold the stage, but if Lu Chen were to go up with just his guitar to perform My Old Classmate or Cinderella, the crowd might start booing him off after just a few lines — the styles simply didn't match!

The audience at a music night like this wasn't made up of dedicated fans. If they didn't like what they were hearing, they wouldn't hesitate to boo, and very few vagabond singers could stand up to that kind of pressure.

Qin Hanyang agreed. "Yes, maybe choose something more upbeat. We can have our band accompany you."

The schedule had already been finalized, so changing performers at the last minute would be impossible — it would be disrespectful to the organizers. But having the band perform alongside the vagabond singer was perfectly acceptable.

With the support of Wandering Band, Lu Chen's performance would surely have a stronger presence, but he would have to give up his two original songs.

At this point, Lu Chen fully understood what was happening. It seemed he had been set up as a stepping stone for others. No wonder that guy from Flying Range Band had come over to provoke him earlier.

"Thank you, Brother Qin, thank you, Sister Na, but I think I can handle this performance on my own!"

Lu Chen was grateful for their kind intentions and advice, but he had no intention of backing down.

Instead, his fighting spirit was fully ignited!

You want to step on me? Let's see who steps on whom!

(End of Chapter)