Al's Bar

Since Hugo was currently unemployed and didn't seem to have any hope of getting a script invitation in the short term, he couldn't wait to head towards the city center. Whenever he thought about starting his music career again, Hugo felt his blood boiling, with an uncontrollable excitement coursing through his body.

Joseph saw Hugo completely revitalized and temporarily put aside the matter of Uma, so he didn't discourage Hugo's enthusiasm, even though in his eyes, being in a band was never the main profession for actors.

When Hugo arrived at Al's Bar, it was only six in the evening, with the night just beginning to descend, casting a shimmering fluorescent indigo hue that made the sky appear like an uncut jade stone. The streets of this poor neighborhood appeared hasty under the cover of darkness, with intermittent neon lights and an increasing number of prostitutes and hoodlums lurking on street corners, delineating the true face of this district with dim and hazy lighting.

Hugo wore a dark blue baseball cap, carrying his guitar on his back, and pulled the cap down over his head. The low friction sound of his worn-out sneakers scraping against the street blended perfectly with the impoverished surroundings, making him look like a native rather than an outsider. Therefore, no one paid attention to his presence, and even if someone noticed him, the guitar on his back signaled that he must be a regular at the Al's Bar, so no one would approach to disturb him.

Pushing open the dilapidated door of the bar, which seemed like it could collapse at any moment, a warm golden light greeted him. Although a rustic western style was evident everywhere, there was no sense of dissonance with the outside streets, and it exuded a different atmosphere. The bar was already filled with people, and a group had gathered around the two billiard tables near the entrance, while there was another group of young people crowding around a darts area deeper inside.

This scene was quite different from the one when Hugo participated in the Rock Night last time. It was evident that the stage from that night was now dismantled and replaced with a jukebox, a pinball machine, and a billiard table. This instantly made the interior of the bar more spacious.

Hugo looked around and although he could see many people carrying musical instruments, it wouldn't be wise to approach them and greet them rashly. He headed straight to the bar, found an empty seat, sat down, and then took off his guitar, placing it by his feet. He snapped his fingers and signaled the bartender for a bottle of beer, but when he saw the man in front of him, Hugo's movement came to a halt, and a smile appeared on his face. "I can't believe Al's Bar doesn't have enough funds to hire a professional bartender?"

The man in front of him was none other than Grlen Hill, the owner of the Al's Bar. Glen was wiping a glass with a white cloth, smiling as he looked at Hugo. "Economic crises always catch us off guard, don't they?" The economic crisis had happened two years ago, which prompted Hugo to roll his eyes.

"Well, then I don't know how good this bartender's skills are, which is really troublesome," Hugo joked with a smile.

Glen shrugged and said seriously, "At least I have no problem making a Long Island Iced Tea."

"In that case... I'll still have a beer," Hugo replied, putting away his smile and speaking seriously.

As a result, after thinking for a moment, Glen said confidently, "I can assure you, no problem." After that, Glen walked to the side, turned on the tap, poured a glass of beer, and handed it to Hugo with a smile, saying, "Consider it on my tab."

"Thank you." Hugo lifted his glass and raised it towards Glen, expressing his gratitude. Hugo's gaze fell on a target attached to the side of the liquor cabinet. The target was covered with several newspapers, resembling a folder, but it was pierced by a dozen darts, leaving the newspapers riddled with holes. Hugo pointed at the target with the hand holding the glass and asked, "Something interesting?"

Glen turned to look and smiled as he explained, "It's just a way of expressing disagreement with the news on it. Guests at the bar always like to throw darts at it. When the Rodney King incident broke out last year, the photos of those four police officers were very popular here."

This creative idea made Hugo burst into laughter and he gave a thumbs-up to Greene.

Not far away, someone called out, "Bartender." Hugo and Glen turned their heads together and were surprised to see a woman. She had a voluptuous figure, which couldn't be concealed even with a high-necked sweater, and her black long hair had an exotic charm. Surprisingly, her facial features were not seductive at all but rather cute, and her eyes carried a curious gaze.

Hugo and Glen exchanged glances, and Hugo saw a gleam in Glen's eyes, prompting him to smile knowingly. Glen whispered, "You don't mind?" Hugo immediately understood and said, "Oh, of course, please." He even made a gesture with his free left hand, inviting Glen to go ahead.

Glen let out a sigh of relief and said, "Phew, eliminating a tough opponent." He then walked over to the woman while wearing a smile. Hugo, who remained seated, couldn't help but smirk.

After taking another big sip of beer, Hugo's gaze fell on the target he had looked at earlier. He was curious about the news that had been cursed by everyone these past few days. As he looked closely, his actions came to a halt. Pinned on the target were the past few issues of the National Enquirer, which had reported on the suspicions surrounding Hugo's famous brand. Although there were only a dozen darts on it, the newspapers themselves were riddled with holes.

Hugo turned his head to see Glen flirting with the woman, and a smile bloomed on his lips. It felt really good to have a friend willing to stand by his side, even though Hugo and Glen had only met once.

"Hey, hey, hey, look who's here," a voice came from behind Hugo. Before he could turn around, his right shoulder was patted. However, when he looked to the right, there was no one there. But when he turned around, he suddenly saw the youthful face of Julio Pedro Cesar Casa magnified in front of him, which startled Hugo. "Hugo, where have you been? How did you disappear for so long? I was just talking to my friends the other day, wondering when you would show up again."

"Oh, so you missed me?" Hugo squinted his eyes and playfully sized up Pedro, saying with a teasing tone.

Unexpectedly, Pepe directly replied, "Yes, I missed you." This caught Hugo off guard and he choked, coughing continuously. Pepe chuckled and patted Hugo's left shoulder. "Do you also miss me?"

Hugo patted his chest and let out a breath, "Tsk, what's there for me to think about you? Besides constantly bragging and lying, I don't remember any merits you have."

Pepe was immediately provoked by Hugo's words. "Hey, buddy, I've told you before, I'm an outstanding bassist, and I'm serious about it!" When it came to his profession, Pepe appeared very serious, without his previous playful demeanor. "Although my guitar skills are not as good as yours, well... and my compositions are not as good as yours either, but when it comes to bass, I have absolute confidence."

Hugo leaned back and took another look at Pepe. The last time they met, Hugo's showdown with Neil Anderson had stolen the spotlight, and his impression of Pepe was that he had a sense of arrogance. However, this arrogance was directed towards music and a dedication to it. Although Pepe was initially very critical of himself, once Hugo demonstrated enough skill, Pepe let down his guard and engaged in serious discussions about music. It was evident that Pedro was a young man with an infinite passion for music, but apart from that, Hugo knew nothing about Pepe.

Seeing Hugo's scrutinizing gaze, Pepe immediately regained his arrogance. "Hmph, judging by that skeptical look, let me show you what I can do." When it came to his strengths, Pepe's eyes radiated a different kind of confidence. Then he glanced disdainfully at Hugo, reminding him of their first encounter at the car dealership. "But do you understand how to appreciate the bass?"

Although the bass may appear similar to the electric guitar in appearance, they are two completely different instruments. Hugo always believed that no band with a good bassist could be considered a qualified band. Strictly speaking, the excellence of a band must be reflected in every aspect because it is a team, and that is the purpose of a band's existence. This mindset was in stark contrast to the prevailing idea that most bands focus too much on the guitar.

In fact, the bass and the guitar serve completely different functions. The bass is responsible for the low tones and rhythm, serving as the bass voice of the entire band. It generally acts as the link between the guitar and the drums, making the bassist more versatile. They must have a deeper understanding of music theory and act as the connector and communicator of the band. On one hand, the bass must control the rhythm together with the drums, and on the other hand, it must harmonize with the melodies and harmonies of the guitar and keyboard. Therefore, the role of a bassist is extremely challenging.

Hugo didn't have extensive knowledge of bass techniques. His musical talents were focused on the guitar, and adding a piano was already his limit. Playing the bass was simply impossible for him. He only knew that playing the bass required high technical proficiency. Although it might seem relatively easy to get started, the bass strings are thicker, requiring greater finger strength, and it's best to avoid using a pick and rely on fingertips to pluck and break down chords in order to achieve the desired performance. This makes it even more challenging to improve one's skills. A truly outstanding bassist can play an exceptional melody without relying on any other instrument for assistance.

However, due to his extensive experience in composition, Hugo's understanding of the bass mainly revolved around arranging. Therefore, Hugo emphasized the role of the bass in connecting the entire band and the song.

In the face of Pepe's challenge, Hugo didn't say much but simply smiled and said, "Come and impress me!"