PS-Chapter 2 Daylily Bar

In the world of Lu Chen's dream, there were many things and people that were unfamiliar to him. Although the history and technological development seemed quite similar, there were significant differences in music, movies, literature, and other cultural fields.

The celebrities, music, movies, and literature that Lu Chen was familiar with did not exist in this dream world. However, the dream world did not lack stars and masterpieces, and the richness and brilliance of its art even surpassed reality.

Li Feiyu's words had reminded Lu Chen, and he suddenly realized what a huge treasure trove he possessed!

Just the original pop songs alone...

Lu Chen had just opened a software called "Song Creator" on his computer.

"Song Creator" was hailed as a composing tool that integrated functions such as song creation, music composition, synthesis, output, and more. It had a huge online cloud material library, was professional yet easy to use, and allowed both amateur enthusiasts and experienced musicians to create original works.

Lu Chen had studied computer science in college, and coupled with his love for music, he had become proficient in using "Song Creator" to compose music and experience the feeling of being a singer.

Before, his songwriting was just a hobby, and he couldn't even produce a complete song in a year or so.

As for the quality, there was little to say.

But now, using the memories from his dream, Lu Chen completed the composition and lyrics for two songs in less than half an hour.

After finishing, Lu Chen played and sang the songs a few times, making some corrections for errors and omissions.

Finally, he sent the complete scores of the two songs to the "Greater China Music Library" for copyright verification.

The "Greater China Music Library" was established by the Cultural Bureau of China, the Copyright Bureau of China, the Musicians Association of China, and the Performing Artists Association of China. 

It was an online music copyright search, registration, and deposit service with a history of twenty years, that had the highest authority in music copyright matters.

The website was open to everyone and provided comprehensive services, but it wasn't completely free.

The fee for a copyright inquiry was 100 yuan, so sending two songs cost Lu Chen 200 yuan from his Alipay account, which was equivalent to ten days of living expenses!

The verification process was slow. The music library's system compared the scores with previously registered works to check for similarities or plagiarism.

The "Greater China Music Library" had an enormous database, and intelligent comparison and determination required massive computation. Even with powerful supercomputers, the verification process took time.

But no matter how long it took, Lu Chen would wait, as this was a necessary step for copyright registration, and also the most important basis for comparing dreams with reality.

As the time ticked by, Lu Chen stayed at the computer, his eyes glued to the progress bar.

His heart had never been so anxious, nervous, and tense.

Because Lu Chen knew that this might be his only chance to change his and his family's fate!

Ding!

It felt as if an entire century had passed before a green notification popped up on the computer screen.

Query Passed!

Lu Chen was stunned and didn't react immediately.

Ding!

Another identical notification appeared.

Query Passed!

This time, Lu Chen finally understood that the two songs he had uploaded had passed the copyright verification of the Greater China Music Library, which meant that he could proceed with the copyright registration and fully own the rights to the songs!

In the next moment, Lu Chen was overwhelmed with joy and excitement. He couldn't help but clench his fists and wave them, almost wanting to shout to the sky to release his feelings at this moment.

Yes! It really works!

But it wasn't over yet. He forced himself to calm his excitement and clicked on the copyright registration.

The registration fee was much higher than the inquiry, 500 yuan per song. There was also an annual archiving fee to prevent misuse.

Lu Chen had been a member of the Greater China Music Library for a long time and had just passed the system's verification. After paying 1000 yuan, the two songs were quickly registered in his name, and the copyright was confirmed!

With the completion of the registration confirmation, Lu Chen finally relaxed.

But the joy in his heart only grew as he confirmed that the memories from his dream were real!

Leaning back in his chair, Lu Chen let out a long sigh.

He reached into the drawer under his small desk and pulled out a package of instant noodles and a sausage.

After a moment's thought, Lu Chen took out another sausage - today's a special day, so he'll have an extra one!

He stood up, filled a kettle with water, plugged it in, and soon poured the boiling water into the noodle bowl.

The familiar and enticing aroma of instant noodles filled the air!

It wasn't that Lu Chen didn't want to go out and enjoy a proper meal, but after paying for the copyright inquiry and registration, there was only a little over 100 yuan left in his Alipay account.

As for the spare change in his pocket, it didn't even amount to 50 yuan.

And he still had half a month before his salary was due!

With that little money, he could barely afford to eat, but Lu Chen wasn't too worried. He ate his noodles and sausages, cleaned up, and left the basement with his guitar case on his back.

Lu Chen took the subway and arrived at the Houhai Daylily Bar at nearly 8 p.m.

Houhai, which means "Sea," was actually a large man-made lake. Once used as a royal pool, it is now part of Shichahai. It stretches from Di'anmen Outer Street in the east to Xinjiekou in the west, from Ping'an Street in the south to the Second Ring Road in the north.

Houhai has been a bustling commercial district since the Yuan Dynasty, with numerous taverns, stages, and shops lining the waterfront. It was surrounded by the former residences of royalty, nobility, and famous figures, and remains a central area in Capital City.

Today, Houhai is even more prosperous than before. During the day, the area is crowded, and at night, all the bars light up their signs to welcome patrons enjoying the nightlife.

Houhai is famous for its snacks, but its bars are even more famous.

Daylily Bar is one of the hundreds of bars in Houhai, and this is where Lu Chen works at night.

"Little Lu, why are you late?"

Seeing Lu Chen rush in, the waiter at the bar taunted him, "Aren't you always on time? Did you lose track of time while checking out the ladies today?"

Lu Chen glanced at him and said nothing, pushing open the door and entering the bar.

This guy, who was about the same age as Lu Chen, had been working at the Daylily Bar longer than Lu Chen. They had no particular grudge, but after being reprimanded by the boss several times for being late, he harbored a grudge against Lu Chen.

The bar owner had used Lu Chen's punctuality as a comparison when reprimanding him, so Lu Chen had been unfairly caught in the crossfire.

In addition, there was another important reason, for all the waiters at Daylily, Lu Chen was undoubtedly the most handsome, easily outshining that acne-ridden guy by at least three blocks. He earned quite a bit in tips based on his looks alone.

Out of jealousy, he would take every opportunity to taunt Lu Chen. Lu Chen knew it was pointless to argue with such people and didn't want to cause any trouble, so he treated him as if he were invisible.

Ignoring him was indeed a powerful retort!

The bar was not very crowded yet, as the prime time for nightlife had not yet begun.

The Daylily Bar was a medium-sized establishment in Houhai, converted from an old warehouse. The space was over six meters high, divided into two levels with a stage, lighting, curtains, sound system, and other facilities.

Surrounding the central stage were several dozen sets of tables and stools on both levels. Together with the scattered seats at the bar, it could accommodate up to 200 guests, and the decorations were said to have cost nearly two million yuan.

When Lu Chen entered, the bar owner, Chen Jianhao, was behind the bar, calculating accounts, while a charming woman sat next to him, sipping a blue cocktail.

Lu Chen hesitated for a moment, then walked over with his guitar case and said, "Boss, I'm sorry I'm late today.

His shift started at 7:30, and it was already 8:00, making him 30 minutes late.

Chen Jianhao was a man in his forties but looked only about thirty. He was well-proportioned and elegantly dressed, exuding the demeanor of a successful person with a scholarly air.

Having worked at the Daylily Bar for over six months, Lu Chen knew that his boss didn't like lateness and didn't appreciate excuses to cover up mistakes, so he was direct and sincere in his apology.

Chen Jianhao put down his pen and calmly said, "Forget it this time, but don't let it happen again.

According to the bar's rules, being late for service would normally result in a pay cut. However, since Lu Chen had a good track record and this was his first mistake, Chen Jianhao decided to let it go.

Lu Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, "Thank you, boss.

"By the way," Chen Jianhao said, "Sister Na and Little Shu will be arriving later. They'll take care of the warm-up tonight."

Lu Chen nodded and replied, "Got it!"

Unknowingly, he realized that the charming woman that was beside Chen Jianhao was looking toward him, a hint of mirth in her eyes.

The woman was dressed in a water-blue dress with an elegant hairstyle, and her figure was graceful and alluring. Her delicate face was lightly made up, with gently arched brows and fox eyes.

Their gazes met, and the woman's lips curled into a small smile. She winked at Lu Chen, her fox-like eyes enchanting and mischievous.

A fairy!

Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat and he quickly turned around and walked back.

He was afraid that if he made eye contact with this stranger for too long, he might embarrass himself.beat

Such a fairy-like person was not something ordinary people could handle!

Behind him, the woman's laughter rang out.

Chen Jianhao looked at her helplessly and said, "Xiaomei, why are you teasing my staff?"

The woman, brushing her hair back with her right hand and gently swirling her drink with her left hand, replied, "Because I like to.

Chen Jianhao smiled wryly and said nothing. 

(End of Chapter)