"Great God, are you alright?"
Many people surrounded Lin Yuan, offering their concerns.
Lin Yuan recognized them as fellow students from the painting club and nodded to assure them that he was fine.
He hadn't even seen who had pushed him; it had all happened so fast.
Jiangsu was dumbfounded.
Xia Fan was also perplexed.
While they knew Lin Yuan was popular among their peers, they found it exaggerated that such a massive crowd had gathered just because he was pushed by someone.
Looking at Xu Chang's shocked expression, one might think he was questioning the very fabric of reality.
In fact, Xu Chang was barely holding it together.
Being the center of attention for so many intense stares was unnerving.
"What's going on here?"
The school leaders finally arrived, albeit a bit late.
At this moment, Xu Chang, who was caught in the eye of the storm, felt a surge of relief. He wished he could hug the leader and thank him profusely; he felt that if the leader had arrived any later, he might not have made it out unscathed!
This situation was simply too much to handle!
"This is unacceptable!"
Xu Chang's eyes reddened as he spoke, barely able to contain his emotions. He felt an inexplicable sense of connection with the school leader and was relieved to see him.
In reality, he just wanted to escape this situation.
Isn't Lin Yuan the underground emperor of this school?
Like something out of a gangster movie, where Lin Yuan could command an army of students from the entire school?
Xu Chang felt like he had uncovered a dark secret about the school.
The leader, in a somewhat irritated tone, said, "Stop following me."
Xu Chang shook his head vigorously. "I'm just acting from the heart."
The leader's expression was unreadable.
In short, the confrontation ended without incident.
However, in the second half of the game, Xu Chang's performance was noticeably lackluster. He seemed to be going through the motions, playing as if in a daze.
Every time he touched the basketball with his right hand, he couldn't shake the feeling of guilt for pushing Lin Yuan. It left him feeling uneasy and distracted.
In the end, the Performance Department emerged victorious, winning the basketball game's championship.
His teammates didn't blame Xu Chang; they were all still reeling from the earlier commotion.
Meanwhile, Lin Yuan was perfectly fine.
He returned to his seat in the auditorium and resumed munching on sunflower seeds.
Curious, Xia Fan asked why so many people from the painting club had rushed to Lin Yuan's aid. Lin Yuan simply explained, "They're friends from the painting club."
"Friends from the painting club?"
Since when did people in the painting club show such loyalty?
Lin Yuan didn't elaborate, and Xia Fan didn't press further. Gradually, they accepted this fact.
Perhaps Lin Yuan's popularity had reached a new level. After all, he had always been a social butterfly since childhood.
Feeling somewhat disheartened, Lin Yuan couldn't help but ponder his own situation. He felt like a weakling who couldn't even withstand a single push. He longed to change this, perhaps by having the system enhance his physique. After all, reputation was everything. He wondered how Sun Yaohuo had managed to achieve such prowess.
Meanwhile, at Starlight Recording Studio...
Sun Yaohuo practiced his song tirelessly.
Sun Yaohuo's words were no exaggeration. From the initial auditions to the present, Sun Yaohuo had practically lived in the recording studio, only leaving to eat and sleep.
Recording at the company was free, but practicing songs in the studio came at a cost.
Sun Yaohuo had footed this bill for countless days, all in pursuit of mastering "Red Rose."
"Take a break; your performance is already perfect," the instructor in the studio said with a wistful smile. He had never seen many singers practice with such dedication.
Sun Yaohuo nodded in acknowledgment.
As he stepped out of the recording studio, he spotted a man in a suit, leather shoes, and gold-rimmed glasses approaching him. "Sun Yaohuo, correct?"
"Yes, Brother Tao!" Sun Yaohuo replied respectfully.
The man asked, "Do you know who I am?"
Sun Yaohuo smiled confidently. "How could I not? Apart from being the company's chief, Brother Tao is highly esteemed. Even the now-half-sweet senior Jin Shuyu was groomed by you!"
"Very astute," Tao Ran nodded, impressed. "Since you know who I am, let's get straight to the point. Jin Shuyu has taken a liking to 'Red Rose.'"
Sun Yaohuo's smile froze.
Tao Ran continued, his tone gentle, "Given your understanding, you know the drill. 'Red Rose' now belongs to Jin Shuyu, but I understand you've put in a lot of effort practicing the song. I'll make it up to you with several future engagements, and Shuyu will invite you as a guest to next month's concert."
"Brother Tao..."
Sun Yaohuo's voice trailed off.
Tao Ran raised an eyebrow. "Not satisfied? Don't worry, I'll transfer 300,000 to your account, along with the conditions mentioned earlier. That should compensate for your efforts. Here's my phone number. If you need anything, just let me know."
Tao Ran handed Sun Yaohuo a business card.
Sun Yaohuo hesitated, his mind racing.
Tao Ran chuckled. "You haven't even signed a contract yet after practicing the song for so long. Xianyu is quite something. Although you haven't signed an official contract, you understand the terms we discussed earlier. Take my card; it speaks volumes. You know what I mean."
He weighed the business card in his hand.
Sun Yaohuo accepted the card with both hands, his expression conflicted.
Tao Ran nodded and left.
Watching him go, Sun Yaohuo squeezed the business card tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white.
"What's wrong?" Teacher Jianpeng asked as he passed by.
Sun Yaohuo forced a smile. "It's nothing." He casually tossed the business card into the trash can, a contemptuous smirk playing on his lips. "Life just isn't fair."
The studio instructor glanced at Tao Ran's retreating figure, a flicker of recognition crossing his face. He patted Sun Yaohuo on the shoulder and sighed. "That's just the way things work in our industry. Sometimes, you have to swallow your pride. I've been working in this industry for eight years now... They should offer you a decent hush money. It's standard procedure. Take it gracefully; don't let it get to you. It's your own well-being at stake."
"What if I refuse?" Sun Yaohuo asked.
The instructor shook his head and walked away. "Wait until you're in a position to refuse."