Xiao Ting, look at this person, they have no manners at all! They took our car and didn't even say a word of apology, it's infuriating!" Qin Lan looked at Wang Shuo who was rushing away and pouted in dissatisfaction, venting her frustration to Qin Xiao Ting.
"Alright, Xiao Lan. They did pay for the car, after all." Qin Xiao Ting laughed.
"Am I the kind of person who cares about a few dozen yuan?" Qin Lan widened her eyes, placed her hands on her hips, and glared at Qin Xiao Ting.
"Okay, okay, our Miss Qin Lan is not lacking a few yuan, but big money." Qin Xiao Ting suppressed her laughter and embraced Qin Lan's slender waist, "Miss, let's hurry, your beloved one must be getting impatient."
Qin Lan proudly lifted her head, "Let them wait a bit, it will save them from making snide comments later."
Although she said that, her body honestly followed Qin Xiao Ting, and she seemed to have a hint of a dusty aura.
On the other side.
"Summer Afternoon KTV... Summer Afternoon..." Suddenly, Wang Shuo's eyes lit up, and several neon signs not far away blatantly displayed the words "Summer Afternoon Club."
Starving, Wang Shuo ran towards the entrance.
"Sir, please stop." Just as he reached the entrance, Wang Shuo was politely stopped by the security guard.
Wang Shuo was a bit surprised.
"Do you have an invitation, sir?" the security guard asked kindly.
"An invitation?" Wang Shuo was even more surprised.
"This is a private entertainment club, sir. You are not allowed to enter unless you have an invitation. Do you have one?"
"Can't I go in without an invitation?"
"Of course, you can, but you need to show our platinum membership card." The security guard was polite, courteous, and very patient.
"What if I have friends inside?" Wang Shuo persisted.
"You need to contact your friend and have them come out to meet you... Sir, please wait..."
Behind Wang Shuo, a very young-looking teenager approached, and the security guard, as usual, blocked his path.
The young man took out a black and red card, and Wang Shuo noticed a discreet golden leaf pattern on the card.
After examining it, the security guard politely returned the card to the young man and stepped back, indicating that he could enter.
The young man then proudly straightened his chest and strode into the club's entrance. Before entering, he threw a seemingly mocking glance at Wang Shuo.
Wang Shuo was completely baffled. "I just want to eat a meal, who did I offend?"
Feeling frustrated, Wang Shuo took out his phone and called his boss.
"Ring... Ring..."
"Hey, Er Gou Zi, where are you?" As the call connected, a loud and unrefined voice came from the phone, "I'm telling you, Laosi is treating us today, all kinds of delicious food! Awesome! Hahaha! If you don't come, don't blame us for not being nice, we'll finish it all!"
In just half a day, Wang Shuo already had a nickname.
"Boss, what's the name of the place you're at? I'm lost!" Wang Shuo asked, trying to suppress the urge to strangle Zheng Jun.
"Where are we? Wait a sec, I'll ask... Laosi! What's the name of this place? Oh! Summer Afternoon KTV! Did you hear that? Third floor, three eights, come quickly!"
Before Wang Shuo could respond, he heard Zheng Jun continue shouting, "Laosi said, if someone blocks your way, just say three eights!"
"Beep beep beep..."
Wang Shuo was speechless. He looked at the security guard in front of him and asked, "Do you have a room 888 on the third floor here?"
"Are you Mr. Chen's guest?" The security guard sized up Wang Shuo and then said, "Please go up, the elevator is on the right, have a pleasant time."
With that, he stepped back and moved away from the entrance, without giving Wang Shuo a chance to speak.
Thus, Wang Shuo entered the club with a baffled expression.
Turning the corner, there was a vast lobby that didn't have the typical KTV's flashy, nouveau riche atmosphere; instead, it felt quite comfortable.
On the right side of the lobby, there were four elevators neatly lined up, with a receptionist standing at each elevator door, smiling warmly and invitingly.
Wang Shuo took a deep breath, walked to the elevator, and with the enthusiastic service of the receptionist, arrived on the third floor.
As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, a thunderous burst of sound exploded, and to his astonishment, Wang Shuo recognized Zheng Jun's voice among the noise. The sound, the tone, and the volume were unmistakably Zheng Jun's.
Wang Shuo accurately found room 888 and pushed the door open to enter.
If the noise outside was deafening, the inside of the room was a disaster scene. Wang Shuo felt like his entire head was filled with Zheng Jun's loud voice, and there was no other sound to be heard.
"I want to live for another five hundred years!!!"
After finishing the song, Zheng Jun seemed reluctant to let go, smacked his lips, put down the microphone, and just happened to see Wang Shuo entering the room. He broke into a wide grin, took a quick step forward, and put his arm around Wang Shuo's shoulder.
"Hey, Lao Er, you're really timely! How's my singing?" Without waiting for Wang Shuo to respond, he pointed at Li Li and Chen Cheng, who were covering their ears, and said, "Lao San and Lao Si have already been conquered by me. Do you want to challenge me?"
Looking at Zheng Jun's eager expression, Wang Shuo couldn't help but give a thumbs up.
"Ear-splitting, it's fantastic. But Lao Da, I'm starving now. I've been running all the way here, burning a lot of calories. Can I get something to eat first?"
"Hehe, sure, you eat first, and I'll order another song for us." Zheng Jun patted Wang Shuo on the shoulder and was about to select a song.
Li Li and Chen Cheng's faces turned green, and they quickly interjected, "Lao Da, you've already sung four songs in a row. Let's take a break and rest for a bit."
Zheng Jun waved his hand, assuring them with a confident look, and amidst the despairing gazes of Li Li and Chen Cheng, he skillfully selected a song and cranked up the volume.
Then...
A thunderous sound burst forth, rough yet raspy, and the thickness of it was... well, Wang Shuo couldn't find the words to describe it. It felt like ten thousand firecrackers going off in his ears. He took a bite of meat but couldn't taste it for a long time.
Looking at Li Li and Chen Cheng, these two had already plugged their ears tightly, mouths agape, and kept rolling their eyes at Wang Shuo, indicating something.
They exchanged glances, remained silent, and Wang Shuo silently swallowed the skewer in his hand before also covering his ears.
Was he here to eat or to suffer?
Watching Zheng Jun, who was lost in his performance on stage, Wang Shuo couldn't help but ponder the meaning of life. It seemed like nothing had gone smoothly for him today?
First, he was falsely accused of intentional injury and ended up in a police station for no apparent reason. Then, he mysteriously slept through the afternoon, followed by a pounding headache for no reason, and finally, he ended up here listening to Zheng Jun singing.
Thinking of this, Wang Shuo looked at Li Li and Chen Cheng with sympathy. He had just arrived, but these two had endured four songs already and were still standing tall. It was... admirable!
After a long wait for the song to end, seeing that Zheng Jun seemed eager to continue, Li Li and Chen Cheng quickly went up to take the microphone away and refused to give it back.
Zheng Jun had to give up temporarily and sat down on the sofa with a sullen expression.
Chen Cheng let out a sigh of relief and selected a light music track, instantly changing the atmosphere back to normal.
"I say, Lao Er, these songs today aren't my signature tunes. I have a masterful piece that I'm really good at. Do you want to hear it?" Zheng Jun asked tentatively.
Li Li and Chen Cheng immediately tensed up.
"This..." Wang Shuo gave a bitter smile, "Lao Da, we already have a deep understanding of your singing. There's no need to reinforce the impression for now."
"Exactly, exactly." Chen Cheng quickly agreed, "Lao Da, your singing skills, I and Lao San have witnessed firsthand. It's truly unforgettable. I estimate that for a considerable period of time, we won't have the confidence to showcase our vocal talents."
"Is that so?" Zheng Jun seemed a bit confused.
"Well..." Li Li nodded in agreement, though still a bit dazed.
"Alright, since Chen Cheng brought it up, let's do a self-introduction to deepen our understanding of each other." Zheng Jun clapped his hands, a rare hint of shyness flashing across his face.
Looking at the bewildered expressions of the three, Wang Shuo couldn't help but smile. It seemed that they had all entered a new world where they were still trying to find their footing. As for him, he was just an onlooker, waiting to see how this unusual gathering would unfold.
"My name is Zheng Jun, I'm nineteen years old, from the Northeast, and I'm 1.87 meters tall. My parents are both military, so they hope I can join the military and serve the country in the future. That's about it."
Before Zheng Jun could finish, Chen Cheng interjected, "Lao Da, this won't do. It's no different from before. Our introductions this time are very formal. Besides your name, gender, age, height, and family background, don't you think you should also emphasize your interests, hobbies, relationship history, whether you're a virgin, if you've watched porn, and your favorite positions..."
As Chen Cheng went further off track, Wang Shuo, as the second in command in the dormitory, stepped in, "Ahem, Lao Da has finished his introduction...
Chen Cheng said sarcastically, "Don't you see Lao Da's performance just now? He definitely has a story! I was just about to get it out of him!"
Ignoring him, Wang Shuo continued, "My name is Wang Shuo, male, Han ethnicity, eighteen years old, 1.74 meters tall, no relationship history. I had a crush on a girl in high school, but we haven't been in touch for a long time. Currently single. My dad is an ordinary engineer, and my mom used to run a small business but is now a homemaker. I don't have any major hobbies or interests. Now, I just want to study hard and work part-time to ease the burden on my parents."
"Clap, clap, clap," Chen Cheng led the applause, "Only Lao Er knows how to introduce himself properly...
Li Li nodded, "My name is Li Li, and there's no special meaning to it. I'm eighteen years old, haven't had a girlfriend, and I like programming."
Chen Cheng asked, "What about your parents, Lao San? What do they do?"
Li Li fell silent for a moment, "My dad passed away early, and my mom raised me."
"Oh... I'm sorry, I didn't know." Chen Cheng realized his mistake and apologized with a guilty expression.
"It's okay, it's all in the past." Li Li smiled, "I was young when my dad passed away, and I can't remember his face, so I don't feel much about it."
He said it very calmly, but everyone knew that these things had probably been weighing on Li Li's mind.
"I say, it's not easy for us to gather together. Before I introduce myself, should we first raise a toast?"
Chen Cheng raised his glass of red wine, "To... youth!"
"To youth!"
"To ideals!"
"To... the future!"