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Coral Fish had been waiting for Lu Chen on WeChat for quite a while.
She had sent several messages to Lu Chen, and after not getting a response, she called him.
Wu Shanshan had good news to discuss with Lu Chen. Whale TV was planning a competition show with very generous rewards, and as one of the platform's rising new streamers, Lu Chen was among the invitees.
That's right, Lu Chen was now the No. 1 newcomer on Whale TV!
In less than half a month, he had gone from being an unknown streamer to one of Whale TV's standout talents. Without heavy promotion from the platform, he had set a record for the fastest-growing popularity, consistently breaking new records for tips and amassing a dedicated fan base.
Although Lu Chen's fan count and live audience numbers were still far below those of Whale TV's top streamers, his growth rate was astonishing. And, unlike some others, he hadn't resorted to manipulating rankings or inflating statistics. As a result, Whale TV was taking notice of him.
In particular, last night's "Music Carnival Night" live stream had shot Lu Fei's stream to the top of the platform's homepage trending list, causing quite a stir within the operations team. Wu Shanshan had watched the entire stream herself.
Because of all these factors, Lu Chen was selected as one of the 24 participants in the competition.
It was important to note that those selected were all top streamers on Whale TV. Some had fanbases exceeding one million, others had contracts worth millions, and some were veteran industry leaders. Out of all the newcomers, only four— including Lu Chen— had made the cut.
Lu Chen was undoubtedly the least experienced.
Wu Shanshan explained, "The competition is called the Whale PK Theme Show."
She continued, "The format is simple. Each participant chooses a theme for their 90-minute live performance, and based on the heat index, audience votes, and a panel of judges' scores, the top five winners will be selected."
Lu Chen responded, "Sounds interesting! I get to choose the theme myself?"
Wu Shanshan replied, "Exactly. Themes like nostalgia, sadness, humor, inspiration— those are all options. The key is to have a clear theme because the streams will be promoted on the homepage, and the more eye-catching the theme, the better. Just make sure it doesn't break any rules, or you'll be disqualified."
Lu Chen understood, "Got it. Thanks, Sister Shanshan."
Wu Shanshan said playfully, "(*^__^*) Don't mention it! You're my signed streamer. The better you do, the better I look, so keep it up! If you need any help, just ask me."
Lu Chen asked, "What are the prizes for the top five?"
This was an opportunity he couldn't miss, but he was more curious about the rewards.
After all, rewards are a big motivator!
Wu Shanshan replied, "The PK champion wins 300,000 Yuan, plus three homepage featured promotions. The second-place winner gets 200,000 Yuan and two homepage features, and the third-place prize is 100,000 Yuan with one feature. The fourth and fifth places both receive 50,000 Yuan."
Whale TV wasn't holding back on this one!
Lu Chen was tempted, "When is the competition?"
Wu Shanshan replied, "I almost forgot the most important part. The Whale PK Theme Show will be held on May 30th, which is next Saturday, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. You need to submit your theme to me by the 29th."
"Make sure to hype it up in advance so that all your fans know you're participating!"
Lu Chen responded, "OK!"
After finishing the conversation with Wu Shanshan, Lu Chen began replying to numerous messages on WeChat.
Although he hadn't streamed tonight and had announced it both in his stream and in his fan groups, many enthusiastic fans still sent messages asking if everything was okay. Lu Chen responded to as many as he could.
As he replied to the messages, Lu Chen also started brainstorming ideas for his PK theme. A few ideas were already forming in his mind.
By the time he had finished going through all the messages and emails, it was already past 10 p.m.
Lu Chen shut down his computer, hurried out of his new apartment, and flagged down a taxi to head to the bar.
His performance time at Daylily Bar had been pushed back to around 11 p.m. to avoid conflicting with his online streaming, allowing him to balance both commitments.
However, Lu Chen knew that his time at Daylily was limited— the stage there was simply too small.
Too small to contain his ambitions!
But tonight was still important, and Lu Chen didn't want to be late.
Today was Sunday, and Daylily Bar was as busy as ever in the evening. Every table was filled with customers, and even the bar counter was packed, making for a lively atmosphere.
On stage, a female vagabond singer was playing and singing a folk song— a familiar old tune, though the singer herself was unfamiliar.
Lu Chen knew that this was her first time performing at Daylily.
In the world of bar performers, even signed vagabond singers often had to perform at different venues. Networking was important in this circle; otherwise, seeing the same familiar faces all the time would eventually bore even the most loyal customers, leading to aesthetic fatigue.
"Oh, our Boss Little Lu is here!"
Just as Lu Chen was about to slip into the back room, he was spotted by David, the bartender, who immediately called out in a loud and exaggerated voice. This drew the attention of all the customers sitting at the bar, who turned to look at Lu Chen.
"It's really Little Lu!"
"We should call him Boss Little Lu now, hehe!"
"Boss Little Lu, I saw your performance last night! Those two new songs were amazing!"
"You should give us a discount, Boss Little Lu!"
"Little Lu!"
The regulars at the bar, most of them veterans, all knew Lu Chen and joined in on teasing.
"Please, everyone, spare me!" Lu Chen replied, shaking his head with a helpless smile. He shot a glare at David and then bowed to the regular customers, pleading, "I'll treat everyone to a drink, but please keep calling me Little Lu. I really don't dare to call myself a boss!"
He hadn't expected news of him acquiring shares in Daylily to spread so quickly, and now it seemed that everyone knew. It was probably David's big mouth that let the news slip.
In fact, Lu Chen only owned 5% of the bar's shares, which made him a small shareholder at best. Qin Hanyang and Sister Na also had small stakes in Daylily, though theirs were non-transferable bonus shares.
Satisfied with the offer of free drinks, the regulars laughed and let Lu Chen off the hook.
The large room in the back of Daylily was just as lively. Inside were Sister Na, Li Hong, Ye Zhenyang, and Wang Little Shu, along with the normally reclusive members of the Hesitant Band, who had come out of their private room. Several other performers who had gigs that night were also present.
"Little Lu is here!"
As soon as Lu Chen entered, Sister Na greeted him enthusiastically, "We've all been waiting for you!"
Lu Chen laughed and said, "I was moving today, so I'm a bit late. I didn't miss your debut performance, did I, Sister Na?"
Tonight, Sister Na would perform for the first time the song that Lu Chen had written for her.
The debut was originally planned for the previous night's "Music Carnival Night," but after the Compass Band decided not to perform following Lu Chen's act, Sister Na changed her setlist to avoid stealing the spotlight from him.
As a result, her long-awaited new song will be performed tonight at Daylily Bar.
Sister Na jokingly complained, "How could I sing without you here? If you weren't around, I wouldn't even be able to open my mouth! Hahaha!"
Her laughter was bright and cheerful.
Everyone, whether they knew Lu Chen well or not, greeted him warmly or politely.
After last night's Blue Music Night, Lu Chen had made a name for himself in the Houhai music scene. His outstanding talent in both singing and songwriting had earned the respect of everyone present, elevating his status beyond that of an ordinary vagabond singer.
Young and gifted— who wouldn't want to befriend someone like that?
The only person who seemed hesitant to engage with Lu Chen was Ye Zhenyang, who exchanged only awkward pleasantries. He seemed uneasy as if trying to hide something.
Lu Chen knew exactly what was going through Ye Zhenyang's mind but couldn't be bothered to deal with it.
In the past, Lu Chen might have envied Ye Zhenyang, but now he could completely disregard him.
As for the little tricks Ye Zhenyang had tried to pull during Blue Music Night, they hadn't affected Lu Chen at all. Instead, they had fueled his determination, helping him deliver a flawless performance.
Ye Zhenyang was nothing more than a petty villain.
Lu Chen's sights were now set on much bigger horizons!
(End Of The Chapter)