Chapter 29: The Help of the Vast Netizens

It was not just the group of students on the scene who found it incredible; Zhou Yujie, too, felt a shock in her heart that refused to settle.

When she first heard the song "Old Driver, Take Me Along," Zhou Yujie had naively assumed that Su Chen was a comedic singer who lacked talent and used absurdity to compensate.

But the moment "Someone Like Me" began, she immediately retracted that thought. This guy didn't lack talent—he was overflowing with it!

His clear, warm, and unique voice possessed a distinct quality, capable of delivering a narrative that felt like a heartfelt confession, drawing listeners in until they couldn't help but resonate with it.

The song wasn't the type to explode with intensity from the first note, but if you listened closely, an indescribable melancholy and sorrow permeated the air. It was that sense of self-mockery after weathering the impermanence of the world, that helplessness and sadness of being unwilling to remain ordinary yet unable to escape the shackles of life...

Good heavens, it was agonizing to listen to; it was far too easy to empathize and project oneself into the music!

On the way back after recording the song, Su Chen noticed Zhou Yujie glancing at him from time to time. He laughed and teased, "What’s wrong? Were you so dazzled by my handsomeness today that you’ve fallen at my feet?"

"Yes, you were invincible and incomparable today!" Zhou Yujie nodded generously without pretense. "Especially when you were singing."

"Oh? Are you serious?" Su Chen laughed heartily. "How about I sing 'Old Driver, Take Me Along' for you again then?"

"You're so annoying! My hard-won impression of you is completely shattered!" Zhou Yujie punched him without a second thought. "I was talking about 'Someone Like Me.' You wrote it really well; I quite like it!"

"Right? You’ve got good taste. I think so too!" Su Chen said with a chuckle, resting his head on his hands.

Zhou Yujie didn't speak; she just stared blankly at Su Chen. The streetlights cast their glow upon him, making him seem as if he were radiating a bright and warm light. In that very instant, she had a fleeting illusion—a glimpse into his future. She saw him standing at a height from which he could overlook the entire world, while she remained among the throngs of people below, one of the countless masses looking up at him.

The thought caused a sudden, sharp pang in her heart, like a lemon bursting open, spreading an indescribable bitterness and sorrow.

"It feels so good..." Su Chen said with a gentle smile. "To have a friend like you by my side, sharing my work and my happiness! It's wonderful!"

Zhou Yujie was startled. She quickly pushed aside her messy thoughts, smoothed her expression, and joked, "That's right, I'm also envious that you have such a good friend like me. It really is wonderful!"

"Hey, hey, hey, that’s a bit too shameless of you!" Su Chen couldn't help but retort with a laugh.

"I'm being sincere! Who told me to be so excellent? I'm even envious of myself, ha ha!" Zhou Yujie laughed heartily, the earlier melancholy cast to the back of her mind.

...

On the way back, Su Chen kept thinking about a question concerning Zhou Yujie: her future career path.

There was no doubt that in terms of looks, Zhou Yujie was absolutely top-tier. Those so-called "campus beauties" and "goddesses" floating around on the internet weren't even in the same league as her; they couldn't be compared.

As for her singing, her vocal conditions were excellent. With just a little training, she would be more than qualified to be a professional singer. As for songwriting, she was a bit lacking, but Su Chen had plenty of good songs! He could help her with that.

There would be many more songs he would draw from the system or purchase in the future, and among them, there would certainly be works suitable for her. As long as she could seize the opportunity, becoming a singer would no longer be an unattainable dream. However, the prerequisite was that she would need to sign with his company and become one of his artists.

Though Zhou Yujie was beautiful and they were good friends, business was business. Even so, Su Chen wouldn't make a losing deal! Of course, it was too early to think about that; these were matters for the future.

At this stage, the first thing Su Chen needed to do was accumulate enough "Anger Points" again. Only then could he purchase more works.

Thinking this, he summoned the system and checked his Anger Points. To his surprise, he had over twenty thousand. Given the current situation, the heat of the donation incident had already faded, and the points it could generate were negligible.

If that were the case, it must be that "Wukong: Life's Long Regret, Water Flows East" was having an effect. He opened the Qidian Chinese website and checked; the viewership data for the book had indeed seen a significant increase compared to before.

However, glancing at the comment section, it was a chorus of wailing, as if they had just experienced a human tragedy:

[I've cried until my eyes are swollen! Author, come out! I want to kill you! I'm sending you razor blades!]

[I just want to say, why haven't these scumbags died yet? Hurry up and write them to their deaths! This is torturing my heart.]

[What happened to the super satisfying power fantasy? This murderous author tricked us in just to kill us off!]

[I stayed up all night under my covers reading this, lying on the bed silently weeping and sobbing. My heart aches beyond words.]

[This book can cause internal injuries, seriously. I suggest not reading it lightly!]

Just looking at the comments, Su Chen could feel the intense resentment of the readers. No wonder his Anger Points had surged to over twenty thousand!

After closing the site, Su Chen uploaded the audio of "Old Driver, Take Me Along" that he had just recorded to his secondary account, "Difficult Affection."

The caption read: [I accidentally heard a super good song today. I was so moved that I was in tears and my heart was racing. Sharing it with everyone now!]

Having posted some legendary comments previously, this secondary account had already gained nearly a thousand followers, most of whom were won over by Su Chen’s humorous, sharp, and insightful remarks. There was a feeling that he was their "mouthpiece," their spokesperson.

Now that their spokesperson claimed to be moved to tears by a song, they naturally clicked in to hear what kind of masterpiece could make him weep.

They clicked on the video with curiosity, but the moment the music started, almost everyone who heard it felt a blankness for a split second, questioning their existence.

What the hell was this?! They wanted to flip the table!

With a song like this, you say you were moved to tears? Are you out of your mind? Are those tears just your own imagination?

And that line, [Regardless of whether you two are fat or not, the wild-game brother doesn't want a taste]—is that a lyric a normal person could write?!

The fans who had been tricked into clicking left their anger and dissatisfaction in the comments:

["Difficult Affection," you get out here! I promise I won't kill you!]

[I highly suspect this song was made by "Difficult Affection" while he was having a mental breakdown. I just searched for it and couldn't find it anywhere!]

[I am truly impressed by such an insane song!]

[Tell me, what did you gain by deceiving my trust? Give me back a pair of ears that haven't heard this!]

[Wait, this song is too addictive. It's playing on a loop in my brain. I can actually sing it now, damn it!]

...

Truth be told, it wasn't just one person who felt this way. Even though they clearly told themselves that the song was demonic and insane while listening, their brains somehow already knew the next rhythm. They had completely learned it! Who could understand this?!

And it was the type where you thought it sounded bad the first time, felt miserable the second time, and by the third time, you were inexplicably singing along!

I really fell for his trap. Please, give me back a brain and ears that don't know this song!

However, once heard, it was heard. It was impossible to unhear it, just as "Pure Heart, Pursuing Dreams in the Entertainment Industry" could not be deleted from Su Chen's mind.

They say shared misery is better than solitary joy. Since they had been caught in the rain, they decided to tear down everyone else's umbrellas. They decisively shared the song, adding even more exaggerated captions:

[New song release by singer Jiang Xuefeng, high-definition audio, contact to delete if infringing!]

[I secretly recorded this sound. It seems something terrifying happened. Listen fast, or it will be gone later.]

[My roommate is making strange noises at night. Everyone listen and help me figure out what's going on!]

...

Under the diligent promotion of a group of enthusiastic netizens, "Old Driver, Take Me Along" spread across the internet in a truly magical way.