Chapter 97

Chapter 91: The Web of Love

Karaoke originated in Japan in the 1960s, spread to Hong Kong and Taiwan at the end of the 1970s, and then reached coastal areas like Shenzhen in 1988. By the early 1990s, it had begun to spread to major cities, and by 1995, it swept across the entire mainland with overwhelming force, transforming the nightlife of the country overnight. In his previous life, Wen Liang often heard the neighborhood aunties complain that before 1990, the young hooligans all had long hair, wore floral shirts and bell-bottom pants, and carried four-speaker tape recorders. They would set up a light in the street or courtyard at night and start dancing to disco, hugging and kissing, making decent people afraid to be seen. Now, it's different; at night, everyone goes into rooms to sing karaoke, and even if they act like hooligans, no one knows.

This was Wen Liang's first time entering a karaoke room in 1995. Despite his knowledge from the future, he was still stunned by the decor and layout of the room. The others were even more amazed, their mouths wide open. Only by being there could one truly appreciate the hidden strength of Pu Gong Ying behind its ordinary appearance. The dark tones, the exquisite style, the luxurious and grand atmosphere, the soft light from the multi-hole wall lamps and crystal chandeliers, all created a world of flowing light and fantasy.

The circular leather sofa was wide and comfortable, and the handmade silk carpet was embroidered with dozens of blooming plum blossoms, giving a sense of real three-dimensionality, making one want to reach out and pluck a petal. The girls scattered with cheers, no longer divided into Class 1 and Class 2. Some who often sang fiddled with the TV and karaoke machine, some bold and mischievous ones took drinks and red wine from the wall cabinet, and a few girls pounced on the sofa like moths to a flame, sitting down hard and giggling.

This was understandable; how many girls who had the leisure to chase stars and challenge others could be good-natured?

On the contrary, Tan Yu, who had never experienced such a scene, though not timid, stayed close to Wen Liang, his eyes wide with surprise at the opulence around him. Bai Huan, who had just been humiliated by Wen Liang in the hall, was almost at the point of uncontrollable anger. But he could do nothing to Wen Liang, so his jealous gaze fell on Xie Yan's delicate face and slender figure.

Bai Huan had played with countless women, and the intense stimulation still made his whole body tremble. Xie Yan sat in a corner on a single sofa, her hands resting on her knees, her head bowed, silent as ever.

After a flurry of noise and arguments, the two classes sat on opposite sides of the marble coffee table in the center. At this point, the main characters shifted from Bai Huan and Wen Liang to Pei Min and Xu Yao. Although Pei Min was stunned by Wen Liang's continuous impressive performances, he still spoke rudely, relying on Bai Huan's presence: "Xu Yao, you chose the place, so it's our turn to decide how to compete, right?"

"How else? Each side sends someone to sing, and the stronger one wins!"

Pei Min sneered, "How do we determine who is stronger? Who decides? You or me?"

Wen Liang then realized a serious problem: there were no scoring devices in the country, and this wasn't a karaoke competition organized by the Qinzhou Propaganda Department where the judges could decide the winner with a few words.

Xu Yao smiled coldly, "We all have ears; who sings better is clear to everyone! I knew you'd come up with this. Speak up, how do you plan to do it?"

"Let's vote, and the one with the most votes wins!"

Before Xu Yao could respond, several girls from Class 1 shouted, "Are we fools? You have more people, so you'll definitely win with a vote!"

"Pei Min, you're just playing tricks; we won't fall for it!"

Pei Min knew they wouldn't agree, so he asked, "What do you suggest?"

The Class 1 students looked at each other, unable to come up with a method acceptable to both sides. Pei Min stood up, walked to the TV, and picked up the microphone. "Since no one has a good idea, let me suggest..."

Wen Liang suddenly said, "I have an idea. Let's hear it and see if it works."

Xu Yao was delighted, "It will work, go ahead!"

"Let's randomly select ten waiters from Pu Gong Ying to come into the room, stand with their backs to the TV, and score the singers. The rest of the rules are clear, right? Remove the highest score..."

The Class 1 girls collectively said, "Remove the lowest score..." Their voices were clear and melodious, like the chirping of birds.

This was the best solution they could think of. Pei Min looked at Bai Huan, who nodded in agreement. Bai Huan was confident in his singing and didn't care about the method, determined to show off his voice in the competition to diminish Wen Liang's prestige and impress Xie Yan.

To avoid bias, Wen Liang specifically asked Pei Min to find the people. Seeing the request from the guests in the Mei Hall, the hall manager selected ten people and brought them in within three minutes, five men and five women, evenly balanced.

After the best-of-three rule was set, the first round was Xu Yao vs. Pei Min!

Karaoke in the early 1990s was quite primitive, with thick songbooks in each room. Guests wrote their song choices on a slip of paper, which was then given to the service lady to pass to the professional DJ. By 1995, there had been significant improvements. Although computerized automatic song selection wasn't yet available, it was much more advanced than before. Guests could use a remote control to manually select songs, choose music accompaniment or the original vocal, and the lyrics on the screen would change color in sync with the music to guide the singer.

Xu Yao chose a classic song by Jacky Cheung, "Kiss Goodbye." To be honest, when Jacky Cheung first started, his voice was a bit soft, with a lot of vibrato and rough technique. By the time he sang "Kiss Goodbye," he had made significant progress, with a pure and bright voice, extremely textured. While most people could sing it, few could truly convey the feeling. Of course, compared to his peak works like "The Legend of the Hungry Wolf" and "Snow Wolf Lake," "Kiss Goodbye" was much easier to perform.

Xu Yao's voice was clear but lacked the passion and experience to convey the heart-wrenching pain. However, compared to Pei Min's performance of "I Love You to the End," she was slightly better in both emotion and technique. The ten waiters stood in a row, showing their scores on white paper. Xu Yao won with a total score of 85, while Pei Min scored 79. The Class 1 girls applauded enthusiastically, cheering and hugging Xu Yao like a queen, jumping and dancing.

The Class 2 girls, though angry, had no choice. Such a fair standard left no room for complaint. For the second round, Pei Min had originally designated a tall girl, but Bai Huan suddenly said, "Xie Yan, you sing. I've heard you sing, and you're definitely at a star level."

Xie Yan looked up, wanting to refuse, but Bai Huan smiled, "Consider it a favor. If we lose, I might not have the mood to deal with other matters." This was a hint. Xie Yan paused, then stood up and walked to the TV.

This girl had the beauty of a noblewoman and the charm of a neighbor's little sister. Standing there, she was like a delicate orchid in a secluded valley, with a unique flavor. Surprisingly, she chose a fast Cantonese song, "The Legend of Innocence," a comeback hit for Aaron Kwok in 1995. The song had a high pitch and was very dynamic, with a wild and rough voice that contrasted with her gentle appearance, creating a unique appeal.

She sang the entire song smoothly, expressing the longing and attachment to the innocent era vividly. Bai Huan's eyes sparkled with desire as he led the applause, and Hou Qiang and others cheered loudly. The Class 2 girls forgot their hostility and looked at the gloomy Class 1 students with smug satisfaction.

Xu Yao looked at her teammates, who had been enthusiastic in the Lincoln car, now all shaking their heads, ready to give up. Reluctantly, her gaze shifted to Wen Liang. After a difficult decision, she whispered, "How about you?"

Wen Liang shrugged, indifferent. Since they were going to lose anyway, he cleared his throat and sang "Along the Way with You." The pitch was accurate, and the emotion was genuine, but compared to Xie Yan's performance, it was like heaven and earth. When he returned, the other girls looked disappointed, but Xu Yao smiled happily. She knew Wen Liang hadn't put in his best effort, and no matter what, his voice belonged only to her.

Wen Liang looked at Xu Yao and remembered what Ning Xiaoning had said, "Xu Yao likes you." At that moment, he suddenly understood why Xu Yao didn't want him to sing for others—it was a secret hidden in a little girl's heart: if she liked him, she wanted to own everything about him!

Such a small wish, Wen Liang would not refuse.

The scores were announced: Wen Liang 75, Xie Yan 90. Winning one round, the Class 2 students' morale soared. Bai Huan smiled, "Alright, for the third round, I'll show you that it doesn't matter whose song you sing; the person singing is what matters!"

He picked up the microphone, his eyes fixed on Xie Yan, and sang Aaron Kwok's classic "Should I Quietly Walk Away" with deep emotion. Bai Huan's voice was excellent, deep and powerful, with almost flawless transitions. Even the Class 1 girls were captivated, resting their chins on their hands. In terms of singing technique, he was at the top level among amateur singers, but he had a fatal flaw: his singing object was Xie Yan, a girl he intended to forcibly possess with despicable means. How much genuine emotion could he evoke?

So, while he sang beautifully, it lacked vitality. Even so, he might still be better than most people, but Tan Yu was an exception.

Tan Yu chose "The Web of Love." He held the microphone, raised his head, and his gaze passed through the thick soundproof wall, sliding over the night sky of Qinzhou, and quietly landed in the direction of the girl's home.

"Please light another candle for me, for I have already lost my way,"

Your figure sways, and my eyes are full of panic.

"And you are an endless net, easily trapping me in the center,"

How can I lock your gaze?

"Willing to stay by your side, willing to never forget..."

Bai Mi, will you, will you bear to see me hurt?