Chapter 31

Due to traffic, Liu Mengmeng and Lin Zai Shan didn't arrive at the wedding hall on the second floor of the Donghai Grand Hotel until five minutes past seven that evening.

Liu Mengmeng's friend Fang Nan, who worked at a wedding company, had called her eight times to urge her to hurry up.

When the two arrived, Fang Nan was already waiting at the entrance of the hall.

As Liu Mengmeng walked up the stairs, Fang Nan's heavily made-up eyes immediately caught sight of her slender and graceful figure in the orange-yellow fashionable short dress.

With arms crossed and a兰花finger, Fang Nan approached Liu Mengmeng with obvious displeasure.

Previously, Lin Zai Shan had heard Liu Mengmeng talking on the phone with Fang Nan in the car, assuming Fang Nan was a woman because of the soft and delicate voice.

When he saw Fang Nan in person, Lin Zai Shan was slightly surprised.

Fang Nan, with a thick layer of makeup and wearing red tight pants paired with a lace semi-transparent white shirt, turned out to be a man!

And a very masculine man!

"Damn!"

This person is too unique!

"Hey, little sister, you really scared me! You said you'd be here at seven, look at the time now!"

With a high-pitched voice and a兰花finger, Fang Nan showed Liu Mengmeng the fashionable watch on his wrist as soon as he saw her.

"Your watch is fast, mine still shows two minutes to seven."

Liu Mengmeng secretly adjusted her watch while climbing the stairs, then giggled and stepped forward, using a sweet and intimate hug to defuse Fang Nan's complaint.

Fang Nan muttered a few more complaints and glanced at Lin Zai Shan standing beside her.

Seeing Lin Zai Shan carrying a guitar case, Fang Nan's finely embroidered eyebrows furrowed. He didn't greet Lin Zai Shan but pulled Liu Mengmeng aside.

"Didn't you say you'd find me a star who's not worse than Zhang Yonghai? Who is this uncle?" Fang Nan asked Liu Mengmeng in a soft voice, nodding and smiling at Lin Zai Shan.

"This is Teacher Lin Zai Shan, his status is much higher than Zhang Yonghai. Don't tell me you don't recognize him, he's the one who sang 'The Wheat Field.'"

"'The Wheat Field'?" Fang Nan scrutinized Lin Zai Shan closely but saw no trace of the talented rock singer who originally sang 'The Wheat Field.' He asked Liu Mengmeng, "Is this the 'The Wheat Field' I'm thinking of?"

"Of course! He is the Lin Zai Shan who sang 'The Wheat Field.'"

"Really? How could he look so old?"

"Don't worry about his age. I've brought him here for you, isn't that enough face?"

"I don't see him as the Lin Zai Shan who sang 'The Wheat Field.' Mengmeng, don't fool me. Is this really the Lin Zai Shan who sang 'The Wheat Field'? Don't just bring anyone to ruin our wedding company's reputation."

"Miss, would I ever fool you about something like this? You're really hurting my feelings!"

"Don't pretend with me. With your thick skin, how could you be hurt by one sentence? I'm serious, Mengmeng, don't lie to me. Is this really the Lin Zai Shan who sang 'The Wheat Field'? Didn't he go to jail?"

"He's out now, okay!" Liu Mengmeng lowered her voice to warn Fang Nan, "Don't mention these things in front of Teacher Lin. If you upset him, you'll be in trouble."

"Oh no! You're really giving me a hard time! How could you bring someone like this to me!"

"Sister Nan, if you've heard Teacher Lin sing, you'll understand why I brought him here. The so-called stars you invited are nothing compared to Teacher Lin."

"Really? But he looks so old and I heard he uses drugs. Can he still sing?"

"Oh, Sister Nan, stop being so picky. Go greet Teacher Lin. It's been a while, and it's impolite to keep him waiting."

Fang Nan was pulled back to Lin Zai Shan by Liu Mengmeng and greeted him, "Hello, Teacher Lin, thank you for coming to help today."

"Helping in a crisis is a duty," Lin Zai Shan said cheerfully, shaking hands with Fang Nan.

"Let's go in quickly, Mr. Lu's wedding is about to start."

Without further ado, Fang Nan led Lin Zai Shan and Liu Mengmeng into the elegantly decorated wedding hall.

Lu Chen's second marriage didn't invite many people, only 20 tables were set up.

It was almost 7:15, and the guests were gradually taking their seats.

With over a hundred people gathered, the atmosphere was lively and active.

As Fang Nan led them to the table reserved for the stars, Lin Zai Shan glanced at the food on the tables, his mouth watering.

For some reason, since he came to this world, Lin Zai Shan always felt hungry, and he would drool at the sight of food, wanting to indulge in a feast.

After a period of binge eating, his body had become much healthier, and his stamina and energy had significantly improved.

If he continued to eat and exercise, his body would soon become very strong, and his energy would be abundant.

At that time, he could easily hold a small concert, and his stamina would definitely hold up.

The star table was placed at the side, and when Lin Zai Shan and the others arrived, eight people were already seated.

Among them, five were singers performing, and the other three were their so-called agents, but they were just extra mouths to feed, not professional agents like Liu Mengmeng.

These singers were all very obscure. They had appeared on TV, but had almost no popularity and mostly earned a living by performing at various venues. They had no management companies and were not much better off than Lin Zai Shan.

This was the harsh reality that ordinary singers in this world faced.

One of the more famous among them was Chen Feng, 26 years old, who emerged from a singing competition on Hai Xing TV two years ago.

However, he was not a champion-level singer, only a top ten.

This guy was very handsome, with the charm of a pretty boy.

He often appeared on TV variety shows and was the most recognizable star at the table, with a bit of fame.

Relying on this bit of fame, he acted very arrogantly, as if he was a level above the others at the table.

Indeed, compared to the others who had almost no popularity and only appeared on TV a few times, Chen Feng did seem more like a star.

"Brother Feng, I've sent you my phone number. If there are any suitable jobs, please recommend me."

Chen Feng's neighbor, Cheng Zihuan, a 25-year-old female singer in a festive red dress, was sending text messages to Chen Feng in a flirtatious manner.

She added, "My phone is always on for you," without explicitly stating her intentions, but anyone who saw it would understand.

Chen Feng smiled arrogantly but showed no interest in Cheng Zihuan. This girl had a long horse face and heavy makeup, which he found hard to swallow. She wasn't his type.

"Finally, everyone is here. Let me introduce you," Fang Nan said, pinching a兰花finger, introducing the other five singers, "This is your senior, Teacher Lin Zai Shan, whom my good friend Liu Mengmeng helped bring here to save the day."

Lin Zai Shan nodded to the people at the table, put down his guitar case, and helped Liu Mengmeng pull out a chair. The two sat down together.

"Hello, everyone," Liu Mengmeng greeted the group.

Lin Zai Shan also greeted everyone briefly.

Chen Feng, Cheng Zihuan, and the others all gave Lin Zai Shan a professional smile, but they were all suspicious—Who is this uncle? Lin Zai Shan—why does that name sound so familiar?

"Teacher Zhang Yonghai couldn't make it today, so Teacher Lin is here to help out," Fang Nan continued, supporting Liu Mengmeng's chair, "You all know Teacher Lin, right? His song 'The Wheat Field' made him famous across the country. It's a rare opportunity for him to sing, so you should all learn from him."

Fang Nan flattered Lin Zai Shan professionally, giving Liu Mengmeng face.

But in her heart, Fang Nan was really worried about Lin Zai Shan. He looked so old, and she was afraid he would ruin their wedding company's reputation.

Chen Feng and the others were relatively young and hadn't experienced the era when 'The Wheat Field' was popular, but they knew the song and the person named Lin Zai Shan.

Hearing Fang Nan say that the new silver-haired uncle was the Lin Zai Shan who sang 'The Wheat Field,' their first reaction was the same as Fang Nan's—didn't he go to jail? Is he out now?

The incident where Lin Zai Shan maliciously injured Liu Zhongjie was widely reported by the media, almost to the point of being common knowledge.

At that time, the rival financial group of the Liu family bribed the media to report on this incident, causing a lot of trouble for the Liu family, and Lin Zai Shan became a victim.

Now, when people think of Lin Zai Shan, the first thing that comes to mind is the news of him going to jail.

The atmosphere at the table became awkward.

No one wanted to deal with someone who had been in jail.

Chen Feng gave his part-time agent Liu Xinyue a look, showing his displeasure.

Liu Xinyue immediately understood Chen Feng's meaning, got up, and pulled Fang Nan aside, asking in a low voice, "Sister Nan, are you sure? Didn't Lin Zai Shan go to jail? You're inviting him to sing at a wedding?"

Fang Nan said helplessly, "Teacher Zhang Yonghai had an emergency and couldn't come. Mr. Lu booked six stars to sing, and now we're one short."

"You can't just find Lin Zai Shan! He's been in jail! He's a criminal! You're making my Chen Feng share the stage with such a person. If the media finds out, it will tarnish his reputation!"

"Yueyue, you're overthinking this. Today is all solo performances, and there are no media present. They won't take pictures of Chen Feng and Teacher Lin on the same stage."

"Even if they don't take pictures, it's still not good! Chen Feng is in the rising phase of his career. Coming to sing at your wedding is already giving your wedding company face. Now you're causing trouble for us. We can't share the stage with a criminal! If you let Lin sing, we'll leave!"

"Yueyue, you're really killing me! Sharing the stage with Teacher Lin won't affect Chen Feng. Can you be flexible this once?"

"This is not something to be flexible about! Decide quickly, who's leaving, him or us?"

"Yueyue, for all the times we've worked together, can't you give me some face? Look at the time, if I let Teacher Lin leave, who can I find to save the day?"

"That's your problem! Why did you invite Lin Zai Shan without consulting us? Chen Feng is picky about who he works with! We won't share the stage with someone with a bad reputation!"

"Yueyue, please, the wedding is about to start. Don't cause trouble. I'll pay you more! 3000 to 5000! I'll give you Teacher Zhang's share too. Let Chen Feng sing two songs—I'll pay 5000, is that enough sincerity?"

"We sing one song for 3000, two songs should be 6000?"

"Hey, sister, don't raise the price. Two songs for 5000, I'm already losing money on this. If you raise it, we'll have to part ways and find someone else."

"Let me ask Chen Feng. If he can't accept sharing the stage with Lin Zai Shan, no amount of money will change his mind!"

"Okay, Yueyue, please talk to Chen Feng. I'm asking for your help today, please make the performance go smoothly."

Having achieved her goal, Liu Xinyue returned to the table and whispered a few words to Chen Feng.

Chen Feng pretended to be unhappy, frowned, and finally sighed, seemingly reluctantly accepting the arrangement.

Liu Mengmeng, being smart, immediately understood what was going on and felt annoyed.

How dare a small-time star like Chen Feng criticize Lin Zai Shan? He doesn't know who he's dealing with!

Lin Zai Shan didn't hold a grudge, but as his agent, Liu Mengmeng noticed everything.

Having spent a long time around Ma Xiaodong, Liu Mengmeng learned the first rule of survival in this industry—hold grudges!

And make sure to get revenge!

Artists must let others know that they are not to be messed with. Anyone who dares to mess with them will pay a price!

Only then can artists stand firm in the industry.

Today, Chen Feng criticized Lin Zai Shan, and Liu Mengmeng coldly remembered it all.

One day, she would return these criticisms to Chen Feng, who had such a lack of judgment!

Originally, the people at the table were chatting and laughing, but when Lin Zai Shan arrived, it was as if he brought a cold front. No one dared to speak much, and the atmosphere became very cold.

None of them wanted to or dared to talk to Lin Zai Shan.

This uncle's violent past made any normal person a bit wary, and no one wanted to provoke such a person.

None of the so-called stars at the table were familiar to Lin Zai Shan, including Chen Feng.

He tried to chat casually with a few of them about their performances, asking what songs they would sing. The responses he got were brief, just the names of the songs, with no extra words.

Lin Zai Shan understood that they didn't want to chat with him, so he stopped and enjoyed the appetizers and fruit platter, glancing at the main table of the wedding.

He was looking for Lu Chen to see if he recognized him.

But he couldn't find the groom.

However, he saw Lu Chen's family.

It turned out that the uncle was quite familiar with Lu Chen's family, as they had grown up together in the same neighborhood.

Lu Chen had a younger brother named Lu Yang, who was 33 years old and still unmarried.

Lu Yang had always been a good student who listened to teachers and parents, and he strongly disliked Lin Zai Shan and other troublemakers like him.

Even as an adult, Lu Yang still disliked Lin Zai Shan, especially because his first serious girlfriend in college, who was a high school fan, had been seduced by Lin Zai Shan. This made Lu Yang very distressed and increasingly resentful of Lin Zai Shan.

Even when he learned that their family's Qilixiang had developed thanks to the large sum of money given by Lin Zai Shan, he never accepted Lin Zai Shan.

Especially seven years ago, when Lu Chen spent a lot of money to defend Lin Zai Shan in court, Lu Yang felt that Lin Zai Shan was a burden and caused a lot of trouble for Lu Chen.

Finally, after years of not seeing Lin Zai Shan, Lu Yang felt a bit relieved.

But just then, he saw a familiar face at the star table, looking in his family's direction.

Lu Yang was shocked!

Is that... Lin Zai Shan?

Lu Yang couldn't be sure because he couldn't imagine Lin Zai Shan looking so old! His hair was more than half white!

But those eyes—those eyes that seemed to hide evil—hadn't changed!

No one else could have such eyes!

Taking off his gold-rimmed glasses, he wiped the lenses with a handkerchief and looked again, meeting Lin Zai Shan's eyes.

It felt like being pricked by thousands of needles, and his pores tightened. Lu Yang was terrified by Lin Zai Shan's nightmare-like eyes!

It really is Lin Zai Shan!

Why is he here!

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[Author's PS: I can't post in the book review section with this author account, so I can't reply to your posts. But I can see all your posts and will take good advice. Thank you for your suggestions. Regarding updates, I will try to make the update times fixed and aim for two chapters a day, one around midnight and one around 3 PM. The next chapter will be updated at midnight.]