Chapter 8

"Speak of the devil, and he shall appear."

Rou smiled and got up, ushering Lin Zaishan and Bai Ge, who were carrying guitars, into the recording studio.

"Thank you, Auntie Zhen. I parked your car in the garage downstairs."

Bai Ge returned the motorcycle key to Sun Yuzhen.

Previously, after dropping Bai Ge off at Dongyi University, Sun Yuzhen wanted to go back to pick up Lin Zaishan. The hospital was quite far from Dongyi University. Bai Ge didn't want to trouble Sun Yuzhen, who had worked a whole day and was very tired, so she borrowed Sun Yuzhen's motorcycle and went back to pick up Lin Zaishan herself.

"Uncle, how are you feeling now? Can you record a song?"

Sun Yuzhen was very concerned about Lin Zaishan.

"I'm okay. My voice isn't in its best condition, but I should be able to record a song."

Lin Zaishan was actually very tired. He had just arrived in this world and hadn't fully adapted to the weak body of this middle-aged man.

However, recording the song was urgent, and he had to grit his teeth and take advantage of this free opportunity.

Sun Yuzhen then introduced Zhang Pengfei, Zhang Hao, and others to Lin Zaishan and Bai Ge.

In Zhang Pengfei's memory, Lin Zaishan was a very irritable and notorious rock musician.

Seven or eight years ago, and even earlier, the photos in the media were all street shots of Lin Zaishan hitting people.

In the public eye, he was a thoroughly wicked and notorious thug!

When Zhang Pengfei first heard that Lin Zaishan was coming, he was a bit scared.

This rock uncle had a very bad temper. If he didn't record well, would Lin Zaishan hit him?

But when he saw Lin Zaishan, Zhang Pengfei was stunned.

Was this disheveled, pale, thin, and half-gray-haired sickly middle-aged man really Lin Zaishan?

The change was too drastic!

How could he have aged so much?

Lin Zaishan now looked very down and out, but Zhang Pengfei didn't dare to be careless. The image of this rock uncle as a notorious thug was too deeply ingrained. Zhang Pengfei was worried that if the uncle got angry, he might destroy the recording studio, and he would suffer a huge loss.

After Lin Zaishan entered, Zhang Pengfei kept smiling and flattering the rock uncle, hoping to quickly serve this unlucky person and send him away.

Afterward, he planned to have a serious talk with Sun Yuzhen. He didn't want her to bring such people to him again. This was just causing trouble for him!

Zhang Hao and Li He had seen Lin Zaishan at the Waterdrop Bar half a year ago. At that time, Lin Zaishan's hair was already half-gray, and he looked extremely depressed.

Seeing him again, Zhang Hao and Li He were even more convinced that the middle-aged man who had made a disgraceful performance that night was the Lin Zaishan in front of them!

That was the first and only time they had seen a singer being booed off the stage in a bar, which was extremely embarrassing! They remembered it vividly.

Now, seeing this down-and-out middle-aged man, both of them couldn't help but look at Lin Zaishan with a prejudiced eye, not showing him the respect and courtesy he deserved. The way they looked at him was almost like looking at a scavenger.

They couldn't understand why Sun Yuzhen would recommend such a person for the show. What talent did this uncle have?

"Uncle, we just heard from Auntie Zhen that you're recording a song to get on their show, right?" Zhang Hao said, "Why don't you record first, and we'll record after you. Auntie Zhen said you're very talented, and we want to learn from you."

"Ha."

Li He couldn't help but laugh rudely. He could tell that Zhang Hao was being sarcastic and deliberately teasing Lin Zaishan.

Sun Yuzhen was secretly annoyed. Why were young people today like this? Didn't they know how to respect their seniors? Lin Zaishan was a super rock star with five platinum sales (1 million album sales counted as one platinum in this world). Even if he was now down and out, his past glory was enough to command respect from these juniors.

Lin Zaishan was very tired and didn't have the energy to play mind games with these kids.

He just wanted to finish recording the song and go back to sleep.

Seeing that these kids were letting him record first, he decided to take the opportunity.

"Old man, cheer up! Just sing 'Listen to the Wind Chime'!"

"Okay."

After a brief exchange with Zhang Pengfei about the recording focus, Lin Zaishan entered the recording studio with his slightly old-fashioned acoustic guitar.

The new instruments of the Believers Band were still in the studio.

These kids didn't even offer to help Lin Zaishan move the instruments.

Lin Zaishan had to move the microphone stand himself to improve the sound reflection in the studio.

He also brought a chair to the microphone stand, preparing to sit and play and sing.

His strength was no longer enough to support him standing for the entire song.

He completed all these actions silently in the recording studio.

Outside the soundproof glass, the Believers Band and Zhang Pengfei watched Lin Zaishan, hunched and weak, moving the chair and adjusting the stand, feeling a strange sense of sorrow.

Bai Ge and Sun Yuzhen had gone to the restroom and didn't see this heart-wrenching scene.

If they had seen it, they would have definitely gone in to help Lin Zaishan.

The five students of the Believers Band all looked down on this middle-aged man who seemed to be on his last legs.

Zhang Pengfei, seeing Lin Zaishan's weak and down-and-out appearance, also had serious doubts about his musical abilities.

"Brother Fei, your wife does music programs all the time. She should be very professional, right? Why would she recommend such a person for the show? Look at this Lin guy, he can barely stand. Can he even sing a complete song?" The recording studio was soundproof, so Zhang Hao didn't worry about Lin Zaishan hearing him.

Li He also sneered, "This uncle might faint halfway through. He looks like he's seriously ill."

"Don't jinx it! Damn, if he dies in the studio, we're all screwed!"

Zhang Pengfei was also worried about Lin Zaishan's health. When the uncle was moving the chair, he looked like an 80-year-old man, as if he could fall at any moment.

Zhang Hao chuckled, "I want to see what level this uncle is at. If he's really that bad, and your wife still recommends him for the show, then we, the Believers Band, will also submit a song for the show!"

The silent drummer, Bi Yonggang, nodded in agreement with Zhang Hao's idea.

Zhang Hao continued, "Anyway, we're young and not afraid of failure. Experiencing more big scenes will be good for our development."

The band members all nodded in agreement.

"You guys are wasting your time. It's better to finish this underground album quickly. If you can make it popular, you'll have a chance to break through."

The "underground album" Zhang Pengfei mentioned was essentially an independently produced and distributed album without official approval.

In this world, piracy was rampant, and legitimate albums often sold less than pirated ones. Independent artists, especially underground rock bands, often paid to produce and distribute these underground albums in a limited scope. These albums had few pirated copies, or rather, they were themselves pirated, but they could still generate some profit.

Sun Yuzhen and Bai Ge returned.

Zhang Pengfei gave Zhang Hao and the others a look, signaling them to stop talking.

Lin Zaishan was already in position in the studio.

He gave Zhang Pengfei an OK sign, indicating that he was ready to start recording.

Sun Yuzhen and Bai Ge were both looking forward to Lin Zaishan's performance.

Sun Yuzhen hadn't heard the full version of Lin Zaishan's heartfelt song and was eager to hear it now.

As a music-loving female intellectual, she was already captivated by the song's title, "Listen to the Wind Chime."

She still had the lingering melody from the hospital garden in her mind.

She couldn't wait to be moved again by Lin Zaishan's heartfelt music.

Bai Ge was even more eager to see Lin Zaishan's performance in the studio. She was a bit worried that her father might forget the song.

On the way to Dongyi University, she had connected the recorder to her headphones and made her father listen to the previous recording a few times to memorize the melody.

But Lin Zaishan didn't listen at all. He claimed that the melody and lyrics were already imprinted in his mind, and the inspiration had become unforgettable the moment it flowed out.

This was what was known as "a masterpiece is naturally formed, and a skilled hand occasionally achieves it!"

Bai Ge had some doubts about this. She wanted to see if her father really had the song imprinted in his mind.

If it was true, and he could sing a version of "Listen to the Wind Chime" that was as good or even better, it would mean that her father was an even more talented super music genius than she imagined!

"Brother Fei, play the uncle's music out loud so we can all hear it," Zhang Hao reminded Zhang Pengfei.

Zhang Pengfei pressed the external playback button, allowing others to hear Lin Zaishan's singing in the studio. He still wore the high-quality monitoring headphones to hear the more natural sound.

As a studio engineer, Zhang Pengfei had to maintain a professional attitude. If Lin Zaishan found fault with him and got upset, he might face serious consequences.

He had to give Lin Zaishan enough respect. But in his heart, Zhang Pengfei was skeptical about the musical abilities of this sickly middle-aged man.

Sun Yuzhen preferred to listen to the more natural sound through the monitoring headphones, so she also put on a high-end professional monitoring headphone to enjoy Lin Zaishan's performance.

Everyone was eagerly waiting.

Zhang Pengfei gave Lin Zaishan an OK sign, indicating that he could start singing.

The recording studio had a recording indicator light.

Seeing the red light turn green,

Lin Zaishan moved away from the microphone and took a silent breath.

He closed his eyes, crossed his legs, and formed a chord with his left hand. His right fingertips became a pick, and he slowly strummed the strings, beginning the performance of "Listen to the Wind Chime."

The guitar introduction of this song was very melancholic and simple, with nothing particularly outstanding. Any guitarist could play it with some practice.

However, the melancholic atmosphere created by the simple notes demonstrated the performer's skill.

Listening to the clear, rain-like melancholic guitar sound through the monitoring headphones, Sun Yuzhen held her breath, closed her beautiful eyes, and was deeply moved.

Zhang Pengfei also heard the guitar sound as if it were being played right in front of him through the monitoring headphones. His eyes lit up, thinking that the melody this uncle played was quite good!

Bai Ge recognized that the introduction Lin Zaishan played was exactly the same as before, and she felt a surge of surprise and emotion!

Her father really had the inspiration imprinted in his mind, just as he claimed!

He was truly a genius!

Bai Ge was extremely excited!

The students of the Believers Band didn't think Lin Zaishan's guitar playing was particularly outstanding, as they had already labeled him as a failure.

Zhang Hao and Li He were even watching Lin Zaishan's performance with a mocking attitude.

And indeed, they found something to laugh about—

"Suddenly falling... cough, cough!"

As the melancholic melody began, Lin Zaishan's throat suddenly itched, and he coughed before he could finish the first line of lyrics!

He looked quite embarrassed and old.

"Ha ha! What is this!"

Zhang Hao and Li He were laughing uncontrollably.