Chapter Fifty-Five: Is the Gap Between People Really This Vast?

County A. People's Square.

"Where is he? Has he arrived yet?" Lu Kun grabbed Liu Shixun by the collar, sweat pouring down his face in anxious frustration.

It was already seven thirty. The show was set to begin at eight, yet the lead singer still hadn't appeared.

Was he going to have to take the stage himself?

Though he'd once been teased online as "the best singer among Chinese entrepreneurs," Lu Kun was well aware of his own limitations.

And as for why he wasn't considered the most handsome? Well, obviously because there were over ninety people ahead of him on the nation's rich list.

...

"He's here, he's here..."

A stir rippled through the crowd.

Lu Kun turned around.

Disaster! He couldn't hold it in—his entire being quivered with laughter.

"Hello, I'm tonight's lead singer, introduced by my cousin Liu Shixun. My name is Sun Chengze..."

Brilliant, dazzling, and utterly enchanting.

This was a prodigy! If he didn't smile, it was fine, but once he did, it seemed to steal the soul right out of you.

Looking around at the staff, male and female alike, every single one was wearing a lovestruck expression.

Hiss—he looked even better in person than in photos.

Sun Chengze—the name alone suggested he was either the son of a wealthy family or a government official.

Shouldn't Lu Kun be the protagonist here? He felt a pang of disappointment.

"Ahem." The newcomer walked onto the stage and began tuning the equipment.

"Wow, he's so handsome!" shrieked the young women in the audience, and even the older ladies in their fifties and sixties gazed at him with gleaming eyes.

Quite a few men were entranced as Sun Chengze flashed a smile, only snapping out of their daze after a long moment, touching their faces and muttering, "Are the differences between people really this vast?"

...

"Make way, make way! Beer, sunflower seeds, peanuts, mineral water—anyone need anything?"...

The crowd snapped back to reality, glaring at the supermarket employee pushing a cart and hawking snacks and drinks.

The employee: "..."

I feel hopeless too, but the boss gave instructions—what else could I do? Of course I had to follow orders!

"Gently, I will leave you
Please wipe the tears from the corner of your eye
Through the long nights and future days
My dear, don't cry for me..."

...

The audience: utterly enraptured.

Lu Kun: Damn it! Are you trying to sabotage me?

Don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you’re handsome!

So what if you moved the female audience to tears with your singing?

How am I supposed to sell my beer, peanuts, and mineral water?!

...

"In the years without me, take good care of yourself... I think it will probably be in winter."

Lu Kun’s mouth twitched violently. "Damn!"

That was a song released by Qi Qin in 1987, now famous across the country, making countless urbane youths cry.

It wasn’t that the song was bad, but it simply didn’t pair well with beer, peanuts, or mineral water!

The atmosphere was so fervent that Lu Kun waved frantically at Sun Chengze on stage.

Sun Chengze: ???

Seeing him hesitate, Lu Kun waved again, and Sun Chengze reluctantly waved back. Lu Kun’s mood was about to explode!

He wasn’t a fanboy!

Forget it—let him finish the song first.

To be fair, he sang beautifully; his cover almost outshone the original, but the beer, peanuts, and mineral water just weren’t selling.

A truly tragic tale.

"Next, let’s welcome the owner of Huakun Supermarket to sing us a good song," Sun Chengze said with a smile, gazing toward Lu Kun.

Lu Kun: "Damn! I've been set up!"

For some reason, he felt there was a hint of slyness hidden in Sun Chengze’s smile.

"Whoo—"

The audience booed playfully.

Lu Kun: "..."

Was he not handsome? Was the gap between people really this huge?

He touched his handsome face, regaining a bit of confidence.

Clearly, their taste was just lacking!

At this point, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and take the stage.

"Clap, clap, clap..."

The PR department manager led the staff in applause.

Lu Kun gave the manager an appreciative look. "A real talent—I'll give you a raise next month!"

"Alright, now I’ll sing ‘Wild Waves’ for everyone," Lu Kun steadied himself, skipped the chatter, and dove right in.

"Wave after wave comes crashing in
The wind sways me wildly
Dreams burn, my heart surges
No need to hesitate
Swaggering in the sea of people
Letting loose with my mood..."

...

"Hey, this young man sings pretty well! This song’s got energy!"

"Quiet, let me listen!"

...

"Wild waves are an attitude
Wild waves rise and fall
Wild waves, wild waves
Wild waves, wild waves
Wild waves are an attitude
Wild waves are unbound..."

...

The song ended.

Lu Kun leaned in to Sun Chengze, "Don’t sing those sentimental ballads—sing something more upbeat."

"Beer, sunflower seeds, peanuts, mineral water—anyone need anything?"

"Over here, a beer..."

Lu Kun: "..."

Of course—a song full of masculine energy was what really moved beer, peanuts, and mineral water!

"The sound of dried-up wine so familiar, has accompanied me through many years of wind and rain..."

"Ah...!!!" As Sun Chengze switched styles, the female audience nearly swooned on the spot, and even the men felt their blood surge with excitement.

Lu Kun: "..."

Was the gap between people really this vast?

"Two beers over here, this way..."

"This way, two more..."

"Over here, a whole case..."

Lu Kun: "..."

Though the process was a bit tumultuous, the outcome was excellent.

...

"Even if thousands of songs will fill the days to come, drifting far as I travel, even if thousands of evening stars shine brighter than tonight’s moon, nothing compares to the beauty of this night..."

Sun Chengze chose "A Thousand Songs" as his finale, bringing the concert atmosphere to its peak.

That song was released by Priscilla Chan on January 1, 1989, and it had already swept the country, cementing her status as a diva.

...

Huakun Supermarket, third floor, general manager’s office.

"Phew—so, what were the sales figures for beer, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and mineral water today?" Lu Kun tossed his suit onto his chair.

"Boss... all... all sold out..." the sales manager stammered.

Lu Kun: "..."

This... was it really that terrifying?!

"All—all sold out?" Lu Kun’s eyes widened.

The sales manager nodded.

Lu Kun felt dizzy.

If he remembered correctly, aside from what was already on the shelves and in the warehouse, they’d ordered another batch just that afternoon—how could it all be gone so soon?

This was simply unreasonable! Was the "handsome man strategy" really so formidable?

"Boss, today’s snack and drink sales figures are ready," the statistics manager rushed in with a report, his face glowing with delight.

"Damn!" Lu Kun took the report, glanced at it, and nearly tossed it aside.

The "handsome man strategy" truly was terrifying!

The total sales for snacks and drinks reached eleven thousand, with a net profit of three thousand three hundred.

All told, the crowd likely numbered only about three thousand.

How did beer, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and drinks manage to rack up eleven thousand in sales? Lu Kun was bewildered.

"Ahem, boss, those who can afford beer usually don’t mind buying a serving of peanuts... Even quite a few customers bought the full set," the statistics manager coughed, offering an explanation.