Chapter Fourteen: First Glimpse of Sharpness

"The Brother Who Sleeps in the Bunk Above Me..."
For the first time in a year since the broadcast began, Su Tong opened his mouth and sang before tens of thousands of fans, stunning everyone.
"Brother..."
"Is this really Brother singing?"
Everyone widened their eyes, hardly able to believe their ears.
"This..." Zhang Xin was equally dumbfounded.
Such a pure voice—listening to it, one couldn't help but imagine that his soul must be equally pure, like an unblemished jade, his temperament ethereal, almost celestial, yet tinged with a faint trace of earthly dust.
Yet, that trace of dust was not a flaw. Rather, it brought him down from the heavens, made him closer to ordinary people, no longer distant or elusive.
Xiao Yu had already carried the sleeping Xiao Xiao back to bed, and now she returned, sitting beside Su Tong, her pretty face full of excitement and pride—her brother's singing was even more beautiful than her own.
"You said whenever you look back at the crimson sunset
Whenever you hear the evening bell
The bits and pieces from before will surge up
Inside your heart before sadness can take hold"
When Su Tong sang this part, the crowd finally snapped out of their shock, but hearing these lyrics, their emotions shifted suddenly—a wave of indescribable sorrow rose in their hearts.
Youth is long and yet short, lasting only a few years, but the bits and pieces, even if stored in a server with vast capacity, could never be entirely contained.
Before everyone could absorb the impact of the song, suddenly, the urgent sound of guitar strings swept in—so hurried and rushed, like fleeting youth, departing so abruptly, leaving not a single word behind before vanishing.
After more than a month of vocal training from the system, Su Tong's singing couldn't be called top-tier, but he had at least reached the ranks of the elite.
But in truth, whether a song is good depends less on skill; it's the arrangement and lyrics that matter most.
A single song, "The Brother Who Sleeps in the Bunk Above Me," moved everyone present.
Ninety-nine percent of those watching the showcase were either living through their youth or had already passed through it.
Childhood innocence, youthful confusion, sincere bonds—the themes of youth aren't limited to love; friendship is just as vital.
"Brother is really sad..." Tears welled in Xiao Yu's eyes. She heard the voice in Su Tong's heart. She was still young, without such experiences or feelings, but Su Tong's emotion infected her.
How can one tell a story without a story in their heart?
Suddenly, the female fans felt a surge of compassion—compassion for Su Tong's story, for his sadness.
"I want to call my dorm friends, even if it's nearly eleven and they're asleep—I still want to call." Li Jia Zhu, an operator of the Da Qin Music Library, wiped the corner of his eye, feeling a sense of fate at work.

The unknown Nian Nu Jiao had just uploaded "Catching Mudfish," which Li Jia Zhu happened to see. Out of curiosity, he searched for Nian Nu Jiao and glanced at that nearly invisible micro-vibration on the search homepage. Clicking in, he finally learned Nian Nu Jiao's origin.
Had Su Tong uploaded "Catching Mudfish" with himself credited for composition, lyrics, and vocals, Li Jia Zhu would never have found Nian Nu Jiao.
Fortunately, Su Tong listed Nian Nu Jiao for all credits, letting Li Jia Zhu find him and confirming his resolve to place "Catching Mudfish" on the homepage's new song chart.
"He could easily appear on a reality show and start his journey to stardom. Alas, how many hidden geniuses remain buried among the people," Zhang Xin sighed, knowing the way of the world and feeling regret for Su Tong.
Most reality shows are scripted, with contestants playing out predetermined roles.
The so-called grassroots are rarely truly grassroots.
The real grassroots are among the people—like in the showcase.
After so many years, only a handful of stars have emerged from the showcase.
It's not due to lack of talent or good looks.
To become a star, too many external conditions must be met; opportunities fall to those with money and connections.
As the song continued, memories buried deep within everyone surged forth, faces once blurred grew clear, past youth gradually awakened.
The singing faded, the music disappeared, and Su Tong set down his guitar. He, too, was moved, his heart full of sighs and emotion. Living two lives, he felt more deeply than anyone.
Not to mention returning to the past—even going back to his original world was already impossible.
"Is everyone alright?" From beginning to end, no one commented on his singing in the subtitles; he felt a bit uneasy. Had that month of training been for nothing? He thought he did well, his singing shouldn't be bad.
A moment passed.
"Ah, Brother, I want to kill you, sob..."
"Sob, Brother, you make us so sad inside—why?"
"I miss my brothers. After graduation, I rush around all day just to eat. Our contact grows less and less, some have even lost touch."
"Wait, I need to call my dorm brothers."
"I want to call my sisters too—I miss them."
"Sob..."
"..."
Many people shouted wildly in the subtitles—even more so than after Xiao Yu sang "Childhood."
The restlessness and impulsiveness of youth exploded at that moment. Emotions surged; who knows how many picked up memories of the past and wept.
"In my view, music is a great way for humans to communicate soul to soul. Beautiful words and music are both spiritual nourishment. I used to not care much for music, but now I understand it more and more, and enjoy it. I hope everyone will like it too," said Su Tong.

He truly hadn't listened to music much before, nor understood it. But after more than a month of training in the system's space, he liked it, understood it, otherwise he couldn't have endured a month of solitude and loneliness.
Hearing Su Tong's words, some girls' eyes sparkled.
Too handsome, too talented.
For young girls, it's nothing for a man to be handsome, but if he's talented too, that's irresistible—a wave of the hand, and they'd definitely lie down with open arms.
Suddenly, fireworks bloomed across the screen, and the Da Qin gift pack rang out again.
"Brother, your singing is so beautiful, I want to request another song!" cried a female fan named "A Glance Topples a City" in the channel.
Boom!
No sooner had "A Glance Topples a City" sent her red message than another female fan set off fireworks, and the screen filled with color.
"Brother, I want to request a song too! I request 'Childhood'—I want to hear your version."
The female fans were in a frenzy, becoming the stars of the night.
"Hmph, singing so beautifully, and you kept it hidden all this time—so hateful."
"Come here, I want to flick Brother's nose a hundred times," a tomboy burst out, making Su Tong sweat in embarrassment.
Everyone laughed; Su Tong was seldom teased by female fans, perhaps because Xiao Yu and Xiao Xiao were always present and reserved, but tonight, no one could hold back.
"Haha, with all these Da Qin coins, you can do more than flick his nose—you know what I mean?" someone said wickedly.
"I'll sing, I'll sing. Let's keep it classy, girls—my Da Qiao is still young, can't let her be led astray." Rules first, Su Tong would not break his word. Besides, tonight was his first performance, only one song so far, and he wasn't satisfied; two more would be just right.
At this moment, in the Talent Scout Department on the other side of the Da Qin Empire—
"Contact him, bring him to us," Tang Shan paced before the computer, deeply interested in Nian Nu Jiao.
"Luo Luo, I don't care what method you use, find his contact info. I must speak with him tomorrow," Zhang Xin was unsettled, hoping no other platform had noticed Nian Nu Jiao yet—especially not Ku Ku, who might not be so quick.
"It's him," said Qiu Jing, truly moved, on the live-stream platform under Du Niang.
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