A song from Chengdu revived a closed-down pub.

After hanging up the phone, Su Fan sent over the lyrics and music for "Life on the Stage".

Thousands of miles away, in a music studio on the outskirts of Beijing, a phone rang, and everyone gathered around.

Jiang Yi opened the file, his finger slowly sliding down the screen, his eyes widening.

After reading a few lines, Lao Han, the drummer next to him, froze.

Bassist Little Fatty also threw down his guitar pick and craned his neck to look this way.

The others did similar things.

Several people were gathered around a mobile phone, their eyes fixed on the small screen, and no one spoke.

"Holy crap," Old Han was the first to speak, "These lyrics... they're not just about actors, they're about us too."

Little Fatty exclaimed in amazement, "How could Su Fan write such a sentence?"

Jiang Yi said with a serious expression, "I must record this song well!"

Everyone else looked eager to try it out; they wanted to get involved too.

"Old Jiang, we'll provide the instrumental accompaniment for this song!"

"Yeah yeah!"

……

They all looked at Jiang Yi expectantly.

Jiang Yi said, "Brothers, let's get to work!"

The group of people decided to do it right away.

Old Han tuned the drums, Little Fatty connected the wires, and Jiang Yi printed out several copies of the score, giving one to each person.

The studio owner was a retired rock musician who knew them well. When he heard that Su Fan had written a new song, he threw them the keys without saying a word and said, "Do whatever you want, just don't set the place on fire."

Rehearsals start at 9 p.m.

After the first reading, everyone felt something was wrong; it was too clean, too formal, and lacked that certain vibe.

So Jiang Yi raised the pitch of the chorus by one notch, Lao Han added a roll to the drumbeats, and Xiao Pang changed the bass line from the root note to a glissando, and started over.

The second time, I got the mood right, but the rhythm felt off.

On the third try, the rhythm was steady, but Jiang Yi felt his throat was a little tight.

Fourth time, fifth time, sixth time...

They were like they were under a spell, polishing it again and again.

If you get sleepy, lie down on the ground and take a nap. When you wake up, continue.

The next morning, as dawn broke, they recorded the first version.

Several people gathered around the monitor speakers and listened to it once. Jiang Yi shook his head: "No, the transition in the last part is too harsh. I'll practice it some more."

The second version was released the following evening.

Everyone listened again.

Little Fatty said, "The bass could have another layer of distortion added during the chorus."

After the third version was recorded, Lao Han said, "The drums in the bridge section can be played more openly."

……

The group revised and recorded the video repeatedly.

On the third day at noon, the group of people were disheveled, with dark circles under their eyes, and the studio floor was littered with cigarette butts and empty mineral water bottles.

Finally, they recorded what they considered to be the perfect version.

Jiang Yi turned the volume of the monitor speakers up to the maximum, and the group sat side by side on the pile of old blankets, listening to the entire song.

After the last note faded, there was a few seconds of silence.

Old Han was the first to stand up. He didn't say anything, but just let out a long breath.

Jiang Yi saved the file and named it with three words: Final Version.

He sent the file to Su Fan with a message: "Brother Fan, it's recorded. Listen to it, and if you're not satisfied, we can do it again."

Su Fan had no idea they were fighting so hard.

At this moment, he was sitting on a small stool by the reservoir, his fishing rod resting on a stand. The sun was warming his back. He squinted, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, and leisurely fished.

Just then, his phone vibrated; it was an audio file sent by Jiang Yi.

Su Fan clicked on it, and as soon as the intro started, a desolate feeling rushed over him.

After listening to it once, he smiled and typed, "Very nice, thank you for your hard work!"

After casting the line, he flicked the fishing rod into the water again.

In the studio on the outskirts of Beijing, Jiang Yi and his group breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Su Fan's reply.

Su Fan then forwarded the audio file to Ma Yuesong.

Ma Yuesong was organizing materials in the opera association's office when he received the document and immediately clicked to play it.

He frowned slightly upon hearing the first sentence; it wasn't Su Fan's voice.

To be honest, he was a little disappointed.

What he was looking forward to was Su Fan's voice, the kind that could sing opera, Peking opera, rock and folk songs.

But soon, that feeling was replaced by the song.

After listening to the song, Ma Yuesong picked up his phone and dialed Su Fan's number.

As soon as the call connected, Ma Yuesong excitedly said, "Xiao Fan, I've listened to the song. The lyrics, music, and singing are all fantastic. Thank you, thank you so much."

"Mr. Ma, as long as you're satisfied!"

"Satisfied, satisfied, very satisfied." After saying that, Ma Yuesong changed the subject, "By the way, I discussed it with the association and we applied for a special fund of 500,000 yuan. This money is not to buy your copyright, but to thank you for creating such a song for our opera industry. It's not much, but it is also our small token of appreciation."

Su Fan didn't hesitate and laughed, "Mr. Ma, then I'll accept your offer without hesitation."

Ma Yuesong laughed, and then added seriously, "Xiao Fan, if the opera association needs any help in the future, just ask. I can't guarantee anything else, but in the opera circle, my words still carry some weight."

"Okay, Mr. Ma, I'm relieved to hear that."

……

Su Fan hung up the phone, put it back in his pocket, and continued to stare at the buoy on the water's surface.

After hanging up the phone, Ma Yuesong immediately arranged for someone to update a message on the official Weibo account of the Chinese Opera Association.

"A song of joy and sorrow, singing of the entire history of the Peking Opera; half a lifetime in the limelight, who can understand the taste within?"

"The song 'Life in the Opera,' with lyrics and music by Mr. Su Fan and vocals by Mr. Jiang Yi, is officially released today."

"This song doesn't sing about emperors and generals, nor about talented scholars and beautiful women; it sings about the opera performers who practice their skills day after day and persevere year after year behind the stage."

"Thank you, Mr. Su Fan, for using the strength of rock and roll to support the flesh and blood of traditional opera, allowing this ancient art to be revitalized in the rhythm of the new era."

"Thank you, Mr. Jiang Yi, for using your passionate voice to sing the stories that have been told for hundreds and thousands of years on and off the stage."

"This song is dedicated to every opera performer who has persevered or is currently dedicated to their craft. Your facial makeup is a color that this era should never forget!"

……

The news immediately caused an uproar in the comments section.

After a period of operation, the official Weibo account of the Chinese Opera Association has gained a significant number of followers.

"Here it comes! Su Fan has finally written another song! I've been waiting for months!"

"《The Life of a Performer》? Is this Peking Opera singing or traditional Chinese opera? Su Fan is really going all out to promote this national treasure!"

"What? It's not Su Fan singing it, it's Jiang Yi! I have to go listen to this and see if he's worthy of Su Fan's lyrics and music!"

"Su Fan, can you increase your output a bit? You only release one song every few months! My playlist is practically worn out!"

……

Su Fan's main task during this period was fishing.

The basic infrastructure of Mawei Post Station is already stable. There's no worry about tourists staying, and shops will have plenty of business.

Pan Lei and the village officials were busy with various tasks every day.

On the travel platform, he poached a technical director who had left a large company. His surname was Song, he was in his thirties, quick-witted, and very motivated.

Su Fan explained the functional requirements clearly, and then left the rest to him and his team to do.

Su Fan would only occasionally go to the city office to check on the progress, sign a few documents, and then stroll back to continue fishing.

He didn't need to worry about the tavern at all; Zhao Jie managed everything inside and out perfectly.

He would just stroll over every few nights, and if he felt like it, he would go up and sing a song.

Su Fan spent the rest of the time fishing.

In his own words, "This is what life is all about!"