A song from Chengdu revived a closed-down pub.

The release of "Life on the Stage" has once again caused a stir in the rock music scene.

However, this enthusiasm is also mixed with some discordant voices.

Some people scoff at Su Fan, thinking that someone who has never seriously sung a few rock songs deserves to be so highly regarded in this industry.

There were many who disagreed, but the most conspicuous of them all was a veteran rocker named Wang Feng.

Wang Feng is considered a veteran in the domestic rock scene. He was active in the underground scene in the 1990s and released several well-received albums in the 2000s.

Although he hasn't been particularly successful over the years, his status in the industry remains undeniable.

He shouldn't have challenged Su Fan, but fate played a cruel trick on him.

A few months ago, he released his new song, which he had been meticulously working on for a whole year, just as Su Fan's "Don't Bother Me" was released.

The result can be imagined.

Su Fan stole all the spotlight.

Although he wouldn't admit it, he knew in his heart that "Don't Bother Me" was indeed better than his song.

It may be strong, but it's also unpleasant.

He had been holding this in for a while.

Then, he wrote another song.

As it turned out, it coincided with the opening of Mawei Post Station.

A rock version of "Dingjun Mountain" buried him in the mud once again.

Then, he stopped releasing songs and began to study diligently.

In the past few months, he has locked himself in his studio, turned down all performances, and devoted himself to creating art.

After discarding over a dozen versions of lyrics and revising the arrangement countless times, he finally crafted a piece that satisfied him.

He felt confident this time.

Just to be on the safe side, he even registered a new account and left a message on Su Fan's Weibo: "Su Daxian, do you have any plans to release a song recently?"

I waited for three days, but there was no reply.

He observed for another half month. Su Fan's Weibo account was mostly filled with reposts of Mawei Post Station's promotional materials and photos of him fishing. He seemed very relaxed and didn't appear to be preparing any big move.

Wang Feng breathed a sigh of relief and muttered to himself, "It can't be such a coincidence every time, can it?!"

So he chose an auspicious day and uploaded his new song to the platform.

Before posting, he specifically refreshed Su Fan's Weibo several times.

There was no movement.

He took a deep breath and pressed the publish button.

The song has been released.

He stared at the screen, refreshing, refreshing, and refreshing again.

The number of reposts is increasing, the number of comments is increasing, and everything seems normal.

His anxiety subsided somewhat.

But just then, his right eyelid suddenly twitched.

One jump, two jumps, three jumps, making him feel annoyed.

He rubbed his eyelids, trying to reassure himself: "Left eye twitching means good fortune, right eye twitching means bad luck. No, that's superstition. Right eyelid twitching means good luck is coming! Yes, good luck is coming."

His phone vibrated as soon as he finished speaking.

It wasn't a phone call, it was a push notification.

The official Weibo account of the Chinese Opera Association posted a message.

He clicked on it and his pupils contracted sharply.

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

Wang Feng's hand holding the phone began to tremble.

He suddenly stood up and refreshed Su Fan's Weibo again, but there was still no response.

The number of reposts and comments under the message from the Chinese Opera Association is increasing at a visible rate.

"No!"

He looked up at the sky and roared.

Then, he slumped back into his chair, staring at the official Weibo message on the screen, his lips trembling a few times, unable to utter a single word.

But soon, a sliver of hope arose in his mind.

"If this song is really that good, why doesn't Su Fan sing it himself? Why does he have to give it to someone else? This means that this song might not be as amazing as I thought; maybe it's even worse than mine!"

"Yes, that must be it!"

Wang Feng clenched his fist, stared at the link under the official Weibo post, hesitated for a moment, and then clicked on it.

The page redirects, and the player loads.

As the intro begins, the distorted tone of the electric guitar, like a rusty knife, slowly pierces out from the amplifier.

Immediately afterwards, the high-pitched notes of the jinghu (a two-stringed bowed instrument used in Peking Opera)

desolate.

Desolate and fierce.

It's like someone standing on an empty stage, facing a hall full of nothingness, and drawing out the first note.

Wang Feng leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"All that fancy stuff, trying to fool people with just a jinghu (a two-stringed bowed instrument used in Peking Opera)?"

At this moment, the drumbeats cut in, and Jiang Yi's voice appeared, rough and hoarse.

"The toys of our ancestors have been passed down to this day"

"It has all the roles of male, female, painted-face, old man, and clown."

……

Wang Feng tapped his finger on the armrest.

He felt that this was saying that traditional opera was an old relic.

In addition, he disliked listening to operas since he was a child because he found them too noisy.

However, when Jiang Yi sang those words, it didn't sound awkward at all.

The rhythm is rock, but the lyrics and melody have a touch of opera.

The cold smile still lingered on Wang Feng's lips.

But his brows were already slightly furrowed.

"The painted faces of the characters are varied and diverse"

The fight scenes performed by martial arts actors are the most exciting.

……

Upon hearing this, a scene suddenly flashed through Wang Feng's mind.

When he was a child, during the Spring Festival, the village would set up a stage for opera performances. He would squeeze into the crowd and crane his neck to watch. On stage, a martial arts actor would do a series of somersaults and land without moving an inch.

He thought at the time, "This guy is really something."

Later, he learned guitar and thought playing guitar solos was also awesome.

At this moment, the erhu and electric guitar intertwine, as if they are fighting, or as if they are shaking hands.

Wang Feng's fingers unconsciously began to tap along with the drumbeats.

It wasn't that he wanted to; he just didn't realize it himself.

"The ancient rap has a rhythm and structure"

The intonation and rhythm are integrated into it

The flowing sleeves of the blue-clad woman resembled a fairy descending to earth.

The Joker's skills are the most comprehensive.

……

Wang Feng used to dislike listening to opera, thinking it was something only old men and women listened to.

At that moment, he suddenly realized that he had previously underestimated traditional opera.

That's a rhythm that's been going on for hundreds of years, a beat that's been going through generations.

At this point, the drumbeats become more intense, and the erhu (a two-stringed bowed instrument used in Peking opera) and electric guitar intertwine.

Jiang Yi's voice came through.

"Ah ah"

Ah ah

……

There are no lyrics, just chanting.

But that tune has a thousand flavors.

"How many tears you shed, how much sweat you produce"

How much heartache and how many sighs

Day after day, year after year

Thousands of stories are sung within it.

……

Day after day, year after year.

Wang Feng leaned back in his chair, looking up at the fluorescent light on the ceiling.

He reflected on his life over the past few decades: how many albums had he released? How many songs had he sung? How many performances had he participated in?

There are too many to count.

Every story is hidden in a song.

Some of them were understood by others.

Some remain forever at the bottom of the sea.

But so what?

He's still singing.

As long as the singing continues, the story is not over.

As the last note faded, the erhu finished its song, but the electric guitar's lingering notes still hummed in the air.

He didn't turn off the player or play it again; he just sat there quietly.

He recalled how he had registered a fake account to rummage through Su Fan's Weibo posts.

I remember comforting myself by thinking that my right eyelid twitching meant good luck was coming.

I remember the hopeful feeling I had when I clicked on this song.

"Overestimating one's abilities."

It wasn't a criticism of Su Fan, but rather a comment about himself.

This is yet another song that he has to admire.

He never imagined that rock and roll could be played like this.