Chapter 25: The Ballad of a Drifter

This music room can only be described with four words: grand and magnificent.

It resembles a miniature concert venue, with a round audition stage, and open space around it for the band to surround. If a song is to be recorded, the band accompanies live, right beside the singer. The advantage of live accompaniment is that it allows the singer to feel the charm of the music in real time, resulting in recordings that possess a natural, seamless brilliance, and giving listeners the strange sensation of being at a live concert.

Of course, ordinary people cannot handle such a high-end, prestigious music room. For it truly responds to strength with strength, and to weakness with weakness: it makes skilled performers sound even more perfect, while those lacking ability are left exposed and flustered. Thus, this music room is also known as the Diva’s Exclusive Music Room.

Enough digression.

...

“Hurry and send someone to call the band to prepare… Oh, never mind, don’t bother. Just give him a guitar, let him play and sing himself—it’ll save time!”

Hehe...

Old Bull’s temperament remains as impatient as ever.

Ren Qian followed the group at a leisurely pace, with the nurse beside him full of anticipation. Ren Qian had been teasing her, keeping secrets, making her bite her silver teeth in frustration, and now her little hand clung to his waist, occasionally pinching him.

“Wow, all the big-name producers are here today—is something earthshaking about to happen?!”

“Could it be that the company chairman has come? But these old-timers never give even the chairman any respect.”

“Perhaps a music industry legend has appeared, an artist from the era of the God of Song.”

Along the way, a multitude of employees who had no idea what was happening discussed excitedly, while Ren Qian, the ‘old legend,’ suddenly became mysterious and elusive, quietly spreading his reputation through Rolling Poetry Entertainment.

“Is a guitar enough for you?” Old Bull stared intently at Ren Qian, who didn’t dare refuse, obediently accepting the guitar, grabbing a stool, and crossing his legs.

The song he was about to perform was Sam Hui’s “Heart of a Vagabond,” which begins with an exquisitely expressive guitar prelude. Using a guitar would not seem out of place.

Speaking of Sam Hui, one must elaborate at length. Sam Hui was the first generation God of Song, and the first to insert Cantonese lyrics into pop music. Before the 1970s, Hong Kong’s mainstream was Western English songs and Mandarin songs mainly from Taiwan, while local Cantonese pop was considered vulgar. In 1971, Sam Hui, a top graduate from Hong Kong University, boldly embraced the vernacular, creating songs in Cantonese that reflected social realities and satirized current issues. Once his works gained public acceptance, Cantonese pop flourished in Hong Kong’s music scene.

It is no exaggeration to say that the trend of Cantonese pop was started by him. Later singers like Alan Tam, Leslie Cheung, Tat Ming Pair, and Beyond respectfully called him “Superstar of Hong Kong Music,” “Founder of Hong Kong Pop.” His classic “Heart of a Vagabond” remains timeless; even today, listening to it brings wisdom that lasts a lifetime, unbound by the era.

...

As the gentle prelude flowed through the Diva’s Exclusive Music Room, the old-timers sat up straight as if standing at attention—this posture helped them maintain peak sensitivity to notes and melodies, afraid that any careless move might cause them to miss a single note.

The guitar’s sound spiraled softly, the melody carrying a broad-minded grandeur and a Zen-like charm that transcended worldly cares.

‘Hard to distinguish truth from lies,
Faces hide deceit and guile,
Few share glory side by side,
Eaves drip water, no divide.’

As Ren Qian opened his mouth to sing, the veteran artists, producers, and even those renowned lyricists who had spent half their lives writing words fell silent, holding their breath.

The opening lines—‘Hard to distinguish truth from lies, faces hide deceit and guile’—seem understated, but only those who have struggled through society for years can truly feel their depth.

The world bustles for profit; people gather for gain, and disperse for loss. Even couples or siblings can turn into enemies. The word “profit” is the shroud of all living beings; wherever there are people, it exists...

Everyone listening was elderly, having lived through hardships and already grasped the ways of the world. Hearing these words, their faces grew solemn, and at that moment, they marked their first impression of the song—full marks. A song that stirs the soul, is it not a good song?

‘Ignorant frog in the well,
Hopes in vain for fame to swell,
Empty pride, eyes everywhere,
Who knows a golden house turns bare?’

The satire here is self-evident, but it also serves as a warning: fame is always external, wealth may bring anxiety, and true enjoyment of life does not depend on riches.

‘Empty pride, eyes everywhere’ paints a vivid picture.

‘Who knows a golden house turns bare’ carries a sense of historical change and loss.

Yet, life is cruel and unpredictable—moon waxes and wanes, fortunes reverse in an instant: bankruptcy, exposure, disaster...

So within the satire, the God of Song, with a broad and open voice, sings the wisdom of living in the moment.

The listeners’ faces were lost in reverie; though some lyrics were unclear, music itself is never blocked by language. The melody and the singer’s emotions alone enable a spiritual communion.

‘What is meant to be, will be,
What is not, don’t force it,
Thunder, wind, and rain may strike,
Why fear and shudder?
A just heart, flawless as jade,
Doing good is the greatest joy.’

This stanza is the essence of the whole song—a timeless saying, gently spoken. It thoroughly explains the chorus’s philosophy of living in the moment, and weaves in life lessons that benefit one forever.

There is no unnecessary lament, no affectation; the words are meaningful and heartfelt, stirring the strings of the soul and moving people to tears.

The diction is not ornate, but the entire song subtly combines the elegance of ancient poetry and music with the simplicity of folk tunes, achieving an effect where “wherever there is water to drink, people can sing these lyrics.” This is why it touches people more deeply than those widely circulated pseudo-classical songs.

At the end of the verse, the light whistle that follows is especially delightful—ethereal and childlike, bringing a smile.

‘What is meant to be, will be,
What is not, don’t force it,
People are as numerous as grains of sand,
No need for endless worries,
Can you see the vast sunset sky?
Fame and fortune fade like mist,
Can you see the vast sunset sky?
Fame and fortune fade like mist.’

As the song ended, Ren Qian lifted his head and glanced around; the audience had not yet emerged from the song’s Zen-like mood.

Others found his performance stunning, but he himself was not satisfied. He was simply too young, and his youthful voice lacked the weight of experience. No matter how delicately he polished his vocal cords, there was still an element of technicality.

Ren Qian bowed his head and silently reflected on the flaws in his singing.

A moment later, thunderous applause erupted, filling the small music room.

“Truly, a hero in youth—this interpretation, this feeling, this aura is flawless!”

“To be honest, if you keep this level of talent active in the music scene for three to five years, the title of Superstar will be yours without effort!”

Well...

It turned out they hadn’t noticed the subtle flaws at all.

“Son-in-law, are you really going to give me this song? I think it would be perfect for your album in the wager with Wan Feng. This song is a classic, it’s more than enough to be the lead single!”

Lin Ruowan asked, knowing about the bet. He didn’t wish to take away even a bit of his son-in-law’s resources, for with this song as a highlight, Ren Qian’s album sales would surely rise to another level!