Chapter 117: Killed Them All!

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After many twists and turns, Li Shuai and the others finally obtained Cheng Chen's album.

Looking at the cover of the album—Cheng Chen standing on the Great Wall in a long robe—the group was overwhelmed with excitement.

Gao Ya had also been among the crowds racing to buy the album, but she searched every corner of Nancheng.

There was no way to get it except paying a high price from others.

Just as Gao Ya hesitated whether to ask her parents for money to buy Cheng Chen's new album at a high price, a boy appeared before her.

"Gao Ya, this—this is for you."

The boy was Liu Qi, who, through Li Shuai's cousin, had finally bought one album from the city.

He had originally planned to buy two, but was told it was simply impossible.

The entire city has gone mad for it; no one knows how to get even one.

Li Shuai's cousin managed to snatch four through his girlfriend's connections, but no more were available.

"Oh! Cheng Chen's new album… that Liu… Liu Qi? Where did you get this?"

Gao Ya stared in astonishment at the album Liu Qi handed her and asked excitedly.

"Hehe, this… you don't need to ask. It's an authentic Cheng Chen album—I'm giving it to you."

Liu Qi scratched his head; seeing his goddess so happy, his heart felt as sweet as honey.

He glanced back at his buddies hiding around the corner, secretly watching him, and gave them a silent thumbs-up!

"This…"

Gao Ya's expression twisted in conflict; she stood frozen for a long time before reluctantly pushing the album back.

"Liu Qi, Cheng Chen's album is hard to get—it's too valuable. I can't accept it."

"No, please don't!"

Liu Qi panicked; this was nothing like what he had imagined.

She should have blushed and accepted the album, then repaid him by treating him to a clay pot meal.

He would then generously pay for it himself, then take her for a bubble tea at the school side stall…

This whole sequence, rehearsed over and over in his mind, would leave a strong impression and naturally bring them closer…

Pursuing a girl requires patience—these were the scenarios Liu Qi had practiced dozens of times in his head.

But now, even his first step—giving the album—was blocked. What hope was left for the future?

Gao Ya kept refusing, while Liu Qi kept pushing the album into her arms; from afar, they looked like they were fighting.

At the critical moment, Li Shuai stepped in. He walked up to Gao Ya with his buddies and said:

"Gao Ya, since Liu Qi put so much thought into this, how about this—you buy the album from him at the original price?"

"If you still feel guilty, invite us all to your place to watch the album together. You have a DVD player, right?"

"Hey, guy, how can you let a girl pay…"

Hearing Li Shuai's words, Liu Qi panicked and blurted out—then immediately shut up under Li Shuai's glare.

"Hmm… okay, fine. That's best. I'll buy the album."

"I'll invite everyone to my place to watch it—I'll also call Wang Lili and Sun Qiangwei to come over."

Gao Ya took the album and smiled at everyone.

Hearing the names Wang Lili and Sun Qiangwei, Li Shuai and his buddies' faces flushed red.

Those were all famous beauties in their class!

"Let's go! Gao Ya, lead the way!"

The group hopped on their bicycles and followed behind Gao Ya's.

Only Liu Qi remained troubled—why did they have to take Gao Ya's money?

What if she thought I was cheap?

Li Shuai even suggested going to her house—so many people going over would dirty it, and Gao Ya would be the one cleaning up alone.

Ugh, why add extra burden to my Miss Gao!

…

Meanwhile, many people in Nancheng who had gotten Cheng Chen's album were opening their DVDs at home.

"Hey, isn't that the young guy who performed on the Spring Festival Gala this year?"

An elder in the house, watching the youngsters fiddle with the new gadget, saw Cheng Chen on TV and said:

"Grandma, do you know him?"

"Of course I do—he's from the same hometown as us. I even held him when he was a baby."

"Really?!!!"

The grandchildren stared in delight, turned away from the TV, and tugged at their grandmother's arms, begging her to tell stories about Cheng Chen's childhood.

"That kid Cheng Chen was mischievous since he was little…"

The elder's stories poured out, while the grandchildren listened quietly.

In the elder's telling, Cheng Chen was unlike other children.

He set fire to wheat stacks, swam across the Huai He to watch movies on the other side, kissed his female classmates in early romance, smoked and drank with local hoodlums…

Each story was vividly told, as if the elder had been there watching every act.

But in truth, elders didn't remember such distant events—they just said whatever came to mind.

Cheng Chen's embarrassing tales kept coming—described in one word: a life of wild freedom…

The kids loved hearing them; whether the protagonist was really Cheng Chen…

Well, it's just to make the kids happy!

……

"The sky's azure waits for misty rain, while I wait for you."

Smoke curls upward, a thousand miles across the river.

On the bottle's base, I write Han clerical script, evoking the elegance of bygone dynasties.

Consider this the foreshadowing of our meeting…"

Cheng Chen's hoarse voice drifted from the TV; in the MV, he wore ancient attire, fighting on screen, while the female lead was kidnapped by villains…

"Hey, isn't that Zhou Zhiruo?"

"Song Qingshu and Zhou Zhiruo—hahaha! I never thought the two of them wouldn't end up together in The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, but now they've gotten their happy ending in the MV!"

"This song is so beautiful—is this what guofeng music is? The sky's azure waits for misty rain, while I wait for you…"

"The lyrics are incredible! The melody is so catchy—Cheng Chen is awesome!"

……

"I've searched for you a thousand times, from sunrise to twilight."

"Through the vast river of life, I drift alone."

"I've searched for you a thousand times, through another year of flourishing and withering."

"But you're never there, where the lanterns dim…"

Amid the languid sway of the rhythm, Cheng Chen's voice drifted softly.

"Aaaah, I'm completely in love with this relaxed, soothing mid-tempo R&B beat—what terrifying production skill! I declare, 'A Thousand Times' is my favorite song!"

A music enthusiast picked up his guitar and, after listening to "A Thousand Times," immediately began playing it on the spot.

But after repeating the melody countless times, he still couldn't capture its essence, so he kept listening to the song, and kept playing it again and again…

……

"The color of moonlight, a woman's fragrance."

"Tears break the sword, love runs deep."

"How much pain? No words to say—I've forgotten you."

"A lonely soul drifts with the wind."

"Who laughs at the foolish lover?"

"This battlefield of mortal dust."

"With a thousand troops and ten thousand horses—who can claim the throne…"

……

In a street dance club, a group of dancers sat on the floor after finishing their practice.

The TV played Cheng Chen's MV; the female owner sat with her legs crossed, utterly entranced.

Cheng Chen's little face is so handsome!

"Jiang Jie, I heard Cheng Chen's album is impossible to get—how did you even manage to get one?"

"I got it through a friend's connections."

Jiang Jie stared fixedly at the TV screen, speaking casually.

"Guofeng really took off because of Cheng Chen, but his whole album is just guofeng—probably all very traditional elements."

"There aren't any songs with strong beats—if there were, we could use his music as background for our dance practices."

The dancer sighed.

But his words had barely left his lips when the TV switched songs—and immediately, a powerful beat blared out.

The dancer froze mid-turn, then spun back, staring at the TV in disbelief.

"If Hua Tuo were reborn, even worship of the West would be cured."

"Foreigners come to learn Chinese characters, igniting our national consciousness."

"Maqianzi, Juemingzi, Cang'erzi, and lotus seeds."

"Huangyaozi, Kudouzi, Chuanlianzi—I want my dignity…"

On a late-night street, Cheng Chen walked wearing a baseball cap and hip-hop attire, radiating a cool, rap-style vibe.

"'Bencao Gangmu'? Damn—it's Cheng Chen's new song? This can be guofeng too…?"

The TV blared a beat so intense the dancer's body involuntarily began swaying to the rhythm.

He stared, dumbfounded, at Cheng Chen in the MV—what kind of monster is this?

He fused guofeng with rap so naturally—and it's so addictive!

"A Zhe, did you hear his lyrics? He's got guts—'If Hua Tuo were reborn, even worship of the West would be cured'—no wonder he's the man trying to stand alone against K-pop… so cool!"

Jiang Jie crossed her black silk-clad long legs, smiling as she watched Cheng Chen's handsome face on screen.

A Zhe's gaze slowly drifted away from the TV screen…

"Bencao Gangmu" meant nothing next to black silk!

……

"The clamor of glory fades into the monastic door, breaking the hearts of mortals."

"Dreams grow cold, a lifetime of turning—how many debts of love remain?"

"As you silently accept, life and death await."

"Waiting through one circle, then another ring of years…"

On screen, Cheng Chen wore armor, gripping a long spear—a majestic, handsome general.

Behind him marched his troops, entering the city on horseback amid the cheers and adoration of the people.

At one moment, he locked eyes with the daughter of a wealthy merchant; she lowered her head and smiled—a delicate, enchanting smile that stirred longing in the heart.

The love between a general and a lady of a prominent family was subtle yet profound, deeply sweet.

But the sweeter it was up front, the sharper the blade behind.

Cheng Chen enlisted to fight, enduring countless battles on the battlefield; at night, while healing and applying medicine, his heart was filled only with thoughts of the magistrate's daughter.

The young lady also missed Cheng Chen day and night, often standing on the city wall, gazing northward.

Seasons turned, time flew by, and Cheng Chen never returned.

The young lady remained unmarried her whole life, finally passing away with boundless regret.

Before her death, she seemed to see that proud, armored man galloping toward her on horseback…

At the end of the MV, Cheng Chen returned to the city, and someone told him the young lady had been waiting for him all along.

And Cheng Chen, his temples gray, his body bent, built a hut beside her grave to stay with her forever…

"This is so moving—love back then was truly admirable."

"Why didn't the general come back sooner? She endured scorn and waited for you her whole life…"

Gao Ya watched the TV, weeping uncontrollably.

Several girls beside her also burst into tears; the plot of "Blue and White Porcelain" had already drawn tears from everyone.

Now, the story of "Fading Fireworks" was even more tragic and sorrowful; the boys standing nearby didn't cry out loud, but their eyes turned red.

…

"Huayu Wanjiang" has truly gone viral!

Unlike when his first two albums were released, Cheng Chen felt little this time.

Not only was Tianhai Records closely monitoring it, countless fans were eagerly awaiting it.

Even related media kept calling Tianhai Records to inquire about the situation.

Knowing the album's importance, Wang Tianxiao boldly stocked 2 million copies nationwide and in parts of Asia.

Of course, Tianhai Records alone couldn't have mustered such power.

After all, Tianhai was a newly risen giant, incomparable in distribution channels and influence to the established veteran giants.

So Tianhai partnered with Warner, whom they had secretly contacted beforehand, to fully cover every channel.

But Wang Tianxiao and Warner still underestimated Cheng Chen's influence.

Take Yang City, Cheng Chen's hometown, as an example: shortly after the album launched, every copy was sold out.

No album could be found anywhere in the entire city; even first-tier cities briefly ran out of stock.

Cheng Chen and "Huayu Wanjiang" swept across China and the entire Asia with unstoppable momentum.

When Tianhai Records announced the first-week sales figures, everyone was stunned.

660,000!

What did 660,000 mean? That number shattered the record of the Chinese-language music industry!

And this record would remain unbroken for years to come.

Of course, except for Cheng Chen himself!

Everyone was stunned; the media all described the phenomenon as a "miracle."

"The Miracle Unfolds—Huayu Is Unstoppable!"

"Cheng Chen Really Did It—660,000 Sales in the First Week, Even Heavenly Kings and Queens Couldn't Do It!"

"Huayu Is Always the Coolest!"

"Huayu" was like a wind—wherever it blew, there were Cheng Chen's fans; wherever it blew, everyone sang in the Chinese style!

…

Cheng Chen's phone was flooded with calls and messages of congratulations.

At this moment, Cheng Chen was no longer as calm as when his first two albums were released.

Come on—he broke a record!

Before releasing this album, he had been anxious, worried, and uncertain.

But when the final results came in, the heavy stone in his heart finally dropped.

660,000 in the first week; surpassing one million in the first month was a foregone conclusion.

What did surpassing one million in the first month mean? It was a achievement that even some Heavenly Kings and Queens needed more than half a year to reach—never mind a full year.

It was a feat some second- or third-tier singers could never accomplish in their entire lives.

Cheng Chen achieved it in just one month!

No wonder other singers avoided releasing new albums when Cheng Chen did.

If they didn't avoid it, they'd be utterly destroyed.

Meanwhile, the internet exploded; the comment section of Cheng Chen's blog refreshed like a waterfall.

"Boss's new album is amazing—highly recommended!"

"You teased us so long—the songs and MVs were absolutely brilliant."

"Boss is on fire! Huayu can't be stopped!"

Whenever Cheng Chen had major news, Huaxia Blog always led the charge.

What could you do? It was his endorsed platform.

Despite countless upgrades by Huaxia Blog's fans, the server had been improved repeatedly.

But it still couldn't withstand the fans' uncontainable passion.

Amid the general manager Li Zhenyu's curses, Huaxia Blog crashed again… again… and again…