Chapter 8
Guyu Studio has numerous vacant rooms. They've rented a three-story building to use as their workspace. The office areas are mostly located on the first and second floors, while the third floor serves as accommodation for the employees.
Unfortunately, as the most recent addition to the company, Su Jinli was not assigned a desirable room. Rumor has it that there's also a basement, but it only has a small room that is usually cluttered with miscellaneous items.
The studio had already planned to train artists beforehand and had made an area plan, so some rooms were left vacant for the artists' training.
The staircase is located in the middle of the building. On the left side of the second floor is the music department, while on the right side are the remaining empty rooms. Hou Yong's office is also located on this side.
The dance studio required more time for renovation because it involved knocking down walls and combining two rooms.
However, the renovation took several months to complete due to the studio's insufficient funds. It is rumored that the studio refused to hire laborers to remove the rubble after knocking down walls, and instead, employees had to do the heavy lifting.
After a considerable amount of time, the room was finally renovated and today, the mirrors are being installed.
Hou Yong had requested mirrors for the entire classroom.
Unfortunately, the studio only approved mirrors for one wall. Hou Yong reluctantly agreed, but also applied for a sound system.
Not long after, the music department moved in an old one.
Hou Yong was so angry when he saw the equipment in the dance studio that he started banging his head against the wall.
Brother De couldn't help but point out, "The white paint in this room was applied later. Initially, we planned to install mirrors but the white paint chosen wasn't very good. You're breaking off the plaster by banging like that."
"I'm just worried about our Little Koi."
"Don't worry, everything will be fine. Jinli is a natural-born talent."
Hou Yong felt a little better after hearing what Dege had to say.
Dege had also worked at Huasen before and had a good perspective on things. He knew that Su Jinli's current level might make it difficult for him to rank among the top few, but it shouldn't be difficult for him to make it to the next round of auditions.
In addition, Su Jinli was attractive and had a good presence. As long as he appeared on camera often enough, he had a good chance of receiving a lot of online votes.
This is the era where appearance reigns supreme.
The man who came to install the mirrors was in his thirties, with a sturdy and muscular build and an unkind facial expression. He also had a beard, giving off a sense of being a masculine man.
Unfortunately, his shabby clothes didn't make him look very handsome.
Hou Yong told him which wall needed the mirrors installed, and then saw the worker take off his jacket, revealing only an old shirt. His figure became even more prominent, and he had flower tattoos that covered both of his arms.
Hou Yong was a bit hesitant and didn't dare to command the worker, so he hurriedly left.
When Su Jinli returned to the studio, he heard that mirrors were being installed and eagerly went to the dance studio. When he arrived, two mirrors had already been installed and the worker was now installing another.
After looking around, Su Jinli took the initiative to ask the worker, "Big brother, can I play some music?"
"Sure, do as you please," the worker replied, wiping the sweat from his forehead and continuing his work.
He found his accompanying music, stood in front of the mirror, and followed the rhythm of the music. In no time, he began to dance along with the music.
Compared to other dancers, his physical fitness was a little worse. However, he had exercised regularly when he was on the mountain and had practiced martial arts since childhood, so learning to dance wasn't that difficult for him.
After following the training for more than four months, he could already dance the entire routine.
The worker glanced back at Su Jinli a few times before quickly continuing his work.
After installing another mirror, the worker came over to the previously installed mirrors and looked up, noticing that the mirror was a little slanted. He pressed it with his hand and stepped back a few steps, sensing that something was wrong.
Suddenly, at that moment, the mirror collapsed and fell towards Su Jinli's position.
The worker didn't hesitate and quickly moved in front of Su Jinli, raising his arm to block the falling mirror. The mirror hit his arm and shattered into pieces.
Su Jinli was also startled and his first reaction was to check if the worker was okay.
The worker's arm was not injured, but the mirror shattered when it hit his arm and fell onto his ankle and foot. He was wearing flip-flops and got a cut.
Hou Yong heard the sound and quickly ran over. He was frightened when he saw the scene and asked Su Jinli, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. The worker helped me block it," Su Jinli replied.
Hou Yong breathed a sigh of relief but still looked at the worker.
Being protective of Su Jinli, Hou Yong lost his nerves when he was almost in danger and asked in a demanding tone, "How did you install the mirror? Who will take responsibility if someone gets hurt in the future?"
The worker was originally looking at his own feet, but when he was asked, he immediately pointed to the wall and said, "Take a look at your company's wall. It's a shoddy construction. After nailing it in, it can't be fixed at all. The cement surface has even come loose, and you bought the worst quality mirrors."
Hou Yong was speechless. He had also seen the condition of the wall.
"Yong Ge, don't talk about that. Big brother is injured," Su Jinli supported the worker and took him to his own room.
He took out Yunnan Baiyao and sprinkled it on the worker's wound, then proceeded to simply bandage it with gauze.
"After I take care of your wound, there aren't many supplies here. You should go to the hospital after you leave." Su Jinli instructed after finishing bandaging the worker's wound.
"It's just a minor injury, I'm fine," the worker replied.
The installation of the mirrors stopped and negotiations began.
The people from Guyu Studio went to inspect the scene, and the mirror manufacturer was also in consultations to figure out who was responsible for the incident.
The worker limped out of Su Jinli's room and went to the stairs to smoke, occasionally calling the manufacturer's leader to explain the situation.
When Su Jinli went downstairs, she happened to hear the worker saying, "I discovered problems with the wall, but I still continued with the installation. It's my fault for not consulting with them earlier, but should I bear the loss? I only get 40 yuan commission for installing these few mirrors... You also know my family situation, my mother needs money for treatment... Hmm, hmm..."
When the worker turned around, he saw Su Jinli and immediately walked in another direction.
At first, Su Jinli thought he was avoiding him on purpose so he wouldn't hear his phone call, so he felt a little embarrassed.
As a result, Su Jinli saw the worker go to the trash can and pinch a half-smoked cigarette, then come back and hang up the phone.
"Are you okay?" the worker asked.
"I'm fine."
"Are you the star of this company? A singer? You look good," the worker said.
"I haven't debuted yet," Su Jinli replied.
"I see your company doesn't even have a smoking room. Next time you encounter a smoker, stay away. Second-hand smoke is not good for your singing voice," the worker advised.
Su Jinli looked at the worker and hesitated for a moment before asking, "Big brother, are you facing any difficulties?"
After hearing this, the worker seemed to feel a bit embarrassed about losing face, but didn't hide anything and quickly laughed, "Both sides are responsible for this matter. I also made mistakes. If it weren't for the fact that I am really tight on money, I wouldn't want to make a big deal out of it."
Su Jinli nodded and took out the card that Yura gave him from his pocket, and handed it to the worker, "Big brother, there are hundreds of thousand in this card. If you really need money, just take it."
The worker was stunned by Su Jinli's move and thought he was joking, immediately shaking his hand and saying, "It's not necessary. We don't even know each other. How can you lend me money?"
"If you hadn't helped me just now, I would have been the one injured. I have a competition coming up soon, and if I get hurt, it will probably delay everything," Su Jinli said.
"I don't think you need to give me money for that," the worker replied.
"I'm lending it to you, and you have to pay me back. You need to solve your urgent problem first, and then pay me back later," Su Jinli said seriously.
The worker was confused by Su Jinli's offer and laughed awkwardly, saying, "I've never encountered something like this before. How can you trust me to really pay you back if I take your money? If I run away with your money, you won't be able to find me."
Su Jinli is different from children who have grown up in this society for a long time. He still believes that there are more good people than bad people.
Moreover, he doesn't blindly trust anyone.
He is a fish spirit who can see through a person's soul.
The soul of this worker is very pure, just like Yura, Xiao Mi, and Hou Yong. In his eyes, he is a kind person.
If the worker had not instinctively helped him block the mirrors, had not avoided smoking around him, and had not admitted his own mistake, he probably would not have done this.
If he has the ability to help someone, then he should do it. For a spirit, this is also accumulating virtue and accumulating Dao.
Becoming a fish spirit is originally an act against the natural order.
Upon entering the mortal world and desiring to enjoy its pleasures, one must also make efforts to help others in order to thrive.
Everything follows the law of cause and effect. By doing good today, one will reap more benefits in the future.
He firmly believes that there is still more positive energy in the world.
The worker's smile slowly faded, and he looked at Su Jinli seriously. After hesitating for a moment, he walked over to Su Jinli and tried to take the card, but was caught in a state of indecision.
However, in the end, he took the card and said to Su Jinli, "Let's add each other on WeChat."
"Okay, sure."
"They all call me Haozi, you can call me Hao Ge since you're not much younger than me," he said.
Su Jinli added Hao Ge's WeChat account and immediately heard him speak in a choked tone: "Actually, I have a lot of buddies, but I'm too proud to ask them for help. My mom always taught me to be a good person and not to hang out with them. It wasn't until my mom got sick that I finally listened and found a job to do, but...working properly is really damn tiring..."
Su Jinli raised his hand and rubbed Hao Ge's head, "Kind people will have good luck."
Hao Ge was almost instantly moved, took a step back, and avoided it, saying, "Don't give me that, it's weirdly cheesy..."
Su Jinli saw that his blessing only succeeded halfway, and didn't insist anymore.
In the end, Guyu Studio and the manufacturer each bore half of the losses, while the manufacturer and Hao Ge each bore a quarter. This matter was considered resolved.
The other mirrors were also removed and placed aside, and they dared not continue to put them up.
The studio plans to find someone to reinforce the wall after a while.
Since Su Jinli had nowhere to practice, he put on a pair of sports earphones and went to the first floor to practice in front of the glass door of the conference room.
The large glass could reflect some outlines, although the details were not clear, it was enough to see the movements.
Occasionally, other colleagues would walk past and not forget to show Su Jinli a thumbs-up, expressing their praise for him.
Su Jinli would also give them a big smile in return.
Privately, everyone says that Su Jinli is a warm-hearted man because seeing his smile makes their hearts warm and fuzzy.
On the fifth day, Hao Ge came to Guyu Studio again, bringing a card for Su Jinli and giving him an IOU with a red handprint, very bold and with several lines of words that seemed like a decoration.
Hao Ge said, "I took a total of 97,000 yuan, paid off the hospital debt, and I can earn the rest myself. Keep the IOU, and when I pay it all back, just tear it up."
"Okay, got it."
As the time for the reality show approached, Su Jinli became increasingly diligent and would wake up at 5 a.m. every day.
After an hour of meditation and breathing exercises, he would start his day of practice and rest in his room by 10 p.m.
His daily routine was all learned from his grandfather, so it was a traditional health regimen. He had gotten used to receiving daily transfers from Hao Ge, ranging from 80 to 240 yuan, which were his daily commissions and paid out daily. It's been said that he also has a fixed monthly salary, which he uses to support himself.
Before the competition, Hao Ge invited Su Jinli and Hou Yong to go out for skewers.
In Hao Ge's life, roadside stalls, small barbecues, and a box of beer were his way of entertaining guests, and as long as he had a little drink, he could chat with you all night long.
"Home is where the heart is."
"I'm all ears, just tell me what you need."
Su Jinli had never drunk beer before, and only found it to be an interesting-tasting beverage. He drank for a while but didn't feel drunk.
He found it amusing to listen to Hao Ge boast and use creative language, finding his words to be quite novel.
Hou Yong couldn't handle his alcohol, and after drinking two bottles, he began to cry while hugging his bottle and lamenting his hardships.
They sat by the roadside and ate for a while. People around them didn't dare to speak loudly because Hao Ge got carried away and rolled up his sleeves all the way to his shoulders, revealing his tattooed arms, which was quite intimidating.
Even though Su Jinli looked friendly, he couldn't save Hao Ge's dangerous aura.
Hao Ge felt like he had met his match when he ran into Su Jinli.
The two of them drank together, with one person drinking half a case. Hao Ge was starting to feel a little overwhelmed, but Su Jinli just smiled and looked at them. Hao Ge had no choice but to admit defeat.
Actually, six bottles weren't Hao Ge's limit, but if he drank more, he would get dizzy. He was afraid that Su Jinli would pay the bill and then not be able to take care of his mom when he got home.
Su Jinli felt a bit embarrassed, so he pointed to the place where people were singing on the open-air square across from them and said, "Hao Ge, let me sing you a song to cheer you up."
At the open-air square, someone had set up a sound system where for twenty yuan, anyone could sing a song in public. If they sang well, the surrounding audience would even give them some tips, which could potentially cover the cost.
Su Jinli went there and looked through the song list on the computer. He found that they were all old songs, and he had only heard a few of them before.
So he chose one of them, "Stubborn" by Mayday.
As soon as he started singing, he attracted a lot of people around him.
When everyone looked over and saw the appearance of the singing teenager, they became even more crazy. Good-looking and with a beautiful voice, this singing scene was captivating.
"...I hold onto my last stubbornness with clenched hands, never letting go,
Even if the next stop is not heaven, I cannot despair.
I sing loudly with my proud stubbornness in the wind,
This time I'll go crazy for myself, just this time, me and my stubbornness..."
While eating earlier, a few girls stole glances at Su Jinli and thought he was handsome.
When Su Jinli went to choose a song, they secretly recorded him with their phones.
When they noticed others recording as well, they became bolder in their actions.
People in front of Su Jinli started giving him money, from one yuan coins to later, fifty or one hundred yuan bills.
The money in the small box grew and there were even screams.
"You say only those burnt by fire can bring about a phoenix."
Against the wind is the right direction to fly,
I'm not afraid of millions of people blocking me, I'm afraid of surrendering to myself..."
Hao Ge was originally still teasing, but after carefully savoring the lyrics and hearing Su Jinli's emotional singing, even a person who cared about his reputation like him was infected.
Unable to hold back, he covered his eyes and cried.
Hou Yong was already crying before, and now he cried even harder, and said, "Hao Ge, isn't our little Jinli's singing good?"
"It's good, like a superstar, he really deserves to be my little brother." Hao Ge wiped away his tears and followed suit by blowing hard.
After singing a song with deep affection, Su Jinli was about to leave when the stall owner stopped him and told him he could take the money. Su Jinli was surprised as he didn't know about this rule. People around them were also shouting for another song. Su Jinli just smiled at them but didn't agree, saying "Wait a minute."
He then went to a nearby shop with the money and soon came out with two cases of soda, saying "I'll treat you all to soda." Everyone rushed over and took the sodas.
A few girls who were caught on camera couldn't get any drinks, so they mustered up the courage to talk to Su Jinli. They spoke in a coquettish tone and said, "Hey handsome, we didn't get any drinks!"
Su Jinli felt a bit embarrassed and asked, "Shall I buy you another bottle?"
"No need, can you let me pinch your cheek?" they replied.
"Huh?" Why would they want to pinch his cheek?
Su Jinli was caught off guard when a girl pinched his cheek and then ran away with two other girls. He stood there stunned and didn't react for a while.
Hao Ge noticed and shouted, "Hey, you've been flirted with by a girl!"
Su Jinli finally snapped back to reality, feeling a bit embarrassed as he covered his face and shyly smiled.
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