Lu Zhixian stared at those five words for two seconds, put down his water glass, and wasn't particularly surprised.

Lin Shiya had already warned him; this guy was famous for his foul temper.

He thought about it and wasn't in a hurry to send another message to explain anything.

Accepting the friend request in a second, then rejecting the cooperation in another.

What did this mean?

It meant Zhou Yang didn't recognize who he was at all, likely mistaking him for just another idol artist coming to his door.

Lu Zhixian leaned back in his chair, pondering whether to send another message or wait a couple of days to get in touch.

Before he could decide, his phone lit up on its own.

Zhou Yang sent a voice message.

He tapped it, and a powerful male voice boomed out.

"Holy crap! Lu Zhixian?! The Lu Zhixian who sang 'airport 10:30'?!"

Immediately after, another text message arrived.

"Bro, wait a sec. I misread it just now. I thought it was another idol kid using their manager's phone to add me. I get seven or eight of those a day—it's become a reflex."

Then a third message.

"I accepted your friend request after just a glance. I didn't look closely at the name, I was just focused on turning you down. My bad, my bad."

A fourth message.

"Teacher Lu, can we start over? Just treat that 'Not interested, no appointments' from earlier as me talking out of my ass."

Lu Zhixian looked at the rapid-fire messages on the screen and almost laughed out loud.

In less than three minutes, his attitude had done a complete 180-degree turn.

The contrast was simply too great.

He replied: "It's fine, I understand. So, can we meet up now?"

Zhou Yang replied almost instantly.

"Yes! We must! Name the time and place, I'll be there whenever."

He followed up with: "To be honest, I just finished listening to your album a couple of days ago."

"How should I put it? I've been in this industry for nearly twenty years and seen all kinds of singers, but your voice and arrangement skills really left me stunned."

"I've listened to it over twenty times, constantly wondering who on earth arranged this."

After reading it, Lu Zhixian replied with two words: "You flatter me."

Zhou Yang had clearly opened up now, sending several more messages in a row.

"It's not flattery, it's the honest truth."

"Do you know why I reject those idol singers? It's not that I'm being pretentious, it's just that I really can't stand their stuff. I have this quirk: if something doesn't pass my musical standards, I can't do it no matter how much money is offered. I'd feel miserable the moment I stepped on stage."

"But you're different."

"I can actually listen to your songs."

Lu Zhixian didn't type fast, replying to them one by one.

"That's perfect then. I have a project I'd like to discuss with you. Are you free tomorrow? In Yanjing."

"I'm free! I'm already in Yanjing. Send me an address, and I'll come over tomorrow morning."

Lu Zhixian sent the studio's address.

Zhou Yang replied "Got it," then added: "By the way, Teacher Lu, if I may ask, what's the nature of this collaboration? A commercial performance? Or a recording?"

"A concert."

"My solo concert. I need a full live band."

This time, Zhou Yang didn't reply instantly.

After about half a minute, a voice message popped up.

Lu Zhixian tapped it.

"A full live band? You mean the kind without any backing tracks?"

"Yes."

Another period of silence.

Then Zhou Yang sent a text.

"Let's talk tomorrow. I need to discuss this with you in person; it's hard to explain over text."

"Alright."

Lu Zhixian locked his phone and placed it on the table.

Settled.

At least the first step was settled.

He stood up, stretched, walked over to the whiteboard, and checked off the "Band" column.

At ten o'clock the next morning, the studio doorbell rang.

Xiao Liu went to open the door and returned with someone following behind.

Lu Zhixian looked up.

Zhou Yang was younger than he had imagined.

He looked about thirty-five or thirty-six, with a buzz cut and a deep tan. He wore a faded band tour T-shirt, jeans with frayed knees, and canvas shoes.

He looked lean and capable, walking with a sense of purpose.

After entering, Zhou Yang's gaze first swept around the studio.

The place wasn't large, but it was fully equipped.

Several guitars were in the corner, and the walls were covered with rehearsal notes and draft setlists.

Venue information and budget spreadsheets were scattered across the desk.

"Not bad, looks like a place where work gets done," Zhou Yang remarked.

Lu Zhixian stood up from his chair, walked over, and extended his hand.

"Teacher Zhou Yang, it's an honor."

"Don't call me 'Teacher.' Just call me Old Zhou, or just use my name." Zhou Yang shook his hand with significant strength.

"Being called 'Teacher' makes me feel uncomfortable all over."

"Alright, Old Zhou it is." Lu Zhixian pulled out a chair for him to sit in and pressed a button on the coffee machine.

"What would you like to drink? An Americano or a latte?"

"Plain water is fine. I don't drink those fancy things."

Xiao Liu quickly poured a glass of water and brought it over.

Zhou Yang took it, downed a gulp, and cut straight to the point.

"I thought about what you said last night all night—the concert with a full live band."

"And what did you conclude?"

"Two things. First, you've got guts. Second, if this actually happens, it'll be freaking awesome."

Zhou Yang set the glass down on the table with a thud.

"Do you know why I've been in this industry for nearly ten years and haven't switched careers? It's because I've been waiting for an opportunity like this."

"For a singer to stand up and say, 'I don't want backing tracks, I don't want support, I just want everything live.'"

"I've waited for many years. People have come to me one after another, but not a single one dared to make that request."

Lu Zhixian poured himself a glass of water and sat opposite him.

"Well, someone has now."

"That's why I'm here." Zhou Yang leaned forward slightly. "But there are a few things I need to say upfront."

"Go ahead."

"I can put together a band that can handle a full live performance. I have a group of old buddies I've worked with for years. You can trust their skill level; they're top-tier in the country."

Lu Zhixian listened while noting down names in his phone's memo app.

"What about strings? I have a few songs that need a string arrangement."

"Strings are a bit special and hard to include in a permanent band." Zhou Yang shook his head.

"But we can hire a small string section—four to six people—specifically for the tracks that need them. They can step off and rest during the other songs."

"That works. It's a reasonable plan."

Zhou Yang nodded and continued.

"I can call all these people in. Basically, if I ask, they won't refuse. But..."

He paused.

"But what?"

"But there's a prerequisite."

Zhou Yang leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I need to hear you sing live first."

The studio fell silent for a moment.

"I'll be straight with you, no beating around the bush." Zhou Yang's expression was serious.

"I've heard your songs online. With things that come out of a recording studio, no one can say for sure how much was post-processed or how much support was added."

"I also saw the video of Lin Shiya's concert yesterday. You did sing well. But to be honest, that was someone else's show. You just went up and sang two songs; your condition was bound to be at its peak."

"But if it's your own concert—two and a half hours, singing fifteen to twenty songs non-stop—can your voice hold up?"

"So, I accept your proposal. But as for my people, I have to be responsible for them."

Having said all this, he was being very candid.

Any other young singer would feel somewhat uncomfortable being questioned so bluntly.

But Lu Zhixian didn't.

He actually felt quite refreshed.

Because this just proved Zhou Yang was a reliable person. He didn't look at fame or popularity; he only cared if your actual skill level was up to par.

Working with someone like this would be hassle-free.

"No problem." Lu Zhixian put down his water glass.

"Name the time and place, and I'll be there whenever."

Zhou Yang was stunned for a moment.

He had expected the other party to try and save face or make excuses, but the man had agreed in five seconds. He was so straightforward he didn't seem like someone from the entertainment industry.

"...Aren't you going to ask how I plan to test you?"

"No need to ask." Lu Zhixian leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head.

"You're the professional; you decide the test. Singing, dancing, doing somersaults—anything is fine, as long as you don't make me do math problems."

Zhou Yang held it in for two seconds before losing it and bursting into laughter.

"You're quite an interesting person."

He stood up, paced around the studio a bit, saw the guitars in the corner, walked over, crouched down, and casually picked up an acoustic guitar to pluck a few strings.

"The intonation is good. It's well-maintained."

"That's my livelihood, so of course I have to take good care of it."

Zhou Yang put the guitar back.

"How about this: the day after tomorrow in the afternoon. I have a rehearsal room over by the Drum Tower; it's big enough and fully equipped. Come over, and I'll call Chenzi and Lao Duan as well. The few of us will have a session together first."

"No need to make it too formal; just treat it like hanging out with friends. Pick a few songs from your album and sing them live so I can hear your actual state."

"If it works out..."

Zhou Yang extended his right hand.

"Then I'll take the job, and the band will be entirely on me. I guarantee I'll put together a lineup that will satisfy you."

Lu Zhixian stood up and shook his hand.

"What time the day after tomorrow?"

"Two o'clock. I'll send the address to your WeChat."

"Deal."

The two shook hands firmly and both smiled.

Before leaving, Zhou Yang looked back at the whiteboard on the studio wall.

"Full live band, no backing tracks."

"No guests, one person carrying the whole show, two and a half hours."

He shook his head and muttered under his breath.

"Truly a madman."

After the door closed, Xiao Liu leaned in toward Lu Zhixian and lowered his voice.

"Boss, he said he's going to test you, and you just agreed like that? What if he's not satisfied then?"

"Then it means I'm not good enough, and I'll just have to practice more."

Lu Zhixian erased the checkmark in the "Band" column on the whiteboard and changed it to a question mark.

"However..."

He snapped his fingers.

"When have I ever let anyone down?"

Xiao Liu thought about it; it seemed he really hadn't.

Lu Zhixian picked up his phone, scrolled to his chat history with Zhou Yang, and sent a line of text.

"By the way, Old Zhou, do I need to bring my own instrument to the rehearsal room the day after tomorrow?"

A few seconds later, the other side replied.

"You play an instrument?"

Lu Zhixian smiled and replied with three words.

"A little bit."