Chapter Six: An Unexpected Million-Dollar Windfall, a Beauty’s Thrilled Embrace

Yan Fei did not offer any explanation. Looking at Eason, he smiled faintly and said, "Eason, give me a guitar."

Hearing this, Eason immediately waved to the backstage staff to bring over a guitar. He handed it to Yan Fei and said with a smile, "We now hand the stage over to Yan Fei. I look forward to this fan bringing us a brand-new song."

Amidst the anticipation of several hundred fans, Yan Fei wore a smile, showing no trace of stage fright. In his sixteen years as a "sea king" (a serial heartbreaker), this little scene was nothing.

He gently strummed the strings, and a beautiful melody flowed out. A captivating voice began to sing: "Laughter and cheers, heating up the atmosphere while my heart remains cold."

As Yan Fei sang, the incredibly beautiful melody reached the ears of the hundreds of fans. The entire bar fell silent instantly; all the fans held their breath, listening intently to the song.

"I don't sing heart-wrenching love songs,
It doesn't mean I don't have moments of heartbreak.
I never lay my wounds bare to be slaughtered,
So no one knows the setbacks within me once they heal.
Living like a lonely patient, constantly struggling with myself,
What’s wrong with being an extroverted, lonely patient?
The louder I laugh, the crueler it feels,
The room grows colder as it fills with body heat.
If the lights go out and emptiness bothers me,
I cannot call out, 'Wait a moment.'
You say you love me, but you keep saying,
That I shouldn't be huddled in a corner,
Even planning an escape is wrong,
You even plunder my right to be fragile."

Offstage, Liu Suxin stared at Yan Fei in shock, a sense of intense curiosity rising in her eyes. She could tell that this song was in Eason’s style, but it was not among his repertoire, nor had she ever heard it online. This meant that Yan Fei had written the lyrics and music himself, which astonished Liu Suxin even more. She had not expected Yan Fei to possess such talent.

Zhao Qun and Zhang Zhigao watched Yan Fei on stage, acting so naturally and singing such a high-quality song—most likely one he had composed himself. Thinking of this, their expressions turned extremely ugly. They had wanted to watch Yan Fei make a fool of himself, but instead, they had been slapped in the face by his successful display of talent.

In the main hall of the bar, hundreds of fans listened to the beautiful song and exclaimed, "It’s so good! My ears are pregnant!"

"Yes, the mood is so profound!" a young girl said, acting like a fan-girl. "He looks so handsome when he sings seriously; I want to bear his children."

"Wow! Look, you guys, this song isn't even online!" A girl wearing a Lolita princess dress waved her phone in front of her friends.

Upon hearing this, the girls immediately took out their phones to search for "Lonely Patient," and realizing it truly didn't exist, they looked at Yan Fei on stage with expressions of pure adoration.

As more and more fans realized this might be a new song created by Yan Fei himself, they looked at him with worshipful eyes, taking out their phones to record and prepare to post their discovery online.

On stage, Yan Fei sang the final line, strummed the strings, and let the trailing note fade. A look of desolation appeared on his face. Although his sixteen years as a "sea king" had been spectacular, that sense of extreme loneliness had haunted him for sixteen years, which was why he could capture the essence of "Lonely Patient" so perfectly.

The hundreds of fans looked at the loneliness and desolation on Yan Fei's face and were involuntarily drawn into the mood of the song, feeling his inner solitude.

The Lolita girl clasped her hands together and whispered to herself, "He is so lonely. I really want to hug him and comfort him."

"Yes!" another girl said with a look of pity. "He is so sorrowful. I really want to give him a hug."

At the edge of the stage, Liu Suxin looked at Yan Fei’s lonely expression and felt a surge of pity. She was curious about why Yan Fei was so lonely and sad, and she wanted to hug him to offer comfort.

On stage, after Yan Fei stopped, Eason walked to his side, opened his arms for a hug, and whispered, "Brother, are you okay?"

Yan Fei shook his head, stepped out of his loneliness, and smiled at Eason, "I'm fine. Eason, thank you for your concern."

Eason smiled, turned to the fans, and said loudly, "Yan Fei performed this 'Lonely Patient' so well. That extreme loneliness and desolation made us feel as if we were there; it was truly wonderful. Shall we ask Yan Fei about the story behind the creation of this song?"

"Yes!" the hundreds of fans shouted and screamed excitedly.

Seeing this, Eason looked at Yan Fei with a smile and said happily, "Look how enthusiastic the fans are. Tell us about the creative process and satisfy my curiosity too!"

Yan Fei smiled and replied, "Of course, but this song is actually a song for you to perform in the future, Eason."

Eason was taken aback and laughed, "You really are humorous. If it’s not convenient to say, never mind."

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Yan Fei had no choice but to make up a sad story about the song's creation to satisfy the curiosity of Eason and the fans. After hearing his story, the fans' admiration and pity for Yan Fei grew even deeper, earning him a large group of new fans.

After stepping off the stage, Yan Fei looked at Liu Suxin, who was staring at him, and asked curiously, "Junior, is there something on my face? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Liu Suxin shook her head and said softly, "No. You have a story on your face. Every time I think I understand you, I see another side of you that surprises me. You are like a riddle, impossible to figure out."

Yan Fei moved slightly closer and whispered, "Junior, that’s dangerous. Curiosity will make you fall in love with me, and that's a dangerous thing!"

"Really?" Liu Suxin feigned terror and said with a smile, "Then I'm so scared!"

Not far away, Zhang Zhigao watched their intimate interaction, gnashing his teeth in anger. His hands were clenched so tightly they creaked; he wished he could tear Yan Fei into pieces.

As time passed, the activities on stage soon ended. Eason returned to the backstage, and the stage turned into a DJ booth. Some fans left to go home, while others continued to drink and spend time in the bar.

Liu Suxin stood up and said, "Eason's event is over; let's go back too."

Seeing this, Zhang Zhigao said anxiously, "Suxin, let's play a little longer. Our dice game isn't over yet; we can't let Yan Fei walk away after winning so many times."

"Boring!" Liu Suxin said, turning and walking toward the exit. Yan Fei followed her. Zhang Zhigao wanted to step forward to block Yan Fei, but Zhao Qun grabbed him and whispered, "Don't be impulsive. There will be another chance later."

Zhang Zhigao stared at Yan Fei’s back, clenching his fists in hatred. Watching him leave the booth, a feeling of extreme frustration welled up in his heart.

Not long after Liu Suxin and Yan Fei left, a woman who looked like a young married lady ran toward them. Seeing Yan Fei, she said happily, "Mr. Yan, please wait. Eason wants to talk to you. Could you hold on for a moment? Eason is currently dealing with the bar owner backstage."

Yan Fei immediately replied, "Of course. If it's convenient for Eason, we can go directly backstage. It's too noisy here; it's not suitable for talking."

The woman said joyfully, "It is convenient. Thank you, Mr. Yan, please follow me."

Yan Fei nodded, turned to Liu Suxin, and said with a smile, "Junior, if you're not busy, let's go together. I'll help you get an autographed photo from Eason."

Liu Suxin was delighted. She followed Yan Fei backstage and saw that Eason had finished his business. They immediately followed the woman over.

Seeing Yan Fei, Eason wore a happy smile. He walked over quickly, hugged Yan Fei, and said, "Great! I was afraid you had left."

Yan Fei laughed, "Haha, how could I? I haven't gotten your autograph yet, Eason!"

"Easy, easy!" Eason said happily. "I'll sign a bunch for you."

The woman brought over a camera that produced instant photos and took several group photos of Eason, Yan Fei, and Liu Suxin, as well as individual photos of them together.

After the photos were developed, Eason signed all dozen or so pictures and gave them to Liu Suxin and Yan Fei. Liu Suxin was thrilled; she took Yan Fei's hand and hopped on her toes.

After signing the photos, Eason looked at Yan Fei with a serious expression and said in a low voice, "Brother, I have a request. That 'Lonely Patient' fits my style perfectly. I would like to buy the rights. I wonder if that’s possible."

Yan Fei fell silent. The woman nearby immediately spoke up, "Mr. Yan, we are willing to offer one million for the permanent buyout of all copyrights."

Hearing this price, Yan Fei was shocked. Generally, the price for a good song was about 300,000 to 500,000, and even a top-tier one wouldn't exceed one million. Although these prices were usually for ten-year rights, permanent rights wouldn't be much more expensive.

Seeing Yan Fei still silent, Eason's expression grew anxious. The woman added, "Mr. Yan, if you think one million is too little, we can offer 1.5 million. This price is definitely high in the market, and we will keep the names of the lyricist and composer."

Hearing the woman’s urgent and sincere tone, Yan Fei finally realized the situation. He looked at Eason and smiled, "You two misunderstood. I was just thinking about how to handle it; I don't intend to sell this song."

Eason and the woman were disappointed, their faces showing dejection. Eason felt that if he had this song, he could win another award and revive his declining popularity.

Yan Fei looked at Eason's dejected expression and smiled, "Eason, I won't sell the song, but I can gift it!"

"Ah!" Eason was shocked and looked at Yan Fei, uncertainly, "Brother, you mean... you want to..."

"Yes!" Yan Fei said seriously. "Eason, just as you thought, I want to give this song to you."

Eason, the woman, and Liu Suxin were all shocked, especially Liu Suxin. She knew that Yan Fei had only a few hundred dollars to his name and had just borrowed 100,000 from Professor Chen An the day before yesterday.

"Senior Yan!" Liu Suxin looked at Yan Fei and said earnestly, "That's 1.5 million! Aren't you in desperate need of money?"

Eason also said, "Brother Yan, this is too valuable. If you don't want money for it, I can't accept it."

Yan Fei smiled helplessly, "Eason, how about this? I won't give it away for free. Lend me one million, interest-free, for one month. Let's not talk about the rest."

Eason felt embarrassed but wanted the song so badly that he nodded seriously, "Brother, thank you. From now on, you are a friend of mine."

Soon, the woman drafted a gift agreement. Yan Fei signed his name with a flourish, then took a blank piece of paper and wrote an IOU for one million, handing it to the woman.

Eason and the woman walked Yan Fei to the door of the bar and waved goodbye. Watching Yan Fei’s receding back, Eason said, "Brother Yan is truly a good person, and so talented. By the way, where is the IOU?"

The woman handed the IOU to Eason. After receiving it, Eason tore it up directly, not intending to ask Yan Fei for the repayment. The woman nodded in silent approval.

After leaving the bar, Yan Fei sat in the passenger seat while Liu Suxin drove. Her eyes kept glancing at him with curiosity. She couldn't understand how someone who couldn't pull together 1,000 dollars could remain completely unmoved by 1.5 million, as if money meant nothing to him.

Before long, the Ferrari stopped at the entrance of the residential complex where Yan Fei rented an apartment. Yan Fei got out and smiled at Liu Suxin, "Thank you. I'm home. If you have any new questions in the future, feel free to find me."

Liu Suxin nodded and drove away. Yan Fei watched the Ferrari disappear, feeling a bit excited. He was very grateful to Liu Suxin.

If Liu Suxin hadn't taken him to the bar today, it would have taken him a month to accumulate this one million in funds, which would have delayed his future business plans. With this million, some things could be set in motion ahead of schedule.

Back home, Yan Fei took a cold shower to wash off the smell of alcohol. He began to recall the major commercial and financial events of the Blue Star in 2009, analyzing them against the events on Earth to find corresponding money-making opportunities.

An hour later, looking at the paper filled with major commercial and financial events of 2009, he began to search online for similar events on Earth.

Soon, Yan Fei saw a news report about the strengthening of the U.S. economic index. Clicking on it, he immediately concluded that the U.S. was emerging from the 2008 financial crisis; industrial consumption would inevitably increase rapidly, and the corresponding demand for crude oil would also rise.

Currently, U.S. and Arab oil producers had significantly reduced extraction efforts since the financial crisis. Given the severity of the crisis, production would not recover quickly. Therefore, the price of international crude oil futures was bound to rise in the short term.