Chapter 19

 Chapter 19: Song Title - "Let's Be Honest, I'm a Tycoon"

"Got money, no need to check price tags

"Got money, I want to be a VIP

"Big-chested girls playing kissy-kissy with me

"Open a bottle of champagne, everyone does what I want, yeah"

Li Zihan was bouncing and jumping on stage.

This song is called "I Got Money," it's a rap song, and the lyrics are mainly about flaunting wealth in various ways. It may not have the highest lyrical depth, but it's quite well-known in the rap circle.

The small auditorium wasn't very large, but the sound system was powerful, and even if you blocked your ears, you couldn't escape the overpowering music.

Lu Zhixing could only silently endure, feeling tortured.

Though he respected all forms of music on a rational level, emotionally, he found it challenging to appreciate or accept this kind of vulgar rap with nonsensical lyrics.

However, after listening to a couple of lines, Lu Zhixing understood why Li Zihan had managed to bump Liu Bo out of his spot.

Li Zihan's vocal range was decent, hitting all the high notes when necessary. Moreover, the song itself and his energetic performance style aligned well with the format of talent shows, which could certainly earn him points during auditions.

Furthermore, Li Zihan seemed like the kind of person who knew how to play the game. Whether it was vote manipulation or climbing the charts, he could genuinely bring in viewers and revenue to the show.

As for someone like Liu Bo, although he might sound better to the average person and play the guitar well, from a capital perspective, he neither wanted to sign a contract with a talent agency nor had the ability to generate fan-driven financial support. Clearly, when compared to Li Zihan, his "value" was much lower.

Soon, Li Zihan finished his performance.

He struck a pose on stage, followed by exaggerated panting, and after a while, he reluctantly stepped down from the stage.

There was scattered applause from the audience.

"These folks are all uncultured, don't know how to appreciate. I sing and dance so well, but not many people applaud," Li Zihan muttered under his breath.

Lu Zhixing could only facepalm silently, unsure of what to say.

It seemed that the students at Jinghai University generally had a decent level of taste when it came to music, and they hadn't been completely swayed by the saturation of talent shows.

At this moment, Lu Zhixing suddenly had an idea. He decided to exchange for a song in the in-game store using his points, with the limited type set as "song" and the keyword being "money."

Lu Zhixing felt that Li Zihan's rap song, despite being related to money, was overly vulgar. In fact, nearly all the rap songs he had heard that were about money had some issues with their lyrics, to varying degrees.

It could be attributed to the culture within that circle.

So, Lu Zhixing wondered what kind of song he would get if he exchanged for one related to "money" from the points store.

【Exchange Successful!】

As the game's system notification appeared, Lu Zhixing saw the "Exchange for Random Artistic Work" section refresh, and the purchase points had increased from 50 to 60 points.

"Does it get more expensive with each purchase? Well, it seems I can't escape the money-draining tactics of gacha games."

The increasing cost of in-game items was a common tactic in many games. Although Lu Zhixing felt a bit annoyed, he didn't have the spare energy to dwell on these matters because the melody and lyrics of a song were echoing in his mind, becoming clearer by the moment.

First the chorus, then the main verses, and finally the details of the lyrics and arrangement...

In short, the entire process was like creating a song himself, but much faster.

Song Title: "Let's Be Honest, I'm a Tycoon."

"This..."

Lu Zhixing was a bit stunned because the melody that flashed in his mind seemed somewhat inclined towards a catchy pop song, with a humorous and light-hearted singing style.

As for the lyrics, they appeared to be a bit nonsensical upon first hearing.

At first listen, it was difficult to associate this song with "A Classic by the System."

Of course, there was an advantage in that it was easy to sing.

Lu Zhixing now had the "Campus Superstar" identity as a sub-skill, enhancing his musical knowledge and singing abilities, among others.

Moreover, this song wasn't particularly challenging, and the melody was quite simple. It was a piece of cake for him, even easier than breathing.

Originally, Lu Zhixing had thought about spending some more points to exchange for another song, but with the increased price, he didn't have enough points left.

"Well, let's go with this one. It's just for fun, and as long as I can participate in the college welcome party with Liu Bo, someone should appreciate it."

……

The organizers from the Game Design College, Zhang Yiyang and Yan Wei, watched as Li Zihan left the stage, their expressions mixed.

Zhang Yiyang's expression was somewhat strained, "Can I say that this song is really not that great..."

Yan Wei sighed, "There's no choice. This is the popular style nowadays, brought up by 'University Talent Show' in the past few years. You might not like the song, but on stage, this kind of music with singing and dancing is popular. Not everyone can perform it like that."

"I envy the Music Department a bit," Yan Wei continued. "Regardless of whether this Li Zihan's song is good or not, our college can't even find someone at his level."

After a few more performances that were quite ordinary and didn't generate much competition, they were finally up to Liu Bo.

Most of these acts were claimed by their respective colleges, except for a few outstanding performances that caused some competition. Generally, most acts ended up being produced and performed by the originating college.

Of course, there were also some low-quality performances that even the originating college didn't want. In such cases, they would be put on hold and only used to fill gaps if the college later realized they didn't have enough acts, or they might be adapted by older students for future performances.

After watching several unimpressive acts that made everyone a bit drowsy, Liu Bo took the stage, and suddenly, everyone's attention was captivated.

Liu Bo held his guitar and performed a folk song, immediately attracting interest from several colleges other than the Music Department.

His goal was clear from the start, and he confidently chose to perform for his own college, the Game Design College.

This bidirectional dedication excited Zhang Yiyang and Yan Wei. They felt a surge of pride, and even their voices grew louder as they spoke.

Once Liu Bo finished his performance and left the stage, it was Lu Zhixing's turn.

The two passed each other, and Lu Zhixing casually took hold of Liu Bo's guitar.

"Can I borrow your guitar?"

"Eh? Lu, you know how to play the guitar?" Liu Bo was puzzled. While he often played the guitar in their dormitory, Lu Zhixing had never shown any interest, so Liu Bo assumed he knew nothing about it. Now, suddenly asking to take his guitar on stage was quite surprising.

Arriving on the stage, Lu Zhixing gave a brief self-introduction.

Except for Zhang Yiyang and Yan Wei, not many people paid attention to him, which was expected. For most second-year students trying to recruit talents, besides the exceptional students from specialized colleges like the Music Department, Dance Department, and Drama Department, only those from their own college were worth paying attention to.

The Game Design College was originally a relatively weak college, so having someone like Liu Bo was already quite rare. It wasn't common to get two SSRs (Super Super Rare) in a row.

Perhaps because it was close to dinner time, many in the audience began to lose focus and started absentmindedly checking their phones.

Lu Zhixing didn't mind. He adjusted the microphone's height slightly, lightly strummed the guitar strings to make sure everything was in order, and then spoke into the microphone.

"This song is called...

"'Let's Be Honest, I'm a Tycoon.'"

……

Upon hearing the song title, many people in the audience began to whisper and discuss quietly.

"Hmm, I've never heard of this song title before."

"Is it a niche song?"

"Singing a niche song is quite risky; it takes courage."

"Wait, I can't find it on any music apps! Could it be... an original song?"

Initially, many thought it was a niche song, which was already surprising enough for this occasion. After all, in such settings, it's usually best to sing popular songs that the audience knows because unfamiliar songs might not have the desired impact.

Familiar songs allow performers to showcase their vocal skills better. However, upon searching, they found that this was not a niche song at all—it couldn't be found anywhere online.

It was an original song!

Now, things got interesting.

Singing an original song in this context required a lot of courage. What kind of decent original song could a student come up with? If it didn't sound good, it could only harm their performance, making it difficult to showcase their singing abilities. This was a high-risk move.

So, alongside their curiosity, the audience also had some concerns about this young performer.

Zhang Yiyang and Yan Wei were even more nervous because they were hoping that the Game Design College could produce some talented individuals. This would reduce the pressure on them when arranging the program schedule.

Accompanied by the cheerful sound of the guitar, Lu Zhixing opened his mouth in a very relaxed manner.

"Although I've just turned seventeen this year,

"But it's already too late for me to strive,

"Because a windfall fell from the sky and hit my head,

"Inheriting a huge fortune,

"I initially wanted to live a normal life and get along with you all,

"But it led to estrangement.

"Since it's come to this, I might as well come clean,

"I'm actually very wealthy!"

Many in the audience couldn't help but burst into laughter. The lyrics were surprisingly narrative, and they resonated well with the audience.

Lu Zhixing's enunciation was very clear. Even without subtitles, everyone could easily understand what he was singing:

A rich second-generation at just seventeen, seemingly trying to interact with people as an ordinary person, but facing estrangement from those around him. So, after inheriting a vast fortune, he decides to reveal the truth: he's actually wealthy!

Although the melody of the lyrics didn't initially sound particularly special and had a hint of a catchy pop song, it was deceptively catchy. Most people could naturally start humming along as soon as they caught onto the melody.

The "rich second-generation" theme made many people subconsciously look forward to what would come next.

"A wealthy person's life is tasteless,

"Becoming so simple,

"Eating, drinking, having fun as much as I can,

"But still can't spend it all,

"I want egg pancakes with instant noodles,

"Add two cloves of garlic,

"I want a big bowl of ramen with wide noodles and extra meat,

"One bowl after another!"