Huayu 1995

Chapter 123 A Wanderer in the Martial World (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
After a whole afternoon of fussing, Su Chao still went to a karaoke bar in the evening.

Unfortunately, the album can't be converted into cash anytime soon.

Even middlemen can't rush things.

The news of writing a song for the princess also needs time to spread.

These days, without the internet, things are basically spread by word of mouth.

Karaoke bars are still the most profitable businesses right now.

However, Su Chao does not plan to release any more new songs in karaoke bars.

"Goodbye" and "The Moon Caused the Trouble" are enough to conquer a karaoke bar, and occasionally singing the Cantonese version of "It's All Your Fault" is simply an unexpected delight.

There are only so many customers, and their spending power is limited.

If you spoil them too much, they'll be harder to manage later.

"I've called you several times, why haven't you answered?"

Yan Siyuan's tone was like that of a wronged woman.

I... miss you.

"Brother, don't be like this. Don't you know what's wrong with my pager? I suspect you're the one who leaked my pager number."

Su Chao turned the tables and accused Su Chao.

"How could that be? You have no idea how many women have thrown themselves at you and record companies have tried to poach you with huge sums of money."

Yan Siyuan wished that he was the only one who knew Su Chao's contact information.

"Ahem, anyone wanting to throw themselves into my arms?"

I don't know if I can choose one.

Stand in a row and state your name, place of origin, height, and measurements. If that doesn't work, we'll replace you with another group.

As for why we need to state our names and hometowns, the former is probably for easy address, such as Fangfang, Cuicui, Lili, Keke, Baobao... The latter is to consider which dialect we want to hear at crucial moments.

"..."

Yan Siyuan stared speechlessly at this brat.

"Just kidding, I got a new phone, save the number."

Su Chao will definitely tell Yan Siyuan.

You should know how to be grateful. If someone has lent you money, you should be grateful so that they will continue to lend you more money.

"A new phone? You actually bought a new phone?"

Yan Siyuan was quite surprised.

Su Chao didn't even have a pager before, but now he's started using a mobile phone.

"Brother Chen bought it for me. The Red Star Production Company can't do without me."

Su Chao looked like he was under a lot of pressure.

"Hehe, I was just saying I'd help you apply for a phone next month, but Old Chen beat me to it."

Yan Siyuan really had this idea.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

This is the inconvenience of Chen Jiantian being the boss while he is just an employee.

"I don't think I have too much!"

Su Chao said very sincerely.

"Heh, let me tell you something important. We've found those guys who robbed you last time."

Yan Siyuan became serious.

"Last time? Which time?"

Brother, you need to speak clearly. Don't say things like "last time," because you're often robbed on the road.

One group of robbers is currently planting vegetables and cleaning toilets for him.

"You... are the person the pirates hired for that incident with Xu Wei."

Yan Siyuan didn't know what to say.

This kid must be wicked and deserves a beating!

If you don't get beaten up when you go out, it's a day worth celebrating.

Looks like everyone's gotten used to it by now.

"Oh, those four people. I forgot to ask their names. What do you want with them?"

Su Chao was quite surprised.

Finding someone these days isn't easy, so finding them so quickly is enough to show that the Grand Karaoke Bar is really not to be trifled with.

Most of them have some kind of backing.

They might even be morally corrupt, like Jimmy in "Election," who uses his gang to do legitimate business.

Well, it seems like his business isn't exactly legitimate either.

"Yes, we found their hideout and the people who were in contact with them. They are all under our control."

Yan Siyuan's tone inevitably carried a hint of pride.

To achieve such results in just a few days, anyone would feel incredibly proud.

"What's there to control? Let's just let this go. Making a big fuss about it won't be good for anyone."

Su Chao was genuinely alarmed this time.

He once again scorned this era.

Is it so messy?
When something happens, instead of looking for the police, they try to solve it themselves using special methods.

Or you can try to negotiate through personal connections.

Having become accustomed to the standardized system, Su Chao genuinely found it unacceptable.

"Aren't you only eighteen? How come you have no backbone at all?"

Yan Siyuan was quite puzzled.

Other young men would draw their swords at the slightest provocation.

Even if you glance at it twice, you should kick it back.

After beating someone up, you have to go up and stomp on them a couple of times, and curse their whole family. "Brother, I didn't lose out, I even swindled them out of some money."

Su Chao isn't a good person either.

“They’ve crossed the line and messed with us. We definitely need to teach them a lesson, otherwise there will only be more similar incidents in the future.”

Yan Siyuan disagreed.

This is the norm in all nightlife venues in Beijing; if you don't, people will look down on you.

"Let me put it this way, brother, I'm only saying this to you because I consider you my own brother. I might forget about it after I leave."

Su Chao decided to give Yan Siyuan a hand.

We were acquaintances, after all.

Moreover, Lao Yan was indeed very good to him and provided him with a lot of convenience.

Most importantly, Lao Yan actually gave me the money I asked him to borrow.

"Tell me, we haven't known each other for long, but I consider you a brother."

Yan Siyuan has many ways of controlling the singers under his management.

However, this approach was never used on Su Chao; instead, they always treated each other with sincerity and offered mutual benefits.

"Have you noticed that things have gotten a bit tense lately? If you read the newspapers regularly, you should have seen quite a few related reports..."

With only two people present, Su Chao became less secretive.

In this era without the internet, information was mostly obtained through news.

Su Chao's tape recorder has a radio function.

He often listens to news channels and reads newspapers whenever he comes across one that's worth reading.

“What you’re saying has always been true. We don’t overstep our bounds, and we’ve taken care of everyone, both above and below us.”

Yan Siyuan laughed heartily.

You're still too young. The world isn't black and white.

When you're out there in the world, you never hold a grudge overnight.

I reported it on the same day I was able to.

“I don’t know how powerful our boss is, but if something goes wrong, you and Sister Hong will definitely be the ones pushed to take the blame. I think it’s better to avoid trouble and talk things out peacefully.”

Bring the person over.

Tell him you made a mistake.

An apology and a toast might just turn enemies into friends.

Rather than pushing yourself, it's better to let your opponent off the hook.

“What you said makes sense, but I’m currently receiving benefits from the boss, so it’s only reasonable for me to help him out if needed. I have no complaints.”

Yan Siyuan was quite touched that Su Chao was thinking of him.

But when you're out in the world, there's no time for so much hesitation.

"Brother, you're not lacking in ability. You should start thinking about yourself sooner rather than later. The karaoke business is only going to get harder and harder... Have you noticed that there are a lot more nightclubs and chain KTVs popping up in Beijing lately...?"

Su Chao raised the issue and left it to the professionals to judge.

"Indeed... but our business is doing well, and we have to thank you for that."

Yan Siyuan seemed to be deep in thought.

The karaoke bar no longer takes a cut of Su Chao's money; all the song requests, flowers, and tips go to Su Chao.

It seems that the karaoke bar is making less money.

But actually, the main source of revenue comes from customer traffic, drinks, private rooms, and other aspects.

These days, the average spending per person in the main hall of a high-end karaoke bar exceeds 300 yuan, the average spending per person in a booth exceeds 800 yuan, and the average spending per person in a private room exceeds 1,500 yuan.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars in turnover in one night.

The number of views exceeded one on both Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine's Day) and the day Su Chao released his new song.

It makes more money than most large companies.

"There will always be times when things don't work out. From your professional perspective, if business really doesn't go well, shouldn't you resort to prostitution...?"

Su Chao asked a very pointed question.

"Well, that's how it is in karaoke bars; some customers in the private rooms do bad things too..."

Yan Siyuan didn't know how to tell Su Chao.

After all, Su Chao is only eighteen years old.

Casablanca isn't all that respectable; all sorts of criminal activities take place daily in those private boxes.

The venue was provided by the karaoke bar, which also designed private rooms and a back door; they are certainly not innocent.

“I know all that, but these two things are different in nature. One is due to inadequate supervision, and the other is due to personal involvement. The severity of the punishment is naturally different as well.”

Su Chao continued to focus on the issue of Yan Siyuan potentially taking the blame.

They are different in nature, but they both refer to the pot.

"Sigh, what else can I do? I've been doing this for so many years, and besides keeping this karaoke bar running well, there's nothing else I can do."

Yan Siyuan started working in Beijing in the 1980s.

He was one of the earliest people to migrate to Beijing.

He's doing quite well; his monthly salary is comparable to an average person's annual salary, plus additional bonuses.

He married a woman who was almost ten years younger than him.

She gave birth to a big, healthy baby boy.

They drive cars that others envy and live in spacious houses.

He definitely couldn't give up his current life.

"I have a good business idea, I wonder if you'd be interested, brother."

The true intentions of Su Chao were revealed as he unleashed his true purpose.

Let's start discussing business!

(End of this chapter)