Chapter 26: Old Wang, You've Gone Viral!

[Page 1/3]

"Moon splashes on the galaxy, the long road is endless..."

"Huh? How come I've never heard this song before?" Qi Xia blinked her bright, clear eyes.

"I haven't heard it either. It must be a niche track," Qi Dong replied.

"But seriously, his guitar playing is really not bad."

Wang Can's voice was unremarkable, much like those internet singers who have popular songs but lack personal fame, missing the defining traits that leave a lasting impression. Therefore, the opening lines weren't exactly stunning, though calling them "good" wouldn't be an exaggeration. As a result, the applause from the audience wasn't cold, but it wasn't exactly enthusiastic either.

That was until Wang Can suddenly tilted his head back, the sharp lines of his neck taut, and belted out the chorus.

"What use is this iron rod to me..."

This line was like a spark landing in a pile of dry hay, instantly igniting the entire playground. The previously listless crowd grew restless, as if struck by an electric current, and gasps of amazement broke out one after another.

"Holy crap, what song is this? It's incredibly good!"

"This guy’s high notes are solid; he didn't even tremble."

"I really want to know which genius wrote these lyrics. They’re amazing."

"Damn, these lyrics are so hype, but why are they also... kind of funny?"

"Ugh—what is inside your brain?"

The students of Business Administration Class 2 looked at each other in surprise.

"Who would have thought our class was hiding such a master?"

"This isn't a 'last-ditch effort'—he came prepared!"

"Damn, I'm so jealous I'm turning purple."

Listening to the praise from others, Chen Xiaobei said sourly, "Damn it, looks like Old Wang got to show off again."

It would be a lie to say he wasn't envious. Who wouldn't want such a high-profile, spotlight-stealing moment? Unfortunately, besides throwing money around, Chen Xiaobei really couldn't come up with any other talent. He then wore a puzzled expression: "But the lyrics are surprisingly serious? I thought Old Wang just loved singing those offbeat songs all day."

"Brother Bei, your focus is really unique." Although Zhang Bailan said this, he nodded in agreement.

Jiang Zi’s cheeks flushed with excitement; her fellow townsman’s outstanding performance made her feel a sense of pride. My townsman is awesome ≈ I am awesome too. She was just about to turn and share this joy with another fellow townsman, but seeing the class beauty’s unpleasant expression, she swallowed the words back.

Shen Hongge looked at Wang Can under the spotlight with a complicated expression, a mix of indescribable feelings swirling in his heart. On one hand, he was secretly relieved that someone had shouldered the burden of Class 2's honor. On the other hand, it meant that the position of class monitor was slipping away from him completely.

In the corner, Qi Xia was stomping her feet with excitement. "Incredible! Absolutely incredible! He truly is my junior!"

Qi Dong rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you've fallen for him?"

"Huh? Is it that obvious?"

"Hmph."

[Page 2/3]

On the rostrum, the instructors were whispering to each other, their faces filled with surprise.

"Xiao Zheng, is he from your class? Not bad at all," a middle-aged instructor said, patting Zheng Jun on the shoulder in praise.

Although Zheng Jun was glowing with pride, he still waved his hand with feigned modesty: "It’s all the student’s own ability."

"He’s singing about Sun Wukong, right? That was powerful! Old Gao, you’re the professional here, give us your thoughts?" Another instructor turned to look at the only music teacher present.

Teacher Gao didn't respond immediately. It wasn't until he heard the lines "Trampling the heavens, recklessly defiant, the world is evil and the path is dangerous, yet still impossible to escape," that he said, "These lyrics... are interesting."

"What song is this? How come I've never heard it?"

Teacher Gao frowned in thought for a moment before slowly shaking his head: "I haven't heard it either. Judging by the depth and maturity of the lyrics, it is very likely an original work." He paused, then added, "With my repertoire, if this were an already released work, it would be impossible for me not to have an impression."

"This batch of freshmen is truly full of hidden talents."

Standing behind Zheng Jun, Yang Shuang blinked his eyes in confusion. *Old Wang wrote this song himself? Holy crap! No wonder he never mentioned the song title...*

At this moment, in the area belonging to Business Administration Class 1, the boy who had been the center of attention earlier shouted excitedly once more: "Old Huang!"

"Brother Zhou, singing isn't something you can learn overnight. I really can't help with this..."

"I'll pay more!"

"It's not about the money..."

...

After the playground fell into a brief silence following the music, it was shattered by Wang Can's final high note.

"This rod, shall turn you to dust and smoke."

Like a giant rock thrown into a calm lake, it instantly reignited the cooling atmosphere to a boiling point. Amidst the deafening cheers, Wang Can waved his hand and quietly exited the stage.

The reason for such a response was entirely due to the fact that this song, "Wukong," was supposed to be released three years later. In this timeline, it was still a "new song" that no one had heard before, and its novelty was enough to make people overlook his lack of professional singing techniques.

In fact, Wang Can had considered the path of making money by selling songs early on. But the problem was that there weren't many masterpieces in the Chinese music scene after 2012, and those whose lyrics and melodies he could remember completely were few and far between. His original plan had been to earn his first pot of gold by selling songs. But now, with 500 million in funds in his hands, there was no need to do that anymore. However, performing occasionally was still quite satisfying. Wang Can decided that when he had more employees in the future, he would follow Jack Ma's example and hold an employee concert...

Just as he stepped out of the spotlight, two girls with exquisite makeup blocked his path.

"Handsome, can we add you on WeChat?" One of the girls shook her phone.

Wang Can smiled. It seemed that the benefit of "priority in choosing a partner for four years" was being cashed in ahead of schedule.

Besides that, that night, not only was Wang Can showered with praise and "interrogated" by the sisters Qi Dong and Qi Xia, but a special friend request also popped up on his WeChat.

[Page 3/3]

When the name "Dong Xinyi" appeared on the screen, his brows furrowed involuntarily, and he clicked the reject button without hesitation.

"What bad luck. How did I forget this woman was also at Shen University? It must have been Qiao Huayang who gave her my WeChat ID again."

...

...

The next morning, before the sky was fully bright, Wang Can was awakened by a violent shaking from Yang Shuang.

"Old Wang, you're famous!" Yang Shuang's voice was filled with undisguised excitement.

Wang Can rubbed his sleepy eyes and let out a long yawn: "What do you mean famous?"

"Someone uploaded the video of you singing last night to Renren, and now it's going viral all over the internet!" Yang Shuang said gleefully, impatiently shoving his phone in front of Wang Can.

In 2012, the WeChat Moments feature had only just launched, and Kuaishou was still focused on GIF animations. Among the college student demographic, Renren was still the undisputed social media giant. It was said that 50% of the mobile data on campus was consumed on this platform, and almost every college student had a Renren account. At the time, there was even a popular saying: "To find a classmate, use Renren."

Wang Can squinted at the screen. Sure enough, it was a screenshot of the video of him singing at the military training performance, hanging on the homepage recommendation spot of Renren. A striking yellow headline was particularly eye-catching: "The Ceiling of 2012 Military Training Talent Shows: One Open Note Brings a Chorus of Awe!"

The video view count had already exceeded 300,000.

Wang Can clicked on the video. The footage was indeed of his singing performance. Due to it being filmed at night and the fact that mobile camera pixels in 2012 were indeed mediocre, the image was very blurry, making it impossible to see his face clearly, and the sound quality was just passable.

But the comment section had already exploded, with 999+ comments constantly refreshing:

"Which school is this? What song is this? It gave me goosebumps!"

"The lyrics are so vivid, it's absolutely brilliant!"

"'Great Sage, where are you going? To tread the Southern Heaven, to shatter the Lingxiao. If you go and do not return? Then never return! So epic!"

"This is the best song about Sun Wukong I've ever heard!"

"I've been scrolling for half an hour, how come no one knows the song title?"

A cursory glance showed that 80% of the comments were asking for the song title—a classic case of "the song is famous, but the person is not."

"It's not that I'm famous; it's the song that's famous," Wang Can said, finding it amusing.

"That's how it is online, but at our school, especially in the Art Department, you're a celebrity now," Yang Shuang said with a wink.

"The Art Department?" Wang Can didn't react for a moment.

"Yeah, their instructor, Teacher Gao, said your song was an original and told the whole class to learn from you. And..." Yang Shuang revealed a sly smile, "I already gave them your contact information. Old Wang, you’re definitely treating us to a meal!"

Wang Can felt a sense of disorientation. He hadn't even finished setting up his livestreaming website, yet his enthusiastic roommate had already recruited the streamers for him?