Chapter 88

Soon, everything in the music studio returned to normal. The small theater began hosting external performances, and the small band added a piano and an electronic guitar.

Among the signed artists, there was a sixteen-year-old singer named Bing’er, who had become a top-tier star in her past life. She received special training from Song Haowen and Tian Nana.

When they were unavailable, she took the stage. Despite not having her own hit songs, her exceptional imitation ability allowed her to cover songs convincingly, closely resembling the original.

As a result, her performances were quite impressive, and people often requested her to sing another song.

Song Haowen kept in mind that, once Bing’er’s personality matured a bit more, he would find a suitable song for her to help her gain fame.

However, before that, she needed to develop some patience. Achieving fame too early, especially for someone with an immature mindset, could easily lead to losing direction in the face of fame and fortune.

In his past life, Bing’er had suffered several setbacks in this regard and came close to ruin multiple times. Additionally, there were many instances of ingratitude in the music industry.

If he worked hard only to cultivate a wolf in sheep’s clothing, it would be better to let her face the consequences on her own.

Unknowingly, a week passed, and it was another weekend afternoon. Su Yan suggested that the music studio invite Gu Ziwei to express gratitude for her strong support, which had revived the studio. Song Haowen had already thought of this but had been too busy to address it.

For convenience, the music studio installed a manual crank telephone since automatic dialing machines were not yet available.

A manual crank telephone required a telecommunication operator to manually connect the call, and conversations had no privacy. If one said something they shouldn’t, and the operator transmitted it, it could become a public joke.

At noon, as soon as Song Haowen started work, he dialed the number for the “Beijing Evening News.” Unfortunately, Gu Ziwei was out on an interview and couldn’t take the call.

He provided his name and company, asking the newspaper staff to help convey a message, and she could return his call when she arrived at the office.

Before leaving work, Song Haowen received a call from Gu Ziwei, asking what he needed.

He explained Su Yan’s suggestion. Gu Ziwei said if he was treating her, she might consider it; if the music studio was treating, then she’d pass. He suggested, “I can treat you, but how about I invite Tian Nana to accompany you? Eating together without an atmosphere, isn’t that a bit dull?”

Gu Ziwei chuckled on the other end of the phone, saying, “Just kidding with you. How could I break up such a perfect pair like you and Nana? Your music studio is an important subject for my interviews; how could I not maintain a good relationship with you? I happen to be free tonight and can accept your invitation. By the way, doesn’t your theater have a performance tonight? How will you have time for dinner?”

“We don’t have any performances tonight, Tian Nana and I are free,” Song Haowen enthusiastically replied.

“Alright, I agree. Where are you planning to treat me? Just don’t spend too extravagantly,” Gu Zhiwei smiled.

“We’d like to invite you to Tianqiao Grand Hotel for dinner.”

“Isn’t that a bit too extravagant? That’s a top-notch restaurant in Beijing. How about a more ordinary place?”

“If you don’t mind, let’s stick with this one. The main reason is that it’s close to the music studio, making it convenient to check on the theater.”

“Ah, I see. Then I’ll go with your choice. How many people for dinner?”

“You, me, Manager Su, Tian Nana, and a female assistant.”

“What time will it start?”

“How about 6:30 in the evening? We’ll wait for you in the lobby.”

“It’s not even 5:00 now. Alright, I’ll try to be there on time.”

“Great, see you there.”

At 6:15 in the evening, Song Haowen and his group arrived at the reserved private room in Tianqiao Grand Hotel, making preparations before the meal.

The small theater’s performance was scheduled for 7:30 in the evening. By that time, Su Yan and her assistant would leave early, leaving Song Haowen and Tian Nana to accompany Gu Zhiwei.

At 6:20 in the evening, Su Yan and her assistant went to the lobby to welcome Gu Zhiwei. Due to concerns about being recognized by fans and causing chaos, Song Haowen and Tian Nana temporarily stayed inside.

However, as everyone waited, the clock struck 7:00 in the evening, and there was still no sign of Gu Zhiwei. People started to get anxious, wondering if something had delayed her. Su Yan had to leave to manage the small theater’s performance, so she and her assistant left, leaving Tian Nana and Song Haowen waiting.

It was already 8:00 in the evening, and Gu Zhiwei still hadn’t arrived, causing Song Haowen and Tian Nana to worry. Since Gu Zhiwei had either declined or, having accepted, didn’t show up, there were two possibilities: she might have had an emergency interview or something might have happened to her personally.

Song Haowen called the newspaper to inquire, but the duty officer said Gu Zhiwei had already left the office. Regarding whether she had an impromptu interview, the officer stated that it wasn’t his responsibility, and he didn’t have the specific details.

Unfortunately, there were no mobile phones at that time, making it impossible to contact someone once they left the office. Song Haowen and Tian Nana could only leave after having a simple meal, feeling disappointed.

Back at the music studio, the small theater’s performance was still ongoing. After hearing the report from the two, Su Yan comforted them and then busied herself once again.

On Sunday morning, Song Haowen tried calling the newspaper again. The response he received was a blunt “don’t know,” and the person hung up, seemingly treating his call as a nuisance.

He had no choice but to give up on the idea of making another call, thinking that if something was wrong, she should have called him to explain. As more tasks piled up, he eventually forgot about the incident.

In the afternoon, Song Haowen discussed matters related to collections with the sales department. Qian Youlai mentioned a granite quarry in the outskirts of Beijing that had made headlines last week.

They discovered jade components in a large stone, attracting many jade enthusiasts, but the outcome was disappointing.

“Trying to find jade in ordinary rocks is like finding a needle in a haystack. This kind of fortune is hard to come by,” Song Haowen sighed.

Wang Li said, “Speaking of which, I remembered something. Yesterday, a man brought a stone claiming it was jade and wanted to sell it to us for 500 yuan. I told him the manager wasn’t here today, and if he genuinely wanted to sell, he should come back tomorrow at noon when the boss is around.”

Ren Hua added, “I think that stone is just an ordinary rock, brought out to deceive people.”

Zhu Hongyu agreed, “If it’s really valuable, why would he sell it cheaply?”

Qian Youlai disagreed, saying, “Without cutting open the stone, who can know what’s inside? There’s an old saying, something about ‘gambling on stones.'”

Song Haowen chuckled, “Gambling on stones, it rarely ends in success. Trying to find a hidden treasure is as difficult as reaching the heavens.”

“Who says ‘finding a hidden treasure is as difficult as reaching the heavens’? When luck comes, nothing can stop it. It’s like a pig on the windward side – it can fly!” At that moment, a man in his forties, with a dark complexion, walked in. “Is the manager of your store here?”

Wang Li quickly said to Song Haowen, “It’s him.” Then she addressed the man, “This person here is our store manager.”

“Oh, so you’re the manager, little kid? Can you make decisions?” The man seemed somewhat incredulous.

Song Haowen chuckled, “Of course, I can make decisions. Uncle, you said finding hidden treasures is easy. How about letting me try my luck as well?”

The man casually opened his handbag and took out a stone about the size of a lead ball, handing it to Song Haowen. “Take a look. This stone is a hidden treasure. Don’t believe it? Look at the green color exposed on this side; it indicates the possibility of having a large piece of jade inside.”

Song Haowen took the stone and indeed saw a hint of green on one side, suggesting the potential presence of jade inside. However, whether it formed a substantial piece was uncertain.

“Since you’re so confident, why sell it to us? Can’t you just pick up this ‘treasure’ for yourself instead of playing the role of a Good Samaritan?” Song Haowen teased.

The man blushed and replied, “I mean, there’s a great chance it’s a hidden treasure, but I don’t have a hundred percent certainty. I can’t see through it.”

Qian Youlai took the stone from Song Haowen’s hand. “Isn’t this the kind of stone that nobody wants even if it’s thrown on the roadside? Treat it as a treasure and take it back home as a family heirloom.”

“Exactly. Such a worthless rock, and he dares to sell it to us for 500 yuan? How shameless,” Wang Li added.

The man, with a red face, said, “This is indeed a gem. I bought it for 280 yuan when I was in southern Myanmar.” In reality, he had paid less than 50 yuan.

“If what you’re saying is true, then congratulations, you’ve been deceived,” Ren Hua said, enjoying the man’s misfortune.

Song Haowen asked, “Uncle, do you have any other treasures? Bring them out for us to appreciate. If there’s something that catches my eye, I’ll definitely buy it.”

After a moment of hesitation, the man took out several stones from his handbag. The largest one was about the size of a volleyball, with a surface showing red floral patterns. Song Haowen took it and felt its significant weight. Curious, he asked, “Isn’t this just a piece of granite? Do you want to sell it as a gem?”

The man explained, “Although it looks like granite on the outside, it weighs much more than a similarly size of granite. So, this stone is not ordinary granite; there’s a good chance there’s a ruby hidden inside.”

Song Haowen smiled, “The texture of this stone is quite delicate. If it’s used to make a decorative stone ball, it wouldn’t be a bad idea. Master, how much do you plan to sell this stone for?”

This stone was the one the man had obtained from the granite quarry on the outskirts of Beijing, which had made headlines last week. He hadn’t spent a dime on it. “Boss, you have a keen eye, recognizing this as a treasure. I bought it from someone else for a hundred yuan. I’ll sell it to you for a hundred and fifty, making a little profit.”

Zhu Hongyu, who hadn’t spoken for a while, suddenly interjected, “Humph, these kinds of stones are abundant in the mountains back in my hometown. Master, if you want it, I won’t ask for a hundred yuan. One yuan each, take as many as you want. You just need to cover your own travel expenses.”

The man was left speechless by Zhu Hongyu’s comment. Song Haowen said, “I’m interested in this stone, but the price needs to be reasonable. I think it’s worth about a buck. However, considering the effort of carrying such a heavy thing back and forth, I’ll offer a higher price. Ten yuan. If you’re willing to sell, I’ll buy it.”