Chapter 4

Sarah counted the money in her hand. It was about 250 pounds, enough for a few days of taxi fare. Through the rearview mirror, she saw the beggar still chasing after her. She rolled down the window and waved at him, "You don't need to come and thank me! The Almighty has already healed your leg. You'll surely be healthier from now on!" The beggar, who had chased her for almost 40 minutes, was so infuriated by these words that he nearly vomited blood. Soon, they arrived at the city center. Getting off the taxi, Sarah saw the Black Mist Bar on the other side of the street. With the little money she had left, She bought a few cheap cosmetics from a street stall, along with a pair of sunglasses and a mask. Thus, with her new acquisitions stored away, Sarah donned sunglasses and a mask and appeared at the entrance of the Black Mist Bar. "Who are you?" The bouncer at the door immediately noticed Sarah, who was in an unusual ensemble. He looked her up and down and politely said, "Miss, the mental hospital is on the other side of the street." It was no wonder that they thought she was a psychiatric patient, Sarah was still wearing a patient’s uniform! But she remained calm and showed him the recruitment page on her phone, "I'm here for a job application, see?” “You wait here, let me call our manager for you." Not long after, he brought a man in a suit, who appeared to be their manager. The plump-looking manager looked at her and said, "I heard... I heard you're here to apply for a singer's position?" Sarah stood up straight and simply hummed in agreement. Although it was just a minor sound, the manager could already tell that her voice was indeed not bad. "But..." He took another look at Sarah's outfit, "you came too late. Someone has been recruited just now. You better leave—” He had not finished talking, and a dissatisfied reprimanding voice came from behind him right away! "Manager Mike, have you ever listened to the crap these people sing? Ever since Brian left, this bar of yours now lets any Tom, Dick, or Harry sing a few tunes" "If you keep slacking off like this, I might never want to come again!" Manager Mike couldn't even bother to look at Sarah anymore, hurriedly turned and coaxed, "Mr. Johnson, cool down, cool down, I know you want to listen to Brian, but Brian is on vacation recently, when he comes back, I'll immediately let him come sing for you!” "Coming back?" Mr. Johnson sneered, "Don't think I don't know, Brian has already signed a contract with an agency. How could he possibly come back to sing? I can't be bothered to argue with you, I'm leaving!" "Mr. Johnson!!!" Manager Mike’s smiling face was full of flattery, "Why don't you wait for a while longer? I'm recruiting new singers. Perhaps the next one will suit your taste? Please just hold on for a bit…." "Didn't you just say you hired someone?" At this moment, Sarah spoke up. She walked over, her clear and bright eyes behind the sunglasses looking towards Mr. Johnson. "Sir, would you like to hear me singing?" Manager Mike walked up to her side, and nervously said, “Mr. Johnson has very high standards. Most people’s singing can’t get through to him, don't exaggerate!” "Is this the new singer you've recruited?" Mr. Johnson, having heard what Sarah just said to him, grew a little curious. He asked, “What can you do?" Sarah didn’t answer. Instead, she smiles slyly, "Whatever you like, I'll be able to sing." "Oh? Since you're so capable, why don't you first sing me a rock song? But not too rock and roll, it should have the audacity of rock and roll, but also the artistry's delicacy and depth... Can you meet my demands?" At such an abstract request, everyone around fell silent. Only Sarah's eyes brightened, and she snapped her fingers, "Sure!" She pulled off the red scarf from Manager Mike's chest and tied it over her head. After tying a knot under her chin, she raised her finger towards the inside, "Let's go in!" With the combination of the scarf and the patient's gown, she attracted everyone's attention as soon as she appeared in the bar. She easily jumped onto the stage, picking up the bass in the corner. After plugging in, her fair and slender fingers lightly swept over it a few times, and the smooth yet powerful music began to flow throughout the place. Just these few strokes were enough to demonstrate her skills. Her casual and relaxed attitude as if she were in her own home was even more captivating. This is the attitude for playing rock and roll! The people below the stage were attracted by her swift and languid movements, and began discussing. "Who's this girl?" "How does she just dress like that and go on stage? Is this some new performance outfit? I must say, the outfit, objectively speaking, is quite unique!" "Having a unique style is useless in music, it's all about skill! This girl seems like she's just here to play around!" "After witnessing the demise of the black mist and the exit of Brian, this place has been going downhill day by day - anyone can perform now!" ... Engulfed by the mocking and curious remarks from the crowd, Manager Mike was filled with regret. Why didn’t he stop Sarah from getting on the stage just now? In the next moment, a soft, captivating melody cut through the hazy atmosphere of the Black Mist bar. The gentle, alluring sound disrupted the dim ambiance, drawing the attention of all who occupied the dimly lit bar. Instantly, all eyes were drawn to the stage, watching the girl in a patient's gown manipulate the music with her fingertips, captivating the attention of everyone in the hall. “When love is at its peak, who cares about the fate of this world.” Her naturally melodious voice had been rendered slightly hoarse through the mask, yet it was all the more irresistible. As soon as she opened her mouth, the entirety of the listeners were hooked by her narration. As the music continued to vary, just when they all thought this would be a typical rock concert, the notes suddenly changed! "I want to bloom, I want to sprout, I want the spring breeze to bring rain and hula-la..." "I want to bloom..." This was an utterly new style that had never been seen before! Listening to it, they even had a weird sense of euphoria, making them wish that they could listen to it over and over again! At the end of the last note, Sarah gently tapped on the bass. The lingering note echoed in the tavern, hitting everyone's eardrums. Beautiful! After a full three seconds of silence, the audience quickly gained their senses as thunderous applause threatened to lift the roof off. "Excellent!" "She's got real talent!" "Indeed, her stage presence is comparable to Brian's!" "Young lady, sing us another one!" Upon hearing the patrons unanimously calling for Sarah to perform another number, Manager Mike's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. Who would have guessed... Who would have guessed that Sarah was so remarkable? "Great!" As Manager Mike was still frozen in shock, Mr. Johnson also fervently rose from his seat. He appeared highly animated, with a gleam in his eyes that seemed akin to tearful pride. The intensity of his expression conveyed a deep emotional investment as if he was brimming with a profound sense of sentiment or accomplishment. "Good, this young lass has a nice voice! Very good, particularly artistic, just the way I like it!" He clapped nonstop and turned towards Manager Mike. "Listen to the lyrics, 'I want to bloom', what a fantastic line!" Huh? Manager Mike was taken aback. It's just four words. What's so great about it? However, faced with the unexpected twists and turns of the evening, he brushed his surprise aside: "Since you seem to like her, Mr. Johnson, shall I ask her to sing another song?" "Go ahead!" Mr Johnson pulled out several tissues to wipe the tears from his eyes, then reached into his pocket and threw a heavy stack of bills onto Manager Mike's desk. "Let her continue to sing. I just love the power in her voice. As for Brian, forget him!"