Lu Chen stared at the long-haired man, who seemed to ignore everyone else as he locked eyes solely on Venti.
The man looked to be in his forties, with a bit of stubble on his chin. Though there was a sharp gleam in his eyes, he didn't seem sleazy—he gave off more of a brooding, artistic vibe.
This had to be the music producer who kept bothering Venti—Tony Wang.
"It's you." Venti handed the lyre back to the shop owner, glancing at him with confusion. "What are you doing here?"
Lu Chen's gaze shifted to the street outside, where that gaudy green sports car was parked. So he really had followed them all the way here?
They had left early in the morning, and he still managed to track them down?
That thought alone put Lu Chen in a bad mood.
"Venti, let's go."
"Oh, okay." Venti nodded.
"Wait, Venti-sensei!!" The long-haired man's expression changed as he rushed to block their path.
Lu Chen loathed this kind of clingy behavior. Whether or not he was a music lover, this was already affecting their mood.
Raiden Ei didn't look happy either. If Lu Chen hadn't stepped in first, she might've already drawn her blade.
Suddenly, a strange gust of wind swept through the room, tossing the man's long hair into disarray. A peculiar force knocked him aside.
"Ow—where'd that wind come from?!"
Tony stumbled, landing hard on the floor. Caught off guard, the fall wasn't light.
"Ahh—my tailbone…"
Tears welled up in his eyes from the pain.
As the trio approached the door, Venti turned back with a puzzled look.
"Why do this? I've already told you—I won't join your company, and I won't be debuting."
Still clutching his butt, Tony was helped up by the shop owner. His face was twisted with pain, but his voice remained fervent.
"Venti-sensei… you don't understand just how powerful your music is. In this chaotic world, it's rare to hear something that truly cleanses the soul. If you don't release an album, it'll be a loss for the entire music industry…"
Lu Chen, who had been intent on leaving, instinctively slowed his steps.
Venti sighed. "That much is true. The taste around here really is awful. All I hear are things that hurt my eardrums…"
"Exactly!" Tony's eyes lit up like he'd found a soulmate. He began ranting, half to himself, about the cesspool of today's entertainment industry and the flood of mass-produced musical garbage…
"Wait, are you Tony Wang?" the shop owner suddenly asked in surprise.
Still rubbing his backside, Tony responded in a flat tone, "That's me."
The shop owner's eyes widened in delight. "What a day. First thing in the morning and I've already run into a bunch of legends…"
Tony's flattering expression from earlier faded into calm indifference here. He didn't react much to the praise.
Lu Chen glanced between the two, a little curious. "Is this Tony really that famous?"
Tony gave a helpless smile, while the shop owner looked at Lu Chen like he'd grown a second head.
"You don't know him? He's the man behind superstar Gu Cheng—a gold-tier producer. He trained in classical music but is considered the most talented figure in today's pop scene!"
Lu Chen studied Tony again, not having expected someone of that status.
He didn't know much about the stars in this world, but the name "Gu Cheng" did sound familiar. A lot of girls in his class were obsessed with him.
In that case…
Though his expression remained calm, Lu Chen had started forming ideas. "Let's talk outside. No need to trouble the boss."
Hearing that, Tony's eyes lit up as he nodded eagerly. "Yes, of course!"
The shop owner looked a bit disappointed as the three young ones walked out without looking back. Tony, meanwhile, trailed behind with a spring in his step, muttering to himself:
"Not a bother at all…"
"I was hoping to get an autograph too…"
...
Out on the street, Raiden Ei looked at Lu Chen in confusion over his sudden change in attitude.
Lu Chen simply shook his head. He had a feeling Tony could be key to completing the challenge—though that still depended on whether Venti was on board.
"Mr. Tony, you know that Venti has no interest in the entertainment world. He enjoys music, yes—but he only plays for people who truly love it."
Lu Chen said seriously, "If you can't accept that, then please turn back now. Don't come looking for us again."
In Mondstadt's taverns, atop the Anemo Archon's statue, and beneath the great wind-swept tree, passersby sometimes heard the soft song of a youth singing tales of Barbatos.
That story carried friendship, rebellion, war—and parting.
Lu Chen didn't want such a song to be tainted by worldly greed and desire.
Venti turned his emerald gaze toward Lu Chen, offering a warm, reassuring smile.
Tony was momentarily stunned. He realized then that Lu Chen was the real anchor of the group.
This young man might be the one who understood Venti best—and someone who truly looked out for his friends.
Tony suddenly felt a pang of shame. Up to this point, he had indeed approached all this with selfish, money-driven motives.
"I truly apologize!" He stood before them and bowed deeply to Venti.
"I used to regret that Venti-sensei's music never made it onto a hit album… but after hearing your lyre performance today…"
He confessed with guilt, "I'm ashamed of myself. I lost sight of what mattered and dirtied my own musical dream."
Lu Chen and Venti exchanged a glance. In each other's eyes, they saw mutual understanding.
He was someone who loved music—just with a rather... obsessive flair.
"Well then, how about we grab a coffee around the corner?" Lu Chen suggested.
Tony looked up, surprised. He'd thought the opportunity had already slipped away.
"Sure! Absolutely! You name the place—it's on me!"
...
At the café on the corner, Raiden Ei sipped her coffee contentedly, smiling after downing a sugar-loaded cup.
Lu Chen wasn't like her. While she was easily satisfied with sweets, his unsweetened latte was too bitter to handle.
It had a strange acidic tang too, and Lu Chen eventually set it aside, untouched.
Tony, on the other hand, was still going on and on with Venti, excitedly painting a picture of their musical future. He hadn't even taken a sip.
Lu Chen had agreed to let Venti join the music company—but with conditions: no public appearances, no media hype, no industry networking. He'd be a behind-the-scenes composer, providing audio content only.
Tony had experience producing classical records. In the past, that used to be normal—music didn't need backup dancers, flashy aesthetics, or over-the-top packaging to be good.
So what if it wasn't pop? If that soul-soothing music from the lyre could reach the world—even if it didn't trend or chart—Tony would still be satisfied.
He'd spent half a lifetime in the business. It was time to make real music.
Their conversation went smoothly, and Lu Chen offered a suggestion—record one of the album's tracks by the seaside.
And for the chorus, he proposed using samples from the music students of Haizhou High.
To make this happen, he needed Starlight Music to help appoint Venti as a special guest instructor at Haizhou Academy. With a personal recommendation letter from Tony—who held influence in the classical world—that would solve the issue of Venti's credentials.
[Ode to the Anemo Archon by the Sea: Help Barbatos lead the students of Haizhou Academy in a coastal symphony.]
Lu Chen glanced at the system's task panel with a smile.
Everything was ready—all that was left was the final push.