Chapter 179: The Rest of My Life

Chapter 179: The Rest of My Life

"Hmm?"

If not for this chime, Meng Fan would have almost forgotten about this mission.

Let alone the fact that he had reached the second stage.

Thinking about it carefully, it really was true.

He had triggered this mission after causing a wave of hysterical laughter at Su Qingcen's concert, but because the mission was so malicious—requiring him to stir up trouble at someone else's concert to complete it—and because his focus at the time was on the toxic, metaphysical attribute of "infectious laughter," he had neglected it.

As for the fact that the 21 points of lethality he had been awarded back then had directly completed the first stage, he had truly forgotten. Aside from the 10 points of experience, the attribute rewards for the first stage were identical to the second: 1 point of Presence, 1 point of Camera Presence, and 1 point of Vocal Skill.

Calculating carefully, with the addition of the "black-tech" microphone, his previous vocal skill had been +7.

This time, he had been judged at 97 points of lethality, which, combined with the previous 21, totaled 118 points, completing the second stage and bringing his vocal skill to +8.

As for the 97-point lethality rating, Meng Fan was quite surprised; it was nearly four times higher than last time.

He hadn't quite grasped how the comprehensive values—such as the degree of disruption and the level of non-positive guidance—were calculated. For instance, his method of disruption was his demonic smile, so the intensity of the audience's laughter was undoubtedly a deciding factor. But did it also relate to the number of people on-site or the number of viewers watching?

Like this time, it seemed the audience's laughter wasn't much different from Su Qingcen's concert—some were laughing until they were gasping for air—but the score was four times higher. Was it because this was a live broadcast, and more people were watching?

Or was it because he had been in the audience last time, but was a guest performer this time, creating a difference in how he influenced the concert as a whole?

In the audience, one could only be called a troublemaker; on stage, it counted as a concert incident.

If that were the case, then being four times higher seemed to make sense.

Indeed, no matter how crazy an audience member acts, it is merely an interlude. A guest, however, can affect the entire concert, perhaps even defining its nature.

For example, in a football match, there is a tradition of fans running onto the field naked. No matter how crazy they are, even if they are swinging their twenty-centimeter "rooster" around, it is just an interlude. The match soon returns to its original track; at the very least, it cannot change the progress or nature of the game. But if a player runs naked, it changes the entire match. At the very least, you might get a red card, and wouldn't that change the game?

Of course, at this moment, not only was Meng Fan not kicked off the stage, but he also seemed to have harvested many little stars.

The audience gave Meng Fan applause and kind laughter, and even those in the live stream who were cursing were genuinely feeling happy.

Even if they thought Meng Fan was doing this on purpose—having done it at Su Qingcen's concert and now doing it again—the problem was that they still found themselves laughing along. Who could he argue with about that?

"I know your smile is toxic, but I really didn't expect it to be this poisonous!"

Bai Zhi stopped laughing, held the microphone, and said this directly. She wasn't worried that Meng Fan's laughter would truly ruin the concert; in fact, she had already prepared herself mentally, letting Meng Fan go all out to see just how much he could ruin it.

"The stage is yours now. Let's see what you do!"

Bai Zhi said this into the microphone as well, then stepped off the stage with a look of relief.

And why not? One could still hear the occasional gasping sound in the audience, and upon hearing Bai Zhi's words, another wave of laughter erupted.

Such a scene was truly hurtful!

Meng Fan smiled at the audience in embarrassment... but he caught himself halfway through and stopped. He then saw the smiles of Wu Tong and the four other girls in the second row. He saw Wu Tong give him a thumbs-up, full of encouragement just like when they had first started running, which lifted Meng Fan's spirits.

He took a deep breath, sat on a high stool the staff had prepared, and placed the microphone on the stand.

The reason he chose to sit for this song wasn't that he couldn't stand for a short while, but because he felt more stable and at ease sitting down.

If he stood, Meng Fan felt he would have to gesture while singing, but he had zero stage experience, let alone stage presence. With Bai Zhi there, they could look at each other or hold hands, but alone, he would just be standing there like a post.

Sitting down, he could remain still the entire time without looking like he lacked stage presence.

Of course, the most important point was that Meng Fan was used to singing while sitting; after all, he had always sung while sitting in karaoke rooms.

After sitting down, he gave the band an "OK" gesture.

The prelude began.

Meng Fan originally wanted to close his eyes and count the beats to find his entry point, but his gaze landed on Wu Tong and could no longer move away.

"Finding the sun in a place without wind / Being the warm sun in a place where you are cold / People come and go / You are always too naive / For the rest of my life / I only want you..."

Once his gaze was fixed on Wu Tong and they locked eyes, all distracting thoughts in his mind were discarded. The laughter, the audience, the concert... all vanished. There was only Wu Tong in his eyes, and it was as if she were the only thing in the world.

Unlike the vicissitudes of the original version, Meng Fan's voice held only deep affection and tenderness.

The original singer's weathered voice told of a life always full of surprises and losses, of perfectly timed encounters and heart-wrenching nostalgia. But life always moves forward, without a hint of pity. Whether the play ends or continues, may you always use your dreams as your horse and never fail this life.

In Meng Fan's affection and tenderness, there was only the perfectly timed surprise of the encounter, like that day on the playground when Wu Tong entered his life as unexpectedly as the wind.

"For the rest of my life / Winter snow is you / Spring flowers are you / Summer rain is you / Autumn leaves are you / The warmth and cold of the four seasons are you / Wherever my gaze falls / It is also you..."

Looking at Wu Tong, Meng Fan wanted to tell her through his song: I want to give you the willow, the cicada, the fallen leaves, and the white snow. I also want to give you the clouds, the ocean, the sunset, and the desert. In my eyes, you have no seasons, no space-time.

Once I met you, the rest of my life is you. One life, one world, one pair—that is no mere saying.

Good morning is you, good night is you; waking up in the early morning, it is still you.

"For the rest of my life / Wind and snow are you / The mundane is you / Poverty is you / Prosperity is you / The tenderness in my heart is you / Wherever my gaze falls / It is also you."

As the final note faded and the music stopped, Meng Fan's gaze remained fixed on Wu Tong. He leaned forward slightly, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, and said: "Greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt—the five poisons are all present. The world is truly bitter, but having you makes it truly sweet."