TF01 14

When Shi Yi was young, he never imagined that he would one day run a company.

Most people assumed he would follow the natural course and enroll in a military academy. After all, his family had the connections and influence, and it would be a waste not to take advantage of them. But he had made up his mind early on—he would never become a soldier.

It wasn’t that he resented the profession. He simply didn’t want to live under his father’s shadow.

He had considered other paths. Perhaps something unconventional. Maybe a teacher, maybe an athlete.

But a businessman? That had never crossed his mind.

He never saw himself as the type, nor did he think he was suited for the social maneuvering that came with it.

Yet life had a way of being unpredictable.

Not only was he in business now, but he was excelling at it.

Everyone who had dealings with him shared the same impression. He was decisive, bold, and pragmatic. He knew when to let go and when to take action, never hesitating.

He carried himself with the same sharpness and efficiency as those from military families.

Even though he entered the industry later than many, he rose quickly. With both connections and capability, he had a clear advantage over most companies. A little effort on his part often yielded double the results.

Many envied the position he was in, but Shi Yi himself remained indifferent.

Establishing his own company was largely about carving out a space that truly belonged to him. He could not say he had entirely let go of the burdens in his heart, but at the very least, he could make choices and truly do something according to his own vision.

He was not particularly passionate about making money.

He simply enjoyed the sense of achievement that came with success.

However, all success came with a price.

For Shi Yi, the price of that sense of achievement was having to allocate time to entertain people he had no interest in dealing with. If a meal was about negotiations or business matters, it was still tolerable. But purely social gatherings meant to build connections always left him feeling irritated from the bottom of his heart.

Most of the time, Ou Yang handled these matters. But when there were situations even Ou Yang could not manage, Shi Yi had to step in himself.

For instance, when it came to dealing with people in politics, Ou Yang was not enough.

“They specifically requested your presence this time, so just bear with it…”

Ou Yang glanced at Shi Yi, amused by the displeased expression on his face. Ever since Shi Yi found out who they would be entertaining tonight, his expression had been dark. Now, even though it was nearly time to leave, he still had not given a definite answer.

“If it’s just a dinner, fine. But now there’s even a performance? What did you book?”

“There wasn’t much to choose from tonight. A private theater is hosting a concert, but the band isn’t particularly famous. I figured these guys are just looking for entertainment and won’t care too much about what they are watching, so I booked that venue.”

“A band?”

Shi Yi frowned. “It’s not metal music, is it?” That kind of noisy racket gave him a headache even when listening to a CD.

“You wouldn’t be able to book that so easily even if you wanted to. This is just an independent band.”

Ou Yang placed the tickets on Shi Yi’s desk. “Just get ready and head over. You’re going either way.”

These people all had some connection to Shi Yi’s father.

When the company was just starting out, most of its projects came from government bids. Several contracts had been given to them thanks to these connections, making these people major clients that could not be offended.

Even though Ou Yang was also a director of the company, at the end of the day, they were here for Shi Yi, not him.

Shi Yi glanced at the tickets on the table. The design was the typical alternative style, just splashes of paint in random colors, with the date and location scribbled on top. The band had a strange name. Six Periods.

“Fuck! Six periods? What’s next, Five Commas?”

“Anyway, I gave you the tickets. Keep an eye on the time. I’ve got dinner plans with Director Liu tonight, so I’m heading out.” With a brief farewell, Ou Yang left, not bothering to stick around for Shi Yi to keep complaining.

The two had met in university, assigned to the same dorm despite studying different majors. After living together for so long, they naturally became friends. Shi Yi was the kind of person who was loyal and straightforward, so when he asked if Ou Yang wanted to start a company together after graduation, Ou Yang thought it over and agreed.

With Shi Yi’s connections, nothing was too difficult to accomplish.

The performance was scheduled for nine-thirty. Before that, Shi Yi had arranged dinner at a restaurant near the venue.

When he arrived to pick up the group, he realized they were all women.

All of them were family members, wives, sisters-in-law, daughters, nieces, talking nonstop about the handsome men they had seen on previous trips. The whole way, Shi Yi was nothing more than a chauffeur, stuck listening to their endless chatter while grumbling internally. On the surface, he still had to keep a smile on his face.

If he had known it would be like this, sending a manager to handle it would have been more than enough.

At least now he understood why they insisted on watching a performance. A group like this really had nothing better to do.

After dropping them off at the theater and making sure they were seated, Shi Yi felt like slipping away.

He sent a message to Ou Yang, telling him to find someone to take over for him. When the performance started, he planned to use an excuse to make his escape.

Sitting here with a bunch of women watching a band scream on stage was a waste of time. He would rather go home and sleep.

They looked like a bunch of scene kids.

Just as he was thinking about it, someone next to him, maybe a niece or some other younger relative, tugged on his sleeve.

“Mr. Shi, what kind of band is this? Never heard of them before.”

Before Shi Yi could respond, the theater lights went out at just the right moment. He pointed at the stage.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

That got him out of answering.

As soon as he finished speaking, the deafening sound of drums filled the air.

Shi Yi frowned instinctively and glanced at the stage. There were no spotlights yet, leaving everything in darkness. He could barely make out figures moving, just shadows and sound.

The drumming went on for a long time.

The rhythm grew more intense, building up speed until it finally reached a peak. At that moment, a single spotlight flared to life.

It landed on the lead singer.

Only now did Shi Yi realize that the lead singer was actually quite good-looking.

His skin was fair, and his face had a hint of childishness, yet his voice was raspy and rough. The opening verse was sung a cappella without any instrumental backing. The slightly melancholic tone worked surprisingly well.

Better than he had expected.

With that in mind, Shi Yi, who had been ready to slip away, reluctantly stayed and listened to two songs. The overall sound was not as noisy as he had imagined. Apparently, all the songs were original compositions, and since it was his first time hearing them, they carried a certain indie and artsy vibe. Most of the lyrics had a lonely, detached feel, though a few had a nostalgic touch of youthful sentiment.

The women beside him were fully immersed in the performance. By the fifth song, one of them whispered, “That guitarist is so handsome…”

Instinctively, Shi Yi scanned the stage. It took him two rounds of searching before he spotted the so-called “handsome guitarist” huddled at the farthest corner, hugging his guitar.

How could they call someone handsome when they couldn’t even see his face?

Shi Yi shook his head, exhaling a long breath out of boredom. He had a strong urge for a cigarette.

“The next song was written by our guitarist. This is our first time performing it. Hope you all like it.”

As the lead singer spoke, the lights swept toward the guitarist. The electric guitar let out an ornamental riff before the person being introduced stepped forward.

Even with only a vague silhouette visible, Shi Yi immediately recognized him.

It was Ying Ming.

He froze in surprise as he watched the lead singer place the microphone in front of Ying Ming. With the intro playing, Ying Ming hummed a soft melody.

Ying Ming’s voice also had a bit of a rasp to it.

But unlike the lead singer’s near-hysterical style, his carried a distinct roguish charm without being grating.

The part he hummed had no lyrics, just a short transition.

Under the lights, he gave a faint smile, shook his head at the lead singer, then stepped back into the darkness.

Only his silhouette remained, outlined by the shifting light and shadows.

The song had a slow tempo. Even at its most intense moments, the vocals were still soft, almost like a murmur. Shi Yi could almost picture Ying Ming in that big warehouse of his, lazily strumming his guitar and singing to himself. For some reason, it felt like this song was about Ying Ming himself.

Like he had something to say but never quite got the words out.

Compared to the earlier songs, this one was neither as direct nor as complex. There was something buried beneath the rhythm, pushing to break free yet deliberately held back.

It had a bit of a pretentious feel.

By the end, Shi Yi chuckled. He never considered himself someone who truly understood music.

But surprisingly, he understood this song.

Maybe it was because he and Ying Ming both carried something within them. Outsiders might only get a vague sense of it, but for him, it hit right in the chest. It was frustrating, yet oddly satisfying.

“Damn… You got me, Ying Ming…”

Muttering under his breath, Shi Yi watched the figure on stage playing one song after another, unable to stop the corner of his lips from curling up.

After the performance, Shi Yi dropped everyone off at their homes.

The whole way back, they were still talking about the concert. Everyone had their own favorite performer. The girl who had been talking about Ying Ming earlier was now trying relentlessly to convince the others, making even more noise than before.

By the time he finally saw them off, Shi Yi felt like he had been reborn.

He pulled over by the roadside, lit a cigarette, and called Ying Ming.

The other end was still buzzing with celebration, laughter, and chatter in the background. Shi Yi waited until Ying Ming answered before chuckling.

“Ying Ming, what was the name of the song you sang today?”

There was a brief silence, as if Ying Ming had not immediately processed the question.

“Huh?”

“The song you performed today. The one you wrote. What’s it called?”

“You came to the show?” Ying Ming sounded surprised.

“Yeah. Just happened to be there.”

Shi Yi had never expected to stumble upon something like this. He never even knew Ying Ming was in a band.

Six Periods. Now that he thought about it, the name really suited Ying Ming’s style.

Ying Ming chuckled on the other end, seemingly just as taken aback. After a brief pause, he finally answered, “It’s just a little tune I wrote when I was bored. The guys insisted on performing it. I never named it.”

“Then let me name it for you.”

Shi Yi took a drag of his cigarette, watching the dark, empty street ahead. There was not a single light in sight.

Ying Ming raised a brow. “Go ahead.”

“Let’s call it Tomorrow.”

Shi Yi smiled. “That’s what I think you were singing about.”