Chapter 69: A Man, Three Parts Drunk, Speaks of You and Sheds Tears

As the saying goes, when a man is three parts drunk, his words can move you to tears.

After downing a box of liquor, the two paparazzi began pouring out their woes to Su Chen, reminiscing about the past. Perhaps the alcohol had gone to their heads, and they forgot they were still live on air—blurting out everything without reservation, things they should and shouldn’t say alike.

Across the table, Su Chen and Wang Bingling joined in, drinking and chatting idly. Compared to Su Chen, however, Wang Bingling was not much of a drinker. After only a few sips of beer, her face was already flushed bright red. After all, even in the entertainment industry, women who could drink like Yan Mi were still a rarity.

As time went on, Wang Bingling seemed either tipsy or distracted; she stopped drinking and didn’t eat skewers either, propping her small head in her hands, occasionally gazing at Su Chen in a daze, grinning foolishly.

Meanwhile, in Su Chen’s live broadcast room, the audience listened to the drunken confessions of the paparazzi, and the barrage of comments exploded into a new frenzy!

“Hahaha! Are these two paparazzi really drunk? They’ve completely let themselves go, saying whatever comes to mind!”

“Climbing up a seventy or eighty meter tower crane just to sneak photos of a celebrity, all for performance metrics?! My god, this industry is way too intense! They’re literally risking their lives for money!”

“I have to say, this is my first time hearing a paparazzi version of a roast—absolutely thrilling! ‘Tomorrow’s Star’ is really something; now this is what I call a show!”

“Haha, after two bottles of booze, these guys born in the 80s and 90s are acting like post-2000s, daring to openly insult their boss… But seriously, aren’t they afraid their boss will see this?”

“Sigh, you know, hearing them talk like this, I suddenly feel a bit sorry for these paparazzi—so much hardship just to make a living…”

“Let me sum it up: in the end, the real scoundrel is the capitalist!”

“But what does knowing this change? Compared to these helpless realities, I’m more interested in the celebrities they’re talking about! I’ve been waiting since this morning, they keep hinting but not revealing—can’t we get some juicy gossip?!”

“I’ll take a wild guess—Zheng Huayu must have skeletons in the closet!”

“Can you haters shut up? Don’t slander my boy, or you’ll be hearing from his lawyer!”

…

Experiencing the world of paparazzi from their own perspective was a novel encounter that opened the audience’s eyes to a new reality.

True, the deeds of paparazzi could be odious, but perhaps not as villainous as people imagined. In the end, they were pitiable souls selling their dignity for money.

By now, it was past eight in the evening—prime time. “Tomorrow’s Star” was already a major draw, and with such a fresh, unprecedented live broadcast, the viewership soared.

At that moment, the popularity of Su Chen’s stream reached its highest peak for the day: over three million viewers watching live! Such massive numbers could rival the daily active users of some streaming platforms.

On the other side, Su Chen occasionally reminded the two outspoken paparazzi to mind their words. After all, they had joined him for a ride and for fun today, and they’d been rather good to him. If they ended up losing their jobs over something they blurted out while drinking with Su Chen, it would hardly be worth it.

Gradually, their conversation shifted from complaints to loftier topics—dreams, lost loves, stories of struggle, evolution, World War III, extraterrestrials, the origin of the universe, even the age-old debate of which came first, the chicken or the egg…

Though these were familiar topics, staples of drunken banter, and lines some people had probably trotted out countless times, hearing them from paparazzi gave them a different flavor.

In everyone’s mind, paparazzi were rogues who did nothing but invade others’ privacy. Yet after hearing their stories, the viewers found that paparazzi were much like ordinary people—capable of speaking eloquently about the big questions.

The live chat was alive with enthusiasm, some viewers even joining the debate, making the atmosphere lively and vibrant.

After several rounds of drinks, the two paparazzi were visibly fading—slumped in their chairs, barely carrying on the conversation. Among everyone present, the only ones still sober were the cameraman, forbidden to drink while on duty, and Su Chen, who could hold his liquor.

Even Wang Bingling seemed dazed, her eyes rimmed with red.

“…Bingling, are you alright?” Su Chen asked.

Wang Bingling was startled, then brushed the tears from the corners of her eyes. “I’m fine—it’s just that I’m feeling a bit sentimental.”

After hearing the paparazzi recount their hardships and youthful ambitions, Wang Bingling couldn’t help but think of her own past—of the pressure she’d faced to reinvent herself. If not for Su Chen, she might have failed too.

Maybe, as many said, failure was the main theme of life.

Compared to the two paparazzi, she was materially luckier. But even so, her future path might not be as smooth as she hoped. Perhaps, with Su Chen by her side, this part of her journey would be a little easier.

But as for what the future would bring… who could say?

Just as Su Chen was preparing some comforting words for Wang Bingling, a weathered voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Excuse me, do you need a song? Only ten yuan for a tune.”

Su Chen looked up to see a middle-aged man, his face marked by the years.

Su Chen was momentarily taken aback, but quickly replied, “Sure, sing a song for me.”

Hearing Su Chen agree, the man’s eyes immediately brightened. After a hard night’s work, he finally had his first listener.

“By the way, can I request a song?” Su Chen remembered he was still live and turned to the man.

“Um… I only know folk songs…” the man replied awkwardly, giving a sheepish smile.

Su Chen couldn’t help but chuckle. “That’s fine, a folk song is just what I want. Have you heard of ‘Southern Girl’?”

The man nodded. “Isn’t that the one that went viral in short videos recently? If I recall, the original author is called Su Chen—a very young guy. I’ve heard the song and I like it a lot, but the version online isn’t complete, so I’ll have to fill in the gaps as best I can.”

“That’s alright, just sing it however you understand it,” Su Chen replied, feeling a little embarrassed that the man hadn’t recognized him. The truth was, he’d recorded “Southern Girl” quite some time ago and had forgotten to upload it.

Without further ado, the middle-aged man strummed his guitar and began to sing “Southern Girl.”

With his eyes closed, Su Chen felt the spirit of the music and lyrics, tapping his fingers in time with the rhythm, nodding along to the melody.

Though this improvised version had its flaws, the singing and the arrangement were more than decent.

How could a man like this be reduced to singing for a living?