sovbooks Chapter 20 Poly
Chapter 20 Poly
Qi Ke gritted his teeth: "No problem, it's just a referral, no big deal."
He secretly planned that if necessary, he could just swallow his pride and go ahead. There were indeed a few familiar faces among the guests here, people who often associated with Henry.
Even if the Poly Group boss didn't recognize him, with these familiar faces around, he wouldn't be treated like a nobody and kicked out on the spot.
Gradually, the club became more and more crowded, with every seat filled.
Beside the stage, the members of the Siren band were visibly nervous. It wasn't that they lacked stage experience; they had performed at many rock concerts before. But performing disco on stage was a first for them, especially in such a special atmosphere, surrounded by many well-dressed, charismatic people. It was inevitable that they would feel intimidated.
Amanda, in particular, was trembling with fear, her face pale and her eyes filled with terror, ever since she heard about Zeke's gang background and saw the mafia in the club.
Seeing this, Tino quickly stepped forward to reassure them: "Don't be nervous. With Zik here, no one will dare to cause trouble. Just perform well and show the charm of this song. Don't overthink it."
In contrast, Holly was quite relaxed and not nervous at all. She stayed by Zeke's side and chatted with him casually about collaborating on songwriting.
Qi Ke had no time to think about any of this. His eyes were fixed on the club entrance, and he was filled with anxiety, praying that the Poly boss would come later, or better yet, not at all.
Time passed by, and before we knew it, it was past 8 p.m., and the scheduled performance time was fast approaching.
Just then, a commotion arose at the club entrance, and everyone's eyes turned to that spot: Pauli Valio, with his arm around a beautiful woman in a red dress, slowly walked in.
Those present, who were considered "one of their own," reacted accordingly. Some raised their glasses and nodded to Poly; others stood up and greeted him respectfully.
Some people even called over waiters and instructed them to send the best wine to Poly's table, clearly hoping to take the opportunity to curry favor with this mafia boss.
Paul's face was expressionless; he simply nodded slightly in response to the greetings around him. His aura was powerful, and every move he made exuded an unassailable majesty.
After he finished greeting the people around him and sat down in the most conspicuous booth in the club, Tino immediately started frantically winking at Zik, his eyes full of urging.
Qi Ke took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and silently vowed: I'll fight! He straightened his clothes, gritted his teeth, and walked step by step toward Poly's booth.
Although he had heard the name Paulie Wario every day since he could remember, and knew that he was the most powerful Mafia boss in Brownsville and even Brooklyn, he had never met him face to face.
"Uncle Pauli." After hesitating for a moment, Zik decided to be more polite. After all, Pauli was older than old Rossi, and calling him "uncle" wouldn't hurt him. He might even gain some goodwill.
Pauli looked up, his gaze falling on Qi Ke. His expression was somewhat surprised, yet also a little strange. He clearly hadn't expected Qi Ke to call him that. His brows furrowed slightly as he stared at Qi Ke: "Who are you?"
Those eyes seemed to see right through people, making Qi Ke feel uneasy.
Suppressing his nervousness, Qi Keqiang quickly said, "Um, Uncle Paul, I'm old Rossi's son, Qi Ke Rossi. I grew up listening to your stories and I admire you very much. Now I work for Henry and occasionally get involved in some small businesses."
"Old Rossi?" Paulie muttered to himself, his eyes somewhat lost.
A tall man stood behind him, leaned slightly over, and whispered a few words into Paul's ear.
After hearing the man's words, Paul suddenly laughed and winked at Zik: "Oh, I remember now, records, right? You guys did a pretty good job on that deal."
Phew~ Qi Ke breathed a sigh of relief, his heart finally settled down, his back already soaked with cold sweat.
Fortunately, someone remembered his "contribution"; the big boss's commission wasn't taken for nothing.
He nodded quickly, a respectful smile on his face: "Yes, Uncle Paul, it's me. I think the record industry has great potential, so I casually wrote a disco song myself, and this band is here to perform it today. This is my manager, Tino Barzi."
Zik didn't dare delay and quickly brought up the important matter, giving Tino a wink.
Tino immediately trotted over, a fawning smile plastered on his face: "Mr. Pauli, hello, I'm Tino Balzi, Zik's manager. Tonight is the debut of the Siren band and Zik's disco song. We've specially arranged the performance at your venue so you can be the first to hear it. We'll record the entire performance tonight and broadcast it on the radio later; it's sure to bring even more customers to the King's Lounge."
These words gave Poly a lot of face. He glanced at his somewhat pleased female companion beside him and smiled at Zik:
"Oh? You've already found an agent? This isn't just a casual thing. Get them to perform soon, I like disco too."
After saying that, he waved to the club manager beside him and whispered a few words of advice.
The manager nodded quickly, picked up the microphone, walked to the side of the stage, cleared his throat, and spoke in a solemn yet enthusiastic tone, as if he were really introducing some big star:
"Good evening, distinguished guests! Welcome to the King's Lounge! Tonight, we are honored to have with us a very promising band, the Sirens. They will be performing a brand new disco song for us, marking the song's and the band's debut. Let's give the Sirens a warm round of applause!"
Applause erupted instantly, mixed with whistles and cheers.
The members of the Siren Band took to the stage one by one, adjusting their instruments. As the intro to "YMCA" began, the powerful and lively trumpet melody instantly broke through the air, sweeping through the entire King Lounge, igniting the previously somewhat reserved atmosphere.
The audience below the stage seemed to have been turned on, swaying their bodies and cheering loudly to the rhythm of the music. Some raised their hands and swayed to the melody, while others simply stood up and danced the simple dance that the band members had practiced all night. Although their movements were clumsy, they were full of enthusiasm.
As Zik stood to the side of the stage, all the tension and fatigue he had felt earlier vanished amidst the cheers of the audience.
Looking at the group on stage, he breathed a sigh of relief. Although the Siren Band's performance was still a bit raw, with Keith's guitar solo occasionally stumbling and Anton's drumming having a few minor deviations, Amanda's singing skills were indeed solid. Wearing a sequined dress, she sang and danced with steady breath and ease, perfectly showcasing the carefree and joyful spirit of the song.
As the music ended and the melody faded away, the applause and cheers from the audience continued unabated for a long time. Whistles and cheers mingled together, almost lifting the roof off the club.
Looking at the scene before him, Qi Ke knew that while some of the applause might be genuinely impressed by the music, it was probably mostly out of respect for the Poly Group boss.
Regardless, as the debut of this song and the first official performance after the Sirens' transition to disco, such a performance was undoubtedly stunning.
At least those in the music industry present looked at the band with more recognition and expectation.
Tino was well-prepared; he had arranged for two staff members to place the recording equipment in a corner on the side of the stage, recording the entire performance of the song. Even the cheers and whistles from the audience could be clearly heard.
Compared to spending a lot of money and time recording in a formal recording studio, this kind of live recording is not only cheaper and more efficient, but also captures the most vibrant atmosphere of the performance, making it more suitable for quick promotion to radio stations.
The Poly Group tycoon sat in a booth with a satisfied smile on his face. After listening to the song, he gestured with his chin to his subordinates.
The subordinate immediately understood, took a stack of cash, and walked up to Qi Ke: "This is a small token of the boss's appreciation; he really likes this song."
Qi Ke quickly took the cash and nodded respectfully in Paul's direction: "Thank you, Uncle Paul."
Seeing this, other gang members followed suit, stepping forward to give him tips of varying amounts, offering words of encouragement, and enthusiastically inviting the Siren Band to perform at their establishments in the future.
Zeke knew that bars, restaurants, clubs, and dance halls were all industries favored by the Mafia, who often controlled more than one. Getting an invitation from them would undoubtedly provide more performance opportunities and allow the song to spread more quickly.
He agreed to each request, carefully put away the cash, and wore a polite smile.
Tino stood aside, watching with a broad smile. After dealing with the gang members, he went to socialize with the music industry figures who had come to visit.
While exchanging pleasantries with everyone, he quietly took a package out of his pocket, stuffed it into Qi Ke's arms, and said in a low voice, "Take this. Watch my signals later and don't say anything out of line."
Qi Ke subconsciously touched the things in his arms. They were small pills of various colors and simple packaging. His heart skipped a beat, and he felt that the things were very suspicious.