C6

"I don't think so. Otherwise, why would he just want a hug and not ask for money?"

"Maybe the hug is just a gimmick, and he'll start telling a sob story to get money later?"

"But with his talent, he could easily make a hundred thousand a month as a streamer. Why would he need to scam anyone?"

Qin Mo ignored the chatter around him.

As rush hour approached, more people started pouring out of the subway.

Qin Mo began his next song, "Five Hundred Miles."

"If you miss the train I'm on."

"You will know that I am gone."

"You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles."

The smooth melody flowed from the guitar strings.

Qin Mo swayed gently, tapping his foot to the beat, his husky voice bringing the poignant folk song to life.

The song vividly captured the feelings of a wanderer far from home, expressing life's insights, the bitterness of drifting, the longing for home, and the anxiety of nearing it...

Those present, reading the lyrics, grasped the song's meaning.

Quickly moved by the music, their eyes grew misty.

The song seemed to cast a spell, swiftly touching everyone striving far from home.

More and more people stopped to listen.

Qin Mo, however, was lost in his own musical world, strumming the guitar strings and softly singing.

"Not a shirt on my back."

"Not a penny to my name."

“Lord. I can't go back home like this.”

The struggles and loneliness of working far from home suddenly overwhelmed him, especially the lyrics about returning home in rags and penniless. It was deeply moving.

When Qin Mo finished singing, the crowd erupted in thunderous applause. A brave young woman stepped forward and gave Qin Mo a hug.

“Thank you!”

“Hang in there!” she said, giving him an encouraging gesture.

“Let’s keep going together!” Qin Mo replied sincerely.

Inspired, others began to line up, each taking a turn to hug Qin Mo. The scene was incredibly touching, with many capturing the moment on video and sharing it online.

“Check it out! This guy's bar went under, and now he’s singing in the park for hugs!”

“I was there, and it was so moving, I cried!”

“So much love! There are still good people in the world, offering a bit of warmth to a stranger!”

“Keep going, man, don’t give up, I’m rooting for you!”

“Honestly, he’s super talented. His songs are amazing. You’ve got to listen to ‘Twilight’ and ‘Five Hundred Miles’—they’ll give you chills!”

“He’s going to be famous! Let’s all like this and help him go viral!”

“Let’s support him and make sure his talent doesn’t go unnoticed!”

As night fell, after five hours of live streaming, Qin Mo was starting to feel a bit tired.

He greeted the onlookers and his online followers, wrapping up the street performance. After packing up his guitar, he sat by the flower bed, checking his phone. Many passersby were taking photos and videos to share on social media.

Qin Mo logged into the Conboat platform to check the stats. Thanks to the buzz in the live stream, he landed his first trending topic since arriving: "Broke Uncle in the Park Seeks Hugs."

Uh...

Although the "Broke Uncle" persona wasn't quite what he had in mind, it was undeniably catchy and perfect for trending. The Conboat team knew what they were doing. The heartwarming scene touched many viewers, who left encouraging comments under the related videos.

After packing up his guitar and gear, Qin Mo hailed a cab back to his apartment. He did the math and realized that just from the live stream tips, he made nearly ten thousand dollars. Plus, he received over a thousand in cash from passersby. Not bad for a day's work!

Tomorrow, he could book a recording studio and wouldn't need to keep up the "down-and-out" act. Qin Mo made a trip to a boutique store, picking up some wallpaper and decor to transform the guest room into a stylish live-streaming studio.

Using a sound card, his phone camera, and a ring light, he recorded his first short video. On camera, he greeted the audience confidently.

"Hello, friends on Conboat! I'm Qin Mo, a new independent musician here, also known as Mr. Vicissitude. My new song, 'Twilight,' will officially release tomorrow. Thank you all for your support!"

In the video, Qin Mo sang a couple of heartfelt lines from the chorus of "Twilight." He posted the short clip and tagged relevant topics about himself. The video quickly gained traction as it entered the platform's algorithm, and views skyrocketed. Riding the wave of a recent trending topic, Qin Mo seized the moment to release a teaser for his new song, garnering significant attention.

"Mr. Vicissitude is on Conboat! I heard him sing at Butterfly Dream Bar last night and knew he'd make it big. Go, Mr. Vicissitude!"

"Sounds great! Can't wait for the official version to drop. I'm so excited!"

"Just happened to catch his live performance at the bar yesterday, stumbled into his live stream this afternoon, and now I see this video! Mr. Vicissitude, I haven't missed a single performance. When you hit it big, I'll be one of your earliest fans!"

"Keep it up, Uncle Qin, we're all rooting for you!"

Feeling accomplished today, Qin Mo treated himself to a bowl of braised beef noodles downstairs. Double the beef!

After finishing his meal, he stepped out onto the street, only to hear a bright, clear voice behind him.

"Uncle, there you are! I've been waiting all day and couldn't find you!"

Qin Mo took a sharp breath. That sweet, slightly teasing voice could only belong to Yu Ke'er.

Yu Ke'er, wearing cream-colored leather ankle boots, ran up to Qin Mo. Her cheeks were flushed, and her big, starry eyes looked at him with a hint of reproach.

She wore a violet sweater today, paired with skinny jeans and a silver belt with a metallic buckle. It made her look a bit more mature than her actual age. Maybe it was because yesterday, Qin Mo called her a little girl, and she dressed like this on purpose. Qin Mo sighed, "I never said I wanted to go to the store; you insisted on going!" "I know!" Ke'er pouted, "I'm not blaming you, but this time, I won't let you leave so easily!"