Prodigal System in the Flourishing City

Different from other people’s reactions.
At this moment, at the Lu family’s.
There are two guests.
"My... my dad! It’s my dad!"
Mr. Zeng turned his head upon hearing the familiar voice, his eyes wide as bells, his hands trembling.
"What?"
Grandma Wang also had a shocked expression, quickly turning her head towards the TV, her eyes suddenly filled with complex emotions!
"How did my dad get on TV?"
Mr. Zeng was as shocked as if he’d seen a ghost, even forgetting that they were not at their home, but at the Lu family’s.
"Let’s go! Say goodbye to them!"
Grandma Wang stayed silent for a moment, then stood up.
"Mom..."
Mr. Zeng stammered.
"Let’s go!"
Grandma Wang said firmly.
"Why are we just leaving like this, don’t you understand? They invited us here just to watch my dad!"
Mr. Zeng got anxious.
"You’ve been divorced from my dad for seven or eight years now, every time he calls, you hang up, every time he comes over, you don’t open the door."
"Even when the neighbors mention my dad’s name, you argue with them. What are you doing!"
"My dad just likes to sing, it’s not a big mistake, why can’t you move past this after all these years?"
The Lu family listened to their conversation but didn’t speak.
This time was theirs!
"Does he like singing? He’s obsessed! He values singing more than us!"
Grandma Wang burst out angrily.
"Back then you were young, your dad would always hold his guitar and sing, he even formed a band with his coworkers. Back then he was young, so it was fine."
"But as he got older, he never changed. Pursuing some dream!"
"He worked at the factory for twenty or thirty years, and just because of that impractical dream, he talked about buying out his years of service and then just quit."
"What can the money from buying out his years of service do? Besides not having any other income, how did our family survive those years, you know it too!"
Mr. Zeng’s lips trembled, but he still said, "That’s no reason for you to divorce my dad."
Grandma Wang retorted harshly, "Singing when young is fine, but now he’s an old man. What’s he still singing for, still dreaming of dreams?"
"Each person has their fate, and his fate was just to be a worker. How could he still not give up at this age, not accept his fate!"
"And now, look at the young people participating in talent shows. What’s he doing getting involved there! Who would like to listen to the rubbish he sings?"
Grandma Wang really lost her temper!
Mr. Zeng grimaced, "I’ll watch if you won’t, I’ve never even properly heard my dad sing a single song. Every time he starts singing you argue with him!"
The mother and son reached a deadlock.
Father Lu quickly spoke up, "Old sister, we’re about the same age, I know those tough days, initially I had to raise these three kids alone, being both a father and a mother..."
Father Lu and Grandma Wang were of similar age, and with these words, they managed to communicate somewhat.
Of course, about the address, let’s not mind it.
As they continued to talk, Grandma Wang’s attitude about leaving wasn’t so firm anymore.
Although her expression was still stubborn, she did not leave.
...
On the screen.
Under the gaze of countless viewers in front of the TV, Uncle Zeng went on stage.
He held the microphone, not walking fast.
He even had to step up the stairs one by one, unable to take two at a time.
From this, it was evident that Uncle Zeng had aged, no longer having the stamina of young people.
The audience became even more puzzled.
Can this old man really do it?
Can this old man truly sing?
The lights are out, three, two, one, music begins!
It’s the sound of a guitar, and though the melody has changed, it’s still quite familiar; many recognize it instantly.
This is one of Sun Wanqi’s very famous rock songs from her early rise to fame, covered by many, but never has an old man been heard singing it!
"Is it ’I Don’t Agree’?"
"Wow! Is it rock?"
"Has he gone mad? An old man singing rock?"
"What the heck?"
"I thought he was going to sing some old songs from the ’70s, why rock? Can a man of his age sing it?"
"Is that alright? Watch out for the old man’s health!"
"It must be unbearable! I’m speechless!"
"Can it sound good?"
"They got divorced over this? Definitely not worth it!"
"Singing an old song is one thing, but rock? You’ve been on the wrong path for forty years? What’s the point?"
"Sticking to the wrong path is like heading south in a carriage facing north!"
"Rock is the domain of the youth, right?"
"..."
On the screen, Old Man Zeng, faced with the dubious looks of the audience, acted as if it were all nothing.
He was used to this; he had faced such situations countless times over the decades, confronted by countless such voices.
He calmly lifted the microphone to his mouth, pouring all his experiences and emotions into the song.
This was a song he wanted to sing just for himself!
He opened his mouth.
He warmed up his voice.
"After countless efforts, I still grit my teeth and endure, even under others’ feet!"
"After countless struggles, I still fiercely persist, though my dreams are still far away!"
"After countless falls, I’ve become staggering, though I’m covered in bruises!"
"After countless cries, my voice grows louder, though it’s hard to speak!"
Old Man Zeng’s scream bought together his wrinkles.
Layer upon layer.
Those layers of wrinkles represented the years he had lived, and also the failures he had endured.
Just as he said, he had never succeeded once, all was failure!
Those failures piled up on his face, accumulated in his heart, but never stopped his steps!
Suddenly, the viewers in front of the TV went silent!
The set of "The Voice" also suddenly went quiet!
Many people were shocked, their mouths agape, stunned by Old Man Zeng’s mature, hoarse bass.
They couldn’t believe their ears, couldn’t believe this was a song sung by a sixty-year-old man!
Equally shocked was Old Man Zeng’s son; his eyes wide, he found himself unable to speak, "This... my dad... this..."
Grandma Wang watched her husband on the screen, scenes from the past flashing before her eyes.
"You’re so old already!"
"I don’t want to just let it go."
"What’s wrong with you, can’t you just accept it?"
"I won’t accept!"
"You have to accept it even if you don’t! Can’t you just live a normal life without dreaming?"
"This is my only aspiration for a lifetime, can you support me just this once?"
"I’ve had enough, let’s get a divorce!"
"Xiaoyun! Let me try one more time! The last time! I can do it!"
"No need to say more, it’s useless no matter how many times you try! It’s just not your fate!"
"..."
Old Man Zeng’s bass voice subsided, and suddenly, a roaring high pitch burst unexpectedly from his throat like the explosion of a bomb!
"I! DON’T! AGREE!"