Chapter 5: As Soon as "Dragon Scales of Heaven and Earth" Began, the Director Was Stunned

[System prompt: Please complete the second system task as soon as possible.]
[The current improvement in the illness is only temporary. Only by consecutively administering seven types of potion can the patient make a full recovery and return to normal appearance!]
[The interval between each dose must not exceed 48 hours!]

After reading the system prompt, Su Bai was momentarily stunned.

Although the system didn’t specify what would happen if the interval exceeded 48 hours, Su Bai would never allow Mengke Yang to be exposed to even the slightest potential danger.

“Brother, now that it’s just the two of us, can you finally tell me what’s going on?”

Su Bai affectionately patted Mengke Yang on the head. Seeing a faint flush return to her once deathly pale cheeks, his heart ached, yet relief mingled with his concern.

“I was delivering a meal to a medical research institute and helped them with something small,” he explained. “I managed to ask them for this potion. But it’s not on the market yet, so we can’t mention it to the hospital. Technically speaking, you’re a test subject for the drug—I made the decision for you. Little Ke, you don’t blame me, do you?”

Hearing Su Bai’s explanation, Mengke Yang didn’t doubt him much. She had heard before that when research institutes developed new medicine, they often needed test subjects. Sometimes there would be improvement, sometimes side effects, and they’d pay generously for participation.

For her, though, payment was irrelevant. As long as there was a sliver of hope, she was willing to try.

She knew her own condition better than anyone. Without this potion, she feared she didn’t have much time left.

Mengke Yang shook her head slightly, a look of contentment on her face. “Brother, I’ll do whatever you say. This life was already snatched from the jaws of death. To be a test subject for their institute—I’m honored, brother!”

Seeing her accept without suspicion, Su Bai breathed a sigh of relief.

“But this potion has a drawback,” he added. “It’s not a single formula, but a combination—seven potions must be used together for a complete recovery. So, in the next few days, I’ll need to keep helping them. I might not have much time to stay with you.”

Mengke Yang smiled and shook her head. “I’ll be fine on my own, brother.”

...

Though he yearned to stay by her side, there was no choice. Once she was well, there would be all the time in the world.

Right now, the most urgent thing was to complete the system task.

He donned his yellow delivery uniform once more, stepped onto the electric bike, twisted the throttle to its limit, and sped towards his destination.

“The 600th Anniversary Song Gala at the Forbidden City!”

“Xu Mingkun! Xu Mingkun!” Countless female fans in the crowd screamed wildly, many trying to rush the stage, only to be held back by security.

Su Bai knew of Xu Mingkun—a traffic-driving idol whose every topic became a viral sensation, always topping the trending lists on Weibo. Most of his fans were girls, and not always the most rational.

Just hearing his recent English song, Su Bai felt a pang of discomfort. This was supposed to be the commemorative song for the 600th anniversary of the Forbidden City, and he sang in English? Wasn’t that a slap in the face to the production team?

Delivering the meal to the desk of Song Liang, general director of the program’s Shanghai division, Su Bai heard him roar in anger, “What kind of nonsense is that? Who invited him? Get him out of here!”

The female assistant muttered quietly, “Director Song, the sponsor’s CEO is a woman and a huge fan of Xu Mingkun. She insisted he be the final performer.”

Song Liang was livid. “We’re selecting a commemorative song for the Forbidden City’s 600th anniversary, not hosting a concert! How am I supposed to explain this to the palace officials?”

The assistant wanted to say something but realized nothing she said could ease Song Liang’s fury, so she stayed silent. This was a battle between the director and the sponsors.

Song Liang sighed heavily. “There isn’t a single suitable candidate. None of them have the grandeur and majesty this calls for! How am I supposed to report back to the palace?”

Su Bai spoke up, “Director Song, pardon me—I can sing, too. How about I try a song? Maybe it will fit.”

The assistant and Song Liang both looked at him as if he were mad. Did he not see that all the performers on stage were celebrities? Xu Mingkun, the superstar, and others—perhaps less famous, but all powerhouse vocalists. And now a delivery guy wanted to go up and sing?

Was this some kind of international joke?

The female assistant opened the door and politely said, “Sir, please leave the meal and be on your way.”

She rather regretted letting the deliveryman bring the food in; now she’d probably get another scolding from the director.

Song Liang glanced up and waved his hand, motioning for the assistant to hurry Su Bai out. He had neither the time nor the patience for jokes with a delivery guy. On a good day, he might banter, but today he was in no mood.

Seeing he was about to be kicked out, Su Bai quickly pleaded, “Let me sing for you a cappella. It’ll only take a minute.”

The assistant was speechless and grabbed Su Bai to usher him out.

This time, Song Liang didn’t even look up, his head buried in his troubles. It wasn’t that he looked down on people—he just didn’t want to waste time.

“These rivers and mountains I sketch anew,
The nation’s bloodline stretching ten thousand miles through.
Six centuries in three hundred years,
Descendants of dragons, weathering storms and tears.
Here stands the capital’s axis true,
Its gentlemen’s spirit, unwavering too.
Glazed tiles on the Nine-Dragon Wall gleam,
History wanes and rises with each dream.”

Though it was a cappella, Su Bai’s magnetic voice made Song Liang pause in amazement. Even the assistant, dragging him by the hand, stopped for a moment—she hadn’t expected the deliveryman to actually be able to sing.

But what shocked Song Liang most was not Su Bai’s voice or skill, but the lyrics themselves.

From the opening line, there was an air of mystery. Even the first stanza alone conveyed an epic, majestic feeling. “Six centuries in three hundred years” aligned perfectly with the Forbidden City’s 600th anniversary. Then, the song delved into the story of Daxia civilization.

Yet this was only the beginning.

“Wait!” Song Liang suddenly called out to Su Bai, who was already at the door.

“Did you write these lyrics yourself?”

Su Bai hesitated. In his previous life, Master Fang had written them, but in this parallel world of Daxia, they counted as his own. Inwardly, he apologized to Teacher Fang.

He nodded. “Yes, the song is called ‘Dragon Scales of Heaven and Earth.’”

Song Liang repeated the title to himself several times. What a name!

“Could you sing the whole song for me? I’m really curious about the rest of the lyrics.”

Su Bai smiled and nodded. “Of course.”

With that, he pulled up the instrumental track on his phone.