"Let us invite Mr. Eagle and Mr. Bear to sing a song for us, celebrating the great success of the demolition at Celestial Essence Pedestrian Street!"

"Mr. Eagle! Mr. Bear!"

"Sing a song! Sing a song!"

Long had already arranged for community members to shout out first, quickly energizing the whole crowd.

The spectators joined in, their cries and applause mixing together, truly creating the atmosphere of a big star making an entrance.

Wang Kang tightened his grip on the microphone, his palms sweating with nervousness, and instinctively turned to look at Cheng Ye.

Cheng Ye nodded slightly at him, his fingers strumming a lively tune again.

Wang Kang took a deep breath, and his inner panic instantly dissipated. Yes, this was their childhood dream, now finally realized, what was there to fear?

"This is the first step in realizing our dreams; there will be more dreams in the future."

"Yes!" Wang Kang took the microphone, "Hello everyone, I’m Bear, next I’ll be singing for you a song, Happiness Comes In!"

Upon hearing this, cheers erupted from the audience; "Happiness Comes In" was the city anthem for Happiness City, the opening song for every major ceremony, and almost everyone could hum a few lines.

The atmosphere below became increasingly lively; Long knelt down on one knee in front of Cheng Ye, with a microphone close to the guitar.

Bam...

The familiar prelude sounded again, but Wang Kang was too excited; upon hearing the first note, he couldn’t help but start singing, half a beat ahead of the rhythm.

But it wasn’t a big deal; who would care at this moment?

"Morning light kisses our faces..." The high-pitched voice came out of the microphone, a bit off-key but extraordinarily sincere.

Cheng Ye reacted swiftly, gently adjusting his fingers to the rhythm, seamlessly adapting to Wang Kang’s tune.

"Children chase the wind letting go of kites!"

"Elders laugh saying spring has returned."

"Happiness quietly comes in!"

"Filling every inch of this city with wonder, our home forever warm in our hearts!"

"..."

Wang Kang’s voice wasn’t particularly melodious, even breaking at some points, but he sang with exceptional passion.

People below began to get carried away, starting to hum along, initially just residents nearby the stage, then the crowd from Zone B7, and eventually even the outer spectators couldn’t help but open their mouths, gently humming to the melody.

"The wind is light, the clouds are white!"

"Happiness City, spring is eternal!"

"Every heart is filled with anticipation, happiness always comes in!"

The song spread like a tidal wave, carrying the chill after the snow, yet interweaving with a warmth of rolling heat.

New emotions bloomed between the notes, even a few immigrants who had just entered the city couldn’t help but stop at a distance, their eyes flashing with complex yet eager emotions.

Here, indeed, there was happiness.

Even if it was just a certain moment, a certain fragment, even if danger and hardship awaited in the future, the excitement and songs of this moment were real and genuine.

Sitting on one side of the stage, Elder Song listened to the rising and falling songs, feeling his eyes suddenly warm, uncontrollably raising his hand to wipe his eyes.

In his life, he had seen much of the wasteland’s cruelty, never thinking he would see such scenes before he died.

What is happiness?

For the Celestial Essence Community, it’s the hope of tearing down old shanties and being able to build new homes!

For him, a veteran, it’s seeing community development, seeing smiling faces.

And at this moment, all of this came true. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Cheng Ye’s fingers kept moving, his gaze sweeping over the flushed faces in the audience, with elders’ smiles, children’s antics, young people’s cheers, and even more people’s eyes shining with light.

He suddenly felt that standing here at this moment was so right.

Not just for fulfilling the dreams of his past and Wang Kang, but for holding onto this sense of community.

Just like Jiang Chuan said, to ensure enough human warmth within oneself, to resist the loneliness that the wilderness brings.

He seemed to be completely rooted here.

The breath of the wasteland began to flow in his blood, and even his thoughts were no longer filled just with modern memories.

As the song ended, Wang Kang held the microphone, his chest heaving violently, breathless, his legs almost giving way to sit down.

In fact, the latter parts were essentially shouted out, yet shouted with a special joy.

"Cheng... Mr. Eagle, your turn..."

He handed the microphone to Cheng Ye, reaching out to grab the guitar, but saw Cheng Ye sitting firmly on the stool without moving, merely gesturing with his chin for him to bring the microphone close to his mouth.

"Playing and singing by yourself?"

Wang Kang was momentarily stunned, then couldn’t help but curl his lips into a smile; indeed, Brother Cheng was still that flamboyant Brother Cheng.

Of course, he wanted to show off more, just restrained himself usually.

In an instant, the last bit of unfamiliarity between them disappeared completely, turning into deeper familiarity and affection than before.

"Hello everyone, I’m Eagle, I’ll be bringing you a song... Old Boy." Cheng Ye strummed the guitar, chuckling.

An unfamiliar melody flowed from the speakers, lacking the cheerfulness of Happiness Comes In, but carrying a tender subtlety that suddenly quieted the surrounding noise.

Long remained slightly hunched, steadily holding the microphone near the guitar, while Wang Kang held another microphone, instinctively holding his breath, afraid to disturb this tune.

Cheng Ye pursed his lips, his eyelids slightly lowered, his voice slowly rising: "That’s the person I deeply miss and love day and night..."

"Just how should I express myself; will she accept me?"

"Maybe I’ll never say those words to her, destined to roam far and wide, how could I be tied down?"

The gentle tune, like a soft confession, yet also conveying an unspoken yearning.