SWNOVELS Chapter 17
Chapter 17 A Surprise
Upon seeing Neil look at them, the blonde–haired leader looked away.
The host said, “We will announce the grand prize winner later. Please enjoy Neil Grant’s second original song, which also won first place in the state capital competition, “The Pearl from the East‘! Let us welcome Neil Grant!”
The lively scene quietened.
Everyone wanted to hear Neil sing.
Neil played the guitar and started singing in his deep voice.
“Everyone is silent sometimes, even when you’re happy…”
The live applause was enthusiastic.
The song clearly sounded better when sung live!
“The Pearl from the East‘ wasn’t as solemn and traditional. It had the emotion and charm of popular songs.
With Armoa being returned to Dracorea, this song resonated strongly with the crowd!
After the song finished, the atmosphere at the scene was in full swing.
The applause continued for a long time.
After that, it was time to announce the grand prize winner.
The host saw that the time was right, so he walked onstage and spoke loudly.
“Now, we’re going to pick the grand prize winner. Is everyone ready?”
“Yes!” The crowd roared.
It was a twenty–five–inch colored television. Everyone wanted it!
The host picked a card from the raffle box.
There was a sudden disturbance in the crowd.
“This raffle is fake, and the winners have been decided internally. Nothing has been given to consumers, and this is deceitful behavior!”
Neil looked at the crowd.
The blonde–haired man with a malicious gaze was speaking loudly.
Behind him were a few tattooed and unkempt ruffians.
They were jeering as well.
The host looked at Neil.
Neil nodded at the host.
The host’s hand was still raised mid–air as he held onto the card.
Neil had the microphone and asked the man with blonde hair.
“Why do you say that the raffle is fake?”
The blonde–haired man was waiting for that question. He jumped on stage with his men.
“Don’t assume that I’m clueless about the hidden compartments in this box. The valuable prizes are given to the numbers in the hidden compartments!”
The crowd started to get displeased.
Even though the admission ticket to the event was free.
The audience felt deceived when they thought the organizer was up to something.
A few people in the crowd started to shout.
“If you can’t afford it, don’t
e a raffle, Forest Supermarket! Do you think we’re fools?”
“Cheaters! Let’s destroy their supermarket!”
These people had been paid by Aristo Supermarket’s Mr. Thornsby.
Neil smiled and asked the blonde–haired man, “Since you said there are hidden compartments in the box, let’s open the box in front of everyone and look. Then it would be easy to see, wouldn’t it?”
The blonde–haired man never thought Neil would say such a thing and was startled momentarily.
The jeering in the crowd quietened significantly.
Neil indicated for the staff to look for an electric saw.
They sawed the wooden raffle box in half and showed it to everybody.
Everyone saw no hidden compartments or mechanisms in the box.
It was a regular box.
Neil asked the blonde–haired man, “What else do you have to say?”
The blonde–haired man stuck his neck out and argued, “Maybe you hid it in your sleeves or memorized the numbers!”
Neil sneered. “The host is wearing short sleeves, isn’t he? Are you blind? Can’t you see it? Where can he hide it? The winning numbers are stuck on the notice board. How did he memorize the numbers?”
The blonde–haired man was dumbstruck for a moment.
At this time, other people started shouting in the crowd.
“Did you come to make trouble and extort money?”
“Get lost if you’re here to make trouble. We’re waiting for the grand prize!”
The man with blonde hair spit on the ground bitterly. He jumped off the stage with his men.
The trouble–making men left dejectedly.
Neil had already told Forest Supermarket’s Mr. Rockson yesterday about the possibility of the raffle being called into question.
In Neil’s past life, Forest Supermarket’s Mr. Rockson had listened to his friend’s suggestion and installed hidden compartments in the raffle box. He gave the prizes to the winners that had been internally decided.
A few ruffians had crashed the party the day he was open for business.
After the covert schemes had been revealed, Forest Supermarket’s credibility went down.
After the supermarket opened, it was deserted. Mr. Rockson lost a lot of money.
He found out after some time that the friend had been bribed by Mr. Thornsby.
At present, Neil had told Mr. Rockson to quietly change the raffle box. The raffle this time was entirely fair.
The other people in the crowd who had spoken up on Forest Supermarket’s behalf had been arranged by Mr. Rockson.
To avoid a disaster.
The host announced the results of the grand prize.
“The grand prize winner is…”
A hoarse and excited voice rang in the crowd when the host read it aloud.
“It’s me. It’s me! I won the big colored television!”
The person walked forward excitedly.
He was an old man in his sixties. His clothes were tattered and his name was Lawrence Gaff.
He had been in the army in his early years, and his leg had been hit by a bullet. He still walked with a limp.
Lawrence had never been married and had no children. A few years ago, he had adopted an abandoned baby girl.
The two relied on each other to survive.
Lawrence wiped his dark hand on his clothes. “That’s great! Mandy can finally watch cartoons. Thank you. Thank you so much!”
The staff brought the man to redeem his prize and promised to deliver it to his house.
This time, the crowd’s confidence in Forest Supermarket reached its peak!
They really gave a colored television away. They’re not playing around, so their quality must be guaranteed!
More people joined the crowd.
The host glanced at Neil and smiled at the audience.
“We still have one more surprise prepared by Neil Grant!”
“What surprise?” The crowd asked curiously.
The host replied, “He will perform a new original song. This song is sad and emotional, and it sounds good. Does everyone want to hear it?”
“Yes!”
The audience clapped enthusiastically.
Everyone muttered silently.
“Neil is so productive in writing songs?”
“Why do I feel like it’s harder for him to eat than to write songs? He’s written three new songs in just a few days?”
The crowd thought it was unimaginable!
This was the terms of exchange between Neil and Mr. Rockson.
Neil would perform for free and help Forest Supermarket become popular to defeat Aristo Supermarket.
But Neil wanted to sing his new song when the crowd’s atmosphere peaked!
Mr. Rockson didn’t know about the concept of promoting songs. He didn’t realize Neil wanted to use the supermarket’s opening ceremony to build up popularity for his new music.
He had thought to himself. Neil can sing if he wants to. As long as he doesn’t sing poorly.
How musically literate could ordinary people in the county town be?
They just wanted to listen to the song.
After receiving permission from Mr. Rockson, Neil didn’t hold back.
How could he promote his new song by singing it on the small stage?
It wasn’t a reality television show with high exposure, nor was this a well–known bar in the city.
Since it couldn’t promote his song, it couldn’t attract the attention of any music industry big
shots.
No big shot from the music circle would come to Cloubury to look for talent!
Neil wasn’t a fool.
He sang
this
song, hoping the locals would create a repentant image for him!
So that Aneira could hear from the locals and believe that he had really changed!
At the same time, he hoped to establish a positive image to find a job in the county town.
His thinking was simple. He wanted to make money and buy a house, then sell it after one or two decades to earn a lump sum.
But this needed time and wealth.
He had to move forward one step at a time, slowly and steadily.
Neil understood this principle better than anyone.
Neil strummed the strings and slowly opened his mouth.
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