บท 35: Festive atmosphere

Overnight, the entire New York City draped itself in green. The streets and alleys were adorned in shades of emerald, suffusing the entire city with a festive atmosphere. In this momentary trance, people felt a sense that spring's footsteps were drawing near. But in reality, it was St. Patrick's Day.

Originating from Ireland, this holiday had now become the country's national day. Thanks to the spread of Irish descendants across the world, it had gradually become a holiday in many countries. The United States had been celebrating it since the early 18th century. Every year on March 17th, the traditional Irish colors would drape the entire city. People would dress in festive attire, donning green elf costumes, tall green hats, waving Irish flags, and parading through the streets with elaborately decorated green-hued floats, all joining in the St. Patrick's Day celebrations.

This year's New York City was no exception. A month prior, people had already begun preparations. Fifth Avenue was the chosen route for the parade this year. Rumors had it that the number of participants would reach an all-time high, breaking through one hundred thousand for the first time in history. The scene would undoubtedly be incredibly lively.

Renly had been looking forward to this day for a long time. He had even rushed back from Australia just for this occasion. Therefore, as soon as he woke up in the morning, he couldn't wait to change into the festival attire. Although he shied away from green hats, he still put on a deep green suit and slung an Irish tricolor backpack over his shoulder. Looking at himself in the mirror, his slightly comical outfit brought a satisfied smile to Renly's face.

Such attire would be impossible back in his home country. Apart from cosplay at anime conventions, people there had biases against masquerade balls and elaborate costumes. They often deemed them as pandering to the crowd. Even if many young people wanted to try, it would require great courage.

However, whether it was London or New York, this kind of atmosphere was thick. Renly had always actively participated, truly immersing himself in the revelry of the holiday. It wasn't just about having a grand meal or giving gifts or getting tipsy. Truly experiencing the holiday spirit, understanding its meaning, grasping its culture, and engaging in its activities, that was the proper way to embrace the holiday. Otherwise, whether it was Valentine's Day or Christmas, they were just another ploy for businesses to empty consumers' wallets.

Compared to the extravagant displays of Halloween, St. Patrick's Day was all about shades of green. Everywhere Renly looked when he arrived at Fifth Avenue, the world had turned green. The thunderous marching bands and the lively onlookers effortlessly transformed all of Manhattan into a party rhythm.

Glancing around, Renly spotted a group of young people who seemed to be university students. They were draped in green cloaks over green shorts and bright yellow T-shirts. They were waving fuzzy green hats and marching along with the parade. Renly didn't hesitate and quickly joined their ranks, shouting, "Where are your shamrocks?"

Shamrocks, leprechauns, and sprites were the indispensable elements of St. Patrick's Day.

Upon hearing Renly's words, they didn't respond verbally. Instead, they collectively turned around and lifted their cloaks, causing Renly to burst into laughter. On each person's buttocks was a large clover shape, though it was in a pale yellow hue. If you didn't look too closely, it could easily pass as skin-colored. The visual illusion was truly chuckle-inducing.

The young people all turned around in unison, their smiles brimming with pride. Clearly, they were quite pleased with the surprise they had crafted. "And what about you?"

Renly didn't speak either. He pulled the backpack from behind to the front. As soon as they caught sight of the Irish tricolor backpack, the young people erupted into cheers, their eyes revealing surprise. However, Renly didn't stop there. He opened the backpack and took out a large bunch of green, seaweed-like material, then... he put it on his chin. Astonishingly, it was a green goatee, dense enough to almost completely cover the lower half of Renly's face. It was also remarkably long, extending down to around his belly button. The disproportionate fairy-tale effect created by this visual mismatch brought about a strong visual impact in an instant.

Renly had chosen to dress up as a leprechaun.

No need for more words. The young people raised their right hands high, queuing up to give Renly a high-five in celebration. They gave Renly's attire a full score of approval. Then, Renly joined the revelry of the parade!

The grand procession continued for the entire morning. By noon, Renly bid farewell to his newfound companions and navigated his way to Village Vanguard. Yet, this time, it wasn't for work. Today, Village Vanguard was also hosting a party to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. They would gather for lunch, then decorate the pub together in preparation for the evening's festivity.

Upon entering the pub, Renly could see that four tables had been joined together to form a long table. Eight freshly baked pizzas were laid out, their fragrances filling the air. Beside them were cheese powder, beer, ketchup, mayonnaise, and other condiments. At the end of the table were two large bowls of salad, clearly catering to the preferences of the female staff members.

Neil, dressed as a sprite, was dancing around with the antennae headband on his head, which was shaking vigorously due to his celebratory dance moves. It was genuinely a comical sight, and the other people around him were engaged in laughter and conversation, creating a relaxed and carefree atmosphere.

Renly exchanged greetings with a few familiar friends and then walked over to Stanley, who was seated nearby. "How was the parade today?" Neil was telling amusing stories about the parade. "I heard there was a guy dressed as a pineapple sprinting down the street?"

Stanley asked with a hearty smile, and Renly responded with a light chuckle, "Is that all he saw? Well then, if he saw two saucy sprites openly... shall we say, expressing their affections on the street, wouldn't he just faint?" The jest elicited a hearty laugh from Stanley.

Renly placed his backpack on the table, and Stanley praised, "Impressive! Did you make that yourself?"

"Of course not. Nia from Apartment 201 helped me with it." Nia was a middle-aged African-American woman residing in Renly's building. She was warm-hearted and had a straightforward personality. "Here, this is a gift for you. Happy St. Patrick's Day!" Renly took out an exquisitely designed green card from his backpack and handed it to Stanley.

"Aren't you Irish? I recall you being English." Stanley took the card, displaying a surprised expression. Generally, St. Patrick's Day didn't involve gift-giving. Stanley was playfully jesting about Ireland.

Renly shrugged, slyly responding, "I don't think this is a Valentine's Day gift, but if you say it's a Christmas gift, I'm willing to accept it."

Stanley couldn't help but smile, then opened the card, finding a Polaroid photo tucked inside. It was none other than the entrance to Village Vanguard. Stanley recognized it at a glance. "Oh, thank you!" He examined the photo more closely, "You captured the entrance beautifully. Wait, are you sure this was taken here?"

Renly knew that Stanley misunderstood the photo as the gift. He pointed at the photo. "Are you sure they're all the same inside?"

Stanley was momentarily stunned, then retrieved his reading glasses from his pocket. After putting them on, he examined the photo carefully. He had personally crafted this bar, and every detail was familiar to him. He quickly noticed the anomaly in the shop window. However, he didn't quite understand. Removing his reading glasses, he looked back at Renly. "What does this mean?"

Renly flashed a wry smile. "Do you want me to give away the solution? Then there would be no surprise. I thought the essence of a gift was in the process of discovering the unknown."

Stanley didn't immediately reply. He pondered the matter seriously, and suddenly a light flashed in his mind. His eyes brightened. "So, you... you mean you uploaded the song "Cleopatra"?" Without even waiting for Renly's confirmation, a smile began to spread across the corners of his mouth, exuding pure and unadulterated excitement and enthusiasm for music, as transparent and genuine as crystal.

"Yes," Renly confirmed, "It took some time, but now it's available for purchase on major online music stores."

The process at SongCast was much quicker than Renly had anticipated. The morning after waking up, he had registered the copyright at the United States Copyright Office. Three days later, SongCast verified the originality of "Cleopatra". It took another three days, and the song was officially available for purchase on major online music download platforms like iTunes, Spotify, and Amazon, priced at ninety-nine cents.

The entire process was indeed remarkably convenient, with hardly any cumbersome procedures. It was completed smoothly in less than a week, from start to finish. Renly didn't need to pay any fees to SongCast. The platform would directly deduct its share from the single's earnings, adhering to industry norms, to generate revenue.

What was more important was that if Renly were to sign with a major company as an independent musician, his earnings would inevitably be lower. This was not only because he lacked the backing of well-known producers but also due to the absence of a powerful manager to advocate for him. In simple terms, his earnings would often fall below the industry average.

However, by using SongCast, the contract Renly signed was directly on par with the industry average for new artists. It wasn't a lot, but it wasn't insignificant either. No negotiation, no bargaining—everything was settled in one step.

Excitement gleamed in Stanley's eyes, but he didn't quite know what to say. He lowered his head, using his fingertips to gently trace the Polaroid photo, as if he were examining his most treasured possession.

For Renly, this was merely a gift, without any special significance. However, he could sense that this meant something extraordinary to Stanley. This brought a smile to Renly's face as well. He knew he had chosen the right gift.

"I hope you don't mind that I used the bar's façade for the cover. And preferably, you won't start considering charging me royalties," Renly's jest broke the brief silence. Stanley burst into a wide smile, his hearty laughter brimming with vitality.