Devil’s Music

Chapter 155: The Money Ghost and the Blues Club

Geon hurriedly wrapped up his performance and listened to Eric's whole story. Eric left him with words to lead the band and to immerse himself in the joy of blues before returning to the hospital. Geon, unable to hold Eric back any longer as he struggled to catch a taxi, entered the club where Sambo was waiting for him at the counter.

"Kay, can we talk for a moment?"

Though Geon felt averse to Sambo, he felt the need to converse with him because of Eric's words, so he followed Sambo to his office. Upon arriving, Sambo offered him a seat on the sofa.

"Coffee?"

"Yes, please. An Americano."

Sambo smiled warmly as he prepared the hot coffee, placing it on the table before sitting across Geon. Sambo silently observed Geon for a while, and just as Geon started to feel uneasy, Sambo began to speak.

"Eric seems to think highly of you. He must have taken quite a liking to you."

As Geon glared at him without a word, Sambo shrugged and said,

"Oh, you don't need to be so hostile. I'm ready to talk now."

"You think of me as a money-grubbing demon, don’t you? That I care about nothing but money, like a pig satisfied with just earning?"

Geon coldly responded,

"I won't deny it."

Sambo, taken aback by Geon's blunt words, covered his eyes with his hands and looked up at the ceiling.

"Sigh, I admit, it seemed that way. You're right. I did live like that for a while. But what if there was a clear reason for it? What if it was all to fulfill B.B. King's will?"

Geon's icy gaze didn't waver as he scrutinized Sambo's sincerity.

"I don't know what B.B. King's will entailed, but I'm sure he wouldn't have wanted you to do anything wrong. Assuming his will involved money, you must have needed to earn it."

"Exactly."

"It's difficult to earn money, I understand. You have a remarkable talent for it. However, I can't comprehend why you would run a music business without respecting the musicians' music. If it was just about earning money, you could have pursued a different line of work."

Sambo leaned back, crossing his arms.

"Hmm. What if the operation of this club was included in B.B. King's will?"

Geon continued to glare silently. After a standoff, Sambo raised his hands in surrender.

"Alright, I lose. What did Eric tell you?"

"He said you would support me as the main act of a band and that I must perform starting next Saturday."

Sambo smirked,

"Do you think you can handle it?"

Geon straightened up, supporting himself on his knees.

"I must. I don't want to lose to you."

Sambo, with an air of arrogance, replied,

"Is that so? Then off you go. Time is short. I'll send the band members to the rehearsal room by two o'clock tomorrow."

After Geon looked down at Sambo and then left, Sambo's expression turned sad as he watched the door slam shut. He looked up at B.B. King's photo, sighed, and looked back at the door.

"I'm sorry, Kay. I'll apologize once everything is over."

The next day, although it was a Sunday and Geon was in a hurry, he went straight to the rehearsal room after finishing his morning work at the zoo. With three hours still to go before the scheduled time, he sat alone in the rehearsal room choosing songs.

"'Change The World' would be the main track, but let's start with 'I Shot The Sheriff' for its pure blues vibe. We can finish with 'Badge'. These three songs will be our battle."

As Geon played his guitar along to Eric's music, he didn't notice two hours had passed until he looked at the clock.

"There's still an hour left until the band members arrive. They mentioned an electric guitar, bass guitar, and drum trio, all about my age. Are they students?"

While Geon continued to play, three black men entered the rehearsal room. Surprised at the sight of the first man, Geon exclaimed,

"What!? Samuel Chandler, is that you?"

Recognizing Samuel from the Juilliard studio class where he played the bass guitar, Geon energetically shook the hand Samuel extended.

"It's been a while, Kay."

"Are you a band member? Do you work here while attending school?"

Samuel, still holding Geon's hand, replied,

"Yes, all three of us are Juilliard students. We perform here as part-time musicians."

As Samuel began to introduce the other members, he pulled Geon's hand toward the rest.

"In this corner, wearing a hat, we have Blake, who is in charge of the electric guitar. He's a composition major at Juilliard but originally a guitarist, so you can count on his skills. And the chubby guy over there is Carson. He's our drummer, also from Juilliard's drum department. Including me, we're a three-man band."

As Geon shook hands with Blake and Carson, he suggested,

"We're about the same age, so how about we keep it casual? Just call me Kay. I'll call you Blake and Carson. Sam, you too, speak freely."

Although Blake and Carson seemed a bit intimidated by Kay's fame, they quickly warmed up to him as young men do and started chatting excitedly. Being acquainted with Samuel already made it easier for them to become friends. Sitting on the rehearsal room floor with the three guys, Geon shared the three songs he had chosen and said,

"Actually, we only have 6 days left, so I thought we'd focus on just these three songs. I think these would be great, but what do you think?"

After reviewing Geon's song list, Blake sighed in relief and with a brighter expression said,

"Phew, I was worried, but this is a relief because they're famous songs. Being Juilliard students, we're well aware of your genius, Kay. We were concerned about facing some unheard-of, complex old songs, but we've practiced these three before, so if we work on our harmony, it should be totally doable."

Carson and Samuel nodded in agreement, their expressions brightening. Relieved that everyone agreed, Geon smiled and said,

"I'm glad you're all on board. I was worried in case you didn't like my choices."

With a grin, Samuel added,

"Sambo told us to follow your lead no matter what. Even if you had chosen different songs, we weren't planning to object. I might have grumbled behind your back, haha. Honestly, I lost sleep over 'Asturias' for two weeks straight last time."

Hearing Sambo's name from Samuel's mouth made Geon's expression harden.

"I feel sick whenever we talk about that money-grubbing scoundrel. Haven't you guys been wronged by him? Like, worked to the bone without proper payment?"

Surprised, Samuel asked,

"What? Are you talking about Sambo?"

Geon crossed his arms and puffed his cheeks,

"Yeah, that money-obsessed pig."

Unlike Samuel's shocked expression, Blake and Carson glared at Geon. Sensing the mood shift, Geon stuttered,

"Why... why are you looking at me like that?"

The usually quiet Carson stood up and said,

"I can't work with you, Kay."

Geon looked up at Carson in confusion as Blake also got up,

"I feel the same. Sorry, let's talk another time."

As Geon watched them in silence, Samuel grabbed their arms and said,

"Hey, what's going on? Let's sit down and talk. It seems like Kay has some misunderstandings. Let's sort it out through dialogue."

The two stood silently, looking away. Samuel turned to Geon, sitting down, and asked,

"Kay, did something happen with Sambo? He's not the person you're making him out to be."

Geon looked at Samuel with confusion and disbelief as Samuel explained,

"All three of us are from very poor backgrounds. If it weren't for Sambo, we wouldn't even dream of attending Juilliard. I grew up without a father, and my mother worked in a restaurant raising five kids. Blake is an orphan, and Carson's father is disabled, his mother ran away when he was young. Thanks to Sambo's sponsorship since we were kids, we're able to study at Juilliard."

Geon's eyes widened in shock,

"What did you say?"

Samuel, looking down at Geon, confirmed,

"Just like I said. And it's not just us. A kid from our neighborhood, whose father was a drug addict, is now at Harvard, all because Sambo supported him since childhood. To us, Sambo is a hero, still supporting us with band gigs even when it's not necessary, just so we can have some living expenses."

Geon gaped at them, stunned, "Sambo... a hero?"

As Carson stood up, he declared, "He's a benefactor to me and my dad. I don't want to work with someone who insults him, Kay."

Blake, arms crossed, looked down at Geon, "Calling Sambo a money-grubbing pig? Maybe from the outside, that's how it appears. But Kay, don't you think it's right to have at least a basic understanding before judging someone?"

Confused and speechless, Geon watched as Samuel, Blake, and Carson decided to step out for some air, promising to return later for further discussion. Left alone, Geon remained in a daze, his mind racing with the revelations about Sambo's true character and his own misjudgments.

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