Chapter 107: Organized and Disciplined
[Chapter 107: Organized and Disciplined]
Backstage, when Paul's group of girls spotted Ryan, things went completely wild. "OMG, Ray!"
The girls instantly surrounded Ryan, who was busy handling other matters. Paul didn't want Ryan to be disturbed, so he stepped in, trying to pull them apart.
"Ladies, Ryan has important things to do. You need to give him some space; the night has only just begun..." Paul advised.
In the chaos, a hot girl managed to elbow Paul right in the eye. Suddenly, Paul saw stars and stumbled back.
It took Ryan stepping in to restore order; he raised his hands and said, "Okay, ladies, we're glad you're here, but it's a bit hectic right now... everyone quiet down!"
His tone shifted to serious as he shouted.
This finally brought some calm to the scene. Ryan took a quick look around at the group of overly dressed girls and felt overwhelmed. He was swamped with work and didn't have time to entertain them. He was already stressed about staffing; the bar was severely understaffed...
Thinking on his feet, Ryan quickly said, "Anyway, welcome! Have any of you bought my music? Raise your hands if you've purchased my songs."
All the girls raised their hands in unison.
"Great! I need your help with something. Would you be willing to lend a hand?"
"We're in!" the girls joined in excitedly, their voices almost cracking Ryan's bones.
"It's pretty simple. You'll need to take the customers' orders and pass them to the bartender. For some simpler drinks, you can mix those yourselves. Just remember to collect the money, retrieve empty cups, clean tables, and basically do whatever you can to help," Ryan instructed them.
"I know you're not usually on the job, but forgive me, ladies, I can't manage this alone right now. Once the night is over, I'll give you a special reward, just for you! Can you do that?" Ryan inquired.
"Sure!" the girls eagerly replied in unison. For mere strangers, one wouldn't expect this kind of enthusiasm for volunteer work. But for fans, everything was different.
'It is my honor that Ryan can use me!'
Being able to help Ryan at such a critical moment felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
...
Ryan turned to Daddario and said, "Take them over there now."
"Do you really think they can handle it?" Daddario questioned skeptically, eyeing the girls with long manicured nails.
However, given the current state of chaos and a lack of other options, she went ahead and took the girls, dressed in form-fitting outfits, high heels, and various accessories.
"Ryan, is this really a good idea?" Paul rubbed his eyes and chimed in.
This was a brand new version of fan economy.
"What's the situation outside?" Ryan asked at this moment. He'd just heard that traffic was starting to pile up outside, with a massive crowd caught in a jam.
After hearing from Paul that they had walked several miles already, Ryan understood that the nightclub was more packed than he had anticipated.
"They parked their cars right on the roadside; it's only adding to the congestion. The cars are all jamming the north side. Plus, there are tons of fans from you and Taylor just standing there shouting slogans," Paul complained.
"Then let's make use of them too." Ryan picked up the walkie-talkie. "Berwick, didn't you mention that we were short on staff? Have those girls standing on the side join in to manage the crowd. Also, send someone to guide cars to the south parking lot, and keep others from parking on the northern side to clear the roads. I'll show you how to direct the girls..."
...
"Are you serious?" Berwick thought to himself as he stood at the entrance with his crew. When he looked across the street at the thin girls waiting there, he felt Ryan's idea was pretty far-fetched. Ryan had no idea how difficult it could be to deal with this crowd.
Guarding the entrance wasn't easy; it involved checking tickets, dress code, and keeping order. The more people there were, the harder it became to control. Berwick had never seen such a chaotic scene before.
Watching his staff argue with someone again, they were caught in yet another dispute that night. Berwick reluctantly approached the enthusiastic fans.
As soon as he stepped forward, the girls grew even louder.
"Ryan has a message for you..." Berwick had no choice but to shout according to Ryan's orders.
Unexpectedly, this one shout had a surprisingly effective result; the girls immediately turned their attention to Berwick.
Berwick pointed behind him, saying, "As you can see, Ryan is overwhelmed and really short on help. He wants to ask you for a favor..."
"We're not leaving!"
"We're here to cheer for Ryan!"
"Ryan! Go, go!"
Someone shouted, and chaos erupted again.
"Wait, I didn't say for you to leave... Ryan wants you to join in. He'll give you a reward! Think of it as part-time work," Berwick quickly explained. As an older cop, he had dealt with all sorts of dangerous criminals, but he felt a hint of anxiety facing this group of exuberant teenagers.
"Ryan also said that after today's work, not only will you receive a reward directly from him, but you'll even get to meet him up close afterward!" Berwick said cautiously.
"What do we need to do?!" All the fans turned their eyes toward Berwick, eager and ready to jump in.
...
Ten minutes later, instead of orderly lines outside the nightclub, things had become even more chaotic.
The fans who joined to help immediately found themselves in disputes with those who were misbehaving.
"Step back! Move to the back of the line."
"I'm talking to you!"
"What are you wearing? It's such an important event today, and you chose to wear that?! Go change! Right now!"
These girls took on fierce attitudes. If anyone dared to sass back, instantly three girls would unite against the offender. Surprisingly, when it came to arguing, this group of opinionated teenagers had the upper hand, and their volumes could outdo anyone else's.
As for the crowd that had shown up today, they didn't seem that tough to handle. It was just that there were way too many people, causing utter chaos. Their addition was making a tangible difference.
"Wow, it actually looks like they know what they're doing," Berwick remarked.
Looking at it this way, his own crew didn't seem so impressive anymore.
"What are you standing there for? Get over there and direct the traffic," Berwick kicked one of his crew members to get them moving.
...
On the other side, Daddario stood by the bar. The narrow bar was operating like an assembly line; the bartenders they had hired were working hard to mix drinks, their arms almost about to fall off.
As for the college girls Paul brought along, they had shown no complaints and worked very attentively. The only downside was that they were a bit novice when it came to the business. Still, these girls, all dressed in striking outfits, were quite the sight and naturally drew in customers to buy drinks.
In no time, the bar area was bustling.
Daddario chuckled, realizing she had never witnessed fans being utilized like this.
...
Backstage, Ryan was finally expecting a VIP guest, none other than the headlining performer, Tiesto. As this year's second top DJ, Ryan respected his illustrious career and placed Tiesto at the main slot for that week's performance.
Along with Tiesto, Deadmau5 and Diplo would also be performing, along with Calvin Harris, who was on the brink of signing a deal with Ryan. Such a lineup, even if it didn't match some top music festivals, was a star-studded event for the nightclub.
With his recent momentum after scoring a Billboard number one and garnering a wave of new fans from a recent acquisition, Ryan's appeal to potential audiences reached new heights.
As for Joel, Ryan had placed him at the beginning of the night to warm up the crowd. At that moment, he was performing on the DJ stage without a microphone, as Ryan had hired an MC to enhance the atmosphere.
"Ladies and gentlemen, tonight is endless fun after endless fun, and tonight we celebrate!"
From backstage, the MC's shout echoed, and as this phrase settled in Ryan's mind, it transformed into something else...
A song...
"It's hard to believe a nightclub in America could be this lively." Tiesto couldn't help but comment, noticing Ryan was unresponsive next to him...
*****
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