Chapter 181: The Great Singer

Waking up, Ling Chen glanced at the clock—it was 6:30 in the morning. After washing up, he dialed the hotel’s front desk, and soon a server brought a lavish breakfast to his room.

While he was eating, Zhong Wei knocked on the door and came in, handing a schedule to Ling Chen. "This is the chairman’s plan for today, take a look."

Ling Chen bit into his bread and looked over the schedule, the corners of his mouth instantly curving up. Today’s work was quite relaxed; Nanrong Wanqing was scheduled to visit friends at several places. As long as it wasn’t somewhere crowded, there wasn’t much to worry about.

"Captain Zhong, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? Come, join me." As he spoke, Ling Chen casually picked up the remote control and turned on the TV, flipping through channels ceaselessly.

At that moment, the duo hosting an entertainment show suddenly caught his attention.

"In two days, the pop music scene’s rising star Tang Shiyun will be holding her first concert at the Beijing Sports Stadium. Speaking of Tang Shiyun, I believe there are few who haven’t heard of her. Although it’s been just over a month since her debut, her songs have already spread across major music stations and she’s topped the new song trending charts for four consecutive weeks. I just checked, and the second place is 67 million in popularity behind her—an unprecedented situation."

"You’re right, becoming a nation-wide sensation in just one month, and turning into a familiar pop star isn’t an easy feat. Apart from opportunity, what’s more important is her talent. I won’t lie, I’m also a devoted fan of hers. From the moment I heard her first song, I was immersed in her voice, unable to extricate myself. The first thought that popped into my head was that this girl would surely become wildly popular—a big star in the limelight."

"I heard that the concert tickets went on presale two weeks in advance and they got snapped up overnight. Originally priced at 1,800, the tickets have now been scalped for 30,000, and are still hard to find. It’s a phenomenon in the music scene that we haven’t seen for years."

"Just this point alone suffices to highlight the extent to which Tang Shiyun is sought after domestically. My girlfriend even joked with me the other night if I don’t manage to get concert tickets, she would break up with me."

"..."

Tang Shiyun has come to Beijing?

Staring blankly at the TV, Ling Chen seemed deaf to the hosts’ discussion, his mind filled only with thoughts of Tang Shiyun’s youthful and vibrant smile.

The last time he saw Tang Shiyun was when she started school. After a long conversation with her, he decided not to disturb Tang Shiyun’s life anymore. Tang Shiyun’s mother looked down on him, thinking he had no prospects, and forbade Tang Shiyun from associating with him. Therefore, he didn’t want to cause any discord between them because of this.

"Wow, she’s actually going to hold a concert," Zhong Wei said to himself as he ate.

Ling Chen, surprised, asked, "You know her?"

"How could I not? Don’t tell me you don’t? Over the past month, the television, newspapers, the internet—everywhere is filled with news about her. From 80-year-old seniors to six or seven-year-old kids, I guess nobody doesn’t know her."

Uh...

Ling Chen inwardly gave a wry smile as he genuinely wasn’t aware of this. He rarely watched TV or read newspapers, and when he had free time, he would either wander around outside or sleep at home.

"Captain Zhong, is she really that famous?"

Zhong Wei shook his smartphone, laughing, "I paid to download her songs, as support for her."

Hearing this, Ling Chen widened his eyes, feeling quite incredulous. Zhong Wei, a man in his thirties, usually stern-faced and serious, was also captivated by Tang Shiyun’s voice.

Initially, he’d known that Tang Shiyun would become popular, but he never imagined she would reach this level of fame, appealing to audiences young and old.

"Captain Zhong, lend me your phone to listen."

Plugging in the earphones, Ling Chen found the playlist and quietly listened to the touching music. As Tang Shiyun’s sweet voice rang out, Ling Chen’s thoughts were drawn back to the times they spent together months ago, every detail flooding his mind.

That girl... she must be happy now.

With a slight smile, he returned the phone to Zhong Wei, turned off the TV, and stood up saying, "Let’s go, it’s almost time."

Arriving at the hotel lobby, Ling Chen sat alone on a couch, quietly waiting for Nanrong Wanqing to appear. He knew Nanrong Wanqing was still upset, so he tried as much as possible to avoid being in her sight.

Just then, his phone rang, and he quickly answered, "Hello, Old Tang, what’s up?"

"It’s because of that Song Qing you caught yesterday. Damn it, that guy’s lips are sealed. I’ve interrogated him all night and got nothing valuable."

"With your methods, none of them worked?"

"Don’t even mention it, I’ve tried everything, and he didn’t react at all."

"Is that so?" Ling Chen was somewhat surprised, but then again, he realized that the man was a high-level practitioner from the Inner sect, not someone easy to deal with.

"Hey, old virgin, you’re usually full of tricky ideas, why don’t you come up with a plan?"

"Well... let me think."

He knew Tang Yuan wouldn’t ask for help unless he had no other choice.

"Old Tang, how about this? I’ll find some time to come over today for a face-to-face talk with him. In the meantime, you can take my place and ensure the chairman’s safety. How does that sound?"

"Okay, that’s settled then."

After ending the call, Nanrong Wanqing made her appearance, escorted by Zhong Wei and several others, emerging from the elevator in a wheelchair.

Passing through the lobby, Nanrong Wanqing didn’t glance sideways and seemed to not notice Ling Chen sitting on the couch. She went straight through the main entrance and into the car.

Seeing her indifferent expression, Ling Chen smiled helplessly, stood up, and walked out. He got into a Land Rover arranged by Zhong Wei, following behind the convoy.

Midway through the journey, Ling Chen heard a sequence of ‘beep beep’ horn sounds from behind. Looking in the rearview mirror, he saw a Volkswagen car following behind the Land Rover. Then, a hand stretched out of the window, gently waving.

Seeing this, he immediately understood and slowed down to break away from the convoy. At the same time, the Volkswagen caught up, taking his place. The driver of the Volkswagen was none other than Tang Yuan.

After leaving the city, Ling Chen drove to the outskirts to the gate of a country mansion.

This mansion covered almost a thousand square meters, with two-meter-high walls piled around. In the middle stood a three-story white villa, surrounded by lush green lawns. A winding path made of bluestone meandered among them, with artificial hills and flowing water features all available.

Pulling over in front of the iron gate, Ling Chen poked his head out, looking at the surveillance camera above the door. Then, he made eight hand gestures.

Not long after, the iron gate slowly opened.