Gao Gusheng was a humble person. He knew that internationally, many great artistic works also used simple lines to express emotions. Looking at this tangle of lines, he felt that perhaps his knowledge was limited and decided to listen to others’ interpretations.
“What a perfect painting! I can see Master Jia’s anger at human destruction of the environment!”
Anger?
“This painting makes me feel peaceful. It reminds me of my hometown, a warm village with fields.”
Warmth?
“Look at these perfect lines-Master Jia, though male, is actually a feminist!”
?
“Nonsense! Look at this circular arc. Master Jia is clearly a masculinist!”
??
“I think there are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people’s eyes. It’s normal for everyone to see something different. I have a different view-I think Master Jia is a vegetarian, clearly calling on us to protect animals on Earth.”
???
Gao Gusheng listened in confusion, finally confirming that these people were just making things up. He just didn’t understand why they could fabricate with such genuine emotion, and the fervor in their eyes was not fake.
Gao Gusheng scratched his head, looking around at the crowd going “oh oh oh oh,” “yo yo yo yo,” “aow aow aow aow,” feeling like he had entered the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit.
Before long, the creator of the work took the stage-Jia Qi had arrived.
A collective gasp rose from the audience.
Jia Qi had borrowed the school’s large lecture hall. Behind him was a giant projection screen perfectly reflecting his face.
His eyes were seductively upturned, carrying a teasing charm.
“Thank you all for recognizing my paintings. Today, for my painting to be here…”
His voice also carried an enticing softness, like honey fermented into wine, intoxicating everyone.
Gao Gusheng looked around and found many people gazing with infatuation, cheeks flushed, expressions besotted. Some remained clear-headed but nodded slightly, clearly impressed by the person on stage.
Gao Gusheng sensed something was wrong but couldn’t pinpoint the issue. He decisively sent a message to his father.
Gao Shi replied very quickly: [The system might be a yao. The Anomaly Management Bureau has already surrounded your school. I’m heading there now. Don’t be afraid if chaos breaks out.]
Gao Gusheng rubbed his nose-really, still treating him like a child.
No sooner had Gao Gusheng received the message than someone rushed onto the stage-no, Gao Gusheng couldn’t even be sure if it was a person.
It was a silver phantom, moving faster than the human eye could follow. Gao Gusheng wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he seemed to see the void distort slightly, vaguely revealing a human shape, though nothing was there when he looked carefully.
The next moment, Jia Qi collapsed softly, and a red shadow darted out from his body and fled.
The silver and red shadows escaped one after another. The audience only saw Jia Qi suddenly faint, immediately causing chaos. The host quickly went on stage to maintain order. Jia Qi was sent to the hospital, and someone in the audience suddenly asked, “Will the auction continue?”
This was what everyone was concerned about.
But when they looked at the painting again-those lines that looked exactly like a child’s random scribbles-they suddenly lost their earlier frantic desire to purchase it, and even felt their previous thoughts were somewhat inexplicable.
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, with many people backing out, feeling that their earlier frenzied desire to purchase was almost as if they had been possessed.
Many of the wealthy merchants and collectors had religious beliefs or believed in some rather mystical things, and immediately several people rose first, wanting to leave this auction that seemed strange in every way.
The host’s smile, like the order at the venue, could no longer be maintained. He had no choice but to hastily smooth things over, saying they would hold the auction next time.
Gao Gusheng walked out of the lecture hall through the crowd. He had a premonition that perhaps he would no longer have to endure Jia Qi’s harassment.
…
“Eyes, what is that thing?!”
“A fox.”
“A fox?”
“Yes, a red fox. The marking on Jia Qi’s brow must have been where the fox was residing.”
“Damn, it’s possessed someone else!”
“Ten o’clock direction, the one wearing red.”
“Go!”
No one had expected that the “system” would turn out to be a fox spirit, and even fewer expected that the fox spirit’s speed would be so fast and its methods so elusive.
It kept confusing its pursuers by continuously possessing different people, delaying time. As it fled toward areas with more people, it became increasingly difficult to find.
Yin Ling and the others would be hindered by the crowds, but the fox spirit wouldn’t be. The more people there were, the more advantageous it was for the fox.
Xuan Yu was not known for his speed. Being carried in turns by Yin Ling and Ghost Shadow for rapid movement also consumed extra energy.
“It’s heading to Golden Years?”
Yin Ling scooped up Xuan Yu, who was a head taller than himself, and carried him on his shoulder. “Shi Tou, hang in there, the fox’s magical power is almost depleted!”
However, when they stopped in front of Golden Years, they faced a dilemma.
It had to be said that the fox’s final desperate move had indeed chosen a good location.
Though the name Golden Years sounded tacky, inside it combined all kinds of entertainment projects-if you could think of it, they could provide it-making it quite popular.
Simply put, the people inside were partly there to find entertainment out of boredom, and partly to climb the social ladder by being entertainment-a kind of implicit exchange of benefits.
Many people inside had status and position, and many second-generation rich kids liked to meet there, while intermediaries were also happy to set appointments at this location. The place had strong privacy, requiring membership or an introduction from a member to enter.
Yin Ling and his team could certainly get in, but entering through unconventional means, whether using magic or police credentials from the human world, would alert their quarry.
Fortunately, Gao Shi arrived just in time. By presenting a membership card, the group entered smoothly.
After walking a short distance, the three Anomaly Management Bureau officers, with hearing far superior to normal humans, simultaneously changed their expressions, clearly having heard the doorman’s muttering.
“One bringing three, playing quite wildly, huh.”
Gao Shi had more than one membership card. He gave two others to Huang Shan and Chang Yang. The six people met inside, then split into three groups, each holding a “Veil-Breaking Talisman” drawn by Xuan Yu during the journey, and began searching for the fox spirit in pairs.
Gao Shi took a few steps and said, “Wait a moment.”
He walked into the restroom. Yin Ling watched in astonishment as Gao Shi messed up his hair, unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, and pulled the shirt hem out from his trousers.
The black pendant cord hanging from his neck dropped down from his open collar, disappearing beneath his shirt, making one want to open his clothes to see what kind of pendant was worthy of being worn around his neck.
Yin Ling watched in amazement. Who would have thought that Gao Shi would transform right before his eyes from a restrained young man into a dashing playboy?
Yin Ling’s lips trembled, “Brother Gao! Why are you so practiced at this?!”
Gao Shi casually patted his shoulder, “Let’s go.”
Yin Ling was dumbfounded. Gao Shi had even modified his voice, making it sound deep and sexy, enough to make a cheerleading squad cry.
Following closely behind Gao Shi, Yin Ling felt the envious and jealous gazes from all around, and cursed repeatedly in his heart: Do I look like the one being solicited?!
Gao Shi maintained a natural attitude. On the way, he even exchanged pleasantries with several second-generation rich kids. After Gao Shi left, they asked each other, and none of them knew him. They just said the man’s presence was too strong, and they were afraid of offending someone they shouldn’t, believing it’s better to have more friends than enemies.
With Gao Shi leading, Yin Ling moved through the place as if it were deserted. Before long, they detected the fox’s aura.
Yin Ling whispered, “Brother Gao, Shi Tou is coming soon. Wait for him to set up the formation.”
Gao Shi nodded. There was a restroom not far from this room. Gao Shi gestured toward it with his chin, then lit a cigarette.
This wouldn’t attract attention here.
However, before Gao Shi could even take his first puff, the door opened, and someone stumbled out. As the soundproof door opened, a burst of noise erupted.
“She has a low alcohol tolerance. Let me toast you instead, so as not to disturb your enjoyment.”
“With Miss She offering a toast, how could my enjoyment be disturbed…”
“…President Qian, that variety show…”
“Miss She, I find you seem to have more flavor than Bai Shi…”
“President Qian flatters me. I’m much older than those young girls.”
“Ah~ Women are like wine, the more…”
The figure in a white dress stumbled toward the restroom, staggering and bumping into Gao Shi’s arms.
She jerked back as if electrocuted, but her hands and feet were weak, and she nearly fell.
Gao Shi thought she looked familiar and tentatively asked, “Bai Shi?”
She suddenly looked up. With that familiar face, who else could it be but Bai Shi?
Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes moist at the corners, her body hot, and her teeth tightly biting her lower lip, yet her gaze was beginning to blur.
She had clearly been drugged.
Although Gao Shi didn’t indulge in the bad habits of certain circles, he knew the dirty dealings very well. Some people who were drugged would seek help from strangers, leading to a “heaven-sent relationship,” while others whose deals fell through would find someone to help them escape trouble, only to turn on their rescuer once the situation was resolved. Therefore, he didn’t ignore her, but he didn’t readily offer help either. He simply asked in a calm tone, “Are those your people inside? Do you need me to take you back to them?”
Bai Shi’s teeth, like strung pearls, were tightly clenched as she shook her head desperately. She pinched herself painfully to suppress the sounds that were about to escape from her throat.
“They… drugged me… I didn’t know… before coming…”
“My manager… betrayed me…”
Gao Shi nodded, taking a few steps to support her to the sink, where he turned on the faucet and splashed cold water directly onto her face and head.
She shuddered, but still desperately leaned her body toward the faucet.
Although it was autumn, the air conditioning at Golden Years was still running strong. Before long, Bai Shi began to shiver, but gradually regained her strength, and her eyes slowly came back into focus.
Xuan Yu’s formation was already set up. Gao Shi rose, but suddenly turned back to ask her, “Your training camp these past few months-was it because you refused to submit to the casting couch and were put on ice?”
Bai Shi’s teeth chattered from the cold, her face pale, but her eyes were clear and resolute. “Yes.”
“My manager said that since I was unwilling, they would let it go, but necessary social engagements couldn’t be skipped. This time I was supposed to meet a variety show director.”
“Before leaving, he even said that the company couldn’t let me sit on the sidelines forever, that they signed me but I wasn’t working, but without President Qian’s backing I wouldn’t get good resources, and complained that I could only accept third-rate variety shows.”
“He seemed so genuinely upset that I believed him. I didn’t expect to arrive and see no director, only President Qian.”
Gao Shi looked at her. “You have great potential. If you refuse him this time, your path to stardom might be destroyed.”
Bai Shi said, “If I can’t be a star, I’ll perform at bars, become an online singer, or sing for myself. If my voice is tainted by such filth, that would be true destruction.”
The formation was complete, everything was ready, poised to strike.
Gao Shi lit another cigarette and walked toward the door.
“There’s something I want to tell you in advance, on someone else’s behalf.”
“I have a brother who is your fan. He really likes you and your songs.”
##
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