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墨書 Inktalez
A strange sound caught my attention, and I turned to look. Oh, isn't that the Japanese guy I saw earlier? His companion stood nearby, looking somewhat like a lackey or a bodyguard.
The Japanese guy's appearance hadn't changed; he still wore a trench coat but without a hat. Now that I was closer, I could see his features clearly—he had a sharp face and looked rather quiet and refined. If it weren't for his voice, I wouldn't have guessed he was Japanese. He was about the same height as me.
The girl named Eagerly seemed to have a good impression of him. Perhaps wanting to escape from White-haired's clinginess, she nodded and followed them toward the stage, leaving White-haired standing awkwardly behind, reaching out as if to grab Eagerly but hesitating.
I heard him mumble, "Damn it, it's true; only dead Japanese are good Japanese."
While I personally didn't harbor such extreme hatred, I couldn't help but smile at him in support.
The Japanese guy walked over to Meng Dao and began talking about something. Before long, he hurriedly took the girl away to the backstage. White-haired noticed this too; he stomped his foot as if making up his mind to chase after them.
I didn't pay much attention because at that moment the director announced it was time to take positions.
With the director's announcement, festive and grand music began to play. A group of men and women surged onto the stage from behind; it was a bit chaotic, but it seemed like a large event. Since they were just taking positions, the dancers hadn't changed outfits and were wearing their own clothes while finding their spots on stage. Meng Dao was pointing things out while someone else was timing them.
I didn't really understand any of this, and with no dance performances or celebrities to watch, I stood up feeling bored and began to patrol the area, checking if the warriors at this point were behaving or if anyone had left their positions. No one paid me any mind, so I wandered around aimlessly with my hands behind my back.
Since Meng Dao had mentioned that the arts festival gala would take some time, and seeing that there was still plenty of time left, I strolled slowly to the side of the stage. Here there was a glass curtain wall that allowed me to see outside; under the night sky, Myriad Lights twinkled like stars above while cars illuminated the streets below, creating a river of light that made me feel relaxed and at ease. The view from up high was indeed quite nice; I couldn't help but sigh and think that once I had money, I'd definitely buy an apartment on a higher floor.
Lost in thought, I suddenly heard a flurry of girls' voices behind me: "Hurry up! We're going to be late!" "We're on next!" "Who told you to go so far for food?!"
I turned around and saw five or six young girls rushing past me. The girl in the blue down jacket closest to me glanced my way, perhaps curious because I was in uniform. When our eyes met, something stirred within me; she bore a resemblance to my first love—an oval face, big eyes with long eyelashes, a delicate nose, and lips that seemed to carry a hint of a smile. Her fair skin contrasted with her straight hair styled with blunt bangs, giving her an even more youthful and innocent appearance. When she noticed me staring at her, she suddenly made a funny face at me, which made me laugh.
She must be a student. Watching them dash toward backstage, I couldn't resist following them to catch another glimpse of that playful girl.
However, as I turned the corner, I unexpectedly found the Japanese guy and his companion standing against the wall nearby talking. Instinctively wanting to avoid them, it was too late—I overheard part of their conversation: "We've found what we need, but they refuse to sell. We're applying pressure through local government." That was what his companion said. "It must be ours!" The awkward use of Chinese idioms sounded quite strange.
Curious, I glanced at them before stepping away a few paces. They noticed me too and stopped their conversation abruptly, looking over in my direction.
I walked around them and continued following the sound of those girls toward backstage. To my surprise, I ended up at the entrance of the makeup room. Looking at the sign next to the door that read "Makeup and Costume Change Only—Unauthorized Personnel Keep Out," I had no choice but to halt my steps reluctantly. After pausing for a moment, I remembered there was a girl who would be on stage soon; I quickly turned back again.
When I turned around again, the Japanese girl and her companions had already disappeared. I didn't think much of it and walked back to the front of the stage, finding a spot to continue watching the rehearsal.
As the previous program's performers dispersed, a melodious tune began to play. Before long, Director Meng shouted, "Where are the backup dancers? This program features a star singing, and the backup dancers need to come out first! How is Backstage coordinating this?!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a dozen girls surged onto the stage, forming lines. "Stop!" Meng Dao shouted again, then stepped forward to correct their mistakes. I noticed that the girl in the blue down jacket was on the far right. No matter how Meng Dao adjusted them, she always wore a cheerful smile, which made me like her even more.
It seemed they were students, but I couldn't tell which Dance School or Art School they belonged to.
I sat there watching the stage, and the entire evening passed in boredom. The whole process continued until after eleven at night. The early performers finished their positions and left, while many others came to watch from the side after their rehearsals.
Our work at each station was satisfactory; after all, it didn't require much technical skill—just following orders strictly. The director was quite pleased because such obedient and efficient free labor is hard to find. Before we left, we received our Work Permits from the television station and standardized Work Uniforms for the staff. The director instructed us not to wear our uniforms next time but to change into proper attire before arriving. I thought that made sense; wearing uniforms here felt uncomfortable for all of us.
Although the entire process took longer than expected and everyone had been standing for quite a while, the crew members were clearly excited on the way back. They chattered endlessly about which stars might participate in the dress rehearsal and whether there would be opportunities for photos or autographs.
I didn't stop them; these buddies, despite their usual seriousness, still had childlike hearts. Let them be as long as they didn't cause trouble.
The second night was the first rehearsal for the arts festival. This time it wasn't just about positioning; all performers had to incorporate their acts as well. Except for when the stars were not yet on stage, all backup dancers had to go through a normal performance run. To ensure the quality of the evening's event, the Director Team would continue making adjustments based on everyone's performances.
After dinner, before six o'clock, I changed into my Work Uniform with everyone else and brought my identification early. As soon as we entered the television station's main gate, I noticed several police cars parked outside the building. Many people coming in and out looked hurried; something felt off, I thought to myself.
After leading everyone upstairs to the Performance Hall, I saw several police officers talking with Meng Dao and a few others on stage. Was something wrong?
I quickly walked over; if there was an issue affecting the rehearsal, I would take my team back right away since we hadn't done any Political Education for this arts festival in quite some time.
To my surprise, I found Ah Huang there too. A male police officer was asking Meng Dao questions while a female officer took notes. Ah Huang stood nearby, seemingly deep in thought as he watched Meng Dao and someone next to him. Following his gaze, I realized it was Brother Li with white hair!
I approached him and gently tapped Ah Huang on the shoulder from behind. He turned around abruptly; upon seeing me, his expression shifted from calm to surprised and then to incredulous—a remarkable transformation of emotions.
I couldn't help but chuckle internally as I pulled him aside a couple of steps. "Long time no see! What are you doing here? What's going on?"
“Murder Case,” he paused for a moment, then asked in confusion, “What are you doing here?”
“Free service, volunteer work.” I tugged at the television station's Work Uniform I was wearing and pointed to the plainclothes officers behind me. Although they weren't in uniform, their buzz cuts and straight posture made it obvious they were soldiers.
“Oh!” He nodded in realization.
“Is it true that rehearsals can’t continue tonight?” I asked softly.
Ah Huang shook his head. “It doesn’t affect us. The crime scene is in the underground garage; we’re just following procedure to ask questions.”
I thought for a moment and decided to go ask the director if any adjustments were needed. If everything was fine, I would let the soldiers take their positions and wait for the start.
As I walked over, I heard a female officer asking Meng Dao, “Do you know the victim Zhao Xinran?”
Zhao Xinran? Oh, is that the girl named Eagerly? Instinctively, I glanced at White-haired, only to see his face pale, his expression tense, and sweat pouring down his face.
(To be continued; more exciting developments tomorrow!)
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