Chapter 11: A Heavenly Voice
1404 Words
Snake King nodded. “After the job is done, I’ll give you 10% of the commission.”
“Great—working with you is always straightforward,” the fat man grinned. “The equipment you asked for is on its way. Customs has been checking strictly lately, so there might be a one or two-day delay.”
“No rush. I only came here to scout the area this time. The real operation will be in a while.”
“Alright, if there’s nothing else, I’ll head out first. I’ll let you know when the equipment arrives.” With that, the fat man stood up, ready to leave.
“Wait.”
“Anything else?”
“You specialize in selling information—you have the best connections. I want to confirm one thing with you.”
“Go on.”
Snake King’s voice turned serious. “Is it true that Blood Wolf is no longer with us?”
The fat man held up one finger. “This piece of information costs one million yuan.”
“Fine.” Snake King didn’t hesitate.
“He’s gone. Two of the world’s top intelligence agencies confirmed it—no mistake,” the fat man said, his eyes narrowing almost into slits at the thought of earning a million yuan with just one sentence.
“What a shame.”
“Indeed. Such a legendary figure, meeting an unfortunate end in his hotel room. Sigh—who told him to make so many enemies? Snake King, even though Blood Wolf’s passing is a pity, it’s good news for people like you. He used to take all the big jobs in this field, leaving nothing for the rest of us. Now that he’s gone, you’ll get more work—isn’t that a good thing?”
Snake King nodded, then turned around and looked out the glass window again.
Seeing Snake King had nothing more to say, the fat man wisely opened the door and left.
Down in the main hall, after Lu Yao sang a few songs, the audience’s excitement had reached a peak.
“Brother Ling, don’t you think she sings well?” Tang Shiyun asked.
“Just so-so—you sing better,” Ling Chen replied.
He was telling the truth; Tang Shiyun’s clear, sweet voice was far better than the singer on stage.
“I’m not that good. She’s much more professional than me,” Tang Shiyun said modestly.
Even though she said that, a bright smile spread across her face—anyone would be happy to be praised.
“I’m being honest. I’d rather listen to you sing than spend 180 yuan on her performance.”
“Pfft!”
Just then, a disgruntled voice spoke up. “Dude, if you want to charm your girlfriend, there’s no need to put down my goddess! My Lu Yao sings so well—if you don’t know how to appreciate her, keep your mouth shut!”
Ling Chen glanced at the man with pockmarks on his face.
“She’s *your* goddess, not mine. I can say whatever I want. It’s not like I asked for your opinion.”
“Why are you being so unreasonable?”
“Did I ask you to argue with me? I was talking to myself—you’re the one who butted in.”
The pockmarked man lost his temper. He rolled up his sleeves, pointed at Ling Chen, and yelled, “Are you asking for trouble, kid?”
“I—”
“Brother Ling, let’s just drop it,” Tang Shiyun cut in, pulling on Ling Chen’s sleeve.
Looking into Tang Shiyun’s imploring eyes, Ling Chen shook his head in resignation.
Fine—no need to stoop to this guy’s level.
But when Ling Chen fell silent, the pockmarked man only grew more complacent. “You’re still just a kid—you can’t win against me. Tsk, this girl must be blind to like someone as rude as you.”
Hearing that, Ling Chen’s anger flared up instantly. He grabbed the pockmarked man by the collar and raised an eyebrow. “So what if I’m rude? It’s none of your business! Who did you just call ‘blind’? Say it again if you dare!”
He couldn’t stand anyone insulting Tang Shiyun—let alone someone calling her blind.
Insulting Tang Shiyun was out of the question; insulting him was even worse.
“Gentlemen, please calm down and be considerate of others. Let’s avoid unnecessary trouble so we don’t disturb the other audience members,” a voice came through the speakers.
All eyes immediately turned to Ling Chen and the pockmarked man.
Ling Chen looked up—and saw Lu Yao on stage staring in their direction.
“Brother Ling, let’s stop,” Tang Shiyun said, embarrassed by the attention. Her face turned red.
Ling Chen didn’t care about the stares, but Tang Shiyun clearly felt awkward.
*Lucky this guy.*
Ling Chen let go of the pockmarked man reluctantly.
“Kid, I’ll let you off this time—for my goddess’s sake,” the pockmarked man said, throwing down a**.
Ling Chen ignored him completely.
When the argument died down, Lu Yao turned to the audience and smiled sweetly. “Thank you all for coming tonight! Next, I want to invite a fan to come up and sing with me. Is anyone willing?”
Immediately, a crowd of people raised their hands—including Tang Shiyun.
“Goddess, pick her!” the pockmarked man shouted, pointing at Tang Shiyun. “This girl just had the nerve to say she sings better than you! Let her give it a try!”
The audience’s attention was instantly drawn to Tang Shiyun.
“I’ve seen shameless people, but never someone this shameless—daring to compare herself to our goddess!”
“Right! She has no idea how good she thinks she is.”
“Maybe we should let her sing—who knows, she might actually have talent.”
“Little girl, go up and sing!”
Hearing the audience’s jeers, Tang Shiyun bit her lip, her cheeks burning. She clung tightly to Ling Chen’s hand.
“Brother Ling, maybe… maybe we should leave.”
“Leave? Why? If they want to hear you sing, then sing for them. Besides, you wanted to go up there just now, didn’t you?”
“I… I’m afraid I’ll sing badly.”
Tang Shiyun was nervous. Earlier, she’d wanted to go on stage because no one would care if she sang poorly. But now, if she messed up, she’d definitely be laughed at—and she didn’t want to embarrass Ling Chen.
Ling Chen patted her hand gently, encouraging her. “Go on. Don’t be scared—I believe in you.”
“Little sister, everyone’s rooting for you. Don’t let us down,” Lu Yao said, her eyes turning to Tang Shiyun.
Feeling Lu Yao’s gaze, Tang Shiyun took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She mustered up her courage and walked onto the stage.
Taking the microphone, she stood in the center of the stage, her head bowed, too shy to look at the audience. She only glanced at Ling Chen out of the corner of her eye.
When she saw Ling Chen’s encouraging smile, her nervousness faded little by little.
Just then, Lu Yao held her guitar and plucked the strings gently with her slender fingers. Immediately, a beautiful melody flowed from the speakers.
Listening to the accompanying music, Tang Shiyun closed her eyes slightly, as if her entire body and mind were immersed in the music.
She parted her lips slightly, and her clear, sweet voice poured out—like a stream of clear spring water, flowing into the audience’s ears.
*The strong wind blows, leaving no trace.*
*Our love is like a gust of wind—blown, then scattered.*
*The strong wind blows, leaving no worries.*
*You’re gone, I’m gone—from now on, we’re strangers.*
……
Her heavenly, sweet singing filled the hall quietly—like a soft breeze from nature, brushing gently over the audience’s hearts, bringing a touch of coolness on that summer night.
Ling Chen watched the audience’s stunned expressions and smiled in satisfaction.
His taste was never wrong. Some people practice singing for over ten years, but still can’t compare to those born with a sweet voice. Tang Shiyun was one of the latter.
- Writer
