Returning from the Immortal World

At Shanghai New World Center, the concert scene seethed with excitement, yet Zhang Xinya was feeling restless inwardly despite showing an energetic and spirited performance on the stage; not once did she feel relaxed inside.

Even though the Ministry of State Security had sent its person in charge to inform her that the crisis had been averted, she didn’t receive any reply from Tang Xiu whatsoever, and was feeling somewhat restless inside.

However, there was another person who was more disturbed and restless than her. That person was Li Changxi, who just returned from Shanghai Airport. The reason for his restlessness was because they had only found and killed a total of two extremists, and were in the dark about the traces of the rest.

“Chief Liu, the surveillance department has found a peculiar situation,” a technician from the Ministry of State Security rushed toward Liu Changxi and reported in a low voice.

“What peculiar situation?” Asked Liu Changxi in a heavy voice. His complexion changed.

“Please come with me!”

Immediately afterward, a few people rushed to the temporary monitoring center set up behind the backstage. After entering the room, Li Changxi’s eyes quickly swept across a row of LCD monitors.

“Chief Liu, these are the monitoring screens we have installed to keep an eye on the four entrances to the New World Center. Take a look…” The technician played the monitoring footage, and set the playing speed a few times slower. On that screen was the scene of two women from the Everlasting Feast Hall who were holding a man, and quietly moved to the back of the four queueing lines.

“Who are these women?” Asked Liu Changxi after watching the surveillance video. His expression was solemn.

“I don’t know, Chief,” the technician shook his head. “They were all wearing duckbill caps and sunglasses. They even seemed to know where we installed the surveillance cameras, for they always had their faces away from them. As a matter of fact, we had checked the four people taken away by them and sent their facial characteristics to the state’s database. Our comrades there are currently searching information about them. I’m sure they will soon be able to ascertain their identities.”

Liu Changxi frowned. There was a thoughtful look in his eyes. After rewinding and replaying the videos several times, a fax message arrived.

“Is this the information about them?” Liu Changxi slowly and carefully read it, and was somewhat startled inside.

“Chen Bin once worked as a blasting expert in a mining area in Xichang. Later on, after he got involved in a fighting incident, he then resigned and left. He reappeared after having disappeared for three and a half years, and those who once fought with him either died in a traffic accident, or got burnt in a fire. At present, he is managing…”

“Jiang Lu, a member of an underground gang in Northeast; was once sentenced to three years of imprisonment for murder. His sentence ended five years ago and was released. There had been no reports about him since, and his whereabouts during those five years cannot be investigated...”

“Jia Xiaochang, an orthopedist and a surgeon at the Fourth Public Hospital of Ruijiang City. A man with a solitary and eccentric personality, and not good at dealing with people. He got allegedly accused of malpractice in a surgery incident four years ago and was detained. He was then fired from his job and became unemployed afterward…”

Liu Changxi carefully read the information, and then turned to look at the technician and asked in a deep voice, “This information only reported three people. What about the fourth person?”

“There was nothing about him!” The technician forced a wry smile. “We’ve compared and checked his face in the databank. There is no information about him, it’s like he came out of nowhere.”

Liu Changxi contemplated for a short while, and said immediately, “Contact the Transportation Department! Tell them to send me all the surveillance videos within a radius of five kilometers around New World Center as fast as possible!”

“Affirmative!”

Time fleeted by. Zhang Xinya’s concert finally came to an end after three hours. At this time, the Transportation Department finally transmitted dozens of surveillance videos.

Knock, knock, knock…

The door was knocked. Zhang Xinya came in with her two assistants. She didn’t even spare time to remove her makeup and change her clothes. When she was invited to enter the surveillance room, she hurriedly asked, “How is the situation? Have you found the criminals?”

“We have already shot and killed two people, and are now investigating the identity and whereabouts of the rest. Also, though the concert has ended, tens of thousands fans are still leaving. Our people outside are currently managing them to leave the site in an orderly manner. Only after they have left completely will we truly be able to relax.”

“What about Tang Xiu? Wasn’t he cooperating with you in looking for the whereabouts of those criminals?” Asked Zhang Xinya.

“I don’t know where he is for the time being,” Liu Changxi shook his head. “He helped solve the situation at the Shanghai Airport, and then left immediately. Aren’t you his friend? Why don’t you call him and ask about it?”

Shanghai Airport?

“What is the situation at Shanghai Airport? Could it be there…” confused, Zhang Xinya asked.

“Yeah, those extremists are truly lunatics. Shanghai Airport was also…” Liu Changxi nodded. “Ah, forget it. Let us not discuss it. In short, had it not been for Tang Xiu, a big mess would’ve have happened. He has practically saved the lives of tens of thousands of people tonight!”

Saving tens of thousands of people?

Zhang Xinya only felt a chill down her spine instead of feeling joyful. She could hardly imagine how insane and lunatic those extremists were, to think that they unexpectedly had gone so far as to bring so much harm and damage to society.

“Give me a cell phone!” Asked Zhang Xinya to the assistant, who came with her. She called Tang Xiu and learned that he had returned to Bluestar Villa Complex earlier. She immediately told him that she would pass by and see him later.

“Miss Zhang, let’s go together! I have some things I need to discuss with Tang Xiu,” said Liu Changxi.

Hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xinya then nodded and said, “All right. I’ll go and have my makeup removed first! I’ll see you at the East entrance later.”

****

Outside the concert venue…

A group of students from Shanghai University gathered up. Each and every one of them looked excited, thinking that tonight was really fun and joyous. Zhang Xinya’s concert was very successful, as unceasing cheers and applause happened throughout the concert. The wonderful voice of Zhang Xinya had bought them a grand musical feast.

“She’s truly worthy as my Goddess!! Zhang Xinya’s singing voice is simply the best, the most pleasant to hear all over the world! I must work hard, make a fortune, and rise to the top of the world in the future, then I must marry the Goddess in my heart,” Zhao Liang gripped his fists, a firm determined and longing look on his face.

“STOP!” Dozens of middle fingers were raised at him simultaneously.

Cough, cough…

Coughing a few times, Zhao Liang raised his hands and embarrassedly smiled, “I was just joking, guys. Don’t take it so seriously. Ahahaha… anyways, the moon sure is round tonight…”

Was the moon truly round tonight?

The crowd looked up and saw the night sky. Following which, they turned their heads back at him and rolled their eyes. The weather tonight was rather cloudy and dark. What moon could there be up there?

The smile on Yue Kai’s face receded, as he mumbled to himself, “Tang Eldest Bro always keep his word. He said he would come see Zhang Xinya’s concert tonight, yet how come I haven’t seen him at all until now? Could something have delayed him?”

Hu Qingsong looked vacant for a while, as he nodded and said, “Yeah, you’re right. Tang Big Bro always lives up to his word. He didn’t show up from the beginning we came to our seats to the end of the show. I’m afraid something happened to him. Why don’t we give him a call?”

“All right!” Yue Kai replied and straightly took out his mobile to dial Tang Xiu’s cell number. After asking, he then hung up the phone, turning to look at everyone, he said, “There was indeed something that delayed Tang Eldest Bro! He’s in Bluestar Villa Complex now. Since the dorms in our campus are already locked now, how about we go to his place and spend the night there?”

“There are so many of us, man. I know there are many rooms in Tang Big Bro’s house, but is it convenient for all of us to spend the night there?”

Yue Kai paused. After a short while of hesitation, he said, “It should be alright. There are 12 of us from three dorms. Having two us staying in one room should be fine, I think. Let us first go to Eldest Bro Tang’s place. If we really can’t stay after getting there, we’ll just look for a hotel nearby.”

“Okay, let’s go…” Hu Qingsong nodded.

They quickly rushed toward Bluestar Villa Complex.

In the surveillance room behind the backstage of the New World Center, Liu Changxi and a dozen members of the Ministry of State Security watched dozens of surveillance footages. What made them dumbfounded was that they were unable to find the four men who were captured by those women. Those eight women seemed to have disappeared, and there was no sign of them leaving whatsoever. What was most inconceivable for them, the Ministry of State Security and the police force, was that they were still unable to find the slightest clue or trace at all, although they had conducted a thorough search in the vicinity.

“Chief Liu, take a look at these two. Their actions are very suspicious, and the surveillance cameras never captured their faces at all. There has been no sign of them leaving, just like those eight mysterious women,” said an investigation member of the Ministry of State Security while pointing at the back of two figures on the screen.

Liu Changxi carefully watched the video for more than ten seconds. Then, he forced a bitter smile and said, “Who exactly are these people? They seem to know about the cameras in the surroundings, and they were clearly avoiding the surveillance cameras. If my hunch is right, those four men captured by them should be the extremists. However, aside from our Ministry of State Security people and the police force, there should be no one else who knows about this operation…”

Suddenly, his words came to a halt, as a young handsome face appeared inside his mind.

Tang Xiu? Could it be that he…

Liu Changxi quickly grabbed his overcoat and shouted in a deep voice, “Come with me to Bluestar Villa Complex. The rest is to deal with the aftermath!”

At Bluestar Villa Complex…

Tang Xiu, Li Laoshan, as well as his female secretary were sitting in front of the dinner table full of delicious dishes. The five children, who were not used to eat such a rich meal, each and every one of them was wolfing it down and had their mouths full.

Ding dong…

The villa’s bell sounded.

Tang Xiu directly took out the key and pressed the button on it. There was a confused expression on his face as he got up and said, “It’s late, who could it be?”

“You’re a really busy man, Brother Tang,” said Li Laoshan smilingly. “Go see the guests and entertain them. No need to mind me, we’ll leave after filling our bellies.”

Tang Xiu let out a faint smile. Just after he entered the villa’s hall, he saw three cars quickly approaching, as a group of people then got off after the cars were parked.

“Tang Big Bro, you’re really at home!” Hu Qingsong shouted with a rough voice.

“Something happened here at home, so I hurried back. Did you see the concert to the end?” Asked Tang Xiu smilingly.

“Yeah. Anyways, you keep your words when you say them, and when you didn’t keep your promise tonight, we were afraid something happened to you and came here in a hurry, buddy. Huh? What a great smell! Are you by chance having a meal right now?” Said Hu Qingsong.

“A friend came visiting. Come inside!” Tang Xiu laughed.