nyslfriends Chapter 395 Holding the Emperor Hostage to Command the Lords!
Chapter 395 Holding the Emperor Hostage to Command the Lords!
Jiang Bai murmured, then suddenly stopped.
Looking up at the bright moon in the sky, I fell into deep thought.
He who takes a bribe is bound to do his bidding; he who eats another's food is obligated to do his bidding.
This debt of 500,000 yuan in favors touched Jiang Bai to the slightest extent.
If you're just going to see someone off as their brother-in-law, it does seem a bit "insufficient in sincerity."
But if I really had to transform into Jiang Baizhi to see her off...
The difficulty level was like walking on a tightrope to reach the Pure Land of Bliss!
After all, he has to face not only the simple farewell, but also the fans who might appear in the airport waiting area!
"Five hundred thousand...."
Jiang Bai gritted his teeth, Zhang Cheng's face flashing through his mind.
Then, Lao Zhang's leave slip flashed by.
Leave slip.......Leave slip.......Slurp!
[Ding! Host, have you made up your mind? Will you continue being that 'lurking brother-in-law,' or will you give your sugar daddy a send-off?]
"Damn it, why is this charity performance acting all high and mighty with a sense of responsibility?"
Under the moonlight, Jiang Bai sighed heavily and continued walking towards the dormitory.
"I'll think about it. I'll see how my luck is after class tomorrow or the day after."
A debt of 500,000 yuan needs to be repaid.
After all, he didn't want Old Zhang to become an empty-nest elderly person.
That night.
Jiang Bai dreamed that he was playing the suona at the airport, seeing Zhang Cheng off.
The sound of suona horns filled the air as Zhang Cheng cried out "Wife!" while Old Zhang chased after him with a knife in hand, creating a truly spectacular scene.
Jiang Bai woke up in fright from his dream.
"Master... let's discuss this. Could we please stop this suona from entering my dreams?"
[System: Hehe.]
.......
Monday, early in the morning.
Jiang Bai got out of bed, and the first thing he did was habitually rub his eyes and pull up the system panel.
"Master, open your eyes and see my fortune today."
[Ding! Activating the basic Fortune Eye... Detection complete.]
[Today's initial fortune: Average.]
[Ding...Good fortune is upon you...]
Today's final fortune: Slightly auspicious.
Jiang Bai stared at the lush green "Little Lucky" and fell into deep thought.
"Xiao Ji... his luck is neither good nor bad, it feels like he's holding back some big move."
"Tongzi, with this kind of luck, should I wear a suit to shake hands with Zhang Cheng, or should I wear women's clothing to wave a handkerchief?"
Jiang Bai's mind was torn between his integrity and the huge sum of 500,000 yuan.
[Ding! Host, a friendly reminder: While minor good fortune may not grant your every wish, it can usually keep you from getting into trouble without you even realizing it.]
"Let's see how things go tomorrow."
.......
In the "Dialogue Skills" class.
The teacher was speaking passionately on the podium, and Jiang Bai listened attentively from below.
He took out his phone, which was vibrating violently in his pocket, and saw a familiar profile picture flashing on the screen.
Teacher Na-young.
Jiang Bai's heart tightened.
It has been two weeks since the last recording of "The Voice of China".
Thanks to the show's outrageous "bonus rounds," the past two weeks have been nothing short of a chaotic free-for-all on screen.
In the previous recording.
Teacher Na-young and Teacher Li Ronghao faced off in a head-to-head competition, which ultimately ended with the top ten teams advancing to the top six.
And the next two issues.
Because Wang Feng and Zhang Xingzhe, those two old foxes, received advance notice from the director, their competition has shifted from a 10-to-6 format to a 10-to-4 format!
The reduction of two spots fueled the fierce competition between the two teams in the brutal knockout stage.
After that, in the second round, two more spots were snatched from the elimination pool.
With this, the top twelve contestants for this season of "The Voice of China," who will also be the semi-finalists, have been officially assembled.
Jiang Bai, as the top performer who captured the tears of Chinese people worldwide with her song "I Love You, China" and whose viewership ratings soared to new heights, naturally sat comfortably in the top spot among the top twelve.
In the phone's chat window.
Nayoung:
[Bai Zhi, what are you doing?]
The "Top 12 to Top 6" competition will be recorded this Friday night. The lineup has been finalized. Have you prepared your songs yet?
Jiang Bai lowered his head and tapped his fingers rapidly:
Don't worry, Sister Na, the song has already been chosen.
Nayoung:
I'm not worried about your abilities, but you should be mentally prepared.
[Now, the other three mentors are looking at you differently; you're just too strong.]
Nayoung:
The news that you raised 70 million in donations that night has gone viral in the industry.
Your current popularity isn't second-tier; it's approaching top-tier.
The production team is under a lot of pressure. Wang Feng and his team are figuring out how to tweak the competition format again, specifically targeting you as their "ultimate weapon."
Jiang Bai looked at the screen, a smile playing on his lips.
Is this targeting me?
Is the intention to increase the difficulty of the lyrics, or to put nails on the stage?
Or perhaps they want to play that "blindfolded song recognition" game?
Jiang Bai replied:
[Sister Na, let them come all they want.]
No matter how the competition format changes, as long as the microphone isn't broken, I'll show them what a crushing defeat looks like.
The two divine songs that the system rewarded.
"Later" and "Invisible Wings" are now lying quietly in the warehouse, radiating an alluring golden light.
"When the song 'Later' is played, I estimate that all the mentors in the audience will be reminded of their own deceased first love and burst into tears on the spot."
"By then, who will remember deducting points from my account?"
"Invisible Wings... This kind of inspiring anthem that makes your soul tremble, anyone who dares to give it a low score would be doing a disservice to millions of fans."
"Either of these two songs, if chosen for the semi-finals, would be enough to crush a lot of other contestants."
Jiang Bai stroked his chin, his eyes revealing a sense of arrogance.
"If all else fails, I still have over ten million popularity points."
"Buy whatever song you want."
"Worried? Not at all!"
"One comes, shoot one; a whole bunch come, slaughter them all!"
The entertainment industry in this world is as backward as a primeval forest.
I have the entire civilization of the earth in my pocket, what can you use to fight me?
.......
Tuesday, early in the morning.
In room 404, the snoring of Su Ze and his two friends rose and fell, so rhythmic that it could be used as background music for "The Voice of China".
Jiang Bai quietly took out his phone and woke up the system once again.
"Master, open your eyes!"
"Today is a crucial day that will determine whether Old Zhang will be an 'empty nester' for the rest of his life. Can you give me a lucky break and let me ascend to heaven on the spot?"
[Ding! Activating the basic Fortune Eye... Detection complete.]
[Today's initial fortune: Average.]
[Ding... Changing...]
Today's final fortune: Slightly auspicious.
Jiang Bai's lips twitched violently:
"Another minor good luck? In online games, this kind of luck would at most get you a basic piece of equipment. Looks like my luck hasn't been good these past few days."
Jiang Bai sat on the edge of the bed and began to think.
Tomorrow, Zhang Cheng will fly to Paris.
Jiang Bai is now facing an ultimate problem that could be written into a philosophy textbook:
In what capacity should I see him off?
Option One:
He went as Jiang Bai, the "brother-in-law".
Advantages: Safe, risk-free, no need to wear stockings, and you can legitimately pat Zhang Cheng on the shoulder and say "Farewell, Big Brother".
Disadvantage: Too lacking in human touch.
Zhang Cheng actually threw out 500,000 yuan!
It's like you spend ten money on your dream girl's carnivals, only to find out in person that it's her chubby brother who loves throwing shot put.
This is not just a lack of human kindness, it's downright commercial fraud!
What if Zhang Cheng gets increasingly angry after arriving in France and comes back two years later demanding a refund?
Option II:
She went there as "National Goddess" Jiang Baizhi.
Advantages: Full of sincerity.
The debt of 500,000 yuan was instantly cleared, and Zhang Cheng even got a "worth it in this life" buff!
Most importantly, Old Zhang was absolutely grateful to Jiang Bai because his son, under Jiang Bai's influence, would return to China sooner.
From now on, Jiang Bai can basically do whatever he wants in the teaching affairs office at school.
Disadvantages: Airports are crowded and noisy.
If you get photographed by paparazzi or run into fans at the airport, it will be difficult to get away.
The system popped up again, its tone filled with an excited, almost mischievous, excitement.
[Host, I actually have a third plan.]
Jiang Bai's eyelids twitched: "Tell me about it?"
[Option 3: You rush into Lao Zhang's office right now, lift your shirt in front of Zhang Cheng, and tell him: "Actually, I'm the goddess you've been dreaming about day and night, the one who can sing 'I Love You,' throw the shot put, and wear both black and white stockings. Surprised? Unexpected?"]
[System Evaluation: This way, you can not only walk around arrogantly at school, but you can also walk with a great sense of rhythm while covering your butt.]
"Get out! Get out! Get out!"
Jiang Bai let out a roar from his very soul in his mind.
"Walk away while covering your ass? Are you trying to make me completely lock up my sexual orientation before my sophomore year?"
Jiang Bai jumped out of bed, deciding to check again tomorrow.
"Using the emperor to command the feudal lords..."
As long as Zhang Cheng is still in France, Lao Zhang will be his most reliable support.
As long as Lao Zhang is his backer, let alone taking leave to record "The Voice of China," Lao Zhang could probably help him apply for research funding even if he wanted to grow scallions on the playground at the Shanghai Theatre Academy.
"Five hundred thousand, five hundred thousand! You've not only bought out Zhang Cheng's youth, you might also have bought out my integrity for tomorrow."
"Never mind, let's talk about it tomorrow!!!"
.......
On Wednesday morning, the autumn sunlight filtered through the withered yellow sycamore leaves next to the teachers' apartment, casting dappled golden light on the ground.
In Lao Zhang's house, the originally spacious living room was now completely filled with three huge suitcases.
Old Zhang's wife—the "master's wife" Jiang Bai mentioned—was holding Zhang Cheng's hand, as if she wanted to stuff the rice cooker and thick quilts into her son's backpack.
"Paris, France, is said to be a very romantic place, but romance can't put food on the table."
The master's wife kept rambling on as she stuffed vacuum-packed cured meat into her side pocket.
"Xiao Cheng, Mom saw it on the news. Thieves over there are specifically targeting people with Chinese faces."
"When you're out and about, keep your phone and wallet close to your body. Don't be like those foreigners who carry a bag and wander around the streets."
"Also, I heard that drinking too much of that water can cause hair loss. Your dad's genes are already unstable, so you have to be very careful..."
Old Zhang, listening from the side, couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth. He subconsciously touched his somewhat bald head and coughed lightly.
"Alright, alright, the child is going to pursue further education, not to survive on a desert island."
"Hey, don't stuff it with cured meat."
"What if customs won't let you in and confiscates it on the spot? Wouldn't that be giving freebies to those people in France?"
Zhang Cheng was surprisingly patient.
He was wearing a dark gray trench coat today, which made him look much more composed.
Only the occasional glimpse of melancholy in the depths of his eyes betrayed the turmoil in his heart.
"Mom, I understand."
"I will take good care of myself and send videos to my family every day."
Zhang Cheng smiled, a serene smile unique to those who have undergone spiritual purification.
Since that night at the school sports meet, this elite architect from Shanghai seemed to have seen through the vanities of the world overnight.
What was once a fervent pursuit of celebrities has now transformed into an almost obsessive form of self-cultivation.
He felt that only by gilding himself in Paris, the art capital, could he barely qualify to follow in his junior's footsteps two years later.
The three of them struggled for another half hour.
Until Old Zhang glanced at his watch and reminded him:
"Let's go, it's time."
In a short while.
The luggage was carried downstairs piece by piece.
Zhang Cheng was quite strong, after all, he was a tall man of over 1.8 meters.
Downstairs, Old Zhang's somewhat old black sedan was already running, its exhaust fumes billowing into the cool air.
Zhang Cheng stuffed the last suitcase into the trunk, dusted off his hands, and turned to look at Old Zhang, who was still standing outside the car door looking around.
"Dad, Mom's already inside, why aren't we getting up?"
Zhang Cheng was somewhat puzzled.
At this moment, Old Zhang was like a secret agent who had failed in a rendezvous, his mind racing like a rattle-drum, his eyes frantically scanning the corner of the apartment building.
He glanced down at his phone; the screen was still displaying a WeChat message from the previous night.
Jiang Bai: [Teacher Zhang, what time are we leaving tomorrow morning? I'd like to arrive early.]
Old Zhang sent back the time, and Jiang Bai replied with "OK".
"This kid, could he be a 'pigeon'?"
Old Zhang muttered to himself in a low voice, his heart filled with worry.
He had his own ulterior motives in agreeing to Jiang Bai's offer to see him off.
These past two years, his son has been away from home, and as his father, he has indeed felt a deep emptiness in his heart.
If Jiang Bai, the brother-in-law, could come and put on a show of deep affection.
It can not only motivate my son to strive.
That way, my son can come back safely two years later!
After all, he had been quite worried these past few days, and Jiang Bai's words had come true.
Fearing that his son Zhang Cheng would stay in France and never return, he became an empty-nest elderly man ten years later.
"Old Zhang, what are you looking at?"
The teacher's wife in the back seat also leaned out and asked.
"If we don't leave now, we might miss our flight if something goes wrong on the way."
"Okay, let's go then."
Just as Lao Zhang was about to open the car door and resign himself to his fate, a figure approached from afar on the alley behind the apartment building, accompanied by a slightly panting voice:
"Teacher Zhang! I'm so sorry... I'm late!"
.......
P.S.: I added 4.5 words in total yesterday and today. Yesterday's chapter was on chapter 381, and today's chapter is on chapter 389. Some chapter titles haven't been changed, sorry! Happy May Day!