Chapter 26

The Instructor Dormitory Building.

The eight-story building had an elevator, but Qiao Huan saw from a distance that Ye Yiwei deliberately avoided it and headed for the stairwell.

Was he afraid of accidentally being caught on camera? Qiao Huan thought.

Afternoon training had just ended, and most of the instructors had gone out to eat or attend meetings. The whole building was silent.

The tiled stairs were not particularly even and creaked whenever someone stepped on them. With the sound-activated lights as well, Qiao Huan didn't follow too closely.

Better to lose him than alert him. That applied to good-guy targets too.

By the time Qiao Huan finally reached the eighth floor, Ye Yiwei had hurried out of sight. There was no telling which room he had entered.

There were more than a dozen rooms on each side of the corridor, so Qiao Huan had to pause briefly outside every door and listen for sounds.

Only when he reached the end of the corridor did he hear a note from an electronic keyboard.

It was room 808.

Qiao Huan hurried closer and listened intently. Soon, he heard Ye Yiwei singing scales to warm up his voice.

Was he really here to train with Tao Zhenting?

He had to admit, Ye Yiwei's voice was bright and soaring, and his breath control was steady. Even when he was simply singing scales, he was captivating.

Qiao Huan remembered Ye Yiwei saying he had studied voice systematically. Unlike him, Qiao Huan had only managed to keep up thanks to his decent natural vocal talent and the crash course he had taken before going undercover.

But if Ye Yiwei really was the other undercover agent, Qiao Huan would have to ask him later: since he had studied voice, why hadn't he properly pursued it...

Click.

A door opened.

Before Qiao Huan could pull himself out of his thoughts, he met Jiang Ji's equally distracted and troubled gaze.

Fortunately, it wasn't room 808 that had opened, but room 806 across from it.

It was Jiang Ji's room.

Jiang Ji gathered their thoughts and said in surprise, "Qiao Huan? Why are you here?"

"...Hello, Leader Jiang." Qiao Huan slowed his speech and came up with an excuse. "Everyone says the instructors' building has good facilities, so I came to have a look."

Jiang Ji was no fool and immediately looked puzzled. "But..."

Before either could continue sizing the other up, a familiar voice broke in.

"Yoo-hoo! My Brother Huan must have come to see me!"

Qiao Huan's heart skipped a beat—not from attraction, but from an irregular rhythm.

Jiang Renbao poked his fluffy little head through the crack in the door, baring his big white teeth. "Brother Huan, did you see me coming in the familiar van and make a special trip to find me?"

Qiao Huan: ...

The way out Jiang Renbao had offered him felt rather flimsy.

Without waiting for Qiao Huan to answer, Jiang Renbao threw his arms around him. "Boo-hoo, I knew you were still thinking about me. Don't be shy, give me a hug!"

Qiao Huan's face was squeezed out of shape. "...That's really not necessary..."

Jiang Ji looked at the two of them suspiciously. "You two get along pretty well?"

Jiang Renbao's eyes had turned red. "Of course! We slept together for so long, after all! That's just how Brother Huan is. He doesn't let his joy show on his face, but he really misses all of us!"

"Mm." Jiang Ji was touched. "That's true."

And so, in a daze, Qiao Huan was dragged into Jiang Ji and Jiang Renbao's room.

Jiang Renbao immediately trotted off to pour him some water, while Jiang Ji set aside their suspicions for the time being and leaned back on the bench, rubbing their temples.

"Qiao Huan, you came at just the right time. Help me think this through." Jiang Ji picked up a sheet of paper from the table. "What exactly should the four of you sing for your first public performance, and how should you sing it?"

Qiao Huan took the list and saw that it was full of popular songs.

"Actually, after we settled on your new positioning, Star Radiance put quite a bit of pressure on us," Jiang Ji said candidly. "So your first appearance as a boy group has to be spectacular, to shut them up."

"Exactly!" Jiang Renbao returned with the water and plopped down beside Qiao Huan. "It's not just Star Radiance's executives. Even my friends and a lot of netizens weren't very optimistic about you after watching 'The Birth of a New Star.' We say we're going to make a different kind of boy group, but how? Brother Jiang and I still have no idea."

Qiao Huan hadn't quite caught up yet. "What do you mean, a different kind of boy group?"

Only then did Jiang Renbao realize that they still didn't know how the winds had shifted in the domestic entertainment industry lately. He hurriedly told Qiao Huan about the expectations for OSOK he had gathered from people after they watched the variety show.

Qiao Huan picked out two key words: "clean" and "focused."

In the current market, it wasn't impossible to continue with the standard kind of boy group they had been before, but the competition was too fierce and opportunities to perform were too scarce.

What they wanted to create was a group that was clean inside and out, focused solely on its own abilities and character, and stayed away from the toxic dregs of fan culture.

"And to make it even harder, this public appearance is at the base, and most of the audience will be newly hired trainees," Jiang Ji added. "There's only half an hour before the meeting with the four of you. It's also my first time as a team leader, and I'm still not familiar with how to handle all the different boundaries."

Jiang Ji sighed again after speaking.

Qiao Huan could understand the pressure Jiang Ji was under. It was just like the first time he had risen to a position of authority in the organization: facing a crowd of lackeys, he had looked as imposing as a tiger, while cold sweat had soaked through several layers of clothing.

Jiang Ji rested their chin in their hand. "Especially that new director. He doesn't seem very much in favor of it. Never mind me—even Brother Dahai can't get a read on him."

Qiao Huan seized on the key point. "A new director? Did he come after Deserted Island?"

"Yes." Jiang Ji nodded and gave a bitter laugh. "He came back from abroad. Pei Dahai is very afraid of him, and I didn't dare ask what his background was..."

"Oh." Qiao Huan's heart sank.

It seemed Star Radiance's next move was about to begin.

"Oh, let me cut in with something happy first." Jiang Renbao pulled out his phone. "Brother Huan, you and Brother Zhuo are a hit in the group chat!"

Qiao Huan said, "What group?"

"The Azure Dragon Base's Square Dance group!" Jiang Renbao played a short video. "It's not just the older folks in there. Lots of young instructors and newly hired trainees are in it too. They all say you and Brother Zhuo dance well!"

Qiao Huan said, "Oh..."

Perhaps he had been at the company for too long. He hadn't even known Square Dance had become such a popular national art form.

"I started the group myself! From now on, Brother Jiang Ji will handle things inside, and I'll handle things outside. The uncles and aunties and the young men and women all love me!" Jiang Renbao patted his chest and rattled on. "You can contact loads of people in the group. Everyone's different, and they have all kinds of talents. Lots of newcomers go square dancing to let off steam when they're stressed, and the uncles and aunties who lead the group are wonderful. When I'm with them, I don't even miss home..."

"What?" Qiao Huan suddenly interrupted Jiang Renbao.

Jiang Renbao was taken aback. "I said, lots of people in the group are really talented, and when I'm with the uncles and aunties, I don't miss home..."

"I've got it." Qiao Huan smiled. "I know what we're going to perform."

"Xiao Ye, you already had a good foundation, and you've made a lot of progress these past few days," Tao Zhenting said. "As long as you remember the techniques for your vocal transition, you'll be fine. I think you're more than ready to debut as a member of a boy group, and it's not as though you couldn't develop into a professional singer."

"You're too kind." Ye Yiwei closed the keyboard lid without showing any emotion, then turned to pour water. "Thank you, Instructor Tao."

"The future belongs to you young people," Tao Zhenting said, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully. "That's wonderful."

Ye Yiwei's hand stopped in midair as he poured the tea.

"Your foundation is exceptionally solid. Which teacher did you say you studied under before?"

"I never told you about my former teacher." Ye Yiwei handed him the cup of tea. "My teacher doesn't really want me to mention him. Please forgive me."

After all, his teachers were his parents. If Tao Zhenting found out, his identity would naturally be exposed.

A hint of slyness flashed in Tao Zhenting's eyes. "Ah, you're still keeping your guard up around me, kid. All right."

With that, Tao Zhenting went to the bathroom.

Left alone in the room, Ye Yiwei finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He admitted that, because of his undercover mission, he had formed a preconceived "bad impression" of his target, Tao Zhenting.

But after taking private voice lessons from Tao Zhenting for so long, he had gradually come to feel that Tao Zhenting didn't seem bad by nature.

Not only was he a competent teacher, he also treasured talent. It could be said that he had shared everything he knew when teaching Ye Yiwei.

This was Ye Yiwei's first time working undercover, so was it normal to develop a little goodwill toward his target?

Ye Yiwei didn't know.

He looked at the phone Tao Zhenting had left on the table, thought for a moment, and picked it up to look through it after all.

Since Tao Zhenting was nearly seventy, he used one of those large-screen smartphones. Having spent so long around him, Ye Yiwei naturally knew the password and unlocked it with practiced ease.

Based on what he had found in previous searches, Ye Yiwei had concluded that Tao Zhenting had another source of income that didn't match his pension and his pay as an instructor at Star Radiance.

But he couldn't trace the source of that income. He hadn't yet been able to access Tao Zhenting's bank card information; he had only seen that five-figure sums appeared in his fund account from time to time. Tao Zhenting also only bought wealth-management products from a few capital groups connected to Star Radiance, which looked quite suspicious.

Ye Yiwei had intended to open a few financial apps to take another look, but a little red dot indicating an unread message caught his eye.

A notification popped up on the screen:

...Ji:

[...is good. Let's see how the public performance goes, but the only one I'm worried about is Qiao Huan...]

The message flashed by too quickly, and the only thing Ye Yiwei caught was one name.

Qiao Huan.

Ye Yiwei's fingertip paused.

Who sent the message? Why did they mention Qiao Huan?

But Tao Zhenting's footsteps were already drawing near. Unable to look any longer, Ye Yiwei hurriedly wiped the phone to remove his fingerprints.

The first thing Tao Zhenting did when he returned was check his phone. After reading the message, he frowned involuntarily.

The doubts in Ye Yiwei's heart deepened.

"By the way, what do you think of your roommates?" Tao Zhenting asked.

Ye Yiwei hadn't expected him to bring them up on his own and hurriedly answered, "They're probably pretty good."

"I see." Tao Zhenting smiled. "You don't seem like the sort who enjoys interacting with people. Are you getting along with your roommates?"

"Yes."

The more Ye Yiwei thought about it, the more he felt this opportunity couldn't be missed. He took the initiative and said, "Especially Qiao Huan. We get along pretty well."

Tao Zhenting's eyes lit up. "Qiao Huan? The one who sang 'Bravely Say No' with you before, right?"

Ye Yiwei nodded. "That's him."

"His voice is very good too!" Tao Zhenting clicked his tongue twice. "If he works on his fundamentals, he can definitely climb another step higher. He might even be as good as you! It's just..."

"Just what?"

Seeing that Ye Yiwei was actually anxious for once, Tao Zhenting paused before saying hesitantly, "Forget it. I won't hide it from you. I'll tell you straight."

"All right."

"Someone exposed details about Qiao Huan's family before, so our new director looked into it and found that he actually..." Tao Zhenting leaned closer. "Apparently, his parents used to be the hall masters of Spring Grass Hall. After Spring Grass Hall fell, the two of them ended up overseas!"

"And the new director has a very sharp eye. He has quite a few reservations about that kind of background, so he said that if Qiao Huan's value doesn't outweigh the risk, we should just terminate his contract."

Ye Yiwei understood. So that was why!

"Don't worry. From what I know of Qiao Huan, he's not a bad person," Ye Yiwei said. "Even if those rumors are true, Qiao Huan hasn't been influenced in the slightest! And his abilities really deserve a better stage."

Ye Yiwei was certain he was a good judge of character. Qiao Huan was skilled at his work and striking in appearance. Most importantly, he didn't compete or fight for things; he was a breath of fresh air in this world of glitter and temptation.

If he didn't debut, it would be a major loss for the entertainment industry.

"I think so too," Tao Zhenting said. "But you have to understand, Spring Grass Hall used to be the biggest smuggling gang in City A. There's no telling how many people have held grudges since it fell..."

"What?" Ye Yiwei's eyes widened. "Spring Grass Hall was a smuggling gang?"

The wound on his lower abdomen had been inflicted by someone codenamed Bro Buffing. Wasn't that person also in a smuggling gang?

"Yes. Talk about a son paying for his father's debts. It's a tricky situation."

Ye Yiwei calmed down, let out a long breath, and said earnestly, "Instructor Tao, I have a presumptuous request. It could both ease the company's concerns about Qiao Huan and better protect him, not to mention add a... outstanding young man to the entertainment industry."

Tao Zhenting was overjoyed. "Tell me! As long as it's appropriate, I'll agree to anything..."

Just one wall away.

Qiao Huan had finished discussing the final format of the performance with Jiang Renbao and Jiang Ji, and had relaxed as well.

Jiang Renbao declared with great enthusiasm, "Leave it to me to contact those people, including the cameraman and editor from Deserted Island!"

Jiang Ji showed a rare smile. "I'm really quite grateful you came back, Jiang Renbao. You can help me handle all this outreach work."

"You're welcome! For the four of you to make it big, this young master will shrink from nothing!" Jiang Renbao suppressed the urge to say he had brought money to join the group, afraid it would put too much pressure on Qiao Huan. "As long as you make a good showing, everything will go smoothly once you debut!"

Jiang Ji looked at Qiao Huan. "Then it's up to you and Ye Yiwei. Your vocals are the most important part of this performance, and there's Zhuo Yang... Forget it, all four of you are pretty important. Do your best."

Looking at the two of them, so full of confidence, Qiao Huan said, "...Okay."

Seeing that it was about time, Qiao Huan said goodbye and headed out.

Back in the corridor, he looked at the number on the door of room 808, and his thoughts returned—

Ye Yiwei's relationship with Tao Zhenting was obviously unusual. Perhaps Qiao Huan could use that angle to test whether Ye Yiwei was the other undercover agent.

But in all fairness, he and Ye Yiwei weren't particularly close. Ye Yiwei also always wore a stiff expression, and Qiao Huan couldn't even be sure whether he disliked him.

Start with Tao Zhenting? Qiao Huan knew him even less. Apart from the performance of "Bravely Say No," they had hardly ever met.

How was he supposed to go about this?

Click.

The door opened again.

This time, Ye Yiwei walked out.

The two looked at each other for a long moment, each with countless thoughts and suspicions.

In the end, Ye Yiwei was the first to speak:

"Um, Qiao Huan... Since we've run into each other here, I'll just ask you directly."

"Would you be willing to join Instructor Tao and me for special vocal training from now on?"

Qiao Huan's pupils dilated by a millimeter, and he blurted out, "Huh?"

What kind of day was this?

Did mission targets actually come knocking on their own?