Chapter 31

By the time Qiao Huan finished listening to Little Potato recount his emotional journey at machine-gun speed, it was already late at night.

Qiao Huan saw Little Potato onto the night bus out of the base and repeatedly reminded him not to mention anything about him. He also planned to ask Qiao Tang to have Little Potato and the previous group of underlings sign some agreements or the like. A double layer of insurance was always a good idea.

It would be trouble if anyone found out about this.

Most of the trainees were leaving early the next morning, and although their families in the audience were deeply reluctant to part with them, they still left early so their children could get a good night's sleep.

Without the daytime clamor at Azure Dragon Base, Qiao Huan didn't want to return to the dormitory so soon. He bought a few bottles of beer at the convenience store and wandered around drinking, enjoying the quiet.

In the distance, layers of mountains overlapped like a scene in an ink painting.

Against that backdrop, the stars beneath the night sky shone especially bright.

Those little points of light, usually hidden by the dense lights of the city, seemed eager to shine tonight.

Qiao Huan had been sleepy for days, but after finishing what he had to do that night, he unexpectedly no longer felt like sleeping.

He decided to do some extra training, so he began warming up with push-ups on the deserted field.

"Ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine..."

Just as he was about to break the hundred mark, Qiao Huan suddenly heard an unusual rush of wind.

Someone was approaching!

He sprang to his feet with a Carp Flop, only for the newcomer to rush in so swiftly that he was in front of him in an instant.

The newcomer was tall and thin, his face hidden behind a mask.

Qiao Huan had assumed he was an instructor, but the man attacked him without warning!

Thud—

Their arms collided.

Even though Qiao Huan had been prepared, the impact sent him staggering back several steps.

What kind of strength was that!

But his opponent gave Qiao Huan no time to catch his breath, immediately following up with two more punches.

Qiao Huan could only rely on instinct to defend himself, cutting a sorry figure as he twisted and dodged.

It had been a long time since anyone had pushed him this far.

It stirred Qiao Huan's long-dormant competitive spirit.

And so, beneath the starlight and on the grass, the two men traded blows, fists and feet flying.

Even the wind fell silent, leaving only the sound of the two men breathing.

"Fuck." Qiao Huan realized he was actually struggling to hold his own and was forced to strike out with his palm during a gap between his opponent's moves.

This was no longer a trick used in street fights, but a move from Official Training.

His opponent visibly froze, his steps faltering.

Thinking the move had worked, Qiao Huan launched another kick, only for the other man to catch it firmly.

The next second, his opponent hooked a leg around his and nearly swept him off his feet.

This time, it was Qiao Huan's turn to freeze.

Because this was no longer one of his opponent's previous haphazard moves either... It was also a move from Official Training!

Qiao Huan took two steps back, unwilling to keep fighting.

His opponent lowered his hands as well.

The two faced each other from a distance.

The night wind rose again.

In that fleeting moment of distraction, a sudden gust blew off the other man's already loose mask.

That familiar iceberg face had gained a touch of ruthlessness beneath the night sky...

Qiao Huan instantly felt as though the air had grown thin, and a question mark slowly appeared over his head.

It was Ye Yiwei!

The two stared at each other, panting.

It felt like a lifetime had passed.

Ye Yiwei broke the silence first, asking through gritted teeth, "How do you know that move?"

Qiao Huan shot back, "How do you know that move?"

Fuck.

Each of them cursed inwardly.

As the ancients said: if you can settle it by arguing, don't use your fists. They really weren't lying.

Ye Yiwei got straight to the point. "You're Bro Buffing?"

Qiao Huan said, "You heard that?"

"Yes," Ye Yiwei said coldly. "If it weren't for that cameraman, I'd never have known you were him!"

Then he realized something was wrong. "But how do you know the official fighting routines?"

During his time in the Mobile Unit, he had studied a wide range of routines, so he naturally recognized the move.

But just thinking that far made him understand. His eyes widened at once. "Unless you're..."

Qiao Huan didn't give him a chance to finish. He interrupted, "Coking coal falls on the plains."

Both of them: !!!

It's you!

Ye Yiwei's mind went blank, and he blurted out, "Where did you put the note?"

"No, wait." Ye Yiwei cut himself off and returned to the main point. "Whatever your identity is, you're still the one who stabbed me."

His voice seemed to come from the depths of a cold pool, carrying an overbearing pressure.

But at that moment, countless questions were circling in Qiao Huan's mind.

"What?" Qiao Huan couldn't follow his train of thought for a moment. "I stabbed you?"

Ye Yiwei lifted his shirt, exposing his beautiful abs. "This."

When Qiao Huan saw the scar, he was even more confused. "Wasn't that from hernia surgery?"

Sometimes, when a suspicion rolled around in someone's mind too many times, it became fact.

Even as Qiao Huan said it, he didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

But those simple words drained all color from Ye Yiwei's world.

This one imperfection of his, the wound he had kept to spur himself on...

Had actually been mistaken for a hernia!

He instantly recalled their first meeting in the bathhouse and the complicated look Qiao Huan had given him...

So he had been feeling sorry for his health!

"Wasn't it you who stabbed me?" Ye Yiwei's tone wavered. "April 18, 20XX, at eleven twelve p.m., in front of the second trash can on XX Road in City A!"

Qiao Huan thought carefully for a moment. He really had been undercover in a smuggling ring at the time, but...

Qiao Huan answered immediately, "It couldn't have been me. I was at... the police station that night."

Meeting Qiao Tang.

"If you don't believe me, you can check the relevant department's records."

Ye Yiwei: ...

It was as if five thunderbolts had struck him!

He had hated someone for so long... only to hate the wrong person?

Ye Yiwei's lips trembled slightly. "But that person clearly said he was Bro Buffing."

"Ah, that's how it is in the business." Qiao Huan waved a hand. "There are probably a dozen or so Buffing Bros in City A. People who've just entered the trade are afraid of bringing trouble on themselves, so they simply use a big shot's name to ward it off."

"Besides, stabbing someone there isn't fatal, but it isn't pretty either. You can tell at a glance it was an ** crime. The person must have been a rookie."

But that did nothing to comfort Ye Yiwei.

His expression was like that of a child who had just learned Santa Claus didn't exist.

Seeing that Ye Yiwei's expression was off, Qiao Huan hurried to make up for it. "How about I use my old connections to help you look into it? Though the chances of finding the person aren't very high. But... come to think of it, why are you so hung up on that scar?"

Ye Yiwei looked at Qiao Huan resentfully. Thinking there was probably no point hiding it anymore, he took out the photograph he had always kept against his chest.

But Qiao Huan exclaimed in surprise again. "Could it be... you were on your way to save your best friend when that person stabbed you, and your best friend fell into the water and you couldn't save him? Is that why you're so fixated on both people who fall into the water and that scar?"

Ye Yiwei: ...

So the images they had each imagined of the other were equally bizarre.

In fact, that day, he had been going to see his childhood friend perform, which was why he had changed into civilian clothes.

The two of them had studied singing together under Ye Yiwei's parents since childhood. They had always had a love-hate relationship and quietly competed with each other, until they chose different careers as adults and a huge rift emerged between them.

His childhood friend had chosen to become a trainee at Jueji Entertainment. Because of that decision, Ye Yiwei's parents liked him even more, and since his singing and dancing were also quite good, they had always used him as a comparison for Ye Yiwei, especially after Ye Yiwei joined the Mobile Unit.

That night was his childhood friend's debut performance. Ye Yiwei hadn't wanted to go, lest his parents try again to persuade him to quit the Mobile Unit and quickly enter show business like his friend, and so on. But thinking of their long years as friends and rivals, he went to show his support.

And so, already distracted while making his final patrol on the way there, he had carelessly fallen victim to "Bro Buffing's" sneak attack.

After he was injured, he naturally couldn't go.

But although being stabbed really was the reason he had missed his childhood friend's performance, his friend was convinced he hadn't come because he didn't want to see him. After all, he knew how capable Ye Yiwei was. How could some small fry have taken him down so easily?

...And so the two had a falling-out, and Ye Yiwei stopped contacting his parents as well.

Ye Yiwei could accept that a moment's mistake had allowed a small fry to stab him, but he absolutely could not accept that his childhood friend and parents thought he was so petty.

Not to mention that the basis of the three of them's logic was their belief that, deep down, Ye Yiwei also thought being in the Mobile Unit was inferior to being an entertainer, and was therefore ashamed to show up at an occasion as important as his childhood friend's performance.

His sense of mission told him never to bow to that kind of logic.

As for why he was so fixated on saving people from the water, and why he had chosen this job after leaving the service... that was another story.

After Ye Yiwei finished, Qiao Huan's thoughts remained unsettled for a long time.

He more or less understood why Ye Yiwei wore an iceberg face all year round.

For years, this man had never been understood by his family or childhood friend. Then came the stabbing, after which he had volunteered to go undercover to prove his innocence, only to be mocked for a long time over the scar by his fellow trainees at Star Radiance.

How afraid of being misunderstood must he be!

Yet Qiao Huan had still misunderstood him completely.

"What's your childhood friend doing now?" Qiao Huan asked.

If they were in the same circle, they were bound to meet again sooner or later.

"He went abroad a year ago," Ye Yiwei said indifferently. "He said he couldn't take the pressure of the entertainment industry and went to study."

"Oh..."

Qiao Huan had wanted to use his identity as Bro Buffing to help Ye Yiwei find his childhood friend and clear things up, but now it seemed there was no chance.

After telling him everything, Ye Yiwei looked at Qiao Huan again. "Then how did you know the code?"

Qiao Huan took out the note. "At the police station, the night we gave our statements."

"Oh..." Ye Yiwei froze. "I see."

Qiao Huan smiled. "First time undercover? How were you so careless?"

"Although it was my first time, I wasn't exactly careless," Ye Yiwei said uncertainly. "We were filming Deserted Island then, weren't we? I put it in the luggage I left with the Production Team, and my contact should have found a way to get it. Later, on the day we gave our statements, my contact also came to assist, so maybe he brought it along..."

Qiao Huan nodded. "That makes sense. The officer on duty just assumed we'd left it there when we came to give our statements. He didn't think it might have been brought in by someone else in the profession."

"Yeah," Ye Yiwei said. "Luckily, my contact is retired too, and the two of us still use this old-fashioned code nobody reads anymore, so you couldn't understand it. Even the rookies these days stopped recognizing it long ago."

Qiao Huan lay back with a wry smile. "...Who would've thought your background was so complicated? From the Mobile Unit to coming here now."

Ye Yiwei said, "Is yours any less complicated? If you hadn't been able to beat me, I'd have knocked you out and sent you straight to the slammer just now. Who could've guessed?"

The two men with too many alter egos said, "...True."

Ye Yiwei suddenly remembered something. "That time at Between Life and Death, the signal interference was because of you too, wasn't it? There were a lot of people around, but you were the only one walking toward us."

"Yeah." Qiao Huan sighed. "We were using the same frequency band. For all we know, our equipment came from the same batch. The flood really washed away the Dragon King's temple..."

Afterward, Qiao Huan also briefly told Qiao Tang about it. He didn't know what Qiao Tang was busy with, but despite how big a matter it was, Qiao Tang responded with an uncharacteristically aloof "ok."

In any case, they were both on the good guys' side and had reported it to their respective superiors, so the two had few reservations and briefly filled each other in on their missions' progress.

Their trains of thought had successfully made initial contact.

Unfortunately, their current cases had little overlap, so exchanging information didn't do them much good.

Even so, Qiao Huan felt a sense of relaxation he hadn't experienced in a long time.

He more or less understood why Qiao Tang had wanted him to find the other undercover agent. The feeling really was novel.

After talking for a while, Ye Yiwei suddenly jolted. "Ah..."

"What is it?"

Ye Yiwei looked at Qiao Huan and said somewhat awkwardly:

"In tonight's interview... I said a whole bunch of good things about you. Looks like I might have sent you straight to debut."

Qiao Huan's heart stopped for a long moment.

But he still gave a very kind smile. "It's okay. I said a lot of good things about you too."

A shooting star happened to streak across the sky.

Both of them silently made a wish.

Please don't let me debut.

The two men on the field had just learned each other's identities and were drinking and watching the stars. It was wonderful.

But in Room 806 of the Instructor Dormitory Building, an argument was raging.

"I really think Xiu Si deserves to debut," Pei Dahai said excitedly. "Their abilities speak for themselves, and tonight's performance was so moving!"

"But look at the discussion figures." Ling Ji tossed over a stack of papers. "The public's attention is focused entirely on the people from Azure Dragon Base."

Then he looked at Jiang Ji. "You're an industry veteran yourself. How could you agree to a performance like that?"

Jiang Ji said, "Because I thought they were right. That was the performance suited to tonight."

"Suited to it? What use is that?" Ling Ji sneered. "The entertainment industry only has a pie this big to begin with. Its annual output isn't even half that of the nail salon industry. It's one thing for everyone to rack their brains fighting for a place at the top, but now they're handing it over on a silver platter?"

"But those entertainment reporters were moved, weren't they? That's why they gave Xiu Si an exclusive interview."

"What use are a few interviews? The public will read them and just say, 'These people did a good job.' Can that bring the company any profit?" Ling Ji stood up. "Look at the offers that came to me for Xiu Si tonight: opening shows for folk performances, endorsements for Folk Costumes... Added together, they don't even pay as much as the Extreme Sports product endorsement they offered Li Xun."

Jiang Ji calmed down. "Then tell me, what are your plans for OSOK?"

"I know you like Xiu Si, but without resources, it's all pointless." Ling Ji played both good cop and bad cop by himself. "OSOK still has to be a top-tier boy band. Whether they're idols isn't important."

"All right," Jiang Ji sighed. "I understand what you mean."

"Mm, Xiao Pei, put out the announcement tonight."

Pei Dahai glanced at Jiang Ji and nodded helplessly. "...All right."

After Ling Ji left, both men were somewhat indignant as they sat in the room.

But they hadn't expected the walls to have ears.

When Qiao Huan and Ye Yiwei hadn't returned for a long time, Zhuo Yang and Bai Jike had assumed the two were still training with Tao Zhenting that night and had come to check on them.

They hadn't expected to hear all that.

The two looked at each other for a moment and let out a long sigh.

Their efforts... had all been for nothing.

Inside the room, the tense atmosphere continued to spread.

Jiang Ji was silent for a long while before he finally lost control and slammed the table. "Fuck! If they hadn't ended up with me in charge of Xiu Si, they'd definitely have had bright futures."

Pei Dahai was taken aback. "Why do you say that?"

"I don't have what it takes to back up my ambition of making them famous," Jiang Ji said, getting up and pacing. "Resources, resources—I've only just started working as an agent. Where the fuck am I supposed to find resources?"

"It's not your fault. You can't rush these things," Pei Dahai said reassuringly. "I'd been an agent for more than ten years before I got to know those brands and entertainment companies. You have to build those connections up bit by bit..."

"Sigh..." Jiang Ji said wistfully. "If only I could meet a big shot who could send us straight to the top in a single bound..."

Knock, knock—

Someone knocked at the door.

"Who would come by at this hour?" Jiang Ji wondered. "Come in."

A woman with short hair walked in, dressed in business attire and looking exceptionally capable.

Jiang Ji's eyes widened at once. "You're..."

"Sorry to drop in unannounced. I'm Ren Rong," the woman said, sounding a little puzzled. "My son said he lived in this room and told me I had to come see him tonight... May I ask where he is?"

Jiang Ji: !!!

Ren Rong had actually come to their room!

This was Sister Rong, a major producer whose name was renowned throughout City A—no, throughout the entire film and television industry in Country C!

Jiang Ji's voice trembled slightly. "May I ask who your son is...?"

"Jiang Renbao. Doesn't he live here?"

Zhuo Yang and Bai Jike were genuinely startled when they found Qiao Huan and Ye Yiwei on the sports field.

Both had drunk quite a bit, and they had some bruises on them...

"Are you two okay?" Zhuo Yang asked anxiously. "Did you get into a fight because neither of you made a sound during the closing vocal segment of the performance just now?"

Qiao Huan and Ye Yiwei looked at each other for a moment and smiled.

"No," Qiao Huan said. "We saw two stray cats fighting here just now and tried to break it up."

"Oh..." Zhuo Yang sat down on the ground beside them and breathed a sigh of relief. "Is there any alcohol left? Give me a bottle."

"Get one yourself."

So three of them drank while Bai Jike drank water, and the four of them watched the stars from the grass for a long time.

Zhuo Yang finally couldn't hold back and broke the bad news to the two of them. "Um... from what we just heard from the higher-ups, it doesn't sound very likely that you'll debut."

The two looked surprised.

Something this good could happen?!

But Zhuo Yang thought they were terribly disappointed. "Don't worry. If it doesn't work out, just practice for a while longer. You're both really strong, so you'll definitely get to debut!"

I'll help you too, Zhuo Yang promised silently.

Qiao Huan asked, "If the two of us can't debut, what about you two?"

He knew that since Bai Jike wanted to prove himself, he would definitely want to debut.

And there was Zhuo Yang.

He had worked so hard training with Uncle Yang. Though he never said it, presumably he wanted to debut too.

They shouldn't hold the others back just because the two of them were undercover and wanted to keep their identities hidden.

Zhuo Yang said, "I doubt we stand a chance either. Xiu Si—you know how that saying goes, sink into depravity together."

The other three: ...

That's not what that saying means, Ah Zhuo.

Qiao Huan and Ye Yiwei were touched.

Though Zhuo Yang had put it crudely, they could still see his kind heart. He must not want them to feel sad.

Qiao Huan said, "It's okay. You're both really strong too. Your time to shine will definitely come."

Zhuo Yang and Bai Jike nodded. Their inner thoughts: We'd rather not.

The four, none of whom wanted to debut themselves but all of whom very much wanted to see the others debut, clinked their drinks together.

Each wore a look of regret, but inwardly they were delighted.

Ye Yiwei in particular had lifted the corners of his mouth in a smile, an event that came once in a hundred years.

Tonight, he had not only found the one partner who could clear him of the "injustice" done to him, but he also wouldn't be debuting!

What a wonderful day!

Then.

Bai Jike's phone chimed with a notification.

He had set up alerts for keywords related to Xiu Si and Star Radiance, so he would be notified directly whenever there was relevant information.

They must be announcing those guys' debut details, Bai Jike thought as he took out his phone to check.

One second later.

The young man, who hadn't touched a drop of alcohol that night, sprang to his feet as though he were completely drunk.

"Are you okay?" Zhuo Yang asked. "You didn't secretly drink my—"

Before he could finish, they all turned to look at the screen.

There, a new announcement was displayed prominently on Star Radiance's official website.

Starlight Entertainment:

[Following this public performance and internal company discussions, the provisional debut lineup for the boy group OSOK (One Shot One Kill) is: Li Xun, Hu Bin, Yao Xiaofu, Cao Chunma...]

[In addition, OSOK will establish a special subunit, OSOK-X, with the following members: Qiao Huan, Ye Yiwei, Zhuo Yang, and Bai Jike. Further details and their debut song will be officially announced at a later date. Please look forward to it.]

At the same time.

All four of their phones vibrated again.

It was a group message from Jiang Renbao.

[Get back to the room, quick! Your debut song is going to be the promotional song for a hugely expensive film. If you don't blow up, you can chop me up!]

[Let's see who still says a boy group like yours doesn't have resources! [Hmph.jpg]]

Xiu Si: ...

Xiu Si: ...???

Just then, another shooting star streaked across the night sky.

Without a word, the four of them silently made wishes.

Fine, we're debuting, but please don't let us get famous. Please!

The "shooting star" also heard each of them say "holy fuck" ten thousand times in their hearts and plunged mercilessly into the night.

Though Qiao Huan was shocked, he knew full well that everyday life undercover was just this absurd, so he detached himself from his emotions early on.

After all, it wasn't just him and Ye Yiwei debuting; there were also two young men who genuinely wanted to debut.

Every year, so many idol boy groups debuted, and there were plenty who ended up as background scenery. As long as he and Ye Yiwei worked together, they could surely become the cream of the crop among background scenery.

If they could set off the brilliance of the two rising stars Zhuo Yang and Bai Jike and help them walk a flower-strewn path...

What better way could there be to repay them for holding them back all this time?

But when he turned his head, he found that something seemed off about Zhuo Yang and Bai Jike's expressions.

Was he seeing things because he'd drunk too much?

Why did they seem... not very happy?