Curtain Close

Chen Bitong asked, "Captain Chen, regarding this play, which ending did you want to see?" Chen Chuan answered without hesitation, "The regicide ending." Chen Bitong said, "Yet many people do not want to see that ending. They want to see the other." "Is there a difference?" Chen Bitong said, "While watching this play, you must have heard others mention that the songs of the Divine Song of the Wasteland contain information on the combat arts of ancient heroes. "Since the song spread across the world, despite long periods of exploration and attentive listening, very little of those ancient heroes' techniques has ever been uncovered. "However, the upper echelons of various nations gradually discovered that if it is performed to a certain rhythm, using exquisite props and staging, with carefully selected actors, and through rigorous rehearsal and arrangement, the music itself can bring about various 'positive' effects." Chen Chuan said, "That sounds like a ritual." "The music itself is indeed more akin to a ritual," Chen Bitong replied affirmatively. "And depending on which way the ending unfolds, different parties represented by that ending stand to benefit. "If you knew more details about this play, you would know that many monarchs of past nations were enamored with it—though in those times, what was usually staged was the reverse ending. "Just like those monarchs, Speaker Quan and certain people in those boxes all wanted to see the other ending, because that is what benefits them more. "And such an effect is only produced when the piece is performed for the very first time in a place where it has never been played before. "On the surface, the ending appears to be a choice between two options, but how it actually unfolds does not always bend to human will. When the actual outcome clashes with prior arrangements, uncertain factors can arise." He looked at Chen Chuan and said, "And I came here precisely to eliminate that uncertain factor." Chen Chuan understood now. Because they could benefit from the musical, those of the upper class naturally preferred to see the ending where the king judged all, rather than the regicide ending. Of course, if the regicide ending favored them, they would likely have had no qualms about killing the king over and over again. He pondered for a moment. To exploit an anomaly, one naturally had to contend with the anomaly; there was no escaping that. Perhaps the true ending to this story was indeed regicide. The appearance of that old armor anomaly was very likely an attempt to correct this ending—to kill that king. And that king was not merely the king on stage; it was almost certainly the person whose status in the theater could represent the 'king'—the one who stood to gain the most in the end. Similar issues must have occurred in the past, giving them prior experience, which was why Speaker Quan had brought Chen Bitong to his side well in advance. He asked again, "Then what would those so-called positive benefits be?" Chen Bitong shook his head. "I do not know, but it is nothing beyond the usual." Chen Chuan asked, "Is there really no price to pay?" Chen Bitong said, "There might be negative effects on the actors. But those actors were selected by the Bolun Company and have nothing to do with us. Sound agreements were already settled beforehand." Chen Chuan saw the picture clearly now. This was an exchange of interests: Speaker Quan had an opportunity to reap a certain benefit, while Bolun Company might also gain something through this arrangement. Having learned this, and seeing the audience below preparing to leave, he had no desire to linger any longer. "Instructor Chen, since the performance has ended here, I will take my leave." Chen Bitong said slowly, "Captain Chen, you are still young. There is no need to rush into things. Listen patiently, observe carefully, and the chance to correct and change things will come." Chen Chuan glanced at him, nodded, and left, returning to his original private box. Originally, there was supposed to be one more act followed by the final curtain call, but with both lead actors rushed away for emergency medical care, the production had wrapped up abruptly. After regrouping with Tan Zhi and the other two waiting there, they walked out together. Pan Xiaode finally could not resist asking, "Student Chen, that just now... was it staged beforehand?" Chen Chuan shook his head and said, "It was just an accident." Tan Zhi glanced at him and clapped Pan Xiaode on the shoulder. "Now you know how formidable Student Chen is, don't you?" Pan Xiaode perked up immediately at the mention of it. "Right! I couldn't even see Student Chen's movements clearly just now. If Student Chen showed that kind of strength when sparring with us, we wouldn't stand a chance." He muttered to himself, "Power really is everything..." Tan Zhi said, "The fight on stage was so intense earlier that I thought both leads were incredible, but who would've thought Student Chen would step up and resolve it in an instant?" Pan Xiaode asked curiously again, "Speaking of the two endings... what was the true ending of the Divine Song, anyway? Did the shepherdess defeat the noblewoman, or did the noblewoman strike down the shepherdess?" Tan Zhi shrugged. "Who knows? There are ruins back in that original place, and people have visited them. Supposedly the old palace collapsed and nothing was left. No one knows the true ending." "What about that destitute knight?" "Too many conflicting accounts to tell. Supposedly, only that suit of armor survived." By now, they had exited the box corridor. Chen Chuan paused and said, "Classmates, go ahead and head back first. I might have some business to attend to." Knowing he held a position at the Disposal Bureau, the three guessed there might be follow-up matters concerning what had just occurred, so they agreed, parted ways with him, and turned to head back. Chen Chuan returned alone to the area where the fight had taken place. After looking around, he stepped onto the stage and went through the passageway into the backstage. The stage crew was busy packing up equipment. Seeing him enter, one person came over to ask his purpose. He showed his identity card and said, "I'm interested in the props used in the performance and would like to purchase a few pieces." The crew member replied, "Sir, we will go through a public auction process after the run of performances ends. We cannot sell them privately right now. Please forgive us." "Wait a moment." Just then, a stout man with blonde hair stepped forward. He was clearly a Norlander, but his Great Shun language was exceedingly fluent. "I am the manager of operations here, Gao Hong." He edged past the crew member and warmly came up to shake hands. "Captain Chen, hello! May I know which prop caught Captain Chen's eye?" Chen Chuan answered directly, "The knight's armor from earlier." "That lead actor's suit of armor indeed holds great commemorative value..." Gao Hong offered a fawning smile. "Although we still have upcoming performances, we have spares. Naturally, we can sell this one to Captain Chen. It's just that it was damaged earlier and hasn't been repaired yet..." Chen Chuan said, "That doesn't matter." "Very well, very well, it is our honor." Gao Hong called over two men to carry out the armor that had just been gathered up, along with the rusted sword that Chen Chuan had severed. Despite how effortlessly the shepherdess had worn it, this gear was actually remarkably heavy; the full plate armor and sword weighed at least a hundred jin together. Chen Chuan glanced over them. Typically, items involving anomalies would transform into something else once resolved, but this one did not appear to have changed. Either there was something intrinsically special about it, or the core forming the urban legend did not lie within it but originated elsewhere—he suspected it was most likely the song itself. Right now, this looked to be nothing more than an ordinary prop. He inquired about the price. Gao Hong accepted only a token amount of money and even brought out a sturdy bag to pack everything into. Chen Chuan voiced his thanks, took it, and walked out of the theater. In another direction, Tan Zhi's instructor, Instructor Wei, was walking to the parking plaza alongside a councilor with whom she was on intimate terms, and the two climbed into a car together. The councilor asked, "That Captain Chen—is he the one you mentioned last time, Xiaoying?" "Yes." Instructor Wei said, "He has a very good relationship with that student of mine." "If the chance arises, find a way to get on good terms with him." "I know. I've been working on it." "I'm not talking about that incident." The councilor said, "It seems he has caught Speaker Quan's eye. His future will be limitless." He waved his hand, signaling the driver up front to set off. The armored limousine eased forward. Looking out at the neon light displays gradually receding into a blur, Instructor Wei felt a surge of emotion. A pure fighter might possess social status and substantial wealth, but only by grasping power could one be truly formidable. She felt a touch of regret. Those tickets she gave Tan Zhi weren't for the upper-tier boxes, but they were still fine seats, separated from the surrounding rows. Her original intention had been to take advantage of the intermission to speak with Tan Zhi, draw closer to Chen Chuan, and clear the air regarding that previous affair. She hadn't anticipated that Chen Chuan wouldn't sit there at all, heading to a different private box instead. No matter; there would still be opportunities in the future. After leaving the theater, Chen Chuan drove back to his dormitory. After washing up, he placed the bundle containing the armor in his training room, planning to have the Disposal Bureau's logistics team repair it later. Remnants of an urban legend like this ought to be stored separately from his weapon collection to prevent them from affecting one another. After all, there was no guarantee that such relics were completely harmless. Afterwards, he stepped over to the window and used his boundary credential to contact Counselor Pei. Once connected, he gave a rough summary of what he had experienced today, along with what had been said during his meeting with Chen Bitong. After hearing him out, Counselor Pei said, "It is no surprise that Chen Bitong wants to offer you an opportunity. In the past, he often gave chances to juniors he thought highly of, which is why so many people revere him. "This shows you have caught his eye. Captain Chen, remember to attend the training guidance class. That way, if Chen Bitong is reassigned back to the Confluence, we will find a way to transfer you to his side." Chen Chuan asked, "How likely is his return?" Counselor Pei said, "The chances are very good." At that point, he hesitated slightly. "Though it still depends on the decision from above. There is a situation that might impact it, which cannot be confirmed just yet. We might know in the near future. I will tell you once there is definite news." ... ...