Chapter 348 - Interlude (2)
Chapter 348 of "My Notoriety Spreads Throughout the World" unveils: Xu Xiaoyouâs eyes reflected the social card, her thoughts swirling within.Finally, after some deliberation, she... Continue the story!
Xu Xiaoyouâs eyes reflected the social card, her thoughts swirling within.Finally, after some deliberation, she dialed a number that had been in her phonebook for a long time.
The call connected, and a familiar voice came from the other end, "Miss Xu?"
"Itâs me."
"Why choose to contact us at this time?"
"Transaction."
Xu Xiaoyouâs gaze lingered on the skyscraper outside the floor-to-ceiling window, where the logo of âPursuing Light Pharmaceuticalâ shone brightly in the night.
"Have you decided to join us?"
"No, this is just a transaction."
With a calm look, Xu Xiaoyou gazed at the bustling Star of Art outside the window. A playing card appeared out of thin air, rotating between her fingertips, finally landing on the table with the face of âQueen of Heartsâ clearly displayed.
"As you wish."
Two days later, Luner entered a bar called âGolden Red Pomegranateâ, as usual ordering a glass of âArt Sunsetâ, and found his usual corner seat, which perfectly allowed a view of the barâs center big screen and a glimpse of the brightly dressed beautiful Merfolk girls in the dance floor.
The girl sitting across from him waved a greeting with a smile, and Luner responded politely. He didnât know the girlâs name, only that she was a playwright recently crafting the climactic poetic scenes for the opera "Girl Falling from the Starry Garden."
"Howâs your writing going, Ms. Qin Weina?"
The girl had lively eyes, her iris-colored pupils housed a beautiful and mysterious garden. Her sky-blue hair covered her soft ears, making her look like a quiet elf.
In this serene bar atmosphere, Luner swore he couldnât find anything more aesthetically pleasing than the girl.
"My writing?" Qin Weinaâs lips curved slightly, "Itâs still the same as before, lacking inspiration, my pen has paused at the interlude, while the protagonist of the opera has already boarded a ship at sea. If only I could see that girl falling from the stars myself."
"Surely, I would find new inspiration."
"Is that so?"
"I wonder, as that girl is about to board the ship, facing the storm, what is she thinking?" Qin Weinaâs iridescent pupils sparkled.
Qin Weinaâs gaze settled on the barâs center big screen as the finals of this yearâs Starry Art Competition began. In that temple of dreams and art, the crowd anticipated the rise of a new star into the night sky.
"Did you know, Ms. Elis gave up her place in the finals a few days ago, reportedly joining the Tuning Hall, though itâs unclear if thatâs true."
The discussions buzzed through the bar, weaving through the star-lit lights, as the red curtain on the stage slowly drew back, letting the night skyâs starlight in.
"Her? Didnât she create âRainbow Islandâ? It was said that opera was auctioned for tens of thousands in inspiration, though Ms. Elis eventually took the auctioned piece back; everyone thought she might very well be this competitionâs champion."
"If Mr. Chafins hadnât passed away, winning the championship with his âRhapsody of Zan Rodaniâ wouldnât have been difficult, would it?"
"Ha, you mean the guy who sparked the second revival of the âartistâ during a concert? You forget how many people were implicated by his works!"
"The âartistâ is only born from recognized creations; doesnât that prove Mr. Chafinsâ excellence? My eyes are always sharp, sharing this space with you who are ignorant of artistic appreciation is really uncomfortable."
"I think Ms. Britney also..."
"You mean the one still mired in a plagiarism scandal?"
"The most pitiful is the Starry Singer, if not for encountering a terrorist attack on the island, she was a hopeful contender for the crown."
"A terrorist attack?" a male Merfolk lowered his voice, "I doubt it, no statement from the academy yet, and over two hundred people from influential political families and business tycoonâs offspring died on that island."
"Does anyone really believe the news claiming this incident was entirely orchestrated by the Ascetic Sect?"
"Thatâs just a conspiracy theory..." A white-collar workerâs face flushed. He had recently passed the art exam to join Starry Garden, becoming a clerk in the Civil Affairs Bureau, growing up in a first-class foster home like Golden Red Flower where he was immersed in art from a young age, such groundless conspiracies couldnât sit well with him.
"If itâs really related to Principal Belvedere, he should have been ousted by the Tuning Hall or the associationâs charges long ago!"
"Look at this guy brainwashed by high articism, who doesnât know that Belvedere holds sway over the Star of Art, from Starry Garden to the Tuning Hall, even to Life Daylightâs Human Rights Association and its investigative agency, theyâre all his people."
"Expecting an old vampire whoâs lived hundreds of years to step down? Youâd do better hoping for a meteor to fall on his head to take him out!"
"You, your words are just too harsh!" The manâs face reddened with anger, clenching his fists tightly, glaring wide-eyed.
"Please stop this baseless speculation!"
A burst of laughter erupted within the Golden Red Pomegranate bar.
"If it werenât for Principal Belvedere, the Star of Art wouldnât have developed into what it is today!"
With that, the bar fell into an eerie silence, undeniably, during that old vampireâs regime, the Star of Artâs economy thrived unprecedentedly, becoming the most dazzling star under the Cosmos.