Chapter 486: Prelude
Chapter 486: Prelude
At 1:30 pm, Chen Chuan and his three companions arrived at the ticket inspection area. The ticket inspector informed them that they held second-class tickets and would need to wait until the official start time at 3:00 pm to enter.
"We have to wait another hour," Pan Xiaode grumbled.
Tan Zhi was also helpless. He hadn't purchased these tickets himself; they were given to him by their mentor, Teacher Wei. After all, the seats were limited, and these tickets were hard to come by, so having them was already a blessing.
At this moment, most of the people in the square were like them, waiting outside, except for those who were obviously high-ranking officials and politicians. They walked straight into the VIP entrance without any waiting.
Chen Chuan suddenly remembered the tickets given to him by Councillor Pei, which seemed different from Tan Zhi's. He took them out and said, "I also have a few tickets here. A friend gave them to me a few days ago. Take a look."
Tan Zhi took a look and his eyes lit up. "These are first-class tickets!" He excitedly said to Pan Xiaode and Qi Huixin, "Then we don't have to wait outside. We can go in right away."
Chen Chuan nodded, "That's great. I thought these tickets might go to waste."
The three of them were delighted. Not only could they enter early, but they could also sit in a private box, which was much better than their original seats.
The four of them squeezed out of the crowd and headed to another ticket inspection point. After showing their tickets, they followed the VIP entrance, where a dedicated attendant led them to their box.
As they passed through the lobby, the high-ranking officials and company executives who had entered earlier were gathered in small groups, engaging in lively conversations.
These people were not just here to watch the musical drama; they also treated this place as a large social venue. When they saw the four young people with exceptional auras walking in, they occasionally glanced at them, assuming they were the offspring of some high-ranking officials or nobles.
However, the fighters accompanying these officials and executives simultaneously tensed up.
One government official noticed the unusual behavior of his advisor and asked, "Old Liu, what's wrong?"
Old Liu whispered, "Representative Ai, those young people are all fighters."
Representative Ai took a few glances and said admiringly, "Really? They are all very talented young people."
Nowadays, fighting techniques were popular worldwide. Even if one couldn't become a true fighter, the upper and middle classes would often hire a few fighting teachers for their children. Among them, there would inevitably be some talented individuals, so it wasn't surprising to see a few fighters among the youth.
Old Liu maintained a serious expression and said, "Representative Ai, the leader among them is a Third Limit Fighter, and I feel a strong sense of threat from him."
"Is that so?"
Representative Ai was taken aback. He constricted his aura and looked around before instructing, "Have someone check on them, but remember not to cause a scene."
The security in Radiant Light District was generally good, and it was rare for anyone to cause trouble. However, with the recent surge in malicious incidents and the ongoing promotion of certain security bills, they couldn't afford to ignore this.
Old Liu nodded, "Yes."
Just as Chen Chuan and his companions reached the box entrance, an internal security officer approached them for inquiries. However, they remained polite and respectful, as those who could afford to be here were no ordinary people. The security officer quickly verified Chen Chuan's identity through his interdimensional connector and saluted respectfully, saying, "Captain Chen, sorry for the disturbance. Enjoy the show."
Tan Zhi and the others hadn't noticed it before, but now they could clearly sense the difference between Chen Chuan and themselves. It wasn't just his superior fighting skills but also his higher status.
Although they were used to interacting with the upper and middle classes due to their backgrounds, Chen Chuan was of their age. This made the feeling entirely different.
Furthermore, they knew that Chen Chuan's background was not as privileged as theirs. Everything he had achieved was through his own hard work. They couldn't help but feel a deep sense of admiration and envy.
Representative Ai also received a report from the security personnel. He was surprised, "The Execution Captain of the Handling Bureau? So young?" He wondered if Chen Chuan was from a prominent family, but as long as his identity checked out, it was fine.
Chen Chuan and his companions entered the box and settled into the comfortable seats. From their vantage point, they had a perfect view of the entire stage. The angle was excellent.
The box also had a small display of beverages and a dedicated attendant outside each box, ready to provide various catering services at any time.
In the box across from them, people could be seen coming and going, shaking hands, and chatting. Some even nodded politely in their direction.
Pan Xiaode scowled. He disliked these kinds of occasions. As a child, he had hated being dragged to various social gatherings.
After joining the Wu Yi Academy, such troubles had become rare. Especially after he and Qi Huixin had become like siblings, their family treated him with more respect.
Chen Chuan slowly sipped his hot drink as he logged into the theater's platform. It contained recordings of past musical dramas and plays, though it wasn't as effective as watching them live.
However, with plenty of time to spare, he decided to browse casually.
Suddenly, a voice from one of the boxes abruptly rose, and a young man with an imposing demeanor was seen shouting at a middle-aged man who was impeccably groomed. This attracted the attention of the other box occupants, who kept glancing in their direction.
Pan Xiaode glanced over, "Hey, isn't that kid Lu Miao?"
Tan Zhi immediately asked, "Do you know him?"
Pan Xiaode replied, "Not very well, I've seen him a few times. His father is the deputy director of the City Security Defense Bureau, and he started training in combat before us. He's usually quite arrogant. The person he's yelling at should be his uncle, Assistant Director Bao Yun, who's his father's assistant."
Chen Chuan took a look and noted that the City Security Defense Bureau was technically the superior department of the City Patrol and Handling Bureau. The head of the department reported directly to the mayor, making it a high-ranking position. He could be considered Chen Chuan's superior.
From their conversation, it seemed that Director Lu had arrested someone, and Lu Miao was demanding his uncle to release the person. However, even if Assistant Director Bao could do so, it was unlikely that he would publicly agree to it in this situation.
At that moment, the security personnel in the theater quickly stepped forward and escorted the man out.
Assistant Director Bao didn't seem to have much face left, as he apologized to those around him and followed the man out. As the two of them left, the boxes buzzed with whispers.
About ten minutes before the official musical drama began, Chen Chuan noticed that the voices outside grew louder. Then, an elderly man with great poise and a woman dressed in a dignified and elegant manner entered, hand in hand.
The elderly man wore a foreign-style suit, and despite his apparent age, he walked steadily with a keen gaze. As soon as he entered, everyone in the boxes stood up and applauded in greeting.
The elderly man waved to those around him. Chen Chuan noticed that the figure who entered with them was Chen Bitong, whom he had seen earlier in the Convergence Zone.
As their eyes met, Chen Bitong also looked back, and they nodded to each other. Chen Chuan returned the nod.
Tan Zhi said, "Isn't that the Full President and his wife?"
Pan Xiaode, noticing Chen Chuan's gaze, asked curiously, "Chen, do you know the person next to him? He seems quite formidable."
Chen Chuan replied, "I met him briefly not long ago."
After exchanging a few words with those who were waiting for him, the Full President headed to the second-floor box in the center, the best seat in the entire theater.
Chen Chuan, seeing that the time was almost up, stopped paying attention to Chen Bitong and instead put on the interdimensional connector required for watching the musical drama. He quietly waited for the show to begin.
A few minutes later, the bright holographic screens dimmed, leaving only the stage illuminated, revealing a green wilderness with undulating terrain.
It's worth mentioning that the set wasn't entirely created through the interdimensional connector; the foreground combined physical objects with lighting, while the background was a projection.
After a while, a ethereal female voice drifted out, as if coming from the wilderness, rising from the heart and seemingly capable of stirring emotions.
Chen Chuan could sense a mental power within the song, but the singer herself didn't seem to possess any martial prowess based on her aura.
It's not that only fighters can affect the mind; many religious figures from the Old Era followed this path. However, unlike fighters, their mental power was often unfocused and lacked substantial strength. Still, in certain situations, they could create a mental resonance and inspiration.
This was likely the prelude, where the Mute Shepherdess found the Fallen Knight, serving as the beginning of the entire Divine Song and the first chapter.
Chen Chuan listened carefully but was disappointed. He wasn't sure if it was due to the singer or a language barrier, but he couldn't discern anything special from the song.
According to the introduction, the song's content would progress with the plot, revealing more as it went on. The most refined part of the drama was in the latter half, where the conflicts reached their peak. With this in mind, Chen Chuan was looking forward to what was to come.
Amid the singing, a young woman with platinum-blonde hair stepped onto the stage. She wore a wind-blocking hat and a multi-layered skirt that reached her feet, with some dirt on her face. But her light green eyes left a deep impression, reminiscent of crystal-clear lake water.
Following the script, the Shepherdess arrived at a tree after entering the stage and discovered the Fallen Knight lying on the ground as she parted the grass.
He appeared to be a young man wearing old armor, his determined jawline visible below his chin.
At that moment, Chen Chuan sensed something amiss. He tried turning off the interdimensional connector but didn't notice anything wrong. However, when he used his second consciousness to block all external field information and looked again, he raised an eyebrow. That wasn't a young man; it was just an empty suit of armor.
...
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(End of Chapter)
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