Chapter 489: The End of the Show
Chapter 489: The End of the Show
Chen Bitong spoke, "Captain Chen, which ending do you wish to see for this musical drama?"
Chen Chuan replied without hesitation, "The King Slaying ending."
Chen Bitong said, "But many people don't want to see that ending. They prefer the other one."
"What's the difference?"
Chen Bitong explained, "When you watch this play, you should have heard that the songs of the Wildland Divine Song contain ancient hero combat techniques. After the songs spread worldwide, and through long-term exploration and listening, the ancient heroes' skills have yet to be fully uncovered."
"Over time, the upper echelons of various countries realized that by following a specific rhythm, using exquisite props and stage settings, selecting suitable actors, and through rigorous rehearsals and combinations, the music itself can bring about various 'positive' effects."
Chen Chuan responded, "That sounds like a ritual."
"Indeed, the music itself is more like a ritual."
Chen Bitong gave him a confirming reply, "And depending on the ending, different parties will benefit. If you understand this play in more detail, you'll know that in the past, many country rulers were keen on this drama. However, the endings they presented were often the opposite of what they desired."
"Just like those rulers, Full President, and some of the people in the boxes, they all wanted to see the other ending because it benefited them more. And this effect only occurs when the music is performed for the first time in a place where it has never been played before."
"It's a choice between two endings, but the actual outcome may not always align with people's wishes. Sometimes, when the facts contradict the planned ending, uncertain factors can come into play."
He looked at Chen Chuan and said, "I'm here to eliminate that uncertainty."
At this moment, Chen Chuan understood. Since the upper echelons could benefit from the drama, it was natural for them to prefer the ending where the king judges all, rather than the king slaying ending.
Of course, if the king slaying ending benefited them, they could repeatedly kill the king.
He pondered for a moment. To confront the anomaly, one must fight against it—this was inevitable. Perhaps the true ending of this story was the king slaying conclusion.
The appearance of the abnormal ancient armor was likely to correct this ending and kill the king.
The king on stage wasn't just a fictional character; he represented the person in the audience with the highest status and the one who would benefit the most.
This issue had likely occurred before, and Full President had gained experience from it, which was why he had Chen Bitong by his side from the start.
Chen Chuan asked, "Then, what are these so-called positive benefits?"
Chen Bitong shook his head, "I don't know, but it's probably those."
"Are there no costs?" Chen Chuan inquired.
"There might be adverse effects on the actors," Chen Bitong explained, "but they were selected by the Porlen Corporation, and we have nothing to do with them. They had already reached a secure agreement beforehand."
Chen Chuan understood that this was an exchange of interests. Full President had a chance to gain some benefit, and perhaps Porlen Corporation could also achieve something through this arrangement.
After learning this, he noticed the audience below preparing to leave, and he, too, decided to depart.
"Teacher Chen, since this act has concluded, I'll take my leave now," he said.
Chen Bitong slowly replied, "Captain Chen, there's no need to rush. Take your time to listen and observe. There's an opportunity to correct and change things."
Chen Chuan glanced at him and nodded, then left to return to his original box.
There was supposed to be another act and a final curtain call, but both lead actors were taken away for medical attention, so the show ended abruptly.
After waiting for Tan Zhi and the other two to join him, they left together. At this moment, Pan Xiaode finally couldn't hold back his curiosity and asked, "Chen, was that... arranged beforehand?"
Chen Chuan shook his head, "That was just an unexpected event."
Tan Zhi looked around and patted Pan Xiaode's shoulder, "Now you know how amazing Chen is, right?"
Hearing this, Pan Xiaode immediately became excited, "Yes, I couldn't even see Chen's movements just now. If Chen displays such strength when sparring with us, we won't stand a chance."
He muttered to himself, "Strength is everything..."
Tan Zhi said, "The fight on stage was quite intense, and I thought the two lead actors were very skilled. But I never expected Chen to resolve it so quickly."
At this moment, Pan Xiaode's curiosity got the better of him again, "By the way, for those two endings... which is the true ending of the Divine Song? Did the Shepherdess defeat the noblewoman, or did the noblewoman defeat the Shepherdess?"
Tan Zhi shrugged, "Who knows? There's a site where the old palace once stood, and people who have been there say that the ruins are gone, and no one knows the real ending."
"What about the Fallen Knight?"
"There are too many records, and it's hard to tell. It's said that only the armor was passed down."
At this moment, Chen Chuan had already exited the corridor of the box. He paused and said, "You all can head back first, classmates. I might have some matters to attend to."
The three of them, including Tan Zhi, were aware of his affiliation with the Handling Bureau and suspected that there might be follow-up matters related to the recent incident. They bid him farewell and returned the way they came.
Chen Chuan, on the other hand, returned to the site of the previous fight. After a quick glance around, he walked onto the stage and entered the backstage area through a passage. The crew was busy packing up, and one of them approached him to inquire about his purpose.
Chen Chuan showed his identification card and said, "I'm quite interested in the props used in the performance here, so I'd like to purchase a few items."
The crew member replied, "Sir, we will auction off the props after the performance through a public bidding process. We cannot sell them externally at this time, so please understand."
"Wait a moment."
At that moment, a yellow-haired, stout Norlundian named Gao Hong emerged. His Da Shun language was remarkably fluent, "I'm the Executive Officer here, Gao Hong." He pushed past the crew members and enthusiastically extended his hand, "Hello, Captain Chen. Which prop has caught your eye?"
Chen Chuan directly stated, "The knight's armor from earlier."
"That set of leading armor is indeed quite memorable..." Gao Hong smiled ingratiatingly, "Although we have more performances ahead, we have spares. We can certainly sell this set to you, Captain Chen. However, the one from earlier is damaged and hasn't been repaired yet..."
"It doesn't matter," Chen Chuan assured him.
"Excellent, it's our honor," Gao Hong responded.
Gao Hong called over two people to bring out the set of armor that had just been tidied up, along with the rusty sword Chen Chuan had broken.
Despite the Shepherdess donning this set with ease, it was actually quite heavy. The full set of armor and the sword together weighed at least a hundred pounds.
Chen Chuan took a quick glance. Typically, items related to anomalies would transform into something else after the Handling Bureau's processing. However, this set didn't seem to have undergone such a change.
Either there was something special about it, or the main subject of the urban legend wasn't this set but had a different origin, which he suspected was likely the song itself.
Now, it appeared to be just an ordinary prop.
Chen Chuan inquired about the price, and Gao Hong only took a symbolic amount of money. He then handed Chen Chuan a sturdy package to place the armor in.
Chen Chuan thanked him and, after accepting the package, exited the theater.
In another direction, Wei Laoshi, Tan Zhi's teacher, was walking with a friendly politician towards the parking plaza and into a vehicle together.
The politician said, "That Captain Chen, is he the one Xiao Ying mentioned last time?"
"Yes," Wei Laoshi confirmed.
"He's close to my student," Wei Laoshi added.
"If there's a chance, we should try to get on good terms with him," the politician suggested.
"I know, I've been working on it," Wei Laoshi replied.
"I'm not talking about that," the politician clarified.
"He seems to have caught the Full President's eye. His future prospects are limitless," the politician commented, waving his hand to signal the driver to start the car.
The armored limousine began to move, and Wei Laoshi watched as the holographic screen outside gradually receded and blurred. She couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.
Pure fighters might have social status and strength, but only those with power could truly be formidable.
She felt a bit disappointed about the tickets for Tan Zhi. Although they weren't in the upper boxes, they were still good seats, separated from the surrounding ones.
Her original plan had been to use the opportunity to speak with Tan Zhi and improve their relationship with Chen Chuan. She also wanted to bring up the incident from the past, but she hadn't expected Chen Chuan to choose a different box instead of sitting there.
Oh well, there would be other chances in the future.
After leaving the theater, Chen Chuan drove to the training room and placed the package containing the armor there. He intended to ask the Handling Bureau's logistics department to take a look at it later.
Such urban legend remnants should be stored separately from the weapon collection room to prevent any potential mutual influence, as these remnants might not be entirely problem-free.
Subsequently, Chen Chuan went to the window and used the interdimensional connector to contact Councillor Pei. After connecting, he briefly recounted the day's events and the conversation with Chen Bitong.
Upon hearing this, Councillor Pei said, "It's not surprising that Chen Bitong wants to give you a chance. In the past, he often provided opportunities to those he favored, which is why so many admired him.
This shows that you've caught his eye, Captain Chen. Remember to attend the training guidance class. If Chen Bitong is reassigned to the Convergence Zone, we will try to assign you to his side."
Chen Chuan asked, "What are the chances of him returning?"
Councillor Pei replied, "The chances are high." He paused for a moment, "But it also depends on the decision from above. There might be a situation that could influence this, and we can't confirm it yet. Perhaps we'll know soon. I'll let you know when we have a definite answer."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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