INHA Chapter 53

In less than half an hour, the comments on this song increased by nearly a thousand, all praising how the song almost expressed their innermost worlds and touched their souls with a sense of shock.

For Tian Ze, who found the song unpleasant and couldn’t even tell what was being sung, this situation usually meant that fans were controlling the comments. However, the more he looked, the more he felt something was off, due to his keen sense for abnormal events.

Or rather, the praise seemed too genuine, with a tone that didn’t sound like that of fans.

Instead, it sounded more like ordinary people expressing their feelings.

Tian Ze knew that Xu Dongyou had the ability to sense malevolent sources. He asked Xu Dongyou cautiously, “But based on these comments alone, we can’t be sure that there’s something wrong with this song or its creator. Do you have any other evidence?”

Xu Dongyou thought seriously for a moment and whispered, “The more I listen to it, the more… uncomfortable I feel.”

His voice trailed off until it was nearly inaudible.

Xu Dongyou was somewhat frustrated, as this alone was insufficient evidence, and even he wasn’t entirely sure.

Damn it.

Xu Dongyou couldn’t help but want to revert to his original form and hide in a forest, preferably in a soft, grassy nest. Just the thought made his whole body want to relax.

“Li Dong, Li Dong?!!” Tian Ze’s expression was strange. “What are you spacing out about?”

Xu Dongyou immediately felt a bit ashamed and embarrassed. He could only whisper, “N-nothing.”

Tian Ze didn’t think too deeply about it and just sighed deeply. “I can’t make a decision on this. How about we go find the chief? He’s got a good brain.”

Tian Ze usually handed over things he couldn’t handle or understand to the chief.

The chief was the elder he trusted the most.

Xu Dongyou also felt that they needed to consult the chief about this matter. Although he wasn’t sure if the situation with the song qualified as an abnormal event, his intuition kept hinting that something was amiss.

Moreover, the scope of influence was too broad.

This was also why Tian Ze was so concerned.

The two quickly headed to the chief’s office. As they passed by other handlers, one couldn’t help but be stunned. Since when did the bureau have a handler more dazzling than a celebrity?

And wasn’t the person next to this handler the captain of 8th Squad, Tian Ze?!!

The captain of the 8th Squad, who had the luck to have all members rise through the ranks because of a new member?

He only then realized and couldn’t help but take a deep breath.

Could it be that the handler who looked like a star, no, even better than a star, was the famous Li Dong?

For a moment, he couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous.

So the rumors about Li Dong being exceptionally good-looking were true, and he had gained recognition from the higher-ups and the demon clan.

It was truly terrifying.

A sense of crisis arose in him. He had originally planned to leave the bureau but now turned towards the practice room.

No, he needed to work harder, or he would be overtaken by newcomers sooner or later.

Back to the other side.

After Xu Dongyou and Tian Ze entered the chief’s office, they briefly explained the situation with the song on the music app.

The chief asked Xu Dongyou to play the music, so Xu Dongyou opened the app and was slightly startled.

The song had moved up another rank and was now fourth.

It had only been a short time.

Xu Dongyou quickly collected himself and pressed play. The music started immediately with an intro that wasn’t particularly terrible, but definitely not pleasant. The chief couldn’t help but frown. The faint smile he had been wearing disappeared instantly.

Tian Ze wanted to cover his ears, feeling the song sounded even worse the second time.

Xu Dongyou, on the other hand, found the discomfort less intense, making him doubt if he had misjudged his earlier feelings.

Had he misunderstood the song?

When the song ended, the chief’s hand relaxed slightly as he rubbed his temples, looking very tired. “This song… is indeed very strange.”

“Huh?” Xu Dongyou blinked.

Tian Ze quickly moved closer, trying to flatter as he asked, “Chief, can you explain? It would be great for my team to learn from this and gain some experience.”

The chief laughed out of frustration, “I think you just want to know yourself, right?”

Tian Ze chuckled twice. Despite his fierce appearance, his ingratiating smile was surprisingly fitting, reminding Xu Dongyou of Zhang Wu. “Chief, you are wise.”

The chief knocked on the table, signaling Tian Ze to sit back down, then explained to the two of them, “This song shouldn’t have been this unpleasant. It might not be great, but it shouldn’t be this bad.”

Tian Ze had a thoughtful expression and added, “When I listened to it the second time, it felt even worse.”

The chief nodded. “This further confirms that there is something wrong with the song. A song that shouldn’t be this unpleasant—why does it evoke such a strange feeling? My ability relates to sensing souls, and this song strongly repels my soul.”

Xu Dongyou didn’t feel this soul repulsion but simply felt an extraordinary discomfort.

Tian Ze suddenly understood and slapped his thigh. “Chief, I get what you mean now.”

Xu Dongyou was still a bit confused, so Tian Ze quickly reminded him, “Did you forget that our bureau has a seal on that one beneath us? It’s a nemesis to malevolent beings. Just its aura can suppress all malevolent entities, no matter how powerful.”

Xu Dongyou finally understood what Tian Ze meant.

The song was obviously related to malevolent forces, but because it was being played in the bureau, those forces were completely suppressed, making the song unbearably unpleasant.

“In that case, the people listening to the song…” Xu Dongyou realized the severity of the situation.

So many people were listening to the song; who knew what consequences might arise?

Tian Ze also became anxious, “This is troublesome. The singer is famous, and their influence is significant.”

“If we take the song down, wouldn’t that prevent more innocent people from being harmed?” Xu Dongyou suggested a solution.

The chief shook his head. “No, taking it down could have unknown consequences. We must quickly find the malevolent object and seal it below. That’s the only safe way.”

“But we can temporarily prevent all users from logging into the app,” the chief suggested a new plan and made a phone call. He then said to Xu Dongyou, “The app is now under maintenance, so no new users can enter. You must find the malevolent object quickly. Can you do it?”

“Me?” Xu Dongyou was hesitant. “But the scope of influence is so large. I’m a bit nervous and worried that I won’t handle it well.”

The chief smiled faintly. “It’s okay. This is a good opportunity to promote your live stream.”

“But the singer might not cooperate, given their fame,” Tian Ze pointed out.

Xu Dongyou agreed, thinking the singer would likely refuse since they were on the verge of becoming a top-tier artist with a few more hit songs. Why would they want to get involved in something like this?

“Don’t worry, I’ll make a call,” the chief said calmly with a smile. “It’s a small matter.”

Xu Dongyou and Tian Ze stayed silent, waiting for the chief to finish his call. Afterward, the chief said to them, “Why don’t you two go together? You can look out for each other. Go to this place and wait for someone named Zhang to arrive.”

The head captain gave them the address and waved them out of the office.

The two quickly left. Xu Dongyou thought for a moment and asked Tian Ze, “Since this is related to a song, should we get Yan Jingnan involved too?”

Tian Ze agreed immediately. “Sure.”

When Yan Jingnan received the message, he came over right away and, for the first time, proactively thanked Xu Dongyou.

Xu Dongyou was puzzled.

Yan Jingnan didn’t say anything, so Tian Ze explained directly, “He’s grateful that you invited him to join the livestream.”

After all, it was a lucrative task and a chance to showcase his abilities to the higher-ups.

Xu Dongyou realized this and then gave a small smile, his eyes bright and pure. He said sincerely, “You’re welcome. We’re a team, after all.”

Yan Jingnan also smiled, though a bit shyly and awkwardly.

The atmosphere in the car became more harmonious. Following the chief’s address, the three of them headed to their destination. Just as they parked the car, they saw a man in a suit and tie walking towards them, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and exuding the air of a high-end professional.

He walked over and knocked on the car window. Tian Ze rolled down the window and tentatively asked, “Mr. Zhang?”

The man gave a perfectly standard smile and nodded. “Yes, you can call me Zhang Feng. I’m a top agent at Doujin Company.”

“Hello, hello.” Tian Ze extended his hand for a handshake but then stumbled during his self-introduction.

Zhang Feng smoothly continued, “The chief has already briefed me. You’re here to deal with the malevolent entity, right? I understand.”

Tian Ze was a bit surprised. “You’re also with the bureau? Which branch?”

He hadn’t expected that there was a handler who had become a top talent manager. He hadn’t heard about this in the bureau at all.

“From the Ping’an branch. I just happened to accompany the celebrity I manage for a variety show,” Zhang Feng said as he adjusted his glasses. He noticed Xu Dongyou in the car and couldn’t help but be stunned. The talent agent in him immediately took over, and he excitedly said to Xu Dongyou, “Have you ever considered becoming a star? You have the perfect qualities for it!”

Xu Dongyou replied, “I plan to become a singer in the future.”

Zhang Feng became even more excited, “An idol singer? That works too. You could become famous just with your looks.”

Xu Dongyou earnestly added, “I want to be an original singer, to move people with my own songs and voice. The looks don’t matter.”

Zhang Feng: “???”

Why did that sound so much like humble bragging?

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