INHA Chapter 54

Tian Ze held back his laughter, trying not to let it burst out.

Because he knew that Xu Dongyou wasn’t showing off; he genuinely meant what he said.

This kid was really honest.

However, Zhang Feng didn’t know this. He thought Xu Dongyou was subtly refusing his invitation, so he wisely stopped pursuing the matter. In his heart, he regretted not meeting Xu Dongyou earlier, thinking that such a promising talent might have joined him.

He was sure that it would take only half a year to make Xu Dongyou famous.

At this moment, Xu Dongyou was also a bit confused. Was the other person just being polite? He had just wanted to hint to Zhang Feng that he aimed to be a serious actor. Since Zhang Feng was also from the bureau, Xu Dongyou was tempted to consider signing with him as his agent.

After all, if Zhang Feng did betray him, the bureau would be able to fairly punish him.

Xu Dongyou felt a bit of regret but didn’t show it.

Zhang Feng was a highly professional and reliable person. Since he couldn’t recruit Xu Dongyou, he felt a great sense of loss, especially since Xu Dongyou was also from the bureau.

Tian Ze, returning to his serious demeanor, asked, “I don’t know much about the entertainment industry. Is that Tian Haomiao from your company?”

Zhang Feng adjusted his glasses, still wearing a perfectly appropriate smile. “Yes, and he’s currently on the rise. He just ended his contract with his previous agent and is interested in signing with me. You know how it is.”

Tian Ze truly didn’t understand the intricacies of this industry. He only knew that if Tian Haomiao sought Zhang Feng’s help, it meant there was potential in this matter.

Zhang Feng added, “Moreover, he is also set to participate in this variety show.”

Only then did Tian Ze and the others fully understand.

I see.

No wonder the chief had them come to see Zhang Feng.

However, Xu Dongyou remembered something and asked cautiously, “If I want to live stream how to deal with resentful spirits, do I need the permission of this show’s production team?”

Zhang Feng rarely showed a surprised expression but quickly reacted, “Are you the new recruit from the Fengnian Branch?”

Although they weren’t in the same branch, everyone in the other branches and the headquarters, from newcomers to veterans, knew about the highly talented new recruit from Fengnian who had solved the bureau’s most difficult problem.

Many speculated that it was this talent, combined with some luck, that got him live-streamed, thus obtaining such a great opportunity.

Most veterans were merely envious, but some were disappointed with the new recruit’s performance in his first live stream, finding it unprofessional. However, they reminded themselves that he was a handler, not a professional streamer, so there was no need to compare him to other streamers.

If one overlooked this, the fact that he, as a newcomer, managed to handle the ghost fish attacking the ship incident alone—perfectly protecting all the passengers except the one who courted death and died—was impressive.

Although his performance in the live stream wasn’t particularly dazzling, no one underestimated him because of it.

Xu Dongyou nodded and briefly explained the situation regarding Tian Haomiao, expressing his concerns and urgency.

After listening, Zhang Feng’s expression turned serious, and he nodded. “This matter involves too many innocent people. Anyone who has heard that song might have become part of the resentful spirit’s rules.”

In the face of resentful spirits, even rival branches had to put aside all issues and unite to resist the crisis.

“Our chief has already shut down the music app, so there won’t be any new victims for now. But if we keep dragging this out, who knows what kind of impact those who have already heard the song will experience.”

Zhang Feng suddenly understood and said, “No wonder the chief of the Fengnian Branch called our chief. This is something our branches need to cooperate on. However, the live stream is indeed troublesome and needs to be communicated with the show’s production team, as well as the key person, Tian Haomiao.”

Xu Dongyou listened intently. “So, should we find Tian Haomiao first? Maybe something strange has already happened to him.”

Just like the resentful spirit they encountered on the stairs before, where the one who triggered the spirit, Hou Mingjun, could sense something was wrong and sought help from him.

Maybe Tian Haomiao is the same.

Tian Ze nodded approvingly and patted the steering wheel. “That’s right, Li Dong, you learn quickly. You’re already able to infer other situations from one example.”

Xu Dongyou pressed his lips together and revealed a small smile.

With the plan decided, the first step was to find Tian Haomiao. Although Zhang Feng was an agent, he wasn’t Tian Haomiao’s agent and thus had no idea where he was currently staying.

Luckily, there was Yan Jingnan in the car who was very proficient with computers. Without needing Tian Ze to remind him, he took less than ten minutes to find out Tian Haomiao’s current location and even what he had eaten today.

He summarized this information and sent it to the three of them.

Tian Ze immediately drove to the destination. On the way, they discussed how to get Tian Haomiao to cooperate. Although Zhang Feng wasn’t from the Fengnian Street Handling Bureau, he wasn’t against live streaming at all. After all, it was a platform that could showcase his abilities to higher-ups and even the headquarters. He was eager to put in his best effort to persuade Tian Haomiao to agree to the live stream.

About ten minutes later, Tian Ze’s old van slowly stopped in front of a very luxurious five-star hotel. Surrounded by high-end cars, the old van looked a bit out of place.

For someone like Zhang Feng, who mixed in the entertainment industry, the curious looks from the hotel staff made him blush a bit. Soon, a security guard and a few hotel staff came over to inquire about the situation, since not just any car could park there.

At this moment, Zhang Feng proved very useful. He displayed a face that looked like a social elite’s, coupled with Xu Dongyou’s face that was even more handsome than a celebrity’s. This finally allowed them to proceed to the parking lot.

Afterward, Zhang Feng contacted Tian Haomiao, telling him that he was downstairs at the hotel and hoped Tian Haomiao would allow him to come up for a face-to-face discussion about something very important.

In a bright room, Tian Haomiao suddenly heard his phone ring, startling him. He then let out a sigh of relief and picked up the phone, looking puzzled.

How did Zhang Feng know he was staying at this hotel?

Could it be that someone from his team leaked it to Zhang Feng? However, thinking about it, wasn’t this exactly what he had been hoping for?

He stopped worrying about it and quickly called his assistant, who was staying next door, to go downstairs and greet Zhang Feng.

As for himself, because of his fame, it wasn’t convenient for him to go downstairs. Besides, he was really too scared to go down.

Soon, there was a knock on the door.

The assistant came in and then stepped aside to let Xu Dongyou and the others enter. When Tian Haomiao saw Zhang Feng, he immediately stood up, then froze, staring at Xu Dongyou with a puzzled and uncertain look. “Who is this?”

He thought the person with Zhang Feng was an assistant, but someone this strikingly handsome couldn’t possibly be an assistant. He looked more like someone Zhang Feng was preparing to groom into a super popular idol.

The other person, with a slightly fierce look, seemed like a bodyguard. The one wearing glasses was probably the real assistant.

So why was Zhang Feng here to see him?

When they were in the car, Xu Dongyou and the others had already decided to let Zhang Feng take the lead in handling this matter.

So, they all remained silent. Zhang Feng gave a perfectly appropriate smile and said, “Let’s not introduce them for now. I’m here mainly to ask about something.”

Tian Haomiao hadn’t expected this response. Although he felt a bit disappointed that Zhang Feng wasn’t here to help him switch teams, he didn’t want to make things ugly and ruin future interactions. So he cooperatively asked, “Go ahead.”

Zhang Feng raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, “I wonder if you’ve encountered anything strange recently, like something related to a song—”

“Wait a minute!” Tian Haomiao’s face changed dramatically. He hurriedly said to the assistant still standing in the room, “You go out first, and make sure to close the door.”

His tone was urgent and unusually harsh, scaring the assistant into quickly nodding and leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

Tian Haomiao’s expression was indescribable, perhaps a mix of shock and fear, along with confusion. “What exactly are you here for? What do you know?!”

Tian Ze’s eyes lit up.

This reaction from Tian Haomiao was definitely suspicious.

“Mr. Tian, please don’t be too nervous. Take a deep breath and relax. We are planning to discuss this matter with you calmly,” Tian Ze said. His stern expression made him seem even more intimidating and fearful.

It gave off the impression that he might resort to violence at any moment.

Tian Haomiao, afraid that Tian Ze might react violently, followed his advice and took deep breaths. Only after calming down did he let the others sit down and, with a tight voice, said, “You… you can start talking now.”

Tian Ze didn’t speak. Instead, he glanced at Xu Dongyou. He intended to nurture Xu Dongyou’s ability and experience in handling matters independently, thinking it best to give young people such opportunities. This would also greatly annoy the captain of the 1st Squad.

If Xu Dongyou were doing the task alone, he wouldn’t be nervous at this point. But with Tian Ze and another person from a different branch present, he couldn’t help but feel anxious. Not wanting anyone to notice, he quietly activated his five senses to relax himself but was stunned by what he sensed.

On the back of Tian Haomiao was a woman with a sinister smile. Her waterfall-like black hair almost covered her face, but he could vaguely see her bloodshot eyes.

Most disturbingly, the woman was shrouded in countless strands of unsettling black mist, which remained frustratingly indistinct no matter how hard he tried to focus.

This, combined with a chilling sensation, created an overwhelmingly frightening scene.

These two sensations intertwined, and the terrifying sight made Xu Dongyou gasp in broad daylight, almost transforming into his original form, feathers ready to bristle.

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