9: Chapter 9 The Vanished Him

6:40 AM, Terminal 2 of Hongqiao Airport in the Magic City.

Jiang Fan stood at the end of the line for the economy class boarding gate, carrying a guitar on his back and a suitcase in his hand.

He wore a black shirt with a thin, dark gray jacket over it.

His hair wasn't styled much, falling naturally.

His facial features appeared exceptionally sharp in the morning light.

The two girls standing in front of him kept turning around to look at him, whispering to each other.

Jiang Fan didn't pay them any mind.

He took out his phone and glanced at the WeChat message Li Cheng had sent last night.

"Recording is on Friday, you must arrive before Wednesday."

"Once you arrive, go straight to the 23rd floor and find Little Wu from the production team. After signing the contract, you can check into the contestant hotel."

The boarding announcement sounded right on time, and the line began to move forward.

Jiang Fan put away his phone and followed the crowd into the boarding bridge.

...

1:00 PM in Pengcheng.

23rd floor of Tencent Tower, office area for the Tomorrows Star production team.

Jiang Fan walked out of the elevator with his guitar on his back. The hallway was filled with staff members rushing back and forth, carrying folders and equipment cases.

Little Wu at the front desk was a young man wearing glasses.

He took the ID card Jiang Fan handed him and typed a few times on the computer.

"Jiang Fan... Solo Track, direct entry spot."

Little Wu looked up and sized him up. "Just you? You didn't bring an agent?"

"No."

Little Wu's expression was a bit subtle.

Out of the thirty-six contestants across the three tracks, everyone else either brought an agency team or had a company backing them.

Jiang Fan was the first to show up with nothing but a guitar on his back.

He didn't say much else and pulled a stack of contract documents from the drawer.

"Here is the contract, in duplicate."

"The production team provides room and board. During the competition, you are strictly prohibited from accepting media interviews without permission. The copyright ownership clause is on page seven."

Jiang Fan took the contract and flipped through it page by page.

The terms were standard, with no obvious traps in the wording.

Five minutes later, he signed and pressed his fingerprint.

Little Wu put away the contract and handed him a room card and a work badge.

"Contestants are all staying at the Penguin Hotel across the street. Your room is 1208. The official recording is the day after tomorrow, Friday, at 8:00 PM. Please gather at the Tencent Video B-zone makeup room at 4:00 PM."

"If you're late, Director Liang will go crazy."

Jiang Fan nodded and left with the room card.

When he reached the elevator, a crisp female voice came from behind him.

"Wait a moment."

Jiang Fan turned around.

A girl in her early twenties walked toward him.

She was wearing work clothes with the "Tomorrows Star" logo printed on them, and a badge on her chest indicating she was an assistant—it was Assistant Lin Xiaoqing.

Assistant Lin Xiaoqing's gaze lingered for a few seconds on Jiang Fan's sharp, angular face.

There were many handsome guys in this season's talent show, but there was an out-of-place sense of indifference about Jiang Fan.

Among a group of young people eager to express themselves, he seemed very abrupt.

"Are you... Jiang Fan from the Solo Track?" Assistant Lin Xiaoqing took the initiative to speak, her tone carrying a hint of inquiry.

Jiang Fan nodded: "It's me."

"Director Liang just mentioned you, saying you were personally recommended by Li Cheng."

As she spoke, Assistant Lin Xiaoqing observed Jiang Fan nonchalantly.

His skin was in good condition, and he was quite recognizable even without makeup.

Especially those eyes—they were too deep to belong to a complete amateur.

"Thank you for your concern." Jiang Fan replied politely and stepped sideways into the elevator.

Watching the elevator doors close, Assistant Lin Xiaoqing immediately turned and ran toward the director's lounge.

"Director Liang, I just ran into that Jiang Fan at the elevator."

Assistant Lin Xiaoqing pushed open the door and said to Liang Boyuan, who was sitting behind the desk.

"His appearance is definitely camera-friendly, not one of those cookie-cutter influencer faces."

"But his personality seems quite reserved; he doesn't talk much."

Liang Boyuan tapped his long fingers against the desktop.

"That old fox Li Cheng has a sharp eye. Someone he personally pushed in here is definitely not just because they look good. For the day-after-tomorrow's debut stage livestream, list him as a key object of observation."

"Understood, I'll go arrange it immediately."

Assistant Lin Xiaoqing nodded and turned to leave.

Liang Boyuan spoke to the empty office, muttering to himself.

"Li Cheng, you'd better not have misjudged him."

...

Penguin Hotel, 12th floor.

When the elevator doors opened, the hallway was already quite lively.

Young people were gathered in twos and threes.

Some were carrying instruments, some were taking selfies with their phones, and some were exchanging WeChat contacts.

Three tracks, twelve contestants each; most of them had arrived successively today.

Jiang Fan walked through them, and several scrutinizing and appraising gazes landed on him.

They were all unfamiliar faces.

Among this group, most were former trainees, and there were also those from music conservatories.

Amateur contestants were rare to begin with, and someone like him with zero experience and zero background was an absolute outlier.

He swiped his card and entered 1208.

The room wasn't large, but it faced south, and through the floor-to-ceiling window, he could see a corner of the sea at Pengcheng Bay.

Jiang Fan leaned his guitar against the wall and walked to the window to stand for a while.

The system panel hung quietly in the corner of his vision.

[Remaining Lifespan Value: 5 days]

[Lifespan Value Balance: 600 points]

Time was tight.

He had to successfully advance in Friday's debut stage.

Only by standing in a higher position would he have the opportunity to come into contact with more high-compatibility targets.

Only then could he continue to survive.

...

Meanwhile, 1,000 kilometers away at Tomson Riviera in the Magic City.

The morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains into the bedroom, but it couldn't dispel the fatigue between Xu Qingya's brows.

She picked up the phone on the nightstand and saw a series of messages from Yang Lele:

"Sister Qingya, the private investigator checked it out. He used cash to rent the place and didn't sign a contract."

"Also, there hasn't been anyone at the rental since early this morning. It's as if he evaporated from the Magic City."

Xu Qingya stared at the screen for a long time.

She placed the phone face down on the bed, got up, walked into the bathroom, and casually slipped off her silk nightgown.

The body reflected in the mirror had beautiful lines but appeared somewhat thin.

Xu Qingya turned on the shower. As the water poured down, she pressed her hands against the tiled wall, her mind filled completely with that back view in the security guard uniform.

"Jiang Fan..."

She whispered the name softly, her voice drowned out by the rushing water.

After showering, Xu Qingya stepped barefoot onto the thick wool carpet.

She took out a silk robe and draped it over herself, pulling the belt tight, which outlined the curves that would drive countless fans crazy.

The phone rang.

It was a call from Agent Chen.

"Qingya, don't forget the flight to Pengcheng tonight. Tomorrow is the Tomorrows Star mentor rehearsal, and the day after is the livestream."

Xu Qingya paused while drying her hair.

"What time?"

"7:00 PM. Yang Lele and I will come to pick you up."

4:00 PM.

Yang Lele rang the doorbell, carrying a few sets of clothes.

"Sister Qingya, I've prepared your casual wear. It's that deep V-neck minimalist black suit paired with high-waisted wide-leg trousers. It highlights your long legs, and it will definitely look great for airport street snaps."

Xu Qingya acknowledged, walked into the walk-in closet, and changed into the sharp-cut suit.

The high-waisted design brought her body proportions to the extreme.

Yang Lele glanced at her from the doorway and muttered, "Your legs are really long."

Xu Qingya put on her sunglasses in front of the mirror.

"Let's go."