Chapter Thirty-Two: Unmatched by Any

The next morning, as Lin Ze and Su Zitan were preparing to go out, Director Zhang arrived before they could leave.

Even before the live broadcast started, Director Zhang spoke his mind openly.

“Lin, let me show you something.”

Director Zhang produced a tablet and displayed the show “Creation Factory” for the pair to watch.

This was the edited version, with the less appealing self-introductions cut out, only leaving the top trainees who had made it through the first round of selection.

Just this short video made their brows furrow as they watched.

“What on earth is this...”

They hadn't even eaten breakfast yet, but Su Zitan had already lost her appetite.

“This is the trainee variety show released yesterday by Donghuang Entertainment,” Director Zhang said gravely, worry etched on his face.

“But this kind of thing shouldn’t really compare to what we’re doing, right?” Lin Ze wondered. “It’s so abstract.”

Director Zhang sighed. “Exactly because it’s so abstract.”

“If you treat it as a talent show, it’s undoubtedly a failure. But if you see it as a parody, then right now, no one in the industry can outdo it.”

“Plus, their company bought hot search spots and pushed promotions. On the first day, they stole quite a bit of our audience.”

“In the morning, it wasn’t too bad, but the numbers dipped mid-day. By evening, though, their show’s audience soared…”

Lin Ze listened to Director Zhang’s complaints, puzzled. “So what can we do? Should we, as Phoenix Park, join their variety show?”

“Are you planning to play inception here?” Su Zitan glanced at the screen again. “If you join that, you might as well not come home.”

“No, actually, our main traffic comes from your two livestream channels. You’ve both been doing great these past couple of days.”

“The viewers love watching you two stir things up. Please keep doing so. Whether we can retain our audience depends on you.”

Stir things up.

Lin Ze paused. “When have we stirred things up? Haven’t we just been living normally every day?”

“…Fine, just keep it up,” Director Zhang said.

Xiao Qian was already waiting outside. Once Director Zhang left, Xiao Qian started the livestream.

The car arrived at the park, where the uncles and aunts of the folk music group were practicing in their usual spot.

It was clear these elders genuinely loved their instruments.

Just one day, and the piece had already become much smoother in rehearsal.

Su Zitan, holding her ethereal drum, showed it off to the group.

“Amazing! I’ve never seen one of these,” Old Wang said, tapping it lightly. The pure, cleansing sound delighted him.

“By the way, the costumes will arrive by noon today,” Su Zitan told everyone.

“Oh, thank you, Su! When the clothes arrive, we’ll send you the money,” the aunties said with smiles.

Now that their children had watched the show, they no longer called them Zhou Ke and Mu Tang as before.

[My wife is so adorable when she shows off, her little tail is almost wagging to the sky.]

[Lin Ze! The hatred of a wife stolen can never be forgiven!]

[I envy my dad. Tomorrow I want to wear my dad’s clothes and meet Brother Lin.]

“Has Aunt Zhu’s situation been resolved yet?” Lin Ze suddenly asked.

Aunt Zhu Juan hadn’t shown up on the day of the preliminary round and was absent again today.

Surely this shouldn’t be so hard to fix?

At this, Old Wang’s expression soured.

“Her daughter-in-law didn’t take the child away. The child… disappeared.”

“What?” Lin Ze and Su Zitan exchanged glances. “The child disappeared?”

“How did it happen? Where did it happen?”

“That day her husband was playing chess at the park entrance, and the child was in the car.”

“There was no problem at first. Her husband hadn’t finished his chess game, so Zhu Juan took the child home herself.”

Old Wang picked up his thermos, took a sip, and spat out the wolfberries.

“They’d run out of diapers at home. There’s a shop right at the entrance of their complex, so Zhu Juan went out to buy diapers and came back—less than ten minutes—and the child was gone!”

“There were no signs of forced entry. At first, everyone thought her daughter-in-law had snuck in and taken the child.”

“Why wasn’t the child awarded to the mother?” Lin Ze asked, frowning. “Normally, such a young child is awarded to the mother.”

“Don’t mention it!” one of the aunties waved her hand. “Her daughter-in-law plays mahjong.”

“She was heating milk for the child when someone downstairs called her to play mahjong. She left with the stove still on. By the time someone came home, the pot was burned dry.”

[How can anyone be like that?]

[Is that for real? How can a mother be so irresponsible?]

[You can believe stones will bloom before you can believe a gambler.]

The aunties all chimed in, and Lin Ze quickly understood.

“No forced entry, child missing, so whoever took the child must have had a key?” Su Zitan frowned. “How’s her son?”

“He’s good, honest young man. Every month his salary goes straight to his wife. He’s worked hard for years, was planning to buy a car. Who knew his savings would all be lost to his wife’s gambling.”

“Did they call the police? What did they say?” Lin Ze asked.

Old Wang shook his head. “It wasn’t her daughter-in-law. She never left the mahjong table that day; there’s surveillance and witnesses.”

“…,” Lin Ze sighed.

“Forget it, it’s not our place to intervene,” Old Wang said, picking up his flute. “Let’s practice.”

Soon it was noon. Old Wang suggested that, to ensure everything went smoothly tomorrow, the entire group should go out for a good meal together.

So the whole ensemble headed to a beef hotpot restaurant in the county.

Lin Ze looked over the drinks but found nothing appealing.

“I’ll go buy some drinks. Is there anything the uncles and aunties want?” he asked.

“I’d like jasmine tea,” Old Wang decided.

“I want sugar-free oolong. He wants electrolyte water for amateurs…”

The old man’s choice was quite trendy.

Lin Ze chuckled.

“Let’s go together. It’ll be hard for you to carry everything,” Su Zitan said, setting down her bag.

Xiao Qian eagerly followed.

There was a supermarket not far away, and Lin Ze and Su Zitan headed in that direction.

“Anything you need?” Su Zitan asked.

“I haven’t been sleeping well lately. Is there any sleep medicine?” came a familiar voice.

Lin Ze turned his head slightly.

In the pharmacy next door, a man stood at the counter.

The clerk smiled and shook her head.

“We don’t have that. Sleep medication must be prescribed by a doctor. If you can’t sleep, you might want to visit a hospital.”

“What about melatonin? I read online that it works. Can I buy that?”

The man scratched his head. His hair looked like it hadn’t been washed in ages.

“That’s fine. Let me get it for you,” the clerk replied, turning to look for it, speaking slowly. “One kind is fifty-nine, another is one hundred and eight. Which do you want?”

“The fifty-nine one!” The man didn’t hesitate.

Lin Ze recognized him from outside.

He was the man who had given ten yuan the day they pretended to be beggars singing.

Lin Ze took off his studded jacket and handed it to Su Zitan.

“Zitan, Xiao Qian, stand back a bit…”