200: Chapter 200 Interlude

The afternoon concert was a star-studded affair as Hollywood celebrities took to the stage one after another.

Domestic netizens were finally able to experience the Hollywood vibe up close.

Chu Ge wasn't idle either. On this rare day where he didn't have to face the 'debt-collecting' faces of Li Gang and Yan Tianhao, he strolled over to the concert site, ready to experience the joy of being a fan.

Captain Gong and his team followed at a discreet distance.

There was no shortage of audience members at the concert; the remaining engineers and technicians from the Dockyard Base alone added up to tens of thousands of people.

Chu Ge scanned the area and found the setup to be quite professional. It had likely been organized by a professional entertainment company. It made sense; these were big stars, and a low-grade setup wouldn't match their status.

Due to the large number of attendees, security measures were quite strict. As Chu Ge reached the security checkpoint and prepared for inspection, the guard froze for a moment upon seeing him, then immediately saluted.

“Good afternoon, Colonel Chu!”

“Hello. I'm just here to... take a look around.”

“Yes, sir!”

The guards behind all stood up and saluted. After returning the salute, Chu Ge paused briefly before walking inside.

“Sir, hello. Please show your invitation and passport.”

Behind Chu Ge followed a group of burly men in white shirts and black pants. Their leader, a young man with an arrogant expression, had meticulously styled yellowish-brown hair.

“What did he say?”

“He wants us to show our identification!”

“How come that guy just now walked right in? What? Is this how Huaxia treats its guests?”

“Per... perhaps he is one of their internal staff. This isn't our country; before we left, the Chairman specifically reminded us to be mindful of our behavior...”

“Hmph.”

The young man ignored him and began scanning the guests passing by, especially the female ones. After being checked for a while, they finally entered the concert venue.

Li Guangrong scanned the area, locked his gaze onto a girl, and after waving his hand, he approached her.

Those burly men were Li Guangrong's bodyguards. They didn't follow him this time but instead found seats further away, though their eyes remained fixed on their target's movements...

Chu Ge found a random seat and sat down. He looked around but didn't see his Nazira. 'She's probably preparing for her performance,' Chu Ge thought.

As Chu Ge withdrew his gaze, he noticed someone sitting beside him who looked quite familiar.

That person was also staring at Chu Ge, his eyes darting around as they both likely tried to figure out the other's identity.

“Aren't you that Smith?”

Will Smith spread his hands, shook his head, and said a few sentences in English.

“Wait a second.”

Chu Ge summoned System Big Brother for a temporary crash course.

“Hi, Smith, you're here too? I was a loyal fan of yours back when I was in school. So, how have you been lately?”

Will Smith was first surprised by Chu Ge's pure spoken English, then he shook his head.

“Not great. Let's not talk about that mess. I remember now, you're Chu, Huaxia's famous scientist, right?”

Chu Ge nodded. It was rare for this Oscar-winning actor to recognize him. However, as for the 'not great' part, Chu Ge didn't quite understand; he hadn't watched entertainment news for a long time.

Since the other party didn't want to mention it, Chu Ge didn't ask.

“I've seen many of your films. I still remember some of the lines.”

“You got a dream... You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it. Period.”

Chu Ge recited the line casually. Will Smith was a bit surprised; he hadn't expected this mysterious Huaxia scientist to actually remember his lines.

“Oh, Chu, you have a great memory. To be honest, I almost forgot that line myself, haha.”

“Have you filmed any sci-fi movies lately?”

“Yes. Chu, you were the one in charge of building that big guy outside, right? I really hope I can film a movie on it one day. That's a real spaceship, not like those messy post-productions in Hollywood.”

Chu Ge hadn't expected this guy to set his sights on the aerospace carrier, so he smiled and shook his head.

“I don't have the final say on that. Besides, it has a lot of work to do. I don't think filming a movie is in its plans.”

“Haha, of course I know. Your spaceship...”

While the two were chatting, a loud 'slap' came from behind them, followed by the sound of an argument. Will Smith and Chu Ge stopped talking and turned to look.

A young man with yellow-dyed hair was pointing at a young girl and cursing loudly. Chu Ge could vaguely hear what he was saying—it was Korean.

The young girl covered her cheek, looking at the man with a sense of grievance and tears in her eyes. The followers of both sides were currently greeting each other in languages the other couldn't understand.

The girl's side was clearly at a disadvantage. Seeing this, the young man rushed forward, wanting to strike again.

Chu Ge lunged forward in one stride, quickly grabbing the man's wrist. With a backhand grapple, he raised his foot and kicked the man right in the back of his knee.

The man fell to his knees with a thud.

The entire process was completed in an instant. The young man screamed in pain and blurted out a few sentences of gibberish.

“Ah, shibal! Who the hell are you? What are you guys waiting for? Get over here and help!”

He shouted for a long time with no response. Looking up, he saw his subordinates had all been pinned to the ground, in the same posture as him—arms forced behind their backs, kneeling on the floor.

Captain Gong and his team had acted immediately.

“Who are you people? Do you know who I am?”

Chu Ge didn't bother talking to him. He applied pressure with his hand, making the man scream again. After a few rounds of this, Li Guangrong didn't dare speak up anymore. Pea-sized beads of sweat rolled down his forehead; he felt like his fingers were definitely broken.

“What happened?”

The translator next to Li Guangrong had already recognized Chu Ge. Seeing Chu Ge in a fit of rage earlier, he hadn't dared to step forward. Now that Chu Ge was asking, he hurried over to defuse the situation.

“Academician Chu, it's all a misunderstanding. This Mr. Li is from Korea, the crown prince of the Sanxing Group. Let's all take a step back and keep the peace.”

“You tell me!” Chu Ge pointed to the girl nearby.

“Academician Chu, I was just here listening to the music. He sat down and started talking to me. It was fine at first, but then he said he wanted to take me somewhere. I didn't agree, as I have a performance later. Then he started getting handsy. I pushed him, and he hit me.”

“And he kept using foul language.”

“You understand Korean?”

“Yes, I made my debut there and only returned to develop my career domestically in recent years,” the girl replied softly. Her large, aggrieved eyes regained some spirit, though red handprints remained on her face.

“Do you know him?”

“I know of him. Li Guangrong, a playboy. But we have no personal connection.”

“Is there any problem with what she said?”

Chu Ge turned to look at the translator. The translator looked at Chu Ge, then at the kneeling Li Guangrong, hesitating for a long time without answering.

“I'll ask one more time: is what she said true? If you dare to lie, you know the consequences.”

“No, no, I wouldn't dare. What happened is essentially as this young lady described.”