182: Chapter 182 "Light", "Heaven and Earth Dragon Scales"

After listening to "Honey," Chen Shaoping continued with "sad pacific."

Xiao Qi's raspy yet textured voice instantly grabbed his ears.

This "imperfect" voice was precisely Xiao Qi's greatest charm, conveying a sense of familiarity to the audience, like one of their own.

"Is leaving really cruel, or is tenderness shameful? Or do lonely people not care, day or night, unconditionally?"

"One step forward is dusk, one step back is life. The wind is not calm, the waves are not still, the heart is still uneasy. One island locks in one person."

...

After finishing the song, Chen Shaoping looked at the netizens' comments.

"'One step forward is dusk, one step back is life.' Isn't that a true portrayal of my life right now? I don't know where moving forward leads, but I can't accept being mediocre for a lifetime if I step back."

"When a person is down on their luck, even drinking water gets stuck in their teeth... It's truly one wave after another."

"I've been a fan of Xiao Qi since 'Too Soft-Hearted.' I love him so much."

"This song will definitely become Brother Xiao Qi's signature work. Mark my words, I'm leaving this post as proof."

The netizens' comments were mostly positive, with high expectations for Xiao Qi.

This was a stark contrast to the comments under the 'Shao Ping' account.

Looking here made him feel pleasant; looking there made his lungs feel like they were about to explode with anger.

There were too many anti-fans.

While he was browsing with gusto, Li Qian pushed the door open and walked in with a smile on her face.

"Da Ping, Director Lin is urging me to ask you for the script again."

"Ever since you gave him that ultimatum, he seems a bit afraid of you and doesn't dare to approach you directly."

"He knows why I gave him that ultimatum; he just hasn't figured out how to face me yet." Chen Shaoping looked up at Li Qian and gave a cold snort.

"Tell him I'll give it to him after National Day."

"Alright, then I'll let him wait another two days."

"Also, I just received a song request from Hong Kong's 'Hejia Media Company,' but their requirements are a bit strange. I need to ask you before I can reply."

Li Qian said.

Chen Shaoping was intrigued as well and put down his mouse. "What requirements?"

"They require that the song must be sung by the lead actor of the TV drama, and it must be a Cantonese song."

"Supposedly, their boss really likes Sister Ying's rendition of 'blessing,' which is why they reached out to our company."

After Li Qian finished, she pursed her lips and smiled.

"I thought it was some bizarre request. How much are they offering?" Chen Shaoping asked.

"600,000."

He grinned. "Sister Qian, their request is very reasonable. Take it. Send me the synopsis of the drama."

Seeing Chen Shaoping's money-grubbing look, Li Qian smiled and complained, "Don't just think about taking jobs and then ignoring them once you have them."

Chen Shaoping was bewildered, unable to think of anything unfinished. He asked shamelessly,

"Sister Qian, please give me a hint."

Li Qian's eyes widened in disbelief. "You really forgot?"

"What about the theme song for the Kyoto TV Station documentary?"

Chen Shaoping had indeed forgotten all about it. He slapped his thigh, his expression changing. "I was wondering what you were talking about. I finished writing it long ago; I just hadn't given the songs to you yet."

He stiffened his neck, trying not to let Li Qian see his guilt, while mentally chanting in his mind.

"System, exchange for the songs 'Guang Liang' and 'Tian Di Long Lin'."

[Host spent 2 paparazzi points to exchange for the songs 'Guang Liang' and 'Tian Di Long Lin']

[Host possesses paparazzi points: 21.]

Li Qian didn't quite believe him. "Then send them to me now. I'll communicate with Kyoto TV Station immediately."

Chen Shaoping wasn't flustered at all by her suspicious look.

He naturally sent the songs to her and instructed: "Zhou Bule will sing 'Guang Liang,' and Wang Bo will sing 'Tian Di Long Lin.' It's best to have them both record a demo before sending it to Kyoto TV Station."

"Okay."

Li Qian smiled, waved her hand, and left.

On the other side.

Through the interrogation of Xiao Hu, Captain Tian captured twelve women who were also responsible for distributing the goods.

These women were undoubtedly all female college students.

Furthermore, the experiences of these female college students were all quite similar.

They either wanted to buy high-end clothes and cosmetics, or they were spending lavishly on their idols...

In the end, they all took out naked loans on an online lending app called 'Juice Chicken'.

Eventually, they were forced by desperation to become tools for the drug dealers.

As for their superiors, they knew nothing at all; every time they picked up the goods, it was at a different location.

They never even saw the person.

The celebrity Wang Xuebin was just an idiot who had made too much money and was looking for excitement; he didn't know anything either.

Captain Tian's head was spinning now. He had thought he could pull on the radish and bring out the mud, but it turned out there were no leads at all.

The illegal online lending would be further followed up by the Economic Investigation Department and the Cyberspace Administration.

Captain Tian rubbed his temples and decided to ask that 'Information God' again.

Just as he pulled out his phone, the screen lit up first—it was Tan Zhuo.

"Captain Tian, Shu Xin has made a move. She's set off with camping equipment like a tent. I can't determine where she's going for the time being."

Although Captain Tian and Tan Zhuo were no longer working together, they both still belonged to the 'Fire Fox' task force.

The two were responsible for monitoring Shu Xin's every move.

Captain Tian's brow furrowed. "Let's keep the line open. Tell me your location at any time. I'm coming over immediately."

...

Back in Kyoto, the three elders including He Qixiang.

After the three of them worked through the night, they finally finished identifying all fourteen cultural relics mentioned by Chen Shaoping.

They appraised them very carefully, both hoping Chen Shaoping was wrong and fearing they weren't being careful enough and might miss a mark left by the forgers.

At this moment, in He Qixiang's home.

The three were sitting in the living room with grim faces, their gazes locked onto a middle-aged man in his forties, neatly dressed and with an outstanding temperament.

The middle-aged man's gaze circled the three old men and returned to himself.

He looked himself over, checking carefully, and after confirming there was nothing wrong with him, he finally spoke up.

"Dad, Uncle Cai, Uncle Zhao, what's wrong with you all? Why have you been looking at me with those eyes since I walked in?"

The middle-aged man was called He Yuzhu. He was He Qixiang's eldest son and was currently the Deputy Director of the Dragon Kingdom's State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

"Sigh!" He Qixiang let out a heavy sigh, his face pale. He seemed to have aged several years all at once.

Looking at his father's state, He Yuzhu felt an inexplicable heartache. He quickly stood up, preparing to massage his legs and shoulders.

"Dad, what on earth is going on? Don't scare me."

"Sit down. I have something to ask you." He Qixiang stopped him.

"Son, can I still trust you in terms of work? Have you ever done anything to betray the country?"

To question the son who had made him satisfied and proud since childhood, He Qixiang's heart was breaking and bleeding.

But he had to ask; Chen Shaoping's words were still firmly imprinted in his mind.

He trusted his son, but he just wanted to hear his son say it himself.

He Yuzhu's heart tightened. He quickly ran through his recent work in his mind; everything was by the book.

Nothing was out of line at all, so why would his father ask such a thing?

Hearing this, He Yuzhu immediately stood up and solemnly knelt before He Qixiang, his expression grave. "Dad, I haven't done anything to betray the country. You can trust me completely."

"Just as I have always trusted you."

He Qixiang's expression softened slightly, and he felt comforted. He stood up from his chair and helped He Yuzhu up.

"Good, that's my boy."

"Sit down properly. Your father has a major matter to tell you, a matter of monumental importance!"

...

Ten minutes later, He Yuzhu jumped up from his chair in shock, his face filled with disbelief.

"Dad, Uncle Cai, Uncle Zhao, you're not joking with me."

"This matter is absolutely true. I need your Cultural Heritage Administration to intervene and investigate immediately, and it must be a covert investigation."

"You must personally vet the personnel to ensure they are clean."

"Because other Museums also have this problem, I don't want to alert the enemy."

He Qixiang said with a heavy expression.

"Alright, Dad, I'll arrange it."