Chapter 64: Proud Xiaoming (2)

“What’s the big idea? If you want to go, go yourself.” Sun Xiaoming, seated in the boss’s meeting room, listened to the account from the Heavenly Young Lord, then shot Jin Fanyin a glare. “I refuse to take part!”

“Xiaoming, why not?” Jin Fanyin asked. “If the world is in trouble, shouldn’t those who can help, do their part?”

“Don’t ask me! Let me ask you—why should we trust these two?” Sun Xiaoming pointed at the Heavenly Young Lord and Flower Flourish.

Jin Fanyin was momentarily at a loss for words.

“How can we tell if they’re con artists or fraudsters? They invited us, but where’s the sincerity? There’s no way I’ll rashly agree!”

“But aren’t they capable of magic?”

“How do I know if they haven’t already set something up in this room?” Sun Xiaoming said. “Have you ever seen that magician, Will, perform? Every trick looks like real magic.”

“If they went to such lengths to trick us, what’s the point?”

“I don’t know what their motive is. But I do know this: If we agree, our company will suffer immense losses. Who’s been supporting you all these years? Before you debuted, you were a nobody. Who fed and housed you? Who paid for your street dance lessons and your rap training? Who found you gigs? Who made you an idol? The company did all that!”

Sun Xiaoming’s words rattled off like a machine gun, sweeping over Jin Fanyin: “Jin Fanyin, you’re suddenly hot-headed and want to save the world. If these two turn out to be lunatics, and you lead the whole group to cancel contracts and go on a wild goose chase, how much would the company that painstakingly cultivated you lose? If the company goes bankrupt, the boss goes bankrupt, BRAVE and HOPE—such wonderful teams—would be forced to disband. Wouldn’t your heart ache? As an artist, you signed a contract for the company to nurture you. You can’t just say you quit whenever you please—honor your commitments! Understand?”

“This...” Jin Fanyin didn’t know how to respond.

“If this is just a cheap trick, then excuse me, I’m leaving.” Sun Xiaoming turned toward the door.

With a clang, a gleaming ancient sword nailed itself firmly into the wall, blocking Sun Xiaoming’s path. She could barely register when the blade had flown in front of her.

Despite her face paling and her legs trembling in fear, the proud Sun Xiaoming forced herself to ignore her pounding heart and turned back.

With a smack, something else blocked her way. Sun Xiaoming cried out, shielding her face with her hands.

When she opened her eyes, she saw an arm clad in a Taoist robe pressed against the wall, barring her exit. It was the Heavenly Young Lord, bracing his left hand against the wall.

Sun Xiaoming, furious, demanded, “What are you trying to do?”

The Heavenly Young Lord leaned in, his face close to hers, and slowly uttered, “If you don’t agree, don’t even think about leaving.”

“But I already have someone I like...” Sun Xiaoming averted her gaze.

This time, the Heavenly Young Lord was stunned for a moment before finally regaining his composure. “What nonsense are you spouting? You can switch topics faster than a rocket to Mars!”

“Then why are you pinning me against the wall?” Sun Xiaoming glared at him.

“Do you think I’m doing that? Can’t you see it’s a threat?”

---

Sun Xiaoming sighed, a hint of disappointment in her expression.

The Heavenly Young Lord suddenly felt a little awkward.

“I’ve made myself clear. Pinning me against the wall won’t work!” Sun Xiaoming said.

“It seems you have no choice but to go,” the Heavenly Young Lord insisted, “and for the record, I did not pin you against the wall.”

Flower Flourish interjected to ease the tension, “Miss Sun Xiaoming, there’s really no need for us to deceive you. So, tell us—what would it take for you to cooperate?”

This was exactly what Sun Xiaoming wanted. With three years in the industry, she could talk business processes with ease.

“To invite a celebrity, you need to follow industry-standard procedures and rates. If your invitation causes us to breach existing commercial contracts, compensation should come from your side. Also, HOPE doesn’t just travel with performers; we bring trainees as backup. That’s an extra cost.”

The Heavenly Young Lord clapped. “Impressive! No wonder you’re the captain of a leading girl group; getting so many girls to follow you must take real skill. Even when saving the world, you package it as a business gig to earn more for the company. Your boss up there on the ceiling must be moved to tears.”

Everyone looked up. Sure enough, the chubby boss was overwhelmed, tears streaming down his face.

Flower Flourish edged away from the boss, saying, “Some people may be ugly, but their dreams are beautiful! Watch those tears, don’t let them fall on me—might ruin my robe’s magic.”

Sun Xiaoming rolled her eyes and said, “I’m not trying to make things difficult. If you’re truly immortals, covering a simple appearance fee should be effortless. Surely it won’t trouble you?”

The Heavenly Young Lord glanced at Flower Flourish and gave a wry smile. “So it all comes down to this. With deep enough tricks, even an iron rod can be ground into a needle! How about we just let the world drown and not bother saving it?”

Flower Flourish coughed. “No, despite the world’s worship of money, it’s not terminal yet.”

“So what do we do when she asks the immortals for money?” the Heavenly Young Lord asked.

“I never claimed to be an immortal, you’re the immortal,” Flower Flourish said, grinning. “But you could always pawn your Rolex.”

“The appearance fee for these two groups is steep. Not just my Rolex, even that Patek Philippe last time wouldn’t suffice,” sighed the Heavenly Young Lord.

Flower Flourish said, “Blessings upon you, Heavenly Elder! Just conjure some money. Besides, many countries print cash more fiercely than you do—what’s a little inflation?”

“Enough!”

With a sweep of his hand, the Heavenly Young Lord covered the desk with dazzling gold bars. There was a loud crack—the desk corner split under the weight, suggesting tons of gold piled atop it.

Sun Xiaoming’s jaw dropped, but her shock lasted only half a second before shifting to a victorious, proud smile.

Though fleeting, the smile didn’t escape the Heavenly Young Lord’s notice. He said, “Since I conjured the gold, I can just as easily make it vanish. Perhaps what you’re given is only a handful of leaves.”

“You wouldn’t do that. After all, as an immortal, you should have credibility! Besides, the task hasn’t begun. If the gold turns to leaves, you know the seasons are volatile, girls like us are delicate, we might catch colds or fevers—missing the show would be normal.” Sun Xiaoming ran her hand over the gold. “By the time it’s all over, the gold will be converted into bank balances. Any loss won’t be ours. Surely an immortal wouldn’t let innocent people suffer just to vent his temper?”

---

The Heavenly Young Lord watched as Sun Xiaoming waved her hand upward, sending the plump boss tumbling from the ceiling into the pile of gold. Clutching the gold, the boss groaned, but his expression was not truly pained.

The boss spat out half a tooth that had fallen and said, “Don’t rush off, great immortals! I’ve got a business proposal! With your skills, could you create some longevity pills? One pill for ten extra years of life. If you give me a hundred, I’ll build a hundred temples for you! If you give me the recipe, I’ll launch a listed company in no time; a hundred temples, a thousand, ten thousand—no problem! I’ll ensure incense burns day and night in honor of you!”

“See? Money above all, blinded by greed. Guess what I’m thinking?” the Heavenly Young Lord said to Flower Flourish. “Those mingling in high society—men in suits, women in heavy makeup, talking endlessly of finance and investments, as if they’re rolling in wealth. But at a lavish banquet, there might not be a single truly wealthy guest; everyone’s just hoping to latch on to a big spender. The air is thick with this same greed, this nauseating stench.”

The Heavenly Young Lord turned, sleeves swirling: “Only when people face mortality do they learn to respect life, honor nature. Living to a hundred doesn’t mean you aren’t a walking corpse. Worshiping Buddha or immortals is really worshiping yourself, urging yourself toward goodness. Buddha and immortals care nothing for incense offerings. Enough talk! Don’t taint me with your stench of money! The appearance fee will be more than generous! Make proper arrangements—we’ll come for your people tomorrow!”

Then the Heavenly Young Lord stretched out his hand, and the phone parts floating outside the window reassembled. He handed the phone to Sun Xiaoming. “Miss Sun says we’re frauds, but deep down, you already believe in our magic, don’t you?”

Sun Xiaoming smiled. “When I saw the door close by itself and the boss hanging from the ceiling, I thought it was a prank show. When my phone flew from my hand, I started to believe you have special abilities. As for being immortals, saving the world aside—if we have value, why not secure extra gigs for the company? So many people, so much effort—asking for appearance fees is only fair. Do you think we’re reckless kids?”

“You believe in our magic—aren’t you afraid we’ll just kidnap you?”

“Oh! For two powerful immortals to seek help from us mere mortals means there are things you can’t do, and only we can. If you need us, it’s better to ask than to force.” Sun Xiaoming blinked her big eyes, touched her index fingers together in the air, and said in a playful tone, “Besides, you two look far from evil.”

“You know just how to use your strengths. With only one girl in this room, even unreasonable demands will likely be met,” sighed the Heavenly Young Lord.

Sun Xiaoming laughed. “What’s a little gold to you two? Consider it a selfless act of charity, helping out the hardworking masses like us. Everyone gets what they need!”

The Heavenly Young Lord turned to Jin Fanyin. “A clever girl who never misses an opportunity—who else could lead the team?”

Jin Fanyin gave a wry smile. “If I said what she did, I’d be hanging from the ceiling alongside the boss.”

“Some things others can say, you cannot. Those in plaid skirts may speak, but not those in jeans.”

The Heavenly Young Lord shook his head, swept his hand, and the door opened automatically.

Once outside, Flower Flourish poked his head back in and called to the boss sprawled atop the gold, “Don’t forget to pay your taxes! If you short a single cent, we’ll hold you responsible!”

“Yes, yes! Absolutely, I’ll pay every cent in accordance with the law!” The boss nodded like a pecking hen, like a wooden fish reciting sutras.

Covering the company’s annual expenses and safeguarding the boss’s goofy smile—that’s the Sun Xiaoming way! Sun Xiaoming rested her chin on her left hand, gazed at the departing figures of the Heavenly Young Lord and Flower Flourish, and sighed softly, “That Heavenly Young Lord is actually quite handsome!”

Jin Fanyin widened his eyes and shouted out, “Why did you only fix her phone? Mine got completely fried!”