Chapter 150

unedited

If someone were to use an EEG on

Ninth Lady

at that moment, the reading of the signals in her brain would undoubtedly display the flattest of lines.

And if EEG displayed the system messages just like QQ, then the message it would undoubtedly show would be Your friends brain is currently offline.

Once her brain went offline, it didnt really matter if she herself was online, because, to be completely honest, her mind was already in a completely empty state.

That being the case, Tu Xiaotu quickly monopolised her authority with much ease.

Let the producer go to the side, she can come back once she snaps out of it. Before that, I will be the one speaking

Si, sister b.u.mpy

S-sister b.u.mpy really is a worldly person!

The remaining two staff were both well aware of the ID

Sleek horses run fast

, and the status it held in the online voice acting community. Although the short circuiting in their heads wasnt as severe as with

Ninth Lady

, they still were almost kneeling before their computers. Even their voices were trembling slightly as they spoke, and they couldnt help but express their awe for Tu Xiaotu, who remained composed as always.

Meanwhile, Qi Jing was laughing heartily on the side. Experiencing the thrill of being the one outside the situation while others were left stumped with shock, it really felt amazing.

But as a seasoned staff member, it wasnt an exaggeration to say that Tu Xiaotu was adept in taking charge of the situation, So let me be clear about thiseven if its Big Sleek Horse, even if Return Date recommended him, we cant simply hand out roles. The voice actor needs to pa.s.s the audition to secure it. Am I right, director?

Eh? A-am I supposed to judge it? Up till that point,

Knives cutting in from four sides

was in the midst of wolf-like wild howling in her heart. But when she heard Tu Xiaotu say this and realised she was about to evaluate the audition of a G.o.d-level VA, she truly wanted to fall onto her knees, trembling, and beg for mercy like a helpless eunuch from period dramas.

But she heard that Great G.o.ds soft chuckle coming from her earphonesit didnt seem like he was opposed to this arrangement.

Understood. So I should provide you with a voice sample, right?

Thats right.

Tu Xiaotu responded with a very professional smile.

Hearing that,

Knives cutting in from four sides

trembled, the pressure she felt reaching an-all times high for her. If this man were in any other production team, the producers would likely offer him the role the moment they saw his ID, not to mention bothering him with a voice auditioning. n.o.body would care whether he suited the character, and it remained a mystery if anyone had auditioned him, or even dared to ask him to audition

Knives cutting in from four sides

shook again, having some second thoughts while secretly rubbing her heart.

Gah, dont panic, dont panic. Lord Sleek horses run fast is a Great G.o.d, how can a Great G.o.d possibly ever perform badly

That was what

Knives cutting in from four sides

thought five minutes before

After five minutes pa.s.sed,

Knives cutting in from four sides

crumpled up that thought and threw it into the rubbish like a piece of sc.r.a.p paper. Then, she slowly rested her forehead on her hand.

One more time

Cough

, Im sorry, I havent voice acted for a very long time after leaving the community, so it might take me a bit to get back into it. Can you guys give me another chance?

Of course, of course, please feel free to take your time, Lord Sleek Horses To be honest, listening to a captivating voice repeatedly like this was truly a treat for the ears.

Knives cutting in from four sides

had no reason to decline, whether in an official or personal capacityespecially as

Ninth Lady

kept giggling foolishly in the background, eager to hear her lifes core speak more.

At that time,

Puppet Show

suddenly interrupted the voice audition, Wait a minute, someone just came in

They saw a slight flicker in the channel member list, and sure enough, a new blue vest account appeared therethey were a member of this YY channel. No one knew where they suddenly appeared from. They didnt even have a proper ID, merely using a simple . punctuation mark instead.

Knives cutting in from four sides

momentarily went silent, afraid that the news of the new Trap production team approaching

Sleek horses run fast

would get leaked and invite hate from the antis.

Tu Xiaotu was also cautious, Who is it? Did someone join here by mistake? Im sorry, this room isnt for farming channel points, so if you joined by mistake, then I must ask you to leave immediately

Ah, its someone I know, you dont have to chase him out.

Sleek horses run fast

s words left everyone astonished, He joined because I said that Im currently giving a voice sample, so he said that he wanted to listen in. Dont worry, hes very trustworthy, theres no danger in letting him listen from the sides.

Even though

Sleek horses run fast

might be a silly guy, he still knew to be responsible, so if he vouched for this person, it should be reliable.

Tu Xiaotu sighed with relief, Since its someone brought in by Big Sleek Horse, then thats okay.

The two girls also chimed in to agree. Since sister b.u.mpy said so, then were fine with it as well~

Yup, yup~

Only Qi Jing remained silent throughout the conversation. His occupational curiosity compelled him to watch this . curiously, pondering it for a while. Gradually, a conjecture formed in his mind, was one he was ninety nine percent sure about, causing him to smile while supporting his chin.

And so, the second try of the audition began.

Stop. Lord Sleek Horses, can you make your tone sound a bit more natural? Currently its too apparent that youre reciting the lines, so it would be better if you relaxed your voice a bit. Give it another try.

Okay.

And so, the third attempt began.

Stop. My Lord, youre not putting enough emotion into it, it sounds too flat Lets try again.

Okay.

And so, there was the fourth attempt, the fifth, and then the sixth

By the time the seventh take was done, the room was completely silent, and all of their icons turned grey.

Finally, the directors cry broke the silence, Aaaaaagh! I cant find any fault with this voice, I really cant! Even in terms of emotions, there was some steady improvement, but I still feel like somethings missing, and I cant put my finger on it Im a failure as a director, aaahhh!

K-Knives, calm down

Puppet Show

stammered.

The ones leading the PIA were howling and crying, while the person on the other side of it went completely silent.

L-lord Sleek Horses, are you A-angry?

Puppet Show

stammered even more. To get PIA-ed to this extent, even a normal VA would probably get annoyed, not to mention a big-name former G.o.d like him.

The other partys icon remained grey, but huge b.l.o.o.d.y-red letters suddenly appeared in the chat.

Five: (sobs in silence)

Pfft!

Knives cutting in from four sides

failed at holding back from laughing, her self-control crumbling.

Pffft!

Puppet Show

was so amused she instantly forgot about her veneration for the Great G.o.d and laughed so hard she was shaking, Lord Sleek Horses is actually acting cute! Hes acting cute!

Heeheehee My lifes core is so cute, so cute, cute enough to kill me~ Heeheehee

Ninth Lady

was already beyond cure.

Five: sobs, Im sorry everyone, I This blow was so hard that I dont dare to speak (this pathetic voice actors lies here in shame)

Upon hearing his words,

Knives cutting in from four sides

grew anxious and said, Lord Sleek Horse, dont think like that! Youre already better than many others, its just Im being overly critical!!

Puppet Show

also hastened to rea.s.sure him, Its okay! Its okay! After all, when the listeners hear your voice, theyll pretty much drop dead on the spot, so they wont have any extra brain power left to pay attention to your acting skills

However, when she said this, his noodle-like tears flowed even more abundantly.

Puppet, you

Dont just break the truth to him like this.

Eh? Did I accidentally end up hitting him while hes down Eh?

Cough, you would probably do better if you had someone else to interact with. Tu Xiaotu cleared her throat, trying her best not to reveal that she was still suppressing laughter just a minute ago and a.s.suming a serious demeanour, I remember that Big Sleek Horse mentioned in an interview that your performance is better when voice acting with other people compared to when youre recording alone. Is that correct?

Qiu Tianyang responded with a soft mhm, likely feeling somewhat anxious due to his poor performance before.

The posted script excerpt in the chat was still in its dialogue format. Prompted by this suggestion, Qi Jing quickly skimmed through the lines for the other character. He was just getting ready to volunteer his services as Qiu Tianyangs voice acting partner when, out of nowhere, the previously silent blue vest account on the member list suddenly spoke up.

It wasnt me.

The voice was clear and gentle, yet the inherent vigour of negation caused a slight quiver in his tone.

Later, as if realising that his initial denial lacked conviction, he channelled more strength into the second statement. However, he still had to maintain an appearance of composure, causing the emotions to strain in his voice, That person wasnt me

Qi Jings finger, which was about to press the F2 key, suddenly froze in mid-air. Then, he instinctively retracted his hand and held his breath, listening intently.

The director was shocked.

The scriptwriter was shocked.

The producer was shocked.

Tu Xiaotu, who had remained composed all that time, also seemed to astonished when hearing this line.

This was the line in the script where an undercover police officer was talking to the main characters brother. This undercover agent has been placed as an informant alongside the older brothers, who held a higher position in the mafia syndicate than the main character. His objective was to secretly look for information while a.s.sisting his own people in apprehending the criminals. Unfortunately, due to a risky operation, his cover almost got blown.

In this part, the two of them were having a confrontation.

And just as described in the novel, the undercover agents voice was especially deceptive, with a scholarly and frail vibe toit, devoid of any semblance of threat. It was clear and pure like a gla.s.s of unadulterated water.

Qiu Tianyangs breath seemed to disappear for a moment, with his icon remaining grey. After a while, they suddenly heard him let out a deep chuckle, Heh, is that so? Alright, come herelook in my eyes and repeat this one more time.

He maintained his superiority without coming across as overbearing, still capable of conveying his interest in the other man even in the midst of a tense situation.

With the resonance of his low, magnetic voice, those feelings delivered the perfect impact they were looking for.

Ah!

Knives cutting in from four sides

couldnt hold back her scream, Thats the feeling! Ah, ah, ah! When Lord Sleek Horsess voice and emotions come together like this, its just so

Heart-pounding!

Puppet Show

s voice was trembling with excitement.

Heeheehee~ My lifes core is so amazing~ Heeheehee~ Meanwhile,

Ninth Lady

remained beyond cure.

Oh? This time you portrayed the emotions so well Even Tu Xiaotu had to give him credit, though her attention was mainly on the other person, Who was the one who spoke up just now? Well done, really well done. Youve managed to get Big Sleek Horse into the character and your voice also fits this role so well.

The director and the scriptwriter also quickly voiced their approval.

Upon hearing this, Qi Jing smiled and calmly revealed the mystery, Seems like its Noodles, right? What do you think, would you like to also join the audition for Trap?

8 hours before the New Year

A Accepted.

After a little over an hour,

Knives cutting in from four sides

silently clutched her heart as she joined

Ninth Lady

in the Beyond Cure Squad.

Normally, the audition wouldnt have taken that long, but to fulfil their selfish desires, everyone indulged themselves by having them go through most of the characters lines, smitten as they kept howling in their hearts. Naturally, Qi Jing also joined in the scenes where the younger brother Lin Qu made his appearance. Throughout the process, the girls felt as if their ears could melt at any moment.

Im dead now.

Ninth Lady

s words of conclusion were simple and to the point.

If youre dead, you wont have the chance to listen to the final version, so you better think it through. Tu Xiaotu replied calmly.

Then Im not dead!

Ninth Lady

replied in an instant, Guys! Guys! Youre both accepted, please, you need to join our production team!!

Thank you, Ninth Lady. When voice acting with another person, Qiu Tianyang finally grasped the essence of the character. Now that the producer officially announced his pa.s.sing, he couldnt help but sigh with relief and grumble in that cute tone

Ninth Lady

and the others had already grown used to, and even secretly became fond of, So tired~ So tired~ All the lines I voice acted in this two years combined wouldnt outnumber what Ive done today. I feel like my vital energy has completely drained

Its only a little over an hour, cant you just handle it like a man? Tan Zixian wasnt buying his act at all.

Haha, even just an hour can be quite tiring. Thank you for coming here to partic.i.p.ate in the audition, and Im looking forward to our future collaboration. Tu Xiaotu, who a.s.sumed the post of the producer after

Ninth Lady

s reason left the premises, now added her final remarks as the sound designer after the audition had successfully concluded.

At that moment,

Puppet Show

finally mustered the courage to express what she had been hesitant to say, I didnt expect Lord Noodles to come and help us

Tan Zixian said in a calm tone, I initially just came to observe how it goes, but somehow ended up partic.i.p.ating. Thats actually goodwhen Return Date requested the adaptation rights on Weibo, I had already decided that if there was a suitable role that could use my skills, I would definitely come to lend a hand.

Qi Jing smiled upon hearing this. Thank you.

Tan Zixian also smiled, This time counts as us officially working together for the first timeeven though its not a CP.

Puppet Show

couldnt contain her excitement, Cough, cough, cough So youre telling me Time Limit was actually the real s.h.i.+p here? In the past, whenever people mentioned Lord Noodles, they would always refer to you as Bronze Sparrow Terraces little bottom or something like that. But now I actually cant help but feel a bit sorry for Bronze Sparrow Terrace, what to do

Upon hearing this, Tan Zixians tone suddenly carried a hint of ambiguity,

Hmph

Well, I cant help it. Its not like I can control my feelings for Return Date.

Oooooh! Its a confession, a confession!

Even though Ive seen you say this on Weibo and in the recordings Order to End the Heavens compet.i.tion, hearing it directly from you in person really adds a whole new level of excitement!

A single sentence made the room explode with countless pink bubbles.

Qi Jing laughed while taking a glance at Qiu Tianyangs dimmed icon.

I think that Quick horses running fast deserves more sympathy now than Bronze Sparrow Terrace

With the two key roles now cast, it was already midnight for a time-difference expat like

Ninth Lady

. Tu Xiaotu kept urging her to go to sleep, but she stubbornly resisted, crying and howling that she didnt want to go offline yet.

The cause of her unwillingness

Sleek horses run fast

only had to say one thing to solve this problem.

Were in the same production team, so well have more opportunities to meet in the future, Little Ninth.

With him switching from calling her

Ninth Lady

to the nickname

Little Ninth

, the destructive power of his words was off the charts.

Heeheehee, since my lifes core is saying so As expected,

Ninth Lady

who had just been rolling around throwing a shameless tantrum instantly turned meek. Tu Xiaotu silently sent in the chat to express her boundless disdain towards

Ninth Lady

s personal conduct.

At that time, Qiu Tianyang suddenly added, However, before Little Ninth leaves us, I have an idea. I hope you could take a moment to hear it, as the producer.

There was no way

Ninth Lady

would say no to him, Please do tell, my lifes core!

Qiu Tianyangs tone s.h.i.+fted from the previous style, becoming more serious. This idea came to me when Return Date wanted me to try audition for this role in Trap. However, if I hadnt pa.s.sed the audition, I would have had to abandon it Fortunately, I pa.s.sed it. That being the case, I wanted to ask the producer lady: would you mind if I invited a couple of my old friends to this audition?

Old friends?

Ninth Lady

asked quickly, Are they also from the audio drama community?

Its sort of like that, but not exactly Theyre good voice actors, but theyve never been part of the community. So if you judge them by their popularity, then only a handful of people would recognise them. Qiu Tianyang spoke, his voice low and slow.

I understand that this kind of lineup might be underwhelming compared to the star-studded cast from Bronze Sparrow Terraces team. Im also not sure if youre aiming for more famous voice actors, Little Ninth, but I really want to ask you to consider giving them a chance. Even if theres no suitable role for them, even if its just minor roles or background voices, it would be enough.

Five, Qi Jing was the first one to react, his eyes glistening, You cant possibly mean

Mn, Qiu Tianyangs words confirmed his guess, I want to invite Two and the others, to once again work together for this audio drama.

Hold on a moment, by Two, you mean Having listened to the recording of the compet.i.tion,

Puppet Show

was was taken aback, It cant be Two who became one of the champions in Order to End the Heavens compet.i.tion, right?

Thats right. Qi Jing smiled lightly.

Eh?

Thats where Big Sleek Horses got his nickname as Five from. Theyre old friends.

Eh?

You should also know Six as well.

Eh??

Puppet Show

felt dizzy, as if her heart was about to fail her, So that time Uncle Yan said he was Six in the compet.i.tion Aaaaaah! You guys actually came from the same set!

Oh, by the way, Ive recently also become Seven. Qi Jing added playfully, delivering a final blow to her heart.

Wouldnt that be wonderful? Us old staff get to reunite, and their pack of old friends can reunite as well, Tu Xiaotu chuckled heartily, Isnt that right, Little Ninth?

Its, its perfect timing for us since we were just fretting over finding new VAs, so no matter if its for side characters, background characters, or even some miscellaneous roles, please dont be shy with pulling them in!

Ninth Lady

gladly accepted his proposition, and the director and scriptwriter both chimed in with agreement. With the support of the staff, Qiu Tianyang could finally feel at ease.

Alright, then I will gather everyone. Its a bit earlier than I expected, but thats fine. At least we can meet first online before we meet in person. Qiu Tianyang paused for a moment, then turned to Qi Jing, saying, Return Date, this marks your first time acting as the main character since you joined us, and its also Sixs first time in leading role, so there could be more suitable time and opportunity than this.

And its also the first official comeback of Big Sleek Horse, Qi Jing chuckled, asking, Since were making such a big splash here, what could Big Sparrow Terraces team possibly do to match it?

That Bronze Sparrow Terrace guy You have to either not bother engaging with him, or if you do, go all in. The former great G.o.d chuckled lightly, his aura not any less impressive than his past das.h.i.+ng self, Isnt that right?

6 hours before the New Year

Aah!

The person on the motorbike let out a miserable scream as he got thrown off, cras.h.i.+ng to the ground along with his bike. While desperately scrambling to get up from the snow, a hand suddenly grabbed his forehead and pressed him down, making him take a mouthful of gritty snow. His teeth instantly turned frigid, just as did his racing heart.

The pa.s.sersby on the street fell into an uproar, forming a circle of bystanders when they heard the disturbance.

At that time, a middle-aged lady rushed over, clutching her bag. She looked alarmed as she watched the man on the ground struggling like a fish on a chopping board, rendered speechless by the sight.

For real, why are there so many purse-robbers and thieves before the New Year? He could even b.u.mp into one when eating dinner outside, and this time it was actually a motorcycle thief!

The man firmly gripping the thiefs hands behind his back let out a disdainful laugh as he thought this. He didnt ease his grip, merely raising his head to address the gathering crowd, Apologies, I dont have an extra hand to make a call. Could someone from you please a.s.sist in calling the police?

I can do it, I can do it! That woman who almost got her purse stolen hurried over, looking at him with grat.i.tude, Thank you so much for helping me!

No need to thank me, just be careful when walking by the roadside next time. The man remarked casually, not thinking much of this situation at all.

Its just that his movements were a bit forceful, causing the not-yet-fully-healed wound on his arm to reopen slightly, sending occasional sharp pains shooting through. In response, he only furrowed his brow and rubbed it for a moment. However, if that Little Stammer, who diligently called him everyday to check on his condition, were to find out about it, she would probably burst into tears.

Thinking of this, he suddenly couldnt hold back a smile.

Coincidentally, his phone started ringing at that very moment.

Unfortunately, he was still subduing that motorcycle thief on the ground, so he couldnt free his hand to take it out. The phone kept ringing several times, but he was too preoccupied to attend to it. He was only able to pick up the call once the police hurriedly arrived.

h.e.l.lo? Could it really be that girl, the one who stuttered whenever she was anxious?

However, as soon as he heard the voice in the call and then their first sentence, he was momentarily taken aback. He even instinctively let out a soft eh?.

After a moment, he blinked his eyes, a glimmer of light seeming to appear within them.

4 hours before the New Year

End-year Grand Sale! End-year Grand Sale! The final big price drop before the year ends! Dont miss it today!

The malls promotional broadcast continued to beckon the customers repeatedly, and the upper and lower level of the mall bustled with people, creating a spectacular view.

Rus.h.i.+ng out from the chaotic frenzy of shoppers scrambling for discounted products, the womans hands were full of bags of various sizes, filled with her spoils of war. She was planning to take a lift downstairs when she caught sight of an auntie shopping nearby. With a forceful fling, the auntie discarded a piece of clothing in her hand she decided against onto a counter, causing a neat pile of wool sweaters some shop worker meticulously stacked to collapse in an instant, turning it into a mess.

My goodness

The customers these days.

She thought for a moment, then turned back from the lift entrance. With the rhythmic tapping of her red heels, she reached the counter. Placing all her bags down, deftly and quickly folded the dishevelled clothes, arranging them back into a neat pile.

After arranging it, she took a stroll around to inspect the result of her work. Satisfied with the outcome, she finally prepared to leave.

A shop worker who witnessed it hurried over and expressed grat.i.tude, saying, Thank you so much, miss! Not only did you help with folding it, but you also did it so professionally!

She flashed a bright smile at this girl and said, I just did it in pa.s.sing. I used to be a clothing department manager at a mall, so I know your pain. When I saw the situation, I couldnt resist lending a hand. I need to go meet my husband now, so bye bye~

Then, followed by the shop workers gaze filled with admiration, she picked up her spoils of war and strode confidently towards the lift.

Just as she was on her way to the parking lot, her phone started ringing.

She picked up her pace, quickly reaching her car. She efficiently stowed away her haul in the trunk before fis.h.i.+ng out her phone from the bag. However, when she glanced at the ID displayed on her screen, her eyebrows lifted in surprise.

This number had been calling her persistently for the past hour, filling her calls history with a page full of missed calls.

At that time, she was likely caught up s.n.a.t.c.hing the discounts, and the noisy inside of the mall made it difficult to hear her phone ringing. With a cheerful smile, she dialled back and exclaimed playfully, Hi handsome, whats going on

However, she paused abruptly, listening to the voice on the other end of the call., her eyes widening involuntarily. It wasnt until a moment after she set down the phone, that she fully snapped back to reality. Without hesitation, she leapt into the driver seat, started the car, and hastily reversed before accelerating and speeding towards the exit.

She rushed all the way to the entrance to the orthopaedics hospital.

She paid no mind to her high heels anymore and sprinted with the clacking to the entrance of the outpatient department. Unexpectedly, a man emerged from the entrance just as she arrived, causing a wide smile to spread across her face.

Hubby! Hubby!

Eh?

Upon hearing her voice, the man lifted his head. He was tired after having just finished his work, and got caught off guard by the woman leaping into his arms. The impact sent him into a stumble, and they nearly tumbled together. Luckily, he reacted fast and he promptly caught her in time, preventing a fall as they both regained their balance.

The man simply didnt know whether to cry or laugh, Why did you come here? Werent you out shopping?

He didnt even get to ask about the situation before he got a big kiss on the cheek, causing his face to blush slightly. Seeing his embarra.s.sment, his colleagues around him giggled. He coughed awkwardly, trying to hide his flushed face, but he didnt wipe off the faint lipstick mark left by the womans kiss. Laughing helplessly, he asked, What are you doing, being so flirtatious?

Quick, lets go home! Ive already driven here! The woman showed no sign of flirtatiousness, linking her arm with his all in smiles and pulling him towards the car as she spoke.

Go home? Why are you in such a hurry to go home, just what

Dont ask now, youll know once were back, so lets go~

2 hours before the New Year

Both of you, get on Skype.

Said the message from

Five

.

Qi Jing placed his laptop next to Shen Yans PC and settled down beside him. Even within the mere minute it took for his laptop to boot up, he managed to steal a moment to lean his head over and nuzzle Shen Yans shoulder.

Shen Yan just smiled, lowering his shoulder a bit to make it more comfortable to lean on.

Ah, Skype. Its so nostalgic Qi Jing murmured as he stared at the blue icon on the screen. He had this software installed on his laptop before, but it had been idle for quite a while. The main reason was that fewer and fewer people in the online voice acting circle were using it these days. I used to have discussions with some production teams on Skype when I first joined the circle. Back then, YY wasnt as popular, but now its Skype thats gradually disappearing. Maybe its because Skype doesnt have the in-built recording feature.

Mhm, having an option to record is pretty useful. Shen Yan suddenly chuckled upon hearing this, lifting his hand to hold Qi Jings nape, gently rubbing the hair there.

Qi Jing immediately understood what he meant and he smiled silently, continuing to lazily enjoy his personal benefits.

Logging into a newly created account, Qi Jing began adding contacts one by one based on the list of accounts provided by Shen Yan. Then, it was

Five

who initiated the group voice call.

To make his ident.i.ty clear, Qi Jing even changed his ID int matching the other people present in the group.

Five

truly lived up to his reputation. He excelled in talking to people, making him the best person to gather everyone together. With him taking the lead, , , , , , and his own accounts were now all online status in the chat window.

-Gimme a proper dub, dumba.s.s

-Porcelain Bowl

-Biluochun Tea

-Swift horses run fast

-Geese Fly North

-Dont ask for my return date

The only one to remain missing was the one ranked first on the list,

What about One? Isnt Onehere?

Two

s voice grew sombre, displaying clear displeasure, We agreed to welcome the New Year together with all seven of us, how can we do that without One here?

Five

mumbled, I know, I know! What else can I do if he wont pick up my calls? The best I can do is to continue trying.

Four

was eating some melon seeds while watching him scrambling frantically to get in touch with the last person, Good luck, you dont even have two hours before the New Year~

Five

could only gaze listlessly at the skies, first pus.h.i.+ng Qi Jing forward to act as a decoy, You guys first talk to the new boy

Seven

, and Ill keep trying to call him. Going AFK for a bit.

1 hour before the New Year

I Cant Contact Him They heard

Five

s dispirited voice, sounding as if he was on the verge of tears.

Ive already talked about everything I could, so condolences. Qi Jing expressed his helplessness.

During the time he was trying to contact the missing member, Qi Jing chatted with

Four

about the possibility of

Jade b.u.t.terfly

being the owner of the

Dissing Slag Gays

side account and her peculiar logic. Then, he shared various funny anecdotes with

Three

from the time when he had broken his arm, expressing his grat.i.tude for his rehabilitation advice at the time. Lastly, he even started some impromptu script acting with

Two

for Trap.

Luckily, Qi Jing was quite chatty himself, so he didnt find it boring even after an hour.

Still, just continuing chatting wasnt a solution.

You still havent managed to contact One?

Three

was asking concerned.

Come on, Five, cant you put in more effort,

Four

was urging impatiently.

Crunch, crunch, crunch

As for

Two

, all that could be heard from his end was the sounds of him munching on potato crisps, with him probably having already given up on complaining.

Shen Yan also didnt say anything, just waiting in silence. However, Qi Jing really couldnt help his curiosity.

What kind of person is One? Why is he so hard to find?

One, huh Hes a man behind high-ranking

officials

. Upon hearing him ask this,

Five

chuckled suddenly, deliberately putting the emphasis on the plural officials.

A man behind high-ranking officials.

Its not only a high-ranking official, but also a number of them?

With those words, a whirlwind of eye-catching news headlines swept through Qi Jings head: Kept Man Exposed, or The

Second Master

Behind the Officials, or Unveiling the Scandalous Private Lives of Officials, and so on

Qi Jing s.h.i.+vered, scared by the door to a whole new world that opened in his mind.

Seeing him momentarily at a loss of words,

Five

couldnt contain his laughter any longer and exclaimed, Hahaha! Just now, you must have imagined One as some sort of kept man for the officials, didnt you?

Qi Jing turned his head away in an awkward silence.

Thats just a professional bias, a professional bias

Ah, One is an interpreter, nothing more At that time,

Two

, who had finally finished eating his bag of crisps, chimed in to tell him the truth.

Qi Jing finally understood.

No wonder

Five

referred to him as a man behind high-ranking officials It was indeed kind of the case. He often encountered individuals like that at press conferences, serving as the alternative voice for the officials. The simultaneous interpreters mostly operated in the background, rarely appearing during public events.

Bringing

One

up got everyone in the group chatting energetically once again.

Seven, listen up! Listen! One has a built-in voice-over~

Thats right, when hes voice acting in audio dramas with English lines in them, he sounds like a real foreigner

But in exchange for that, hes completely useless in the historical plots For example Order to End The Heavens. If he were to partic.i.p.ate in that contest, he would definitely end up accidentally playing a transmigrated modern guy.

Speaking of which

Five

feebly tried to catch their attention among their chatter, The main point iswe still cant contact him?

Upon hearing this, Qi Jing pondered for a moment and drew from his experience working at the TV station, offering an explanation, Today is the day right before the New Years, and typically, official year-end summaries and New Year forecasts are released this evening. If Ones profession involves this kind of work I believe he might be occupied with his job at the moment, and during such formal occasions, its likely that he has his phone turned off.

His statement left everyone stumped.

Five

wailed miserably, d.a.m.n it, I think that Sevens rightour plans to welcome the new year together got busted!!

But suddenly, Shen Yan, who didnt really speak much up till that point, said, He will come. Lets wait a bit more.

10 minutes before the New Year

Its 11:50 now.

Upon hearing this, Qi Jing slightly opened his eyes, confirmed that still hadnt appear, and then closed them again, going back to lazy nuzzling against Shen Yans shoulder for some warmth.

On the other side,

Four

let out a yawn, and

Three

gave her a gentle pat with a wry smile.

Two

s potato crisps stash seemed to have run out, and even him, the guy who usually talked the most, didnt have the energy to keep pus.h.i.+ng. So, he just turned to having a sporadic conversation with Shen Yan.

Doesnt matter, its already good that we managed to gather six people for tonight.

Five

sighed wistfully, and he was about to abandon attempting to contact

One

. But then, his phone rang loudly, and the ringtone was transmitted to everyone on the Skype call, momentarily rousing them all from their drowsiness, perking up their ears to listen.

Since it was a phone call, they couldnt hear the person on the other side, only

Five

who was talking to them.

The content of the call also had them on tenterhooks

One! Aaaaah, you finally

Thats right, you finally listened to the message I left you? Yes, yes, everyone else is here, youre the only one missing.

What! Youre telling me that you have no computer around you? You actually dont have a computer??

Phone? I think you should be able to download a mobile app for Skype

Youve never used it before? Even if you havent, its okay, just give it a try quickly. We only have seven minutes left until the New Year!

No one dared to take a deep breath.

After a moment,

Five

hung up the phone and informed everyone that

One

was currently downloading and installing the mobile app, so they had no choice but to wait. The tension in the atmosphere remained, getting more palpable with each minute and second.

5 minutes before the New Year

If there was anything more agonising in this world than forgetting pa.s.sword, then it was forgetting an account name.

Pa.s.swords are often more or less reused, people would usually just use a couple of them, but it was a different case with the account account namesespecially when they havent been used for over half a year.

And so,

One

currently found himself in this tragic state

Im Impressed by him.

Five

s tone completely embodied a pure deadpan expression.

Have him register a new account!

Thats right!

I told him that, and you know what? He said no,

Five

s deadpan expression seemed to escalate even further, He said something about how true old friends should use their old accounts to meet

The corner of

Two

s lips twitched, and he voiced the collective sentiment, May I ask if I can give him a beating?

30 seconds before the New Year

Ive got both bad news and good news. Which one would you like to hear first in the last thirty seconds of this year?

During the last moments,

Five

actually came to say something like this.

Two

simply lost it.

Tell! Us! Both! Now!! G.o.ddammit!

Perhaps due to his exasperated tone, it unexpectedly hit a comical nerve, making everyone burst into laughter almost simultaneously.

Even

Five

laughed along.

The first news came out with a dry laugh, The bad news is that One in the end, he didnt remember his account.

Then, with a bright smile, he delivered the second one, The good news is, I remembered it for him.

At that time, they got surprised with another person joining the voice chat window, the mark appearing on the list.

Seems like youre all here. A calm and deliberate male voice could be heard, his manner of speaking a reminiscent of the combed-back hair of old-fas.h.i.+on foreign movie actors, each word meticulously arranged, Good evening

And

Two

s response was in turn like someone reaching down to tousle those perfectly neat hair in an instant.

In ten seconds it wont be evening anymore! Hurry up, were about to start the countdown!

Laughter erupted through earphones, blurring the distinction between the voices.

The arrival of the last person elevated everyones spirits, filling the atmosphere with laughter and excitement.

Quick, quick, lets count down together!

Ready!

Three!

Two!

One!

New Year, midnight

HappyNewYear!

The six of them exclaimed together in unison, but it got disturbed by

One

late

Happy New Year

in English, late by half a bit and almost making all of them choke.

One! You

One! What are you doing, mixing the English in!

Im sorry, Im sorry I had just left my workplace, and my reflexes kicked in, so I interpreted it on the spot

One

humbly engaged in self-critique. Occupational habits are sure hard to control.

Qi Jing smiled among the noisy atmosphere on Skype, then suddenly, he turned his head to the side and, covering the mic, pa.s.sed a bit of his smile in the corner of his lips onto the lips of that man.

The first mwah of the year. He said.

Novels would often use the word sweet to describe a persons smile. Turns out, it really wasnt baseless

Happy New Year, A-Yan.

A/N:

Thats a long, long, long chapter _(:3)_

I hope that this will mean that there will be long, long, long comments _(:3)_ (Actually, as you guys are always checking everyday for the updates, Im also checking in everyday for the comments, sobs)

T/N:

Lucilla: It is indeed, a long long long chapter (

dies

)