ZG City, Hebei Province. Gao Jianfei's hometown.
Gao Jianfei himself was unaware that the internal martial arts circle in China was now in complete chaos, with its structure in utter disarray. And he could be considered the instigator of this chaos.
If he hadn't inadvertently revealed the rudimentary form of ghost possession, which has a beast-taming-like effect, the Qingcheng Sect probably wouldn't have bothered with him so relentlessly, and the Holy Land wouldn't have been interested in him...
In short, Gao Jianfei himself has been staying at home during this time, not participating in any commercial or government activities. He's been living a completely carefree life, spending time with his family and wife. Every day, he uses his internal energy to massage his mother's acupoints to stimulate her nerves, brews medicine for her, takes her for walks in the neighborhood to bask in the sun, or accompanies Chen Xian shopping in the city to enjoy some alone time together. As for the marriage certificate, Gao Jianfei isn't in a hurry to get one with Chen Xian. His immediate priority is dealing with the Genius Challenge two months from now and how to deal with the threat from the Holy Land… Only after resolving these issues can Gao Jianfei fulfill his promise to Chen Xian. This is also a way of showing responsibility to Chen Xian.
Having successfully deceived the four disciples of the Holy Land last time, Gao Jianfei no longer needs to worry about those ancient martial arts sects harassing him again, nor does he need to worry about the people of the Holy Land taking action against him in advance.
These two months were a rare period of leisure for Gao Jianfei.
Gao Jianfei accumulated exorcism points. Three days passed, and his current exorcism points reached '24,000'. These points were enough for Gao Jianfei to summon a relatively powerful level 4 ghost and quickly assemble a containment system for it. However, this time, Gao Jianfei decided to give himself some patience.
You can't reach level 4 ghost until you collect 10 exorcism points!
If you want it, then get a level 4 ghost martial arts skill that's powerful enough for one use!
One day, just after lunch, Gao Jianfei was sitting on the living room sofa watching TV with his parents when Chen Xian suddenly ran over excitedly. She was holding a copy of the China Daily.
"Jianfei, come here for a second!" Chen Xian beckoned to Gao Jianfei. It was clear that something had excited her.
"Heh, Xiaoxian, what's up? You seem so happy." Gao Jianfei chuckled.
"Come here!" Chen Xian gestured for Gao Jianfei to come over, wanting to speak to him privately.
"Jianfei, stop dawdling. Xiaoxian wants you to come over, so just go." Mom smiled at Gao Jianfei. After spending a few days together, Mom was now very satisfied with Chen Xian as her daughter-in-law. To be honest, it's hard for any parent not to like a woman with Chen Xian's personality. As for whether she has any flaws, of course she does. The only flaw is... her family background is terrible! However, for a family like Gao Jianfei's, this is not a flaw at all; it's something that can be tolerated.
Gao Jianfei gave a forced, helpless smile, then got up and gently put his arm around Chen Xian, leading them into the bedroom. As soon as the door closed, Gao Jianfei, still holding Chen Xian, said, "Hehe, Xiao Xian, it's broad daylight, and you can't resist? You want to do it?"
"No, no!" Chen Xian protested, "You do this so many times every night, I don't have that kind of stamina!" After a pause, Chen Xian waved the newspaper in her hand. "Jianfei, Liang Xiaoru is going to have a concert in ZG City! Jianfei, she's my idol!"
"Huh?" Gao Jianfei was taken aback.
Liang Xiaoru is a top-tier singer who is currently enjoying great popularity in the Chinese music scene!
Even Gao Jianfei, who doesn't usually pay much attention to the entertainment industry (well, actually, Gao Jianfei has released an album with Nihon Records in Japan, although it hasn't been officially released yet, so he can be considered someone in the entertainment industry, at least a musician), still felt a sense of awe when he heard Liang Xiaoru's name.
This woman is extremely famous.
Before Gao Jianfei, I had seen information about Liang Xiaoru in a magazine.
She is originally from mainland China, with her ancestral home in Beijing. When she was 12 years old, she was singing on her own balcony when she was discovered by a Hong Kong music producer who happened to be passing by downstairs. He was amazed by her talent.
From then on, Liang Xiaoru officially entered the music scene as a child star.
In just 10 years, Liang Xiaoru has become a household name in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. She even enjoys high recognition throughout Asia. She has released 16 albums, with total sales reaching 4,000 copies.
Her vocal range is excellent; she can sing fast songs as well as slow songs. Her singing voice is sometimes high-pitched and passionate, soaring to the sky, and incomparably fiery; at other times, it is low and husky, deeply emotional, and exquisitely mournful.
Of her songs, at least 30 can be considered household names!
A true diva-level singer. And she's only 22 years old.
Gao Jianfei, a man, can sing at least four or five of Liang Xiaoru's songs, which gives you an idea of how influential she is!
"She's going to hold a concert in our ZG city?" Gao Jianfei found it somewhat unbelievable. Logically speaking, a superstar like her would never hold a concert in a small, third-tier inland city like ZG!
Although ZG City hosted the Provincial Games last year and the specially built Nanhu Stadium already met the requirements for hosting a first-class concert, Gao Jianfei still didn't believe that a star as big as Liang Xiaoru would come to ZG!
"Jianfei, listen to me." Chen Xian seemed very interested in the concert. She pulled Gao Jianfei to sit on the bed and began to talk. "Jianfei, actually, Liang Xiaoru's concert has been arranged a long time ago. It's in our province, but in D city, not ZG city."
“Oh, D City is our provincial capital, of course it has the conditions to hold a concert of this caliber,” Gao Jianfei said matter-of-factly.
D City is, after all, a first-tier city in China. It's perfectly reasonable for Liang Xiaoru to hold a concert in D City.
"However..." Chen Xian changed the subject, "Jianfei, it seems there's been a problem with the organizers in D City. Liang Xiaoru's concert has actually been moved to our ZG City!"
"Seriously? Even if D City can't host the concert right now, why choose ZG City out of all the cities in the province? You know, ZG City's economy isn't that strong compared to the rest of the province." Gao Jianfei was still confused and puzzled.
Chen Xian muttered, "Jianfei, why are you worrying about this? Look, it's in the China Daily, isn't it? Next Monday, 7:30 pm, at Nanhu Stadium, Liang Xiaoru's concert!"
Gao Jianfei grabbed the newspaper and looked at it. Sure enough, it was written clearly in black and white: it was next Monday evening at 7:30!
On the promotional page, Liang Xiaoru is seen wearing a black short leather skirt and an ordinary t-shirt. Her long hair flows freely, her figure is curvaceous, and her appearance is both pure and wild, making her very attractive.
"Tsk tsk, this woman not only sings well, but she's also quite pretty," Gao Jianfei couldn't help but exclaim.
Chen Xian scolded, "Hey, Jianfei, don't be so lewd, okay? Seriously, Jianfei, I want to go to Liang Xiaoru's concert... She's my idol... I grew up listening to her songs..."
"Hehe!" Gao Jianfei laughed. "Xiao Xian, after all this secrecy, you just wanted to tell me this? Why didn't you say it to my mother earlier?"
“Jianfei! The tickets for this concert aren’t cheap. The good seats cost over a thousand yuan… The old folks will be heartbroken if they hear we’re spending so much money on a concert. They’ll say I’m wasteful…” Chen Xian said pitifully. “Jianfei, I’m not really interested in any of the many stars and singers who hold concerts, and I wouldn’t spend that much money to go… But Liang Xiaoru is an exception…”
"Alright, Xiaoxian, if you want to see this concert, I'll go with you!" Gao Jianfei glanced at the ticket prices listed in the newspaper. The grandstand tickets were divided into three tiers: 380, 480, and 580; the inner field tickets were divided into four tiers: 680, 880, 1280, 1680, and 2080.
Among them, the most expensive ticket, priced at 2080 yuan, is the VIP ticket, which offers a very close view of the stage and allows for a close-up view of the singer.
"Okay, Xiaoxian, go ahead and call to book the tickets. We're not short of money, so let's skip the grandstand tickets and at least get VIP tickets! Haha!" Gao Jianfei laughed nonchalantly.
Indeed, given his status as the world's number one gambling god, he could easily afford to pay Liang Xiaoru an appearance fee to sing for Chen Xian at his home. A concert ticket worth several thousand yuan is nothing to him.
Hearing her man's approval, Chen Xian happily began dialing the ticket booking hotline.
However, the process of buying tickets did not go smoothly.
Because Liang Xiaoru's concert was scheduled to be held in D City several months ago, tickets were already booked at that time. Most of the tickets were purchased by people from other cities or locals in D City. This time, the concert was changed to ZG City at the last minute, and the organizers allowed fans who had already bought tickets to get refunds. However, a large number of fans from other places, including those in D City, did not choose to get refunds and remained determined to see the concert, even traveling to ZG City. Therefore, very few tickets actually ended up in ZG City.
Chen Xian called to book tickets, but all the tickets for the inner field were sold out. Only a few scattered grandstand tickets remained. Moreover, there were no consecutive numbers among the grandstand tickets!
"Ah? Jianfei, there are no tickets left!" Chen Xian said to Gao Jianfei with great disappointment.
"Uh? Damn it, the organizers of this concert are idiots! Changing the venue at the last minute makes it so difficult for fans in our city to buy tickets!" Gao Jianfei cursed, then picked up his phone and dialed the number of the municipal party committee of ZG City!
I called the municipal party committee secretary just to ask him to help me find two VIP tickets for Liang Xiaoru's concert!
Chen Xian looked at her man and asked the municipal party committee secretary to help her find tickets in an extremely serious voice. She felt both sweet and amused.
Of course, with the municipal party committee secretary in charge, the two votes for the supreme leader were easily obtained!
…… …… ……
Hongkong.
In a villa in Repulse Bay.
This villa is the private residence of Liang Xiaoru, the current queen of the Chinese music scene.
As dusk settled, Liang Xiaoru, dressed in a flowing little dress, with a tall and graceful figure and an unparalleled elegance, stood on the balcony, holding a wine glass in her hand, her beautiful eyes gazing at the mesmerizing neon lights and nightscape of Repulse Bay.
In the wine glass, there was a fragrant amber-colored wine. Liang Xiaoru took a sip of the red wine and sighed, "It's rare to have a few days off to rest. Next week, I'll be back to work. Heh... Uncle Pang, my concert, which was originally scheduled to be held in the capital of an inland province, has been moved to a small city. It's really interesting. I've been in the industry for 10 years and have held many concerts, but this has never happened before. This is the first time."
On the balcony, in a wicker chair, sat a well-dressed, distinguished man of about 50 years old, with slightly graying temples. He was smoking a cigar. "Xiaoru, you've never performed in a small city before. This time, consider it experiencing the enthusiasm of small-town fans. I think they won't disappoint you."
"Mmm." Liang Xiaoru's eyes sparkled with a captivating light. "As long as there's singing, as long as there are fans willing to listen to me sing, it doesn't matter where we go." After a pause, Liang Xiaoru changed the subject. "But, Uncle Pang, I know that this time, the reason we changed the concert venue to ZG City wasn't because of any problem with the organizers, but because you requested it. We're going to meet a special person, right?"
"Uncle Pang" nodded. "Actually, the reason I did this was partly to investigate the market in smaller cities, and partly because Master personally ordered us to find a person named 'Gao Jianfei' in ZG City. Even if we can't find him, his family is from ZG City, so we need to find a way to talk to his family."
"Master personally ordered the search for this 'Gao Jianfei.' Is he that important?" Liang Xiaoru asked with great interest.
“Yes, he is a crucial person.” Uncle Pang’s eyes gradually became serious. “Xiao Ru, your career has reached its peak these past few years, which has kept you extremely busy, leaving you no time to understand the world. Putting aside the fact that Gao Jianfei is very important to our Wudang Sect, just his background is terrifying… the world’s number one gambling god! A world-renowned doctor! A world-class painter! Any one of those titles is enough to awe people! Xiao Ru, although you are undoubtedly the top female singer in the Chinese music scene, in terms of international status, you are inferior to Gao Jianfei. So, don’t look down on ZG City. This small city has produced a super talent like Gao Jianfei!”
"Wow? An international gambling god? A doctor? A painter? That's amazing!" Liang Xiaoru couldn't help but exclaim. "Uh... wait a minute! I've had some time to go online these past few days, and I saw a world genius challenge competition. It seems that one of the contestants is... Gao Jianfei!"
“Yes! That’s him!” Uncle Pang nodded emphatically.
"Wow! If that's the case, I want to go to ZG City right away! That Gao Jianfei is really a very important person! I just don't know if I'll be able to meet him in person," Liang Xiaoru said eagerly.
Chapter 395 How did you end up in my house?
Chapter 395 How did you end up in my house?
"Xiaoru, it's really hard to say whether we'll be able to meet Gao Jianfei in person after we get to Guangzhou," Uncle Pang said solemnly. "Before, our Wudang Sect, and even the Shaolin Sect, sent disciples to Guangzhou to gather information, but... well, let's not dwell on that. Anyway, Xiaoru, remember, this time, if we can find Gao Jianfei in person, that would be great; otherwise, meeting his family would be fine too. We're not going to Guangzhou to find Gao Jianfei as members of the Wudang Sect, but as singers, understand?" He thought to himself, "Xiaoru has a very high status in the Asian music scene, and very few people know that she joined the Wudang Sect in her childhood. If Xiaoru goes to Guangzhou to hold a concert in a big way, it won't arouse suspicion from the people of the Holy Land!"
“Hmm. I understand, Uncle Pang. But…” Liang Xiaoru’s eyes were very bright. At this moment, in front of Uncle Pang, she showed her extremely mischievous side again. “Uncle Pang, that Gao Jianfei is a doctor, a painter, a gambling god, and he also participated in the Genius Challenge… So he must be a middle-aged man, right? Otherwise, it’s impossible for him to have achieved such outstanding success in so many fields.”
Uncle Pang chuckled and said, "Haha! Little girl! It seems you're quite curious about Gao Jianfei! He's not some middle-aged man at all; he's about your age, around 22!"
"Hiss!" Liang Xiaoru gasped. "No way? 22 years old? The same age as me? My god! He really is a genius! Okay! ZG City, here I come! Gao Jianfei, here I come!"
Uncle Pang gave Liang Xiaoru a loving look. "Girl, these past few years, you've been so busy singing and making money that you seem a bit out of touch with society, a little disconnected... Alright, after the concert in ZG City this time, you should take a break for a while! Hmm, take a temporary hiatus, study hard, recharge, and have some fun."
…… …… ……
zg city.
Gao Jianfei personally received two VIP tickets to Liang Xiaoru's concert from the municipal party committee secretary. After a brief chat, Gao Jianfei inquired about the concert with some slight suspicion. Why would a superstar like Liang Xiaoru hold a concert in a third-tier city in mainland China? And why did she suddenly change her mind and come all the way from D City to ZG City?
In response, the municipal party committee secretary first offered a long string of high-sounding platitudes, mentioning the rapid economic development of ZG City in recent years and the gradual improvement of people's living standards. Then, he said with a wry smile, "Jianfei, actually… I don't know why Ms. Liang Xiaoru made this surprise appearance in ZG City. It's said that it wasn't organized by the organizers, but rather requested by Ms. Liang Xiaoru's agent. According to our municipal leadership's analysis, Ms. Liang Xiaoru probably wanted to use this opportunity to investigate the spending power and enthusiasm of fans in smaller cities."
After asking around without getting any answers, Gao Jianfei had no choice but to shut up. But it was just a singer holding a concert; it didn't really concern Gao Jianfei. Although the concert seemed a bit strange, Gao Jianfei didn't believe that this strangeness had anything to do with him.
This matter should not be pursued excessively.
After seeing off the municipal party committee secretary, Gao Jianfei and Chen Xian were playing and laughing in their bedroom. Chen Xian held the two tickets to the VIP concert, her face beaming with joy, and she repeatedly gave Gao Jianfei kisses. Gao Jianfei chuckled, "Xiao Xian, I didn't expect you to be a fangirl!"
Chen Xian blushed, a little embarrassed, "No, it's just that I'm a little bit 'infatuated' with Liang Xiaoru!"
Gao Jianfei thought to himself, Chen Xian has sacrificed so much for him. A young white-collar worker from a big city, she was willing to come to a small city with him, to be his slave, to take care of his family. Whatever she likes to do, he should go with her! Gao Jianfei's heart softened, and he gently hugged Chen Xian, murmuring, "Silly girl, you want to see Liang Xiaoru? After the concert, I'll invite her to my house and have her sing just for you!"
"Hehe... Jianfei, stop joking! I just want you to come with me that night!" Chen Xian giggled. At that moment, she felt like the happiest woman in the world!
The exact date of the concert is one week from now. Today is Monday, and the concert is scheduled for next Monday at 7:30 PM. There are still 7 days left.
Gao Jianfei didn't share Chen Xian's anticipation for the concert. He simply saw it as a fun way to relax and have a good time with Chen Xian.
What truly concerned Gao Jianfei was the recovery status of the exorcism points.
A quick scan of the virtual display showed that the lost exorcism points had been restored to '3'. Exactly 3 points. Seven more exorcism points were needed to proceed with the exorcism against a level 4 martial arts-powered ghost.
In other words, Gao Jianfei will have to wait about 10 more days.
Gao Jianfei was anxious! His current feelings were just like Chen Xian's... Chen Xian longed for the concert to come quickly, while Gao Jianfei was anxiously waiting for the 10 exorcism points to be fully restored!
Both of them were actually extremely anxious.
As for the Genius Challenge, which is being held amidst both gentle breezes and torrential rain, it is slowly entering its countdown phase. Now, when you turn on your computer, a huge countdown icon will appear on the Genius Challenge webpage...
"51 days"
There are only 51 days left until the Genius Challenge.
Gao Jianfei would also make himself a cup of tea, sit in front of the computer, and browse the Genius Challenge website.
The venue for the competition has now been confirmed: Beijing, the capital of country Z.
Some high-ranking officials in Beijing, including the leaders of China and even the Prime Minister, have declared that Beijing will host this competition as successfully as it did the 2008 Olympics! They welcome friends from all countries to come to Beijing and watch the competition!
Hotels and private inns in Beijing have started posting advertisements on their websites to attract foreign guests and people from other cities in China.