Chapter 190 Trending Search
The wine was served.
Huang Kairen first poured half a cup for everyone.
He asked Li Zhibai and Yan Liang, "Have we met before?"
“I saw you at the event,” Li Zhibai said. “However, you probably don’t remember us; there were a lot of people at the event.”
Huang Kairen nodded. "I don't really remember seeing you guys before, but I've seen your performance videos online, especially your performance at the graduation party not long ago. It was amazing, unlike any version I've seen before."
“We created new arrangements and choreography specifically for this purpose,” Li Zhibai said.
“No wonder,” Huang Kairen said. “It’s a real shame that your group disbanded after three years.”
At this moment, Li Qian said from the side, "It's not a pity. It's good for them to develop on their own. That way, they don't have to share the money with everyone else."
What Li Qian said is indeed true.
However, her words made everyone feel inexplicably awkward, as if Lu Yanhe and his group disbanded because they were unwilling to share the profits equally with everyone.
Wang Yunfan said, "There are advantages to combining forces and advantages to developing independently. In the long run, it's better to develop independently, right?"
He looked at Lu Yanhe and the others in an inquiring manner.
Lu Yanhe said, "We don't know either. We just signed a three-year group contract when we debuted. From the beginning, we didn't intend for the group to continue for a long time. It's different from MX's model. They decided from the beginning that they would develop as a group and signed a long-term contract."
Upon hearing this, Wang Yunfan asked, "Then why did Ma Zhiyuan suddenly go solo?"
This involves many things, and none of Lu Yanhe and the others said anything, only shaking their heads and saying that they didn't know either.
“Oh, how could I not know? I’ve heard about it all.” Li Qian immediately added, “Isn’t it just that Ma Zhiyuan and MX’s manager, Lin Suyang, had a falling out? The two are like oil and water. Ma Zhiyuan has always thought he was the most popular one in the group and wanted to go solo for a long time. So, as soon as the time was right, he left.”
Wang Yunfan looked at Li Qian in surprise, "How did you know that?"
“My agent told me; they’re incredibly well-informed,” Li Qian said without hesitation. “Besides, I also heard—”
Li Qian's gaze suddenly fell on Lu Yanhe.
“I really have to apologize to you, Lu Yanhe.” Li Qian suddenly became serious and said, “I ridiculed you a couple of days ago. At that time, I didn’t know the truth of the matter and thought you just got into the crew through connections, so I couldn’t stand you. Later I found out that you got in through an audition. That’s when I realized that your original agent disliked you so much that he organized an audition with over a hundred people to prevent you from filming ‘The Golden Era’.”
Lu Yanhe was suddenly stunned.
Li Qian's sudden apology left him speechless.
It even made him feel uneasy.
Li Qian raised her glass. "I'll drink this as an apology to you."
As soon as she finished speaking, she raised her head and downed the entire glass of wine.
Lu Yanhe looked at Li Qian in surprise, not knowing what to do for a moment.
"Why are you drinking so fast?" Wang Yunfan tried to stop Li Qian with some helplessness, but he couldn't.
He turned to look at Lu Yanhe and said, "I told you before, she's someone who talks faster than she thinks. She doesn't really mean what she says, and she doesn't mean any harm."
Lu Yanhe vaguely sensed a hint of resentment in Wang Yunfan's words, as if he was complaining that Wang Yunfan was too concerned about the matter.
He turned to look at Li Qian and said, "Actually, I understand everyone's concerns about me. Although what you said back then was unpleasant, it didn't hurt me. On the contrary, it inspired my fighting spirit, which is good."
He picked up his wine glass and gently touched it to Li Qian's empty glass.
"Thank you." Lu Yanhe picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.
-
In the middle, Lu Yanhe came out to use the restroom.
The bar was noisy, and so were the restrooms.
When he came out of the restroom, he found Wang Yunfan standing at the door waiting for him.
"Let's talk," Wang Yunfan said to him.
Lu Yanhe had vaguely sensed some hostility from him before, and now the feeling was even more obvious.
Lu Yanhe and Wang Yunfan went to a corner.
Wang Yunfan's expression darkened as he glared at Lu Yanhe.
"Brother Yunfan, is there something you want to say to me?"
“I know that although you only played a small supporting role in ‘The Golden Era,’ you have Chen Ziyan’s backing and are now a media darling with a bright future ahead of you. But you don’t need to put on airs in front of us.”
Lu Yanhe looked at Wang Yunfan in confusion and asked, "I don't understand what you're saying. What kind of airs am I putting on?"
"Li Qian already apologized to you, what more do you want?" Wang Yunfan said. "Aren't you going to let Li Qian off the hook?"
"What?" Lu Yanhe stared at Wang Yunfan in surprise. "I only let Li Qian go?"
"Isn't that right? Since she has apologized to you properly, why don't you just accept her apology instead of threatening her with veiled threats?" Wang Yunfan questioned.
“Brother Yunfan, I think you’ve got it wrong. I didn’t threaten her in any way, and I don’t have the right to threaten her now.”
“You may not be qualified now, but you might be in the future. Isn’t that what you meant by those words?” Wang Yunfan said. “What will it take for you to let this go?”
"I'll emphasize one last time: I'm not holding onto this matter. What I just said is exactly what I think. I understand everyone's disapproval of me, but I will dispel your disapproval with my own actions. Yunfan, don't overthink it. I never intended to threaten anyone."
Wang Yunfan still looked at Lu Yanhe with suspicion.
He didn't believe everything Lu Yanhe said.
"I hope you will keep your word."
“Brother Yunfan, I also hope you won’t come to me every time to try to persuade me,” Lu Yanhe said. “From beginning to end, this whole thing was a conflict between Li Qian and me, but you’re the one who came to mediate and hoped I would let it go. You’re also the one who’s worried that I’m retaliating and threatening Li Qian. Maybe you’re old classmates and you think you’re doing this to protect your old classmate, but to be honest, I’m not happy. Li Qian is your old classmate, and I’m an actor who’s working with you on a show. In a normal work setting, we’re colleagues. You can’t always ask me to back down and make this compromise.”
Wang Yunfan never expected that Lu Yanhe would say such a thing to him.
His face froze for a moment, and then looked rather unpleasant.
"I'm going back now." Lu Yanhe nodded to Wang Yunfan and turned to go back to the private room.
-
Inside the private room, the group had already started playing Truth or Dare.
Play rock-paper-scissors, and the loser chooses truth or dare. The dare is to drink a glass of wine.
As soon as Lu Yanhe entered, Huang Kairen immediately waved and said, "Little Lu, you're finally back! Come on over!"
After hearing the rules of the game, Lu Yanhe quickly shook his head and said, "No, Brother Ren, to be honest, I can't hold my liquor. That last glass already made me a little dizzy. A year ago, I was a lightweight."
Upon hearing this, Huang Kairen said, "Then you are allowed to participate in our game using the bottom of a cup."
They drink from small shot glasses, which are only about two sips per shot.
Lu Yanhe, of course, didn't want to spoil the fun, so he nodded when he saw that they had all said so.
Several people played a game of rock-paper-scissors, and Yan Liang lost.
Li Qian immediately asked, "Are you still a virgin?"
Yan Liang's cheeks immediately turned red.
Without saying a word, he picked up his glass and downed it in one gulp.
Li Qian laughed heartily, "Is he shy or too afraid to admit he's a virgin?"
Lu Yanhe was shocked; he never expected Li Qian to ask such a probing question.
This suddenly gave him a strong sense of crisis.
Huang Kairen said helplessly, "Li Qian, take it easy. They've all just come of age."
Li Qian said bluntly, "Kai Ren, you really don't understand high school students these days. They're much more unrestrained than we were back then."
Lu Yanhe quickly shook his head, "I didn't."
Yan Liang also shook his head, "I don't have any either."
Li Qian glared at them.
"Keep pretending!"
At this moment, Wang Yunfan also returned.
He had composed himself and entered with a smile, just like always.
What are you guys playing?
Upon hearing about the game, Wang Yunfan exclaimed, "Wow, you guys have been fooled by Li Qian, haven't you? She's an expert at this game. If you're not thick-skinned enough, no one can beat her."
Li Zhibai nodded in agreement, saying, "We've already seen just the tip of the iceberg."
Li Qian immediately glared at Wang Yunfan and said, "Are you trying to break down my door?!"
Wang Yunfan laughed and said, "I have to give them a heads-up, otherwise they'll blame me for manipulating the game with you."
-
Dark peach.
This is the name of the bar.
Xin Zixing got out of the taxi and walked towards the bar entrance.
Unlike most girls who come to bars, her clothes were neither sexy nor sophisticated. On the contrary, they were just ordinary T-shirts and jeans. However, she had long, flowing black hair and a stunningly beautiful face. As she walked past people, she could steal their attention without any eye contact.
As soon as Xin Zixing entered the bar, she attracted a lot of attention.
She sat alone at the bar, ordered a specialty cocktail, and slowly sipped it.
Xin Zixing had been out all day, so she wanted to come to the bar for a drink.
Originally, I planned to go back in the afternoon, but I changed my mind after meeting Lu Yanhe and his group.
She made a plan that afternoon and sent it to the website's content editor.
The plan was to invite Lu Yanhe, Li Zhibai, and Yan Liang to visit Langhua and create a record of Langhua on the Yemai website.
However, such a plan would definitely require funding.
The remuneration for Lu Yanhe, Li Zhibai and Yan Liang is also a considerable expense. Even with this kind of work, the artists' companies know that they can't ask for much money, but even a low remuneration may not bring equivalent commercial returns.
Xin Zixing herself was a little worried that the plan would not be approved, but at 7 p.m., she received a reply that it was approved.
However, the artist's side requires her to handle everything herself, and only provides a total of 50,000 yuan in work expenses.
Xin Zixing immediately asked her former colleagues for Chen Ziyan and Zhou Ping'an's contact information, and wrote an email to each of them, explaining the theme of her project and the details of the collaboration.
Xin Zixing did not hide the fact that she had run into Lu Yanhe and his two companions in Langhua that day.
However, she has not yet received a reply from either of her agents.
Xin Zixing wasn't in a hurry. If she didn't receive the message tonight, she would just continue waiting for the three of them at the hotel restaurant tomorrow.
She knew which hotel Lu Yanhe was staying at.
When she worked for a fashion magazine, Xin Zixing had dealt with artists' teams many times and knew how to resolve these issues.
Just as she was considering how to proceed with this matter, suddenly, someone sat down next to Xin Zixing.
"Are you alone, Miss?"
"No hookups, no flirting." Xin Zixing glanced indifferently at the man sitting next to her. He was a very young man with a frivolous and flippant look on his face. He was dressed entirely in designer clothes, though at first glance the brands and styles were hard to discern. Xin Zixing guessed he was probably a rich second-generation heir, but this did not change her attitude.
"Is this your first time here, Miss?" The other person seemed not to understand her refusal, or perhaps even if they did, they pretended not to.
Xin Zixing smiled slightly and asked, "If this weren't my first time here, I should know you?"
The other person nodded confidently and said, "There aren't many people here who don't know me."
"So Langhua is this small." Xin Zixing picked up her wine glass and took a sip. "I don't know who you are, but you're not my type, so let's not waste each other's time. I'm not here to find a man."
The other person was taken aback, looking at her in surprise, "You... you're here to find a woman?"
Xin Zixing: "...Your understanding is quite interesting. I'm here to have some wine, little brother."
Anger flashed across his face.
"You actually think I'm just a little brother?"
"Otherwise what? Judging from your appearance, you're no more than twenty-three or twenty-four years old." Xin Zixing rolled her eyes upwards. "I'm already twenty-five."
"Little sister, I'm twenty-six this year." The other person suddenly smiled brightly, grinning to reveal a set of dazzling white teeth. "Didn't expect that, did you?"
Xin Zixing was truly stunned.
"You, twenty-six?" She stared incredulously at the youthful-looking guy in front of her. She had been exaggerating when she said he was no more than twenty-three or twenty-four. "Show me your ID!"
The other party actually produced their ID card right away.
Upon inspection, the name was Liu Yuanting, and the date of birth was December 4, 1997.
Xin Zixing looked at the photo on the ID card, then looked at his face.
"What the heck! Which beauty salon did you get your face treated at? Tell me about it."
Liu Yuanting's face darkened again.
"I was born with this face."
-
"Hey, Liu Yuanting, flirting with girls again!"
An untimely voice rang out.
Liu Yuanting frowned instantly, stood up, and looked at Mo Hebei, who had appeared out of nowhere.
"Mo Hebei, you actually got out of the detention center?"
"How long do you think your little tricks can keep me locked up?" This man named Mo Hebei stood there casually, with several people standing behind him, making him seem to have the upper hand.
Liu Yuanting: "You're quite capable. What, you want to cause more trouble? I don't mind sending you back in jail for a few more days."
Xin Zixing watched the two of them in silence.
If Liu Yuanting's face showed a frivolous and flippant expression, Mo Hebei's face clearly showed the appearance of a hoodlum.
They're all bad birds.
Xin Zixing didn't want to get involved in their conflict. She picked up her handbag, took out two banknotes, put them under the cup, and got up to leave.
"Hey, beautiful lady, why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Mo Hebei suddenly looked at her, and as soon as she finished speaking, a burly man behind him blocked her way.
Xin Zixing frowned slightly as she looked at Mo Hebei.
"What do you mean?"
Liu Yuanting yelled, "Mo Hebei, don't drag others into your business with me. You and your gang are going to lay a hand on a woman?"
Mo Hebei sneered, "Don't provoke me. If you dare to report me for soliciting prostitution, we'll have a grudge. You want to hook up with this woman? I'll make sure you don't succeed!"
Liu Yuanting clenched his fists.
Xin Zixing looked at Mo Hebei with a cold gaze.
What do you want?
Mo Hebei: "Spend the night with me tonight, and I'll give you 100,000."
"Please look in the mirror. With a face like yours, even if you gave me ten million, I still wouldn't be able to sleep." Xin Zixing said disdainfully, then glared at the burly man blocking her way. "Get out of my way!"
Liu Yuanting laughed heartily.
He was just as annoyed by Xin Zixing's attitude before, and now he was going to enjoy it as much as he could.
"Did you hear that, Mo Hebei? Even if you offered someone ten million, they still wouldn't want to sleep with you. Look at your own face."
Xin Zixing turned around and glared at Liu Yuanting, that scoundrel who was exaggerating and adding fuel to the fire.
Mo Hebei, enraged, pointed at Xin Zixing and shouted, "Say that again!"
Xin Zixing rolled her eyes, ignored him, and pushed the burly man blocking her way. "I told you to get out of my way!"
The burly man stared at her.
Liu Yuanting: "Mo Hebei, what's the point of this? Making things difficult for a woman?"
Mo Hebei pointed at Xin Zixing and said, "I'll give you one more chance. Will you get into my bed tonight?"
Xin Zixing narrowed her eyes slightly, revealing a seductive, silky look.
Suddenly, she raised her foot and kicked the burly man blocking her way in the groin.
The kick was so sudden that no one present could have anticipated it, and they watched in shock as it unfolded.
The burly man couldn't dodge it even if he wanted to.
He let out a piercing scream.
"If you dare stand in my way again, I'll make sure you have no descendants!" Xin Zixing glared coldly at Mo Hebei. "What kind of bastard dares to act like a big shot in front of me?"
Xin Zixing's aura was so arrogant and powerful that several seconds later, Mo Hebei looked at her with fear and dared not react at all.
"Try blocking me again!" Xin Zixing pointed at Mo Hebei, threatened him, then turned and strode away.
But at that very moment, the burly man who had just been kicked in the groin by Xin Zixing suddenly picked up a chair next to him, roared, and charged straight at Xin Zixing.
Xin Zixing turned around in surprise and saw him rushing towards her with a fierce look on his face, holding a chair. He had completely lost his mind and was smashing it down on her.
Xin Zixing's eyes turned cold, she turned and dodged to the side, immediately grabbing a chair next to her.
At that moment, a figure suddenly rushed over, grabbed the burly man around the waist, and shouted at her, "Run!"
It turned out to be that frivolous and promiscuous guy, Liu Yuanting.
Xin Zixing was taken aback.
The next second, Mo Hebei grabbed a stool and slammed it hard onto Liu Yuanting's back.
"Ah—" Liu Yuanting let out a painful scream.
Xin Zixing came to her senses and became angry.
To dare to come to a bar alone late at night with such a face, one must have the ability to protect oneself. Having studied karate for more than ten years, Xin Zixing's fighting skills have always been outstanding among ordinary people. At this moment, the chair in her hand became her weapon, slashing horizontally, chopping vertically, and striking diagonally.
The bar was in complete chaos.
-
"Why is it so noisy outside? Has something happened?"
Hearing a series of loud banging sounds and several angry roars coming from outside, Li Qian asked in confusion.
Lu Yanhe also heard it.
"Is there a fight going on?"
The group looked at each other, then couldn't help but go outside for a look.
Then, they witnessed a woman swinging a chair and brutally beating three men to the ground.
They are on the second floor.
This scene takes place on the first floor, where they can see the whole picture.
Yan Liang exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't that Xin Zixing?"
"Yeah, how could it be her? How can she be so strong?" Li Zhibai was also stunned.
Lu Yanhe remained silent, stunned by the scene before him.
The bar wasn't brightly lit, but it was precisely in this dimly lit atmosphere that the scene unfolding before her eyes gave Xin Zixing's figure an extra touch of sharpness and unstoppable momentum.
The three men were beaten to the ground but got back up again, refusing to admit defeat.
Xin Zixing fought one by one, like a war god.
"That's terrifying." Li Qian looked frightened and leaned towards Huang Kairen beside her.
But Huang Kairen did not react.
Li Qian glanced at him in confusion, only to see Huang Kairen staring down at the scene with a look of shock. His gaze didn't seem to indicate that he had seen something unbelievable, but rather something more complex.
"Kai Ren?" Li Qian called out again.
Huang Kairen then came to his senses in a daze.
"Um?"
Li Qian: "What's wrong with you? Why are you staring blankly?"
Huang Kairen's mind went blank; he didn't know how to answer.
He didn't know what to say.
Why is Xin Zixing still here?
Didn't she go back in the afternoon?
Huang Kairen looked at Xin Zixing. He knew that Xin Zixing was very good at fighting and was not afraid of anyone, but this scene still shocked him.
He wanted to rush down and protect Xin Zixing so that she wouldn't have to do anything.
But he couldn't take that step.
Once he takes that step, his relationship with Xin Zixing may no longer be able to be kept secret and will be exposed.
"Li Zhibai, where are you going?" Yan Liang suddenly shouted.
Suddenly, Li Zhibai swung his arm and started walking down.
“These three men are bullying a woman, how could they do that!” Li Zhibai said. “I can’t just stand by and do nothing.”
Wang Yunfan stared in surprise at Li Zhibai's retreating figure.
The next second, he was surprised to find that Lu Yanhe had also followed.
Then, Yan Liang sighed helplessly and followed.
Wang Yunfan stared at their retreating figures with surprise and said to Li Qian, "Why are those three acting like elementary school students? Is this some kind of chivalrous act of helping someone in need?"
Li Qian: "The three of them seem to know this woman."
Wang Yunfan: "This is a bar! Aren't they afraid of causing a public outcry by rushing out like this?"
Li Qian glanced at him but didn't say anything.
At this moment, Huang Kairen suddenly moved as well.
"Kai Ren, where are you going?" Li Qian asked in surprise.
Huang Kairen said, "Even the three kids couldn't stand it anymore, how could I just sit idly by?"
-
"Someone has already called the police!" Lu Yanhe shouted before Li Zhibai could make a move, following behind him.
The three of them rushed to Xin Zixing.
Xin Zixing stared at the three of them in disbelief, her fierce expression involuntarily softening.
Then, Xin Zixing's expression became even more shocked.
Because Huang Kairen emerged from the shadows behind her and stood before her with a serious expression.
He glanced at her, then turned to look at Mo Hebei and the others.
"The three of you are so powerful, yet you bully a woman. What's your name?" Huang Kairen looked at them coldly.
His appearance was met with gasps of shock from those around him.
Everyone recognized him.
"Huang Kairen!"
"Is he Huang Kairen? He looks so much like him!"
"That's him! Look, isn't that Li Zhibai?!"
"And Lu Yanhe too!"
"Holy crap, this is terrible! It was them!"
...
One-third of the people had already taken out their phones to take pictures, and now the remaining two-thirds have also taken out their phones.
This incident has even involved celebrities!
Mo Hebei stared incredulously at Huang Kairen and his group, unable to comprehend why some celebrities had suddenly appeared.
He stood up, looking fierce but actually weak, and stared at them.
"Mind your own business! She started it!"
Liu Yuanting was still lying on the ground. He had been hit hard by Mo Hebei and couldn't get up for a long time.
But at that moment, he immediately shouted, "Bullshit! It was clearly your men who attacked first!"
Lu Yanhe said, "There are so many people at the scene, I believe everyone saw who made the move. Someone has already called the police, and they will be here soon. You can talk to the police then."
Mo Hebei looked angrily at the group of people who had suddenly appeared, and judged that the current situation was unfavorable to him.
He certainly wasn't going to be foolish enough to stay there. He said, "Let's go!"
"Trying to leave?!" Li Zhibai stepped forward to block their way. "You all better stay here and wait for the police to arrive!"
Mo Hebei angrily rebuked Li Zhibai: "You little star, stop meddling in my business!"
Xin Zixing has calmed down a little.
She said, "Li Zhibai, you don't need to stop him. Even if he runs away now, the police will find him sooner or later. He can run away, but he can't hide."
She didn't want Li Zhibai and the others to get involved in this matter. If a conflict broke out and they came to blows, it would be wrong for a public figure like Li Zhibai no matter what.
Lu Yanhe also tugged at Li Zhibai.
“That’s right, we don’t need to stop him.”
Li Zhibai then stepped aside.
-
The police arrived, but Liu Yuanting, who was seriously injured, needed to go to the hospital first.
Xin Zixing's gaze swept across Huang Kairen's face and landed on Lu Yanhe and the others. She said, "I'll handle the aftermath here. Thank you all for coming out to help today. Otherwise, who knows how rampant those people would have become. You should go back and rest first."
Lu Yanhe asked, "Are you alright by yourself?"
Xin Zixing nodded and said, "Don't worry, I've handled countless things that are far more complicated than this."
Lu Yanhe and the others looked at each other in bewilderment.
After all, with the police here, nothing else can go wrong.
Knowing that their identities made it inappropriate for them to get involved, they left.
-
Late at night, Chen Ziyan had just finished applying a face mask and was about to shower and go to bed when she suddenly received a message.
She opened the message and glanced at it, then immediately clicked her tongue inwardly.
Lu Yanhe and his group are trending on social media again.
This time, he went with Huang Kairen and a few others.
The entire incident was clearly described by the people at the bar.
"When they appeared today, it's no exaggeration to say I felt like knights had appeared. You couldn't understand the emotion if you weren't there. That girl was fighting three men all by herself, and even though they seemed no match for her, I think any girl could feel that sense of pressure. And then, Huang Kairen and Li Zhibai suddenly rushed out, stood in front of her, and forcefully stopped those men. They were so cool! I declare that from today onwards, they are my idols! I'm their fan!"
Chen Ziyan watched the videos taken by the people at the scene, from various angles.
In fact, Lu Yanhe's role in it is not obvious.
The more crucial people were Huang Kairen and Li Zhibai, and Li Zhibai was also the one who charged ahead.
When this happened, several people stood up without hesitation to protect the girl.
After reading it, Chen Ziyan felt worried about Lu Yanhe getting involved in such a thing, but also relieved.
She is happy to see her artist as a person with such a strong sense of justice.
Despite saying that, Chen Ziyan still called Lu Yanhe immediately.
"You've gotten yourself into quite a mess today," Chen Ziyan said. "Weren't you filming? What are you doing at a bar?"
Lu Yanhe gave an explanation.
Chen Ziyan: "How do you know that girl was bullied when you acted so impulsively?"
Lu Yanhe said, "Sister Ziyan, we all know her."
"ah?"
"Well, it's a long story." Lu Yanhe didn't know how to tell Sister Ziyan about the story of his frequent chance encounters with Xin Zixing.
A day that sounds like something out of an idol drama sounds too far-fetched.
Chen Ziyan said, "No matter what, you can't act impulsively when you encounter this kind of thing, and you can't just stand up for others out of a sense of justice! As an artist, if you say the wrong word or take the wrong step, you can easily fall into a huge public opinion crisis. This time, people praise you for protecting the girl, but next time they may call you a bunch of snakes and rats, understand? Nobody knows what kind of trouble you will get into."
Lu Yanhe gave a reluctant "hmm".
"Are you alright?" Chen Ziyan asked.
"No, we only found out after they had all finished fighting."
"Okay, it's good that you're not injured."
(End of this chapter)
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