Chapter 112, Episode 112: The Stage of Destiny
Whether it was Shen Mi's psychological effect or not, ever since she got that talisman, she has been sleeping soundly.
Following Huanlong's schedule, she was no longer as anxious as before, but rather much more relaxed. In addition, the preliminary rounds of the celebration were slowly starting, so Qingcu handed over the task of judging the program to Chenmi.
Shen Mi instinctively wanted to refuse, as she couldn't possibly be a judge. But Qing Cu insisted, telling her not to overthink it; she was simply going to be the mascot in place of the Shence Mansion to show how much importance she placed on the event.
“In previous years, I was the one who went, and I would sit there all day long,” Qingcu complained while flipping through the documents. “I would look at the contestants in the audience and have to agree with the aesthetics of those old-fashioned people. It wasted a lot of time, so the work piled up like a mountain after the celebration. Now that you’re here, you can help me with the work.”
Shen Mi was both amused and exasperated, and could only reluctantly agree.
The preliminary selection was held at Tianbo Company.
Shen Mi arrived early. She politely greeted the other judges. According to the plan, all she needed to do was sign her name, glance at the list of participants, and make a brief appearance for the Shence Mansion. Shen Mi was secretly thinking that if she could leave later, she would sneak over to Tingyun's "Minghuo" caravan office. She had checked Qingcu's internal network a few days ago and found that the caravan didn't have any overseas missions recently. This was a godsend—if she discovered anything suspicious, she would immediately contact Jingyuan and have Huanlong arrested.
As Shen Mi was lost in thought, her gaze swept over one of the names on the list, and her finger paused slightly on the page. That name was precisely the one she was looking for—Huan Long.
In an instant, the beautiful ending she had envisioned was shattered. She looked up, hiding the shock in her eyes, and thought in disbelief: Is it just a coincidence of names?
Shen Mi lowered her head and checked repeatedly, but there was no room for luck. She wasn't mistaken; the person who signed up was indeed Huanlong disguised as Tingyun.
Is Huanlong really that bold? She actually sneaked into the festival's auditions. Is this a provocation? Or does she have some plan to carry out during the festival's performance?
Now that she has started to act, does it mean that the plan has been set up and all that is left is to light the fuse and wait for it to burn out before blowing everything up with a "bang"?
Shen Mi's fingertips tapped repeatedly on the table, the rhythm slow but unable to conceal her anxiety. On the surface, she pretended to carefully check the program list, her gaze slowly moving across it, but in reality, her mind had already strayed from the audition and was racing.
She could no longer continue her investigation alone. If she delayed any longer, the situation would likely spiral completely out of her control. She had originally thought that Huanlong would lie low for a hundred years, like in the game, waiting for the Star Core to arrive before launching a crisis—but she hadn't expected that she would act ahead of schedule.
Shen Mi recalled the dispatch records of the Tingyun "Minghuo" caravan, comparing them line by line, and finally found a clue in the return report from a month ago. That was the only departure record that lasted for several months, enough for Huanlong to take the place. The voyage report also clearly stated that they encountered a small-scale attack by the antimatter legion en route.
Being attacked by the antimatter legion is a normal thing, but what is abnormal is the behavior of "Tingyun".
With all these factors combined, Shen Mi believed that his idea was correct.
That means that Huanlong's time replacing Tingyun was not long.
But since you've only just infiltrated Luofu, why are you in such a hurry to act?
At this thought, Chen Mi's heart tightened suddenly. Unless—Huanlong had other helpers in Luofu.
The accomplice had already arranged everything, just waiting for her arrival so they could work together from the inside and outside.
Shen Mi became increasingly certain that his intuition was correct; this might be the turning point in destiny that the system had mentioned.
Her fingertips trembled slightly as she tried her best to steady herself, her gaze still fixed on the list, as if she were just a judge diligently performing her duties. But all the thoughts in her mind were converging in one direction: Huanlong would not act alone, and this celebration might be the "opportunity" for her and her accomplices.
What should we do then?
Suddenly, a voice interrupted her thoughts—
"Shen Mi, do you have any other suggestions?"
The judge sitting next to her asked a routine question, his tone calm, but it was like a small pebble thrown into the lake of her tense heart.
"What?" Shen Mi was lost in thought and hadn't come back to his senses yet, so he didn't hear what the other person said.
She coughed softly, trying to bring her attention back to the conference table in front of her: "Sorry, I didn't hear you clearly just now, could you repeat that?"
"What I'm asking is, do you have any other thoughts on the arrangements for the preliminary selection?" the judge repeated calmly.
Shen Mi cleared his throat, and a brilliant idea suddenly popped into his head, one that could not only thwart Huanlong's plan immediately, but also prevent him from being exposed.
She pursed her lips and said, "I think there are still some areas where security can be strengthened. Right now, it's the preliminary selection period. If someone with ill intentions takes the opportunity to sneak in, it's not just a matter of disrupting order; it could even threaten the safety of everyone on and off the stage."
The judges looked at each other, some nodding in agreement.
"However, in terms of security, we have already strictly screened the participants' files, and those with higher risk were eliminated in the initial screening."
Seeing this, Shen Mi continued, "Well, better safe than sorry. My suggestion is to add a few more instruments that can detect potential invisible targets, especially dangerous substances that can parasitize organisms."
Shen Mi spoke very bluntly. She almost said the words "Suiyang" a moment ago, but fortunately she changed her words in time and used a more subtle expression.
"good."
The judges stopped arguing, and the Yunqi Army, responsible for security in the area, immediately began making arrangements.
Shen Mi relaxed a bit, leaning back in his chair with all his weight, waiting for Huan Long to walk right into the trap. To ensure that Huan Long wouldn't escape after the test, Shen Mi asked the Yunqi general in charge again, "What if they find something, like Sui Yang, are you confident you can control him on the spot?"
The cavalry general nodded calmly and confidently, his tone crisp and decisive:
"Please rest assured that our equipment can not only detect anomalies immediately, but also take immediate action to capture the target while detecting them, completely restricting their movement. No matter how perfectly the other party disguises themselves, they will not be able to escape from the scene."
Upon hearing this, Shen Mi's unease finally dissipated, and she smiled and said, "That's good. Thank you for your hard work."
Shen Mi watched quietly as the device was placed at the entrance. Once the device was activated, Huanlong would have nowhere to hide.
As the mascot sent by the Shence Mansion, she was routinely asked for her opinion by the judges after each performance.
Shen Mi greeted the judges and then excused herself to go backstage. She stood beside a heavy red curtain, the huge fabric completely engulfing her figure, revealing only half of her clothing. While seemingly just a routine glance around, she was actually secretly observing with every turn of her gaze.
She noticed that many contestants looked puzzled; some muttered to themselves, while others simply took out their devices to check if the competition rules had been changed.
"Routine security check? We weren't told about this before."
"Yes, has something happened?"
Shen Mi's gaze followed the direction of the sound slightly, finally settling on the still figure in the corner—Huan Long.
She remained calm and composed, flipping through the script in her hands at a leisurely pace, as if completely unaware of the upcoming security check. Her calmness bordered on indifference, showing utter disregard for the surrounding noise and commotion.
Shen Mi stared at her, his heart tightening slightly.
His expression showed neither fear nor the forced composure of someone about to fall into a trap.
She couldn't tell for a moment whether Huanlong was prepared in advance or simply fearless.
Huanlong's figure slowly stepped into the detection area. Behind the red curtain, Chen Mi almost held her breath, her heart pounding in her chest. She waited—waited for the piercing alarm to sound.
However, nothing happened.
The detection light curtain flashed quietly with a green light, indicating "safe passage." Huanlong remained calm and composed, walking steadily as she left the detection area, like any other ordinary competitor.
Shen Mi stood frozen in place, her eyes blank. She blinked hard and looked at the reading on the security scanner, but it was still "normal".
"Impossible..." A chill ran through her heart.
To confirm, she picked up a test strip and casually tossed it into the testing area. The next moment, a piercing alarm sounded, and a red light flashed.
The equipment is working; this isn't a dream.
That means the problem isn't with the equipment.
Shen Mi's breath hitched, and his fingertips trembled slightly. Suddenly, a terrifying thought surged from the depths of his mind.
Perhaps... it wasn't Huanlong who did the trick.
Perhaps it was "preordained fate" that was protecting her.
Fate had already predetermined the ending, shielding the story from all the anomalies that should have been exposed in order to ensure the story followed its predetermined path. Like an invisible curtain, it silently shrouded Huanlong, keeping her enveloped in an illusion of "harmlessness" wherever she went.
Everyone's eyes were blindfolded by that curtain.
They only saw the person in front of them, but not the shadows behind her. Like having their vision obscured by a leaf, they blindly missed all the details that could reveal the truth.
Shen Mi felt a chill run down his spine and a tightness in his chest, as if he were being gripped by an invisible hand.
She had always thought of herself as a "variable" who could break the chains of fate through perception and action, but at this moment, she realized for the first time that what she was fighting against was not just Huanlong, but the rules of fate itself.
That power was silent and insidious, yet it controlled everything.
At this moment, Huanlong had safely passed the test and was standing on the steps leading to the stage. As if sensing something, she slowly lowered her head, her gaze meeting Chen Mi's out of the corner of her eye. After a brief exchange, she looked away, a slight smile playing on her lips. That smile was perfectly poised, carrying the composure and politeness befitting "Tingyun," as she greeted all the judges seated in front.
However, in Shen Mi's eyes, that smile was like a cold knife, piercing straight into his heart.
Shen Mi felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. That smile was so dazzling, so chilling, that she felt all her hope slipping away with every breath.
And Huanlong, with composed steps, is walking towards the stage that symbolizes destiny...
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Author's Note: Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everyone!!! [Fireworks][Fireworks][Fireworks][Fireworks]
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