Chapter 84: Journey to Country K (1)
Three minutes passed in a flash, and as the shuttle bus arrived, the members got in the car and said goodbye to their fans.
This time in Country K, the company generously booked a luxury hotel suite in the city center for the members.
After putting their luggage away and packing up, and after obtaining the consent of their agent, the members formed a team to tour the urban area of S City.
Considering the schedule for the next day, the members did not dare to go too far and only strolled around the commercial street near the hotel.
After searching online, I found out that this is a tourist attraction in S City, and many tourists who come to S City will visit it.
It's getting off work now, and there are a lot of people on the streets.
However, since they are abroad and no one knows them, the members do not have to travel fully armed with hats, masks and sunglasses like they do in China.
Everyone felt much better after breathing the air of freedom after a long absence.
Because they were just taking a break from work to travel, the members didn't make any travel plans, they just ate, drank, and walked around.
As night falls, the cool night breeze dispels the heat of the day.
Like ordinary tourists, the members strolled casually along the street with no makeup on and wearing loose T-shirts, holding a cold drink in one hand and a snack in the other.
But no matter how free and unrestrained they act, the ten people are still very conspicuous in the crowd.
After all, as entertainers themselves, their looks and temperament are naturally exceptional. And unlike those handsome men who rely solely on makeup to create an "atmosphere," all the members of Originore are genuinely handsome men who can withstand close scrutiny, even without makeup.
In Country K, where almost everyone is preparing to debut, it is especially unlikely that such a high-quality handsome guy will be left among the people.
For a moment, many passers-by looked sideways.
Could this be another group trip of trainees from some company?
But from the language they spoke, it seemed to be Chinese... Could they be tourists?
But if they were just ordinary tourists, this would be too cool. Could they actually be Chinese artists?
Although passersby were curious about the true identities of these handsome guys, they were too embarrassed to step forward and ask, so they could only watch the group go away with curiosity.
This is the first time since their debut that the members can wander freely on the street without hiding anything. It's a very novel feeling.
Mo Bei held a glass of iced Americano, tilted his head slightly and listened carefully to Bai Li's whisper beside him. As if he had heard something interesting, his cold and delicate eyebrows curved slightly.
Dazzled by this smile, screams of surprise were heard from girls on both sides of the road.
After hesitating for a moment, two beautiful girls dressed fashionably came over.
They were speaking Korean, which Zheng Xingye didn't understand, so he gestured with his hands: "I don't understand Korean! Can you speak Chinese?"
"..." Choi Junxi: "You don't understand Korean, you can't even speak English."
Zheng Xingye retorted: "If you can do it, go ahead!"
"I'll go up if I want to."
Choi Jun-hee coughed lightly and replied in Korean: ". (Sorry, we don't have KakaoTalk)"
Hearing this, the two girls opposite were stunned and had to leave with regret.
Seeing this, Zheng Xingye couldn't help but be curious: "What did you say to them just now?"
"I said we don't have KakaoTalk. KakaoTalk is a chat app from Country K, just like WeChat."
Cui Junxi paused and explained, "They just wanted Brother Mo Nan's contact information."
"So that's how it is." Zheng Xingye suddenly realized.
For a moment, everyone turned their eyes to Mo Bei, revealing a teasing smile.
Mo Bei: "..."
Having spent many years in Country K in his previous life, it was impossible for him not to understand the questions asked by the two girls just now.
But he chose to play dumb.
After all, Mo Bei understands Korean because he was a trainee and debuted in Korea, but Jiang Monan, an "over-birth household who came out of a poor mountain valley", could not understand Korean, so he could only pretend not to understand.
Fortunately, the members did not tease Mo Bei too much and just turned their attention back to Cui Junxi.
Lei Lie was a little surprised, "I didn't expect you could speak Korean."
Zheng Xingye hummed, "Of course he can, since he's Korean."
Hearing this, the members remembered this matter.
Just now everyone was speaking English when buying things, and they forgot that there was a Korean teammate in the team who could speak Korean.
Damn! That was a mistake!
Because of this incident of being hit on, the members realized that it was not advisable to stay here for long, so they quickly moved to another place and continued moving forward.
This commercial street has everything, including restaurants and many trendy brand stores.
Shopping was a must for the occasion. Lei Lie, a fan of tank tops, bought one, Yi Chuheng and Zhong Gaoyi bought jackets and T-shirts, Sheng Yanyu bought a baseball cap, Cui Junxi bought a pair of shoes, Xu Tingchuan got new earrings, and Zheng Xingye bought a pair of sunglasses.
When checking out, Zheng Xingye looked at Mo Bei, Bai Li, and Tao Xiaotie, who all had empty hands, and asked, "Aren't you going to buy anything?"
Bai Li: "The clothes in this store are not my style."
Mo Bei: "I don't have any favorites."
Tao Xiaotie was even more concise: "I'm hungry."
"All right."
By the time we finished shopping, it was already 7 p.m. We'd bought some snacks along the way, but they'd all been shared, leaving each person with only a few bites. After all the shopping, the members were already starving.
Choi Jun Hee asked, "What are we going to eat later? Barbecue? Fried chicken?"
When it comes to Country K, these are the most famous foods. Of course, kimchi and ramen are not included.
"Let's grill some meat."
Tao Xiaotie was the first to make the decision.
No one else had any objections, so the group began searching for a barbecue restaurant on the street.
Walking in the middle of the team, Mo Bei couldn't help but think of the time when he and Lian Cheng secretly ate barbecue in Country K without telling their agent.
After so many years, he can't remember many details. The only thing he remembers is that the barbecue at that restaurant was delicious, which is why they broke their diet.
It’s a pity that the store is a bit far from here, otherwise we could go there with everyone.
Although he felt a little regretful, Mo Bei was not obsessed.
After all, it has been twenty years, and that barbecue restaurant may not still be open.
While I was thinking, I suddenly heard Choi Jun-hee's voice beside my ear——
"Why don't we go to this place. Quan's BBQ restaurant."
"I just searched online. This shop has been open for over 30 years and has great reviews. Many artists from Country K patronize it."
Hearing this, Mo Bei stopped and looked at the sign in front of him, then was stunned.
Quan's BBQ...it's exactly the same name as the BBQ restaurant he used to frequent.
Is it the same name? Or...
Confused, they walked into the barbecue restaurant.
The BBQ restaurant has a warm decor, with warm-toned walls, tables, and chairs. Signed photos of many artists are also posted on the walls.
Mo Bei looked at the wall calmly. Finally, he found a slightly yellowed photo and a row of sticky notes in the corner.
The photo showed him, Lian Cheng, and his teammates from Country K when he was 18 years old. The note had their signatures and messages written on it.
Seeing this photo, Mo Bei's doubts were answered.
This Quan's BBQ is the one they went to that year.
I just don't know why the store has moved to this commercial street.
After many years, Mo Bei revisited his hometown and felt a sense of homesickness.
I don’t know if the amiable shop owner is still alive.
Thinking about it, Mo Bei took out his cell phone, took a picture of the old photos and notes on the wall, and sent it to Lian Cheng.
The other party seemed busy and didn't reply immediately. Mo Bei didn't care and just put his phone away.
Noticing his movements, Lei Lie couldn't help but look over curiously.
“!!!”
"Isn't this Mr. Lian? The person next to him is..."
Seeing the face in the photo that was almost identical to Jiang Mo Nan's except younger, Lei Lie suddenly fell silent.
In fact, after learning Jiang Mo Nan's true identity, he had been curious about the other party's origins more than once.
Unlike these monsters that were transformed from non-human creatures through bloodline inheritance, zombies were all humans in their lifetime. They transformed into zombies after death due to some special reasons.
Coincidentally, the former singing and dancing superstar Mo Bei died 20 years ago. However, Brother Mo Nan and Mo Bei have the same voice and appearance.
This made him wonder whether this was just a coincidence of similar appearance, or whether Jiang Monan and Mo Bei were actually the same person?
He had once discussed this issue privately with Bai Li out of curiosity. He remembered that the white fox had glanced at him at the time, but didn't say yes or no. Instead, he simply said, "What does this have to do with you?"
Lei Lie was so angry at Bai Li's rude response that he stopped discussing the issue with him.
Now, when he saw Brother Mo Nan showing an inexplicable nostalgic look at this photo, the doubts hidden deep in his heart instantly reached its peak.
But he didn't say anything in the end.
As Bai Li said, whether Brother Mo Nan was Mo Bei had nothing to do with him. Even if Brother Mo Nan was really Mo Bei, it would not change the fact that he was now his teammate.
Moreover, if the other party was Mo Bei, changing his name would have been a very necessary matter. After all, Mo Bei had been dead for 20 years, and from the outside world's perspective, it was indeed a bit scary for someone who had been dead for 20 years to suddenly resurrect and return to the entertainment industry.
Because it was dinner time, there were many diners in the restaurant. Fortunately, there were enough seats to accommodate ten people.
Ten handsome men with superior looks walking into the restaurant were undoubtedly a beautiful sight that attracted the attention of many diners who were having dinner.
"Is he an entertainer?"
"have no idea."
"He's really handsome."
The receptionist, a woman in her forties, enthusiastically led the group to an empty private room by the window. Gazing out at the night view of the street outside, the group felt a long-lost sense of travel.
The task of ordering food was left to Choi Jun-hee, the "only" person in the team who knew Korean.
After ordering a barbecue set meal for 10 people, the members waited eagerly for the dishes to be served.
God knows how long it's been since they've feasted like this. Idol artists need to maintain a strict physique, avoiding foods high in oil, salt, and sugar. Aside from a hot pot feast the night they moved into their new dorm, they've mostly been eating a variety of fat-reducing meals. The grilled fish and tea tree mushroom chicken soup they had at Yueming Mountain a while ago was the meatiest meal they've had recently.
Perhaps because it was a rare trip abroad, King Qingyun didn't force them to eat boiled vegetables and salads like he usually does. The members had already enjoyed snacks, ice cream, and milk tea along the way, and now they were going to eat barbecue, which made everyone very happy.
Of course, in order to avoid affecting work the next day, alcohol was not allowed, so the members only ordered juice from the store.
The barbecue arrived quickly. The pork belly and beef were placed on the grill, making a sizzling sound. The high temperature caused the meat slices to undergo a Maillard reaction, emitting an enchanting meaty aroma. Seeing this, Tao Xiaotie, who was already starving, could not wait to devour the food.
Dip the freshly grilled meat into a dipping sauce of chili sauce, sugar, chopped green onions, sesame seeds, minced garlic, and sesame oil. The spicy flavor and the aroma of the meat stimulate your taste buds and release a burst of dopamine. Then, take a sip of ice-cold juice and you're in for a truly satisfying meal!
The barbecue restaurant is noisy and you can hear conversations in foreign languages. From the shop across the street, you can hear local pop songs that you don't understand but are very pleasant to the ear.
The members ate barbecue while looking at the bustling street scene outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, enjoying this rare glimpse into the world.
Even Xu Tingchuan, who rarely smiled, relaxed his brows and became much gentler in such a lively atmosphere.
Looking at the night view outside the window, Mo Bei suddenly felt his phone vibrate twice.
I clicked on it and saw that Lian Cheng had replied.
[Yeon Cheng: Did you go to Quan's BBQ?]
Mo Bei lowered his head and typed: [Hmm.]
[Lian Cheng: I haven't been there in years. Is the boss still working there?]
[Mo Bei: It seems he's gone. The one working in the store now seems to be his daughter.]
[Yeon Cheng: I see…]
Looking at the ellipsis on the chat page, Mo Bei paused and replied: [After all, twenty years have passed.]
When they went to the store, the boss was already in his fifties or sixties.
Even if the boss is still alive, he is already in his seventies or eighties. An old man of this age generally does not have the energy to manage the store.
As Mo Bei thought about this, his phone vibrated twice again.
[Lian Cheng: Yes. 20 years have passed, and you're still as handsome as ever, and I'm still as handsome as ever (side-eyed smile)]
Seeing this, Mo Bei couldn't help but chuckle.
Lei Lie glanced over subconsciously. However, as soon as he looked over, Bai Li stuffed a mouthful of barbecued meat wrapped in perilla leaves.
Lei Lie, who had never experienced such treatment in Baili before, said: ???
Bai Li didn't feel that there was anything wrong with what he did. He just said calmly, "It's delicious. Eat more."
Being interrupted by Bai Li, Lei Lie temporarily gave up the intention of continuing to explore and just swallowed the barbecue in his mouth with difficulty.
“…Well, it’s really delicious.”
Before leaving, the members followed the example of other artists who visited the store and took a group photo and left a note on the wall.
When it was time to pay the bill, the older sister who had taken over as the owner of the BBQ restaurant kindly asked the members how their meal was. Choi Jun-hee replied in Korean, "(It was delicious)", which made the older sister smile so happily that her eyes curved.
After dinner, the members strolled along the street to digest their food, enjoying this rare leisure time. Passing a KTV, Zheng Xingye took the initiative to suggest that everyone go in for a sing-along. So, the group poured into the KTV again.
Even though it’s a KTV in Japan, there are still many Chinese songs in it. The members even found the theme song of “Youth Project” and their debut song that Originore just released.
Everyone sang and danced in the KTV for more than two hours, until Wang Qingyun sent a message asking where they were, and then they realized that it was already 11:30.
Worried about being criticized, Sheng Yanyu, the team leader, quickly replied:
[There was a traffic jam on the road, and we are already on our way back.]
Seeing this, Zheng Xingye put his hand on his shoulder and teased, "Captain, you've learned bad habits."
Sheng Yanyu pulled his hand away without changing his expression. "If I don't say this, are you going to tell Sister Qingyun that we're singing at KTV?"
Zheng Xingye was speechless for a moment, scratched his head awkwardly, and then gave a thumbs-up: "Well done, Captain!"
By the time the members got back to the hotel by taxi, it was already 12:00 PM. Of course, they were criticized by their manager. However, the members had no regrets at all because they had a great time.
The only unhappy part was getting up the next morning. It was a real pain to get up at 5 a.m.
"I didn't let you go out to play, but I didn't let you let yourselves go. You knew you had work the next day, but you didn't control yourself."
Looking at the sleepy members in the back seat, Wang Qingyun kept muttering.
The members who were already in the wrong naturally did not dare to have any opinions. They just hung their heads and admitted their mistakes decisively.
Fortunately, Wang Qingyun did not dwell on this matter and began to talk about the next itinerary -
"Next, go to the beauty salon to get your hair done, and then leave at 9 o'clock to go to W TV station to participate in the afternoon music show."
"I'll attend a book signing event tomorrow morning, fly to Jeju Island in the afternoon, and spend the entire day there filming a group variety show. The day after tomorrow morning, I'll fly to Country J to attend a third book signing event and perform on a local TV station."
"After these two overseas book signing events are over, you will need to participate in a stage competition program while preparing for your next album."
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