Originating station: Country P;
Destination: Country A.
Luxury cruise ship, four-story Universal Theatre.
In the center of the theater stage, there is a cylindrical transparent water tank that is ten meters deep. The top of the tank is tightly sealed with four iron locks, creating a space from which there is nowhere to escape.
Inside the water tank, a graceful figure floated, her hands and feet bound by handcuffs and shackles, her body tightly tied with ropes.
Two bodyguards with axes stood on either side of the water tank, ready to chop it up at any moment.
On the big screen, the countdown began in ten minutes.
The girl in the water tank began to break free from her restraints.
To the left of the VIP seats sat Wu Fangming, completely absorbed in his work. He didn't notice that to his right—right in the center of the VIP seats—sat an acquaintance he knew.
Qian Chuan was wearing a white shirt and sat there upright.
His gaze did not linger on the young woman on the stage, but instead turned to look at the middle-aged man beside him.
The latter was watching the performance with great interest, seemingly unaware of the money string's gaze.
Qian Chuan said, "You should know that I invited you this time on behalf of someone who hopes to cooperate with you."
The man seemed not to hear him, but simply clapped along with the audience as the river performed its impressive underwater maneuvers.
Qian Chuan said to the man with great patience, "Director L, if I may be frank, sometimes this opportunity is gone forever."
The man referred to as Director L then turned his gaze to him and said coldly, "Are you threatening me?"
Qian Chuan shook his head. "It's just stating the facts. You're a high-ranking official in the WD Investigation Bureau, so you should know your internal situation better than I do. Now that the reshaping faction and the interest faction have reached a cooperation agreement, do you think that your peaceful faction alone can defeat them?"
Director L was hit where it hurt, and lowered his eyes, saying, "Does cooperating with you guarantee that we will win? Your employer is far too confident."
Qian Chuan smiled. "Confidence is built on absolute strength. Even without the pacifists, he can find other partners. But whether you'll be friends or enemies then... Of course, I'm just a middleman. Now that the message has been delivered, I won't interfere with your decision."
Director L paused, stood up from his seat, and said, "It seems you'll have to tell me the results of the performance tonight during dinner."
As he spoke, he walked towards the theater's main entrance.
Only Qian Chuan heard his last sentence: "I don't have much time left for you."
Qian Chuan curled the corners of his mouth and turned his gaze back to the stage.
For nearly ten minutes, the girl was unable to escape from the water tank. She had broken free of the rope, but her hands and feet were still tightly bound.
Being able to hold her breath underwater for so long is already a superhuman feat, and the audience couldn't help but feel their hearts pounding with the girl's every move.
At this point, the countdown on the screen had reached its final thirty seconds.
The girl in the water tank seemed unable to breathe and began to struggle violently.
The bodyguards on both sides noticed the emergency and began smashing the water tank with axes. But for some reason, the glass tank, which should have shattered at the slightest blow, remained completely intact.
One by one, audience members stood up in concern, and some were even preparing to call for help.
A commotion immediately broke out inside the venue.
The white splashes of water inside the tank grew larger and larger, and the girl's movements became more and more exaggerated. Then, tornado-like waves surged up in the tank, making it instantly murky and obscuring the performers' movements.
As the white waves gradually subsided, the interior of the water tank became clear.
The once prominent figure in the water tank had somehow disappeared without anyone noticing.
A child suddenly screamed and pointed to the water tank, near the theater curtain.
"Mom, look!"
Everyone looked in the direction the child was pointing.
Magician Chuanliu had changed into a floor-length dress and was standing at the highest point of the water tank.
Amid thunderous applause, Chuanliu bowed to the crowd and then leaped from a height of ten meters.
Everyone gasped in surprise.
The figure transformed into a wisp of fire and vanished into the air, leaving only a red rose that landed on the stage.
Applause erupted again.
Chuanliu returned to the dressing room, preparing to take off the heavy long dress.
Just as she was about to pull the changing curtain closed, a slender hand pressed down on it, blocking her movement.
"What... are you planning to leave without saying goodbye again this time?"
A man's magnetic voice came from outside the curtain.
The next second, he darted behind the narrow changing curtain, trapping Chuanliu in the corner.
"Brother Qian Liu, it's so nice to see you." Chuan Liu chuckled twice.
As the man's presence drew closer, Chuanliu instinctively tried to back away, but he had already retreated to the corner of the wall.
Qian Chuan placed his hands on either side of the girl, bowed slightly, and looked into her eyes. His gaze was ambiguous, as if he were somewhat angry, yet also seemed to carry other emotions.
"Really? How happy are you?"
The man raised an eyebrow flippantly, his face less than a fist's distance from Chuanliu's, his hot breath spraying onto the latter's face.
It's a little itchy.
Chuanliu, of course, wouldn't answer that question. She tried to turn her head away, but Qianchuan pulled her back to face him.
The man's long, slender fingers caressed the girl's cheek, his gaze gradually deepening, and he swallowed hard as she looked at him.
"Um...you've partnered with Zhou Zheng?" Chuanliu coughed twice, abruptly changing the subject.
Qian Chuan remained motionless and replied in a low voice, "Mm."
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