Chapter 238: It’s Hard to Guard Against a Thief Within
Xia Xubai's name swept through the hot search lists of many countries like a whirlwind, and the clip of him singing while holding a rosewood folding fan received over 10 million hits on YT in just one night.
When overseas netizens discovered that this performer who perfectly combined opera singing and magic was actually blind, the comment section was instantly flooded with exclamations such as "unbelievable" and "amazing!"
The cultural impact of this performance goes far beyond this - traditional cultural elements such as Longguo folding fan craftsmanship, ink painting, and opera singing have sparked heated discussions around the world.
An imitation challenge was even launched on overseas short video platforms, with netizens from all over the world vying to imitate Xia Xubai's "The World Inside the Fan".
The next morning, the official account of the Diplomat blog posted two tweets in quick succession:
#Yangcheng police solved the case in just one hour, demonstrating the power of law enforcement#
#Singer Xia Xubai uses art to build a cultural bridge. This is true cultural confidence#
"Mom and Dad! Look!"
Xia Lili rushed into the living room, her phone in hand. The blue V certification on the screen gleamed brightly. "Diplomatic officials have praised my brother and me!"
Xia Lintian adjusted his glasses and zoomed in on the picture with trembling fingers.
Chang Yue hugged her children, her eyes reddened. "Old Xia, we have to go to a restaurant today! Just order your most expensive bottle of Moutai!"
Just as the Xia family was getting ready to go out, Xia Lili's cell phone suddenly vibrated.
"It's Victor!" She looked at the caller ID and her eyes lit up.
"Miss Xia," Victor's gentle voice came over the phone, "Would you be so kind as to invite your family to dinner? I have something important to discuss in person."
Xia Lili shook her phone, her eyes curved into crescents: "Looks like someone's going to treat us today!"
They came to a low-key and luxurious Chinese restaurant, pushed open the door of the private room, and saw Victor already waiting there.
He wore a simple dark shirt today, which was rare for him, and looked much friendlier than on stage.
"Mr. Xia, Mrs. Xia," Victor stood up to greet them, his eyes sweeping over Xia Lili and her brother and sister. "You two are truly remarkable. One is a master at solving cases, and the other is incredibly talented!"
As he spoke, he flipped his wrist and produced an exquisite wooden box: "It's just a small gift, not a token of respect."
In the box lay a pair of exquisitely crafted gold and jade rings, shining with a warm luster under the light.
Chang Yue took the ring and smiled from ear to ear: "This foreigner is so polite!"
Victor put down his teacup, a sly glint in his eyes: "In fact, in addition to the thank-you banquet today, I also brought a 'big gift package'."
Xia Lili paused her chopsticks in mid-air: "What gift package?"
"My producer friend in Hollywood," Victor took out his phone and swiped a few times, "is shooting a big production with Dragon Country Kung Fu as the theme. But he hasn't found the right sound for the theme song--" He deliberately dragged out the tone and turned the phone screen to everyone.
The message above was sent at three in the morning:
[Victor! Who's that Oriental singer singing in the magic show?! I want him to sing the theme song! Now! Right now!]
"Not long after the performance ended last night, this guy called me eighteen overseas calls overnight." Victor looked at Xia Xubai with a smile.
"He said your voice has the 'Eastern mysticism' he's been searching for for ten years."
"Hollywood?!" Xia Lili's mouth corners rose uncontrollably, revealing two sweet dimples.
Her brother just made his mark on "Rising Star Creator", and he's going to step onto the international stage so soon?
Victor nodded solemnly and turned his gaze to Xia Xubai: "What do you think, Mr. Xia?"
Xia Xubai's expression was calm, his fingers gently stroking the edge of the teacup: "You can contact my agent to discuss in detail."
He raised his head slightly, and although he couldn't see clearly, he looked accurately in Victor's direction. "If I can use this opportunity to show the charm of Dragon Country culture to the world, I would be happy to do so. But -"
His tone was gentle but firm, "I hope the other party can give me 100% respect."
"Don't worry about that!" Victor assured, patting his chest. "My friend is fascinated by Dragon Country culture and will definitely negotiate with the highest standards of cooperation."
After the meal, Victor enthusiastically performed several close-up magic tricks for the Xia family, which amused both the host and the guests.
Looking at Victor's nimble fingers, Xia Lili suddenly remembered the case where Luo Xiao had used a piece of wire to pick a lock. Her eyes lit up: "Mr. Victor, can you pick locks? I want to learn this!"
Victor raised his eyebrows and gave a mysterious smile: "Of course. I'm free this afternoon and can teach you a few moves."
Three o'clock in the afternoon, in Victor's makeshift magic studio.
Victor first explained to Xia Lili the principles of various locks. He thought it would take Xia Lili a long time to digest the knowledge, and he might not be able to teach her much today.
Little did people know that Xia Lili's eyes now have a photographic memory.
Victor felt that they had met too late and wanted to accept Xia Lili as his apprentice on the spot.
But Xia Lili had no intention of learning magic and only wanted to pick the lock.
Victor expressed deep regret, but out of his love for talent, he still taught Xia Lili many exclusive tricks.
“The most important thing about lock picking is the feel.”
Victor handed Xia Lili a set of exquisite lock picking tools. "It's like a magic trick. You have to feel every tooth of the lock core carefully."
Xia Lili fiddled with the tools in her hands intently, beads of sweat oozing from her forehead.
Victor corrected her posture from time to time: "Relax your wrists a little more... Yes, that's it..."
"Next, I'll teach you some tips on escape techniques." Victor produced a pair of handcuffs from nowhere. "Remember, any restraint has a weakness. The key is to stay calm."
By the time get out of class ended at 9:30 p.m., Xia Lili had become proficient in opening three common locks and had even successfully escaped from handcuffs once.
Victor clapped his hands in satisfaction. "You're learning really fast! But remember, these techniques can only be used for the right reasons."
"I know!" Xia Lili blinked, "I'm a police officer!"
For the next five days, Xia Lili and her family enjoyed a rare reunion in their suburban villa.
Xia Xubai rarely had a vacation at home. Although he couldn't see, he could smell the smoke from the barbecue, hear the sound of the fishing rod being thrown into the water, and touch the petals of the newly planted flowers with his fingertips.
The family chatted and laughed, feeling as warm as a quilt soaked in sunshine.
However, Xia Lili, the "house thief", was obsessed with studying and practicing various lock-picking techniques. He would use wire to tinker with various door locks all day long, and had damaged all the locks that could be picked in the villa.
Until one night, when Xia Xubai fumbled to open the bathroom door, the entire door lock fell at his feet with a clang.
The usually gentle elder brother stood there in a daze, his finger still hanging in the air.
For a moment, he really wanted to call the police to arrest Xia Lili!
"Xia! Li! Li!"
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