Superstars of Tomorrow

“I’m probably the first entertainment reporter to break into Fang Zhao’s residence, right?” The reporter taking photos was slightly pleased.

“Yes, even Wang Tie has never come in before. Speaking of that, it seems like Wang Tie isn’t interested in news about Fang Zhao. He has made so many explosive allegations but has very little information concerning Fang Zhao. And he claims himself to be Yanzhou’s king of paparazzi,” the skinny guy said as he waved the apparatus in his hand.

“Wang Tie? Who the hell is that?” The entertainment reporter snickered in contempt. “Ever since he was caught and sent to prison, Wang Tie is no longer the person he was in the past. Everything he does now is constrained. What a piece of trash!”

The unsavory entertainment reporter had gone through the drawers in Fang Zhao’s study and didn’t find anything useful. Even the score sheets there were from some time back. However, he still took photographs of them since they were handwritten by Fang Zhao.

Fang Zhao always destroyed his personally coded score sheets after converting them to normal music notes. Important works were kept by his side or stored somewhere safe. They wouldn’t be left in a place like this.

Therefore, this unsavory entertainment reporter didn’t discover any information that was especially useful. However, he still took photographs of every nook and cranny of the room. This was also the requirement of his employer. Perhaps his employer could dig out some tiny details from the photographs or videos?

Meanwhile, the skinny professional thief had gone through the apartment once and returned his focus to the display cabinet. He skillfully disabled the alarm and cut the link between the display cabinet and the owner’s personal terminal. He then connected a fake information source so Fang Zhao wouldn’t discover anything amiss even if he were to use his personal terminal to check on the display cabinet.

He only opened a small gap in the display cabinet after completing all of this. He was about to take out the limited edition gaming helmet inside when he was stopped by his partner.

“Are you sure there are no problems? The display cabinet is only linked to one person’s personal terminal?” The entertainment reporter asked.

He was a veteran entertainment reporter and was always on guard. He felt something was amiss because he hadn’t discovered any important information in the room.

Although the skinny fellow didn’t feel a need to, he still did another check since his partner was worried and they weren’t in any rush.

“There’s no problems. It is only linked to Fang Zhao’s personal terminal. I’ve already got it covered.”

“That’s good then.”

After confirming that it was safe, the skinny guy extracted the gaming helmet from the display cabinet.

“This is a commemorative gaming helmet revealed by Fiery Bird at last year’s customer gratitude ceremony. Designed by a globally renowned master, it has top grade specs and configurations. Only the most important customers and endorsers have one. Many people only have quoted prices to purchase it. The top ten quoted prices have already surpassed seven figures. This can be resold after some refurbishing.”

At the same time, in the HuangArt dormitory.

Due to the time difference, night had yet to fall in Huangzhou. Fang Zhao still hadn’t returned from class and Curly Hair was slumbering soundly. Curly Hair could sleep very well after playing so many games in Yanzhou.

Fang Zhao had been worried that Curly Hair might eat up the “rabbit” if he got excited, so Fang Zhou had left the “rabbit” back at his home in Yanzhou.

Just that, Curly Hair, who had been fast asleep, seemed to be startled by something and came bounding out of his kennel. All drowsiness had completely evaporated and his entire body was tensed up. Low muffled growls sounded from his throat as he paced around restlessly in the dormitory.

Meanwhile, in Fang Zhao’s Qi’an City apartment, the skinny fellow carefully packed the first helmet away before extracting the second gaming helmet from the display cabinet.

Back in the dormitory, all of Curly Hair’s fur was standing. With an ominous glint in his eyes, he bared his teeth and growled urgently. He wanted to tear at the floorboard or something else with his teeth, but Fang Zhao had ordered him not to before. Curly Hair could only forcefully refrain from doing so. His attacking stance, shaking body and bared teeth displayed his extreme rage.

*Click*

The dormitory door was opened. Fang Zhao had returned from his lessons.

Upon seeing Fang Zhao, Curly Hair rushed over to Fang Zhao and howled nonstop.

Fang Zhao closed the door and looked at Curly Hair, puzzled.

“What’s wrong?”

“Woof Woof Woof Aoo Aoo!”

Curly Hair, who was in a state of distress, bounced around and wailed before Fang Zhao as though he was eagerly trying to inform Fang Zhao of something. However, Fang Zhao couldn’t immediately understand what Curly Hair was trying to say. Curly Hair’s fury definitely wasn’t targeted at him, but what exactly had happened for Curly Hair to react this way?

“Don’t panic, slow down. What are you trying to say?” The more flustered Curly Hair was, the more difficult it would be for Curly Hair to express himself. Fang Zhao could only calm him down so that Curly Hair could properly express himself.

At this very moment, in the apartment in Yanzhou, the skinny guy had already taken out the third gaming helmet.

Curly Hair, who had just been slightly placated by Fang Zhao, once again bounced up anxiously.

“Aoo Woo Woof Whine Whine!!”

If Curly Hair was a person, this would be the equivalent of him starting to speak incoherently.

This was the first time Fang Zhao had seen Curly hair this way. Surely something big had happened.

But because of the language, Curly Hair’s ability to express himself was limited no matter how smart he was. Furthermore, he was currently flustered and had lost his cool. Fang Zhao really didn’t know what that “Aoo Woo Woof Whine Whine” meant.

There was no time to waste. Fang Zhao decided to bring out the gaming helmet. Curly Hair could play games, and under Fang Zhao’s training, Curly Hair had learned some common words used in gaming. He could recognize part of the alphabet. He would still have some difficulty writing full sentences in the dialog box, but he could probably convey the crucial points.

If Fang Zhao could recognize some keywords, then it would be easier for him to discern what Curly Hair was trying to say.

However, Curly Hair was already at an emotional stage. When Curly Hair saw that Fang Zhao about to move away, Curly Hair thought that Fang Zhao thought nothing of it and nearly burst into tears.

Fang Zhao wondered what was going on. Just as Fang Zhao walked over to Curly Hair’s gaming cupboard, an urgent shout rang out in the dormitory.

“Fang Zhao!”

The intense voice sounded like a mix of a high frequency machinery sounds and the crackling of electricity. It sounded extremely strange.

However, how it sounded was no longer what Fang Zhao focused on.

Fang Zhao turned around with a look of shock.

The dog that he had kept for so long…

Finally. Talked!

Although Fang Zhao had made some mental preparations ever since he had discovered Curly Hair subconsciously humming to the background music of games, he still had never imagined that this day would come so quickly.

Curly Hair stared straight at Fang Zhao. His normally limpid and innocent eyes were twinkling as though it contained a hidden and boundless galaxy within.

Inside the dormitory, even the air seemed to have frozen.

However, very quickly, this strange atmosphere was broken as a somewhat anxious and grieving howl sounded out.

“My game console has been stolen!!”

——

Yanzhou, Fang Zhao’s Qi’an City residence.

The skinny guy packed away all the things from the display cabinet that he felt would be good to sell.

“Is this really Fang Zhao’s residence? There are really too few things here. Does he have another residence? This could be just a place where he has stopovers. People like him wouldn’t only have one place under their name. Perhaps his more confidential stuff is hidden somewhere else.”

“That might be possible.”

“I’m almost done searching. Have you finished taking photos on your side? After you are done, let us have the sea slug hot pot. I’m starting to feel hungry. But, I heard that thing has poison. We wouldn’t be killed by the toxins, would we?” The skinny guy spoke.

“Relax, it will be fine as long as we handle it carefully.” The one who loved to eat sea slugs was already very proficient with the butchering and cleaning technique. “Sea slugs have high nutritional value. This one that is worth eighty million is definitely top grade! We mustn’t miss this opportunity. Since its other aspects are all merely hype, its price might be due to its nutritional or medicinal value. It will be totally worth it to consume it! Totally worth it!”

Noticing his comrade still worried, the shorter man continued, “How about, we fish it out, kill it and bring it back. Find an animal to try a bit. If it’s fine, then we’ll consume it.”

“Sounds good. Later, you kill it, and I will find some ice. Let’s bring it back to eat. It might die on the way if we bring it back alive. It could affect the taste.

The two decided to continue their plundering when suddenly, there was a lightthud. It sounded like a lid hitting the ground.

The two stopped moving at once and held their breaths.

The soundproofing inside the dormitory was very good. All outside noise was blocked. Even the drop of a pin could be heard.

There was the sound of dripping water in the living room, but it faded very quickly.

The skinny guy unsheathed his dagger and looked around with an icy gaze. The entertainment reporter also drew a gun. He had gotten this gun through some illegal means

The two made their way to the living room quietly and glanced around, not noticing anyone. The furnishings of the living room were very simple. There weren’t many places that could hide a human.

After surveying the living room once, the entertainment reporter’s eyes widened as he looked towards the water tank.

“Where is the sea slug?!”

As the two of them looked towards the water tank, a large ball of fury appeared on a plant at the side.

Acute pain shot through their nerves.

“Arghh!”

Two sharp shrieks of pain rang out simultaneously.

There were miserable shrieks, groaning, and then a soundless stupor. In seconds, the two were already on the ground.

The room fell back into silence once again.

Meanwhile the large ball of fury that had appeared shrunk at a speed visible to the naked eye until it returned to its original size.

The sea slug that had been inside the water tank had done a “jail break” once again. When it had sensed danger, its normally soft body that could be held with bare hands swelled to a large size with spiky hairs pointing outwards.

In order to avoid leaving any traces, the two intruders were wearing gloves, masks, long sleeve shirts, pants, and even bullet proof vests inside.

Although the bullet proof vests protected some areas, the other parts covered by gloves, masks, and clothing could be easily pierced. The intruders’ hands, arms and face had all been stung.

Everything had happened in a flash and the two were caught off guard.

Blurry vision, intense pain and numbness set in as the toxin spread rapidly. The dagger and guns held by those two fell to the ground as they lost control of their limbs. After a few flops on the ground, the intruders lost consciousness.

After a while, the “rabbit” hidden in the ornamental plant slid down and climbed up onto the body of one of the intruders. It extended its two probing ear-like feelers before clambering onto the other intruder and doing the same. Uninterested by these two bodies, it then left to gnaw on the bonsai in the living room. During the period where Fang Zhao had brought it to Huangzhou, the leaves of the bonsai plant had grown luxuriantly once again. Two pots were even flowering.

As for the two unconscious intruders, they had been stung once more when the “rabbit” had gone to investigate them.