"I certainly didn’t frame her; I heard it with my own ears," Yu Xiao Nan recalled some past events after leaving the private room that night. She found an empty room to catch some sleep and was about to get off work when she saw Li Zhen, who was still there in the previous private room.
But she wasn’t singing; she was on the phone with someone.
"On the phone, she said, ’I’ve agreed, transfer the money to my account, and also, I need a few weapons for self-defense,’" Yu Xiao Nan immediately contacted the military region to investigate Li Zhen’s account. Unexpectedly, the National Security Department had also received a tip-off. The two teams collided and decided to split up: one group caught Li Zhen at Golden Splendor while the other searched Li Zhen’s residence and found several guns.
"Even if she said that, she might just be a scapegoat. Before Li Hui died, they had met too, and the two of them could almost be considered strangers," Xia You didn’t consider Li Zhen a friend, but intuition told her that the case had been closed too quickly, which seemed abnormal.
"I’ll just tell you the truth, those who listen to that kind of music have extremely twisted souls." Yu Xiao Nan did not want to offer futile explanations; after all, he was not fond of Li Zhen, and the case had already been solved.
"That kind of people? What kind are they?" Xia You wondered. She had heard Yu Xiao Nan say that he loved songs and that there was no song he would not learn.
Mo Xixi’s phone next to her rang, emitting a low yet heartstring-tugging ringtone.
"Damn, tell your friend to change the ringtone. I’ll see you on Military Road," Yu Xiao Nan hung up the phone directly.
After Mo Xixi finished her call, Xia You asked, "What’s your ringtone?"
"The new song by Death Track, Heart Explosion. It’s super catchy. It’s the top song for downloads and clicks on the internet," Mo Xixi, unlike Xia You, often changed her phone. One day it was pink, the next it was grasshopper green, adorned with all sorts of quirky phone charms, not to mention her ringtones.
"Death Track? Is that a singer?" Xia You didn’t pay much attention to anything online other than Military Road and the necessary news.
"It’s a band made up of five members, but my biggest crush is their lead singer, Yimo Yisheng," Mo Xixi spoke of her idol with excitement, forgetting the contents of the previous phone call.
Yimo Yisheng—the name, like the ringtone that had just sounded, evoked a sense of solitude.
"When Yu Xiao Nan heard the song by Death Track, he hung up the phone right away. It seems he doesn’t like their songs," Xia You had seen a few band performances in college, back when heavy metal bands were popular, with scenes of hysteria and a cacophony of screams and music.
"Of course, he wouldn’t like it. A few years ago, when Hua Country’s Good Man was at the peak of its popularity, Death Track made their debut, and Yu Xiao Nan’s chart-topping song was dethroned. Come to think of it, did he leave the entertainment industry because he couldn’t beat Death Track?" When it comes to gossip, Mo Xixi had a nose as keen as a hunting dog.
"I haven’t paid attention to that, Death Track." Xia You kept an eye out and started searching for information about the band on her phone.
The band debuted in 2060 and, within a month of their debut, rose like a dark horse within the fiercely competitive entertainment industry. In the four years since their debut, they have remained popular despite the high attrition rate in the music scene.
"This year happens to be the fourth anniversary of Death Track’s debut. They’ll be doing a national tour, and next month they’ll be back in Qinyang for a concert. If you’re interested, we could go. After completing a mission, we’ve practically burned through half a life. Taking a break wouldn’t hurt," Mo Xixi mentioned the concert with even more excitement, babbling on.
"Which one is their lead singer?" Xia You pointed at the photo on her mobile screen.
"The one in the middle, the tallest, with the most beautiful facial features and a melancholic gaze. The one with the ice-blue hair," Mo Xixi pointed to the heavily made-up men.
Xia You looked at the photo. She couldn’t see clearly whether the features were handsome, but she did see the tall figure with ice-blue hair. The picture of Death Track gave off a feeling akin to the band’s name, tinged with darkness, set against a backdrop smeared with crimson blood.
Thick makeup, black eyeliner, and bold lips—this visual kei band was definitely not Xia You’s cup of tea. However, such bands are in vogue with younger people, just like hippies and punks before them. Visual kei and other alternative bands can express the dark side of the human psyche that many ordinary people harbor.
From the furrowed corners of Xia You’s brows, it was evident that she did not appreciate Death Track’s style. Mo Xixi was undeterred and quickly searched for a crystal-clear photo. Again, it was a photo of Death Track.
"Look at this one, especially ’Yimo Yisheng’. He’s like an angel who descended to earth," Mo Xixi cherished this particular photo with a pure white background, white angel wings, and a purely white figure—the debut album of Yimo Yisheng.
"Why are there nine figures in the photo instead of the band’s original five," Xia You looked at the photo.
"Because Death Track was formed later; when they debuted it was only ’Yimo Yisheng’. All those ethereal figures are fake, only the one in the middle is real," Mo Xixi pointed to the eight ghostly figures with fluttering wings, standing, then pointed to the only real person crouching on the ground, hugging their knees.
"But, this person isn’t ’Yimo Yisheng’. She’s a woman," Xia You pointed amusedly at the woman in the center of the photo. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it, and with your support, you’ll give me the greatest encouragement.)