Chapter 348: Door

"Brother Lin, what happened to your face?"

Li Qingshan couldn't clearly see Chen Ling's face, but seeing the black veil, he felt a little puzzled.

"Nothing," Chen Ling replied calmly. He glanced back at Li Qingshan, and seeing his immaculate green robe and meticulously applied makeup for the male lead role, he asked in surprise, "What are you...?"

"Today is the theater's preliminary audition. Although there are no specific costume or makeup requirements, it's always good to be well-prepared."

Li Qingshan smoothed down his sleeve, standing in the morning breeze, his sash fluttering, indeed exuding a transcendent and ethereal aura. Chen Ling recalled that Li Qingshan had mentioned this preliminary audition yesterday and couldn't help but ask, "What exactly is this preliminary audition for?"

"It's like a selection process. The theater regularly holds preliminary auditions open to the five nearest towns to select and cultivate promising new talents, including fields like singing, dancing, opera, and straight plays. If you pass both rounds of auditions, you'll have the chance to be recommended by the Entertainment Conglomerate and enter Red Dust City..."

"Oh," Chen Ling nodded expressionlessly.

Chen Ling had no interest in this, but currently, he only wanted to find an opportunity to raise audience expectations and inquire about the whereabouts of his mysterious master. *Isn't this just like talent shows before the Great Cataclysm? Though the Aurora Domain is harsh and cold, entering its main city from its seven major regions still depends on qualifications and strength. But for the Red Dust Domain to allow entry to its main city based on artistic talent was simply absurd. Given the times, was the Red Dust Domain still consumed by this 'entertainment-to-death' culture? Speaking of which... in the Red Dust Domain, there didn't seem to be any enforcer-like figures? Where were their Divine Path users?*

"Brother Lin, since you're already going to the theater, why not take part in the preliminary audition too?" Li Qingshan's voice came from beside him. "You're a member of a theatrical troupe yourself, and I'm sure you have the skill. What if you pass the preliminary audition? Wouldn't it be better to develop your career in Red Dust City?"

As he spoke, Li Qingshan's eyes brightened even further. "I sing the male lead role, and you sing the clown role; we could totally perform 'Famen Temple' together!"

"I'm not interested."

Seeing Chen Ling's blunt refusal, Li Qingshan sighed deeply. "...Alright, then let's wait until there's another opportunity."

The two crossed several small bridges, walking straight along the flagstone path. After about half an hour, they arrived at a crowded road. On this road, there was only one small theater. Dozens of people crowded at the entrance, seemingly waiting anxiously for something. When someone inside shouted, the crowd surged in. On the old red metal at the theater's entrance, a line of large characters was written in an elaborate, flowing style:

—Huadu Theater Troupe.

Around the theater's name, a string of light bulbs was arranged. From a distance, it looked remarkably like a lavish and extravagant dance hall sign from the 70s or 80s.

"This is it," Li Qingshan said, looking up at the door with eyes full of longing. "Brother Lin, you go in first to inquire about what you need; I'll go register."

"Okay."

Watching Li Qingshan hurry into the crowd, Chen Ling scanned his surroundings and walked directly in through a side door.

Walking through the theater's corridor, he could still hear the noise from the main hall. The further he went in, the quieter it became. This area seemed to be mostly offices, with tightly closed office doors, their purpose unknown. Across the corridor, a staff member hurried along, holding documents. Seeing this, Chen Ling stopped him directly.

"Hello, may I ask who is in charge of the troupe's performances?"

The person saw Chen Ling wearing a large red opera robe and a black veil and looked at him with a puzzled expression for a few moments before saying, "Supervisor Sun, his office is in 302."

"Thank you."

Chen Ling went straight to the third floor.

Following the room numbers, he found 302. Just as Chen Ling was about to knock, he heard faint gasps coming from inside. Chen Ling's hand suddenly froze in mid-air. His eyes narrowed slightly... Immediately after, a second, then a third... three distinct sounds overlapped, accompanied by a man's heavy breathing, before a complete silence fell inside. The theater's structure was very sturdy; both the doors and walls were extremely thick, providing excellent soundproofing. They were like reinforced prison cells. For Chen Ling to hear these faint sounds, he must have been standing close enough, and his hearing was far beyond that of an ordinary person.

About half a minute later, the office door suddenly opened, and a disheveled young woman walked out. Seeing the red opera robe standing at the doorway, she gasped in fright. Behind her, two more figures emerged, all women, the youngest appearing to be seventeen or eighteen, the oldest around thirty. However, their figures were extremely eye-catching and alluring, standing out from the crowd.

"What's going on?" a balding middle-aged man followed. Seeing Chen Ling standing outside the door, his brows immediately furrowed, and he snapped coldly, "Who are you? What do you want?!" He gave the three women a look, and they lowered their heads, timidly walking past Chen Ling. Their cheeks still bore a faint flush. To Chen Ling's surprise, they didn't leave. Instead, they silently walked to the door of the next office and gently knocked... The door opened, and a hairy male arm reached out, wrapped around her waist, and pulled her inside. During this, greasy laughter could be heard.

Click—

The door locked, and silence fell over the corridor. Chen Ling's frown deepened.

"No, who are you? What exactly do you want?" Supervisor Sun's face was extremely grim.

"Are you Supervisor Sun?" Chen Ling retrieved his gaze and spoke calmly. "I'd like to inquire about recent performance records for the troupe... My companion and I got separated."

Supervisor Sun squinted, scrutinizing Chen Ling for a few moments. "Are you a police officer?"

"No."

"Then why the hell should I look it up for you? You're crazy."

Supervisor Sun cursed and reached to close the door with a backhand. But just as the heavy door was about to close, a hand firmly gripped it, holding it in mid-air. Supervisor Sun froze. He pushed the door hard, but it remained motionless, as if welded in place. From behind the door, the figure in red spoke indifferently, their voice seemingly carrying the chill of the far north:

"Supervisor Sun..."

"Would you... perhaps like to reconsider?"