Superstars of Tomorrow

Nanfeng didn’t have any hesitation regarding this invitation. While Fang Zhao was being kept at the venerable Mo Lang’s side for supplementary lessons, Nanfeng brought Zuo Yu and Yan Biao to the venue first for a walk around and to get a better understanding of the place by talking to staff there.

The venue was beside the hotel the participating students of the Star Cup challenge were staying at. When Nanfeng and the other two went over, they were still able to see secondary school students from various continents moving about in their uniforms. In the hotel’s main lobby, there were some reporters ranging from school journalists to entertainment hosts. Some were able to find a student or two to interview, while others were standing there waiting for an opportunity.

The one who attended to Nanfeng was a staffer from the Science and Technology Association. Since Fang Zhao didn’t need to stay at the hotel, Nanfeng got the other party to show them the venue directly. Nanfeng’s main focus was on the organizers’ arrangements and any requests they had. For Zuo Yu and Yanbiao, their focus was to survey the venue. They needed to familiarize themselves so that they could ensure Fang Zhao’s safety when he came.

It had to be said that the organizers of Star Cup also placed great importance on the safety of these genius students.

While Zuo Yu and Yan Biao surveyed the venue, Nanfeng had already gotten the victory ceremony arrangements and schedule from the staffer and was making notes.

“And that is?” Nanfeng pointed at a door at the end of a passageway. The door was half shut and sound came out from it.

“That is a conference room. Today a few groups of students are exchanging ideas.” The staff member explained.

“Can I go over and take a look?” Nanfeng asked. He was rather curious about these juvenile elites.

“Err… okay.”

Inside the conference room, teachers and students alike were chatting. Because the Star Cup Challenge had concluded, they were all smiling and joking now. Students were in small groups of three to five and were discussing research-oriented problems.

“This bunch of kids… they’re talking about remodeling spacecrafts and outer space warships. They really might be bragging a little too much, but having aspirations is a good thing,” the staffer who brought Nanfeng along said with a chuckle. After listening to these students for a bit, it sounded like the things these little students said weren’t too realistic. Perhaps they touched upon theory too much so they weren’t able to express their ideas very well in the practical aspect.

Nanfeng had a puzzled face from the moment he entered.

At the beginning, Nanfeng was very happy to get the opportunity to get to know the future to backbones of the science and technological circles. However, after he entered, he discovered that he totally couldn’t understand what these students were saying. He could catch a few words occasionally, but he wouldn’t know what it meant when put together.

Because they were in secondary school, many of these students were also very tall already. Height had always been Nanfeng’s sore spot, and after coming in, not only was his intellect taking a beating, he also wasn’t able to find any superiority in height either. This made Nanfeng really gloomy.

The students only swept a passing glance at the two strangers who entered and nothing more. Some were currently chatting happily and totally neglected the two.

“Who are you?” A student finally asked as he scanned the Science & Tech staffer before glancing at Nanfeng. Nanfeng didn’t have any labels or tags that identified him as a staff here.

“Cough, I am… a staff member. I came over here first to check on matters for the victory ceremony.” Nanfeng didn’t dare say he was Fang Zhao’s assistant. If this bunch of students asked him questions that he couldn’t answer, wouldn’t he be bringing shame to his boss?

Upon hearing that Nanfeng was a just a staff member, the curious students immediately lost their interest.

Nanfeng noticed the student before him wasn’t participating in the small group discussions so he asked, “Who did you cast your vote for the celebrity vote?”

“Fang Zhao,” the student replied. “I like Fang Zhao’s music.”

Nanfeng was inwardly elated and continued asking, “The fabled divine tune for exercising?” He remembered seeing a news article saying that students loved listening to Fang Zhao’s music while exercising and studying.

“No, I listen to it when I run experiments. It lets me feel a sense of mission!” That student replied.

“Ah? Won’t anyone make a fuss for listening to music during experiments?” Nanfeng couldn’t understand this.

That student had a slightly puzzled look. “Why would anyone make a fuss about me listening to music in my own laboratory?”

Nanfeng: “… Ha, your own laboratory. Heh.”

Nanfeng laughed sheepishly. When Nanfeng asked a second student and found out that this student also liked listening to Fang Zhao’s music while running experiments, Nanfeng lamented, “You have all the freedom in your own laboratory.”

However, the other party stared at Nanfeng as though he was an imbecile. “Of course it is the school’s laboratory! We applied for a laboratory and funding. What made you think a poor student like me could afford the costs of an expensive research laboratory?”

“But you said you listened to music in the laboratory…”

“With earpieces!”

Nanfeng: “… Oh.” Nanfeng felt like he had left his brain back home today.

“Do you know about Fang Zhao?” That student suddenly asked.

“I don’t think… I know… that much,” Nanfeng stuttered.

“That means you know quite a bit about him.” That student nodded. “I have a question I want to consult you about. Can he hear soundwaves as low as 20Hz or ultrasonic sounds as high as 20kHz? Of course, that isn’t the main issue. What I am more curious about is that when he listens to frequencies above 4000Hz, is he be able to discern two different tones that vary by only 1Hz? Also…”

Nanfeng: “…” Farewell!

As a qualified assistant, Nanfeng didn’t wish to discuss his own boss’ precious ears with anyone!!

After leaving the venue, Nanfeng immediately sent a text message to Fang Zhao— Boss! These little brats are trying to pry into your ears!!

Nanfeng reported to Fang Zhao what he had seen at the venue as well as the conversations he had had with those students. He had to make sure that Fang Zhao wouldn’t be stumped by those little brats when the time came.

Fang Zhao smiled when he saw Nanfeng’s message and set the matter aside before continuing to write his thesis. Mo Lang had agreed to Fang Zhao attending Star Cup’s victory ceremony, but he had to finish his thesis before that.

The day before the victory ceremony, Fang Zhao and the other invited guests arrived at the grounds for the victory ceremony and convened for a little gathering by the organizers.

At the venue, Fang Zhao saw the golden-haired Chu Bo. Besides him, there were other world-renowned sports stars, film stars, tv show hosts, and others. They might not be within the same circles, but without an exception, every one of them had great reputations. A few were familiar faces at the Star Cup victory ceremony.

“Chu Bo seems to have a quite a lot of bodyguards with him.” Yan Biao did a quick scan around and said in a low voice, “There are still some staying outside the venue.”

“I think I have seen that short-haired square-faced fella beside Chu Bo before,” Zuo Yu mused but couldn’t remember where he had come across this guy.

“Cemetery guard,” Fang Zhao replied.

“Yes yes!! Boss, didn’t we see that fella the time we visited Jinzhou’s Cemetery for Martyrs?” Zuo Yu recalled how Fang Zhao had been subjected to identity checks when they went to visit the various Cemetery for Martyrs to pay their respects back then.

“Cemetery guard?” Nanfeng was astonished. He knew about cemetery guards and that only those with keen perceptivity would be posted to guard the cemeteries. Once their service period was up, they would be transferred to various important posts and would also be considered “secret weapons” or special soldiers in the military.

Even if they were transferred to become an employed guard, they would be tasked to protect highly important people. Although Chu Bo had a strong family background, getting a cemetery guard transferred over was still extremely difficult. Nanfeng now slightly believed the rumors that Chu Bo’s name was still on a hit list; otherwise, the Chu family wouldn’t have gotten a cemetery guard over. This was such a precious resource! Even Zaro, Woo Tianhao, Barbara, and Mitisy had never received such treatment!

The people next to Fang Zhao were discussing whether Chu Bo had run his mouth so much that his family had no choice but to transfer over someone special to ensure his safety.

At the other side, Chu Bo’s security entourage were also talking.

“The security measures here are very good. These Star Cup students are all future elite researchers and precious talents. The organizers place the security of these students very highly.” As Chu Bo said this, he lowered his voice and whispered to the person beside him. “Have you discovered the dangerous person you mentioned? You have been rather uptight ever since we entered.”

“Yes,” the former cemetery guard replied.

Chu Bo’s smile faded. He tried to keep his expression neutral, but it was clear that he was a little tense. Coming through all the layers of security checks outside was no easy task. Chu Bo had originally wanted to go greet Fang Zhao but wasn’t in the mood to do so after hearing what his bodyguard had said.

“Where?” Chu Bo’s words were stiff.

“Same row as us, seat number 05 on the left.”

Chu Bo pretended to casually glance around the room and froze. He then reconfirmed what he had seen and said in disbelief, “The one in seat 05 in the same row as us, Fang Zhao?”

Truth be told, Chu Bo would have believed it if it were the person beside Fang Zhao. That person had a murderous look. Although he tried his hardest to control it, the way he watched the surroundings vigilantly and his reactions towards Chu Bo’s bodyguards from time to time gave him away. That person was probably a former soldier garrisoned on a foreign planet. Chu Bo had quite a number of bodyguards like him, so he was rather familiar.

But… Fang Zhao?

Seeing Chu Bo disbelieving, the former cemetery guard said, “I have seen him at the cemetery before. He still wasn’t famous at that time, but back then, I kept feeling that this person was very dangerous. Now it can’t be seen, but it doesn’t mean that he isn’t dangerous, just that he hides it very deeply. I feel this person’s danger level has escalated.”

On the contrary, Chu Bo relaxed when he heard that the dangerous person was Fang Zhao and chuckled. “This is just your occupational disease acting out. I know what sort of person Fang Zhao is. He belongs to the genius category. Didn’t Bu Base flaunt all his accomplishments some time back? I only have respect for this sort of person.”

“He is the sort that has seen death, and his hands are definitely soaked in a lot of blood!” The former cemetery guard said with certainty.

“Now that you have said it, that means that the internal rumors about him killing many terrorists during his military service period should probably be true!” Chu Bo was a little excited, and his inclination to befriend Fang Zhao intensified. “I feel that he isn’t dangerous at all!”

The former cemetery guard was unsettled. The orders he received was to keep Chu Bo away from dangerous characters. In his opinion, Fang Zhao was like a very well-hidden knife that could be unsheathed at any moment and draw blood. Although Fang Zhao had indeed rendered a lot of meritorious service and many military big shots thought of him highly, the former cemetery guard’s first impression of Fang Zhao was very deep. At that time, when he had come across Fang Zhao at Jinzhou’s Cemetery of Martyrs, he really felt the urge to activate the alarm for the entire zone. The memory was still extremely clear. Put in simple words, Fang Zhao casted a shadow in his heart, a very large shadow.

However, regardless of how his bodyguard advised, Chu Bo reckoned that there was nothing to fear from a person so dedicated to music and artistically inclined!