Hidden Assassin 148

## Volume 3: Cohabitation Era – Chapter 6: Under the Azure Sky – Section 148: Bluebird

**February 8, 2013**

Evening, Bluebird Bar.

The endless drizzle seemed to be the only theme of this spring-summer transition. The small square in front of the bar was bustling with people, all kinds of umbrellas and voices intertwining into a noisy scene. Cars honked slowly as they passed by, and a dozen burly men in security uniforms maintained order at the entrance of the bar.

Bluebird Bar, usually open to everyone, became a members-only establishment every Saturday night. This rule started two months ago, because the Concept Band would perform one or two songs here every Saturday.

They haven’t released an album or appeared on any television shows. Their performances aren’t even considered professional. Sometimes, a member might forget the lyrics and have to start over. They only perform for twenty minutes each time, and no matter how much the audience protests, they never come back for more. The reason for their popularity is that their weekly performance is simply too shocking. Their diverse musical style, perfect songwriting, and composition guarantee that any popular singer would be able to make a huge splash with their songs. In March, two singers released “Dongfeng Po” (East Wind Breaks) and “Jiangnan” (Jiangnan), and the songwriters were revealed to be the Concept Band, confirming their incredible talent.

Or perhaps it could be said that it was the power of decades of accumulation in the music scene that finally exploded.

A month after the band’s first performance, privately recorded tapes of their music started circulating in Jiang Hai City. Since then, the Concept Band has gradually gained a loyal fan base in Jiang Hai City, although a few hundred or thousand fans are nothing compared to big stars. However, every Saturday night, the number of fans gathering in front of the bar exceeds the capacity of a small bar like Bluebird. Eventually, this bar, with its Shaxiu Gang connections, had to hire people to maintain order every week and limit the number of people allowed inside. Even so, many who couldn’t get tickets would still gather outside the bar, waiting for the Concept Band to finish their performance before going home to listen to the tapes with lots of background noise for the entire week.

Stepping out of the car, Fang Yusi instinctively lowered the brim of her hat as she walked into the crowd of people huddled under umbrellas on the small square, discussing amongst themselves. Four bodyguards flanked her, and her manager, Sister Lan, whispered instructions about what to do once they got inside.

“… The guards at that side passage have been bought off. After the Concept Band finishes performing, you follow them from the side. No matter who they are, don’t get angry. Just talk to them nicely… Of course, I know you have your ways. As long as you don’t start arguing, sit down and talk things out, you should be fine. They shouldn’t be unreasonable, after all, you’ve only been in Jiang Hai for a short time, and you wouldn’t have made any enemies. ”

“Mmm.”

“Anyway… it’s not a big deal. Even Liu Bei paid three visits to Zhuge Liang (Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage – a famous Chinese story), and you like his songs, so going there is already a sign of your admiration… I’ve never seen anyone write songs like this…”

Although she said this, Sister Lan clearly had more complaints about the Concept Band. They were just songwriters, and she was willing to pay them to write songs. After all these years in the industry, she had never encountered a songwriter who refused to take money and was so stubborn. Unfortunately, they didn’t want money, and all their songs had the potential to become hits. They weren’t in Hong Kong right now, and the company was really serious about this composer. There was simply no other choice.

“I understand, Sister Lan.” Sensing her manager’s thoughts, Fang Yusi smiled. “Sister Lan, you’re more talkative than before. Have you fallen in love?”

“Go…”

They whispered and joked for a while before reaching the entrance, only to discover that someone was arguing with the security guards. Looking closer, she realized it was the three foreigners from last night. The man was Joseph, and beside him was the blonde woman who had purchased the diamond necklace for fifty million yuan last night. The black-haired mixed-race girl stood next to her mother, looking unhappy. It was clear that they didn’t have tickets but wanted to go in to watch the show, probably because they had heard of the band’s fame.

“Sorry, Madam, we don’t know any Gu, whatever his name is. We have a rule here, if you want to come in tonight, you must have booked tickets in advance… Please don’t make things difficult for us.”

Although the bar was rumored to have ties with the underworld, the security guards were obviously professionally trained. The woman in front of them seemed rich and powerful, so the guard simply tried to persuade her politely. Joseph, standing beside the blonde woman, was frowning deeply. Compared to the few security guards, he exuded an overwhelming aura. He swept his gaze across them, seemingly searching for someone to target.

At that moment, Fang Yusi couldn’t describe the feeling in her heart. On the one hand, she was secretly happy to see these three people get the cold shoulder. So what if they were rich? So what if they bought a necklace for fifty million yuan? They still couldn’t get in without a ticket. On the other hand, she wondered if she should intervene and find a way to let them follow her in, taking the opportunity to establish a relationship with them.

“But… he told us to come here. Blue…bird…yes, it’s here…” The blonde woman ran her fingers through her hair in frustration, taking a step back before taking out a card and comparing it to the name of the bar. Despite her troubled expression, she looked incredibly alluring. Joseph said in a deep voice: “Since you don’t need tickets usually, why do you need them suddenly today? Sir, call your manager out and talk to me.”

“Um, I think…” Seeing Joseph approaching, the guard instinctively took a step back, then looked at the card in Marilyn’s hand. “Madam, could you show me your card?”

“Huh? Oh, of course.” Marilyn looked slightly surprised as she handed the card to the guard. “He gave it to me, otherwise, I wouldn’t have found the place.”

“No problem.” The guard checked the card and smiled as he handed it back to Marilyn. “Since you have this card, you can come in anytime. Feel free to go backstage as well.”

“Really…” Marilyn put the card back in her small handbag and exchanged a look with Joseph before pulling her daughter into the bar. Fang Yusi sighed inwardly. Billionaires are billionaires, even in this kind of place, they could just pull out a VIP card… Although it wasn’t a high-class place, she could still feel the difference in treatment. She felt a bit suffocated. If she had that card, she wouldn’t have to bribe people to sneak in.

Fang Yusi had actually been to Bluebird Bar last Saturday. It was just a simple late-night entertainment spot, with ordinary stages, dance floors, and a performance stage, and ordinary service staff. After entering the hall, Fang Yusi and Sister Lan headed towards the passage leading to the backstage, so they could react quickly later. However, they only made it halfway before Fang Yusi stopped talking to her companion and turned towards the side.

At a nearby seat, Joseph accepted a glass of red wine from a waiter, frowning as he talked to Marilyn. “That boy… is he really singing here?”

“Yeah. If he says he is, then he is.” Marilyn smiled, looking at the crowded surroundings.

“The crowd is incredible.” Joseph shook his head and smiled. “Looking at those people outside, I almost thought it was a concert by Elvis.”

“He always does amazing things.” As if her husband or son had achieved such great things, Marilyn was beaming with joy. At that moment, a female voice came from the side.

“Um, Mr. Joseph?” The voice was pleasant but seemed hesitant and uncertain. Fang Yusi came from the side. Joseph stood up, a little confused at first, but quickly recognized her. “You…Miss Fang? Your… current…appearance is…different from yesterday. Ha, you’ve changed a lot…”

“Sorry, I was drunk yesterday and caused you trouble. I saw you over there just now, and I wasn’t sure if it was you. It’s unbelievable that Mr. Joseph likes the Concept Band’s songs.”

“It’s a gentleman’s pleasure to serve a beautiful lady. Please sit down. Oh, I almost forgot to introduce you. These are my companions, Ms. Marilyn, and Ms. Heidi. This is Miss Fang. Marilyn, do you remember her? She was sitting next to me yesterday…”

After Joseph introduced them, they exchanged pleasantries again. The little girl seemed to dislike talking to strangers, and she didn’t even say hello. She just whispered to her mother, and due to the noisy crowd, Fang Yusi could only hear her complaining about someone not coming out. Although she couldn’t hear the name, it clearly wasn’t “Concept.” Combining this with the fact that they obviously didn’t know much about the Concept Band, Fang Yusi thought to herself, maybe they had a close relationship with the members of the band, since they were able to get that VIP card?

Marilyn and the little girl talked on one side, while Fang Yusi and Joseph chatted about everything under the sun. The music from the bar was deafening, and the dance floor was filled with dancing people. Soon, it was eight o’clock. All the music stopped gradually under the control of the DJ, and the people dancing wildly unconsciously lowered their voices. Just from this gesture, one could see the status of the Concept Band in the hearts of these people.

“Alright, everyone, it’s exactly eight o’clock, and the program you’ve been waiting for is ready to begin. Time is precious, so I won’t waste any more time. Let’s give a warm welcome to – Concept!”

Immediately, a roar of cheers erupted from the crowd. The first figure emerged from the back of the small stage, followed by a loud thump as they fell to the ground. The speakers around the room emitted a deafening, piercing sound that made everyone in the hall instinctively cover their ears.

“Sorry… Sorry, there are too many wires, I tripped…”

The voice that came from the microphone was a slightly androgynous girl’s voice. Someone behind the stage untangled the wires around her feet. She stood up using the microphone stand for support. The blunder elicited a wave of laughter from the crowd. Soon, all four members were on stage, each wearing a ridiculous mask and a hideous cloak, but it was still easy to recognize that the band consisted of three women and one man tonight.

“Cough, sound check as usual.” The male vocalist, wearing a bizarre banana mask, tapped the microphone. “This is the Concept Band. I’m Banana. The two behind me are Cucumber and Eggplant, who are familiar to all of you. The one on the far end is Durian, who makes an occasional guest appearance. Okay, as usual, let’s get some things straight. The mix of this song is quite complicated, so a lot of it is pre-recorded. The singing quality might not be perfect. The background is something like… the mafia, The Godfather… that kind of concept…”

Hearing the word “mafia,” Joseph subconsciously frowned. Marilyn’s eyes widened, and then she repeated the phrase to Heidi.

“Alright, let’s get started. Oh, the name of the song is… ‘In the Name of the Father.’”

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