By the eighteenth day, fans who had managed to secure concert tickets were gradually arriving in the city. At the airport, two foreigners with thick eyebrows and wide eyes had just disembarked from a plane.
"Whew, finally here! It's such a long way."
"I heard this country was really underdeveloped, but it doesn't seem so bad."
As they walked, they chatted:
"Hey, Jack, I thought your job was super demanding. How did you manage to get a whole week off?"
"Come on, Tom! After all the trouble we went through to snag these concert tickets, missing it would be a disaster! I have my ways!" However, Jack was silently thinking, How could I ever tell him the truth? My best friend got hit by a stray bullet while walking down the street, and since he's an orphan with no other family, I had to take care of him. That's how I got seven days off. The excuse just sounded too unbelievable.
"Forget it, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you're here with me to see the concert, my bro! That's all that counts!" Tom said, throwing his arm around Jack's shoulders.
"Yeah, yeah, best buddy!" Jack replied, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead and forcing a smile.
Just like these two, people from all over the country, even the world, were converging on the city. This massive influx of people boosted the local economy, but it also inevitably attracted some individuals with less-than-pure intentions.
This was the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations' job: to tighten security at airports, subway stations, and other key locations, subjecting everyone entering and exiting to rigorous identity checks.
In theory, this meant meticulous scrutiny. In reality, it usually just involved showing your face to a machine. By 2045, this technology could instantly identify anyone scanned. If the person was an Evolver from the Dragon Nation, the machine would immediately recognize them.
Foreigners posed a slightly greater challenge. Since other countries wouldn't share their Evolver databases with the Dragon Nation, the machine could only check if the individual was on an international watchlist of dangerous individuals or wanted for Evolver-related crimes.
However, if a foreign government specifically sent an Evolver spy, this scanning machine would undoubtedly fail to detect them.
After all, apart from exceptional cases like Yu Lin, most Evolvers looked completely identical to ordinary people. Unless they exhibited superhuman abilities, it was impossible to determine whether someone was an Evolver.
Watching the two foreigners leave the airport, chatting and laughing, Lü Heng sighed. He operated the machine before him, sending their images to the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations. This wasn't because he suspected them of anything; it was simply standard procedure—recording all foreign arrivals as a precaution against potential problems.
On the nineteenth day, after the final dress rehearsal, Robin sat down to rest for a moment, surveying the assembled crowd. "Alright, that's all for today," she announced. "The concert officially begins tomorrow night, so everyone should head home early and get some rest to recharge for the big day."
Robin then retreated to the dressing room, changed out of her stage gown into plain clothes, and applied a light disguise, donning a hat and sunglasses before leaving the concert venue.
With the concert imminent, Longcheng's "Robin fan density" had reached fever pitch, and she didn't want to be stopped every few steps.
As she approached the entrance, she spotted Yu Lin, the immature Dragon Lady, waving at her. "Bird Sister! Let's grab a bite together!"
"Sure, I don't mind," Robin replied, "but aren't you supposed to be working?"
She knew Lü Heng had been reassigned to help at the airport as soon as his tasks at the concert venue were completed.
"I don't know?" Yu Lin tilted her head. "I asked Captain, but he didn't assign me anywhere. He just told me to clock out."
"Hmm..." Robin pondered for a moment, finally understanding the situation. Yu Lin was undoubtedly a formidable fighter, but when it came to anything remotely clerical or administrative, she simply couldn't handle it.
Even during her time helping out at the concert, Yu Lin's tasks had been limited to manual labor like moving equipment.
As the two strolled along the bustling street, Yu Lin chattered endlessly, just like old times, her enthusiasm for food overflowing. She eagerly recommended dish after dish, wanting to try everything but unable to make up her mind.
"Yu Lin, you really do love food," Robin remarked, a hint of envy in her voice. She wasn't criticizing; in fact, she almost admired Yu Lin's unreserved enjoyment of eating.
Eating should be a joyful experience, and to have food as one's passion seemed like double the happiness.
Unfortunately, Robin's appetite was frustratingly small these days. She'd barely taken a few bites before feeling full, leaving her with a lingering sense of incompleteness—that moment of pure enjoyment cut short by her stomach's limitations.
Her self-assessment: "A bird's appetite."
It wasn't so bad, though. If Robin had a larger appetite, she would have to endure the torment of restricting her food intake to maintain her figure. She certainly didn't want to turn herself into a chubby bird.
Then, Yu Lin said, "Eating is such a joyful thing! But here's my dilemma: I've been to all the places I mentioned and tried everything on the menus. They were all delicious! But Bird Sister, you have such a small appetite, right? If we can only choose one place, which has the best taste with the smallest portion?"
This was Yu Lin's biggest dilemma. She had never considered portion sizes before, simply eating whatever she wanted until she was full. Now, she was racking her adorable yet somewhat limited brain, trying to recall details from her past meals.
"..." Robin paused, taken aback by Yu Lin's words. Watching Yu Lin's earnest expression as she pondered, she couldn't resist reaching out and pinching her cheek.
In the end, they settled on a noodle shop. The place Yu Lin had mentally fought so hard for truly lived up to its reputation.
After dinner, the sky gradually darkened, and the day's heat subsided. Robin took off her sunglasses, gazed at the crescent moon overhead, and let out a long sigh. In that moment, the fatigue of the entire day seemed to vanish like smoke.
Then, in the next instant, Yu Lin grabbed Robin's hand, pointed to a bathhouse by the roadside, and exclaimed, "Bird Sister! Want to take a bath together? This place looks really nice!"
Bathhouses, common in northern China, were public bathhouses that offered services like massages, exfoliating scrubs, and aromatherapy. Some less reputable establishments even engaged in illicit activities.
But that wasn't the point. Robin had fully adapted to her female body, even growing accustomed to wearing skirts and heels. However, bathing in a women's bathhouse was still a step too far. Whether she didn't want to see others or be seen by them, it was out of the question.
"N-no, no, no! Let's pass on that!" she immediately refused.