Atlas of Heaven and Man

At 1:30 PM, Chen Chuan and the others arrived at the ticket check. The ticket inspector told them that they had second-class tickets and would have to wait until the official start at 3:00 PM to enter.

“We have to wait another hour,” Pan Xiaode muttered.

Tan Zhi was also helpless. He didn't buy the tickets; they were given to him by their instructor, Teacher Wei. After all, there were limited seats, and the tickets were hard to get, so having them was already good enough.

At that moment, most of the people on the plaza were like them, waiting outside. Only those who looked like high-ranking officials and dignitaries didn't have to wait and went straight in through the VIP通道 (VIP channel).

Chen Chuan then remembered the tickets that Staff Officer Pei had given him. They didn't seem to be the same as the ones Tan Zhi showed. He took them out to look and said, “I also have some tickets here. A friend gave them to me a few days ago. Take a look.”

Tan Zhi took them and his eyes lit up. “They're first-class tickets!” he said excitedly to Pan Xiaode and Qi Huixin. “We don't have to wait outside the barrier; we can go in right away.”

Chen Chuan nodded and said, “That's good. I thought I wouldn't need them.”

Tan Zhi and the others were very happy. Not only could they enter earlier, but they could also sit in the inner box to watch, which was much better than the original arrangement.

The four squeezed out of the crowd and went to another ticket gate. After showing their tickets, they walked in through the VIP通道 (VIP channel). Once inside, there was a special attendant to guide them to their box.

As they passed through the hall, the high-ranking officials and company executives who had arrived earlier were gathered in groups of three or five, talking animatedly.

These people weren't just here to see the musical; they were also using it as a large social gathering. When they saw these outstanding young people walk in, they assumed they were the young descendants of some high-ranking officials and couldn't help but look at them.

However, the fighters accompanying them tensed up involuntarily.

A government official noticed the unusual behavior of his advisor and asked, “Lao Liu, what's wrong?”

Lao Liu said in a low voice, “Councilor Ai, those young people are all fighters.”

Councilor Ai looked at them and said with appreciation, “Is that so? They are all outstanding young people.”

Nowadays, martial arts are popular all over the world. Even if they can't become real fighters, middle and upper-class people will hire one or two martial arts instructors for their children. It's inevitable that many talented people will emerge, so it's not surprising that there are a few fighters among the young people.

Lao Liu still looked serious and said, “Councilor Ai, the leader among them may be a Third Threshold fighter, and he gives me a very strong sense of threat.”

“Is that so?”

Chen Chuan and the others had just arrived at the entrance of the box when internal security personnel came up to inquire, but they were all polite and courteous. After all, those who could come here were not ordinary people, and they tried not to offend them.

Chen Chuan showed his name card, and the security guard immediately verified his identity through the 界凭 (Interface Credential), respectfully saluted, and said, “Captain Chen, sorry to bother you. Enjoy the show.”

Tan Zhi and the others didn't feel it outside, but at this moment, they could clearly feel the difference between Chen Chuan and them. In addition to personal strength, there was also a difference in status.

Although they were from good backgrounds and had a lot of contact with middle and upper-class people, it wasn't anything rare. But Chen Chuan was their peer, and the feeling was completely different.

And they knew that Chen Chuan's background was not as good as theirs. He had achieved all of this through his own efforts, and they couldn't help but feel a deep sense of admiration and envy.

Councilor Ai also received a report from the security personnel. He was a little surprised. “Executive Captain of the Bureau? So young?” He wondered if he was from some family, but as long as his identity was not a problem, it was fine.

After Chen Chuan and the others entered the box, they sat down on the comfortable seats. From their position, they could see the entire stage, which was a very good view.

There was also a small bar and a beverage display cabinet. Each box had a separate waiter outside who could provide various catering services at any time.

At this moment, people could be seen entering and leaving the box across from them from time to time, shaking hands and talking, and some people nodded to them.

Pan Xiaode curled his lips. He didn't like such occasions. When he was a child, he hated being taken to various parties.

After joining the Wuyi Academy, he rarely had such troubles. Especially after he and Qi Huixin both had the same type of face, his family's attitude towards him was very bad, and he was happy to have peace and quiet.

Chen Chuan slowly sipped his hot drink. He logged into the theater's platform, which had many recordings of past musicals and dramas, although they were not as effective as watching them live.

But there was still a lot of time, so he was prepared to browse around.

At this moment, the sound suddenly became loud in a certain box. A young man was roaring at a very well-groomed middle-aged man, attracting the attention of people in other boxes.

Pan Xiaode glanced over and said, “Hey, isn't that Lu Miao that kid?”

Tan Zhi immediately asked, “Do you know him?”

Pan Xiaode said, “Not familiar, I've met him a few times. His father is the deputy director of the Security and Defense Department. He started practicing martial arts earlier than us and is usually very cocky. The person he's yelling at should be his cousin Bao Yun, who is his father's assistant.”

Chen Chuan glanced over. The City Security and Defense Department was theoretically the superior department of the City Patrol and Handling Bureau. The head of the department was directly responsible to the mayor and had a very high rank, so he could be considered Chen Chuan's superior.

From the words of the two, it seemed that Director Lu had arrested someone, and Lu Miao was asking his cousin to release the person. However, even if the latter could really do it, it would be impossible to do so publicly in this occasion.

At this time, the security personnel in the theater quickly stepped forward and escorted the person out.

Assistant Bao seemed to have lost a lot of face. He apologized to the people around him and followed him out to deal with the matter. As the two left, there was a burst of discussion in the various boxes.

About ten minutes before the official opening of the musical, Chen Chuan noticed that the sound outside had become louder. Then, a very elegant old man and a dignified woman walked in arm in arm.

The old man was wearing a foreign-made礼服 (formal suit). Although he looked old, he walked steadily and had bright eyes. As soon as he entered, the people in the boxes stood up, applauded, and greeted him.

The old man waved to the people around him. Chen Chuan noticed that the figure who walked in almost at the same time as the two of them was Chen Bitong, whom he had seen in the 交融地 (Confluence Zone) before.

When he looked over, Chen Bitong also looked over. After their eyes met, he nodded to him. Chen Chuan also nodded in return.

Tan Zhi said, “Is that Chairman Quan and his wife?”

Pan Xiaode noticed Chen Chuan's gaze and asked curiously, “Chen Chuan, the person next to him seems to be very powerful. Do you know him?”

Chen Chuan said, “I met him not long ago.”

Chairman Quan exchanged a few words with the people who were waiting there and went to the box in the middle of the second floor, which was the best position in the audience.

Chen Chuan saw that the time was almost up, so he didn't pay any more attention to Chen Bitong. Instead, he put on the 界凭 (Interface Credential) required to watch the musical and waited quietly for the musical to begin.

A few minutes later, the bright light curtains around them dimmed, and only the light on the stage lit up, presenting a green wilderness with undulating terrain.

It is worth mentioning that the setting was not entirely realized through 界凭 (Interface Credential). The foreground was a combination of real objects and lighting, and only the distant view was presented by 界凭 (Interface Credential).

After waiting for a while, a ethereal female voice was transmitted, as if floating from the wilderness and rising from the heart, as if it could drive people's souls.

Chen Chuan could feel that it contained a mental influence, but the singer herself should not have martial strength from the perspective of her breath.

It's not that only fighters can carry out spiritual practice. In the old era, many religious people took this path, but unlike fighters, their spirits were usually floating and not condensed, and did not have substantial power, but in certain specific occasions, they could cause some spiritual infection and resonance.

What was in front of him should be the prologue. The mute shepherdess picked up the down-and-out knight. This chapter was the beginning of the whole story, that is, the first chapter of the 神歌 (Divine Song).

Chen Chuan listened carefully, but unfortunately, he couldn't hear anything special from it, whether it was because of the singer or because of the language barrier.

However, according to the introduction, the content of the song would gradually progress according to the plot. The more it got to the back, the more content would be presented. The most essential part of the whole play was in the second half, that is, when the conflict reached its most intense moment. In that case, he was looking forward to the following.

In the singing, a young woman with long white-blonde hair walked onto the stage. She wore a wind-shielding hat and a multi-layered skirt that reached her ankles. There was some dirt on her face, but her light green eyes were very impressive, reminding people of the incomparably clear lake water.

According to the established program, the shepherdess came to a tree after taking the stage. At this time, she parted the grass and found the down-and-out knight lying on the ground.

It seemed to be a young man wearing old armor. From the exposed chin, one could see the firm lines.

But at this time, Chen Chuan felt a trace of abnormality. He tried to turn off the 界凭 (Interface Credential), but didn't see anything wrong. When he used his Second Self to shield all external field information and looked again, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. It wasn't a young man at all, just an empty suit of armor.

……

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