"It's nothing really, I thought you posted something weird on social media."

Xu Xiaoyou casually remarked while flipping through one video after another on the screen.

Tang Xin twitched her shoulders, saying nothing.

Xu Xiaoyou didn't notice that Tang Xin was biting her lip almost to the point of bleeding.

Having such things known by others is indeed quite embarrassing, giving a feeling of one's personal space being invaded.

Tang Xin didn't have many fans, just over a hundred or so, her social media account was named Tang Xin BuBird, the same as her screen account name.

Starting from three years ago until today, the girl had posted hundreds of videos on this social account, all recording her daily life, like learning a new song, mastering a new dance routine, or drawing a new painting.

The other party played many instruments: piano, guitar, violin, various wind instruments.

But the most were bass videos, click in to see Tang Xin sitting on a bed, under the tranquil moonlight, turning on a bedside lamp, plucking the strings of the bass in her hands, softly humming along with the melody.

Xu Xiaoyou noticed that whenever Tang Xin began to play these instruments, she seemed to enter some kind of state, her temperament would undergo a drastic change, her eyes focused and serious, as if treating something sacred.

"This guitar is played quite well." Xu Xiaoyou nodded.

"That's a bass..."

"This guitar is called a bass?"

"Enough, stop with the bass jokes." Tang Xin sighed helplessly.

"Actually overall it's not bad, but you really don't manage your social account well; just over a hundred fans in three years."

"Lost one just last month." Tang Xin said quietly.

"I'll make it up for you then."

Xu Xiaoyou clicked follow, and the number of fans on Tang Xin BuBird moved up by one.

"Does it not feel lacking anymore now?"

"Thank you." Tang Xin said softly.

"But as for talent and such, still none, you aren't from the local Star of Art, are you?"

"You figured it out?"

"Yeah, like us, we can tell a lot just from a simple melody." Tang Xin sat on the bed, gently smoothing the wrinkles on the sheet, "Whether or not there's talent, you can tell right away."

"Like me, I'm just one of those without any talent, who can only fill the gap with others through constant practice."

"I'm no expert." Xu Xiaoyou spread her hands, then thought of something, "Wait, don't tell me everyone has to learn these things."

As if hearing something strange, Tang Xin's expression turned peculiar:

"What else then?"

"Huh?" Xu Xiaoyou frowned, it's not like you have to go down the art path, right? Like working labor jobs, or being an apprentice like you did before, doing physical work could work too, life has so many choices..."

"Shh shh shh."

Tang Xin hurriedly put her finger to her lips,

"If the Tuner hears you say that, you'll be in trouble!"

Xu Xiaoyou fell silent.

Tang Xin sat on the bed with her legs together, her chin resting on her knees, her long blue hair cascading over her shoulders, the weak light in the room flickering in her eyes.

"Actually, I've also thought about why everyone became like this, and from when it started to be this way."

She suddenly thought of the man she saw at the bakery door before, what exactly was he playing that guitar for?

Dreams, maybe, but she only saw pain in his eyes.

"Clearly on the road to chasing dreams, yet unwillingly running as if chased by some monster, stopping means being swallowed whole."

"Dreams, aren't they supposed to be beautiful, hopeful things?"

"It's almost like it was this way from the start."

"Most people grew up in foster homes in the city, the teachers there were very strict with us, telling us we should learn to play instruments, learn how to hold a paintbrush, learn to balance the weight of our entire body on our toes."

Xu Xiaoyou paused.

"Wait, what do you mean by most people?"

"Foster home system, that annual exam question that's always covered, like the necessity of the foster home system for Star of Art, its promotion of other social systems, its importance for economic development."

"Most people here never have seen their parents even once in their lives, being sent to foster homes at birth, growing up into adulthood, then entering society, you knew that, right?" Tang Xin tilted her head slightly.

"Didn't you ask me about this before?"

Xu Xiaoyou remained silent.

She knew about the Star of Art's foster home system, implemented after Principal Belvedere came into power, created to promote the pursuit of artistic ideals.

As the foster home system was fully implemented, under this education where everyone becomes an artist, Star of Art's economy thrived to an extreme, becoming the most radiant star under Cosmos. Various art industries flourished, with painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and literature emerging at frequencies several, even dozens, of times more than before.

In the past two decades, the number of great artworks created that could be recorded in textbooks exceeded the total from the previous century.

Some joked that this Ice and Snow World never lacked great artists because each falling snowflake was blessed by the Stars, transforming into inspiration upon people.

Undoubtedly, looking from any external perspective, this was an extraordinarily correct system that greatly promoted the development of Star of Art.

"What I asked is, most people." Xu Xiaoyou said in a low voice, "Then what about the few?"

"The families." Tang Xin's eyes dimmed.

"The three great families behind the school board, and the two families within Cosmic Heavy Industries, Lindong and Withered Flower."

"Those family members receive elite education within the family since childhood, each one is a pride of the heavens, we ordinary people generally can't contact them."

When speaking of ordinary people, Tang Xin deliberately emphasized the words, like she was stressing a point.

"That's really quite a double standard."

At this moment, a news report played on Xu Xiaoyou's screen.

"We have a breaking news report, the terrorist who launched an attack at Belvedere West Square has just been discovered by the Tuner. Let's turn the camera to the warriors contributing to the city's security."

The screen showed scenes of scorched marks everywhere, the ruin-turned stock exchange in front tightly sealed off by security personnel, surrounding it airtight.

A man clad in a brown-gray coat, face covered in dust, under the warnings of two Tuners, crawled out, shaking off dust from his body.

The moment Xu Xiaoyou saw the man, her mind went blank.

Two days ago, she saw this man.

Right in front of the stock exchange.

The impression was deep; he was carrying a briefcase back then.

He blew up the entire stock exchange!?

That means at least hundreds lost their lives in this terrorist attack.

And she had brushed past this man.

Despite such an incident, there had been no news on the screen for two days, and the man didn't make any getaway after all this but hid in the wreckage for two days before being found by the Tuner.

The man smiled, and the wails of a hundred souls were nothing but a beautiful melody to him as he walked slowly toward the two Tuners.

"As we can see, the terrorist is currently confronting the Tuners," reported the journalist, siren wailing behind.

"Hands up!!" one Tuner shouted as if facing a great foe, raising the scepter in hand, a sharp spear jutting out from the tip, "One more step and you'll be warned for the last time!!"

The other Tuner also held firmly to the weapon in hand, tension pressing fingertips against the golden crossbow, ready to unleash the thunderous Punishment Arrow aimed to shatter the man's head.

The man remained unruffled, with both Tuners on high alert: observing this confrontation, it seemed like this man was the officer about to apprehend a fugitive, the Hunter in this cat-and-mouse game.

The man finally opened his always slightly narrowed eyes; they were dull, with no light, different from what Xu Xiaoyou saw two days ago, as they lost all their color.

He raised his hands.

Just when the Tuners relaxed for a moment, he flashed a twisted smile.

"You are not the guardians of order, we are."

"Shut your mouth!!" shouted the Tuner.

"You are not the pursuers of art, we are."

The man spread his hands open, and beneath the skin, a dazzling light emerged.

"Welcome to the world of suffering, welcome —— to the Ascetic Sect!"

The two Tuners attempted to activate their weapons, but it was already too late; searing energy erupted from the man's throat, sweeping across the world!

Boom!

In the deafening explosion,

the entire block was razed to the ground.

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