Chapter 80

With the temporary resolution of the current crisis, Song Haowen felt a slight relief. As long as they could manage tonight’s performance, satisfy the audience who bought the tickets and handle the closure scheduled for tomorrow, the impact wouldn’t be too severe.

Even if they earned less money during the closure, it wouldn’t be a significant setback. Once everything was sorted out and relationships were mended, reopening the business wouldn’t be a major issue.

After a while, Su Yan hurriedly walked in and informed them, “I’ve arranged for my assistant and an employee to accompany the leaders from the Industrial and Commercial Bureau. They’ll be dining at a nearby restaurant. Once we finish things here, I’ll join them at the restaurant to keep them company.”

Song Haowen, feeling a bit guilty, said, “Auntie, accompanying guests is important. Leave the matters here to Nana and me. As long as nothing else happens, that’s all we need.”

Su Yan, appreciating Song Haowen’s consideration, entrusted him and Tian Nana with the tasks at hand and hurriedly left the room to catch up with the officials from the Industrial and Commercial Bureau.

Tian Nana wanted to say something, but Song Haowen held her arm and said, “There’s no time now. Let’s quickly handle our respective duties. We delayed a bit, and we can’t afford to make things worse.”

Despite the initial setbacks, the performers, who had thought the performance was canceled, were now relieved and quickly got back to preparations. They were grateful for the news that the performance was still on.

With the positive turn of events, Song Haowen and Tian Nana felt a sense of relief. They decided to focus on the upcoming performance and deal with tomorrow’s challenges when the time came.

The evening’s performance proceeded smoothly, with the audience showing understanding and support. The sense of unity among the performers and the positive response from the audience lifted the spirits of everyone involved.

However, Song Haowen couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease about what awaited them the next day. The closure of the theater and the upcoming inspections from various government departments loomed over their heads. Despite the success of the evening’s performance, uncertainties about the future cast a shadow on their minds.

After three or four months of hard work, the music studio achieved tremendous success. From performing at various events to releasing cassette tapes and opening a small theater, their profits exceeded five million yuan.

After deducting taxes and expenses, both Song Haowen and Tian Nana earned over two million yuan each. This made government employees earning around forty yuan per month at that time quite envious.

Envy and jealousy were common, and once someone finds fault in your success, many would feel an instinctive impulse to discredit you and see you fail and crumble, masking their own insecurities and lack of courage to seize opportunities.

Therefore, Song Haowen’s current concern wasn’t whether the theater would stay open, but rather the tax situation. Despite being careful and always following regulations, everyone makes mistakes and nobody is perfect, and if the accountant overlooked something, it could become a significant issue and some unscrupulous individuals might seize the opportunity to blow it out for you. There were many cases in his previous life who experienced this situations.

“These troublemakers have finally left!” At this moment, Su Yan walked into the office looking exhausted. “These people are so greedy. They take a cigarette from each person without blinking an eye. Tomorrow, we’ll still have to close the small theater as planned. It’s really frustrating.”

Worried, Song Haowen said, “These people are up to no good. We need to be extra careful with our finances tomorrow, so they don’t find any loopholes in our tax payments.”

“Don’t worry. I personally handle the finances, and we keep clear records of every income and expense. We pay every bit of tax that is due. There’s no way we’ll have a problem. Trust me,” Su Yan confidently assured.

Tian Nana added, “My mom has been an accountant for over twenty years. She understands every aspect of accounting. Even if they find something, it’s sure to be a minor issue. Relax!”

Hearing the assurance from the mother-daughter duo, Song Haowen felt relieved and said, “It’s late now. Let’s all go home and rest. If there’s anything, we can discuss it tomorrow.”

Under the repeated reminders from Su Yan and her daughter, Song Haowen decided to forgo riding his bicycle and prepared to take a taxi back to the branch. It was already late in the autumn season, and the night had turned chilly.

Just past ten in the evening, there were few pedestrians on the road. He waited outside the gate for a while, but no taxi appeared. He decided to walk towards a more bustling area, keeping an eye out for a taxi, while contemplating the upcoming major inspection.

Suddenly, Song Haowen felt something unusual behind him. Instinctively, he leaped to the middle of the road. Before he could turn around, he felt an immensely forceful wind hitting the back of his head.

Startled, without much thought, he swiftly employed a move from Tai Chi called “Right Kick,” avoiding the intended blow. Then, using a technique from Wudang Kung Fu called “Green Dragon Turns its Head,” he counterattacked, gaining half a body’s distance.

It was only then that he saw someone attempting to ambush him from behind. However, the person was wearing a black mask, revealing only their eyes, dressed in a jacket, not too old, of average height, sturdy build, and possessed powerful and forceful punches.

The masked assailant, realizing his failed attack, faced a counterattack. With a slight “hmm,” he immediately lifted Song Haowen’s right fist with one hand, causing his own strike to miss. Then, taking a step forward, the masked attacker clenched his right fist and struck directly at Song Haowen’s left hand!

In both past and present lives, this masked person could be considered the strongest opponent Song Haowen had ever encountered. Every move was ruthless and immensely powerful, carrying an aura of earth-shattering destruction. Most martial artists, when facing him, wouldn’t dare to counterattack, let alone defend.

However, having experienced life and death situations, Song Haowen possessed strong courage. Seeing the incoming fist like a projectile, he didn’t panic.

The left hand, used for attacking, quickly transformed from a fist into a defensive technique, grabbing hold of the masked attacker’s right fist. Then, with a swift pull to the left, he dissipated most of the force.

Following that, he released a burst of force from his palm, pushing the attacker back a step. Simultaneously, he twisted his captured right hand outward, quickly freeing himself, and delivered a powerful blow to the attacker’s chest, knocking him down.

As Haowen was about to approach the fallen assailant to uncover his identity, a sudden shout came from the rooftop next to him. Before he could react, the attacker’s feet had already landed on his shoulders.

Surprised, Song Haowen didn’t have much time to think. He immediately abandoned the masked person in front of him, executed a front somersault to neutralize the attack, and then planted his left foot on the ground, swiftly shifting three meters to the side, evading the consecutive strikes from the attacker.

In this moment, he observed a tall, masked man approaching him. Connecting the similar clothing of the two attackers, he had a sudden realization. However, despite this realization, he didn’t hold back in his strikes. Using a move called “Immortal Pointing the Way,” he feigned a thrust, quickly followed by a move called “Dragon Emerges from the Sea,” delivered like lightning.

The opponent was also skilled, responding with agility to Haowen’s feigned attacks. Seeing the two deceptive moves, he moved like a willow in the wind, and his footwork resembled that of a drunken master.

He countered with a move called “Stepping Forward Punch,” meeting Haowen head-on.

Although Song Haowen’s martial arts skills were not low, he primarily practiced Tai Chi and Wudang Kung Fu. The former emphasized using softness to overcome hardness, while the latter incorporated a balance of both. The combination of the two created a unique style.

The two masked assailants, on the other hand, employed martial arts that Song Haowen had seen in movies but couldn’t name. However, universal principles in martial arts allowed him to adapt, even if unfamiliar.

The situation favored Haowen since the assailants couldn’t grasp his techniques. He alternated between Tai Chi and Wudang Kung Fu, confusing them completely – a completely unorthodox strategy.

As Song Haowen pondered which technique to use for a decisive victory, the initially fallen shorter assailant joined the fight. Now, with two formidable opponents attacking from both sides, the air around them trembled with the force of their strikes.

Facing the aggressive assault, Song Haowen had no time to plan a counterattack and could only respond by meeting force with force, hoping to equalize the fight first.

The two masked individuals exchanged a glance, their eyes revealing astonishment and fear. They hadn’t anticipated their opponent to be so formidable, and a lingering fear crept into their hearts.

Without holding back, they unleashed their full strength, determined to quickly take down their skilled adversary.

After engaging in a dozen or so exchanges, Song Haowen roughly grasped their strengths and techniques. Seizing the opportunity when the opponents attacked with full force, he executed “Rotation of the Universe” with his left hand and “Dragon Emerges from the Sea” with his right, countering the attacks of the tall and short opponents.

Suddenly, what was once an empty and desolate street was flooded with over a hundred onlookers. They surrounded the scene, some immediately recognizing Song Haowen.

Others mentioned the extensive coverage of Song Haowen in today’s “Beijing Evening News,” shouting,

“Go, Song Haowen!”,

“Brother Haowen, I love you!”,

“Young man, I want to have monkey babies with you!”

As passing cars came to a halt, people gathered to witness the spectacle of the renowned singer Song Haowen battling “the masked duo.” Some even rushed to public phone booths to call the emergency number 110.

The two masked individuals were astonished to see Song Haowen employing the legendary “dual-handed technique.” In reality, Haowen had developed this skill in his past life, inspired by the character Zhou Botong’s “Double-Handed Duel” in “The Legend of the Condor Heroes.” Back then, he practiced the “dual-handed technique” for fun and as a charming gesture during social gatherings.

Little did he expect to unveil this hidden skill today, pushed to the limit by two formidable opponents.

Under the pressure of the situation, Song Haowen’s unique fighting style left the two masked individuals bewildered. The “dual-handed technique” was initially a playful trick from his past life, but today it became a showcase of his combat prowess, surprising everyone present on the otherwise quiet street.