Am I really hallucinating?

Chapter 390 Warm-up
These companies in Shengmu Town can talk a lot of nonsense before the deal is finalized, but once the outcome is set, their publicity machine immediately starts working.

The Nolan Street charity performance will be held at the Nolan Street Central Stadium.

A typical grey neighborhood wouldn't have a stadium, but many years ago, a super-rich man in Nolan Street invested in and built a lot of infrastructure, and he played a part in the street's initial success.

It's also puzzling what kind of kind-hearted gentleman would be so interested in developing a gray neighborhood.

Even construction that is unnecessary in many gray neighborhoods.

Of course, many years after that gentleman passed away, it was revealed that he was actually a well-known hero of Nolan Street, so people no longer had so many doubts about the gentleman with the surname Wayne.

At most, one might just sigh and say, "They truly love their hometown."

Most people who leave the gray neighborhoods and join the white neighborhoods are eager to get rid of the mess in the gray neighborhoods as soon as possible. Only a very few people still come back with a sense of local sentiment to build up their hometown streets.

It's hard to understand what kind of deep impression the chaotic, gang-ridden streets of Nolan could have left on this man that made him willing to return after becoming a business tycoon in the White District.

In conclusion, Lord Wayne made a huge contribution to the fact that Nolan Street was able to become a large gray neighborhood. In the early days, Lord Wayne funded the establishment of the Bureau of Investigation branch on Nolan Street, and there was a lot of cooperation between them.

Lord Wayne remained unmarried and had no successor throughout his life. Although many chivalrous men imitated him, he squandered all his wealth and handed it over to the Bureau of Destruction.

As for which groups in this city are truly fighting to protect their homes, we can only find that in the bureau.

He's practically the father of Nolan Street.

Getting back to the main point, the announcement of the joint performance immediately sparked an unprecedented wave of enthusiasm throughout the city.

Rumors of a joint performance have been circulating for a long time, but there hadn't been any official announcements. Now that the time and location are confirmed, it's bound to cause a sensation.

Many people speculated whether their favorite singers and bands would participate based on the companies involved in the production listed on the initially released posters.

The performance was even broadcast on television and streamed online throughout the capital, demonstrating the ambition of the various companies involved. They wanted to etch this performance into the history of the capital, making it unforgettable forever.

Realizing this, many people immediately began waiting for the official ticket sales to begin, ready to burn their last breath and use their lightning-fast reflexes to grab tickets.

But soon, those who had calmed down a bit discovered the blind spot.

Why is this location in the grey neighborhood?!
Serious large-scale performances have never been held in grey neighborhoods, and musicians with any reputation would not consider taking such a risk for their own safety.

The musicians themselves wouldn't, and the production companies behind them certainly wouldn't either, unless they've lost their minds.

However, looking at the posters that have already been released, it's clear that every single person on the list who was in charge of this project must have had their brains kicked.

An even bigger storm was brewing.

[At first, I said I wanted to go to a concert, and my parents slapped me twice, saying it had only been a short time since the earthquake ended and I was already thinking about traveling far away. I showed them the poster, and they asked when the concert started.]

[Holy crap, even though the guest list hasn't been officially released yet, just looking at the company lineup below is terrifying! All the big names from Saint Woods are here, plus some well-known companies from Stanley Street!]

[It must have been mainly composed of monastery bands, right? It was said before that it started with monastery bands.]

[I'll be a fan of the Monastery Band for life!]

[Dude, why are we in the grey neighborhood?! How the hell are we supposed to get there?!]

[It really is! Nolan Street! It's right next to my house! But I've never been to the Grey Block; isn't it a very chaotic area?]

[In other words, it's only been a short time since the earthquake, and security in some of the "white" districts (areas with strong public safety records) hasn't even been restored yet. How could they dare to hold such an important large-scale concert in these "gray" districts?]

[That's a stereotype. Nolan Street is actually one of the safest neighborhoods in the gray area; nothing major has happened there in a long time.]

[Didn't we just have an earthquake?]

The earthquake wasn't a problem specific to Nolan Street!

Why not place it in Saintwood Town? It's not far away.

[Sob, if we release the white district, it'll be hard for people in the gray district to go during this time.]

What business is it of ours if people in the gray neighborhood can't see this?

[Master Bai is truly a master.]

Should we reconsider the venue for the performance?

A flood of comments scrolled across the internet, especially on the accounts of various companies, which were directly impacted, but they didn't even bother to close the comment sections. So what?

Although the companies originally didn't want to hold the performance in the grey neighborhood, the die is cast, and now they have to figure out how to use this as a gimmick to generate a lot of buzz.

If you want to achieve great things and make big money, you need to be quick to adapt, have a clear mind, and be down-to-earth – that's the right way.

The headline of the Metropolitan Daily is already locked in.

Soon after, an even more astonishing splash of oil was poured onto the blazing fire.

The Metropolitan Government's official announcement states that they will provide full support and security for this charity performance!

As for the lower-level public security officers, their presence is relatively weak, so no one pays attention to them.

Although the Bureau of Public Security has some accounts online, they are always like they're dead, and they're too lazy to maintain them at all.

At the same time, they are quite mysterious, especially to the people in the White City.

Most ordinary people have a natural sense of awe towards the Bureau of Justice, so how can it not be shocking that the Bureau of Justice, which is usually "aloof", would issue a statement in coordination with this performance?
Unlike the white city district, which was making a fuss, the gray neighborhood was... even more shocking.

They didn't find the bureau particularly mysterious; they probably saw it a few times a week just passing by outside their window, and now, after the earthquake, they saw it almost every day.

But these guys, whose minds are always on tasks and "handling" things, hate nothing more than increased workload. Why the sudden change of heart, even willing to work as security for a concert?
This further proves that this concert is absolutely unprecedented, and it's unknown when another one will be held.

Countless people are speculating about the Bureau's intentions, and many are struggling with whether or not to go.

The area around Nolan Street has excellent transportation infrastructure, and people were surprised to find that many of the transportation routes to Nolan Street have been repaired and are now accessible.

It's hard to believe there wasn't some collusion involved, but it's undoubtedly good news for those who want to go.

……

"Is this a conspiracy? Should we still do it?" At this moment, some clandestine groups were also filled with doubt and uncertainty.

Originally, as soon as the news of the joint performance broke, some people planned to take advantage of the opportunity to make a quick buck. However, the high-profile entry of the relevant authorities has put many of those with ulterior motives in an awkward position.

"The employer behind us paid for this. We're already here, so if we take the money and don't work, we'll be in big trouble."

"But isn't going there now just sending us to our deaths? The price they offered us doesn't even match the difficulty of this job!"

In an abandoned office building, several people moved in old, dusty tables and chairs and made do with them. On the uneven tables sat an old computer displaying online messages.

“There have been people who have been eyeing us and want our lives before. The two people from Shadow said they were going to take care of a bounty and deal with the other party, but then they disappeared without a trace.” One of them said in a low voice, his fingers fidgeting with each other, showing his unease.

"I thought that kind of chivalrous hero was rare in Nolan's works."

“Every now and then a few will pop up, some might be greenhorns, others might actually have some skills. That’s not important. We’re in a dilemma now, don’t you have any ideas?”

After a moment of silence, one person said, "We should at least raise the price."

The people next to him immediately laughed: "You think those guys would raise prices for something like this? There's no such thing as a free lunch."

"That's enough, let's all go home now."

"You seem to need help?" a voice suddenly rang out.

Everyone present immediately turned to look and saw the person in the shadows. The person continued, "You are all well-known cleaners here. The earthquake has brought you all sorts of difficulties. You have already banded together for mutual support and prepared for the future, but the challenges you are facing are unprecedented. You need greater strength."

"Where did you come from, you idiot?" a burly man rudely cursed.

A thick, long, black shadow suddenly flashed by, grabbed the person, and disappeared into the upper floors of the office building.

“We’re not with him!” the others immediately declared.

After everyone was stunned, the figure in the shadows continued, "I know, that's why I'm here to invite you to join us. Small fry like us can't make history in that grand performance that's coming up without pooling our strength."

"Who exactly are you?" someone asked.

“A person who… chases after a dream but fails to achieve it, you can think of him as a childish brat who wants to do bad things out of revenge.” The person in the shadows slowly stepped out, and something huge wriggled behind him, seemingly a worm.

(End of this chapter)