C10 Sissy

Hee Zheng struck a dashing pose and flashed a charming smile. "Hello there, would you like a photo of me?"

Chen Le shot back without missing a beat, "No, thanks."

Embarrassment washed over Hee Zheng's face.

After all, as a singer with a modest following, he was adored by legions of young girls.

'My fanbase is girls from thirteen to eighteen,' he thought, tossing his hair with a flourish.

"I'll take one," Soong Fei chimed in quickly.

Hee Zheng, ever the seasoned pro, grinned and replied, "You've got an eye for quality."

"These days, a photo is quite the novelty. And this paper? Top-notch. Make sure it's a large one for me. My mom could use it when she's scooping up after our dog."

Chen Le came out swinging, unleashing his knockout move in an instant, which set Hee Zheng off.

Anger cast a shadow over his handsome features, giving him a brooding look.

The private room was awash with vibrant lights, oozing luxury, yet the tension was palpable.

"Who are you to insult me the second you walk in?"

It was clear Hee Zheng was Su Weiwei's sibling, speaking with a distinctly feminine touch.

"Brother Hee, meet my boyfriend—Soong Fei," Su Weiwei quickly interjected.

She was more than pleased with Soong Fei, the troublemaker, who had landed a heavy blow right from the start.

After the introduction, Su Weiwei covertly shielded her hand with her body and flashed Soong Fei a triumphant thumbs-up.

Just then, a middle-aged, slick-looking man stepped forward.

He was Guo Yan, a man with underworld ties.

Hee Zheng, not one to face trouble alone, had brought along a heavy-hitter for support.

Mr. Huo, no stranger to the game, stepped in to smooth things over.

"Let's settle down, folks. Hee Zheng and you have hit a rough patch, and I'm here to help iron things out. I'm hoping we can get back to a friendly rivalry. Now, how about we lighten the mood with some singing?"

Guo Yan took charge, orchestrating the evening.

His plan was for Hee Zheng to win over Su Weiwei with his vocal charm while simultaneously sidelining Soong Fei and Chen Le.

In a discreet move, Chen Le nudged Soong Fei and murmured, "That's Mr. Huo, the big shot of Jingjiang City's Seven-Star District."

After issuing his reminder, he cast a glance at Soong Fei.

He had expected Soong Fei to be quite fearful, yet Soong Fei's gaze lingered on Guo Yan, intense and fervent to an almost excessive degree.

Chen Le thought Soong Fei never looked at women with such fervor, leading him to wonder if Soong Fei harbored some unusual predilections.

Little did he know, Soong Fei had spotted a piece of information emanating from Guo Yan—a glowing circle inscribed with the words "Fighting Technique."

It was the very skill Soong Fei had long coveted.

In that moment, Soong Fei's mind raced, preoccupied with figuring out how to grasp Guo Yan's hand.

"Our karaoke system can score performances. Let's see who can score higher," Guo Yan proposed, unnerved by Soong Fei's intense stare. As a notorious underworld figure, he was unaccustomed to being gawked at so blatantly.

His authority felt challenged.

Yet there was no malice in Soong Fei's look, only eagerness.

Su Weiwei, too, felt sidelined in that instant, as if the interloper was a burly, imposing man.

What was Soong Fei up to? Was he about to engage indiscriminately with friend and foe alike?

"Those eyes are just too bizarre," Guo Yan thought, feeling a sudden chill.

For years, he had been the formidable boss of the underworld, never before faced with such a predicament.

Guo Yan inwardly fumed, convinced the young man was looking for trouble.

Soong Fei, meanwhile, was mentally strategizing on how to seize the rough man's hand.

He quickly devised a plan: let Guo Yan sing, then feign admiration afterward to seize the opportunity to grab his hand.

With a strategy in place, he finally withdrew his intense gaze.

"Friends quarreling is just a trifle. How about this: you have a friendly sing-off. If Hee Zheng wins, you apologize to him. If Hee Zheng loses, he apologizes to you."

Upon hearing this, Chen Le stepped forward, ready to accept the challenge.

"Sure thing," Soong Fei replied without a second thought. With his newfound skill, he was genuinely confident about being the king of karaoke. And if he lost? What's the big deal about apologizing? Plus, it was the perfect chance to catch Guo Yan off guard.

For someone like Soong Fei, who didn't have much to his name, pride was hardly a concern. It was all about the connections.

"We should all compete together," Su Weiwei chimed in eagerly. "I propose that each of us sings one song. Hee Zheng and Mr. Huo on one team, and the three of us on the other. After we've all sung, we'll calculate the average score. The team with the higher average wins."

Su Weiwei clearly had the brains of the bunch. By averaging the scores, even if Hee Zheng gave a stellar performance, Mr. Huo's lackluster singing would drag their average down. And with Su Weiwei's own decent vocals, plus Chen Le from the youth palace choir, they stood a good chance of winning—as long as Soong Fei didn't mess up too badly.

"I'll go first," Hee Zheng declared, a spark of determination in his eyes.

He grabbed the mic and selected Zhou Shen's "Big Fish." Surprisingly, his tender voice did the song justice. When he finished, the system awarded him a high score of 87 points. Hee Zheng's lips curled into a smug smile as he passed the mic to Chen Le.

Chen Le picked "Young" and began to sing. His choir experience paid off; the scoring system granted him 79 points. He smiled, though there was a hint of embarrassment in his grin.

"I thought you were supposed to be amazing?" Su Weiwei teased.

She gave Chen Le a sideways glance, clearly not impressed.

"It's different with a choir," Chen Le shrugged, his confidence deflated.

"You're just like Mr. Nan Guo, two peas in a pod," Su Weiwei quipped.

"And you wonder why your aunt worries you'll never marry with that sharp tongue," Chen Le snapped back.

Hee Zheng and Guo Yan couldn't help but burst into laughter. The opposing team was already at odds, and they had barely begun the first round.

"Quiet down and stick together," Soong Fei urged, stepping in to play peacemaker.

Su Weiwei and Chen Le both shot a look at Hee Zheng and Guo Yan, who were doubled over with laughter. It was only when they saw this that they ceased their bickering.

"I've got this." Su Weiwei grabbed the mic and queued up "When the Wind Blows."

Her voice was delicate and captivating; by the time she finished, she had earned a score of 83.

"Psh, just four points above me. And here I thought you were something special," Chen Le remarked, eyeing her with a teasing smirk.

"Doesn't matter, I still won. You owe me a pizza."

"You're buying me a steak first."

"Deal!"

And with that, they were at it again.

"Remember, we need to stay united and know who our friends and foes are," Soong Fei declared with an authoritative air.

Their group's average was a mere 81 points, trailing behind Hee Zheng's 87.

"Now it's my turn. I'll sing 'Blade Light Sword Shadow,' the theme from the movie 'Young and Dangerous,'" announced Guo Yan.