Tomorrow Full of Hope

Two luxurious Toyota Coaster minibuses, following behind the black Land Rover Defender OCTA and Porsche Panamera, slowly drove into the quiet, tree-lined branch road of the East Lake Scenic Area.

Sitting in the vehicles were the members of the "Starry River Dance Troupe," who had just experienced massive ups and downs in their lives.

Just two hours ago, they were driven into a corner by fierce-looking loan sharks, even facing the nightmare of being dragged off to a nightclub to pay off their debts. But now, they were sitting on leather seats, enjoying the warm heater, heading toward the legendary "secret base" of their new boss.

"Sister Qingyu, where are we going?"

The youngest girl, wearing her hair in a bun, clung to the window and asked somewhat nervously, "This road looks so remote, and... there's a security gate ahead. It looks like a private estate."

Lin Qingyu sat near the front, tightly gripping the newly signed contract that doubled their salaries. She looked at the withered yellow reeds and the sparkling lake surface flashing by outside the window, and took a deep breath.

"Don't be afraid."

Although her voice was cold, it carried a stabilizing power. "The boss said he's taking us to see the place. Since we signed the contract, we are his people now. He has no reason to lie to us."

Despite saying this, Lin Qingyu still felt uncertain in her heart.

That young man named Su Bai was too mysterious and too powerful.

Casually tossing out a check for 1.8 million, that kind of attitude of treating money like dirt was definitely not something an ordinary rich kid could possess. Moreover, his last sentence, "Dance only for me," carried a heart-palpitating possessiveness.

Where exactly was that "place where you can show off your beauty to the fullest"?

Just as she was thinking, the convoy passed through the heavy black gate, and the suddenly open scenery caused a wave of uncontrollable gasps inside the carriage.

Occupying an entire peninsula, surrounded by water on three sides.

The Suzhou-style garden complex currently under construction, although still covered in scaffolding, already exuded a magnificent aura. Artificial hills, flowing water, pavilions, and terraces—every detail revealed an exquisite quality called "wealth."

"Oh my god... is this a private residence? It's way too big!"

"How much must this cost? What exactly does our boss do?"

"I used to think the rehearsal hall at the theater was good enough, but compared to this, it's practically a slum."

The vehicles stopped in the clearing in front of the main building.

Su Bai pushed open the door of the Land Rover and stepped down with his long legs. He had already taken off his overcoat and was wearing only a black turtleneck sweater, perfectly outlining his inverted triangle figure.

"Get off."

Su Bai waved at the Coaster minibuses, his posture like a lord inspecting his territory.

A group of beautiful women filed out, looking around curiously and cautiously.

"Boss," Lin Qingyu walked up to Su Bai and called out respectfully.

"Mm."

Su Bai nodded and pointed to the building behind him. "This is one of the places where you will be stationed in the future. But it's still under renovation, so it's a bit messy. Just bear with it."

"Let's go, I'll take you to see the core area."

Taking the lead, Su Bai led Xu Xinran and more than twenty beautiful dancers into the main building.

Crossing the luxurious six-meter high-ceilinged hall and stepping on the expensive Italian Calacatta marble floor, the girls' footsteps became cautious, afraid of damaging the terrifyingly expensive-looking floor.

Su Bai led them straight down to the second basement level.

As they went deeper down the spiral staircase, the surrounding light gradually became dim and mysterious.

"We're here."

Su Bai stopped and pressed the light switch on the wall.

"Click."

Soft spotlights turned on, illuminating the massive swimming pool that had not yet been filled with water, as well as the entire stunning one-way acrylic glass wall.

"Wow..."

This time, even Lin Qingyu, who had always maintained an aloof persona, couldn't help but gasp.

How was this a swimming pool?

This was clearly a massive, futuristic underwater stage!

That incredibly thick transparent wall was like a giant picture frame, perfectly displaying the interior space of the pool to the lounge area on the second basement level.

"This is..." Lin Qingyu walked to the glass wall, reaching out to touch the cold, smooth material, her eyes full of disbelief.

"This is the 'special stage' I prepared for you."

Su Bai walked up behind her, looking at the empty bottom of the pool inside the glass wall, his voice deep and magnetic. "Imagine, when this place is filled with constant-temperature clean water, paired with professional underwater lighting and sound systems."

"You wear specially made waterproof dancewear and dance gracefully in the water. The buoyancy of the water will make your movements more stretched, slow, and dreamy."

"And on this side of the glass..."

Su Bai turned around and pointed to the spacious lounge area behind him. "The audience—which is me—can sip red wine while enjoying this absolutely beautiful scene."

"Here, there are no noisy camera flashes, no judges pretending to understand, and no lecherous, greasy businessmen."

"There is only pure beauty, and a single appreciator."

Following Su Bai's description, that kind of image instantly appeared in Lin Qingyu's mind.

As a professional dancer, she knew the charm of underwater dance all too well. It was the freedom of breaking free from the constraints of gravity, another ultimate expression of human body language.

However, this kind of performance had extremely high requirements for venues and equipment, and very few dance troupes in the country could afford a professional underwater stage.

But now, this man had actually built such a world-class "aquarium" in his private club?

"This... is too beautiful."

Lin Qingyu muttered to herself, the light in her eyes growing brighter.

It was the fanaticism of an artist seeing a top-tier sanctuary.

The young girls behind her were also chattering excitedly.

"Dancing in here must look so ethereal!"

"The boss is so talented! To be able to come up with this kind of design!"

"Can we really rehearse here in the future? It feels like we're shooting a movie!"

Seeing everyone's excited appearances, Su Bai smiled in satisfaction.

This money was well spent.

However.

Just as everyone was immersed in beautiful fantasies of the future, Su Bai suddenly frowned slightly.

He caught a trace of a discordant smell in the air.

It was the odor emitted by the renovation materials.

Although Liu Chenhu had used top-tier eco-friendly materials during the renovation, like glutinous rice glue imported from Japan and zero-formaldehyde paint from Germany... it was still a massive renovation project, and to rush the schedule, a lot of the hard furnishings had just been finished.

In the air, there still lingered a faint smell of chemical reagents that ordinary people might find hard to detect, but definitely existed.

"Cough, cough..."

In the crowd, a girl with a slightly weaker constitution suddenly covered her mouth and nose, coughing softly twice.

This cough sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet underground space.

Su Bai's face darkened.

He glanced at the coughing girl, then looked at the other girls around him who were still taking deep breaths, trying to catch the scent of money.

What did these girls do for a living?

They were dancers.

For dancers, aside from their limbs, their most precious asset was their cardiopulmonary function. A strong lung capacity was the foundation that supported them in executing highly difficult moves.

If they rehearsed long-term in this environment where the fumes hadn't completely dissipated, inhaling excessive amounts of formaldehyde and benzene, it would simply ruin their careers, or even be tantamount to murder.

Hold on a second.

Su Bai suddenly raised his hand, interrupting everyone's chatter.

His voice grew serious.

Everyone immediately fell quiet, looking at this unpredictable new boss at a loss for what to do.

What's wrong, boss? Are we being too loud? Lin Qingyu asked cautiously, feeling a bit uneasy.

No.

Su Bai shook his head and pointed at the surrounding walls. Don't you smell it? There's an odor in here.

An odor?

Everyone sniffed hard.

It seems... there is a slight smell of renovation, but it's not strong.

Yeah, it smells way better than our old moldy basement.

It's normal for a newly renovated mansion like this to have a bit of a smell, right?

The girls didn't think much of it. In their eyes, having such a great environment was already paradise; how could they dare to be picky? In the past, to save money, they had even practiced all night in rehearsal rooms that had just been painted.

It's not normal.

Su Bai scoffed coldly, his tone becoming exceptionally firm. It might be normal for others, but for you, it is absolutely unacceptable.

You rely on your bodies to make a living, and your lungs are your engines. Although the formaldehyde and benzene here aren't exceeding the limits by much, as long as there is even a little, long-term inhalation will cause irreversible damage to your heart and lungs.

I didn't spend a fortune buying your contracts just to watch you turn into invalids.

Su Bai turned around and looked at Xu Xinran, who had been following behind him.

Reporter Xu.

Here. Xu Xinran seemed to have guessed what he was about to do, a smile playing on her lips.

Go contact them. Which is the best theater in Jiangcheng?

The Qintai Grand Theatre, or the rehearsal hall at the Qintai Concert Hall. Xu Xinran knew these things like the back of her hand. The acoustic design and air circulation systems there are top-tier.

Excellent.

Su Bai waved his hand, making the final call. Contact the person in charge of the Qintai Grand Theatre. I want to book their largest rehearsal hall, along with the accompanying lounges.

For how long? Xu Xinran asked.

Two months for now.

Su Bai held up two fingers. For these two months, keep the windows of the clubhouse open for ventilation, and install a fresh air system to remove formaldehyde 24 hours a day. They can move in only when the inspection report shows absolutely zero pollution.

Also, for these two months, arrange for a private shuttle to take them to Qintai for rehearsals. As for their food and accommodation standards... let's go with five-star hotel levels.

As Su Bai's words fell, the entire underground space plunged into dead silence once again.

It was even quieter than when they had first seen the underwater stage.

More than twenty girls stood with their mouths agape, staring blankly at Su Bai as if they had just heard a fairy tale.

Book the Qintai Grand Theatre?

That was the most elegant art palace in Jiangcheng! Normally, they would have to fight tooth and nail just to apply for a performance there, and the rental fee for a single day was astronomical.

Now, the boss was actually going to book it as their temporary... rehearsal room?

And the reason was simply because... there was a slight smell of renovation here?

B-Boss...

Lin Qingyu's voice choked up, her eyes instantly turning red.

She had experienced the stinginess and exploitation of her previous boss. To save on electricity bills, that bald man wouldn't even turn on the air conditioning in the rehearsal room during the summer, causing the girls to frequently suffer from heatstroke. To save money, the flooring used was of inferior quality, and people often got injured because the floor was either too slippery or too rough.

But now.

This man, simply out of concern that the minuscule amount of formaldehyde might harm their lungs, didn't hesitate to throw hundreds of thousands or even millions to rent the best venue.

This feeling of being cherished and cared for caused the inner defenses of the always strong and independent Lin Qingyu to completely collapse.

What? Is there a problem?

Su Bai looked at the dumbfounded crowd and raised an eyebrow. Or do you not like the Qintai Grand Theatre?

N-No!

Lin Qingyu shook her head vigorously, her tears finally falling uncontrollably. She wiped her face haphazardly, not wanting the boss to see her lose her composure.

Thank you, boss... really... thank you.

Thank you, boss!!

The girls behind her also had red eyes. This chorus of thanks was even more sincere and resonant than the one back in the rehearsal hall.

If they had been grateful back in the rehearsal hall for finding a way out of a desperate situation, then now, they were completely devoted due to a profound sense of belonging.

In this materialistic society, it wasn't hard to meet a boss willing to spend money on you.

But to meet a boss willing to spend unnecessary money for the sake of your health and career, that was a blessing cultivated over several lifetimes.

Alright, don't act like we're parting forever.

Su Bai couldn't stand women crying, especially so many beautiful women crying at once.

He waved his hand, pulled his car keys out of his pocket, and tossed them to Xu Xinran.

You handle this. Have them move over tonight. If there isn't enough money, just swipe my card.

With that said, he walked up to Lin Qingyu and handed her a tissue.

Wipe your tears.

Su Bai looked at her tear-stained yet still stunning face and said softly, Remember, your face is just as valuable as your lungs. It won't look good if you ruin your makeup crying.

Lin Qingyu took the tissue, her tears turning into a smile.

The smile that bloomed in that instant was like a snow lotus blossoming on an iceberg, breathtakingly beautiful.

Yes, boss.

She looked at Su Bai, her eyes holding a tenderness and reliance that hadn't been there before.

From today on.

This dance troupe, these girls, and she, Lin Qingyu.

Their lives all belonged to this man.

...

By the time they walked out of the clubhouse, the setting sun had already dyed the surface of the East Lake red.

Xu Xinran drove the Panamera, taking Su Bai back to the city center.

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Xu Xinran drove while looking at Su Bai in the passenger seat through the rearview mirror. Young Master Su, you've really perfected the art of spending a fortune to win hearts. I saw the way Lin Qingyu looked at you; her gaze was practically oozing with affection.

Did I? Su Bai leaned back lazily against the seat.

You didn't?

Xu Xinran curled her lips. Booking the Qintai Grand Theatre just to clear out formaldehyde... if word of this gets out tomorrow, your title as Jiangcheng's Number One God-level Tycoon is probably going to get even louder. When have those young girls ever seen such a display of wealth? I bet every single one of them is secretly vowing to have your babies right now.

That's their business.

Su Bai smiled. I just don't want my investment to go down the drain. After all, a dancer with shadows on her lungs is worthless.

Tch, so hypocritical.

Xu Xinran rolled her eyes at him, though her gaze soon turned a bit seductive. "But well... this really does suit your personality. You've always been generous to your own people."

"Of course."

Su Bai turned his head, taking in Xu Xinran's delicate profile. "You ran around all day today, helping me sort out the contract and contacting the theater. You've done a lot. Tell me, what kind of reward do you want?"

"A reward?"

Xu Xinran's grip on the steering wheel tightened, a meaningful smile curling on her lips.

"I'm not short on money, and I don't need any designer bags."

"You know exactly what I want."

The car happened to stop at a red light.

Xu Xinran turned her head, her beautiful eyes staring straight at Su Bai. Her gaze carried a predatory edge unique to mature women.

"The dance troupe's issue is settled, and Liu Chenyang's matter is also resolved."

"Su Bai, you promised me."

"Tonight... isn't it my turn?"

Su Bai looked at her pretty face, which was now so close to his, and caught the faint scent of her perfume.

Indeed.

Reporter Xu had really helped him a lot lately. Moreover, compared to those green, inexperienced young girls, a fully mature professional woman like Xu Xinran possessed a completely different and unique charm.

Most importantly, she was very straightforward.

Since that was the case, it was time to fulfill his promise.

"Alright."

Su Bai reached out, gently caressing her cheek as his fingers brushed past her rosy lips.

"Where to? Your place or mine?"

Xu Xinran's eyes instantly lit up, like a leopardess spotting her prey.

"My place."