Zhang Xiaowai sat on a plastic stool at the night market barbecue street, a look of utter despair on his face as he stared at the metal pendant in his hand, as if it were a bomb about to burst into song. Behind him, the lamb skewers sizzled on the hot grill, casting a shimmering heat haze. In front, dazzling neon lights flickered, and Liu Piaopiao's deer-antler hat, now speckled with cumin, bobbed enthusiastically.
Last night's musical note melody from the top floor still churned in his mind, as if using a BGM to enhance his salaryman hallucinations. His instant noodles remained unfinished, his colleague's disappearance case had been officially noted, and his manager had branded him the "top floor mole." He had yearned to escape back into the embrace of his 996 routine, only to be kicked by his Ulong Halo straight into the chaos of the night market.
"This pendant definitely has something to do with it!" Liu Piaopiao declared from across the table, her flashlight waving erratically, as if she were directing a suspenseful short film. "Look at this musical note; it looks incredibly similar to the patterns on the Ulong Codex!"
"Similar, my foot!" Zhang Xiaowai rolled his eyes, taking a bite of a slightly charred lamb skewer. "Can you please stop dragging the Ulong whatever-Codex into this? I'm already carrying the 'mole' accusation!"
Tang Xiaotang, phone in hand, aimed her camera at the pendant, muttering, "Mysterious musical note, missing employee, night market underworld… this is going to explode with popularity!"
Zhang Xiaowai groaned inwardly: Are there any normal people left these days? These two, one a streamer and one a reporter, are practically ready to live-stream my self-surrender.
Just as they were arguing heatedly, a bizarre figure in a fluorescent floral shirt and sunglasses leaped into their midst. He held a microphone and wore a rhythm board on his foot, dancing his way to their stall. "Ulong City's King of the Night Market, Soundwave Master DJ Xiao K—making a grand entrance!"
The moment he opened his mouth, he unleashed an explosive electronic beat. In his enthusiasm, he accidentally kicked over a barbecue grill, sending sparks flying and eliciting screams from all the surrounding barbecue vendors. Zhang Xiaowai's hand trembled, almost dropping his beer bottle. "Who is this guy? Did the night market's supernatural role-playing group summon him?"
Liu Piaopiao's eyes, however, lit up. "This person… he's got potential!"
DJ Xiao K took off his sunglasses and winked at Zhang Xiaowai. "Heard you guys are investigating the 'Sound of Ulong'? I've heard it! Even recorded a segment!"
"You've heard it too?!" all three exclaimed in unison.
DJ Xiao K pulled out his phone and played a low, eerie melody. Zhang Xiaowai's face instantly changed: it was the exact audio he had heard on the top floor last night!
Tang Xiaotang, quick as a flash, recorded the sound. "This is crucial! Where did you hear it?"
"At the abandoned theater on the edge of the night market. That music echoes there every night."
Liu Piaopiao slammed her hand on the table, making the skewers jiggle. "The theater! I knew there was something fishy there! Xiaowai, we have to go investigate immediately!"
"I… I can't…" Zhang Xiaowai gritted his teeth. "I still have work. I need to keep a low profile…"
DJ Xiao K leaned closer, grinning broadly. "Don't worry, I've got your back! Ulong Halo plus Soundwave Master, a match made in heaven! Come on, I'll give you a BGM!"
As he spoke, he immediately cut to a segment of heavy bass and reverberating melody, shaking Zhang Xiaowai so much he nearly fell off his stool.
The three of them dragged him towards the dimly lit music stall deeper in the night market. The stall owner was a skinny old man, thin as a bamboo pole, with a face that clearly read "don't mess with me."
Liu Piaopiao held up the pendant. "Have you ever seen this before?"
The old man flinched, playing dumb. "I just sell old records, don't know anything about music…"
Zhang Xiaowai was about to pretend to be a casual passerby and leave, but his Ulong Halo decided to act up at that moment. He shifted his weight, misjudging the stool, and his butt landed askew, sending the old man's stack of CDs tumbling down with a clatter. A yellowed slip of paper rolled out, clearly stating:
"Theater, underground sound chamber, find the truth."
Liu Piaopiao's eyes lit up. "The halo has triumphed again!"
Tang Xiaotang was so excited her phone almost vibrated out of her hand. "If this material were made into a documentary, it would be explosive!"
DJ Xiao K held up the pendant. "I'm going to use this to mix a 'Ulong Electro: Awakening Version'!"
Zhang Xiaowai groaned, clutching his head. "I just want to eat some skewers and get some sleep!"
But he knew that once the halo resonated, it was like igniting the prelude to an urban soundwave war. His night market supper plans were completely ruined.
Zhang Xiaowai clutched the pendant and the note, his heart pounding like the night market drums. The melody of the Sound of Ulong still swirled in his mind, and the clue about the abandoned theater felt like a burning coal, foretelling even greater trouble. His halo buzzed, as if mocking his perpetual inability to escape this tangled mess. And deep within the night market, Tang Xiaotang secretly glanced at him, the subtle, unreadable smile on her lips making Zhang Xiaowai feel even more certain that this case was even more complicated than Xiao K's electro music.