Enforcer Manual
Chapter 760 - 758: The Gift_1

Chapter 760: Chapter 758: The Gift_1

Time had slipped into the afternoon before they knew it.

Considering that Song Lan had been busy with business trips not long ago and didn’t seem to be in great shape, she decided to do something about it.

Captain Doug, along with Valerian, Zhuang Chi, and other office CP leaders, gave them suggestions and strategies, telling them about a new activity that had recently become popular among the young people in District 17.

"Here, these two tickets are sponsored by Captain Doug, tonight at 8 PM."

She showed Song Lan the movie tickets she had just received, knowing that it wasn’t easy to make Doug, known as a stingy man, open his wallet.

This was no secret within the Law Enforcers department; even the members of the special operations team always joked about him privately. They always said that Captain Doug was good at everything but was so stingy he’d pinch pennies all the way to granny’s house, always having "next time it’s on me" at the ready.

Song Lan clicked his tongue in amazement, "What is this, a plaza theatre? ...Upon a closer look, aren’t these complimentary tickets?"

"Huh? They really are."

Only when he pointed it out did Lu Xiang notice the details on the electronic ticket.

It was a promotional activity by the theatre, which often gave away a few complimentary tickets after a group purchase.

Because in this era, theatre performances hardly had any space to survive, apart from some old people who are nostalgic about life before the third war, they had no new audience.

Compared to these traditional performances, people preferred the rapidly advancing technological means of movies and TV dramas.

"Captain Doug likes to go to the theatre?"

"Haven’t you heard? A theatre has recently become very popular in District 17."

Lu Xiang shared the news she had just heard from Zhuang Chi, but in her opinion, it seemed more like a marketing ploy by the plaza theatre.

The discussion brought about by "Internet celebrities" certainly helped to improve their dismal performance to a certain extent.

However, the truth of the matter was not important to her; she simply wanted to find an excuse to spend a pleasant time with Song Lan, "Valerian and Zhuang Chi have seen it already and they’re full of praise for this new troupe. They say it’s an unimaginable viewing experience."

"Spirit Troupe... I’ve never heard of this name before."

Song Lan searched for the troupe’s name online out of habit and found that almost all the results were from within the last two days.

The performance being put on had generated a significant amount of online discussion, to the point where even people from other cities were hesitating whether to make a special trip to District 17 to watch the show.

As for when this troupe was formed, which cities it had previously toured, and what plays it had performed, there were no results to be found.

Honestly, the promotional strategy felt somewhat counterfeit.

Song Lan’s anti-fraud radar immediately went into operation; it was obvious that some newly established troupe had bought a wave of online armies to promote themselves, and the tactics used were of the cruder sort. He silently surmised that probably not much had been invested in hiring these online armies, only managing to recruit some low-level ones with little fame or skill.

But these two tickets were after all a gift from the stingy Captain Doug, and Lu Xiang had extended her heartfelt invitation.

"There are two hours left before the show starts; we could take a walk around City Plaza first."

Song Lan pushed the issues of fake promotion and the online army to the back of his mind, rationalizing it as accompanying Lu Xiang to cultivate his sentiments. After all, in the restless year of 2167, going to a theatre to watch a play had become a sophisticated activity.

He had never visited the plaza theatre before this.

What Song Lan didn’t expect was that the theatre would be much busier than he imagined, with scalpers already in action a good while before the show started.

The theatre’s vicinity also saw a significant turnout of young people, most of whom were couples, filling the entire plaza with the atmosphere of romance under the night sky.

Seeing those young men and women, Song Lan only felt that anti-fraud propaganda was more necessary than ever.

Why had even company people been deceived by false advertising, wasn’t this supposed to be their area of expertise?

Unlike the worried Song Lan, Lu Xiang quickly blended into the atmosphere of the plaza, naturally taking Song Lan’s arm as she began discussing the history of the plaza theatre, "This building has existed since District 17 was established, and like the Printing Bureau, it can be called one of District 17’s cultural heritages. At the beginning of the city’s establishment, there were very limited ways of entertainment; people would come to the theatre to see a performance in their free time. Those were the busiest days for the plaza theatre and when business was most booming, there were always six drama troupes residing in the theatre."

All of the above information was from the official website of the plaza theatre.

"But Old Lu, you haven’t been in District 17 as long as I have."

Song Lan always felt something was off, knowing Lu Xiang had been transferred to District 17 for less than a year and couldn’t even be counted as an old District 17 resident.

"But I definitely know this city better than you do."

Lu Xiang smiled lightly, "I’ve been to more places in one year than you have in over a decade."

This was a nod to Song Lan’s habits and limited travel range as he would never venture outside his workplace and home unless necessary.

As for her, due to work, she often needed to appear in the most hidden corners of District 17, "Besides, I’ve bought a house in District 17."

It took her less than a year to complete the transition to an "old District 17 resident."

In contrast, it was Song Lan who seemed like the faux District 17 resident.

Faced with the iron-clad reality, Song Lan found himself unable to refute at that moment.

He certainly didn’t know the city that well, and he hadn’t saved enough money to buy a house yet; the comfortable life he led living in Lu Xiang’s apartment had at times dissipated his motivation to save for his own place.

As time passed, the crowd gathering on the square grew, and the two entered the theatre a quarter of an hour ahead of schedule.

The complimentary tickets had placed them in the last row near the corner of the theatre, not optimal for those intent on watching the play. But for those with ulterior motives under the guise of attending a performance, this spot was perfect for them to operate in the dark.

Lu Xiang was quite pleased with the complimentary tickets’ location.

The play satisfied both her desires to watch and to be affectionate, a different sensation from the openness allowed in her apartment. There was a unique thrill to being in the crowded theatre.

However, the naive Song Lan did not share this view.

He was truly there with the intent of watching the play.

He watched the entire love story presented by the Spirit Troupe. As the performance neared its end, Song Lan was struck by a new doubt, "Old Lu, were those special effects designed by the theatre?"

For there was a moment when he felt as if he had truly gone back to before the third war, immersively experiencing the scenery of the pre-war world.