Goblin Reincarnation in Another World (Anime/Manga)

Page 251

"But the redness on my knees will be very noticeable under the light, and I'm afraid it won't be effective."

"It'll be alright, I'll increase the rotation, then no one will notice your knee..."

Seeing that Nel was so insistent that she was alright, Zuber didn't say much. At this point, he could only entrust everything to Nel, because the day to pay the deposit was getting closer and closer, and he was already under a lot of pressure. He was just putting on a brave face in front of Nel, after all, the real agreement between him and Ningguang was far more than just a few coins.

Nilu has been training very hard these past few days, and her injury seems to have almost healed. She can now perform many difficult moves. Seeing this, Zuber is much relieved and quickly set the date for the second performance. Even if they can't pay the money by the end of the month, having Nilu perform one more show can reduce the losses and at least make it easier to turn things around in the second month.

The second performance day arrived quickly, and ticket sales were still good. The venue was packed, with even more people than the first time. It seems that the recent negative news has actually boosted Nil's fame. Is being infamous still a form of fame?

Nilu's performance this time was much better than before. After being attacked by rumors, Nilu has been training even harder these past few days. Today, her movements were so agile that she didn't seem like she had just been injured. The music group's rhythm was also much better than the first time. It seems that after the mistake last time, the music group has been learning from the experience and making a lot of efforts to improve.

Soon, we arrived at the crucial fourth act. Nel once again unleashed her most dreamlike five-step spinning dance. This time, the perfect combination with the rhythm filled her with confidence. As the music gradually reached its climax, Nel also began to follow the rhythm of the music and enter the climax of the performance. After a few spins, she displayed the beauty of the goddess of flowers. At the end of the music, where Nel danced, the props team would pre-design a mechanism to open Patishalan, drawing everyone's attention to the dancer and the flowers.

This time, Nil didn't make any mistakes and completed the entire dance perfectly. At this moment, all the audience's eyes were focused on Nil's eyes. As the music stopped abruptly, Nil finished with a finishing move, looking at the audience with a gentle smile, and the audience burst into enthusiastic applause.

It seems the performance was finally a success. Nilu received the applause and finally felt relieved. She had finally overcome the hardships she had endured during her injury.

"Look everyone, this little one's knees are really red..."

"Haha... I bet it's because someone really rode on him from behind that he looked like this..."

"You must be exhausted... You'll probably be ridden again tonight..."

No sooner had the applause ended than a barrage of profanities began to circulate from the audience. At first, it was just a few words, but then more and more came, one after another, leaving Nilu stunned on stage.

But that's not the worst part. The worst part is that, as these people talk, everyone's attention really focuses on Nel's knees. Some people had noticed that Nel's knees were red before, and now that they've been pointed out, even more people have noticed it.

"It looks like her knees are really red..."

Could the rumors be true?

"Definitely. I heard she injured her ankle recently and hasn't been performing. Her knees wouldn't be injured..."

"Could it be that saying he was injured because he hadn't been performing recently was just an excuse, and that he was actually serving the powerful and wealthy? How despicable..."

As more and more insults appeared, Nel began to panic on stage. She wanted to defend herself, but she didn't know what to say. The audience started whistling and jeering again, and more foul language poured in, making Nel almost freeze up.

"Hurry up and lower the curtain..."

Seeing that things were going badly, Zuber quickly ordered his staff to pull back the curtain, and Nilu's performance ended amidst a chorus of insults...

The next day, all the newspapers in Hong Kong featured Nilu's performance as their headline story. However, alongside the reports on the aftermath of the performance, other sections, especially the entertainment section, were filled with more speculation and gossip.

.

Chapter 851

Meanwhile, other tabloids have begun to speculate about Nel's various lovers, with some even claiming to have received insider information. The source of the information is a staff member of Zuber, who claims that Nel goes out in a carriage every night and returns very late. After returning, she is covered in a strange smell and has to take a long time to bathe and clean herself before she can come out.

As for those rumors that spread everywhere, many people who were there in person began to use them as corroborating evidence to tell everyone that Nilu was actually being kept by someone, and her red knees were proof. With such "ironclad evidence," it was an undeniable fact...

Chapter 581 Nilu's Dilemma

Chapter 581.

"What kind of nonsense are these newspapers writing? Isn't anyone going to do anything about it?"

In his office, Zuber tore the newspaper he had bought that day to shreds in front of Nilu. He couldn't stand the reports in it anymore. In fact, the reports in recent days, since the second day of the performance, had not only failed to dispel the rumors along with Nilu's perfect performance, but had instead intensified.

"Banning these newspapers is useless now. The rumors have spread throughout the streets and alleys of Yunlai Port and have already affected subsequent ticket sales. Many people have said they can't watch Nilu's performance and are demanding refunds. Some groups are even demanding that Nilu apologize and calling for a boycott of Nilu's performances."

"How could this happen? Nel is completely innocent..."

"This is what they mean by how powerful public opinion can be..."

Bai Xiao was also in the office; she was the one who came today with the newspaper to discuss with Zubair how to deal with the current situation.

"It's all my fault..."

“Nilu, what did you do wrong? In this situation, you shouldn’t blame yourself…”

"But right now everything is indeed aimed at Miss Nilu, Mr. Zuber. I have to ask, do you still have the conditions to fulfill the contract?"

"Huh? Well... of course I have one..."

"Are you sure? A base investment of 10 gold coins is no small amount. There's only one week left in this month, and as far as I know, the Zhiju Troupe hasn't even earned 1 gold coins yet, has it?"

The income from the previous rehearsals was negligible. The 1 gold coins were earned by Nil in this one performance. However, seeing that Nil's reputation in Yunlai Port has been greatly damaged after this performance, it is feared that she will have a hard time earning that much in subsequent performances. No, looking at the current situation, it is hard to say whether Nil will be able to complete her next performance normally, or even start it normally.

"I'll figure out a way to get this money."

"Although I understand your situation in the contract, a contract is a contract, and that will not change."

Bai Xiao adopted a completely businesslike attitude. Nilu wanted to say something, but Zuber stopped her and then spoke to Bai Xiao:

“I understand that. Don’t worry, I will pay the full amount by the end of the month.”

“Very good. As long as Mr. Zubair can ensure the fulfillment of the contract, you can ask for all the guarantees that we should provide. Now, I wish you a successful performance.”

After saying this, Bai Xiao stood up, nodded to Nilu, and left Zuber's office.

“Mr. Zubair, I will perform well from now on, and I must raise the initial funds.”

"But your current state of loving me isn't really suitable for performing, is it?"

"What will happen to the troupe's principal if I don't perform?"

"I'll figure something out."

"But there probably isn't a good way, is there?"

Nilu's words silenced Zuber. In truth, he was just putting on a brave face in front of Nilu. What good options were there now? Borrowing from loan sharks would result in interest rates even higher than defaulting, which would be pointless.

"Anyway, I will continue to work hard, after all, I'm the one who got the troupe into trouble..."

"Don't say that about Nel..."

"What will happen to Mr. Zubair if he is unable to fulfill the contract and breaches it?"

"If the troupe disbands, I might end up in a debt prison, right? After all, I signed the contract, and everyone in the troupe might have to go to debt prison to pay off their debts as well. If I can provide proof that everyone is just someone I hired, even if the others don't have to go to debt prison like me, the troupe will probably still have to disband."

Zuber gave a wry smile. Hearing this, Nilu immediately stood up, her sweet face hardening with a resolute expression, and said:

"I absolutely cannot let the troupe go bankrupt; I must continue performing."

"But given the current performance situation... will anyone still be there?"

"How will you know if you don't try?"

Nilu smiled and said:

"Perhaps those rumors didn't affect everyone. We've been overly concerned about external criticism. The second show was sold out, so don't worry about me. Those rumors can't break me."

Since Nel had already put it that way, Mr. Zuber had no choice but to nod and agree to continue the third performance. After all, it would be troublesome if he really couldn't pay the deposit. Moreover, seeing Nel's statement, Zuber knew that his agreement with Ningguang was nearing completion. Although he felt sorry for Nel, Zuber was powerless to do anything about it. It was all for the sake of everyone in the troupe. He believed that Nel would understand his predicament in the future.

The third performance started soon, but it was completely different from what was expected. This time, very few people came to see Nilu's performance. The few who did come were mostly reporters and idle people. Nilu recognized a few of them; they were the people who had caused trouble before. She didn't know why these people were so idle. They didn't even like the show, yet they came to every performance, just to cause trouble.

Even if only one ticket is sold, the troupe will still perform; this is their professional ethics. Besides, although there were only about a hundred people in the audience, the troupe decided to perform anyway. However, from the very beginning, those few who were egging on the audience kept hurling insults and profanities. Whenever Nilu appeared, they would whistle, snap their fingers, boo, and even start verbally abusing her.

"Oh, oh, oh... they're out selling their little tricks again..."

"It's such a shame that someone so beautiful isn't working as a pro..."

"This kind of performance is basically a lewd performance... Does it mean that after the performance, they have to go and serve their master...?"

Nilu was already fighting back tears backstage after only performing the third act. Other members of the troupe were so angry that they wanted to hit the ones who were jeering and booing, but Nilu stopped them.

"This is the performance venue. If a conflict breaks out, it will have a negative impact on the troupe."

"But those people really went too far."

Even so, everyone can only endure it.

Nilu had advised everyone that, but the group went even further. By the fourth act, the noise was so loud that the music could hardly be played. In the end, a few hot-blooded young men from the props and support staff couldn't take it anymore and rushed down to confront the group. Before the performance was even over, the entire theater was in chaos. Eventually, a reporter called the police, who arrived at the theater to separate the two groups.

Afterwards, all these people were taken away for investigation, including members of the Zuber troupe, who also had to go to the police station to explain the situation. By the time they returned, it was already the next morning, and the morning newspapers on the street were already extensively reporting on the conflict involving the Zuber troupe the previous night. Zuber had bought several newspapers, with headlines prominently displayed:

"A performance by porn star Nilu sparked a conflict, and the Zuber theater troupe got into a brawl..."

"A mysterious source has revealed that Nilu's lover, after failing to win her over, went to the theater and caused trouble..."

Breaking News: Nilu's Two-Tier Romance Sparks Conflict Within the Theater Company!?

"The performances of porn star Nil have become a destabilizing factor in Cloud Future Harbor!!"

"What nonsense are these newspapers spouting now!"

Zubair saw that the above not only distorted the events of last night's fight.

Chapter 852

In fact, some have even started calling Nel a "sex symbol," which is going too far. Nel was exhausted both physically and mentally after last night's conflict. When she saw the newspaper distorting her story, she couldn't help but break down and cry in the street, which attracted a lot of onlookers. The troupe members had no choice but to cover Nel's return to the mansion. They suddenly became like rats in Yunlai Port.

In the following days, the troupe was unable to perform at all. There were even protests outside the mansion where the Zubair Troupe was staying, with people hoping that the Zubair Troupe and the porn star Nilu would leave Yunlai Port as soon as possible, otherwise the children would be corrupted by her performances. Nilu couldn't understand why the rumors at the beginning had slowly fermented into such a hateful rumor when she hadn't done anything.

"It seems that Zuber's troupe's upcoming performances will be difficult to proceed."

As the month drew to a close, Bai Xiao came to Zubair's office again to discuss the issue of base money. Zubair's total income for the month was only a little over 1 gold coins, far short of 10. More importantly, it seemed that the entire troupe was no longer able to make money after Nilu's reputation deteriorated. That's why Bai Xiao came to discuss the subsequent contract with Zubair.

"Well... I hope you can give me some more time. The contract is for three months, and we've only been in the first month..."

"In fact, given that you breached the contract in the first month, and considering Miss Nilu's current box office appeal, continuing like this will only make you owe more and more money, right?"

Bai Xiao's words left Zuber speechless. At this time, the mainstay of the troupe, Nilu, the accountant, and the deputy manager were also in the office. Bai Xiao had asked them to attend the meeting to discuss the matter. After all, the troupe was facing a life-or-death situation, and Bai Xiao felt that it would be best to have the key personnel of the troupe guide them on the current predicament so that they could help Zuber make a decision.

"If the contract cannot be fulfilled, will Mr. Zubair go to prison for debt?"

"Of course it will, and not only that, the troupe will definitely disband."

When asked by Nilu, Baixiao answered without hesitation.

"how so……"

"In short, you'd better prepare for the worst."

After saying this, Bai Xiao left the mansion, leaving behind a group of worried people...

Just as Bai Xiao had predicted, things gradually began to develop in the worst possible direction. Soon, the group of people from the theater troupe who had fought with the audience were arrested by the police for disrupting public order. The information they later learned was that they were facing a sentence of more than one year in prison.

"It's just a fight, why did it escalate to this level?"

“Because Yunlai Port is a commercial hub, these crimes that break the rules are particularly serious.”

Upon hearing this news, Zuber hurriedly sought out Bai Xiao, hoping she could be lenient. After all, Yunlai Port was Ningguang's territory, and if she was willing to help, releasing the person would be a simple matter of a word.

“How can this be? Although Ningguang is the lord of Yunlai Port, she cannot and should not be above the rules. Moreover, even if she could, Lord Ningguang would never actively disrupt the operation of the rules. Otherwise, wouldn’t the spirit of contract in Yunlai Port be unable to continue? In that case, the foundation of Yunlai Port’s prosperity would cease to exist. Lord Ningguang would never do such a thing.”

Zuber's suggestion was flatly rejected by Bai Xiao, but seeing Nilu standing to the side, Bai Xiao suddenly said:

"However, social niceties are unavoidable. The question is, who among you can persuade Lady Ningguang? If you are confident that you can convince her, I can give you a chance. But this is the only chance. If Lady Ningguang refuses to meet, there's nothing I can do."

"I'll go myself."

Ningguang was the one who persuaded me to come to Yunlai Port in the first place. Now that I'm in trouble, I'm sure it won't be a problem if I ask Ningguang for help. I can't let the people in the troupe actually get locked up because of me.

"Miss Nel, are you really sure you want to see Lady Ningguang?"

"certainly……"

“But Nel…”

“Mr. Zubair, don’t worry. Now it’s up to me to solve these problems. After all, I was the one who brought everyone to Yunlai Port. Now I should take responsibility for everything.”

Nilu nodded firmly to Zuber. At this point, Zuber had no other choice; the wild child could do as Nilu wanted. Seeing that no one else present objected, Baixiao said:

“Alright, I will arrange for Miss Nel to meet with Lady Ningguang, but I remind you again that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so please consider it carefully.”

"I see."

About a week after Bai Xiao left, someone came to inform Nilu that she could come to the Qunyu Pavilion in Yunlai Port tonight to meet with Lady Ningguang. Lady Ningguang gave special permission to see Nilu once. This time she came back only to supervise the logistics and supplies and would stay for a short time. She would probably leave tomorrow to go to the front line of Altaïr and would not come back for a while.

During this period, the situation of the Zubair Theatre Troupe continued to deteriorate. The rumors in the newspapers outside grew increasingly rampant, and the portrayal of Nilu became more and more serious, reaching an appalling level. Due to the security incident, they were unable to perform again. In fact, to be honest, given the current situation, even if Zubair wanted to perform, it's unlikely that anyone would be willing to come.

Chapter 582 Nilu Signs the Contract

Chapter 582.

With Bai Xiao's help, Nilu arrived at Qunyu Pavilion and got the opportunity to meet Ningguang. However, Nilu was supposed to go to Qunyu Pavilion in the afternoon, but because Ningguang had to deal with official business, Nilu had to wait outside until the evening before they could meet. Nilu could only wait obediently outside, after all, she needed someone's help.

It wasn't until late at night that Ningguang finally had a moment to call Nel. Nel, who had been waiting anxiously, quickly followed Baixiao into the office to meet Ningguang.

"It's been a long time, Miss Nilu. You look so haggard."