[The Oddity Shop doesn't have a Heavenly Salamander. It only offers the Substitute Salamander and the Bird of Paradise. Host, you drew the former.]
[Oddity: Substitute Salamander
Function: Think of it as a stand-in doll. Same craftsmanship. ps: La la la, I just won't die, I just won't die.]
Even though Chu Zhi had already lost consciousness, the system still had to finish explaining. It was the system's last bit of stubbornness.
[Activating Substitute Salamander as requested, slowly diverting lethal damage.]
That alone proved the Emperor Beast was cautious to the bone. When he drew the Substitute Salamander and checked its function, he'd already thought ahead.
A few years ago, he didn't believe he'd ever be assassinated while singing, but what if an accident happened? A car crash, a stage collapse, something unexpected?
Back then, he told the system to make sure the effect wasn't too mystical. If he got heavily injured, it shouldn't heal him in an instant like some fantasy trope. He lived in the modern world. Things had to fit modern science. Otherwise, he'd risk getting hauled off to a lab for dissection.
The system agreed. That's why the gunshot wound tearing through his abdomen now looked so ordinary.
The South Lawn was surrounded by Secret Service agents with guns drawn, layer upon layer. Saying even a fly couldn't get through was an exaggeration, but no human could possibly sneak in.
Once the chaos settled slightly…
"I'm so sorry everyone had to go through this…" First Lady Tracy offered the obligatory words.
President Steele had already left the South Lawn and returned to the Oval Office in the West Wing. He ordered a full investigation into how Robert had bypassed dual checks, both manual and mechanical, and smuggled a 9mm Glock inside.
"Mr. Depoto, you'll handle this. I expect a result that satisfies me."
"Yes, sir."
He assigned his Chief of Staff to oversee the case. Steele took this deadly seriously, because he suspected there was someone pulling strings, and to be honest, he was shaken. A bullet in the body kills, and America had no shortage of assassinated presidents.
High-ranking officials rushed to the scene. The most nervous in order: the Homeland Security Secretary, Koguchi Yoshihiro, and Tracy. The Secret Service answered to Homeland Security, meaning the White House's safety was the Secretary's responsibility. With such a massive breach, who wouldn't be terrified?
Koguchi Yoshihiro was simple. He just worried about Chu Zhi. If the Secret Service hadn't pulled him aside, he might've rushed over and spat in the shooter's face. To him, a world treasure like Chu Zhi was irreplaceable. Kill one, and there'd never be another. He glared at the restrained shooter every few seconds, seething.
The White House medical unit began emergency treatment. In China's terms, they were palace physicians. Their skills were top-tier.
"How's Mr. Chu Zhi?" Tracy asked.
"He needs surgery. We can't say more yet," the medical director replied.
When a bullet tore through the body, it caused a cavity effect. The spinning round released immense energy, shredding organs, causing massive bleeding, and often leading to death.
Meanwhile, Homeland Security confirmed none of the guests carried other dangerous items.
The next step was to move everyone off the South Lawn, housing them in guest rooms temporarily. Even if nobody had weapons, there could still be accomplices. Maybe the rows of tall agents and black muzzles gave a sense of security, because the frightened crowd finally calmed and started talking.
"Oh Lord, no matter the religion, you can't just end a life like this. He's a vice professor, yet he acted like a barbarian," said a social activist fighting to abolish the death penalty in all states.
"Human beings have always ostracized outsiders. From the medieval witch hunts onward, it's been the same. Mr. Chu Zhi, with his looks and voice, stands as an anomaly among humans," said a scholar of religion.
"Calling him an anomaly is wrong. That word ties to ugly, crazy, outcast. Chu Zhi's voice carries divinity, it brings joy. I think this professor was part of a cult. They brainwash in the name of religion. Chu Zhi's voice, though, it's the antidote to brainwashing," a sociologist argued.
The two experts clashed, but hardly anyone paid much mind to the actual victim's condition.
Still, the heated discussion was normal. To them, "Chu Zhi's assassination" was bound to shake society.
Guests were led to their rooms one by one.
"Something's off. If you go through all that trouble to smuggle a gun into the White House, and President Steele's just over a hundred meters away, why not target him? Why shoot a Chinese singer instead? Is this guy stupid?" Akenda muttered.
There were plenty of chances to target a singer. Doing it here felt like disrespecting the president.
Akenda Bell, hailed as the new king of pop in America, was one of the invited singers. He wasn't happy though. He disliked Tracy and Steele, that show-off couple.
"I remember Chu Zhi's fans are insane. The internet's probably gone nuts," Akenda said, pulling out his phone, only to find no signal.
After a pause, he understood. No wonder everyone's phones had been collected earlier.
There were two thousand people here. No way could they cover this up. The phone blackout was just to buy time while they untangled the mess. Free speech in America thrived on party struggles. Many attacks on those in power got published because a rival faction backed them. But in a real crisis…
Like now, with three major newspaper reporters stuck inside, unable to even file a story. Nobody screamed about human rights.
Half an hour later, the Chief of Staff came back with news. "Robert joined a group called the Temple of Divine Light. It's basically a cult, headquartered in East St. Louis, Illinois. We've contacted the state government to start arrests.
According to Robert, his motive was that Asians blasphemed the Lord. He believed people of color didn't deserve God's glory. His social media shows he's a populist, active in many movements. The Glock was smuggled in by Italo, an assistant chef at the White House, who's also part of the Temple of Divine Light."
The report didn't satisfy Steele. If that was true, then a chef's aide could sneak a gun inside? The White House would be the world's biggest joke. If it wasn't true, and the Chief of Staff still got duped, then he'd lost control of the White House.
Neither option was acceptable.
"Sir, we should think carefully about how to explain this to China," the Chief said. "Given this singer's popularity and his special status, this won't be easy."
But Steele wasn't ordinary. He steadied himself quickly and called in his news secretary, IT advisor, policy advisor, and strategy consultant.
With two thousand eyewitnesses and Chu Zhi's global fame, the news couldn't be hidden. Better to release it on their own terms.
While reporters from The New York Times and others wrote drafts in guest rooms, they realized one thing: the Chinese star Chu Zhi had been shot and might not survive.
To the average American, he was just a celebrity. But top reporters knew better.
"Sir, it's safe now, you may leave," an agent said politely.
"Is the victim alive?" asked a New York Times reporter with green eyes.
"…He's in the hospital," the agent said after a pause, stressing the word "injured."
Not dead? Perfect.
The green-eyed reporter knew the size of this story. Whether Chu Zhi lived or died mattered less than the fact it happened.
Time was money. He followed the agent out, frustrated at the slow pace. Same with the others, itching to run.
Outside the White House, the first to know was Ambassador Dong. Stunned, he confirmed the news twice with the press office. Even he could hardly believe it. The White House was America's safest place. Presidents had been assassinated, yes, but never inside the White House. Maybe Chu Zhi wasn't even the real target?
But speculation didn't matter. This wasn't something he could handle.
If it were any other celebrity, even a famous businessman or writer, the ambassador had authority to manage it. After all, his title was "Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary." But this was Chu Zhi.
For now, he told his aide to prepare a hospital visit, then reported straight to Beijing.
After hanging up, Ambassador Dong sighed. "For a cult and populists to hate him enough to organize an assassination, it only proves one thing. Counselor Chu's fame has grown so great, many Americans fear him."
"I hope he pulls through," he prayed silently.
The story couldn't wait until morning papers. That night, American online outlets filled their headlines:
USA Today: "Chu Zhi Shot, What It Means for Global Catholicism"
HuffPost: "Truth Behind Professor Robert's Attempted Assassination of Chu Zhi"
Yahoo News: "Chu Zhi Shot, Fate Unknown as Populism Rises"
CNN: "Tragedy at the White House, Chu Zhi in a Coma After Gunshot"
The New York Times: "First-Hand Scene｜The Moment Chu Zhi Was Shot"
Global agencies jumped in too—Reuters, AFP, Kyodo, Middle East News, Press Trust. Everyone reacted the same way: "Wait, that Chu Zhi?"
In Asia especially, newsrooms reposted and sent for more coverage.
Surprisingly, Xinhua stayed quiet. But in the internet age, information was impossible to dam. Independent outlets spread it everywhere.
Observer News: [#ChuZhiShot #ChuZhiFateUnknown The singer was shot at the White House, life or death uncertain.]
WeAmericaUSA: [Chu Zhi went to the White House for a concert today, and he was shot. Terrifying! #ChuZhiShot]
It was all over the trending lists.
Because of the 12-hour time difference, America's night was China's daytime.
Little Fruits and melon-eaters were just waking up… or still awake from the night before. And what they saw was a thunderclap of a headline.
"Fake news, right? Brother Jiu never provoked anyone."
"No major outlet's confirmed it yet, but it's all over foreign sites. God, I hope it's fake. I'll trade my bestie's ten years of single life if it means Xiao Jiu's safe."
"???? Which hospital? I'm booking a flight to DC."
"'Fate unknown'? Fuck!"
…
Some passerby cursed too. "What stupid fake news? Chu Zhi's just a singer. Getting assassinated at the White House, like he's some world leader? Let me check foreign sites myself."
Minutes later, he came back. "Holy shit, looks like it's true. I know it's not the right time, but how badass is Chu Zhi? He got attacked at the White House?"
By around 9 a.m., still no state media reposted. But the Foreign Ministry's website homepage finally updated:
"Chu Zhi was shot while performing at the White House."
[Today, after verification with the embassy, State Council Counselor and Chief Culture and Tourism Advisor Chu Zhi was shot by an assailant at the White House South Lawn around 6 p.m. on the 21st. He was severely injured and taken to Langone Medical Center. That night, the ambassador visited the hospital for updates. His condition remains critical.
Preliminary investigation shows it was attempted murder. According to Homeland Security, at 6:34 p.m. on the 21st, Robert Ipei (male, 48) used a Glock to fire at Chu Zhi (male, 27, Counselor and Advisor), causing…]
Other posts on the homepage were about top leaders meeting foreign counterparts or signing declarations.
This official statement nailed it down. In China and across the globe, the news of Chu Zhi's shooting caused an uproar!