All-rounder Artist

A seemingly simple sentence, but Yang Zhongming displayed a kind of dominance.

Some Maestros were surprised.

They hadn't expected Xian Yu to be valued so highly by Yang Zhongming; it certainly wasn't just because of the company relationship that Yang would take such a stance.

However, everyone could understand why Yang Zhongming made his declaration.

Xian Yu, the rising star Maestro, was becoming too prominent and needed to be put in his place.

So, Zhong Continent made its move.

Are there no such people outside of Zhong Continent?

Of course there are.

It's inevitable that there would be feelings of jealousy among peers.

This isn't exclusive to the music industry; it's the same in every circle.

In such a situation, there were plenty of people who hoped Xian Yu would encounter some problems.

The atmosphere became slightly awkward for a while, but soon everybody resumed chatting and laughing; such matters were best left unspoken.

However, Lin Yuan could distinctly feel:

The attitudes of the other Maestros towards him seemed warmer than before.

"You've spoken too soon."

Zheng Jing looked around and muttered, "Not everyone has arrived."

But that didn't matter.

They would hear about it.

Zheng Jing smiled and led Xian Yu into the conversation.

Meanwhile, at the entrance of the Golden Hall.

The red carpet was already buzzing with activity.

Many celebrities made their appearances on the red carpet.

"The King of Singing from Qin Continent!"

"The Queen of Singing from Qi Continent is here too!"

"Look at Chu Continent's hottest film star, his legs practically growing on the red carpet; the Golden Hall's popularity sure is 'truly fragrant'."

"Pfft, what a show-off!"

"President Wang from Puling Capital!"

"Everyone knows President Wang loves music, he has to hear the Golden Hall's performances several times a year."

"Is that his son, Prince, behind him?"

"Indeed, that's President Wang's son, but the guy next to Prince Wang looks familiar."

"That's Ling Kong, the Crown Prince of the Tribe!"

A reporter exclaimed, as the recently publicly revealed Ling Kong also arrived.

Ling Kong was very handsome, smiling and greeting the camera.

Behind.

Suddenly a somewhat indifferent voice rang out, "Make way."

Ling Kong frowned and looked back, coughing discreetly and quietly stepping aside.

This woman was someone he couldn't afford to offend.

If his father, Ling Zhou, were here, maybe he could have gotten her to be a bit more polite.

"This woman's temper really stinks, and she's dressed so provocatively; why doesn't she just debut in a girl group."

Prince Wang beside him curled his lips.

"Keep it down, Prince,"

Ling Kong said with an awkward expression, thinking how this woman could buy countless girl groups and still bother to debut in one.

Prince scoffed, "I'm not afraid of her."

Ling Kong grew even more embarrassed. You're not scared, but I am!

The woman whom Ling Kong was wary of was in her twenties, frighteningly beautiful, wearing a floor-length black gown adorned with countless pearls, and a necklace on her neck that almost blinded people. She had garnered immense attention from reporters the moment she appeared!

"Lilia!?"

"The thorny rose from Zhong Continent's top socialites."

"What socialite, who among them has skills like hers?"

This woman was no simple character.

As Lilia briskly walked down the red carpet, her companion laughed, "Do you have a grudge against that little second-generation from the Tribe?"

"No."

"Then why did you snub him?"

"He was blocking my photographer."

"..."

With so many reporters around, do you really need to bring your own photographer?

Her companion smiled wryly, used to her ostentatious character, "Let's go straight to the box; hopefully, today you'll find a tune to your liking."

"Mm."

Lilia nodded, fiddling with her phone. Soon, she saw a piece of news online:

[Zhong Continent's number one businesswoman Lilia spotted at the Golden Hall, outshining everyone!]

This press release was quick.

A pre-prepared "outshining press release" if ever there was one.

Pleased with the speed, Lilia smiled and continued upstairs with her friend.

...

Lin Yuan was unaware of the situation outside.

After a short stay in the lounge, he entered the VIP box with Yang Zhongming and Zheng Jing.

The Golden Hall's main area was filled with seats.

Above the main hall, however, were countless boxes prepared for top-tier guests.

A Maestro, of course, was considered a top-tier guest.

Inside the box, Zheng Jing smiled at Lin Yuan, "When you're truly ready to hold your own concert, remember to find Uncle Yang. He's already made his offer; you can't let him off the hook."

Lin Yuan asked, "Is there any significance to it?"

Zheng Jing chuckled, "If Uncle Yang helps you organize a concert, he can invite some people that ordinary Maestros couldn't, and your peers will be more cautious in their dealings. If he weren't there to support you, your peers and the media might be critical. Of course, there are other benefits, which you'll know about later. Don't be fooled by Zhong Continent sending two people to target you. In the eyes of some, you're not yet a competitor. They've moved beyond pop music and hardly give it any attention. Flaunting their work here in the Golden Hall is their real pursuit."

"Hm,"

Lin Yuan mused thoughtfully.

There seemed to be quite a lot to this.

The gap between Maestros probably lay in this.

So-called solo concerts would inevitably involve piano pieces or even symphonic compositions.

These were areas he had yet to explore.

Even with the piano, he had only taken a half step in, with very limited work.

It seemed even after becoming a Maestro, there was still a long road ahead.

"By the way,"

Zheng Jing smiled, "When I went upstairs earlier, I think I saw some second-generations. The Golden Hall always has some kids looking for excitement. But some of them are quite discerning, like Lilia from Zhong Continent. Those second-generations over there are heavily groomed by the older generation; it's only a few who can't be saved."

Lin Yuan didn't join in on this topic.

Second-generations were, undoubtedly, from very powerful families.

The scions from formidable families are not an unfamiliar sight for Lin Yuan; among those he knew, Ling Kong left a particularly unimpressive impression on him.

"Which round is Little Fish in?"

Yang Zhongming suddenly spoke up, and he, too, liked to follow Zheng Jing's lead in calling Lin Yuan "Little Fish."

"The sixth round."

Lin Yuan responded, having had this confirmed by Lil Goodoong earlier, though she wasn't eligible to enter the box and had an arranged seat in the hall below.

"Hmm."

Yang Zhongming nodded.

At that moment.

Zheng Jing suddenly said, "It's starting."

Indeed.

In the center of the stage below in the Golden Hall.

Applause broke out, and a pianist bowed before sitting down at a white piano.

On the large screen on the stage.

The background was deep twilight, with a full moon hanging in the sky, gradually obscured by darkness.

At the same time.

An elegant piano melody began to play.

This piece was deeply poignant, like a kind of lament, characteristically feminine in its sorrow, likely because Matsushima Rain herself was a female composer, expressing the twilight from her perspective.

Under the twilight.

Crows were flapping their wings.

Bats skimmed across the sky.

A chill seemed to spread, giving the sensation of night winds engulfing one, as if an inexplicable emotion was welling up from the depths of the heart.

Gradually.

The melody slowed down.

The moon reappeared in the sky, only now it looked as though it had been bitten by a celestial dog, leaving just a half-moon hanging there, a beauty in its incompleteness.

This was a rather powerful composition.

The more chilling the first half, the more consoling the second half became, especially the ending's flaw mixed with a tinge of helplessness, which left a lingering feeling deep within one's soul.

The piece concluded.

The details of the work appeared on the big screen.

Piano piece: Twilight

Composer: Matsushima Rain

Performer: Casio

The screen showed an introduction to the piece.

Zheng Jing raised an eyebrow, "The rumors weren't wrong; Matsushima Rain did participate in this concert, and this piece must be that which you'll soon face, Little Fish. The difficulty seems rather high."

"Yeah, it's impressive."

Lin Yuan knew that Matsushima Rain was a competitor, not expecting to face their work in the first round. This was the level of a Zhong Continent master...

"Indeed, not bad."

Yang Zhongming suddenly spoke up.

Zheng Jing said, "If it's a piece that even you commend, then it must be quite something. But I have faith in our Little Fish!"

They talked quite a bit on the way there.

Zheng Jing and Yang Zhongming were aware that Lin Yuan had his pieces presented as well.

...

Viewing the details of the works.

Within the various private boxes.

Discussions about the compositions were progressively emerging.

"This one by Matsushima Rain is his best work in the last two years."

"They did a great job with the atmosphere."

"The handling of the quadruple tonality is solid. The melodies of the principal and response phrases are quite pleasing, and the imitation of the same melody in different parts is well executed. It's a shame though, the crafted flaw at the end feels a bit forced..."

"I actually like it quite a bit."

"It's a bit too mild. Many of Matsushima Rain's works have this tone, but overall, it's considered high-quality."

"That high-quality is not easy for a maestro to achieve."

Most rooms in the private boxes had no fewer than three people in them.

After all, with limited box numbers, even maestros needed to huddle up a bit.

In a box on the east side.

Lilia revealed a smile, "It seems coming here wasn't in vain. The first work is quite to my liking."

"Buy it?"

The young lady beside her spoke up.

Lilia shook her head, "We're not there yet, let's deliberate further."

Lilia had invested in many industries, especially in the entertainment sector. She placed significant importance on one movie in particular, which still lacked a sufficiently beautiful score, mainly capturing the feeling of the night, which had been tough to grasp. Matsushima Rain's piece seemed like a close fit to Lilia's liking.

"Let's keep it on hold then."

The young lady noted the piece down, expressing her stance.

Meanwhile.

In the box where Ling Kong and the Prince were present.

The Prince said impatiently, "I really don't have any interest in this stuff. My dad insisted on dragging me here to listen, so boring."

"This piece..."

Ling Kong's expression was serious; unlike the Prince, he listened very attentively. However, just as he was about to provide insights, he clearly saw the Prince yawn, so he swallowed his words back down.

It's like playing the lute to a cow.

In another private box.

Ito Makoto clapped, "Brilliant."

"Quite interesting, isn't it?"

Matsushima Rain was slightly proud, "Though it's still not quite perfect, I've thought long and hard, yet I haven't found a way to improve it."

"At this level, it's very difficult to make changes," Ito Makoto sighed, "often, a piece that's composed in one go comes to life, and further changes might just spoil its original charm."

"Can you beat me in the season ranking?"

"I should be able to beat you in downloads, but I'll lose in reputation."

Ito Makoto contemplated only briefly before arriving at a conclusion, classical music wasn't for everyone to appreciate.

"No matter."

Matsushima Rain said, "Zhong Continent is considering a change in the billboard system, separating pop music and piano pieces, among other musical forms. It's not necessary to lump things that aren't part of the same system together. It's on you to deal with Xian Yu."

"No."

Ito Makoto shook his head, "I've heard that Xian Yu is here at this concert too, he came with Yang Zhongming. Yang Zhongming even said something quite interesting. If I'm not mistaken, Xian Yu should have a piece performed today."

"What a coincidence?"

Matsushima Rain showed a surprised expression—was the other party presenting a piano piece? Did that mean he was the main act?

————————

ps: Places like the Golden Hall play a significant role in the latter part of the story, hence the detailed writing. I wanted to delve deeper, but that would slow down the pace, so let's wait until the Golden Hall becomes Little Fish's home ground.