Chapter Sixty-Two: Competing

In the end, Liao Yuan agreed to Zhang Chao’s invitation. In truth, he didn’t harbor much hope, but he felt he owed Zhang Chao a small favor for helping him secure the S-277 through internal channels.

Thus, the two reached an understanding.

After parting ways with Zhang Chao, Fu Xiaoci found herself brimming with motivation for work and insisted on supervising Liao Yuan. Liao Yuan, helpless against her persistence, had no choice but to invite her to his home, asking her to help organize the competition procedures for the “One Emperor Four Kings”.

When she saw the S-277, Fu Xiaoci exclaimed in astonishment, “So this is the legendary Steinway?”

Her piano skills hovered around the amateur level four or five; most of the time, she only played an electronic keyboard and had little real concept of such a high-end brand as Steinway.

Then, on the camera’s memory card, she listened to Liao Yuan’s new composition, “Last-Reunion,” with her own ears.

Her heart sank as if into the sea.

During the prelude, Fu Xiaoci felt an unusual calm, as if she had returned to nature in an instant and become a seagull. She soared through the clouds, gazing down upon the vast earth. As the music accelerated, an overwhelming momentum slowly erupted, stirring her emotions and leaving her deeply moved.

Fu Xiaoci had seen many who were hailed as geniuses, but for the first time, she felt she had to redefine what genius truly meant.

“You wrote this last night?” Fu Xiaoci turned her head, her eyes fixed intently on Liao Yuan. “You finished it in just one night?”

Liao Yuan didn’t know what to say and finally nodded, “More or less.”

At that moment, Fu Xiaoci was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. Her nose tingled, and she nearly burst into tears from excitement.

Are true geniuses always unrecognized by the world?

A young pianist like this should have been celebrated as a prodigy since childhood, shouldn’t he? Why, then, had he only just begun to gain some modest fame at twenty-five?

Her mind filled with images of Liao Yuan’s hardships over the years, Fu Xiaoci looked at him with genuine feeling. “It’s truly my honor to know you. If someone could hear you play the piano every day, it must be a blessing accumulated over several lifetimes.”

Liao Yuan mumbled in reply, feeling inexplicably awkward. He pointed at “Last-Reunion” displayed on the computer screen to change the subject. “What do you think of this piece?”

“It’s wonderful, absolutely wonderful.” Fu Xiaoci grew excited. “This is your fourth composition, right? There’s ‘Unravel’, ‘The Fact You Left’, and now ‘Last-Reunion’. The store manager mentioned ‘A Journey Beyond the Western Regions’—where’s that? Since the manager praised it so highly, maybe using ‘A Journey Beyond the Western Regions’ for the competition would be more suitable!”

“Is ‘Last-Reunion’ not good enough?” Liao Yuan was puzzled.

Fu Xiaoci chuckled. “It’s definitely beautiful, but isn’t the melody a bit too simple? I feel like even with my limited skill, I could learn it in a few days…”

Liao Yuan replied, “The copyright for ‘A Journey Beyond the Western Regions’ was sold to Director Zhang Yichi as the theme for ‘The Great Emperor Hanwu’. The drama is about to air. If I use it for the competition, wouldn’t my identity be exposed?”

“Zhang Yichi?” Fu Xiaoci was startled. “You know Zhang Yichi?”

Liao Yuan immediately recounted how he came to know the director.

Fu Xiaoci clicked her tongue in amazement. “I really underestimated that chubby store manager—he’s Zhang Yichi’s nephew! In that case, ‘A Journey Beyond the Western Regions’ really can’t be used. Then let’s go with ‘Last-Reunion’. The preliminary round is just to qualify for the offline competition. Uncle A, with your skill and the quality of your work, you’ll breeze through to the offline stage!”

Fu Xiaoci’s words were very much on point.

After Liao Yuan uploaded “Last-Reunion” to JiliGulu and officially announced his participation, the fans he’d accumulated from his previous two pieces immediately propelled “Last-Reunion,” so desperately in need of promotion, into the top ten of the “One Emperor Four Kings” Piano Competition’s trending chart.

As time passed, its rise only accelerated.

On the Music Edition’s weekly trending chart, “Last-Reunion” broke into the top ten and, within just 24 hours, claimed the number one spot in its category.

It not only surpassed the rankings of Liao Yuan’s previous works, but also instantly outperformed the new piece “Goblin” by renowned musician Lingling Yao.

For a time, the entire Music Edition community was abuzz with discussions.

Clearly, with this level of popularity, a month from now, Liao Yuan’s qualification for the offline competition was all but guaranteed.

Though many contestants had never heard of Asdfghj before, once Uncle A uploaded three masterpieces in such a short span, legends about him spread throughout the J platform.

Especially “Last-Reunion,” which broke into the top three of the “One Emperor Four Kings” competition’s trending chart within just three days. Not long after, the top content creators from the neighboring Parody Edition took notice of this rising star.

To ride the wave, these creators began editing “Unravel,” “The Fact You Left,” and “Last-Reunion” into clips from various films and anime, pairing them with an array of visuals for their audiences.

Stories with plots always captivate viewers, so these remixes were warmly welcomed by fans, further boosting the popularity of the three songs.

Traffic for the top parody creators soared as well.

Next, through further creative editing, they turned the three classic melodies into dynamic DJ remixes. This trend quickly caught on. Despite widespread complaints that such remixes “ruined the classics,” many people delighted in searching for all three by keyword, eagerly clicking on each parody video and laughing at the catchy earworms.

Meanwhile, the reputation of “Last-Reunion” and the other piano pieces spread further and wider with each passing day…

“Recently, a newcomer known as Uncle A has appeared on the J platform—his skills are terrifyingly strong. Three original piano pieces, each one reaching the top ten of the Music Edition. His latest single just announced his entry into the ‘One Emperor Four Kings’ competition, and with his current performance, he’s well on his way to being the dark horse of the event.”

In a hotel on the East Sea, the famous domestic pianist Meng Han, wrapped in a towel and drying her hair as she stepped from the bathroom, listened as her friend Xu Sanguan said, “He’s very mysterious. There’s almost no information about him on his J profile. Judging by the videos, Uncle A looks to be about thirty. We’re trying to get in touch with him. Boss Zhao wants to sign him and bring him into Jiangnan Opera House. You know, ever since you left, the opera house hasn’t been doing well.”

Meng Han was twenty-eight, about 1.75 meters tall, with excellent proportions. Her short black hair and delicate features made her look much younger than her age.

“I started performing at Jiangnan Opera House at twenty-one and never thought of leaving for five years. Even when Boss Zhao owed me nearly two million in fees, I didn’t make a fuss. You know, two million is two years’ worth of pay for me,” Meng Han said as she dressed and put on her watch. “I have feelings for Jiangnan Opera House, but Boss Zhao isn’t a competent leader. If he were less greedy and treated composers and performers better, the opera house wouldn’t have ended up in such a state. More and more people have left over the years—its reputation really has gone bad.”

“I’ve heard of Uncle A, and I know he owns an S-277 Steinway. Sanguan, do you think someone who can afford an S-277 and compose pieces like ‘The One Who Left You’ would be strapped for cash? That’s wishful thinking. The likes of Jiangnan Opera House have no chance. From what I know, Uncle A has already caught the attention of multiple top-tier and national-level opera houses, including the Imperial Capital Opera House.”

“What’s more, Uncle A has already entered the ‘One Emperor Four Kings’ competition with ‘Last Reunion.’ If he wins the regional championship—or even just makes the top ten—his value will skyrocket. If I were Uncle A, I’d ignore all these offers for now, focus on conquering the competition, and when my name is made and my worth has soared, then I’d consider my next move. That would be the wisest choice.”