Chapter 83: Sight-Reading

Outside the venue, the place bustled with people; figures moved everywhere, and every so often someone would step out of a car and head straight for the cultural center. As she got out of the taxi, Fu Xiaoci opened her parasol, coughed lightly, and then pulled open the car door for her companion.

A man wearing a white mask emerged from the vehicle. Quite a few people at the entrance noticed this unusual scene, but after a brief glance, they returned to their conversations and laughter, seemingly unbothered. Fu Xiaoci, who had felt a bit awkward at first, breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Only then did she notice that many people at the event were also wearing all sorts of masks, and she suddenly understood.

Smiling, she said, “There really are a lot of contestants wearing masks. This isn’t awkward at all now, haha!”

Liao Yuan, his expression concealed beneath a silicone mask, nodded slightly and pointed toward the stairs. Fu Xiaoci hurried ahead to lead the way.

At the registration desk, when Fu Xiaoci showed their electronic invitation, the staff were immediately surprised and turned to Liao Yuan. “You must be Uncle A! Welcome!”

With that, one of them quickly called their supervisor. In no time, a high-level executive with thick glasses hurried out from the hall, confirmed everything with his staff, and then greeted them with a wide smile, “Hello, Uncle A. I’m the COO responsible for all operations of this competition. My name is Liang Qingquan.”

“Hello, Mr. Liang. Uncle A’s throat isn’t well—doctor’s orders, he can’t speak. I’m his agent, Fu Xiaoci. Here’s my card. I hope you’ll take good care of our Uncle A,” Fu Xiaoci said, handing over a freshly printed business card.

Liang Qingquan thought Fu Xiaoci looked familiar. He glanced at the card, which read, “President, Little Yellow Fish Cultural Brokerage Ltd.” and “Agent for Asdfghj,” followed by the name, “Fu Xiaoci.”

“Fu Xiaoci?” Liang Qingquan looked up at the young woman before him and finally recognized her. “Aren’t you a streamer on our J-Station? When did you become Uncle A’s agent?”

“Streaming only lasts as long as youth does. One day you have to settle down!” Fu Xiaoci replied cheerfully, patting Liao Yuan’s arm. “I just made sure to latch onto Uncle A’s coattails early. Is that so wrong?”

Liang Qingquan couldn’t help but laugh. “As long as you’re happy.”

By now, word of Uncle A’s arrival had caused a small stir. Many pianists and audience members unconsciously formed a circle, gravitating toward Liao Yuan. Uncle A’s name had risen like a comet over the past month; anyone even remotely involved in the music community would have heard of him. He was the man who had dominated both the weekly and monthly trending charts with five pieces, and even some veteran creators willingly stepped aside for him. For instance, the music division’s star, Zero Demon, had just released a new piece called “Goblin,” only to be overshadowed by Uncle A’s latest work, unable to regain the lead since.

Thinking of Zero Demon, many in the crowd began to scan the audience, hoping to catch a glimpse of the celebrity.

To prevent further commotion, Liang Qingquan personally led Liao Yuan and Fu Xiaoci into the inner hall.

“Uncle A, according to the preliminaries rules, you need to select a teammate for the first round’s four-hand performance. Have you chosen someone yet?” Liang Qingquan asked.

Liao Yuan shook his head.

Fu Xiaoci answered, “We discussed it before coming and decided to draw lots for a teammate.”

Liang Qingquan smiled. “Why not choose in advance? You know, drawing lots means you could end up with a weak partner. Without chemistry and solid skills, you can’t properly showcase a four-hand piece—and your teammate could drag you down. Remember, your opponents are also assigned randomly. If you end up facing two strong players, you could be in real trouble, with no time for regrets.”

“Surely it won’t be that unlucky?” Fu Xiaoci protested. “Anyone who passed the auditions should have some skill.”

Liang Qingquan shook his head. “Not necessarily. There have been cases before. The preliminary selection is based on submitted videos, but the players’ real-life abilities can be questionable. Some people can compose endlessly, but in reality, they can’t even reach amateur level ten.”

Seeing Fu Xiaoci and Liao Yuan fall silent, Liang Qingquan suggested, “How about I recommend someone for you?”

“Who?” Fu Xiaoci asked.

He grinned. “The music division’s top creator on J-Station—Zero Demon!”

Fu Xiaoci’s eyes lit up. “The queen of the music division?”

“That’s right.” Liang Qingquan laughed. “Like Uncle A, Zero Demon hasn’t found a partner yet. If you two team up, it will absolutely set off a huge buzz!”

Fu Xiaoci pouted, “Come on, Mr. Liang, are you trying to force a pairing here? Our Uncle A is still pure, you know!”

Liang Qingquan shook his head, exasperated. “Miss Fu, you should ask Uncle A for his opinion before deciding.”

Fu Xiaoci tilted her head toward Liao Yuan.

Suppressing his voice, Liao Yuan rasped, “Let’s team up with her.”

Liang Qingquan was overjoyed. “Excellent, I’ll notify her right away.”

Soon, the famous Zero Demon appeared before Liao Yuan. She wore a white t-shirt and a zebra-striped skirt, her high heels making her seem especially tall. Her features were exquisite, but her cherry-red lips, gleaming as if with dew, drew the most attention.

Her skin was flawless, white as mutton fat jade, and there wasn’t a wrinkle at the corner of her eyes—her age was impossible to guess.

“Hello, Uncle A. I really like your work.” Zero Demon studied the mask for a moment, then extended her hand with poise. “I hope we can have a successful collaboration.”

“A pleasure to work with you,” Liao Yuan croaked in reply.

As media reporters and the audience filled the hall, the venue grew more crowded and noisy. Fans of various popular creators waved banners and flags, cheering enthusiastically.

But as soon as the host took the stage, silence fell.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the paradise of the piano world—the third annual Emperor and Four Kings International Piano Competition Preliminaries, officially commencing today…”

The host introduced the competition’s background and rules, then quickly acknowledged the sponsors and partners. At last, the first round of the preliminaries began: group duels, with pairs facing off.

All the pieces performed required four hands. There were twelve scores in total, most at level five or six difficulty, with some exceeding level eight. The organizers used a computer program to randomly assign scores and match the pairs. Each pair had to sight-read and perform their assigned piece on the spot.

Sight-reading meant that upon receiving a new score, the musicians had little to no practice time—they had to play it smoothly the first time. This tested their foundational skills and typically eliminated about half the mediocre contestants.

Though the competition focused on original piano compositions, the organizers placed strong emphasis on the performers’ technical prowess, which is why the first round was deliberately designed as a technical hurdle.

“Yuan, Yuan,” Fu Xiaoci nudged Liao Yuan from the contestant seating area. “See that section over there? All your fans.”

Following her gaze, Liao Yuan turned and saw a sea of red banners in the audience, each emblazoned with the words: “J-Station stands strong, with A to the end!”