The recruitment for Vienna Symphony Orchestraâs deputy concertmaster came to an end. The audition set up a small wave in Viennaâs classical music circle, and the orchestra ended up hiring a Russian violinist who wasnât a member of their new deputy concertmaster.
Even the members of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra didnât expect their conductor would hire a new member, and as the deputy concertmaster at that!
Many members expressed their dissatisfaction, but all of them fell silent after Evra rebuked them, âWork to surpass the new guy first, then you can strive for the deputy concertmasterâs seat!â
This contradiction made a small splash, hitting the shore making no waves.
Some members were still vexed. Naturally, Luo Yu Sen was one of the most resentful among them.
Two days after the audition, he went to Evraâs lounge three times. On the third visit, the man didnât let him enterââ
Because the guy was too annoying.
Later, it was even more difficult for Luo Yu Sen to see Evra. Not because the man was too tired to bother dealing with him, but because of a letter Evra received.
The seemingly ordinary letter was delivered from the post office to the small mailbox at the orchestraâs headquarters on the third day after the recruitment audition.
âTo Mr. Evraâ was printed on the front of the envelope. Other than that and the postmark, it was completely blank.
When the staff in charge got the letter, they were quite surprised. After all, there were very few people who sent letters to communicate anymore. Even if they did, it would be by express delivery. But the staff was still responsible, and they put the letter on Evraâs desk so he could read it once he started his day.
When Evra arrived at nine oâclock that morning, he caught a glimpse of the bulging letter as he hung up his suit jacket.
The letter was really fat, at least a centimeter thick. Taking a moment to weigh it in his hand, Evra carefully opened the letter after confirming only papers resided inside the envelope.
Reading itâŚ
Evra sat frozen in shock. He stayed in his lounge, never leaving for the entire morning.
The sender was really careful. The envelope was made of common yellow kraft paper and the letter itself was printed on ordinary A4 printer paper. The letter wasnât written but printed. Even if Evra attempted to check the paper, he would find⌠No trace of others except for the fingerprints of the postman, the staff, and himself.
There were probably over ten thousand words on the letter. One-third of it was a penance to God and the rest⌠left Evra shivering in cold sweats.
The sender claimed that they had the honor to work at the Golden Hall the former year and had always been proud of it. But then, they quit their job and wouldnât step inside the Musikvereinâs building, for fear of being exposed.
But they felt uncomfortable, keeping such big secrets in their hearts. After months of self-reproaching, they visited a church and confessed to a priest.
But when they saw that the evil-doer was still at large, they decided to let the truth come to light at the risk of their life.
The sender narrated in very simple words what happened on a certain night.
The sender said they didnât witness Lu Zi Wenâs death with their own eyes, but when they passed the main preparation room, the door wasnât closed. And as a resultâŚ
He heard a quarrel.
The quarrel escalated into a fistfight. They wanted to step in and stop the fight, but when they heard the word âdruggedâ, they thought it was too dangerous. They left quickly, without doing anything.
Within two hours of the incident, they heard of Lu Zi Wenâs death.
They didnât know how Lu Zin Wen died or whether it had something to do with that man. But he knewâŚThe man drugged Lu Zi Wen just before he went on stage.
They told Evra the truth of the matter, hoping that the upright and earnest maestro would make his own judgment on how to deal with it. As someone whose name wasnât worth anything, they didnât want to be involved in such a dangerous matter.
After writing the letter, they felt free, without self-blame. Maybe they would have a good dream that night, for the first time in ages.
The sender might have had a good dream, but Evra was absentminded all day long. He even handed over the rehearsal to Jacques.
It was evening by the time Evra finally calmed down. After spending the day hesitating, he finally made up his mind.
Once he decided, Evra clung to it. He immediately used the contacts he accumulated over his years to find out who sent the letter.
Unbelievably, the answer he got was âSorry, we really couldnât find the personâ.
The other party was too cautious. This wasnât the behavior of a person as insignificant as they claimed to be. The investigator said, âMr. Evra, according to my observation, this person is very likely an experienced professional. For example⌠a private detective, maybe?â
Unable to discover the senderâs identity, Evra couldnât help but doubt the letterâs content. He thought: Maybe⌠The letter was just a baseless accusation, a rumor? Maybe Luo Yu Sen didnât drug Lu Zi Wen?
Luo Yu Sen said that he left before Lu Zi Wen fell sick, and you actually believed him?!
Jacquesâ words flashed in Evraâs mind. After hesitating for a long time, he finally decided to talk to Luo Yu Sen in his lounge.
Luo Yu Sen was very surprised when he heard that Evra invited him to his lounge after several days of being turned away.
With Evraâs permission, Luo Yu Sen entered the lounge full of expectations.
As soon as he entered, the old manâs attitude flattered Luo Yu Sen. The once cold conductor asked him about his recent violin practice with great concern and gave him encouragement, involuntarily relaxing him involuntarily.
From Luo Yu Senâs perspective, they talked happily for more than an hour. Luo Yu Sen thought that maybe, Evra had recognized his strength and might want to promote him in the near future.
Thinking of this, Luo Yu Sen couldnât stop himself from smiling triumphantly. Before he could think further, Evra sighed. Emotionally, he said, âOh, Luo. Seeing you young kids, I canât help but think of a genius I met when I was young.â
Surprised, Luo Yu Sen asked, âMr. Evra, I wonder who youâre talking aboutâŚ?â
âWell, he was a genius that went astray. He was the deputy concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, he was only in his early 30âs. It wasnât easy for him to get to where he was, but he wasnât satisfied with it, and began to crave for the concertmasterâs position.â
It confused Luo Yu Sen.
Evra continued, âSo, he orchestrated a dirty trick on the concertmaster in their next performance, but was found out. From then on⌠he could no longer go anywhere in the classical music world.â
Suddenly froze in his seat, Luo Yu Sen smiled stiffly. âThis man is despicable, Mr. Evra.â
With a heavy sigh, Evra said, âThatâs right. See, he had a bright future, yet he sacrificed the efforts he made for more than a decade for just a few moments of glory. It was a big mistake!â After a pause, Evra harped on, âHow do you think he administered the drug?!â
Evra emphasized the word âdrugâ, watching Luo Yu Senâs face.
After exchanging a few more words, Luo Yu Sen left the lounge dispiritedly, leaving the maestro alone in the quiet room.
In the voiceless silence, the ticking of the clock filled the room. When the hour bell rang, the gray-haired conductor slowly calmed. His face turned dark.
Having lived for over 60 years, the fleeting panic in Luo Yu Senâs eyes couldnât escape Evra.
Clenching his fist, a bad feeling bloomed in Evraâs mind. Finally, he sighed. A single sentence reverberated in the quiet loungeââ
âMaybe⌠Jacques was right?â
Qi Mu had just finished rehearsing at the Palisade Theatre Orchestra.
He had only joined the orchestra two days earlier but was already influenced by the warm, united atmosphere.
Maybe the Palisade Theatre Orchestra wasnât as famous as Wei Ai or the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, but they didnât lack any excellent musicians.
As Lance said, Qi Mu would be able to train himself there, so he can transform from a good violinist to an excellent concertmaster.
The Palisade Theatre Orchestra was in a lull period, lacking a skilled concertmaster. The orchestra to improve in a short time, and Qi Mu also needed to hone his skills in half a year.
Both of their objectives were in tandem, so under Lanceâs recommendation, Qi Mu joined the orchestra as their concertmaster.
Although the contract he signed with the orchestra was only for half a year, Qi Mu regarded the orchestra as a place where he would remain for a long time. After two days of practice, he became familiar with his post and already felt his growth.
It would take a while to enter Wei Ai, but Qi Mu wasnât in a hurry.
Qi Mu received a text message shortly after he left the theatre. Reading the densely packed screen, the corner of his lips curled up. He then sent a short text message: ăItâs fine, as long as itâs been sent. Now⌠Letâs just wait.ă
The recipient replied with a short, âYes, sir.â