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Chapter 67




Time flies when immersed in practice.
By the time Qi Mu felt he had found the inspiration for the adaptation, it was already a week away from Akkad’s deadline. The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra’s concert in London was long over and another great success.
Bai Ai’s concert was held at the Royal Albert Hall, the oldest concert hall in England, and Bai Ai’s musicians performed enthusiastically, giving their audience a thrill.
When Qi Mu logged into the Danube Forum to check on the latest news, he found that 17 of 20 posts on the front page were about the concert!
People gave a technical review of the concert, from the song selection to the adaptation and the scores themselves. And at the end, they all remarked: “A lucky thing to be in London this month!”
Ain’t that the truth!
First, there was the European Tour premiere of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, then the Berlin Philharmonic. It was good news for classical music enthusiasts, especially the ones that got to listen to two high-level concerts in a week.
【I went to the show in Paris, and Mr. Charles is an excellent conductor. But, after listening to the London concert, it’s clear. Even though the songs were the same, and the arrangement didn’t change, I felt they were two entirely different concerts. It was that wonderful!】
This post received hundreds of replies, and the original made it to the top comment.
Qi Mu scrolled down and saw many agreed with this post:
【Yes, Mr. Bertram’s style is not that different, but it changes the entire concert. How to say it. . . God, I can’t even describe it!】
【Mr. Bertram and Mr. Littis are both Bai Ai conductors, and their styles lean towards classical orthodoxy. But. . . Mr. Bertram feels solemn while Mr. Littis is romantic.】
【Exactly! You took the words right out of my mouth!】
. . .
【So. . . Mr. Bertram isn’t that amiable then?】
When someone said that as the hundredth reply, no one responded for a while. Then an unknown daringly ran up and said: 【Our conductor is gentle and kind. He. .. he never gets angry when he’s conducting our rehearsals! Really! He just. . . He just seems a bit cold! Hmph!】
Then, several people rushed to ask: 【Is this person from Bai Ai?】
【God, you dare to reply. . . Let me guess who you are?!】
【Good thing this is an anonymous forum. Otherwise, I would be worried about that buddy’s safety.】
. . .
Comments like this were not in the minority. Since there was such a fierce gentleman, countless people debated over the passionate discussion on the anonymous poll question—— “Which conductor do you think has the worst temper?”
Qi Mu just laughed and didn’t pay attention to it anymore. He turned to the second page and was surprised to see a familiar name—
【Violinist Sheng Yan Hui from Huaxia will hold a solo recital at the Munich Conservatory of Music!】
Qi Mu hadn’t seen Sheng Yan Hui for half a year, but he heard that Sheng Yan Hui followed Professor Karl and participated in many competitions to won awards. He gradually gained relative fame in Germany.
Qi Mu thought for a bit, then responded with “Looking forward to it,” and paid it no further mind.
It was a spring night. The moonlight was silent and dim, shining onto the empty streets. There was not a sound in a small apartment, its busy resident having already fallen into a peaceful sleep.
However, just across the strait in London, the members of Bai Ai held a celebration.
Some were doing something sneaky with their mobiles, and some were toasting each other to celebrate. Of course. . . No one dared hold a glass to their silent conductor who sat alone in the corner.
Christole came over with a reluctant Daniel. He smiled and said, “Min, the performance tonight was great!”
Daniel was helplessly to add, “Cheers, Min!”
That day Daniel saw Min Chen stand in the rehearsal hall and a murmur a few words to himself, he thought: “This guy must have been possessed by a ghost.”
Even though he handled the orchestra and rehearsals usually, Daniel had known Min Chen for over ten years——
There was something wrong with Auston!
He had no idea what had happened, but he knew this damn fellow was not right.
Min Chen raised his glass and tapped it against Christole’s then Daniel’s and took a sip. Christole was a gentle and amiable person so he could laugh and chatter with Min Chen and Daniel easily. But before long, he left.
Outside the large window, London’s beautiful night view scrawled across the horizon. The Thames River flowed gently in the dim light, and the bridge was illuminated by many lights, making it look inlaid with gold. It was magnificent from afar.
Min Chen held his slender glass’ stem, looking out the window. He frowned, pondering something.
Daniel couldn’t help himself. “Min. . . What’s the matter with you lately? You’re not like yourself. You’ve never been so quiet. . . Okay, no. You’re usually quiet but not to this extent.”
Min Chen didn’t reply.
For a while, Daniel was rooted in the same place, not sure what to say.
A few minutes later, Min Chen slowly turned his head and asked, “Daniel. We’ve known each other for over a decade. In your opinion. . . what kind of person am I?”
Daniel gawked. Then he said, “Very talented, very strong, also very——”
“Be frank.”
Daniel: “. . .”
Daniel snorted. “You’re a stingy, poisonous fellow and you always say things with a deadly expression. If I hated you, I’m sure I would be disinclined to manage you for my whole life.”
After venting a little, Daniel smiled as he said, “But. . . You are good this way. At least, you always do things face-to-face and are never sneaky. Of course, it would be better if you were a little more like Mr. Dorenza, gentler to the younger generation.”
Min Chen’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. He thought of his and another person’s opinion about himself and asked in a whisper, “I’m not. . . kind to the younger generation?”
Daniel stared at him with wide eyes. “Not only that! You don’t bother to give young people a glance if they didn’t grow to your expectations. They are obviously talented, but you still ignore them. When Christole was still in Munich College, I wanted to recruit him in advance, and what did you say?”
Daniel frowned and thought for a moment. Then he clapped his hands in recollection and said, “You said——‘He’s gifted but not strong enough, not interested.’ If I hadn’t insisted on cultivating Christole, when Mr. Devala left, where would you find a new concertmaster?”
Faced with these words, Min Chen didn’t reply.
Daniel thought his words caused some kind of damage so he scratched the back of his head and said, “But. . . You’re not that bad. Min, you can be considerate, at least, for the most part. . .”
“Help me book a ticket to Paris tomorrow.”
“Also understanding and. . . Wait, what? What did you say?! Right now?!!!”
Min Chen nodded: “Yes, now.”
Daniel: “. . .”
“Damn it! Who said that you’re understanding? You’re the devil! Do you know how many people go from London to Paris every day? Where do you want me to find a ticket? You’re a demon, a demon!!!”
. . .
Daniel’s roar resounded over the western restaurant near the Thames River. His curses melted into the running water and vanished into the dark night along with the never-ending current.
The night in London was quiet and beautiful, and soon after, it was already the start of another beautiful day.
Qi Mu took his violin and entered the practice room again. This time around, he had some inspiration, so the satisfied Akkad praised him throughout the day and encouraged him to continue.
To seize this hard-won inspiration, Qi Mu practiced until the sun set and only then packed up. The full moon climbed lazily into the night sky, and Qi Mu turned to lock the door.
As Qi Mu was to remove the key from the look, he heard steady footsteps behind him.
The college had been closed for quite a while, and even the sky was dark. He was the only person left in the entire violin department. The sound of footsteps made his heart go tight, as the scenes of horror movies he had seen over the past few decades flashed through his mind one by one.
Qi Mu clenched his fist and looked around, “Who’s there?”
After he spoke, he saw the other figure and Qi Mu blanked in surprise.
Under the sound-activated light in the hallway, the tall, handsome man stared at Qi Mu in confusion, wondering why the youth was so nervous now.
After a while, he tentatively asked: “Is it. . . me?”
Qi Mu: “. . .”
Min Chen: “. . .”