Chapter 67 (1/2)

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.