Chapter 74 (2/2)
Clarinet, trombone, saxophone…
A lot of students received invitations from various orchestras. Once the assessment was concluded, they would consult with the head of the orchestra with the help of the college.
When the first violin student showed up, Bella Kim gave a high score of 8 points with a smile. The lovely girl excitedly nodded and got invitations from several orchestras.
Qi Mu was the second student of the violin department. His number was close to the one Jenny drew, but they were separated by Langston from the piano department. When she learned that her turn was before Langston, Jenny was relieved.
“Little Seven, you don’t know. . . That Langston guy is really amazing! He received an invitation from the Salt Lake City Symphony Orchestra at the last assessment, but he refused. I think. . . he wants to be a solo pianist. He might have even bigger ambition. It’s good to play before him!”
Looking like she just escaped disaster, Qi Mu wasn’t nearly as worried as Jenny. When Langston finally went on the stage, his piano was like a running river. Qi Mu was astonished. In an instant, he realized that Jenny was right to be concerned——
Langston was, indeed, a solid competitor.
In terms of piano alone, he believed Langston could serve as a pianist in the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. He played Liszt’s famous piano piece, 《Dante Symphony》. Like the roar of the devil, it depicted the torment and painful sorrow of hell. It was an eerie piece that evoked strange feelings of an unknown world.
Langston’s piano was able to show enough depression, constraint, and sadness. Even the audience did not realize that they were all brought to a beautiful realm by Langston’s piano. As if they could see Liszt’s Dante’s Purgatory, they were full of intense emotion.
Even at the end of the song, Qi Mu couldn’t return to his senses. It was the shout of “Bravo” from the audience that woke him up.
The world never lacked genius. He stared at the tall young man standing in the middle of the stage. His long-lost hot-blooded spirit revived in his heart.
Only when he met a worthy opponent would his ambition skyrocket and become violent——
He must defeat this person!
Faced with such high-level skill, even the picky Min Chen gave a high score of 8 points. After 10 judges gave their evaluation, Langston scored a total of 89 points. Among them, he received a perfect score from the French connoisseur Leonid.
“Auston, I think. . . this Langston kid will probably end up with the highest score.” Sitting at Min Chen’s side, Leonid applauded and continued, “It’s amazing that this incredible 《Dante》 came from a man of only 24-years!”
On the other side, Ms. Bella Kim reminded, “Leonid, you have to see clearly, in front of whom are you praising a 24-year-old as a piano genius?”
Leonid suddenly realized his position. “Oh! I shouldn’t say this in front of Auston, but Bella, this 《Dante》 is really outstanding. . .
Waiting for the next student to come to the stage, the two masters on either side of Min Chen began to exchange opinions. Min Chen, however, looked ahead without any expression. When he heard Leonid say, “I bet Langston will be the one with the highest score,” Min Chen curled his lips into a smile and turned to the other man.
“Leonid, what do you want to bet on?”
He hadn’t expected the indifferent man to say something like this, so Leonid was stunned to silence. He paused for a moment then said, “I’m going to bet. . . if Langston doesn’t get the highest score, I will write a music review for you myself, Auston! If you win, Auston, you will write a song for me. How does that sound?!”
Bella laughed and said, “Leon, don’t you think this bet is cheap?”
Without giving Leonid the chance to respond, Min Chen raised an eyebrow and asked, “You will write a review for me?”
Startled, Leonid said, “Oh. . . yes. Who do you want me to write about?”
He saw a man in the dark just offstage, and his dark eyes flashed with light. Min Chen pointed at the stage. With a quiet laugh, he spoke——
“Him.”
Leonid and Bella followed the direction of his finger and spotted a handsome, delicate young man walking towards the stage with his violin. He moved elegantly, his expression calm. Coupled with his beautiful eyes and exquisite face, it was difficult to tear their gazes away.
Min Chen’s thin lips curled. He whispered, “Him. Give him a music review. How does that sound?”
Stunned for a long time, Leonid woke up as if he were in a trance and said, “Deal! If you really think you’ll win, I can write about anyone!”