343 Compulsory Exam Question (1/2)
Nanfeng felt immense pressure on his first day as Fang Zhao's assistant.
The next day, Fang Zhao had class. After Nanfeng completed his own tasks, he didn't head home immediately. Instead, he sought shelter in a pavilion that was part of an on-campus park. He opened a plastic container to reveal slices of iced watermelon. Nanfeng wanted to take in the artsy vibe of the HuangArt campus.
Someone was practicing the piano nearby. Legs crossed, Nanfeng shook along with the beat. He felt he had gotten a taste of the artistic life.
Soon, a parent and her child joined Nanfeng in the pavilion. The child looked like he was a secondary school student. Judging from their conversation, they were at HuangArt to sit for an exam. The parent was consoling her son, who was complaining about how hard the HuangArt exam was.
”HuangArt's admission exams are tough. Even prospective students with connections need to sit for them. But do you know why HuangArt has these exams? It's for your own good. The administration doesn't want any of their students to be in the awkward position of cluelessly munching away at a melon because they can't follow an academic discussion.”
Nanfeng, who was eating watermelon 10 meters away: ”...”
He felt like he had been punched in the gut.
It was quite the demoralizing comment.
But Nanfeng quickly regained his composure.
The sky was the limit for Fang Zhao's career. As Fang Zhao's assistant, he had to be presentable too!
Should he sign up for a short-term course?
After consulting with a few friends who also worked in the same industry, Nanfeng signed up for an online course. After filing his application, he didn't immediately head back to his own flat, instead making his way to Yan Biao's place. He watched the season finale of ”Founding Era” with Yan Biao and Zuo Yu. Nanfeng had already watched the episodes from the Yanzhou chapter that featured Fang Zhao, but the entire series was too long. He couldn't possibly catch up in a day or two.
He would watch the remaining episodes when he had time, not just those of the Yanzhou chapter but the other chapters as well. He wasn't interested in the series per se; he wanted to get to know the actors cast in the series better.
After finishing class, Fang Zhao returned to his dorm room and organized his notes for the day. When it was time, he turned on his TV to a preset channel.
As long as he didn't have class, Fang Zhao would tune into the 10th season of ”Founding Era.” Today was the season finale.
Unlike the previous seasons, the 10th season of ”Founding Era” had a brighter visual tone.
Downcast from a grim and grey color palette since the first season, audiences were finally rewarded with a change in the 10th season.
The overall epic storyline was quite stifling, but the 10th season was much more upbeat even though quite a few main characters died.
From the full recovery of territory to cleaning house in Huangzhou, to the Founding Era and the naming of the 12 continents, to a new regime, a new order, and a world—after enduring 100 years of suffering, the human race was finally marching toward a brighter future.
A short film concluded the series.
It featured the final victory, the triumphant homecoming of the heroes, and the changes to the world in the 500 years after the Founding Era.
The score to the short film kicked off with a Chinese flute and violin solo that resembled a lone voice beckoning from the vast landscape.
A powerful force was gradually forming and gathering pace steadily.
Darkness always preceded the dawn, but darkness also became the dawn.
Bellows from the brass section resembled deafening cries that pierced the dawn, charging toward the sky and beckoning the future.
The world was rebuilt on this wasteland under a warm, nourishing light. A series of pale headstones told the stories of countless legends.
Every note that traveled to the ear evoked a fragmented memory, and every melody formed coherent scenes in the mind.
Like a preacher relaying an epic narrative.
The TV series was a lesson in history and time that told of grand, epic battles and legendary figures who were also regular folks.
Blurry shadows appeared in the film. These were the characters that survived or perished during the 10 seasons.
During the 100-year Period of Destruction, it was the work of these titans that had led to them escaping the darkness and forging a new world.
Now, five hundred years later, they were long gone. What history remembered was their determination and glory as well as tragedy and sorrow. But what took their place was something brighter, a sense of purpose powerful enough to motivate people to strive their entire lifetimes.
In later years, people called it faith. Others called it the grand cause.
It was this force that had underpinned 100 years of struggle and gave rise to countless miracles.
The short film was accompanied by an uninterrupted 10-minute score.
Ten minutes, far longer than the average song, was sufficient to convey a mind-blowing range of color.
Ten minutes, 12 melodies, 28 sections, more than 100 lines of music. They encompassed the cultural elements of all 12 continents. A large and complex ensemble of instruments. The rich range of emotion and the exquisite melodies that varied in pace but came off as seamlessly edited, coupled with the repeated variations, did not result in an overwhelming or protracted effect. The piece did not feel long at all, with surprises popping up at every corner, giving little in the way of respite. It had both the weight of an epic and the sheer beauty of a romantic score. A stunning and grand construction filled with twists and turns that put the listener in the moment and stirred their emotions.
When Mo Lang had composed the piece, he had been inspired by Fang Zhao's ”This Life of Mine.”
What Mo Long had wanted to create was not just a perfunctory account of these historical figures or collection of memories. What he had wanted to do was recreate the ethos of the era.
As if these giants had never left and the hope and faith that had propelled them into battle had lived on.
The human body might decompose, but the human spirit lived forever!