He coughed, and his gaze from under the brim of his hat lingered for a moment on the school badge on Wei Zhuolan's chest:
"Comrade Wei is right. The Propaganda Department's notice on rectifying the work style of literary and art groups is of great significance and must be strictly implemented."
He held up the enamel pot, looked at Gu Ping'an again, and said earnestly:
"But we can't say that Comrade Gu is targeting Comrade Xiao Qin. Everyone wants the performance to go smoothly. There must be some misunderstanding."
His eyes swung between the two of them:
"Comrade Wei, don't be too angry. Your father would surely hope that this matter could be resolved peacefully. Let's work together to make the performance a success and clear up these misunderstandings. What do you think?"
Wei Zhuolan raised a meaningful smile at the corner of his lips, but did not respond.
Gu Ping'an lowered his eyes to hide the sinister look in them, and he was unaware that his nails were digging deep into his palms.
She suddenly straightened her back and looked at Zhang Hongcheng with a forced smile:
"Since Minister Zhang has determined that this is a misunderstanding, I will naturally obey your instructions."
The crowd began to talk in low voices. Qin Ying lowered her eyes and stared at the carvings on the violin, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the body of the instrument.
Wei Zhuolan's defense seemed to help her out, but it made her more uneasy - this lie was like a taut string that would break if she was not careful.
She caught a glimpse of the flashing eyes under the brim of Zhang Hongcheng's hat, and she suddenly realized that this "misunderstanding" could be suppressed so easily only because Fu Hanzhou was standing behind her.
Zhang Hongcheng's smooth smile hides his accurate assessment of the balance of power.
Zhang Hongcheng cleared his throat, and when his eyes fell on Qin Ying, he deliberately slowed down his tone and showed a bit of kindness:
"Since Comrade Xiao Qin is a famous teacher, there is no need to mention this matter anymore. Let's disperse and prepare for the next program."
After saying that, he turned around and was about to leave.
Coach Li was about to leave when he suddenly pointed at the violin in Qin Ying's hand, his glasses flashing with excitement.
"Speaking of qin skill... Xiao Qin's bowing technique is exactly the same as that of Lin Wenyuan, the principal of the National Conservatory of Music!"
He stole a glance at Wei Zhuolan's reaction and asked tentatively:
"I heard that Professor Lin was sent to various places to teach a few years ago..."
These words are like pouring cold water into boiling oil.
Lin Wenyuan?
Gu Ping'an's expression suddenly became somewhat unfathomable.
She clenched the white orchid handkerchief tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms - she had just received a letter from Lin Wenyuan last month, and the letter never mentioned piano teaching.
Qin Ying shuddered, this name made her feel very familiar!
Coach Li's words suddenly reminded her.
Decades later, Lin Wenyuan was the number one violinist in China.
When I was learning piano as a child, I even bought the book he wrote.
She looked at Coach Li with a serious expression:
"Teacher Li really has a unique vision. My violin lessons were taught by Teacher Lin. He was once sent down to Chao County, and I brought him meals. When he had free time, he would teach me to play the violin as a reward for teaching me to read and write."
After that, she turned to Gu Ping'an and said coldly:
"Comrade Gu Ping'an, do you have any questions?"
"Chief Lin Wenyuan?"
Gu Pingan suddenly let out a sharp laugh, rolled up the document in his hand and slammed it heavily on his palm:
"Lin Wenyuan? Coach Li has a really sharp ear—how could he teach a top-notch technique from the National Conservatory of Music to a country girl in a cowshed?"
She deliberately dragged out the ending of the word, her fingertips stroking her temples:
"I remember Professor Lin's rigorous approach to scholarship, even correcting every fingering mistake made by the students in the academy. How come with Comrade Qin, he makes an exception and asks him to 'give me lunch as tuition'?"
Without waiting for Qin Ying to refute, she looked at Zhang Hongcheng fiercely, her military posture straight but with a sense of oppression:
"Minister Zhang, the regulations signed by Captain Fu are still posted in your office, right?"
Zhang Hongcheng's grip on the enamel pot tightened noticeably, and the expression on his face became somewhat unnatural.
During these two days, there were military-civilian friendship parties, large and small meetings were held continuously, and documents were issued one after another. How could he not remember the documents issued by Fu Hanzhou himself?
Seeing this, Gu Pingan sneered in his heart and deliberately raised his voice:
"Everyone present, listen carefully—it's clearly written in the regulations—'Anyone whose professional ability is seriously inconsistent with their identity background must be isolated for investigation!'"
Qin Ying was so tense by her aura that she opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.
As she spoke, she approached her, her eyes filled with viciousness and malice:
"Qin Ying, you're a rural woman, fluent in two languages, aced the college entrance exam, and now even produces top-notch piano music. How do you explain these 'coincidences'? Shouldn't this be investigated according to regulations?"
The atmosphere at the scene froze instantly. Gu Ping'an leaned close to Qin Ying's ear and played with the hair beside her ear, with a strong sense of threat and oppression.
She suddenly changed the subject and looked at Qin Ying with a half-smile:
"Since Comrade Qin asked me to go to Chao County to investigate... I will go and write the verification application right away."
She lowered her voice but every word was as sharp as a knife:
"Why don't I investigate further to see if Professor Lin really offered free piano lessons during his time in exile? What if I find out someone fabricated their experience and deceived the organization..."
She straightened up and stroked the party emblem on her chest meaningfully:
"Captain Fu probably doesn't want his wife to be implicated in this scandal, right?"
Qin Ying's knuckles turned white as she gripped the bow tightly. Her nails dug deep into her palms to steady her trembling voice.
"Gu Ping'an, you want to slander me without any evidence? Teacher Lin taught me that I'm just lucky, so what's wrong with that?"
Gu Pingan snorted coldly, with a sneer on his face:
"Lucky? Humph, I want to see how long your luck lasts."
Her eyes held a malicious and ambiguous smile.
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