"You...you are Teacher Fusheng?"
"right."
Zhao Wanwan's eyes were unfocused, and she seemed somewhat dazed.
Previously, she judged Lin Rui's age to be roughly the same as her mentor Christie's based on the slender fingers seen in the video.
But to see him in person today, I am extremely shocked.
At that moment, she had only one thought in her mind.
Too young!
After the initial shock, a faint blush appeared on her pink cheeks.
This is a young woman's shyness.
There's no way around it; Lin Rui's puppy-like image and temperament are hard for any young girl to resist.
It wasn't about love at first sight; it was simply an instinctive love for beautiful things.
"The concert is about to begin, Mr. Fusheng, please follow me."
Follow Zhao Wanwan into the main hall.
At first glance, only the front row was full of people.
The group included visiting pianists from various countries, many well-known artists, and senior members of the Xiazhou Arts Association.
Lin Rui noticed that some VIP rooms on the second floor were brightly lit, and there were vaguely visible figures moving around.
"Mentor, this is Teacher Fusheng."
Lin Rui was led to a seat in the first row by Zhao Wanwan.
Fleeting life?
Upon hearing this name, many people around turned their gazes towards it.
Like everyone else, despite being shocked by Lin Rui's youth, Christie still stood up enthusiastically: "Fusheng, that must be your stage name, sir. May I ask?"
My surname is Lin.
"Mr. Lin, it's a pleasure to meet you."
After shaking hands and chatting with Christie, Lin Rui sat down next to her.
Christie made a stunning appearance today, her beautiful face and long, flowing hair cascading over her shoulders, revealing glimpses of her flawless, porcelain-like skin.
Despite being nearly thirty, the years have not left any marks on her face.
With Zhao Wanwan, who was equally beautiful and had a great figure, by his side, the two of them, master and apprentice, became the most eye-catching and beautiful sight in the Golden Hall tonight.
Lin Rui's unexpected intervention diminished the infatuation surrounding this beautiful scene, instead generating more resentment.
After all, what man wouldn't want to have beauties like Christine and Zhao Wanwan by his side?
This made Lin Rui a thorn in the side of the men in the room.
Many people began to secretly inquire about Lin Rui's background.
"Who is that man from Xiazhou?"
"Flight of the Bumblebee" was written by him.
"No wonder Maestro Christie was so enthusiastic. I tried playing Flight of the Bumblebee, which requires a lot of hand speed."
"It's a pity. If this piece of music had come from our country, it would definitely have been widely promoted internationally, and it wouldn't be so unknown now."
"Xiazhou won't get international recognition for its piano playing. I really don't understand why we're touring here."
"I heard it was Master Christie who made the decision."
…
Lin Rui's identity was quickly revealed by the pianists present.
For a time, all sorts of opinions were expressed.
Older people tend to focus their satire on Xiazhou's international standing.
The younger ones would awkwardly discuss Lin Rui's abilities, believing that a godforsaken place like Xiazhou couldn't possibly produce a piano master.
As for the more radical ones, they've already started discussing how to completely outshine Lin Rui in front of Christy and Zhao Wanwan, making him lose face and proving that they are the most outstanding men.
Their oblivious conversation turned the faces of the Xiazhou Arts Association's leaders ashen, but they couldn't retaliate.
Their gazes involuntarily turned to the Xiazhou piano delegation standing to the side. They hoped that these people would take up the mantle, reverse Xiazhou's decline in the international piano world, and restore Xiazhou's reputation!
"Old Xu, the decision to have Lin Rui represent Xiazhou on stage was too rash."
“I acknowledge Lin Rui’s abilities, but he is too young. Let’s send Song Jun first. He has experience on the international stage and is more seasoned.”
"As the host country, we cannot afford to be careless in our first battle."
The senior members of the Xiazhou Arts Association are having a discussion.
Chairman Xu Hongzhuo's last-minute change of the order of appearance of the Xiazhou representatives drew dissatisfaction from other senior members.
It's not that I look down on Lin Rui.
On the contrary, they all highly approve of it.
After all, Lin Rui changed the tour schedule of these piano masters with just one video, and even made Christie overcome all objections and decide to hold the tour at the Golden Hall in Charlotte.
That's real strength!
No room for argument!
The root of the disagreement lies in Lin Rui's qualifications.
Leaving aside the international stage, even within Xiazhou alone, Lin Rui's resume is completely blank.
"Open your eyes and look at the current state of the Song army. Can we still count on them?"
Xu Hongzhuo's eyes were filled with heartache.
Both sides of the argument fell silent.
They had all heard about the argument between the Xia State delegation and Henry and others.
The reason for not sending anyone to stop them was partly due to considerations of international impact, and partly because they wanted Song Jun and others to turn their grief and anger into strength.
But who could have imagined that this sorrow and anger, instead of turning into strength, would instead drain one's energy and spirit?
If he were to take the stage in this condition, the outlook would be grim.
After a passionate and inspiring speech, the tour officially began.
A blue-eyed man walked gracefully onto the stage; he was a renowned pianist from Belarus.
He played a classical piece that was extremely difficult, but he performed it with ease from beginning to end.
Moreover, he added his own original elements during the performance, which delighted the audience below.
Next to take the stage was a disheveled, unkempt man.
According to Zhao Wanwan, this man is the chief disciple of Master Constantine.
Constantine is also one of the pinnacles of the piano world.
However, he has a rather extreme personality and poor interpersonal relationships, so he did not join the international tour group this time.
The man also chose a classical piece, which was more difficult than the previous one, but he still played it with ease, and his passionate performance gave people a feeling of galloping horses.
The third person to take the stage was Henry.
As TEP's chief disciple, the piece he chose was a new composition that TEP had created three years ago, and its difficulty goes without saying.
After the performance, Henry looked smugly at the Charlottesville delegation with a defiant expression.
This wasn't the first time Lin Rui had seen this kind of attitude.
Starting with the blue-eyed man who was the first to appear, they all seemed to have planned it in advance, staring at the Xia Zhou delegation with provocative expressions after stepping off the stage.
Lin Rui noticed that, in the face of provocation, Song Jun and his men, while indignant, also revealed a deep sense of frustration.
That's right!
I'm so frustrated!
Putting aside their anger, they helplessly discovered that even at their peak, they couldn't play these three pieces with the same ease as Henry and the others.
confidence.
glory.
responsibility.
Having witnessed firsthand the outstanding performance of Henry and others, they were already in disarray.
This is the difference!
It's an insurmountable gap!
But this is just the beginning.
As one foreign pianist after another took to the stage, the area where the Xiazhou delegation was located became lifeless and devoid of fighting spirit.
The leaders of the Xiazhou Arts Association saw this and felt deeply pained.
Now, they can only pin their hopes on a young man who is only nineteen years old.
—Lin Rui.
Soon, it will be the turn of Xiazhou to send someone to take the stage.
At this moment, these high-ranking officials were filled with anxiety and uncertainty.
…
Meanwhile, Tianrui Entertainment.
When Zhou Rongze heard that the staff who had signed confidentiality agreements with Lin Rui had already left on the company bus, he was stunned at first, and then, as if he had made a connection to something, he jumped up on the spot.
Golden Hall!
It must be the Golden Hall!
Lin Rui, you're about to do something big in the Golden Hall!
"A sense of ritual!"
Zhou Rongze said this almost through gritted teeth.
Where are you going?
Chen Tianye was startled by Zhou Rongze's overreaction.
"Finding a ritual... Ugh!"
"What nonsense about rituals. Don't mention those three words to me again. Even if you manage to fool the cripple, I won't listen."
After saying that, Zhou Rongze rushed out the door with astonishing speed.
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