Chapter 349: Internet Roast Battle – Classical Music vs. Pop Music
“Cheers—”
In a barbecue restaurant near the apartment, Lin Tian, Gan Yan Yu, and their manager He Zhi Chen clinked their glasses.
“Big win, big win, Teacher Gan Yan Yu!”
He Zhi Chen set down his cup and chuckled, “Thanks to my connections on the organizing committee—though they had their disagreements, they eventually reached a consensus. We can basically confirm that we’ve advanced smoothly!”
“Awesome!”
Lin Tian chimed in, downing his beer in one go. “Thanks for your hard work, Teacher He.”
He also made sure to express his gratitude to He Zhi Chen.
Then, as if a light bulb went off in his head, Lin Tian curiously asked, “How do you still have connections in Bai Jing?”
Back in Qingzhou, He Zhi Chen always exuded that aura of knowing everyone in the music scene, able to get any information or internal data about associations.
But Lin Tian could understand why. After all, Gao Zhen Yang, a board member from the Qing Jiang Music Association and a student at Xingye Music Academy, had a close relationship with He Zhi Chen. It was easy to imagine just how extensive He Zhi Chen’s network was back in Qingzhou.
Yet, upon reaching Bai Jing, this guy’s intel-gathering skills showed no signs of decline. This wasn’t just local know-how anymore.
“As long as you want to know, the channels are quite abundant,” He Zhi Chen said.
“Modest, aren’t we, Brother Chen?”
“This isn’t about me. If you want to thank someone, it should be yourselves.”
“We?”
“Yep.”
He Zhi Chen nodded, “Have you ever heard the saying? ‘When you succeed, there are only good people around you’—even if I don’t actively seek out information channels, good folks naturally come to me.”
Gan Yan Yu listened, a bit confused.
But Lin Tian got it.
“So you mean, there are still many supporters in the association?”
“Exactly.”
He Zhi Chen leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh. “For about 20 years since the reform, the debates have never ceased, not just in public opinion but also within the association.”
“After all, classical music was once the first lesson for all musicians. Almost every performer has deeply studied classical works. Just because the arena’s atmosphere has changed doesn’t mean everyone’s going to give up what they love.”
“The people who secretly want to help you might appreciate your talent, and they don’t want you to be buried by this competition style. They may also simply love classical music and hope you can go all the way.”
“…”
Lin Tian knew.
Most likely, Tuoba Jianhui was among those enthusiasts.
“To put it another way, Teachers Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu,” He Zhi Chen paused before adding, “You’re not fighting alone.”
“…”
Those words seemed to poke directly at Gan Yan Yu’s heart.
With her hands cradling the beer mug, her bright blue eyes quivered slightly.
Since returning to the competition, the pressure brought by classical music had loomed over her like a curse, deepening with each contest.
The closer they got to the finals, the more powerful that curse felt.
And now, at the Dragon Zither Cup, learning that there were many people secretly supporting and recognizing her efforts was undeniably moving.
Seeing Gan Yan Yu’s nose redden, Lin Tian quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gently patted her head, “There, there.”
“What’s that for? I’m not crying,” Gan Yan Yu replied, her cheeks flushing. She quickly lowered the hand resting on her head, pouting with mild discontent.
Lin Tian knew that although Gan Yan Yu was opening up more, she still wasn’t entirely comfortable being overly affectionate in front of others.
He was fully aware of this but continued to do it anyway—it was all part of his desensitization training!
Like a stubborn cow, she might seem stiff at first, as if ready to erupt at any moment.
But once that threshold was passed and the feelings released, training was complete; another touch wouldn’t phase her.
To all the guys yet to experience such moments, here’s a little tip.
For a first-time encounter, if you’re worried about not having enough experience and finishing too quickly to hold your head up in front of a girl, consider taking care of business in the bathroom beforehand.
That way, when you’re back in the trenches, theoretically, you can hold out much longer.
“…”
“Hey, actually, the information I’ve received indicates that the situation within the association is quite complex,” He Zhi Chen’s words pulled Lin Tian back from his thoughts.
“Complex?”
“Yes, the aversion to classical music is actually far more intense in our country than in many Western nations.”
“Really?”
Lin Tian hadn’t seen that coming.
He thought the reforms were just a response to following “international trends.”
But now he learned the push to change was even more aggressive here than in other countries?
He Zhi Chen downed his beer, slamming the empty glass onto the table.
As always, this guy didn’t need too many drinks to start feeling tipsy in front of Lin Tian.
“Actually, the reasons behind the international music association’s reforms are easy to understand; they’re just trying to expand their audience, attract younger crowds, and turn music competitions into something akin to the World Cup or the NBA, right?”
He Zhi Chen supported his forehead, getting worked up.
“So, if changes are needed, it should only be at international competitions! There’s no need for such drastic changes to domestic contests, especially since many older musicians came from classical music backgrounds!”
“Currently, the reforms have actually been quite effective; pop music takes up over 50% of the appearances in provincial-level competitions, so there’s really no need to exterminate classical music!”
“Then why?” Lin Tian chimed in.
“Because they’re infatuated!”
He Zhi Chen threw his hands up, fuming. “I say it’s because they got scared of losing 16 years ago!”
“Back then, Elder Gan was so full of spirit! From the Star Cup to the Parrot Zither Cup and then to the Dragon Zither Cup, he dominated the competition! His cello skills were hailed as the strongest since the founding of the nation; the number one cellist?—that was just on paper! Behind the scenes, everyone called him the Cello God!”
“In such a euphoric atmosphere, before heading to Vienna, the music circles in Tianchao were going crazy! All the newspapers were preemptively awarding Elder Gan the ‘World Number One’ title; the entire country was pumped up, even elevating him to ‘National Hero’ status!”
As Lin Tian listened, the echoes felt oddly familiar, the kind of déjà vu that stuck with you.
“The higher you lift them, the harder they fall. When the news broke that he only made it to the semifinals, the crash was incredibly tragic!”
“Sixteen years later, not just for the cello, but for the entire music scene, they haven’t recovered from that shadow.”
Listening to He Zhi Chen recount those past events, Gan Yan Yu unconsciously rubbed her forehead, swaying slightly.
Lin Tian hurriedly steadied her, wrapping his arm around her back and under her shoulder.
“Sorry, Teacher Gan Yan Yu!”
Even though He Zhi Chen was drunk, he still maintained a basic level of reason.
It was just too cruel to bring up her grandfather’s past in front of her.
“I’m fine; I just had a bit too much to drink, my head’s spinning. Please continue, Teacher He,” Gan Yan Yu replied with a playful smile, diffusing the awkwardness.
However, when Lin Tian glanced at her cup, he knew better.
Between the two grown men, they might not be able to outdrink Gan Yan Yu.
Those two small cups? No way they could faze her!
At that moment, the young girl’s eyes dimmed slightly, and she turned her gaze elsewhere.
Lin Tian observed Gan Yan Yu; he understood that this memory was a fresh wound, second only to her heartache from England.
Although Gan Yan Yu had never lived through the events of 16 years ago, she had heard countless retellings from her grandfather, who always made his coffee with a specific mix.
“So, Teacher Lin Tian, do you understand the attitude of those older folks in the association now?” He Zhi Chen continued, “They know all the reasoning, but they’re driven mad by the need for revenge—that’s why I call it ‘infatuation.’”
“From their perspective, wanting to help Tianchao’s cello break free from the shadows of 16 years ago makes perfect sense.”
“You might not know this, Teacher Lin Tian. In 16 years, out of the total 7 Dragon Zither Cup champions, our best result in the Ke’er Cup was reaching the round of 64, with 5 participants failing to even make it past the qualifying rounds.”
When Lin Tian heard this, he couldn’t help but gasp.
“Round of 64?”
He was aware of the Ke’er Cup format.
Sixty-four—that was the number of participants in the preliminary round, meaning they had only performed once before being promptly sent home.
And out of those, two were the best performers! The other five didn’t even qualify to participate in the preliminary rounds.
In a stage that had no audience, they ended their journey without leaving a trace.
It was hard for Lin Tian to imagine.
In the domestic arena, champions emerging from layers of competition for the Dragon Zither Cup couldn’t even measure up to passersby on an international stage.
After listening to He Zhi Chen’s narration, Lin Tian finally understood the whole story.
No wonder the Dragon Zither Cup organizing committee was like this.
With such results, sending a champion for years to an international stage merely to serve as a backup performer.
If Lin Tian were the president of the Tianchao Music Association, he might have been even more anxious than these old men.
With that thought, everything made sense.
Did the older generation truly hate classical music so much?
Not necessarily.
The reforms had only been in place for 20 years; many of those senior members had once been excellent classical musicians in their youth.
Their love for classical music likely exceeded that of Lin Tian, who had only been in the music scene for a year.
It’s just that under the current circumstances in the music world, those seniors had become consumed by hatred and victory, spiraling the entire association into a complex fanaticism.
Even though they passed their fifties, deep down, they still recognized classical music. They could see how Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu were both priceless classical musicians.
Yet, for the sake of ultimate victory, they had to make a “correct” choice.
In this war, from the perspective of Tianchao’s music association, they were not at fault.
And Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu, who persisted for love and dreams, were also not wrong.
Neither side was wrong; they simply held on to what they had to.
“Since that’s the case, presenting our best music is the greatest respect we can give this stage.”
Lin Tian stood up, smiled, and lifted the entire bottle of Carlsberg before downing it.
“Smack!”
After setting the empty bottle down, Lin Tian wiped his mouth.
In the astonished gazes of He Zhi Chen and Gan Yan Yu, he declared, “Let’s win them over!”
He loved this kind of competition.
Who said the judges weren’t good? They were fantastic!
No playing around—this was pure prejudice.
Clearly, they were out to screw him, and it significantly reduced any underhanded schemes going on.
Everyone dropped the pretense! How delightful!
What could Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu do?
Surely they weren’t going to dismantle the association?
So instead, let’s put on an unprecedented, most spectacular show and totally win those old men over!
Let the public sentiment reach a level where if they don’t let us advance, millions of music fans would pressure the association to announce a rematch!
Both sides were aware of each other’s cards.
What mattered now was who had the bigger backbone!
“…”
“Speaking of which, Teacher Lin Tian, there’s one more thing you need to be cautious about,” He Zhi Chen said as he opened his tablet and started scrolling through.
“Before we tackle the association, I think this opponent is even more terrifying…”
Moments later, He Zhi Chen displayed his tablet before Lin Tian, “The competition just wrapped up, and the internet has been going crazy!”
The preliminaries for the Dragon Zither Cup finished splendidly.
But the discussions online? They were relentless and even escalating!
First off, there were some video snippets from the competition.
The Dragon Zither Cup’s official account had already set up on major video platforms and was live streaming throughout.
Every performer’s performance was uploaded to the site after the competition.
A total of 101 stages, 101 videos, no contestant was missed.
Out of those 101 performances, four garnered over 1 million views on YouTube and Bilibili within three days after the competition.
They were:
Mao Wei Ang – “Sonnet of Current and Meandering Strings” – 3.94 million views.
Gan Yan Yu – “Blue Danube” – 3.68 million views.
Bai Junze – “Lolita Rhapsody” – 1.43 million views.
Bai Xi – “Flowers of Willow” – 1.03 million views.
These four performances sparked widespread discussion online.
They were instrumental in propelling the Dragon Zither Cup’s popularity to new heights.
All four musicians received considerable attention.
Among them, Bai Junze, who had previously never been in the public spotlight, garnered countless fans with his wild performance style and his naturally attractive features.
However, all of this… was just the tip of the iceberg.
What truly sent the Dragon Zither Cup into the stratosphere was the online chatter spun by audiences regarding the showdown between Gan Yan Yu and Mao Wei Ang—the clash between classical and pop music!
The spark for the debate ignited from the video of Mao Wei Ang and Gan Yan Yu’s “Blue Danube.”
As pop music fans poured in from Mao Wei Ang’s side, they were astonished to discover that their bro wasn’t the only frontrunner—an old classical piece was racking up over “3 million” views!
Quickly, comments flooded in beneath the video:
【What is this?? This piece can also hit 3 million views??】
【Seriously, I was nearly asleep during the first half; why is its view count on par with our Mao Ge’s??】
【The “Sonnet” gets me hooked the more I listen, and here I can’t even finish this “Blue Danube” in one sitting!】
【Haha, even the music world has its fandom wars!】
【Are you bullying our Mao Ge just because he’s new to the scene?】
【…】
These statements not only shocked onlookers but also left music enthusiasts flabbergasted.
They were astonished at how someone dared to rain down criticism on the Moonlight and Cat fans!
This was terrifying!
Who didn’t know that in the music realm, anyone could criticize, except one group that simply walked tall and proud?
Back in the day on YouTube, those fans went hard enough to make international artists issue apology videos!
Before long, the fervent Moonlight and Cat fans struck back, unfazed, marching down to the “Sonnet” video.
【Heh, commoners should just stick to this cr*p!】
【LOL, how can someone so out of touch even dare to criticize?】
【Is there a hint of depth in that piece? Tell me what you hear in there!】
【Sigh, it’s impossible to communicate with people of such low understanding】
【…】
In no time, both sides were going back and forth, throwing fruity comments at each other, their arguments heating up to a boiling point.
Their banter shot to the top of Weibo’s trending list, leaving the onlookers utterly baffled.
The true Internet roast battle had begun—the clash between two music fandom titans!
(End of chapter)
