Chapter 39: A Tune That Brings Joy
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“Chapter 39: A Tune That Brings Joy”
After discussing some of the upcoming concert’s issues, they eventually added each other on WeChat.
In the end, Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu bid farewell to Old Mr. Wan Qi, who was about to journey far away.
At the last moment, Old Wan Qi called out to Lin Tian.
He grabbed Lin Tian’s hand aside.
This time, without any jokes or teasing, only a serious yet kind tone:
“Young Lin, Qingzhou City is too small, and the world of music is vast. You shouldn’t confine yourself in such a tiny place. Don’t put your focus on petty profits. The charm of music cannot be measured by wealth.”
“I’ve been teaching for decades. I’ve seen many talented composers fail here. But I believe you are different from them.”
“Go challenge the big stage with Yan Yu!”
With that said, Old Wan Qi patted Lin Tian on the shoulder while laughing heartily at both Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu:
“I’ll be waiting for you in Vienna!”
“Thank you for the piano,” Lin Tian bowed again to express his gratitude.
Then the two left.
Seeing their departing forms, Gao Zhen Yang couldn’t help but ask:
“Teacher, what did you say to Lin Tian?”
Old Wan Qi didn’t answer Gao Zhen Yang’s question; instead, he smiled and turned back to the tea table.
Gao Zhen Yang hurriedly followed, starting to brew tea again.
“Have you heard Little Lin’s two pieces? What do you think?” Wan Qi asked.
“To be honest — they’re world-class, especially ’Ode to Love.’ Even within our association, few could write something like this.”
Gao Zhen Yang said this with a mix of envy and bitterness.
“It’s because you were holding me back that I didn’t say these things earlier.”
Such talent would make any young composer feel utterly hopeless. You grew up being called a prodigy, made your debut at ten, and after years of relentless effort, finally achieved success and pride.
But encountering true genius…
You realized your own talent pales in comparison against a chosen one.
That feeling of having all your pride shattered in an instant… It’s terrifying.
Gao Zhen Yang felt exactly this way just now, but he didn’t show it because the teacher was there.
“Holding back your opinion is to prevent Little Lin from getting carried away—such cases are common enough.”
Indeed, Old Wan Qi had already constrained his praise significantly. It wasn’t praise as much as encouragement.
To soothe his student’s mood, Old Wan Qi poured tea himself, which Gao Zhen Yang accepted quickly.
“But you noticed, right? Although he created such good tunes, he remains humble and composed. Listening quietly, even some famous musicians now don’t have such a presence.”
Old Wan Qi sighed softly, then looked at his student and smiled:
“Little Gao, haven’t you been struggling long enough?”
“You might learn something helpful when giving guidance.”
Due to the long delay at noon, Lin Tian successfully skipped the first class in the afternoon with the ridiculous excuse, “overslept at the library.”
Everyone knew by now that Lin Tian went out with a lady earlier, so when he didn’t show up for the first class, everyone started speculating furiously.
To Lin Tian, whatever.
Rumors are already spreading, let them talk.
As long as Gan Yan Yu isn’t back yet, nothing serious will happen.
That night, Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu agreed to start training after showering. Then he headed home.
Meanwhile,
The cargo company he ordered via the internet delivered the piano back to his house.
Gao Zhen Yang even got a tuners service arranged by someone very thoughtful, who stuck around until the instrument was tuned perfectly before leaving.
Looking at the heavy piano, then at the cramped living room,
He really couldn’t figure out where to put it.
Lin Tian’s place was like this:
A total of 68 square meters,
When you walk in, on the left is the kitchen with the glass door, next to it is the bathroom.
Across from the bathroom is Lin Tian’s room.
On the right is the living room, where a dining table, sofa, round table, and TV stand are placed.
To the right of this is a small balcony.
While this setup is perfect for a single person,
When he has free time, Lin Tian likes to lie on the couch in the living room, and place his laptop on the round table.
He’d drink a little beer, browse Bilibili, and perhaps do some stretching.
This kind of cozy feeling in a secure space, alone from the world,
It can’t get any cushier.
This solo life is envied by high school students everywhere,
Yet ever since he started messing around with music, Lin Tian’s sofa not only became a regular spot for a special guest but also created a makeshift photography studio with the minimal space left.
Once he gets more cash, he’d think about renting a bigger place.
Thought Lin Tian, and directed the delivery guy to clear out the TV stand onto the balcony. Finally, he managed to place the piano next to the photography studio.
Having some time before Gan Yan Yu showers,
Maybe he should watch an episode of “Hard-core Heroes.”
Then, the system’s interface popped up in front of him.
【Producer Task, Issued —】
【Task Goal: Create a piece of music, publish it with a duet, receive 100,000 likes, and bring joy to 100,000 audience members】
【Deadline: 7 days】
【Reward: Double Income Card *1】
【Double Income Card: Producers can select one of their recent works to use, and all earnings from legal means will double and go straight into their account. 】
Double income?
Lin Tian thought carefully about this.
Now he can’t package music albums, meaning the only source of income is Douyin.
That means, for maximum profit, he needs a sponsored ad.
When it came to ads, Lin Tian could already picture one.
Want to play music just as great as mine? You need a reliable piano!
Thanks to the secondhand piano I bought through ZZ, a platform that guarantees used goods.
Anyway, this time he must sh**t a blockbuster to insert another ad.
And thinking about tunes that bring joy to the audience…
One song came to mind—
”Can-Can.”
Its Chinese name is ”Tune of Love,” otherwise known as ”Heaven and Hell Overture.”
(End of Chapter)
