Chapter 307: Gan Yan Yu’s Big Trouble
“What flying pig?!”
Lin Tian was taken aback, thinking that name sounded familiar.
By the time he regained his composure, he exclaimed, “Moonlight Bladder!!”
At the bubble tea shop.
Dressed in a quirky, “earth-shatteringly” cute outfit with a heart tattoo on her face, Kana squeezed Lin Tian’s hand tightly, smiling brightly, “Long time no see!!”
After seeing the real Cosmic Flying Pig Band…
Lin Tian didn’t even need to look at their faces. Just by hearing their horrible Chinese, he immediately recalled that figure.
Last time, she had worn an exaggerated subculture outfit at an underground live, but this time, even with no makeup, she had donned a notably rare ‘earth-shatter’ dress.
It seemed that this style wasn’t just for show; it was her everyday delight.
Ironically, her personality wasn’t “rock-and-roll” at all. Instead, her vivacious nature fit quite well with an idol from Japan.
“(Teacher Moon! Let me introduce our band members!)” Kana said with a smile, then waved her hand from left to right.
“(This is our rhythm guitarist, Nagatani Shoji.)”
A lively young man with a guitar nodded respectfully at Lin Tian.
“(This is our saxophonist, Kobayashi Mizuki.)”
An older guy, looking quite much like an uncle, scratched his nose expressionlessly.
“(And this is our drummer, Ishiguro Yuhei!)”
A man with slightly squinty eyes sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, “(Teacher Moon, sorry for the trouble last time with the accompaniment!)”
“(And our bassist, Amuro Chika!)”
A girl in a sports jacket with short hair and a flushed face bowed deeply at Lin Tian, exclaiming, “Teacher Moon, I’m so happy to meet you!!”
Amuro Chika’s enthusiasm was the most intense, causing Lin Tian to jump a bit.
“You speak Chinese?”
“Yeah, I’ve learned it,” Chika said.
“…”
Not gonna lie, the girl was quite adorable.
She fulfilled all of Lin Tian’s fantasies about Sakura girls.
Why hadn’t he noticed her last time?
“(Lastly, it’s me, the band’s lead singer and main guitarist, Hoshino Kana—just call me Kana.)”
Kana said.
Looking at this young band in front of him, Lin Tian felt an uneasy sensation. The last time he had seen them was at the underground live.
It hadn’t been long, yet they had already grown to the point where many Tianchao netizens knew them?
To be honest, Lin Tian was a bit confused.
These guys seemed a little too enthusiastic.
“What do you think I’m looking for you guys for?”
“Uh, our manager has already informed us,” Chika responded.
“Your performance in Tokyo… we’ve seen it. It was amazing! Nishikawa Yuha-sensei wasn’t even your match! We’re so glad to participate in your concert!”
As Chika said this, her eyes sparkled like little hearts.
“…”
Lin Tian understood now.
It had to be because of his previous “not-a-duel” versus Nishikawa Yuha at Sato Sakura International.
Being in Japan had given him a considerable following.
Clearly, the Cosmic Flying Pig Band started to idolize him after watching that performance.
That made communication much easier.
“You guys can set a price,” Lin Tian planned to ask about the fee first.
“(P-price? What price?)”
Kana and her bandmates exchanged glances.
“Didn’t your manager tell you? It’s for the performance fee, of course.”
Lin Tian chuckled.
So these youngsters were just focused on playing, completely leaving the money part to their manager, huh?
“(Oh… right! Of course, there has to be a price!)”
Kana quickly nodded, then whispered something to Chika.
After a moment, she tentatively asked, “Fifty thousand?”
“Dollars?”
“Yen.” Chika’s voice dropped.
“Huh?!”
Lin Tian was dumbfounded.
“Is that it?!”
He didn’t even dare to think in Renminbi, feeling it was too low.
He couldn’t believe they meant yen!
That’s less than thirty thousand bucks!
A top Tokyo band only charges thirty thousand for a gig?
Lin Tian felt slightly sorry for these guys. He knew that idols in Japan had a low status, but he didn’t expect it to be this low.
With the money Lin Tian had, he could afford to sign them up and enjoy the perks of being a tycoon.
“I’m sorry!!”
Seeing Lin Tian’s reaction, Chika stood up immediately to apologize.
Kana also felt a bit embarrassed, saying, “W-we can only offer that much… even though we’ve gotten quite a few gigs recently, we really just started seeing some success in the last two months and haven’t saved much money.”
“…Wait a moment.”
Lin Tian interrupted Kana.
He stared at the girl with somewhat uncertain eyes and asked, “You mean… you’ll pay me?”
“Ah, isn’t it so?”
“No, why would you pay me to come to my concert as a guest?”
Lin Tian couldn’t help but exclaim.
After all this fuss, the money was actually meant for him!
What madness is this?!
“(Getting to participate in Teacher Moon and Teacher Cat’s concert is an opportunity we could only dream of! We should be paying to join!)” Kana said seriously.
The other members sported sincere expressions as well.
“…”
Lin Tian was momentarily speechless.
“Alright then.”
He decided not to beat around the bush any longer, “You’re invited by me, and I will compensate you accordingly.”
Lin Tian didn’t want to take advantage of them without reason; he didn’t want to owe them a favor either.
He paused and then added, “If you really want to thank me, just do as I request.”
“(What’s your request?)”
“…”
Lin Tian looked at this band with their myriad eccentric rock hairstyles and sighed.
Kana with her “earth-shatter” look, Nagatani Shoji with his explosive hair, Ishiguro Yuhei with his nose and tongue piercings.
And what’s up with Kobayashi Mizuki’s sharp pointy head?
Only Amuro Chika was dressed somewhat like a normal person.
Not that Lin Tian despised them.
Mostly it was:
How can such a style appear in his “sophisticated” classical music concert?
It’s like hiring an AV actress for a youth school idol drama!
Music can rock, but at least the look can’t be too rock-and-roll!
“You guys need to clean yourselves up according to my requirements!” Lin Tian declared.
After an entire afternoon’s meeting, the first group of guests for the concert was finalized.
Though the process seemed haphazard, Lin Tian’s decision was anything but.
He had previously understood the Cosmic Flying Pig Band.
When he saw them at the underground live, their performance had left a deep impression on him.
While their technique and proficiency might not top the charts, it was still representative of their fame.
What truly mattered was their expressiveness.
They were a vibrant band, brimming with typical Japanese idol characteristics.
Perhaps due to their abundant underground performance experiences.
Their performances could truly amp up the atmosphere. Kana’s stage presence was simply extraordinary.
Even Lin Tian found himself drawn into their music, unable to resist enjoying the moment.
Though during the concert, he wouldn’t let her sing.
After a little training, having them engage the crowd in pure performance could also have a great effect.
Lin Tian decided that midway through the concert, having the Cosmic Flying Pig join in for a high-energy music segment would definitely create an explosive atmosphere!
Though he had to think about which piece to play.
The “Spanish Bullfighting Song” or “Can-Can” might be spirited choices.
On the other hand, choosing a grand symphony for the concert might also send shockwaves through the audience.
Back home, Lin Tian stroked his chin, pondering seriously.
At that moment, an interface appeared in front of him.
[Producer Task, Released——]
[Current Main Line: Concert]
[Task Objective: Compose two new pieces; perform them jointly at the concert with partners. The emotional tones of the two works must be completely opposite, and collect an average emotional disparity index of [150%] from the audience.]
[Disparity Index: Determined by the degree of emotional Severance felt by the audience; the greater the emotional contrast before and after, the higher the index.]
[Examples:
An ordinary person successfully confesses to their beloved, but the next day, that person regrets and rejects them, which generates an emotional index of [30%].
An ordinary person wins 5 million on a lottery ticket, only to find out the next day it’s fake, with an index of [100%].
So…
Lin Tian has to create a more intense emotional reaction than discovering a 5 million jackpot is a scam?
Isn’t that a bit over the top?
He’s playing music on stage, not wrestling in an octagonal cage!
Simply put, Lin Tian needed to use two pieces with entirely contrasting emotions to give the audience a rollercoaster-like musical experience.
There seemed to be plenty of options.
In Lin Tian’s view,
To pull the emotional intensity to the fullest,
If he simply took one “sad” piece and one “happy” piece out, that would be far too shallow!
To give the audience a true rollercoaster sensation,
There should be two methods!
One is to slap them once, then give them a candy.
Fill the audience with bad news, then let them feel “it was just a false alarm.”
The second is “false joy.”
The most painful experience isn’t the extreme sadness itself but offering a glimmer of hope amid sorrow, only to have it snuffed out.
To be honest,
This is the most lowbrow tactic.
It’s something only big-screen villains would use.
Whether it’s the first or second method, both represent Lin Tian’s concept of “contrasting emotions.”
However, expressing such emotionality through music seemed like a tricky task.
Anyway,
With the concert a ways off, Lin Tian wasn’t in a hurry; he could take his time to think.
For now, there was an essential matter at hand.
“Knock knock knock—”
That evening,
Lin Tian knocked on Gan Yan Yu’s door.
After a short while, the door slowly creaked open.
The girl in a light white nightgown was barefoot on the floor.
Seeing Lin Tian’s arrival, Gan Yan Yu’s expression showed surprise, but she still opened the door.
“What are you doing here?”
“Just as I thought…”
Upon entering, Lin Tian noticed the cello in the living room and the sheet music sprawled out on the table.
“I’ve been texting you all day, and you didn’t reply. You weren’t in the café either. I figured you must be locked in your house practicing again.”
Lin Tian turned, feeling quite helpless as he looked at Gan Yan Yu.
Such a familiar scene always reminded Lin Tian of some not-so-great times that turned into increasingly precious memories later on.
But now, Lin Tian wasn’t blaming her; he softly asked, “How does it feel?”
“It’s just okay.”
Gan Yan Yu closed the door and returned to the sofa.
She kicked off her shoes, resting her feet on the couch, and sighed gently, “I can manage to play two or three pieces in one go without a problem, but once I hit the fifth or sixth piece, my chest starts feeling uncomfortable.”
“And this is at home… performing in front of so many people will only make it harder.”
This was Gan Yan Yu’s current biggest hurdle.
How could a frail girl with severe asthma manage a concert that easily exceeded two hours?
Even if she could find guests to help out during a portion of the time, if Gan Yan Yu couldn’t even perform for half an hour on stage, it wouldn’t help much.
Realizing this, Lin Tian felt a twinge of guilt.
How could he have forgotten such an important issue when planning the concert?!
For Gan Yan Yu, just being able to stand on stage and perform was already a significant achievement.
How could he possibly ask her to handle a high-intensity concert like this?
“If I’d known it would turn out this way, I shouldn’t have held it,” Lin Tian began.
Gan Yan Yu immediately perked up, sitting straight on the sofa, pressing her finger against Lin Tian’s lips.
“Don’t say that, Lin Tian.”
Her voice was gentle.
“I really want to hold a concert that belongs to us. If, as a musician, I can’t even do this, I’ll regret it for life.”
“It’s my fault for dragging you down.”
The girl’s gaze fell; she spoke dismally.
Then, she perked up again, “But don’t worry. During this period, I’ll practice hard to improve my physical fitness!”
“This morning, I could barely manage half an hour, but just now, I was able to play another piece!”
It was as if she wanted to prove it to Lin Tian.
Gan Yan Yu confidently patted her chest, then reached for the cello beside her.
“Okay, okay.”
Lin Tian stopped her, “I believe you; of course, I believe you. But don’t overdo it and hurt yourself.”
He was aware of her past record.
There had been times when she practiced so hard she fainted.
But back then, her focus was on familiarizing herself with the pieces, so at least she didn’t have to play continuously.
This time, however, it was about building up her physical strength—challenging her limits.
That was no joke; Lin Tian knew her stubbornness well.
If she kept being stubborn like that, she might just overdo it.
If such a situation really occurred, Lin Tian would rather have her stop practicing.
“Don’t worry, I won’t!”
Gan Yan Yu stretched her legs out on the sofa, reaching out to grab Lin Tian’s arm and pulling him onto the couch.
“Look, I practiced all day today and feel perfectly fine!”
“I’m already a mature cellist brought up by Teacher Lin! How could I do something so childish?”
Gan Yan Yu clung to Lin Tian’s arm like a mischievous little fairy.
She blinked at him.
Seeing this scene, Lin Tian couldn’t resist.
He was instantly captivated.
Lin Tian could only hold his forehead and declare, “Alright, go ahead and practice then.”
“However, it’d be best if you either came to my place or practiced in the café downstairs. Don’t lock yourself at home—if something happens to you, I won’t even know.”
“Okay!”
Gan Yan Yu beamed.
“…”
Although getting Gan Yan Yu to step up training was indeed an essential part of the plan,
Lin Tian on his end couldn’t afford to slack off either.
He still needed to invite other guests for the concert!
The Cosmic Flying Pig Band could serve as special guests to help share the pressure, but most likely just for one or two songs.
They were a rock band with limited styles; they couldn’t be expected to perform on stage the whole time, otherwise, Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu wouldn’t have to perform either.
Actually, the best solution would still be to properly invite a few competent professional musicians.
If they could get a cellist, that would be even better, as they could stay on stage longer and help ease Gan Yan Yu’s pressure as the leading performer.
“Zhi Chen hasn’t sent any news. He told me that suitable candidates either aren’t available or the available ones aren’t suitable.”
Lin Tian said, a bit helpless. He hadn’t expected there to be something even He Zhi Chen couldn’t resolve.
But it made sense.
Though there were indeed many musicians under Le Yun,
the vast majority either didn’t have the skills to keep up with Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu on stage or were just too old.
Lin Tian wasn’t keen on inviting some middle-aged uncle as a guest; it would make the vibe very weird.
“How about…”
Gan Yan Yu pondered, then suggested, “Get Nanaly to help?”
“And also Bai Xi-sensei; aren’t you on good terms with her?” When Gan Yan Yu said this, she intentionally widened her innocent big eyes and looked at Lin Tian.
“I’m not that familiar with her; don’t spread rumors!”
Lin Tian quickly interrupted Gan Yan Yu, protesting against her slander.
Actually, several cellists Gan Yan Yu met through competitions were indeed great options.
Firstly, their skills were impressive enough to handle the two of them on stage.
Secondly, a good overlap in the audience meant many fans would recognize them.
But the issue was,
“They’ve been defeated by us before. It would feel a bit off inviting them.” Lin Tian explained.
Inviting opponents he had bested to the concert would feel somewhat humiliating.
There’s no way they’d agree!
“Well…”
Gan Yan Yu thought for a moment, preparing to get up from the sofa.
Suddenly she noticed she couldn’t find her slippers.
“Where are your slippers?” Lin Tian asked, noticing Gan Yan Yu’s intent.
After all, she had just come to the door barefoot; he was about to ask if she wasn’t cold.
“They’re in my room.” Gan Yan Yu replied.
“Alright.”
Lin Tian stood up and walked toward Gan Yan Yu’s room.
However, halfway there, Gan Yan Yu seemed to remember something suddenly; her azure pupils widened.
She shouted, “No!!”
(End of Chapter)
