Chapter 372: Want to Go for a Foot Bath? My Treat
Hearing this, Mao Wei Ang’s eyes quickly sparkled with excitement.
He straightened up immediately and said to the two, “I’ll compose the music, and you two teachers can perform it, publishing the work together in our names!”
“Together?”
“Yes.”
Mao Wei Ang continued, “The copyright and profits can go entirely to you two teachers—I don’t care about those things.”
“Actually, we’re not that concerned either,” Lin Tian scratched his head and said, “But why should it be your composition and our performance?”
Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu had never played someone else’s compositions before, so suddenly performing someone else’s work felt a bit odd.
“There are two reasons,” Mao Wei Ang replied.
“First, I believe that with your skills, you can play pop music incredibly well. If I compose a piece of pop music for you two to perform, it will definitely result in a fantastic performance.”
“The second reason is my own selfishness,” Mao Wei Ang paused, then continued, “It’s an honor for me to have Teacher Gan play my piece.”
“Hold on a second,” Lin Tian interrupted Mao Wei Ang, “Couldn’t you just join us? A trio performance wouldn’t be a problem, right?”
In the past, Lin Tian was particular about a third person joining any performance.
So was Gan Yan Yu.
It felt like some sort of “performance” OCD—of course, accompaniment didn’t count.
But since the concert, Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu had been revolving around Nanaly and the others in and out.
With that happening, Lin Tian had developed some resistance to it, and now he was just chilling.
“Well, if you think it’s an honor for Teacher Gan to perform your piece, wouldn’t it be even more of an honor for you to join us?” Lin Tian asked.
“That’s true,” Mao Wei Ang hesitated for a moment, then said, “But I’m not sure if I have that ability.”
Hearing this, Lin Tian understood immediately.
Looks like Mao Wei Ang really has some skills!
Lin Tian acknowledged.
Gan Yan Yu, being a succubus-level figure in the cello world, easily captivates even newcomers like Mao Wei Ang.
Generally speaking, if a regular cellist heard they could perform with Gan Yan Yu, they would be over the moon, if not in a state of euphoric ecstasy.
However, only a few exceptionally skilled and musically aware cellists remain calm, aware that casually playing with Gan Yan Yu is not a wise decision.
On one hand, it’s about Gan Yan Yu’s profound cello foundation.
On the other, it’s her natural gift of being an emotional black hole.
Even those whose skills match Gan Yan Yu’s, or may even exceed them, find it tough to guarantee they won’t be swept off their feet when playing with her.
This is the charm of being “the absolute core.”
She’s the UZI of the cello world.
How lucky Lin Tian was to team up with Gan Yan Yu right at the start of his musical journey.
He could feel he was riding a strong wave, blessed with a system aura.
“.”
If Mao Wei Ang’s earlier statement were made to someone else, Lin Tian would’ve thought it was just “courtesy,” or overly “humble.”
But now, Lin Tian felt he was a bit impressive.
With that, Lin Tian didn’t know what else to say.
However, at that moment, Gan Yan Yu stood up and spoke up voluntarily:
“Teacher Mao, I truly appreciate your compliment.”
“But I believe that since our goal is to let music lovers set aside their disputes, we should perform this piece together!”
Gan Yan Yu said earnestly.
From the moment she entered this office, she had been serious about this.
She thought if Lin Tian had already rejected it, she wouldn’t say anything more.
But now that they’ve decided to do it, Gan Yan Yu genuinely wanted to make it work.
“I might hold you back,” Mao Wei Ang said, “Besides, you two have already been partners for a long time. Won’t my presence as the third person disrupt your performance rhythm?”
“Then let’s bring in one more person.”
“Huh??”
Hearing Gan Yan Yu say this, not just Mao Wei Ang, but Lin Tian was also stunned.
“Bring in one more? Where would we find that person?”
“Didn’t we say it’s a collaboration between classical music and pop music? Since there are two classical musicians here, we should find one pop musician to match, right?”
Three cellos?
That sounds interesting.
Lin Tian recalled that even during their performances with Nanaly, Bai Xi, and Yun Qiu Qiu, they hadn’t tried featuring that many cellos playing together.
Now, with three cellos collaborating on music, and at the final stage of the Dragon Zither Cup, just imagining it would stir up massive attention!
“Three cellos, huh.”
Mao Wei Ang recognized the brilliance of this idea. He stroked his chin and began to think earnestly, “I don’t have experience arranging for that… I may need time…”
“I’ll write it,” Lin Tian announced.
“You?”
Mao Wei Ang’s expression was one of shock.
“What?!”
Lin Tian narrowed his eyes, “Teacher Mao, you didn’t think I could only write classical music, did you?”
He could tell from the performance with Gan Yan Yu that they could tackle pop music.
So why couldn’t he showcase that he could also write pop music?
“I thought Teacher Lin had a preference for sticking with classical music,” Mao Wei Ang said.
Just like the way he was thinking right now.
“No big deal,” Lin Tian waved his hand dismissively.
The pop music repertoire is vast!
There are plenty of pop songs infused with classical music elements.
As for arranging for multiple cellos, with his current skill set, adapting the original piece isn’t hard.
Lin Tian realized something.
Having dealt with so many pieces, it’s hard to say how good his original music abilities are, since he hasn’t properly written anything yet.
But when it comes to adaptation, he’s confident.
Even in the current music scene, he’s top-tier!
Do you know how valuable it is to adapt every waltz, concerto, and symphony into cello and piano arrangements?!
All the effort Lin Tian has put in since his debut has gone into this!
“W-Well, we could give it a try,” Mao Wei Ang said, frowning in deep thought again, “But where do we find a second pop musician?”
Right now, both Gan Yan Yu and Mao Wei Ang are contenders in the Dragon Zither Cup finals.
They both possess decent skills.
To find someone to join their performance, that person’s skill level cannot be subpar.
Plus, the influence they hold must not be low.
After all, Mao Wei Ang is a pop music superstar, while Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu are among the top tier in the classical music circle.
Everyone is a big shot,
They can’t just drag in some random person that no one knows!
Even if their reputation isn’t stellar, their real skills must be adequate.
“Actually, there’s someone who owes us a favor,” Lin Tian turned to Gan Yan Yu.
“Who?”
“Bai Junze,” Lin Tian said knowingly.
He remembered clearly.
That guy owes him a meal of Beijing stir-fried liver.
Hyder would eat more than both himself and Gan Yan Yu combined.
“Ah, him… His skills are indeed strong, especially since he was the runner-up in the semifinals,” Mao Wei Ang acknowledged with some hesitation.
“But can his playing style blend well with ours?”
In everyone’s mind, the image of the carefree guy on stage, who couldn’t even wear his clothes properly, quickly surfaced.
The name is cool, but the person is way too abstract!
Especially with that cello adorned with LED lights, flailing around like a ghostly child on stage.
Every time Lin Tian saw it, he felt like yelling: Doesn’t anyone care what this guy is doing?!
“…But he’s really strong.”
Even as he mentally criticized, Lin Tian still said, “Having him join us, with some good synergy, may yield unexpected results.”
Besides, there’s another problem.
For Lin Tian, who is competing against Bai Junze in the Dragon Zither Cup, inviting him feels strange.
Just like earlier, he felt hostility toward Mao Wei Ang.
It’s not like a plate of stir-fried liver is enough of a favor to convince him to help.
However, as stated earlier, he’s strong!
So, Lin Tian decided to give it a try.
“Alright, let’s go with your idea.”
Mao Wei Ang nodded.
Now, they had chosen their members and finalized the lineup.
How should they contact Bai Junze now?
“Do you know him?” Lin Tian asked Mao Wei Ang.
“I don’t know him. I thought you did,”
Mao Wei Ang responded, somewhat surprised.
After all, Lin Tian just mentioned “favor.”
“That’s a long story,” Lin Tian explained.
“I’ll get in touch with the organizers to check—there should be a hotel where they arrange for all the Dragon Zither Cup participants to stay.”
All contestants of the Dragon Zither Cup have accommodations reserved for them.
And those like Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu, who have their roots in Beijing, can choose to stay wherever they want.
“Probably difficult…”
Mao Wei Ang sighed.
“Actually, before entering the Dragon Zither Cup, I did in-depth research on all the contestants. Though I don’t know him personally, from what I gathered, he has been staying out late in Beijing during this time and only returns to the hotel to shower the night before the competition.”
“What a peculiar person!”
Gan Yan Yu couldn’t help but exclaim.
“Indeed.”
Lin Tian felt overwhelmed.
Ironically, someone on the competition scene actually believed Bai Junze disrespected the competition!
Just looking at his habits,
Returning to the hotel to shower is already a high-level diplomatic privilege for Bai Junze.
“So where should we go find him? Does he have any phone contact?”
“None,”
Mao Wei Ang said definitively, “It’s said he has a permanent unpaid phone bill.”
Unbeatable.
Lin Tian found it hard to imagine how a cellist, about to compete in a national final, could carry such a disposition.
“What has he been doing? Do you know anything about that?”
Lin Tian figured since Mao Wei Ang had done such thorough research, he might as well ask.
“Yes.”
“What’s he up to?”
“Apparently, ever since he came to Beijing, he’s regularly been found hanging around different bathhouses.”
“How can a southerner tolerate a bathhouse?”
Lin Tian couldn’t help but vent his thoughts.
He recalled Mao Wei Ang’s cello case covered in bathhouse tickets.
As a southerner, just the thought of that terrifying visual in which people casually show off their bodies in a bathhouse caused his legs to tremble.
When he was in college, a roommate from the North casually walked out of the bathroom exposing himself in front of him for the first time, and it nearly made Lin Tian smash his mouse onto the screen!
The unforgettable image of that towering tree in the lush forest is etched in his memory.
Unless he had no other choice,
It’s rare for a southerner to dive straight into that type of scene right after arriving.
Lin Tian was feeling tense.
Could it be that Bai Junze has some special inclination?
Did he discover a paradise at the bathhouse the first time he went there, surrounded by bare bodies, and now visits to feast his eyes every so often?
“Moreover, he is often seen with the older gentlemen of Beijing in the streets… learning?”
“Learning?”
“Yeah, playing the Erhu, singing Jingqu. Simply put, whatever the locals do, he does,”
“Is he trying to blend in?”
Lin Tian recalled when he first laid eyes on Bai Junze.
That skillful Erhu playing, alongside the frequent interjection of authentic Beijing dialects.
Plus, even as a southerner, he actively reflects on his surroundings upon arrival in the city he wanderlusts.
Turning these traits into some sort of adaptation.
Rather than learning,
It’s more about enjoying life.
As mentioned before, this guy draws his musical inspiration from his wandering life.
In this regard, Bai Junze’s spirit appears quite free-flowing.
“Alright, I’ll make a trip to find Bai Junze tomorrow. Once confirmed, I’ll let you know,”
“Do you know where he is?!”
Mao Wei Ang exclaimed in surprise.
“No, I don’t know yet,”
Lin Tian smiled mysteriously.
“But I have my secret agent.”
The next day.
Lin Tian hopped into a taxi all by himself.
In hand, he held the address provided by his ace informant, He Zhi Chen.
“This is an address that a friend of mine provided. It’s said that Bai Junze has been hanging out in this arcade game hall during the break after the semifinals,”
After giving Lin Tian the address, He Zhi Chen explained.
“.”
Gaming?
It’s hard to imagine that an accomplished cellist who just confirmed entry into the national finals with the current score as the second in the nation would be spending his time gaming!
Following the address, Lin Tian soon found the arcade.
It wasn’t the kind of bright, flashy arcade he envisioned but a derelict spot tucked away in an alley with no signage at the entrance.
Standing at the door, Lin Tian was somewhat apprehensive. It wasn’t until he heard the ruckus inside that he pulled aside the curtain, and the wave of smoke hit him that he knew he had found the right place.
Lin Tian couldn’t handle the smoke odor and pinched his nose as he stepped inside.
It was packed with people, most being middle-aged with very few kids around.
The machines looked old and worn; the joysticks and buttons had a patina on them, showing they were once popular arcade games from the ‘90s in Japan.
In front of one machine, Lin Tian spotted Bai Junze.
His identifiable appearance—his greasy hair that hadn’t seen a wash since the Dragon Zither Cup, along with his notorious flamboyant shirt—was hard to miss.
At this moment, Bai Junze was deeply focused, playing a fighting game called “King of Fighters.”
It looked as if he was going all out on the controls, yet his health bar quickly drained.
This young master was indeed a novice.
Just as Lin Tian had imagined.
Although Bai Junze looked skilled, he was clearly inexperienced, encountering many things for the first time, such as this arcade machine.
As the son of a former tycoon, this guy hadn’t experienced much in life, so after going on this journey, he tried everything that piqued his interest.
Lin Tian plopped down next to him.
Bai Junze turned his head, spotted Lin Tian, and immediately lit up with delight.
“Hey, isn’t that Teacher Lin Tian?! What a coincidence!”
“I need to talk to you…” Lin Tian began.
But just then, the new round commenced, and Bai Junze turned back, engrossed in his game.
Lin Tian, battling the pounding noise, shouted by his ear,
“We want to collaborate with you on a piece with Teacher Mao!”
“Collab? Performing together? That sounds kind of boring,”
Bai Junze shrugged nonchalantly, hands still glued to the controls.
“Listen to me, it’s too loud here. Let’s move to a quieter place!” Lin Tian continued.
“Hey, you’ve got the wrong guy. I’m not really the type to collab with others,”
“What? I came all this way to find you. You have to at least hear me out!”
“No way, I’m about to master this character! Don’t distract me!”
Bai Junze rattled off as if it were no big deal.
“If you want to wait for me, I don’t mind, but if you interfere with my gameplay, I’ll kick you out!”
“Smack!!”
At that moment, Lin Tian slapped his hand on Bai Junze’s control panel.
At the critical moment, it threw off his game.
Bai Junze’s character was knocked out flat.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
He whipped around to stare at Lin Tian, ready to pounce.
But right then,
Lin Tian suddenly lifted his phone, pressing it against Bai Junze’s face.
On the screen was a word:
“Foot bath?”
Lin Tian said,
“My treat. It’s way more fun than the bathhouse.”
(End of Chapter)
