The Huaxia classical music\nindustry was a quiet, waveless pool. Apart from the occasional headline that\nread, \u201cS City Symphony Orchestra about to start tour,\u201d or, \u201cWho won the huxia\nyouth group?\u201d, the industry remained stagnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Until. . . the\u300aMusic Hall\u300b May 2016 edition came out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As one of Huaxia\u2019s top classical\nmusic magazines, and having been in print for over 30 years, they were the well-deserved big brother of\nthe industry. Compared to their peers, \u300aMusic Hall\u300b had state\nsupport and branches in Vienna, Berlin, Paris, New York, and more. They\ndelivered the best information at both home and abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Photos of Chinese musicians or shows often graced their covers.\nThis issue, though, surprised everyone with\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A recital?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The photo of a beautiful youth holding a violin and wearing a\nsmile took up the cover\u2019s largest section. A third of the picture, however, was\nrelegated to a handsome, profound face almost obscured by the shadow under the\nstage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most lighting in the photograph focused on\nthe stage, so few could recognize the man under it. But. . . they knew the\ncenter of attention, and several cried out, \u201cQi Mu?!!!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In large font, the title read\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u300aHuaxian Violinist, Qi Mu, Wins First Place of the Paris\u2019\nConservatory of Music\u2019s Assessment\u300b.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This seemingly small stone was cast quietly into the long silence\nof the Huaxia classical music industry. Ripples spread, bit by bit. . . and in\njust four hours, the news turned into a massive wave!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“He really became Reed Akkad\u2019s student!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSure enough, he went to\nParis\u2019 Conservatory of Music. I didn\u2019t expect to be right\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s amazing he can be\nReed Akkad\u2019s student!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
. . . <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat?! First place in the\ncollege\u2019s assessment?! The Paris\u2019 National Conservatory of Music, at that? Is\nthis true?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHaha, I know Xiao Qi is\nthe most powerful. First place is nothing unusual!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“You know a fart, this is the assessment for the entire\nuniversity. Did you not see the report? They mentioned that the one in the\nsecond place, who played the piano, accepted the invitation of the New York\nPhilharmonic Orchestra. After graduation, he\u2019ll serve as their resident\npianist!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
. . . <\/p>\n\n\n\n
All kinds of voices rang throughout Huaxia, and their discussions\nwere heated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Qi Mu left Huaxia that year, he left without revealing his\ncollege, nor which professor he would study under. Many wondered if he was\ngoing to the Paris\u2019 Conservatory and whether Reed Akkad was even in Paris. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When it turned out to be a reality, the musicians were shocked by\nthe news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not only did he enter the Paris\u2019 National Conservatory, he was\nalso Reed Akkad\u2019s student. And. . . in a little over a month, he won first\nplace in the college\u2019s assessment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A rocket jetting into space was\nslower than his progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After \u300aMusic Hall\u300b ‘s smooth report, many people cursed Zhou\nKang Sheng\u2019s words\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWho wants to know how\nspectacularly Qi Mu played? Don\u2019t your pictures tell us that already?! And! Why\ndon\u2019t you tell us more on how Qi Mu is doing?!!!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some people focused on Qi Mu\u2019s recent sensation in Paris, but\nothers\u2026 were interested in something else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAh, look. . . this person applauding, isn\u2019t that Min Chen?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt looks like him but. . .\nI don\u2019t think so. He gave Qi Mu a standing ovation?!!!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, this Qi Mu is too\npowerful!!!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
. . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Similarly, when Min Chen\u2019s presence was discovered, some people\nthought, \u201cThis Qi Mu must be an\noutstanding violinist for Min Chen to give him a standing ovation.\u201d Others paid\nfor cross-ocean telephone bills to call and ask directly, \u201cXiao Qi, Mr. Min was\nin Paris all along? Why didn\u2019t you tell me?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Qi Mu received the call\nfrom Zheng Wei Qiao, he was cooking dinner. He took the phone in one hand, the chili\nsauce in the other, and replied, “Ah? He left Paris a few days ago. . .\nZheng-ge, I didn\u2019t tell you? Min Chen stayed in Paris for quite a while, about a\nweek. . .”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qi Mu nodded along with the voice over the line and said,\n“Well, I will inform you about these things in the future. You can rest\nassured that I mind my manners with him. . . Well, don’t worry about it. . . Ah\nokay, we\u2019ll talk later, good night.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He put the phone aside and poured the canned chili sauce into the\npot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earlier, Zheng Wei Qiao specifically mentioned that Qi Mu should\nnot behave. . . \u201dfrivolously\u201d with Min Chen just because he was younger than other\nmasters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although Qi Mu promised, when he carefully thought about it. . .\nhis attitude toward Akkad and Min Chen was different?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After careful consideration, Qi Mu finally had a satisfactory\nanswer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, how could you\nworship a guy who\u2019s afraid of bugs? Shouldn\u2019t anyone be disillusioned?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, although he wasn\u2019t that courteous with him when they\nmeet, Qi Mu still respected Min Chen a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A few days previous, Qi Mu watched the Berlin Philharmonic\nOrchestra\u2019s concert in Zurich. It was the orchestra\u2019s closing concert of the spring.\nMin Chen served as pianist for a concerto and received warm applause for his\ntalent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want to idolize a person, worship their merits, and don\u2019t\nthink about the messy stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014\u2014As a victim of this poison, Qi Mu thought the saying was\naccurate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the assessment, Akkad didn\u2019t mention what he expected from Qi\nMu. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only after Qi Mu won first place did the little old man say,\n\u201cLittle Seven, this is a good start. Do you want to keep up with this standard?\nThe dean told Teacher if you get first place consecutively in three\nassessments, you can directly graduate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Given this arduous task, Qi Mu had just finished Bruch\u2019s \u300aScottish Fantasy<\/a>\u300b.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu first received the task with Paganini\u2019s \u300aCaprice No. 24\u300b with two weeks to practice. Then, a week for\nSarasate\u2019s \u300aCarmen Fantasy<\/a>\u300b. By the time he was tasked with Tartini\u2019s\n\u300aG minor<\/a>\u300b, the\ntime limit had fallen to five days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When he got \u300aScottish\nFantasy\u300b, Akkad straightforwardly said, \u201cLittle\nSeven, you have to practice this song quickly. I\u2019ve already booked a flight in\nthree days. You don\u2019t want to trouble me with changing the flight, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu: \u201c. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu had yet to breathe a sigh of relief after playing \u300aScottish Fantasy\u300b to Akkad\u2019s approval, and he already\ntriggered the task \u201cwin first place in the assessment three times in a row (13)\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The workload of all the students in the violin department couldn\u2019t\nadd up to his! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu struggled to smile. He gritted his teeth, \u201cOkay, professor.\nI will. . . Work. Hard. Non-stop.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akkad nodded and said, \u201cOkay, go pack your clothes and stuff. This\ntime. . . you can bring the violin along. It might come in handy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After puzzling it over for two days, Qi Mu finally asked,\n\u201cTeacher, where are we going? Are there activities you need to attend?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akkad stared at him incredulously. \u201cLittle Seven?! Don\u2019t you know\nwhat month it is right now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu automatically answered, \u201c. . . May?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akkad nodded, \u201cYes, it\u2019s the Golden May! Do you. . . want to waste\nyour time in this dull college?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Can you say that again in front of the dean?<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Earnest, Akkad continued, \u201cSpring has just fully awakened, and\nEurope has ushered in the beautiful season. Seven, beautiful music is calling\nus. Don\u2019t you think that you should feel and embrace it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu: \u201c. . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akkad put down the chocolate in his hand and said, “Little\nSeven, you have to remember that it\u2019s hard to achieve anything with just hard\nwork and a dull mind. Isn’t there an old saying in Huaxia, what was it,\n \u2018Driving with the door closed\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qi Mu gently corrected him, \u201cIt\u2019s \u2018to build a cart behind closed\ndoors.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, that\u2019s it.\nTherefore, we must leave. We need to go out and see more things and enrich\nourselves with this experience, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The young man smiled helplessly and admitted defeat. \u201cYes, sir. I\nknow. But. . . can you first tell me where we\u2019re going?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The professor stood and walked towards him. He laughed, \u201cSeven,\nthere is a place in Europe where you need to go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat place is. . . Vienna.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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