Guzheng Successor Plays Piano

Just from the opening notes, it already revealed an extraordinary skill level.

The three judges looked at each other in astonishment and then at Xia Yu on stage.

Xia Yu's waist was straight, his upper arm was not moving, only his forearm was moving back and forth on the piano keys.

Feng Ma's performance was like a dancer, while Xia Yu's performance was like a soldier.

He played a piano piece that had a military demeanor as well.

One of the judges exclaimed in a low voice, "Fran's Old Wolf!"

Fran's Old Wolf, a classic classical piece, was created during the time of World War I.

Fran was a small country with a population of less than ten million. During World War I, due to its outstanding agriculture, it was invaded by the warring country of Abis. Fran rallied the entire nation, with millions of people taking to the battlefield to fight against the Abis invaders.

Compared to Abis' tanks and artillery, the Fran soldiers had only flintlock rifles. With the help of their terrain, they tangled with the Abis army for several months, ultimately not escaping their fate of annihilation.

That battle also became a shadow in the hearts of many Abis soldiers. The fearless Fran people, who claimed to have the blood of the Old Wolf flowing through them, fought with long swords after their bullets were used up. They made the Abis soldiers weary of war, indirectly leading to the premature end of the world war.

The creator of Fran's Old Wolf joined the anti-invasion struggle with determination when Fran was invaded, and ultimately died in the final battle.

In his lifetime, he left only this one piece. The manuscript of the piece had no title, only a picture of a howling old wolf.

This piece had neither the elegance of a dancing girl nor the defiance of tradition.

The three parts of the piece, the first and second parts make up the vast majority of it, reflecting the tenacious struggle against the invaders.

The first part is faster, the second part slows down, and after the slow down, the music becomes even more profound and determined. The first and second parts are pervaded with solemnity.

In the third part, the piece pauses; then it brings a touch of lightness in the midst of gloominess, but this lightness only lasts for a few notes before the music abruptly stops.

Some say it represents rebirth, but more people feel it is a consolation for the deceased.

As Xia Yu's fingers pause for a moment, and the light tone sounds, the solemnity of the first and second parts is sublimated in a strange way.

Pressing down on the last key, Xia Yu puts his hands down.

There was silence for nearly ten seconds before applause finally broke out, led by one of the judges.

All three judges had a touch of excitement on their faces.

Nowadays, there are very few people who can quietly learn an instrument, let alone play it so well.

"Very good, the momentum of Fran's Old Wolf was captured perfectly in your performance."

"There were still some flaws in the technique, but this momentum is truly rare. Even if I were to play it, I could not achieve such a momentum."

"I have only seen this kind of momentum in Mr. Zhou Hua's performance because he is a soldier. May I ask how you managed to achieve that?" The last judge asked Xia Yu.

Of course, Xia Yu wouldn't tell the judge that it was because he had used intimidation too much and had a special feeling when playing Fran's Old Wolf.

When he practiced this piece with Kong Hanyue, Xia Yu was also quite surprised.

It seems that a person's characteristics can indeed be integrated into music.

"It's probably fate," Xia Yu replied.

"How romantic to have a connection with a piano piece," sighed the judge who had asked the question.

"Who is your teacher?" another judge asked.

"I learned from my mother," Xia Yu had prepared his answer with Kong Hanyue in advance.

"Your mother is?"

"Kong Hanyue."

The three judges furrowed their brows. The name seemed familiar, but they couldn't recall who it was at the moment. However, since it was familiar to them, it must also be someone from the industry.

"We hope to see an even more brilliant performance from you in the next competition."

This had already determined Xia Yu's advancement.

"Thank you," Xia Yu bowed and entered the backstage.

Around the corner, he saw Feng Ma, who had also been in the same spot as Xia Yu, listening to his performance.

But Xia Yu's mood had gone from low to high, while Feng Ma's emotions went from high to low.

Feng Ma's face was flushed, feeling ashamed for his previous arrogance.

The Xia Yu he had looked down upon turned out to be a pianist even more powerful than him!

Bowing to Xia Yu, he quickly left.

Xia Yu shook his head with a smile, entered the changing room to change clothes, and while he was halfway through changing, the door was slammed open.

The principal walked in excitedly, gripping his hand.

"Good, very good!" The principal's hand trembled, "I didn't expect your forte not to be the Archbishop's Dancer, but the Old Wolf of Fran. This performance was really great, really great!"

Xia Yu nodded in response, then pointed to his half-undressed clothes: "Can I finish getting dressed first?"

"Change quickly. I'll treat you to lunch at the Phoenix Hotel!"

Standing aside, the principal watched Xia Yu finish changing, then took him and the Chinese teacher to the hotel.

During lunch, the principal's conscience was touched; he felt that using Hua Da's recommendation to entice Xia Yu before was immoral. Although Xia Yu's level was slightly higher than he had known, the top ten spots were still very uncertain and virtually impossible.

Therefore, at the lunch table, the principal repeatedly hinted at Xia Yu, telling him that there were many strong rivals, and even if there was no hope for Hua Da, he could recommend Xia Yu to Donggong University.

Xia Yu pretended not to understand and did not respond.

The principal thought he couldn't do it, but in reality, Xia Yu was more than capable.

He was looking forward to the college entrance examination when others were busy preparing for the battle while he was strolling around with a Hua Da admission notice in hand.

At this time, the three judges were also eating together, discussing the competition while eating.

"In terms of skills, Xia Yu and Ma Xiao's son are about the same. But Ma Xiao's son's performance of the Archbishop's Dancer is quite conventional. Xia Yu's Old Wolf of Fran has developed his own unique characteristics."

"He is definitely the first place, Ma Xiao's son is second, and the rest can be ranked randomly, as they are just filler."

"By the way, who exactly is Kong Hanyue? Why can I only remember her name, but not recall who she is?"

The three judges discussed the area around Ziyu based on Kong's surname but still couldn't figure out who exactly Kong Hanyue was.

The three of them had no choice but to take out their phones and input Kong Hanyue's name.

"That girl from the Flower School of Guzheng! No wonder it sounded familiar!"

"Wait, wasn't Xia Yu studying piano?"

"There's no one else except her. Perhaps she didn't want her son to follow the path of Guzheng."

"So, that girl said she married a layman, and Xia Yu is the son of her and that layman?"

"Whether it's a layman or not, we don't care about the entertainment industry's way of talking."

"We must keep a close eye on Xia Yu. We can't let him walk the same path as his mother. Giving up music to marry a commoner is simply absurd!"

"Mr. Zhou Huaren is already old. This piece by Fran the old wolf must be inherited by him!"

After lunch, the three judges ranked the contestants and sent out the results.

Media outlets following the competition immediately began preparing press releases.

"Who is this Xia Yu? How did this dark horse suddenly appear?"

"It's over, our preparation was focused on Feng Ma's article, and we haven't collected any information on Xia Yu!"

"Quick, send someone to interview!"