Chapter 059: Divine Refinement, Fourth Point [Choice of Musician]

Boom, boom, boom!

Three helicopters swept across the sky above Blue Moon Island, heading unmistakably toward the northern Eighth-Eight Pearl Staircase.

Below, a three-kilometer-long cordon kept dozens of media outlets and hundreds of tourists at bay. As the helicopters passed overhead, those held back by the barricade could barely contain their excitement.

War correspondents from Northern Sea TV, Capital City, Wuchuan, Da Lan, Yunluo, and other stations jostled before the cameras, each vying for a live report.

“Breaking news: the Empress and Mr. Xiao Tian have come to a certain agreement. In order to save Fama, Mr. Xiao Tian will personally direct a combat performance to inspire the assault troops.”

“As everyone knows by now, over the past month or two, Mr. Xiao Tian has become Fama’s most sensational public figure—fifty-two headline appearances, extraordinary musical talent, a principled refusal to sell copyrights lightly, guiding millions of former pirates to embrace legitimate music, and the creator of record-breaking audience numbers in both radio and live broadcasts…”

“Top figures from the nine great realms of art all agree: Mr. Xiao Tian is a master of the ‘Dance,’ the mother of all arts. Though he hasn't yet filmed a movie, performed in stage plays, painted, or sculpted, all of those would come easily to him. He is, after all, a genius conductor!”

“In this latest Zhenxing Tower incident, whether Mr. Xiao Tian is a hero or a villain—I, Xiao Wang, refuse to speculate maliciously. I trust everyone has their own opinion.”

“Though Mr. Xiao Tian has yet to announce the program for this upcoming combat performance, please be patient. For the latest updates on Zhenxing Tower and Mr. Xiao Tian’s romantic history, stay tuned to Gossip TV.”

Inside the combat area on the fifty-second floor of Zhenxing Tower, Zhang Hao was sparring with eight masters.

At that moment, a henchman came in. “Boss Hao, there’s news about Le Xiao Tian.”

Accepting the bottle of mineral water handed to him, Zhang Hao took a few gulps and wiped the sweat from his face before asking, “Speak.”

The henchman reported, “Three hours ago, Qin Bufan handed over supreme command. Le Xiao Tian is now the chief commander. They’re currently selecting musicians.”

Handing his towel to an underling, Zhang Hao grinned. “Breaking the rules of the game, is he? Time to teach him a lesson.”

With that, Zhang Hao and his men hurried downstairs.

In the lobby on the first floor of Zhenxing Tower—the hostages’ area.

Looking at the tightly packed crowd sitting on the floor, Zhang Hao gave an order. “Beauty is nature's unfairness; good looks are an advantage. But beauty is also a kind of sin. Find me a young, pretty woman.”

“Boss Hao, your eloquence is unmatched! Next year at the university’s essay contest, you’ll surely outshine everyone.”

“Mighty Boss Hao! Mighty Boss Hao!”

“Mighty Boss Hao! Mighty Boss Hao!”

“Enough with the flattery. Move faster—Le Xiao Tian is overdue for a reckoning,” Zhang Hao said as he headed for the showers.

At the foot of the Eighty-Eight Pearl Staircase to the north—

Following the recent helicopter and military vehicle transport, thousands of agents now had the chance to select instruments and participate in the audition.

At this crucial moment, the agents, all eager to become heroes, were understandably nervous. After all, Le Xiao Tian was planning something big.

Once everyone had chosen their instruments, Le Xiao Tian took up a small loudspeaker. “The piece you’ve chosen—‘Victory’—is an epic composition inspired by Victoria, the goddess of victory. In this mythos, she embodies triumph. The choir section—‘choir,’ pronounced ‘kwai-er’—is sung with awe and reverence. Understood?”

Immediately, a vision of the goddess of victory arose in the minds of the thousands of agents.

After explaining the general idea, Le Xiao Tian continued, “In a traditional symphony orchestra, there are four or five sections: strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, and color instruments. Now, line up according to your section. As for vocalists—tenor, baritone, bass, soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto—arrange yourselves in order. If you’re unsure where you belong, come to the front.”

With a single order, thousands of agents, clutching their instruments, quickly formed lines, faces alight with excitement and tension. To become a true hero, first they had to be chosen.

Once everyone was in place, Le Xiao Tian nodded in satisfaction.

He then sat on the hood of a car, lit a cigarette, and readied himself.

As a cloud of smoke drifted out and calm returned, he signaled for everyone except the string section to sit down.

Once the others were seated on the ground, he addressed the string players. “Now, we’ll select the first violin section. You’ve already seen the score. Your test is to play the twelfth measure.”

A female agent stepped forward, violin bow in hand, and began to play.

A beautiful melody flowed out. She played with grace, her technique deftly avoiding the violin’s toughest pitfalls of intonation.

Yet Le Xiao Tian simply waved his right hand. “Next.”

The female agent’s face flushed red, her heart stopping cold, sweat beading on her brow. She had failed? Her hands trembled, her feet refused to move, a lump formed in her throat. Yet she said nothing—she could only step aside in silence.

The second to step forward was a handsome young man.

He played powerfully, his expression serious, his bow strokes crisp and clean. The music radiated an indomitable will, stirring the blood.

Le Xiao Tian waved his hand. “Next.”

Unlike the shy female agent, the young man dared to ask, “Sir, may I know the reason?”

Le Xiao Tian replied, “When faced with the same piece, there are two ways a conductor can approach it. One is to faithfully convey the music’s original intent; the other is to impose the conductor’s own will. Which do you think I am doing now?”

The young man answered, “The score is marked with your expressive terms and written notes. I believe you are making it entirely personal.”

Le Xiao Tian chuckled. “Whichever way, there are limits to such conducting. To become a great conductor, you must not only communicate the intent or will of the music, but also re-create it into something new. Only by combining both can you bridge the gap. Do you understand?”

Although he didn’t quite grasp it, the young man knew he would not be chosen this time.

Resigned, he could only say, “Understood, sir.”

One after another, violinists played the same melody—each with different expressions, moods, dynamics, intonation, and tone.

Yet they all had one thing in common: none passed in Le Xiao Tian’s eyes.

At last, when Le Xiao Tian nodded in satisfaction at the ninety-seventh female agent, a tense voice interrupted him. “Sir, Zhang Hao is here!”