Chapter 91

"How could you score so high?" a mother asked her child, pulling her aside. "Isn't this just playing the piano randomly?"

"Mom, you don't understand. This is the second most difficult piano piece in the world," the child replied.

"But it sounded so terrible. How could you get a perfect score? I bet the teachers didn't even know if the fat guy hit the wrong notes!"

"Mom, you don't play the piano, so you don't know. There's something called perfect pitch. People with perfect pitch can hear even the slightest differences. Besides, the teachers below are all giants in the Chinese piano education world. How could they not know?"

"Indeed, the melody isn't beautiful, but this is an experimental piece. It's not meant to be listened to; it's meant to test the limits of the piano and the player. The piece just now theoretically should have been played by two pianos. Actually, that fat guy is really, really amazing. Sigh! How did a genius suddenly appear in the Chinese piano world without anyone noticing?" The boy's words drew the attention of everyone around.

Eighty percent of the people didn't understand what the fat guy on stage was playing. After hearing the candidate's explanation, they all seemed to understand, nodding in agreement. In short, the fat guy was really impressive.

Vice President Liu Ya stood up and looked at Cheng Xiaoyu, who hadn't even bowed after his performance. She felt the boy was too arrogant but also pitied his talent. "Are you Cheng Xiaoyu?"

Cheng Xiaoyu nodded.

Vice President Liu Ya vaguely remembered the name and recalled that the third-place winner of the International Chopin Piano Competition two years ago had also played this piece that no one dared to touch. She hesitated for a moment and asked, "Was it you who won third place in the International Chopin Piano Competition two years ago?"

Cheng Xiaoyu hesitated slightly and then nodded.

The seven examiners were all stunned, the surprise hitting them like a powerful climax, leaving them unable to accept it.

Those near the stage witnessed this conversation. Perhaps they didn't understand the strength of Cheng Xiaoyu's performance until now.

But this award was more convincing than playing "English Country Tunes" a thousand times.

These words were like a spark in gasoline, igniting the entire hall. The astonishing news quickly spread from the front to the back, filling the entire hall.

When everyone heard that Cheng Xiaoyu had won third place in the International Chopin Piano Competition, they knew he was a true genius.

Someone whispered to the candidate who had just given the explanation, "Is the Chopin Piano Competition that impressive?"

The candidate glared at the person, as if blaming him for his lack of knowledge. "It's not just impressive; it's the Olympics of the piano world, held only once every five years!"

The person who asked the question said sheepishly, "But it's just third place, not first. There's nothing to brag about. My relative's child also won third place in the Shanghai International Piano Competition, but it didn't do much, and the prize money was minimal!"

The candidate looked at him with disdain and said, "Your words are a bit amusing. In the International Chopin Piano Competition two years ago, the first and second places were vacant. He was actually the first, but most of the judges felt his performance was too focused on technique and lacked emotional expression, so they didn't give him first place. However, not giving him any place would have been unfair, so they gave him third place, leaving the first and second places vacant. Most of the judges don't encourage pianists to purely pursue the limits of music."

Many people looked at him with admiration and asked, "You know a lot. How did you do in the exam?"

The candidate said proudly, "Although I can't compare to the last few who performed, I should be able to pass the复试 (retest) without any problem." He didn't mention that his teacher had also participated in the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland, two years ago but didn't win any place.

When everyone in the hall learned that this young man was the third-place winner of the International Chopin Piano Competition two years ago, the applause finally erupted.

Cheng Xiaoyu reluctantly bowed slightly.

At this moment, the seven examiners no longer cared about Cheng Xiaoyu's arrogance and rudeness! A third-place winner in the International Chopin Piano Competition was a golden brand.

Others would beg for such a student, but their school had almost revoked his exam eligibility.

The leaders all looked at Li Yunling, who was red-faced, and shook their heads, concluding that she was only suitable for teaching, not for a management position.

Kong Jianjun, on the other hand, was overjoyed, feeling he had found a treasure. He also criticized Zhou Peipei, wondering why such a talented student needed to take the exam at all! Direct admission and a scholarship would have been more than enough!

With this opportunity, he thought he could finally get Li Yunling to step down from her position as department head.

Vice President Liu Ya's face lit up with a smile as he walked down from the examiner's seat and shook hands with Cheng Xiaoyu warmly.

He didn't mind Cheng Xiaoyu's arrogance and rudeness. Most geniuses have quirks, and many are emotional zeros, always trying to provoke others.

For someone like Cheng Xiaoyu, who had some grievances and nowhere to vent, having a temper was quite normal.

At this moment, Liu Ya was a bit worried, fearing that Cheng Xiaoyu might get angry and say something like, "I'm withdrawing from the retest," which would be a huge embarrassment for the school.

While shaking hands, Liu Ya signaled the media to take photos and said, "I represent the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in welcoming you. You will receive a full scholarship, and you are exempt from the written exam. I also apologize for the misunderstanding by some teachers and students. Thank you for your perfect performance."

Cheng Xiaoyu couldn't really refuse to attend the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, as SH was now his hometown. He could only smile and say, "No problem. Adversity helps one grow. I love seeing those who hate me grit their teeth and feel helpless."

Li Yunling, sitting in the examiner's seat, felt like sitting on pins and needles when she heard this. She didn't understand why things had suddenly turned this way. But she still believed she had done nothing wrong.

She didn't realize that accusing someone of cheating without sufficient evidence was tantamount to slander.

She also didn't realize that her favorite student had set her up.

He Mingzhe found it hard to accept this reality. A low-level candidate who only dared to play E-flat minor BMV853 in exams had suddenly become the third-place winner of the International Chopin Piano Competition, playing "English Country Tunes."

He felt like he was living in a dream.

He Mingzhe's face turned pale. He was afraid to watch any further. He carefully recalled the entire process of setting up the trap and found no flaws, which slightly reassured him.

Duanmulin Sha, who had already walked off the stage, felt like she had been struck by lightning. Nothing could be more surprising than this turn of events. Cheng Xiaoyu was indeed a genius, whether in the field of pop music or piano performance.

The fact that he had won third place in the Chopin Piano Competition made Duanmulin Sha's feelings even more complex. Cheng Xiaoyu had gone from being an idol to a god in her heart!

Pei Yanchen returned to his seat and quietly sighed in relief, glad he hadn't prevented Cheng Xiaoyu from attending the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. But the guilt in his heart remained, and he didn't know how to resolve it. His face remained calm, hiding his inner turmoil.

Liu Ya then called Wu Di, saying that the two geniuses should meet. Wu Di was also a proud person. Although he had to admit Cheng Xiaoyu's technical skills, he believed that in normal pieces, Cheng Xiaoyu might not be his match.

The two of them, with strained smiles, posed for a photo with the vice president in front of the media. The exam was then declared over.

The next day, the written exam awaited the candidates, but Cheng Xiaoyu was now exempt from this trouble. The written exam was not crucial in the arts exam, serving only as a reference and not counted in the final score.

So the record of the highest score in the arts exam, 98 points, which had just been set by Wu Di, was quickly broken, and this time by a score that was destined to be unbeatable!