Chapter 6: The Little Moneygrubber

This Rhythm Master competition very quickly became a sensation on campus. That very day, a post appeared on the campus BBS’s top ten posts——”The Campus Rhythm Master Competition, Unexpected First-class Expert!” and there was a picture inside of the final double and triple S results.

This post continued to grow, directly going to Toutiao[*] and the number of comments multiplied rapidly to dozens of pages.

[*]: It’s a Chinese news and information platform

With regards to the champion Wu Zewen, the physics department’s side knew a lot about him and very quickly, his full background was revealed.

The physics department’s xueba, who get scholarships every year, comes in and out of the library carrying thick brick-like reference books the whole day and was an academic model.

This person’s biggest shortcoming was his face blindness and facial paralysis.

With his nearsightedness, he often didn’t recognize people and also didn’t have a lot of expression on his face. No matter how many funny jokes you say in front of him, he still wouldn’t bat an eye and looked at you very calmly, to the extent that the person in front of him who had told the joke would often feel that they were foolish.

People whose head was filled with mathematical formulas appeared to be from a different world compared to an ordinary person.

The amateur’s speciality: piano performance level. Learning the piano as a child, his hand speed was extremely fast and had also played Rhythm Master for a while. Previously not interested at all in various fun competitions in the school, wholeheartedly immersed in physics formulas, suddenly making a move this time just because: “I really wanted the championship prize.”

On the contrary, with regards to Liu Chuan, there was absolutely no reliable information at all. The history department’s side climbed dozens of floors and ultimately said that this person was a mystery. Suspending his studies for three years with his whereabouts unknown and now also resuming his studies quietly, the exact detailed were completely unknown.

At five in the afternoon, the student canteen on the second floor.

Along the way, after Liu Chuan and Wu Zewen finished competing, they went to eat together. When they were lining up to swipe their card, Liu Chuan went in front of Wu Zewen and took the initiative to place his card on top and said with a smile, “I’ll treat you.”

Wu Zewen glanced at him, not objecting, and calmly said, “Thank you.”

The two people walked side by side to sit at an empty spot in the corner of the canteen. Liu Chuan looked at the delicate and refined young man in front of him and couldn’t help opening his mouth to say, “Let’s properly introduce, my name is Liu Chuan, the ‘Chuan’ with three vertical lines. Next time we met, don’t ask ‘who are you’ again.”

Wu Zewen: “……”

Wu Zewen’s ears turned slightly red.

His nearsightedness was quite serious. A person who he’d only seen once was very hard to remember. He needed to see them at least twice to be able to match the face to the name. Having seen Liu Chuan a few times already and today’s match for Rhythm Master’s finals, it caused an even deeper impression.

This person in front of him, he certainly would never forget again.

Lifting his head, Wu Zewen smiled at the young man, nodded and said seriously, “Mm, I’ll remember.”

Liu Chuan: “…………”

This serious attitude was similar to remembering a major historical event, it simply caused Liu Chuan to not know whether he should laugh or cry!

After Wu Zewen said this, he just calmly lowered his head and began eating.

His movements when eating food were very serious. A spoon in his left hand, a chopstick in his right, a spoonful of rice, a chopstick of vegetables. He picked them up, brought it to his mouth and chewed very steadily, it was like as if there was a well-regulated procedure.

When he knocked on the door, it was also extremely orderly, dong dong dong, dong dong dong, it was exactly like a repeater. It was obvious that he had a rhythmic obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Liu Chuan thought that this guy in front of him was very peculiar the more he looked at him.

Curious, he couldn’t help asking, “Wu Zewen, how long have you practised the piano for?”

Wu Zewen answered, “More than ten years.”

Liu Chuan asked, “You started as a child?”

Wu Zewen answered, “En.”

Liu Chuan smiled and said, “My sister also learned how to play instruments but she learned traditional instruments. She could play the guzheng[1] and the pipa[2]. She passed amateur[3] level ten and is working hard towards the professional level. I only played Rhythm Master because she recommended it. She said this game was simple and easy, and could senselessly training your hand speed.”

[1]

[2]

[3] This is repeating what I wrote from the last chapter since I updated it a few days after it was posted. I did a quick research and found that it seems amateur level ten is roughly around just after learning the basics of how to play the piano. Based on several sources, I’m gonna roughly say it might be around RCM level 4-5 (don’t quote me on this, it’s just based on my experience with RCM and it seems to be saying from what I’ve read) since a few mentioned it’s after understanding the basics like scales, etudes, etc. If someone could clarify and/or confirm this information, that would be great. Thanks.

His sister Liu Xiaomeng was also a musical genius. Liu Chuan played Rhythm Master precisely because he was dragged into it by her. As a result, looking at Wu Zewen in front of him who was also a musical genius, there was a strange sense of familiarity.

However, although the two people were musical geniuses, the difference was too big.

His sister Liu Xiaomeng talked nonstop and was mischievous. As a child, she would pester their family with all kind of whys. The whys were nonstop, his sister’s a hundred thousand whys truly gave people an extreme headache.

But Wu Zewen, who’s in front of him, was very refined and very quiet.

He was exactly like the kind of small top that would spin once when spun. If other people didn’t take the initiative to talk to him, he also wouldn’t take the initiative to start talking.

Interacting with Wu Zewen, many people would feel distressed from being ignored, but Liu Chuan wasn’t even a bit afraid of the awkward silence——

Liu Chuan’s method was very simple: since you’re a top, I’ll just continue to spin spin spin, spinning nonstop and you’ll naturally follow me and spin.

Liu Chuan continued to ask, “You’ve played Rhythm Master for quite a while?”

Wu Zewen said, “En.”

Liu Chuan asked, “Have you ever played other games before?”

Wu Zewen said, “I’ve played Music Tempo[*].”

[*] This doesn’t appear to be an actual game when I googled 音速 so I just translated it into a name that sounds like the name of a game.

Music Tempo was also a Rhythm Master kind of game, the type that followed the music to run kind.

Liu Chuan smiled. “It seems that you prefer musical kinds of games?”

Wu Zenwen nodded.

Liu Chuan asked, “How about other online game? Never played?”

Wu Zewen said, “No.”

Liu Chuan asked, “Not interested?”

Wu Zewen said, “En.”

Liu Chuan: “…………”

Classmate, you really cherish word like gold. Talking with you, do I have to force out it out of your mouth word by word……?

The two people chatted and suddenly they saw a boy and a girl walking towards their direction.

The guy was very tall and had well-proportioned features. There was a smile on his face, it appeared that his temperament was quite good. The girl was wearing a white dress. The tall long-haired beauty was Jiang Xue, the history department’s class monitor.

Carrying a food tray, Jiang Xue sat down beside them and said with a smile, “Such a coincidence ah you two, we were just looking everywhere for you.”

Liu Chuan was puzzled. “Is there something the matter for class monitor to be looking for us?”

Jiang Xue pointed at the young man beside her and said, “Let me introduce, this is the president of the school’s Esports Association, Zhuo Wenchao.”

Zhuo Wenchao said with a slight smile, “Hello. You two were extremely outstanding playing at the Rhythm Master competition today. Actually, I was looking for you because I wanted to invite you two to join the school’s Esports Association, don’t know if you are interested or not?”

Liu Chuan and Wu Zewen glanced at each other, obviously not understanding this association at all.

From the side, Jiang Xue explained, “The school’s Esports Association mainly undertake in some on-campus events. Majority of those who join are fans of competitive games. The association is very big, members exceeding five hundred, quite a lot among the clubs in the school.”

Zhuo Wenchao nodded. “That’s right. The Esports Association would also often interact with experts in the domestic esports field. You two have a very high skill level, you could consider participating in this year’s T.G.A Winter Grand Prix for the Rhythm Master event competition, you’ll definitely win a good rank.”

Liu Chuan smiled and said, “No thank you, the national competition is too high-level, it’s unsuitable for me.”

Wu Zewen on the other hand, lifted his head and calmly asked, “What are the prizes for the national competitions?”

Liu Chuan: “……”

Classmate, you’re not intending to stand on the front line with me, are you?

Wu Zewen obviously didn’t have this intention. “Is signing up hard?”

Zhuo Wenchao smiled and said, “It’s not hard, this sort of single-player event can be registered online. The Rhythm Master National Tournament’s champion will be awarded 10,000 yuan in cash, as well as the glorious specially custom-made golden trophy.”

Wu Zewen thought seriously for a moment and said, “10,000 yuan prize money, I’ll give it a try.”

Liu Chuan: “……”

Unexpectedly a little moneygrubber? You were this quick to be bribed by the prize?!

This guy suddenly participating in the school’s Rhythm Master competition was really only because of the championship’s iPad prize?

Finished with Wu Zewen, Zhuo Wenchao turned back to look at Liu Chuan. “Liu Chuan, how about you? There are still a few more months to prepare for the winter season, why not try?”

Liu Chuan smiled. “I’m fine, I’m not professional like Wu Zewen at playing Rhythm Master.”

Zhuo Wen was very reluctant and continued to say, “You really aren’t participating? There’s absolutely no problem going to the national competition with your skill level ah!”

Liu Chuan resolutely shook his head. “No thank you.”

Zhuo Wenchao was silent for a moment, then said again, “Do the two of you have other interest in other game events? For instance, the recent popular online game, Wulin?”

Surprised, Liu Chuan said, “Wulin? The school’s Esports Association have this event?”

Zhuo Wenchao said, “Yes. The Wulin officials will organize a national university[*] league. Our school already decided to sign up. The Esports Association has quite a lot of students who like to play this game. If the two of you can join, our school team’s strength will for sure be able to get stronger.”

[*] In Chinese, it refers to postsecondary. However, university sounds better and it also appears that most postsecondary schools are referred to as university in China

Liu Chuan said, “A college league? I’ve never heard about it before, is it the first year that this is being held?”

Zhuo Wenchao nodded. “That’s right, this year is the first time. Many schools are participating in the competition and the prize money is also very generous. Our school places great importance with this matter, if the two of you are willing to become a member, everyone will train hard together and perhaps we could enter either provincials or regionals.”

Liu Chuan bowed his head thoughtfully, thinking hard.

Wu Zewen’s mouth hadn’t stopped moving, seriously eating his food.

President Zhuo spoke for a long time, realizing the two hadn’t answered back, he could only helplessly say, “The two of you consider it carefully, we just happen to be short of people right now. When the National University League’s winter season competition starts, the school team will start training at the end of October. If the two of you can join, it’ll be wonderful.”

Liu Chuan thought for a moment and said, “It isn’t convenient for me to participate in competing, but I have a roommate who’s hand speed is very fast and is also very interested in Wulin. I’ll go back and ask him if he wants to.”

Although Zhuo Wenchao was very regretful over Liu Chuan’s refusal but being able to find a substitute was also considered a pretty good outcome. At the moment, the school team was really short of people, President Zhuo was truly eager to seek after people of worth and ability.

When he turned his head to looked towards Wu Zewen, he realized while everyone was chatting, Wu Zewen had already quietly finished the food on the tray.

Zhuo Wenchao blushed with shame. “……Zewen, how about you?”

Wu Zewen said, “I’ll participate in the Rhythm Master competition, but I’m not interested in the online game you guys were talking about .”

Liu Chuan saw his calm and collected expression and remembered this guy’s interest in the prize money. Suddenly filled with bad intentions, he said with a slight smile, “Zewen, as a matter of fact, this game also has a formal official professional league where registered teams from the professional league take part in. The award for every season’s championship is one million Renminbi[*], the two seasons of spring and autumn in a single year adds up to two million Renminbi.”

[*] Renminbi is another way to refer to yuan

Wu Zewen’s eyes, sure enough, lit up. “Two million? Mm……I’ll go back and properly learn about this game first.”

Liu Chuan: “…………”

Where are your principles? Are you really a little moneygrubber?!