MM Racing Chapter 36, 4 minutes and 33 seconds
Chapter 36, 4 minutes and 33 seconds
The fairest moment in the world is never when the judges score the game, but when someone dares to joke about the rules in front of everyone.
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The next afternoon, at the BJ Music Industrial Park.
At the National Youth Piano Competition Finals, the lights shone brightly, creating a dazzling spectacle. The audience seats were completely full, a sea of black.
But the first two rows are empty.
These are the seats for Yu Li, Zhang Zhishan, and their relatives and friends, because she is not only Zhang Zihao's mother, but also a sponsor of this piano competition.
Ten minutes before the start of the competition, Yu Li and Zhang Zhishan, following the script hastily prepared by Zeng Jia and Wang Haowen the night before, walked into the venue shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, with polite smiles on their faces, under the watchful eyes of countless inquiring people.
Yu Li's makeup was impeccable, from head to toe adorned with high-end limited-edition pieces. Her large, dazzling diamond earrings reflected a cold, hard light with each step she took. Zhang Zhishan, in a dark suit, was impeccably dressed and refined. Upon entering, he nodded to those around him, exuding the air of a successful man, and his acting was superb.
A long line of followers followed behind the two, including Zeng Jia, Wang Haowen, and a bunch of smiling, wealthy-looking "relatives and friends." Chairman Zhao really went all out, actually bringing in the two artists who were there to support Yu Li at the Aranya event.
The moment these two appeared, they caused a stir among the fans in the back row.
Yu Li sat down contentedly in the front row, her face beaming with undisguised pride. Two minutes later, the stage lights dimmed slowly, and a warm golden beam of light rose from below the stage, precisely focusing on the piano in the center. One contestant after another took to the stage to perform: Scriabin's Etude in C-sharp minor, Chopin's Nocturne in E-flat major, Debussy's Clair de Lune, Liszt's Bell... The couple maintained remarkable patience throughout, wearing polite smiles, and applauded promptly after each piece.
They were just waiting for Zhang Zihao to take the stage as the final performer, play a piece, and confidently win the gold medal. They had even mentally rehearsed the scene: their son finishing his performance, bowing to take his leave, receiving deafening applause from the audience, the gold medal certificate being handed to him, and the couple, overjoyed, going on stage together to share this family honor.
Zeng Jiamao sat at the very edge of the second row. She didn't understand the complex notes and techniques, but she was dazzled by the nimble fingers dancing across the keys.
She suddenly remembered that she had won second place in a recitation competition when she was a child, failing to catch up with the first place winner because the first place winner's mother sold shoes. That summer, the homeroom teacher changed sandals faster than she changed her mind, and almost never wore the same pair twice.
After losing that competition, she cried for a long time when she got home. Now, when she thinks about it, she wonders why she cried. There is no such thing as fairness in this world. The fairness that Jiang Wen wants in his movies only exists in movies.
While Zeng Jia was lost in thought, it was finally Zhang Zihao's turn to take the stage.
As soon as Zhang Zihao appeared on stage, applause erupted. He was tall with striking gray-silver hair and a angular face. Even without his parents spending money to pave the way, his good looks alone were enough to cause a lot of screams.
Even though Zeng Jia had seen him many times, she couldn't help but take a few more glances at him now. This kid was usually so carefree and irresponsible, but she never expected him to look so decent after tidying himself up!
The entire room fell silent; you could hear a pin drop.
Everyone held their breath, craning their necks, waiting to see how this figure in the spotlight would use his nimble fingers to create a breathtaking musical piece.
Zhang Zihao sat steadily on the piano bench, raising his hands and hovering them above the black and white keys.
Then, his performance began.
He was like a pianist deeply engrossed in his work, his arms sometimes raised high, sometimes lowered, his fingertips frantically gesturing, outlining, and pressing the keys in the air just centimeters away... His expression was solemn and dignified, as if he were immersed in an invisible masterpiece.
Zeng Jia was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously picked at her ears. Was she deaf? How come she couldn't hear a single note? Just as she was about to confirm whether there was something wrong with her hearing, she saw the expressions of Yu Li and Zhang Zhishan in the front row instantly collapse!
Yu Li's delicate face froze, deathly pale with a bluish tinge, her eyes filled with disbelief and an impending outburst of rage. What on earth was he doing?!
Although Zhang Zhishan maintained a smile on his face, the corners of his mouth were twitching uncontrollably. Then, there was a moment of deathly silence in the room, and the big screen suddenly displayed Zhang Zihao's performance song: "Four Minutes and Thirty-Three Seconds".
With a "buzz," it sounded like tens of thousands of wasps taking flight at the same time after their nest had been disturbed. Hissing, laughter, and surprised discussions erupted instantly. Who would have thought this kid would pull such a stunt!
"4'33" is a masterpiece by American avant-garde composer John Cage. Premiering in 1952, the performer sits silently on stage for four minutes and thirty-three seconds without touching a single key. The aim is to allow the audience to hear the sounds of their surroundings—the wind, the rain, breathing, coughing… all are music.
Zeng Jia quickly skimmed through the message, her face flushed red, almost bursting with suppressed rage. This kid is fucking amazing! Pulling up such a massive piece of abstract art?! She instantly understood what Zhang Zihao meant by "take me in" in his WeChat message. This wasn't a competition; it was a direct stab to his parents' hearts. His rebellious phase was really intense.
"What the hell is he trying to do! Is he crazy?!" Yu Li's voice was squeezed out through clenched teeth as she gripped Zhang Zhishan's wrist tightly, her nails almost digging into his flesh.
"I learned to be crazy from you!" Zhang Zhishan growled in a low voice, trying to break free of the arm, but he was afraid that making too big a move would attract more attention, so he could only grit his teeth and endure it.
"Zhang Zhishan, don't force me to lose my temper with you in front of so many people!"
"Turn your back on me? You think it's shameful?"
"He is also your son, your flesh and blood!!"
The two were arguing intensely, their voices barely contained. The public relations director had already knelt down in front of Yu Li and Zhang Zhishan, his legs weak, and they were quickly discussing emergency fire-fighting plans in hushed tones.
Zhang Zihao was the last performer, but his "performance" rendered the competition meaningless. Everyone was waiting to see how this farce would end.
Zhang Zihao gestured wildly on stage for a full four minutes and thirty-three seconds.
The audience laughed, talked, and sighed for a full four minutes and thirty-three seconds.
Finally, as if completing the ending of a great musical movement, he waved his hands heavily in the air as if to finish, then calmly stood up, walked to the front of the stage, and gracefully bowed to the almost out-of-control audience.
Yu Li and Zhang Zhishan's smiles were more like cries, but under the public relations director's frantic prompting, the two of them almost mechanically stood up and clapped.
The 999 flowers were still forcefully stuffed into Zhang Zihao's arms by the hostesses, and the dazzling nine-tiered cake was also pushed up.
The scene was extremely bizarre, with everyone's mouths agape. When the judges commented, their expressions were complex as they mentioned the origin of this "work," their tone filled with confusion and a hint of annoyance at being fooled.
Yu Li remained silent throughout, but her exquisite makeup couldn't hide her ashen face. The corners of her mouth, which she had raised, twitched stiffly. Zhang Zhishan, being an old fox, quickly switched back to his successful persona, picked up the microphone, and said, "Children's artistic explorations are always boundless... We're here not to win first place for our son, but simply to fulfill his dream of expressing himself."
"To be honest, I can't be as brave as him. To be so willing to present one's thoughts to everyone without reservation, that kind of purity is something many adults don't possess."
"In this competition, Tianyi Group contributed its efforts with the initial intention of supporting the development of the arts. If Zihao wins an award, the nature of the competition changes, and it would be too unfair to the other contestants..."
Every word they said was an attempt to cover up the mess Zhang Zihao's spectacular performance art. No matter how thick-skinned they were, they couldn't possibly let someone who had been gesturing on stage for four and a half minutes take away the gold medal trophy.
In the end, amidst a delicate atmosphere and sparse applause, the gold medal was awarded to the runner-up who had little chance of winning—a little girl who played well but was clearly stunned by the unexpected event.