Chapter 13
He wasn’t sure if cramming now would even be helpful.
Xia Wansheng was rather resigned to his fate. He readily accepted the fact that the original owner wasn’t musically talented, it was just that time was too short for him to learn a new skill.
At this rate, he would definitely be exposed on the program.
It was like being the student who hadn’t done their summer homework and was praying the teacher wouldn’t check, vowing never to do it again if he got away with it this time.
Although death was an option, social death was not.
He also wanted to avoid being exposed in front of Yu Congyan. If the protagonist realized the canary beside him had been replaced, his mission would fail on the spot.
Then all his hard work would be for nothing, losing both his life and the money.
Xia Wansheng opened social media, intending to look for crash courses in composition, but was scared off by the exorbitant prices of nearly 10,000 yuan.
Two thousand yuan per hour, enough to buy his life.
After much deliberation, Xia Wansheng sighed and opened the bustling Weibo, typing out a post: “Any recommended music teachers? Preferably for beginners.”
He had originally wanted to use the excuse of a distant relative, but halfway through typing, he realized the original owner didn’t have any fictional relatives suitable for taking the blame.
He only had a hapless younger brother who constantly tried to break into the entertainment industry, and their last phone call almost got them both in trouble.
Xia Wansheng sighed, sinking into the soft bed and refreshing the comments.
Unexpectedly, he had ended up on the path of music after all. Were these the troubles of the rich? If you couldn’t inherit the family business, you had to pursue art.
The timing of this Weibo post was really bad.
Xia Wansheng had just established a fan-loving persona. The most sensible thing to do now was to capitalize on this and secure endorsements.
Improvising, especially in such a sensitive professional field, was a big no-no.
People already thought his songwriting skills were inconsistent, his style erratic. There were even technical bloggers online who had exposed how his songs were basically foreign songs deconstructed and reassembled.
Netizens joked: Just like a rookie operator outsourcing projects, this project was definitely outsourced to an intern.
The comments under his Weibo post immediately exploded: “Oh, the program is about to start, and now you suddenly want to learn how to compose.”
“What have you been doing all this time? Isn’t this a required skill for debuting? While others were learning, were you sleeping?”
“No wonder there haven’t been any decent live performances all these years, you’re probably afraid of being exposed.”
Xia Wansheng thought, you guessed right.
If the original owner hadn’t refused all stage performances, he wouldn’t have been able to maintain his talented persona. Passionate fans and haters would have analyzed every frame to determine whether he was lip-syncing.
“Stay on topic, he’s looking for a teacher. I remember Old Man Feng was planning to take on a last disciple, why not try him?”
“Come on, a master like him would never consider him. He’s looking for a successor with a professional background, what’s a beginner doing joining the fun? He should know his place.”
Despite saying that, some people still posted Old Man Feng’s contact information under Xia Wansheng’s Weibo post.
Xia Wansheng didn’t know much about the music industry. He didn’t know that Old Man Feng’s status in this circle was comparable to a pillar supporting the sky. Seeing many people recommending him, he took it seriously.
It seemed to be a very famous teacher, definitely someone who could save him from this predicament.
Xia Wansheng happily liked the top comment and replied: “Thanks for the recommendation. Since there’s such strong support, I’ll go seek guidance from Old Man Feng.”
The people in the comments section: ???
How dare he go and humiliate himself?!
“I remember Old Man Feng is a harsh critic, isn’t this just asking for trouble?”
The netizens became even more excited. Whether Xia Wansheng was scolded by Old Man Feng or Old Man Feng exposed his lack of musical talent, it would be entertaining for them.
So they spread the news all over the internet—
“Have you heard? That arrogant little celebrity said he wants to learn music from Old Man Feng, even challenging him, saying Old Man Feng must be blind if he doesn’t accept him as a disciple!”
“!!! How dare he be so arrogant?!”
“As expected, he was just trying to create hype and build a persona. I’ll see if Old Man Feng actually accepts him as his last disciple.”
The news quickly reached Shao Huan, who was working day and night on a new song. He immediately burst into laughter with his staff: “If someone like Xia Wansheng can be chosen by Old Man Feng as his last disciple, I’ll stand on my head and wash my hair on the program!”
Others might not know, but Shao Huan was well aware of Xia Wansheng’s level. A complete novice who didn’t even know basic chords, it was obvious that his diverse range of songs must have been ghostwritten.
Shao Huan vowed to himself that he would tear off Xia Wansheng’s mask on the program, humiliating him in front of everyone.
As for himself, his agent had already given him hints about the theme for the songwriting segment. He had already prepared most of it and would definitely amaze everyone!
He casually posted some of Xia Wansheng’s past scandals using a secondary account, and, satisfied after seeing the explosion of reposts, turned off his phone.
Just wait and see, who between them was the real amateur.
When Old Man Feng started his usual livestream that evening, he found his livestream room unusually popular. Countless netizens flooded in, the screen filled with expensive gifts and comments, leaving the old man bewildered.
“Don’t worry, everyone, we’ll take questions one by one.”
Old Man Feng had recently downloaded Douyin at his granddaughter Feng Yue’s suggestion, wanting to answer netizens’ questions about music, but he wasn’t familiar with the strange buttons and icons, so he didn’t know what was happening.
Could this be what his granddaughter called becoming an internet celebrity?!
Seeing Old Man Feng’s confusion, Feng Yue, who had just finished a performance, came over, observed for a while, and asked: “Grandpa, did you mention taking on a last disciple before?”
Judging by the netizens’ comments, it seemed someone wanted to learn music and was encouraged to connect with her grandfather for apprenticeship.
“I think I did say something like that.” Old Man Feng recalled mentioning it during a livestream a few days ago.
“I didn’t pay much attention to it at the time, but in the past few days, many people have been asking me to judge whether someone has talent.”
Old Man Feng finally understood.
These people weren’t here to discuss the mysteries of music, nor did they have any so-called musical dreams. They were simply here for fame!
The more Old Man Feng thought about it, the angrier he became: “These young people today, all impetuous and restless, they can’t achieve anything great!”
Unlike their time, when learning a skill required years of patience and humility, spending three years just chopping wood and carrying water. Only after the master confirmed their pure character would they impart their lifelong knowledge.
Feng Yue pointed at the name constantly flashing on the screen: “They said a celebrity wants to become your disciple.”
“So what if he’s a celebrity? Few people in that industry are truly dedicated to learning. They all rush to act and make money halfway through their studies. I wouldn’t take on such an impetuous person!” Old Man Feng declared, waving his sleeve indignantly.
He would absolutely not compromise with the evils of the entertainment industry.
The netizens were even more delighted, wishing they could fast-forward to the moment Xia Wansheng connected to the livestream, eager to watch the drama unfold.
At that moment, a music student connected to the livestream, excitedly claiming to be Old Man Feng’s alumnus, “Teacher, I’ve always been your fan. I embarked on the path of music because of you.”
He even performed a basic skill demonstration for Old Man Feng, earning applause.
Old Man Feng was delighted, stroking his beard, his every gesture expressing his appreciation and praise for this exemplary student.
“Look, this is a true student, talented and dedicated, who wouldn’t like him?” The netizens instantly switched sides.
Those who were already skeptical of Xia Wansheng became even more dissatisfied.
“Seriously, with this level of talent, who said he was qualified to become a disciple? Stop bothering Old Man Feng. I sing well in the shower too, why not become my disciple?”
“I also apply to challenge him! I even won second place in a campus singing competition!”
The livestream finally ended. Old Man Feng, very satisfied, went offline and shared with his granddaughter: “That young man has some potential, I can offer him some guidance. If he’s interested, have him come and see me.”
Old Man Feng thought this child was indeed talented, but unfortunately not enough to meet his standards for discipleship.
He sighed, thinking he had drifted through life, and in the end, there was no hope of even taking on a last disciple. What a cruel twist of fate.
“Grandpa, that celebrity asked if he can connect to your livestream?” Feng Yue asked tentatively.
She had seen the news on Weibo, knowing that Xia Wansheng had recently given away five million in a lottery for his fans. Her impression of him had improved somewhat.
Perhaps he really did have some talent.
“What talent could that kind of person possibly have?! Making such a big fuss. I’ve heard his previous songs were terrible, and it was even exposed that they were ghostwritten!” Old Man Feng was naturally unwilling, waving his hand dismissively.
He didn’t want to have anything to do with celebrities. He didn’t want to ruin his reputation by taking on an unworthy disciple.
That would tarnish his lifelong achievements.
“Grandpa, his reputation isn’t bad. He offended investors and was banned because he refused to be exploited. He’s probably desperate and taking a gamble by contacting us. Why not just treat it as entertainment?” Feng Yue thought about it and explained.
After all, her grandfather had been searching for a last disciple for a long time.
He would get up at 4 or 5 am every day to scout for suitable candidates in various parks, even visiting schools with his former students, determined to find someone worthy of inheriting his legacy before he fully retired.
The family had tried to persuade him otherwise, but the old man seemed to attach great importance to this matter. Since this was an opportunity that presented itself, why not give it a try? It was a last resort.
If her grandfather was truly fed up and decided not to take on any more disciples, it would be a good thing.
“Fine, let me see what this person is up to.” Old Man Feng couldn’t bring himself to refuse his granddaughter’s request.
He thought he would be merciless and put this person in their place.
It would be best if this person learned their lesson and stopped bothering him, returning to their fish-for-compliments ways in the entertainment industry.
Feng Yue connected Xia Wansheng’s call, reminding him: “My grandfather has a bit of a temper, and he’s very straightforward. Be prepared.”
