Chapter 204 Experimental Project [Please vote for me]
“Mr. John Lauer, as far as I know, you are good at collecting antique musical instruments, and is this violin in your hand one of your collections?” A man sitting next to Gu Chen was wearing a white dress and a ponytail. The braided old artist suddenly said.
Upon seeing this, the somewhat effeminate host quickly introduced everyone: “This is the vice president of the Jiangnan Musicians Association, Mr. Wang Dewen.”
“Ah? Is he Wang Dewen?”
“I heard he is an old artist.”
“Yes, I heard that the top music conservatory in the country hired him as an honorary professor.”
“You’re here as a special guest this time, right?”
“Aren’t there a few people sitting in the front row? There is also a very young and handsome guy.”
Several female spectators sitting behind him couldn’t help but whisper.
You know, for this kind of top violin concert, money may not necessarily buy a good seat.
Generally speaking, VIP can only buy seats from the second row behind.
The first row is basically reserved for guests invited by the organizer.
Among them are some famous musicians, concert sponsors, and some friends of John Lauer.
“Mr. Wang Dewen said it very well. The violin in my hand is worth US$3.8 million.” John Lauer said without concealment.
There was another commotion at the scene.
“This antique is worth 3.8 million…US dollars?”
“I thought it was worth tens of thousands at most. Maybe I can see it clearly if I look closer.”
“After all, we are not antique experts. Today’s artists don’t use old objects. The instruments in their hands must be the latest.”
After Wang Dewen pondered for a few seconds, he raised his head and asked, “Mr. John Lauer, do you really want to use this instrument to play?”
John Lauer waved his hands and smiled: “Actually, the instrument I used for the first piece just now was this violin, but everyone’s attention was not so focused at the time, and they would not notice this instrument.”
“So that’s it.” Wang Dewen nodded silently, and then added: “We really didn’t notice it at the time, but the piece you played was the most complex set of works in the world composed by Bach?”
“Mr. Wang is indeed a senior musician.” John Lauer nodded with satisfaction and affirmed: “Yes, I just used this antique worth 3.8 million U.S. dollars to play the most complex music in the world composed by Bach. set of works.”
“No wonder Mr. John Lauer’s music just now brought all of us in the audience into a wonderful situation. It shows that Mr. John Lauer is indeed the world’s top violinist.”
The effeminate male host immediately took over the conversation to arouse the atmosphere of the audience.
John Lauer waved his hand and said with a smile: “I came to Jiangnan City to verify a project, but I can see from your admiring eyes that the project I verified is correct.”
“Project?”
“Mr. John Lauer is here to do research?”
“He is such a great musician, but he also has to do some research?”
“I don’t know. Let’s see what he says later.”
……
Many viewers at the scene were greatly interested in John Lauer’s strange remarks.
Even the effeminate male host didn’t know why. This was completely outside the process, and John Lauer’s team had not communicated with him beforehand.
Wang Dewen, who was sitting next to Gu Chen, couldn’t help but frown and asked: “Mr. John Lauer, what is your topic?”
“Don’t worry, please look at the big screen.” John Lauer turned to look at the assistant beside him, who immediately switched to the background picture of the Grand Theater.
Soon, a relatively noisy video screen was displayed on the background board of the Grand Theater.
This is an underground passage. Passers-by are walking in a hurry. A foreign wandering artist with unkempt hair, ordinary clothes and a long beard is playing violin music in the corner.
There was a hat in front of him with some change in it.
It can be seen that this is the basic form of street performers.
The shooting angle of the camera is also very tricky. It is hidden in a trash can at the corner of the passage, fifteen meters away from the homeless artist.
The camera screen still shows the time…
John Lauer’s assistant suddenly accelerated the playback progress, and the pictures inside began to speed up continuously. Some people stayed beside the wandering artist, while others moved forward indifferently.
After a full hour, about 1,700 people passed by, 22 of them paid and left in a hurry, and only 16 stopped. In the end, the wandering artist received a total of 183 yuan.
These statistics all appear in white text on a black background after the video ends.
The scene was in an uproar…
I wonder what medicine John Lauer sells in his gourd?
I don’t know why he wanted to show a scene of a homeless artist?
“Mr. John Lauer.” Wang Dewen looked at him puzzled and asked, “What do you want to express?”
“That wandering artist is me.” John Lauer said with a smile: “I dressed myself up as a street performer. The violin in my hand was worth 3.8 million U.S. dollars, and I played the most complex set of works in the world composed by Bach. , the same music that everyone sitting here is hearing tonight.”
He glanced at Gu Chen in the audience, and continued to say with a smile: “Tonight, I have the honor to perform at the Jiangnan Grand Theater. All the tickets are sold out. The most expensive ticket is 5888 yuan, the cheapest ticket is 888 yuan, and… In the morning, I played the same music at the subway entrance, but my income was only 183 yuan.”
As soon as John Lauer finished speaking, there was an instant sensation in the audience, and everyone couldn’t believe what they heard.
One of the greatest violinists in the world, Mr. John Lauer, only earned 183 yuan an hour by performing at the exit of a subway station.
Of course, this is already high for ordinary street performers, but compared with tonight’s concert, the income is so different that it’s unbelievable.
“So this experiment inspired me a lot.” John Lauer walked back and forth on the stage and said to everyone:
“From my perspective, John Lauer, this shows how important the platform is, but what about from the perspective of the public? When the greatest musicians, using the best instruments, play the best works in the world, most people can’t even If we can’t stay even for a moment, how much beauty have we missed in our busy life?”
Everyone at the scene looked at each other and discussed the topic John Lauer mentioned with the people around him. They felt that this musician was somewhat interesting.
John Lauer nodded and continued: “The Shawshank Redemption once said that people are either busy living or busy dying. Is that true?”
Maybe artists have a different perception than ordinary people, so John Lauer was a little excited when he spoke, as if he was excited by this topic.
After talking a lot, he looked at Gu Chen again and said: “However, just after most people left in a hurry, there was a young man who heard me closing the stall and leaving. The strength of the theater performance helped me increase my income from 83 yuan to 183 yuan per hour.”
“Haha!” The audience burst into laughter.
Influenced by John Lauer’s self-deprecating humor.
John Lauer also smiled and introduced to the audience: “So I gave this young man three VIP tickets for the first row. I am very happy that he is here tonight.”
Suddenly, a bright light hit Gu Chen…
A male assistant in formal attire, hunched over and holding a microphone, quickly ran to Gu Chen and handed the microphone to Gu Chen.
“Mr. Gu Chen, he is my special guest tonight, and he is also the young man who helps me increase my income.” John Lauer said to Gu Chen.
Soon, the entire audience spontaneously applauded.
“Son, the guest he was talking about was you.” Xiao Xiaofang immediately looked at Gu Chen excitedly and said, “This ticket is indeed real. Fortunately, I didn’t throw it away.”
“Son, you have done a great job for our elder Gu.” Gu Baichuan was also excited at the side.
The two of them were still on pins and needles before, thinking that they were somewhat uncomfortable sitting in the core position of the first row with tickets sent by strangers.
But now when John Lauer said this on the stage, the stone that was weighing on the two of them was relieved.
And Gu Chen didn’t know what to say for a moment, and suddenly he became the focus of the audience from an audience member.
To be honest, Gu Chen was really not used to it.
“Mr. Gu Chen, please come up.” John Raul invited Gu Chen: “Please come up.”
Gu Chen was not polite, stood up directly, came to John Lauer’s side, and the two shook hands in a friendly manner.
“You didn’t guess that the wandering artist was me, right?” John Lauer couldn’t help but show a friendly smile.
Gu Chen didn’t want to tell the truth that he had known that John Lauer was Bill for a long time, but he still smiled cooperatively and said: “You looked very haggard at that time. Compared with your elegant demeanor now, there is a huge difference.”
“So the platform is very important, the image is very important, and packaging and publicity are very important.” John Lauer said three important things in one breath.
Then he said to the guests in the first row: “So my argument is over. I am going to use all my ticket income tonight to set up a support fund to help those street performers who are capable but have no platform. They can have a platform to showcase their abilities.”
The scene soon burst into another round of warm applause.
Gu Chen also congratulated: “Then I wish you success.”
“Thank you, Gu Chen.” John Raul held Gu Chen’s hand tightly and said, “Without you, I might have thought that my experiment had failed.”
“It is precisely because you stopped and listened carefully that I am more hopeful about running this charity fund. I want more people who know music to participate. There are many musical talents in Jiangnan City, and I don’t want them to be buried. So, I will name this fund with the Jiangnan Music Association, and it will be called the Jiangnan Music Assistance Fund.”
“good!”
Several artists in the front row suddenly applauded in unison.
The entire audience seemed to be inspired and stood up to express their heartfelt thanks to John Lauer for his kind deeds.
“Gu Chen, we have a celebration cocktail party tonight, scheduled after ten o’clock. I hope you can come.” John Lauer said.
Gu Chen glanced at Xiao Xiaofang and Gu Baichuan and said immediately: “But I have to go home with my parents.”
“Oh? Are those your parents? It doesn’t matter. They can come together. I sincerely invite you and your family. You won’t refuse, right?” John Lauer once again put on a sincere face.
Xiao Xiaofang in the audience couldn’t sit still, and put her hands in front of her mouth to make a trumpet shape: “Gu Chen, just promise Mr. John Lauer. Your father and I are honored to participate.”
Gu Chen had no choice but to nod and agree: “That’s okay!”
After a short interlude, Gu Chen sat in the VIP seats with his parents again…
At this time, many celebrities and artists around him also handed Gu Chen business cards to show their identities.
On the stage, after completing this interesting test, John Lauer’s mental outlook seemed to be completely new, and he continued to use his superb skills to bring an auditory feast to all the audience.
9 pm.
The performance officially ended. John Lauer and pianist Zhao Mingming bowed deeply to the audience.
Later, the VIP guests in the first row were collectively invited to the backcourt lounge by the organizer. Everyone will have the opportunity to take a photo alone with John Lauer. This is also a special benefit for the VIP guests in the first row.
There were only about thirty guests in the first row, but they still had to line up to take photos.
Gu Baichuan and Xiao Xiaofang were very excited. They did not expect that when they came to the concert with their son, they would be arranged to sit in the front row and have the opportunity to take a photo alone with the world’s top violinist John Lauer. They were very excited about this. For pleasure.
Xiao Xiaofang thought about what the sisters in the circle of friends would think when she sent a photo of herself and John Lauer alone in the circle of friends. But if you think about it, you know their expressions.
In comparison, Gu Baichuan is much calmer. He is not a person who understands music, especially the violin. The photo can only be said to be a kind of welfare, and it will not bring any special benefits to him.
In comparison, Gu Chen seemed even calmer…
Ever since he was a child, other people have taken photos with him, and taking photos with famous people is not of much interest to Gu Chen.
If he hadn’t been invited to the celebration reception, and his parents insisted on attending, he would have gone home directly and had a good sleep.
After avoiding the crowd, Gu Chen went to the bathroom and met Zhao Mingming, a local pianist from Jiangnan City as soon as he entered the door.
The two touched arms inadvertently.
When Gu Chen saw that the person coming was Zhao Mingming, he greeted him politely: “Hello Zhao Mingming.”
“Are you Gu Chen?” Zhao Mingming didn’t shake hands, but just stared at Gu Chen with a straight face and said, “You are very impressive tonight!”
Then he left without looking back…
Gu Chen took back his hand, smiled inexplicably, and saw the somewhat effeminate host also walking out of the bathroom.
He first took a few steps forward, looked at the back of Zhao Mingming as he left, and then returned to Gu Chen’s side, whispering: “Ignore him, this guy is very arrogant and loves to show off, you will be raped by John Lauer tonight.” When my husband praised me in public, he thought it was stealing his limelight, so don’t be like him for such a petty person.”
“A man’s ambition is enlarged by being unjustly accused.” Gu Chen smiled and didn’t take it seriously: “So it doesn’t matter. Maybe he directed his grievances against the wrong target.”
“Yes, there is actually a lot of competition among musicians. I heard that Wang Dewen gave him this opportunity. I heard that he paid a lot of money.”
The effeminate host was afraid of being heard, so he stuck out his head and looked around in the corridor, then turned back and said: “Originally, he thought he would become the second most popular person at this concert, second only to Mr. John Lauer. However, unexpectedly, Mr. Gu Chen replaced him, so he was very angry. Even in the final curtain call, Mr. John Lauer did not look at him, so he was complaining here. “
Gu Chen smiled and said nothing, but thought in his heart: If Zhao Mingming had half the ambition of Mr. John Lauer, maybe he could become famous, right?
After all, it is difficult for people with bad tempers to achieve success in their careers, and Zhao Mingming’s playing skills are not outstanding.
It can be excellent at full score, but there is still a big gap between it and the top level.
Moreover, when cooperating with John Lauer, Zhao Mingming’s accompaniment seemed to make some small mistakes, which directly dragged down several pieces of John Lauer’s music.
Perhaps it was for this reason that John Lauer did not grandly introduce Zhao Mingming during the final curtain call, right?
Of course, these are just conclusions drawn by Gu Chen using his expert observation skills. He sees it in his eyes and takes it into his heart, but he won’t say it to everyone.
I also understand the principle that trouble comes from the mouth…
“My name is Han Wenfeng, I work as a master of ceremonies in Jiangnan City.” The effeminate host then took out a business card from his pocket and handed it to Gu Chen’s hand: “If you have any events hosted by the master of ceremonies in the future, you can contact me , we are considered acquaintances, I will give you a 20% discount.”
Gu Chen suddenly thought that Aunt Wan asked an acquaintance to buy a ticket with a 20% discount, but it turned out to be a fake ticket. He still felt a little shadow in his heart, but he just smiled and said: “Okay.”
9:30pm.
Under the arrangement of the organizer, everyone came to the parking lot at the side entrance of the Grand Theater. There were mainly guest vehicles parked here, as well as a dozen commercial vehicles responsible for pick-up and drop-off.
“Mr. Gu Chen, please get in the car.” A male driver in formal clothes invited.
“No need, we drove here by ourselves, just follow the convoy.” Gu Chen said.
“This is what the organizer means.” The male driver also said.
Xiao Xiaofang waved her hand: “It doesn’t matter. It’s the same with the vehicle they pick up and drop off. We’ll just ask them to send it back later. Look at these people, didn’t they come here by car?”
“Okay then.” Gu Chen stopped talking and helped Xiao Xiaofang get into the car.
More than a dozen commercial vehicles lined up one after another and began to drive slowly towards the main road.
There were also several luxury cars clearing the way.
The lights of Jiangnan City are bright at night, and various neon lights decorate the roads in colorful ways.
Promotional posters for John Lauer’s special concerts are also hung on some public billboards beside the road.
However, just as Gu Chen was admiring the night view of the city, the luxury car in front of him suddenly made a loud bang and crashed into John Lauer’s huge promotional poster…
(End of chapter)