As the brief musical movement reached its end, the sincere sense of melancholy dissipated with the gradually echoing deep melodies, and Huai Shi finally snapped out of his intense concentration, only to hear a whispering buzz of voices.

Just when he thought he had botched it, as if receiving some special kind of jeering, he saw smiles on the faces of those stern and exacting old men and ladies.

"Brilliant!"

Vivian did not hide her amazement and admiration as she was the first to comment, "Unexpected control and mastery, Huai, you've managed to fully express everything Mr. Bach had imparted in this Tacato."

"I feel this isn't the level that should appear in a professional exam. All I can say is that Conductor Zhao's insight is indeed extraordinary."

Following the brief appraisal, everyone looked toward Schlot, the most professional cellist present.

After pondering for a moment, Schlot spoke, "Forgive my frankness, Huai, it's apparent that there are certain lapses in your fingering and bow stopping, which might affect you when playing some pieces. Your foundation is not yet seamless; on this aspect, I cannot give you full marks. But your strengths and weaknesses are equally evident, and it would seem overly harsh to nitpick so much over such an outstanding performance.

"To present such a beautiful piece in a sufficiently elegant manner, correctly showcasing the unique charm of the cello and your talent—if I were the examiner, I would directly give you an 'A' for this section.

"But of course, this depends on Ms. Vivian's opinion."

"Certainly not objectionable."

Before this satisfactory performance, Vivian naturally was also willing to give her approval. "To tell the truth," she said, "I have not encountered such a wonderful performance in the first part of the exam in many years."

Huh? The green light this soon?

Huai Shi was overjoyed, having not expected to receive full five-star acclaim, akin to a newly appointed civil servant receiving collective praise from a group of senior provincial and ministerial leaders.

Originally, the performance section required playing three pieces, each worth thirty points.

Now with just a few nods from the big shots, was he already pocketing those ninety points?

He suddenly began to feel elated amidst this unexpected performance, as if a radiant future was beckoning him.

Following that, he overheard Schlot and Vivian discussing.

"I believe we can skip the rhythmic and auditory tests up next," Schlot proposed first. "Why not just make some slight adjustments in the sight-reading section, what do you think?"

Vivian contemplated for a moment while the group of old men and women gathered together, murmuring among themselves.

However, that expectant look always made Huai Shi feel a bit uneasy.

What are you guys trying to pull?

This feeling was like being an eight-year-old child during the New Year's festivities, surrounded by aunts who insist on a performance.

It wasn't until now that Huai Shi began to vaguely understand... what he had just done.

He had completely stirred up the curiosity of this group of old men and women; now, without seeing his limits, they would not be satisfied!

Huai Shi, just out of Newbie Village, watched the scene of max-level bosses having a meeting, growing increasingly anxious. And Old Zhao, as if fearing Huai Shi wasn't anxious enough, joined in the excitement, lavishly praising him aloud.

Good heavens, what on earth are you up to?

Huai Shi trembled.

Soon after, Vivian sent a message. Not long after, a secretary came in with a stack of music scores fresh from the printer, placing them in front of Huai Shi.

"It's clear that those pieces no longer suffice to showcase your best level…" Vivian said, then added with an approving smile, "Let's go for something more challenging, shall we?"

Huai Shi nervously picked up the score, only to see the title in forty-two-point standard English font at the top, and then everything before him turned black.

*Paganini: Caprice No. 24*

—Paganini's 24th Caprice.

Damn it, are you trying to kill me! I've only been upgraded for less than two days! A few months ago I was still practicing "Sea C" that everyone's tired of, hey... You can't just hand me a "God Of War Atlas" because I'm really good at "My Great Ancestor Long Fist," can you? If I could actually play this piece, why on earth am I here taking exams today! In his time, that bastard Paganini claimed he could play a whole piece on the G string; why don't you make me try that?

He suppressed a surge of anger, looking up in despair, wanting to ask for a different piece. But then he caught the eager anticipation of the group of old men and women, rubbing their hands together and eyeing him with excitement, their eyes shining like windows from Hell!

Come on, little brother, you can do it! Don't hold back, go for it! Don't hide, hurry up and show us the good stuff!

"Okay, I get it."

Huai Shi forced a difficult smile and muttered to himself, "It's just a caprice performance, don't get too scared..."

He took a deep breath and immersed himself in the score before him.

He entered a meditative state.

The Source of fire, unseen by the ordinary eye, lit up in his eyes, attentively sweeping over the lines of notes before him, filling his ears with hallucinatory sounds of the violin.

The elderly seemed to understand his difficulty and didn't mind him taking longer than the allotted time for sight-reading. They patiently waited for him to finish reading the score, their looks conveying curiosity and the thrill of a successful prank.

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