He turned and went back to where the judges were seated.

"Don't worry, gentlemen," he told his friends, "your jests are child's play to him."

Schlot was taken aback. He looked blankly at the pale-faced boy, somewhat worried. "Huai, if you're not feeling well, we can suspend the exam. You don't need to be so nervous."

"No, sir, I've never felt better." Huai Shi smiled at his audience. "No need to worry."

The sheet music was casually tossed aside, not even worth another glance. He lowered his eyes.

He felt his heart pounding wildly, invisible notes emerging in rhythm, as if becoming searing irons, turning his blood into molten lava, surging fervently through his veins.

In his left hand, pressing down on the strings, it was as if invisible currents flowed, piercing through each finger with unprecedented sensitivity, even distinguishing every fine scrape on the strings.

With the Drummer's technique, his sense of touch extended from his hands to the body of the instrument. As if they were one.

His consciousness was more active than ever, clearly remembering the position of every note and rhythm, fitting tightly into the instincts of his body, gradually constructing the outline of the devil that once walked the earth.

"Let me begin…"

At that moment, Huai Shi lifted his gaze.

*Paganini Caprice No.24 in A minor: Allegro*

The performance began!

Immediately, a hoarse sound burst forth from the strings.

The old cello vibrated suddenly, as if roaring back to life from a deep slumber.

The instantaneous, shrill sound didn't just startle Schlot; its grating shriek pierced everyone, their skin prickling with goosebumps.

It was as if metal scraped against glass. The opening melody was so abrupt and jarring, almost like a performance mishap, sending shock and discomfort through the listeners.

But then, that accident-like fervent sound continued wildly under the pull of the bow. It transitioned abruptly yet smoothly to stability, as if forming a marvelous spiral.

—The main theme unfolds!

Like a forewarning before the grand opening.

The final act of mercy.

The box of Gai Disaster was about to be opened.

That moment, outside the exam hall, the door to the contestants' resting room was gently closed by a hand. In the corridor behind the door, fully-armed mercenaries sprinted silently past, like black blood flowing in the darkness.

Outer blockade.

Inner isolation.

Countermeasures activated, main control system online...

Under intricate isolation, the entire building was crisply divided into two parts in an instant. The outer layer was where exams continued as usual, while the inner layer had transformed into an airtight black box.

An almost tangible chill enveloped every inch of space, sealing it off bit by bit.

Under the direction of the monitoring room, the door to the women's restroom was violently kicked open.

At the end of the room, the Teenage Girl at the sink turned in astonishment, only to see burly, masked soldiers. The leader charged forward, not giving Fu Yi a chance to resist, and roughly clamped a handkerchief over her face.

Soon, Fu Yi passed out.

"The bait is ready."

An operator codenamed Hyena smirked behind his mask and raised his hand to press the communicator at his ear. "Assault team, get ready."

On the other end, outside the exam hall, mercenaries armed with battering rams and shields raised their weapons, awaiting commands from the control room.

The plan continued, just like the performance in the hall.

At that moment, even through the thick soundproofing foam, the sharp melody could not be concealed.

With the pluck of Huai Shi's left index finger, the second repetition began. Broken notes were perfectly pieced together, integrating that opening shrillness with the melody into an inseparable whole.

Then, shifting from low to high, the melody soared step by step, like ascending an iron ladder. It brought a heavy reverberation. Yet, just as it neared the peak, it plummeted like a roller coaster, gradually turning delicate and subdued.

A moment of silence arrived.

In just fifteen seconds of melody, everyone present was thrown into several moments of astonishment. But as they carefully judged this brief 'theme' section, they distinctly felt a 'warning' rhythm to it.

A storm was brewing!

And then, they saw Huai Shi take a deep breath. His left hand, braced on the neck of the instrument, four fingers snapped up, pressing down on the strings.

What followed was a crazy barrage of melody bursting from the strings. The fingering, which masters might have seen as slightly clumsy and coarse, now opened up a breathtaking prelude to the eleven variations with incredible speed.

Thus, the madly sharp melody pierced through, propelled by the bow!

The swift changes, occurring in the blink of an eye, made it hard for the listeners' eardrums to keep up with the terrifying speed. The four fingers on the cello's neck leaped and flourished, moving too fast for the eye to follow.

Ah, that was indeed a warning from the boy! the judges finally realized. He's going to release the brakes of the Hell Train!

Because the breathtaking eleventh variation had begun!

It was the same theme, displayed in eleven different techniques and styles. These were the treasures forged from Paganini's near-extravagant display of his talent and limits to the world, now being reinterpreted by the boy.

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