usenovelgroup Chapter 18 The Challenge of Sound Skills, An Unexpected Assistance
Chapter 18 The Challenge of Sound Skills, An Unexpected Assistance
By six o'clock, the venue was nearly empty; people were either eating or going home. It would be another hour or two before it became lively again.
"Ah, I'm so hungry!" Hou Shiying and the others had already changed out of their training clothes and were now clutching their rumbling stomachs.
Min Peier walked up to Lin Zhuo and said, "Teacher Lin, these four children have been entrusted to me by their parents. I plan to take them to the cafeteria for lunch and then send them home."
Seeing that Lin Zhuo only nodded, she continued, "You must be hungry too, right? Why don't we eat together?"
"That would be great."
Lin Zhuo led his youngest brother and Hua Jiaorong, while Min Peier brought the four little ones. The group was quite large as they headed to the community cafeteria on the middle floor of the nearby G6 building. Everyone except Lin Zhuo had eaten at this cafeteria before, and they chatted about their favorite dishes along the way, arguing endlessly over the smallest differences.
Min Pei'er stayed by Lin Zhuo's side the whole time and noticed that he always looked thoughtful, so she couldn't find a topic to talk about for a while.
"Instructor Lin, this exercise equipment of yours, is it actually a bell? Did you make it yourself? The sound is so rich, how did you achieve that?"
Lin Zhuoping raised his palm, the gleaming silver iron ball hanging between his fingers, steady and quiet. He explained, "It has nothing to do with the structure of the bell; I used some special techniques to produce different tones."
By altering details such as the speed, angle, and force with which the psychic energy strikes the bell, different frequencies of sound can be produced. The specific techniques are still in the exploratory stage and far from mature.
"Can this thing be used to play music?" Min Pei'er joked.
"It's not feasible yet," Lin Zhuo shook his head helplessly. "Right now, I can only produce a few basic notes. To string them together would be quite difficult, and it's probably not suitable for playing overly complex pieces. I'm having a headache over this."
Min Pei'er stared at his serious expression for a while before realizing that he wasn't joking; he genuinely intended to play music with a large iron bell. "You really are a strange person. No, you should say an extraordinary person. If you can actually succeed, then you're a genius."
Should I say thank you for the compliment?
Min Pei'er covered her smiling face with the back of her hand, then said seriously, "My sister is also a musician. Her studio has great recording equipment and intelligent programs that can help analyze audio. Just let me know if you need any help."
"Is tonight okay?"
"Huh? What? Of course. You really are... decisive. I'll email my sister right now."
A moment later, Min Pei-er received a reply: the two of them could go to the music lab around 7 p.m. that evening, and her sister Min Xin-rou would patiently wait for them.
"Whether it works out or not, I'm very grateful to you."
Lin Zhuo's sonic technique is facing a difficult hurdle, with its completeness and credibility failing to improve for a long time.
He does need more specialized equipment to monitor the audio emitted by the bell, which would help him refine his technique. Moreover, experienced musicians can also offer suggestions for improving his bell playing.
Once he overcomes this hurdle, he can try playing the piece. As for the piece to choose, Lin Zhuo has a vast selection, whether it's the local music library on Cuirang Star or the information on the online forums, he can always find a suitable one.
After the meal, Lin Zhuo and Min Peier split up and led the children to their respective homes, ensuring that their parents or relatives signed for the package on the spot.
Lin Wubing and Hua Jiaorong said goodbye in front of her house. This was the middle-floor residential area of the G10 building, and the first floor was where the Jianlan Library was located, Lin Zhuo's workplace.
"Thank you for your help, comrade." Hua Jiaorong's father was slender, spoke softly and gently, and addressed his daughter by her full name, as if treating her as a friend. "I remember you're the librarian at the Gladiolus Library?"
"That's right." Lin Zhuo didn't have much of an impression of this person. It seemed that he was not a regular customer of the library, which meant that he had a proper job and was not one of those customers who pretended to be working.
Judging from his scholarly air and bright, intelligent eyes, he is probably a scholar engaged in scientific research, around thirty years old, and likely in the prime of his career.
"Hua Jiaorong, quickly say goodbye to this brother."
"Goodbye, Brother Lin. Goodbye, Little Brother Wubing." Hua Jiaorong smiled brightly and lively, like a bright pearl that could be gently caressed between the fingertips, something to be remembered repeatedly in the future.
Lin Wubing looked somewhat infatuated; he was indeed captivated by the girl, but he refused to admit it, pretending to be aloof and silently nodding.
Lin Zhuo lightly patted the back of his head, tilting his head to the side. "You're being rude. Say goodbye to your classmate."
"Oh, goodbye, Little Li Guang."
Hua Jiaorong glared at him, then angrily turned and ran back into the house.
On the way home, the boy held his head in his hands, looking very annoyed, and protested to Lin Zhuo, "Big brother, don't do that again. It makes me lose face."
Lin Zhuo, however, wore a peculiar smile and casually asked, "Speaking of which, why do you call your female classmates 'Little Li Guang'?"
"It's called 'Little Li Guang Hua Rong.' Her name is hard to pronounce, so all my classmates call her Hua Rong."
"Don't say that again. She doesn't seem to like that nickname."
"Okay, I know. I don't usually say it, and I don't allow anyone else to say it. I only did it because I saw her gloating just now... I'll apologize to her tomorrow."
"Brother, you must remember that those closest to you are often the ones who know best what to say to break your heart. You must never become that kind of person. When others entrust you with their weaknesses and vulnerabilities, it's a sign of trust; don't fail to cherish it."
"I'll do whatever my older brother says!"
Lin Zhuo put his arm around his youngest brother's thin shoulder, thought of his other younger siblings, looked up and sighed softly, "Ah, I can only talk to you about these kinds of profound principles now. When you get older, you'll probably get annoyed with me."
"No! I'll never bother my older brother!"
"Okay, I believe you in that way too."
After sending his younger brother home, Lin Zhuo and Min Peier met again. Seeing that it was almost time, they went to the agreed meeting place together.
"You didn't tell me before that your sister's studio is in the Tonggu Cultural Center, and it's inside the Municipal People's Grand Theater."
"It's not too late to know now."
The two entered the empty auditorium during the closing hours. Only half of the overhead lights were on, and the environment was somewhat gloomy, like the stomach of a blue whale that had just finished drinking.
Passing through the tiered seating area and into the backstage area, passing rows of rooms such as dressing rooms, rehearsal rooms, dressing rooms, and wig rooms, it's like passing through a tightly organized hive of bees. Then, going up the stairs to the second floor, the rooms here are much more spacious.
Upon receiving the news, Min Xinrou was already waiting anxiously outside the studio. When she saw Lin Zhuo and the other person in the distance, she smiled, revealing a row of neat, pearly teeth.
"You must be Lin Zhuo, Instructor Lin?" Min Xinrou was nearly thirty years old, and her voice was gentle and bright. Just one sentence was enough to tell that she had an excellent voice and was indeed a natural talent for music.
"Sorry to bother you, comrade."
"I was just wondering when my little sister would bring you over to meet us. I didn't expect it to be so soon." Min Xinrou had barely finished speaking when Min Peier pounced on her and covered her mouth.
"Sis, stop talking so much. Um, let's get down to business!"
Lin Zhuo was clearly eager to go. He followed Min Xinrou into the music studio, greeted the other staff members, and explained the purpose of their visit.
"Comrade, you mean you can use this big iron bell to play 'Do-la-mi-fa-sol-la-ti'?" Everyone was stunned. "It's not that I don't believe you, it's just that we've never seen anything like it. Could you demonstrate it for us?"
Lin Zhuo raised his palm and gently shook his arm. The iron ball trembled and emitted a series of low and melodious sounds. Although they were somewhat indistinct, seven tones could be roughly discerned.
The professionals all looked on with wide-eyed amazement, crowding around and marveling at the sight.
Min Pei'er, being tone-deaf and a complete novice, quietly asked Min Xinrou, "How is it?"
Are you referring to him as a person, or his musical instrument playing?
"Stop it, big sister," Min Pei'er said weakly, clasping her hands together in a pleading tone.
"Hmm, he's quite the performer, but his instrument is terribly out of tune. But logically, a bell only has one fundamental tone, so for him to produce this effect is already a bit unscientific. He's a true genius. If this unique sound effect can be successfully achieved, it will definitely be a refreshing experience for the audience."
Min Xinrou's eyes shone brightly. She clapped her hands to rouse everyone, "Thank you all for your help today. Let's do something special, like a project to help others. I'm sure you're all eager to see what this instrument can achieve, so let's get started!"
"Okay!" everyone responded in unison.