Chapter 165: What Defines a Genius? This Is a Genius

Fafutres fixed his deep gaze directly on Yang Xiaofan.

"Mr. Yang Xiaofan, this gathering brings together top artists from all over the world. While I admire your skill in oil painting, that does not mean you can talk nonsense and act recklessly. Such behavior shows a lack of respect for famous art, and it forces me to question your character."

Yang Xiaofan smiled indifferently.

"No need for idle chatter. Set your challenge—anything you like."

Fafutres glanced at Smith, the host of the reception. After all, this was Smith's venue, so he had to defer to Smith's wishes.

Smith, however, simply nodded. This was clearly a sign of approval.

Fafutres no longer wasted time.

"Very well! Since that is the case, I will not hold back. As everyone knows, those present here today are master figures in the literary and artistic circles of various countries. Therefore, let our theme be art."

"I once read news reports about you, Mr. Yang. It seems your singing abilities in the East are quite remarkable. However, all the songs you sing are Oriental, and you have never performed a Western song. Since you wish to challenge me and claim you can do anything, please compose the lyrics and music on the spot, and perform an English song for us. What do you say?"

Yang Xiaofan smacked his lips and smiled faintly.

"An English song?"

"Indeed. If Mr. Yang finds this somewhat difficult, I can give you more time. We can wait until the end of today's gathering before you begin your performance. How about that?"

"There is no need to wait until the end of the gathering. Since you want to listen, I can satisfy you right now."

With that, Yang Xiaofan swept his gaze across the hall and finally let it rest on a piano.

Then, the corners of his lips curved upward into a calm smile as he walked toward the piano.

Elder Chen immediately hurried after him, his expression extremely nervous.

"Xiaofan, stop messing around. Can you really do this? That is an English song! While I admit your English is excellent, you are talking about composing both lyrics and music right on the spot. Shouldn't you give it some serious thought and careful consideration?"

Yang Xiaofan sat down before the piano, turned his head, and smiled.

"Elder Chen, sometimes you just need to learn to trust me. You are the one who brought me here, so whatever I choose to do, all you have to do is stand back, watch, and applaud for me."

Elder Chen was stunned and slowly came to a halt. It was not that he fully trusted Yang Xiaofan; rather, he could not help wondering where on earth Yang Xiaofan got such confidence.

Not far away, Kim Jae-guk smiled with utter contempt.

"Idiot, making a fool of yourself here. Let's see how humiliated you'll be when you fail to come up with anything later!"

At that moment, Yang Xiaofan took a deep breath and placed his hands on the piano keys. An inspiration flashed through his mind, and a melodious English tune already emerged within his consciousness.

Joking aside, his lyric-writing and composing skills had previously been upgraded through pay-to-win enhancement.

What did pay-to-win mean?

Pay-to-win meant becoming a super deity!

This encompassed not only Chinese songs, but English songs as well.

Composing lyrics and music was no longer a question of what Yang Xiaofan was capable of doing, but what he wanted to do. As long as he wished, he could produce a peerless piece of music in mere minutes.

Smith exchanged a glance with his servant, who immediately started recording. Such a wonderful spectacle could not be missed. If Yang Xiaofan succeeded, they could seize the opportunity to promote it. If Yang Xiaofan failed, they could use the chance to mock him. In short, regardless of whether Yang Xiaofan succeeded or not, they could easily piggyback on the hype. It was a foolproof investment.

At the piano, with a slight upward curve of his lips, Yang Xiaofan struck the very first note.

The moment that first note rang out, the souls of everyone in the hall trembled abruptly. The sensation was spine-chilling, as if a loud, resonant bell had been struck fiercely against everyone's soul.

"This music..."

Fafutres's heart skipped a beat. Even though he was merely a painter rather than a musician, he could instantly discern the caliber of Yang Xiaofan's musical mastery. Naturally, this was because Yang Xiaofan's mastery of musical instruments had also been enhanced through pay-to-win means.

Kim Jae-guk, on the other hand, widened his eyes in horror and blurted out, "How is this possible? How can this be? I don't believe it! How could he possibly be truly proficient in everything? Oh my god!"

Smith clenched his fists tightly as well, his face brimming with delight. It seemed he would be able to ride this wave of popularity to perfection. Hehehe... what a massive profit!

Elder Chen was the most emotional of all. He was so moved that tears threatened to fall.

"He succeeded! He actually succeeded! Good heavens! How is this possible? It's simply impossible! Yet he actually pulled it off. Fellow countrymen, did you see that? A true dragon has emerged from the East!"

Soon, Yang Xiaofan parted his lips and began to sing.

His elegant, slightly husky, and mature voice delivered an English song tinged with a blend of sweetness and sorrow. His voice was like heavenly music, flawless to the extreme.

Coupled with Yang Xiaofan's astonishing piano technique, the synergy between the two created a power so formidable it left people trembling. Everyone present was utterly conquered by Yang Xiaofan's singing!

What was a powerhouse?

This was a powerhouse!

What was a genius?

This was a genius!

A true genius was someone who could do everything!

As the song came to an end, countless people remained lost in the melody. Many were so moved that tears streamed down their faces.

It was too breathtaking!

This song was easily one of the finest Western tracks released in recent years. No other piece could possibly compare to it. One could even say that placed within the entire history of Western music, this was nothing short of a miracle—a timeless classic destined to be passed down through the centuries!

Yang Xiaofan took a deep breath, rose slightly, and smiled at Smith and Fafutres.

"Well? Would anyone still like to test my other skills?"

"No need, no need! You win!"

Fafutres conceded heart and soul as he began to applaud. Following his lead, everyone else broke into applause.

Thunderous applause echoed throughout the entire hall.

At this moment, not just Fafutres, but every heavyweight in the Western art world admired Yang Xiaofan with absolute, unreserved awe.

"Mr. Yang, I adore you. You are simply omnipotent."

"Mr. Yang, solely because of your voice today, I am going to buy one of your paintings—and I will purchase it for fifty million US dollars!"

Even Smith immediately instructed his servant, "Quickly, upload the recording we just made to YouTube so the whole of the United States can see just how incredible our hero is."

"Yes!"

The servant turned to run, but Smith called out to stop him.

"Wait, make sure to specify that this was an impromptu song performed by Mr. Yang."

"Yes!"