Chapter 124: Going Viral

"Here!"

Fu Xiaoci pulled a mask from her handbag and handed it to Liao Yuan, encouraging him, "Good luck!"

Liao Yuan took it, drew a deep breath, turned around, and put the mask on.

In an instant, as he turned back, a chilling, aloof, and breathtaking aura emanated from him.

Fu Xiaoci held her breath the moment she saw him, not daring to even exhale. Even the two bodyguards looked on in astonishment.

Unlike his usual gentle and refined image, the moment Liao Yuan wore the mask, his entire demeanor turned icy.

Adjusting his collar, Liao Yuan strode confidently toward the main entrance of the opera house.

The arrival of the masked man quickly caught the attention of the passersby and live-streamers waiting in front of the venue. When they spotted the iconic gold-stamped pattern on his mask, gasps erupted, and a crowd immediately surged toward him.

"Oh my god! Uncle A! Uncle A is here!"

"Uncle A, hug me! A flying hug!"

"Go, God A! Crush those losers!"

"Idol, can we take a photo? Just once! I'll do whatever you want!"

"Wow, I touched Uncle A's hand, it’s so soft!"

"Uncle A, saranghae!"

"Uncle A looked at me! He actually looked at me! Oh my god, I’m crying!"

"Waiting all day yesterday wasn't in vain! I can't believe I saw God A first thing this morning!"

Amidst the commotion, the two bodyguards flanked Liao Yuan, fending off the turbulent crowd. Fu Xiaoci cleared the way ahead, and the four of them soon squeezed through the opera house's main entrance.

The security staff had already noticed the scene. They quickly took the electronic invitation Fu Xiaoci handed over, verified it, and ushered Liao Yuan and his group into the main hall.

Behind them, countless people were still shouting the name "Uncle A."

"Audience friends, the light of your faith has finally arrived!" A streamer held a selfie stick, spouting excitement, "Although Uncle A was absent yesterday, he arrived early this morning for the competition. Let's wish him a great performance!"

"When God A appears, who dares to compete?" Another streamer shouted just as excitedly, "Don't go anywhere, guys! Your son here is lucky enough to have a ticket. Keep the gifts coming, and I'll take you to the front lines!"

With that, the streamer pulled out another phone, opened his email, presented the digital invitation to the staff, and after verification, rushed into the arena without a moment's delay.

The media, passersby, and streamers outside, having seen Liao Yuan arrive, no longer lingered and began checking in one by one.

By now, anyone who had heard of the "One Emperor, Four Kings" piano competition was familiar with the rising star, Uncle A. He was already hailed by the J-Station platform as the top favorite to win the championship.

The memory of Uncle A's live performance of "War Rhapsody" not long ago still felt fresh. The recording of that performance had gone viral across the internet, both domestically and abroad, and was highly acclaimed by piano enthusiasts worldwide. Many great pianists in Vienna, and even the resident pianists of the Golden Hall, had lavished praise on the piece.

A critic from an American music magazine had even frantically labeled "War Rhapsody" as one of the greatest piano compositions of the last century, sparking discussions among music legends across the globe.

The "Vienna Gazette," the most influential professional newspaper in the City of Music, had once again brought the "One Emperor, Four Kings" tournament into the spotlight, naming Asdfghj as the contestant most likely to take the crown.

This sent shockwaves through the industry. The last time the "Vienna Gazette" had mentioned the "One Emperor, Four Kings" tournament was when Spielberg won the inaugural championship. After two long years, the classical music world had finally offered praise to the event again, acknowledging the brilliance of "War Rhapsody."

Like a child long ignored who strives for excellence, desperate for parental approval, this outcome brought tears to the eyes of many pianists who insisted on playing popular music. It also made Uncle A a household name, exploding in popularity across the web.

Therefore, when Liao Yuan walked into the performance hall of the Imperial Opera House, audience members seated near the entrance turned around, caught sight of the familiar mask, and couldn't help but exclaim: "He's here!"

Yes, he was here! The master had arrived! The entire audience turned in unison, looking toward the entrance with sparkling eyes filled with anticipation.

The entire concert hall was designed with seating surrounding the stage. It was divided into two levels: the orchestra level near the stage and the balcony level above, totaling 1,859 seats.

By now, the hall was packed, though latecomers were still trickling in. At the very front, there was a designated contestant area with 66 seats for the thirty competitors and their families.

Liao Yuan had no idea he was this popular. As he entered, almost the entire audience stood up. This left him momentarily stunned. He didn't know who started the applause, but the second and third persons followed suit. In a flash, the entire hall was filled with thunderous applause.

Even Fu Xiaoci looked confused, completely bewildered by the situation.

At this moment, Liang Qingquan, who had served as the COO for the East China division, rushed over with several staff members and smiled at Liao Yuan and his group, "Welcome, Uncle A!"

Fu Xiaoci asked loudly to be heard over the applause, "Mr. Liang, what is going on here?"

"Miss Fu, you don't know?" Liang Qingquan laughed, "Uncle A is a hit abroad! That piece, 'War Rhapsody,' has surpassed two hundred million views on various international video sites in just one week! Many foreign media outlets are reporting on Uncle A and 'War Rhapsody.' The masters at the Golden Hall watched the video of Uncle A's performance and couldn't stop praising him, calling our Uncle A one of the greatest pianists of the last twenty years."

Fu Xiaoci covered her mouth in shock, "Are you kidding me? How did I not know this?"

Liang Qingquan replied, speechless, "Miss Fu, you're Uncle A's agent. If you know less than an outsider like me, you're not very qualified! Just search for it online; it's everywhere!"

Fu Xiaoci realized the truth and hurriedly pulled out her phone to search. Soon, her eyes lit up, "Even the 'Vienna Gazette' praised you! My god, Liao... Uncle A, you're famous! Everyone says you've brought glory to the country!"

Liao Yuan took the phone, glanced at it, and said nonchalantly, "Oh, that's fine."

Fu Xiaoci rolled her eyes. She found that no matter what happened—even if the sky were falling—Liao Yuan always maintained that same unmoving, quiet posture. It was frustrating. How could a young man seem so... like he was nearing the end of his life? *Pah, pah, pah! Don't speak such nonsense, let the wind blow it away!*

Soon, amidst the roaring applause, Liao Yuan and his group followed Liang Qingquan to the contestant area. Every contestant, upon seeing Liao Yuan, immediately rose and politely shook his hand.

Renowned figures on J-Station like Zero-Zero-Yao, Living Cannon, and Eustoma watched with envy as Uncle A sat down amidst the thunderous applause. No one had expected "War Rhapsody" to have such charm. Not only did it become a massive hit domestically in a short time, but it also broke out of China and Asia, spreading rapidly across the world.

This not only established Uncle A's name but also made the classical music world sit up and take notice of the "One Emperor, Four Kings" tournament.

The sudden explosion of fame was completely unexpected, and there was no evidence of any behind-the-scenes manipulation. The data was simply too authentic. Even if there were a puppet master, they couldn't possibly extend their influence so far abroad.

So, Uncle A was truly a star! Based on his performance of "War Rhapsody" in the final round of the East China qualifiers, he had truly made it big.

Currently, the total popularity of the live stream on J-Station, both domestic and international, had exceeded fifty million views. Piano enthusiasts from all over the world had flooded into J-Station to watch the live stream that day.

And that was just online! After all, J-Station had also partnered with television stations in over ten Asian countries for simultaneous broadcasts. Therefore, at this very moment, there was a high probability that the number of people watching the piano competition had already exceeded one hundred million.

It is worth noting that this was only the viewership for the Chinese division. Although the schedules for the other four major divisions were staggered, the total number of people worldwide following the "One Emperor, Four Kings" tournament was at least two hundred million, especially in the Chinese and North American divisions. These two divisions accounted for the vast majority of the audience. No one had expected that such a niche piano competition would have a regular global audience exceeding two hundred million!

Terrifying!

Liao Yuan looked at the news about Asdfghj on his phone while secretly sighing. This kind of influence would have been absolutely impossible in his past life. Although the piano was known as the "King of Instruments" and could be found in many middle-class homes, and was loved by people all over the world, those who could sit through a long-form performance without finding it boring were rare.

Therefore, even with live broadcasts of piano competitions, the audience was mostly limited to enthusiasts in the same industry. To truly reach the masses and attract universal viewership was practically impossible.

But here, the piano was a part of everyday life. The younger generation had almost all been exposed to it, and many dreamed of becoming great pianists. Music here was a necessary channel for cultivating one's character. Added to that was the prevalence of opera houses and the high status of professional pianists. Under such a culture, a piano tournament with rich rewards like "One Emperor, Four Kings" could stir up such a storm.

As of today, the live stream for the Chinese division had attracted over one hundred million viewers online and offline. It was, without a doubt, a massive carnival.

"Welcome to the Third 'One Emperor, Four Kings' International Piano Competition on J-Station. I am your host, Zhang Hai!"

Zhang Hai, dressed in a formal deep blue suit, stepped up onto the stage, holding a microphone, and walked out amidst the audience's applause. "Today is the second day of the knockout round. Yesterday, three contestants were eliminated, two were placed on hold, and five advanced..."

After recapping yesterday's results, Zhang Hai continued, "Thanks to the pianists for their wonderful performances. Now, let me reiterate the knockout rules..."

Simply put, the knockout round would eliminate twenty contestants over three days to determine the top ten in the Chinese division. There were 1,859 audience members in the hall, and each had one valid vote. After two contestants faced off, the audience would vote. A contestant who received over 1,000 votes would directly advance to the top ten.

If both contestants received fewer than 1,000 votes, both would be placed on hold. However, it was also possible for both to be eliminated.

Three days later, if there were still vacancies in the top ten, the contestants on hold would face off again to compete for those spots. If the top ten were already full, the contestants on hold would compete for spots in the top fifteen.

To many, Liao Yuan was the favorite to win the Chinese division. Therefore, the remaining nineteen contestants were essentially unwilling to face him in a head-to-head. But such things were uncontrollable.

On stage, a giant glass sphere appeared in front of the host, Zhang Hai, filled with twenty numbered balls. Each number corresponded to the name of a contestant.

Soon, Zhang Hai pressed the button to start the lottery.

"Number 13!"

"Number 17!"

Finally, two numbers were selected.

Contestant number 13, Zheng Lan, known as the "Living Cannon," stood up and immediately looked at Liao Yuan, "What's your number?"

Liao Yuan turned around and looked at the back of his chair, where a bold Arabic numeral was pasted: "Number 1!"

Zheng Lan let out a sigh of relief and smiled, "Thank goodness! Not that unlucky!"

At the same time, contestant number 17 stood up. He looked at Zheng Lan and laughed, "Fatty Zheng, I didn't expect it to be us again. So, have you figured out how you're going to lose?"

Zheng Lan looked at the 17th contestant and snorted, "Oh, who do I see? It's the skinny stick Qiu! Lose? What a joke! This time, I’ll make sure you lose and have no choice but to admit defeat!"

Contestant number 17, Qiu Zhiming, was so thin that he looked like a gust of wind could knock him over, hence the nickname "Skinny Stick Qiu."

Last year, the same scene had played out. Qiu Zhiming and Zheng Lan had both represented the North China division's top ten in the knockouts. Unfortunately, Zheng Lan had lost to Qiu Zhiming by a hundred votes, which led to his immediate exit, leaving him with only the title of top ten in the North China division.

A year later, the two were coincidentally paired together again.

As the saying goes, enemies meeting are particularly hostile. The moment they locked eyes, their competitive auras flared, causing gasps to ripple through the audience.

"I have a feeling Big Cannon Zheng is going to lose again," Eustoma said with a chuckle to Zero-Zero-Yao. "He's already lost his composure after being provoked by Skinny Qiu. In performance, the greatest taboo is extreme joy or sorrow."

"Not necessarily," Zero-Zero-Yao smiled slightly. "I've seen the works Zheng Lan published this past year. His own strength has grown significantly. The final result is unknown until the end; don't jump to conclusions."

Eustoma laughed dismissively. Then, as if sensing something, he glanced at the graceful figure in the corner, suppressed his excitement, and whispered to Zero-Zero-Yao, "Little Yao, see that? Lin Weiyin is here again..."