Chapter Twenty-Four: The Pianist in the Flames
Italy is a fascinating country consisting mainly of the Apennine Peninsula in southern Europe and two islands in the Mediterranean, Sicily and Sardinia.
Italy is a developed capitalist country, one of the four largest economies in Europe, a founding member of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and a member of important international organizations such as the Schengen Agreement, the G8 and the United Nations.
The country is also a world leader in art and fashion, and its city of Florence is the birthplace of the European Renaissance movement.
The Arno River runs through the city, with seven bridges on both sides, and the population reached 440,000 in 1982.
In a Renaissance-style building not far from the Florentine Academy of Fine Arts, a young man sits in front of the piano and plays, his hands fluttering on the keys, and the beautiful melody and the golden sunlight that shines through the window form a perfect picture.
It is said that Italy is a romantic country, and the people are very happy and relaxed, but in the sound of this young man's piano, you can hear full of sadness and confusion.
His eyes were not focused, but very scattered, and the whole person was like a puppet controlled by silk threads to sit in front of the piano, mechanically playing music one after another.
"Andrey, my dear Andrei." The door was violently pushed open, and a group of young Italians dressed in fancy clothes walked in and looked at Andrea who was playing the piano.
"When will your money be returned? Romance and art can't be used for money! The young man in the red suit leaned against Andrei's piano with a cynical face in his mouth, holding a lollipop in his mouth, and his tone was a little out of tune.
"I ...... Not enough yet...... Andre's face lost its blood, and the sound of the piano stopped, and for a moment the room was only the sound of musical instruments coming from next door.
"Hehe, I didn't make up enough piano to talk about a fart, which grand pianist do you think you are? Hahaha! ”
The young man in the red suit laughed loudly at Andrei, and the attendants behind him also began to laugh.
Andrea, a 23-year-old student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, had won fifth place in a world-class piano competition and had a bright future, but was ruined by a woman.
That was a year ago.
Andre's brown curly hair, high nose bridge and deep facial features make him look talented, and he unknowingly aroused the envy of many girls when he competed in a suit.
Among the large number of female fans he gained, there was a girl with a good face, and they were under the disciple of a teacher, so naturally, Andre fell in love with his senior sister.
This is very common in Italy, even his own teacher said that he and the girl were a good match, and the future was bright, and the end of vigorous love was often tragic.
Within a few months, a rich boy fell in love with Andre's girlfriend, Anna Wygens.
The rich son is just the second son of a rich man, and the rich man usually doesn't discipline him at all, which also makes the second son's temper bigger and bigger, and he is usually even more arrogant and arrogant.
Although both of them tried their best to avoid being discovered by the gold-plated son, it was fate.
One day, André returned to his rented home and happily bought a bouquet of roses to give to Anna, only to find Anna sitting on the sofa in despair.
She was forced by them.
They also threatened her grandmother, who had no power to resist.
She had no choice but to do so.
Hearing this, Andre's heart was about to break, and he immediately prepared to fight hard.
"Nope! Don't go, Andrey! They have guns at home! Or the forces that collude with officials! Under his own investigation, the family of the rich son was identified:
The Italian Florentine mafia has done all kinds of evil, human trafficking and trade in DU products are commonplace, and they are even colluding with government officials, and their influence is all over Italy.
He hated why he didn't have the strength to help the girl he loved get justice.
Immediately afterward, he completely collapsed.
When I got home one day, I looked up and found Anna's body hanging from the chandelier that had just been installed yesterday.
On the glass chandelier, the cold body of the lover is hung, and a love ends in tragedy.
The police who came to conduct the autopsy were even more perfunctory, until a kind coroner secretly told him: it was he who killed, and the truth was covered up by the mafia.
The leaking coroner was dead on the streets the next day.
Andrei's flame of revenge was completely covered - he lost the heart to resist, and thought that it would be like this, but the rich boy was not ready to let him go, forcing him to pay back a non-existent "girl's loan".
200,000 US dollars became the last straw that crushed him.
Since then, he has given up the pursuit of art and wandered the streets in despair, begging others to give him a job as a way to pay off his debts.
"Lao Tzu is here today to tell you that you have to repay a total of 400,000 US dollars if you count the interest!" The young man in the red suit laughed loudly and told Andrei the desperate news.
"For ...... Why?! Didn't you say 200,000 good? ”
"Nonsense, Lao Tzu said as much as he wanted, go and raise money - otherwise you will sell your organs to pay back the money if it collapses, who told you that you don't even have relatives, otherwise you can pay off your debts by selling the house, hahaha!"
He pushed the door frantically and left, leaving André sitting in the piano room.
The sun shone on his hand, and he immediately withdrew his hand in fear, hiding the whole person in the shadows.
Looking at the piano, I was dressed in casual clothes, and I couldn't wear a suit anymore......
"Why don't you leave it at that?" Andrei thought, find a better place, jump in, and there will be nothing.
Why is my experience so tragic? Are all human beings never created equal? So who is the freedom and romance that this country shows...... See?!
The anger that had long been extinguished gradually rose.
In the next second, Andre hurriedly sat back in front of the piano in fear, only when he played the piano, he would not feel any emotional fluctuations, as long as he was impulsive - it would be certain death!
He's just a coward, daring to be angry but not speaking out, and no one has ever cared about him...... Why?
I should have lived my life in peace...... I'm not reconciled!
Playing the piano, tears unconsciously flowed down and dripped on the black and white keys.
Suddenly, Andre laughed sarcastically, as if mocking himself reflected on the dark piano, and played "Feeling Good"
With the sound of his piano, cracks gradually appeared in the walls, and the young man playing the guitar next door suddenly stopped, and then the whole building gradually stopped practicing their own activities, leaving only Andrei's piano.
The melody of jazz with a thick irony constantly washes over everyone's head.
When the game reaches its climax, the emotions of unwillingness, sadness, distortion, and revenge are revealed from the sound of the piano.
Andrei's eyes were tightly closed, and he laughed and cried, tears lingering.
Suddenly, the sound of the piano became softened, and the whole building stood up at the same time!
André entered a pure white space, he saw the silhouettes of countless people, felt himself connected to them, and he tried to manipulate them with the sound of the piano - in playing, he could control everyone who heard the music, and through the emotions of playing made them sad, angry, faint, attack each other, and could also strengthen or weaken them.
What's more, he can control those people and make them do anything!
As long as the soul-piercing sound does not end, the control will not be broken!
The flame of revenge in Andrei's heart burned violently again, but this time, he did not stop the flames from burning.
Burn it all, and I'll avenge you, Anna.
Andrei opened his eyes and returned to the real world, and when the song ended, the whole building was back to normal: he just felt as if he had done something, and he couldn't tell what it was......
Even if I become a mutant, I'm going to kill you all.
Mafia...... Just wait.
When he got home, Andre washed his face and looked at himself in the mirror in the decadence, and he smiled helplessly.
Shaved, washed my face, and even put on some light makeup - everything was the same as the night I met Anna a year ago.
Put on that burgundy suit, put on a dark blue tie, and take out leather shoes that are shiny at any time.
After thinking about it before going out, he took out a red ribbon, which was the only birthday gift Anna had ever given.
"Hehe......"
Tonight, it was the wedding of the eldest son of the mafia boss, and many people came - after all, on the surface, the mafia's industry is legal, and its boss is also a well-known philanthropist in Florence.
The wedding in the evening was more like a gala, with countless expensive wines being drunk as soft drinks, and young men and women frantically forcing each other to perfume.
The whole wedding was lively, and the money burned was enough for Andre to pay off his debts hundreds of times.
Andrei easily blended in, his identity as a pianist who was brought in to accompany him.
"Now, please step on the stage, where our bride and groom will kiss!" As the host shouted, the guests sat down at the bottom of the stage.
The pianist is the closest soundtrack to the center of the stage, and André can clearly see the disgusting face of the eldest son of the mafia, revealing an evil aura from top to bottom.
Andre suppressed his ups and downs and played honestly.
Just when the bride and groom were about to kiss together, the solo piano suddenly stopped, and the other soundtracks looked over and signaled Andre to pick it up quickly.
Andrei ignored everyone, took out the red ribbon, and covered his eyes - these disgusting things are not worth seeing!
"Hey, what's going on? Go on! The groom whispered a few words, today is a big day, and he doesn't want to get angry in front of the rich bride.
The mafia boss in the audience frowned, "What's going on with this thing?" ”
André slowly put his hands on the keys, as if he was back in the arena a year ago, and at this time, Anna should be watching me from the audience......
The piano sounded again, but instead of a cheerful wedding soundtrack, it was the ironic "Feeling good", and this time, André unreservedly used his abilities.
The person who heard the sound of the piano shook his body, and his soul seemed to tremble, and then the person who had a gun at the scene suddenly stood up and drew his gun, and opened fire at the people around him!
And the person who was targeted didn't have time to resist, and died at the gunpoint of his own people!
"What's going on...... Cover my retreat! The mafia boss hurriedly beckoned his subordinates who had not yet been controlled, and prepared to evacuate - if his son didn't want it, he didn't want it, he didn't know how many of his own wild seeds were still outside, why not find another one!
It's a pity that Andrei won't let anyone leave the party alive, and the sound of the piano is getting more and more intense, layer upon layer.
Bounce and bounce, he remembered a lot:
"Hello, I'm Anna Wygens, I just saw you in action, great! Nothing short of genius! ”
"Hehe, it's over, I didn't expect you to be a student of the teacher, so I have to call you a senior sister?"
"Don't be so outlooked, just call me Anna."
……
"Anna, I bought a bottle of wine today, how about a candlelit dinner in the evening?"
"Okay, but don't waste money like this, we're not rich, don't squander it like this."
"Gee, it's a big day – it's the first anniversary of you and I having known each other!"
“…… When you and I have graduated, let's go to Paris? Also going to San Francisco, Tokyo, Turkey ......"
"Okay, okay, everything is up to you."
……
"Why...... Why!? Anna!! ”
Dear Andrey, when you read this letter, I am already dead, do not grieve for me and do not go to them for revenge. Live well, André, take care of my grandmother, you just have to tell her that I'm going to Paris to learn to paint.
I'm sorry, but I'm an irresponsible girlfriend and I can't protect myself......
Finally, forget about me, Andrey.
"Boom!" The gasoline placed around exploded, and the flames of vengeance engulfed everyone.
They stood still, waiting for the flames to burn themselves.
They are like sculptures in flames, all looking at the burgundy figure on the stage, the red ribbon covering the eyes of the performer, who is like a lonely dancer, sinking in his own world.
This vengeful luthier never wanted to get out alive -
The red figure danced his hands in the firelight, and the shadows were reflected behind him, playing together.
When the flame lit the piano, he suddenly regretted a little: why didn't anyone remove so many evils in this world? Perhaps, I can be this "scavenger"?
It's a pity that there is no way to escape......
Alright, Anna, I'm coming.
Loving you has become my secret
You walked lightly and didn't take a dark cloud with you
Bury my memories here in the past
Time moves forward without leaving a trace