A few days later.

A small theater in the center of the city of D.

Local folk music and repertory troupes hold regular performances at the theatre every weekend, and if big orchestras from other provinces or abroad come, they give up their seats.

Lovers of folk music, who have nothing to do on weekend evenings, can buy a ticket for fifty yuan, listen to a concert for more than an hour, and relax themselves in the music of "Spring Festival Overture" and "Spring River Flower Moonlight Night" - this is a matter of seven or eight years, and now it will rise to nearly 100 yuan - if you are willing to spend double the money, you can choose the best seat and enjoy it slowly.

Compared with the self-sufficient folk orchestra, the Western Symphony Orchestra of City D is much more miserable. Kong Yiqi, the female conductor of the symphony orchestra, feels that she is a female version of Kong Yiji.

After the theater in the western suburbs was abandoned, her orchestra lost its base, and could only watch other people's eyes all day long, begging for help, and seeing stitches in the performances, and finally disbanded last year.

She doesn't mind losing her job, but she has to think about her two children, Xiao Jin and Xiao Yu.

Xiao Jin, like her mother, wants to be an orchestra conductor; Xiao Yu hopes to become a violinist.

They're going to college this fall, and the more money and connections, of course, the better.

And now there is a window for the national music industry to show itself - China's top Chinese symphony orchestra and choir are about to come to D City to perform, and as a representative of D City conductors (mainly the old conductor of D City who was originally scheduled to be a guest conductor was suddenly hospitalized due to illness), she got the opportunity to conduct this concert.

If the performance of Beethoven's Ninth "Choral Symphony" is successful enough, his value as a conductor will also rise, and he may have a new work contract.

"Xiao Jin, Xiao Yu."

Kong Yiqi's two sons and daughters also came to see the performance, and she arranged them in the first row, as close to the podium as possible, so that she could feel more at ease.

"After all, it's a small place, and it's not a big deal." She heard the principal violin pointing in the auditorium.

……

The conductor and orchestra, who were intensively preparing for it, didn't know that the biggest man in the history of music was on his way to this concert......

By this time, Beethoven had learned how to listen to CDs; He had already listened to all nine of his symphonies from the first to the eighth, but this last "Choral Symphony", the world-famous Ode to Joy, he did not choose to listen to the recording.

"Master," said Dr. Todd timidly at the door of the theater, "we...... I think we should go to Vienna or Berlin, or maybe New York and Boston......"

The master smiled.

"Do you think they're going to play badly?"

"No," said Todd, "I didn't say that. ”

"You know, last year...... I mean, 1824-"

"For you, it's last year."

"I've seen terrible performances many times," Mr. Pei smiled, "not bad this time." ”

Beethoven was speaking lightly, but Todd could feel the emotions hidden in his words.

When the Ninth Symphony premiered, he stood on the podium, but he couldn't hear anything, he could only wave his hands, and then he lowered his head and looked at the score silently, and another conductor finished the work, until the end of the performance, when he was surrounded by a boiling audience, and then he realized that the piece was over.

In the 21st century, hundreds of millions of people around the world have heard a fragment of Ode to Joy, but Beethoven himself has never heard one......

The master himself wanted to make up for this regret for himself. And that's exactly what Todd wanted to do.

All other tunes can be listened to and recorded. The only exception is the Ninth.

"I hope the quality of today's performance will be up to par." Todd secretly cheered for today's female conductor in his heart. Even if it is not possible to have the world's top level, at least it should be worthy of the master's restored hearing.

Chen Qiang is not far away.

He could have invited some of the world's leading orchestras to perform in China, but he didn't.

Chen Qiang has no feelings for classical music, but he is not averse to helping historical celebrities fulfill their wishes during his lifetime.

The sonic monsters didn't reappear.

"Chen Qiang." Suddenly, he heard the master calling his name.

"What?"

"The ticket you bought, right in the middle!" Old Man Bei suddenly protested.

"What? There are no private rooms here, which is the most expensive and the most effective......"

"I know. But I'm going to be in the first row. ”

"But ......"

"I want to be closer to the musicians," he said, "and I want to be able to see their faces." ”

"Okay." Chen Qiang said helplessly, Todd gestured to him again and again, and he decided to accommodate the master's temper.

"The first row should be ......fully booked," Todd pulled Chen Qiang aside, "We'll find someone to exchange tickets later—"

"It's fine." Chen Qiang waved his hand, looking nonchalant, "You go directly to the first row." ”

"What about you?"

"I went to the theater manager's office. I...... I mean, my father had a bit of a friendship with him. ”

All the problems that can be solved with the ability to use money are not a problem for Chen Qiang.

……

Second floor.

In front of the manager's office.

"It's been renovated......" Walking on the thickened red carpet in the corridor, Chen Qiang muttered. He knocked on the door.

"Come in," he heard a strange crisp female voice, "the door is unlocked." ”

Chen Qiang frowned, he remembered that the manager of the theater was a greasy man over fifty years old.

He pushed the door open.

"Who are you?"

Behind the desk, a beautiful white girl in a red cheongsam and a folding fan in her hand sat in the boss's chair.

"Manager Wang is not here today," she said cheerfully, "and I will be in charge of the theater today." Chen Qiang, right? ”

"Tell me your name first," Chen Qiang said, "I don't remember that Lao Wang found a new assistant." ”

"I'm not an assistant," the cheongsam girl shook her head and handed over a business card, "Well, if you have to ask...... Stefana. Stephana Black. ”

"Miss Black, is she?" Chen Qiang put away his business card and looked at the cheongsam girl, she was only sixteen or seventeen years old at most, giving people a cheerful feeling.

"I prefer to be called Elle Cotter," Stephana winks playfully, "that's my mother's last name." Well, call me Stefana, or love Miss Delcott. ”

Chen Qiang glanced at the desk out of the corner of his eye. Two picture frames are placed side by side on the table.

In the first photo, a balding, triangular face, and hooked nose of an eccentric man smiles at the camera. The other photograph — this one is black and white, and looks a little older — is a dark-skinned, tall, thin, jubilant-looking, cheerful man dressed in a costume from the twenties.

"These are my fathers and grandfathers." Stephana happily made an introduction," said Rostalos Black, Antonio Black. ”

“……”

Chen Qiang felt that something he had been worrying about had finally happened......