Chapter 306: Chance Encounter

Chapter 306: Chance Encounter

As the city lights began to shine, Chu Ge took a taxi to the opera house where Daniel Robin’s concert was taking place.

This venue had its own unique style. Unlike other concerts held in sports arenas, this one was held in an opera house. It meant there weren’t many seats, making it a highly exclusive event. Those who came to listen to this kind of pure piano performance were already part of an exclusive group – either the “upper class” or music enthusiasts.

Chu Ge belonged to neither group. Since he started playing the flute with Qiu Wuji, he could barely be considered the latter. As Qiu Wuji pointed out, if people wanted to listen, they would attend traditional Chinese music concerts.

Listening to a piano performance of Chopin or Mozart didn’t hold much appeal for him.

Might as well consider it a break.

Upon entering and checking his ticket, Chu Ge found that there weren’t too many people in attendance. The auditorium was about two-thirds full, which was more than he had expected.

No wonder Long Qi Jia easily got tickets.

Chu Ge found his seat, which was neither in the front nor the back but slightly off to the side. There was no one sitting in the adjacent seat, so he felt rather comfortable. He reclined in his chair, dozing off, while his mind continued to reminisce about the feeling of peering into time from the book.

Young Chu Tiange, Sword Immortal Qiu Wuji...

Could he see a disciple Qiu Wuji, the young, inexperienced Qiu Wuji, the adolescent Qiu Wuji, or the young girl with a runny nose who wore crotchless pants?”

“So you want to see me in crotchless pants from old photos. Looks like I need to see you in it first. Ha-ha-ha.”

As he was thinking about this, a fragrant breeze wafted over his nose. Chu Ge subconsciously opened his eyes and was almost scared out of his wits.

Gu Ruoyan was standing next to him, looking at him in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

Chu Ge was rendered speechless.

“I was about to ask you the same thing. Is it such a rare occurrence for someone from Nanjiang to attend a performance in Nanjiang? You’re an official from the capital. What are you doing here?”

Gu Ruoyan looked around, shook her head without answering, and simply sat down next to Chu Ge.

Chu Ge instinctively shifted away.

Gu Ruoyan chuckled. “Am I some fierce beast that’ll devour you?”

Chu Ge was nearly in tears. “My girlfriend is a vinegar jar. We’ve never attended a concert together. Now I’m here with you; please don’t lead me to my death.”

Gu Ruoyan said calmly, “I’m here on official business. Do you want to leave?”

“...”

“So many people are here at this concert. Can your girlfriend finish such a large jar of vinegar? I can’t believe a big guy like you is so timid,” Gu Ruoyan said, looking at him with squinted eyes. Her face seemed to be silently saying that there was a reason she didn’t like him initially.

Chu Ge: “Damn.”

He helplessly sat back in his chair. “Is your seat here?”

“Yes.” Gu Ruoyan said with a straight face, “Who wants to sit with you?”

“...”

As they talked, the theater’s lights dimmed. The once-chatty audience grew quiet, including Chu Ge and Gu Ruoyan, as they all turned their attention to the stage.

A spotlight illuminated a grand piano on one corner of the stage, and a tall, handsome middle-aged Caucasian man sat beside it. He pressed the first key.

His fingertips blossomed, and the beautiful melody of “Für Elise” flowed gracefully from the piano, filling the silent theater with enchanting music.

Chu Ge and Gu Ruoyan stopped talking and leaned back in their chairs, listening attentively.

Regardless of their positions or intentions, music itself was a powerful weapon, capable of making people willingly feel and listen.

Especially with a classic piece like “Für Elise” being played by a renowned pianist, it only took a few seconds for it to captivate the audience.

Chu Ge had to admit that this pianist was truly talented, at least better than his own unskilled attempts at playing the flute that had earned him scoldings from Qiuqiu.

But in Chu Ge’s eyes, it didn’t necessarily surpass Qiuqiu’s skills with the guqin/zither, even though they were different instruments. However, his partiality made it hard for him to be objective.

While others were immersed in the music, Chu Ge began observing Daniel Robin. He was a typical handsome middle-aged white man, who somewhat resembled Tom Cruise, and it must be said that he was quite charismatic. Chu Ge found himself involuntarily trying to compare Mi Xiaolin with him, wondering if they were a good match. But he soon chuckled to himself, realizing the absurdity of such comparisons.

As for the fluctuations of supernatural abilities...

He couldn’t sense anything.

Chu Ge turned to look at Gu Ruoyan, who was frowning and appeared to be deep in thought as she watched the performance on stage.

“How is it?” Chu Ge asked in a hushed tone. “You’ve been doing this job for a long time, and you’re experienced. Have you noticed anything?”

Gu Ruoyan replied, “Nothing.”

“What about reading minds? Can you pick up anything? If he’s a very powerful ability user, can he shield himself from your mind-reading?”

Gu Ruoyan glanced at him and said, “Yes, just like your girlfriend.”

Chu Ge raised an eyebrow.

Gu Ruoyan continued, “Regardless of whether he has psychic abilities or not, at least right now, he’s not blocking anything. I can sense that he’s completely immersed in the music at the moment, and his thoughts are filled with soaring musical notes.”

So, this observation was equivalent to a wasted opportunity to gather information? Thankfully, he hadn’t paid for the ticket.

Chu Ge looked intently at the stage, inwardly thinking that he himself was like a mighty Illusionist God, who should theoretically be more powerful than Gu Ruoyan. If he couldn’t discern anything, then it was highly unlikely anyone else could.

But he had to consider another possibility...

From his experience of playing music with Qiu Wuji, Chu Ge was acutely aware that music didn’t necessarily require psychic abilities or special techniques. If you were deeply immersed in the art of music, the music itself was a form of ability. It could evoke various emotions and immerse people in different experiences.

So, was it possible for someone to use music alone to brainwash or hypnotize others?

Chu Ge glanced around, and he couldn’t help but feel that the people in the audience had a fanatical and almost obsessed aura about them.