Chapter 59: On-the-Spot Confrontation! Bring in the Guqin Master

Chapter 59: Chapter 59: On-the-Spot Confrontation! Bring in the Guqin Master

In the end, the contestants for both teams were decided.

The director gave them a great deal of freedom. "Sienna Everett and Selena Hansen, either one of you can go first. You can decide for yourselves."

Selena Hansen’s mind raced. She stepped forward and said, "Director, I’ll go first."

She had always been confident in her guqin abilities. Besides, she was taught by the guqin master Winston Jarvis. ’I can definitely beat Sienna Everett.’

’If I go first and set the audience’s expectations sky-high, then when it’s Sienna Everett’s turn, they’ll naturally feel her performance is just average.’

Selena Hansen looked at Sienna Everett and smiled faintly. "I’ll play first, and you can go after me. Any objections?"

Sienna Everett gave her an indifferent glance. "I’m fine either way."

Selena Hansen turned to the camera with a gentle and modest smile. "I’m a great admirer of the master SG, and I absolutely love his piece, ’Nine Provinces.’ If I don’t play it perfectly in a moment, I hope everyone will be forgiving."

[Selena is being way too modest! You played the guqin on a show before. I remember that episode—you outshone all the professional players!]

Selena Hansen walked to the guqin table and sat down. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself, then placed her hands on the strings and began to play SG’s "Nine Provinces."

You could tell from her posture that she was a professional.

The notes she played were elegant and lingering, resonating with the listeners.

As soon as the piece ended, the room erupted in applause.

Chloe Chambers couldn’t help but gush, "Selena, you are truly a credit to your teacher, the guqin master Winston Jarvis! That was so beautiful! I’ve never heard anyone play the guqin so wonderfully!"

Being praised so effusively, Selena Hansen couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride.

But when she faced the camera, her smile was modest and graceful. "Mr. Chambers, you’re exaggerating."

Chloe Chambers replied, "Not at all! Your exquisite skill on the guqin combined with SG’s composition is a match made in heaven! Dustin, don’t you think so?"

Dustin Everett nodded. "She did play very well."

Of course, in Dustin Everett’s heart, nothing could compare to the original piece by his mentor, SG.

The director raised his microphone and looked toward Sienna Everett’s team. "Selena Hansen has finished. It’s your team’s turn for commentary."

Isabelle Sutton went first. She didn’t know much about the guqin, so she could only offer a general opinion. "It was quite good."

Next was Orion Hawthorne. He lazily tossed out a single phrase: "It was okay."

Chloe Chambers laughed and teased, "Orion, even though we’re rivals, you can’t just deliberately put us down."

Orion Hawthorne dug a finger in his ear. "What are you talking about? I don’t know the first thing about the guqin. To me, it just sounded ’okay’."

"Alright, alright, I’ll let you off the hook for now!" Chloe Chambers turned to Sienna Everett, a smile on his face. "What do you think of your teammate Orion Hawthorne’s review?"

Sienna Everett glanced at Orion Hawthorne and said quietly, "He was being too diplomatic."

What?

Chloe Chambers froze.

Selena Hansen’s expression changed instantly. She glared at Sienna Everett, displeased. "Sienna Everett, what’s that supposed to mean?"

Sienna Everett met her gaze nonchalantly. "’Nine Provinces’ is divided into four parts. You played the first two very well, but you started to struggle from the third part on. Your performance became strained. You were so focused on the technical aspects that you completely neglected the emotional expression."

Hearing this critique, Dustin Everett frowned slightly.

’It’s true,’ he thought. ’’Nine Provinces’ is in four parts, and the difficulty spikes in the third. Many people who study the piece find it hard to progress past that point.’

’Selena’s performance just now did become strained from the third part on. She was concentrating so hard on not making mistakes that her emotional delivery fell short.’

’Still, all things considered, Selena’s performance was actually quite good.’

When Selena Hansen heard Sienna Everett’s critique, she shot to her feet.

The guqin was her greatest source of confidence. Naturally, she couldn’t tolerate such a review.

In the livestream chat, Selena Hansen’s fans were also getting riled up.

[??? Are you kidding me? Who the hell does Sienna Everett think she is, critiquing our Selena like that?]

[Our Selena is the student of the great guqin master Winston Jarvis! She’s not someone to be trifled with!]

[Exactly! Selena’s skill is plain for all to see. It’s not up to an amateur like Sienna Everett to pass judgment!]

[I bet Sienna Everett is just desperate for fame and is using this as a cheap trick to grab the spotlight!]

Selena Hansen also assumed Sienna Everett was just trying to grab the spotlight. With a look of contempt and annoyance, she said, "Sienna Everett, what gives you the right to criticize me like that?"

Sienna Everett lifted her chin slightly and gestured toward the director. "The director asked me to give my opinion."

Selena Hansen was left speechless for a moment, her hands clenching into tight fists. "Sienna Everett, I was taught the guqin by Mr. Winston Jarvis himself. Even he has never said my playing was bad, so what right do you have? Oh, that’s right... you do know who Mr. Winston Jarvis is, don’t you?"

A slight smile played on Sienna Everett’s lips. "I heard earlier. Winston Jarvis is your master."

Selena Hansen’s pride swelled. "Good, as long as you know. Even Mr. Jarvis has never said my playing was poor. What gives you the right to say so?"

Sienna Everett replied, "If Winston Jarvis never told you your playing was bad, it’s because he wasn’t telling you the truth."

"You!" Selena Hansen was so choked with anger she couldn’t speak, nearly grinding her teeth to dust. "Since you’re so sure, Mr. Jarvis happens to be nearby. Why don’t I call him over here to confront you in person?"

After saying this, Selena Hansen turned to the director. "Director, I’d like to ask my master to come over. Would that be okay?"

The director immediately nodded. "Of course, you can!"

’Winston Jarvis? The famous guqin master? He’s a legend!’

’It would be an honor for the production team to have him on the show!’

Besides, Master Jarvis was nearby, so it wouldn’t cause any delays.

Still, the production team decided to poll the viewers in the livestream chat.

The viewers immediately flooded the chat with messages of approval. After all, it wasn’t every day they got to see a figure of Winston Jarvis’s stature, so of course, they were eager for the opportunity.

A staff member handed Selena Hansen her phone.

Selena Hansen dialed Winston Jarvis’s number.

It just kept ringing. No one answered.

Selena Hansen gritted her teeth and dialed again.

This time, it rang for a long time again. Just as the call was about to automatically disconnect, someone finally picked up.

At the production team’s request, Selena Hansen put the call on speakerphone.

An old man’s slightly impatient voice came through the phone. "What do you want?"

Selena Hansen said respectfully, "Master, I just played SG’s ’Nine Provinces’ on the show. It’s the piece you personally taught me, but someone is saying I didn’t play it well."

The old man’s tone was casual. "So let them talk."

Selena Hansen grew anxious. "Master, that person didn’t just say I played poorly. They also said you weren’t telling me the truth."

The old man paused for two seconds, then hurriedly asked, "Who said that?"

Selena Hansen immediately reported, "Sienna Everett!"

The other end of the line went silent for two seconds. Suddenly, there was a loud CRASH, as if something had been dropped on the floor.

Selena Hansen quickly asked, "Master, are you alright?"

The old man’s voice trembled as he replied, "I’m on my way! Right now!"

After hanging up, Selena Hansen was inwardly gloating. ’Master really does care about me,’ she thought.

She shot Sienna Everett a contemptuous look. "My master will be here soon."

Sienna Everett remained perfectly composed, her expression unruffled. "Good."

Selena Hansen sneered inwardly.

’Keep up the act,’ she thought. ’Once my master arrives, you’ll get what you deserve!’