Chapter 65: "We Are Not Afraid of Hardship; What We Fear Is Getting No Results" (Seeking monthly votes, recommendation votes, and readership!)

These seemingly unrelated identities were connected in a remarkably logical manner.

Netizens were completely blown away.

The various theme songs featured in *Immortal Heroes* were immensely popular, ethereal, exuding a distinct Xia style, delicate and lyrical.
Chen Meijing’s new album was slaughtering the music charts.
The explosive debut of the DP Band.

Perhaps these could still be linked together somehow.

However, how the hell did *Chick Chick* and *I Am a Rebellious Butterfly* manage to sneak into the mix? This was genuinely baffling beyond comprehension.

[I thought I discovered an artist, but he turned around and threw a turd right at my face.]
[I am suddenly feeling very pessimistic about the DP Band. Please tell me they aren't going to start off strong and then go completely insane...]
[This guy seems extremely talented and his skills are top-notch, but why does he always like to lose his mind?]
[Do me a favor and stay away from black metal and deathcore; your leader's mental state is deeply concerning.]

Netizens were truly perplexed.

Earlier, there had been news questioning whether Chen Meijing had a mental illness, but before the rumor could gain traction, it was instantly suppressed by the release of *Mirage*.

*There are always great scholars willing to debate the scriptures for me.*

By the time the new album was out slaughtering the charts, plenty of people were willing to offer explanations, and the topic of "Chen Meijing's mental illness" was left completely unspoken.

Yet at this very moment, everyone abruptly realized:
The one who was actually losing his mind was someone else entirely. The ultimate culprit was right here!!

As netizens bombarded the comment section with expressions of shock, insiders began to step forward to share their perspectives.

[Ah, Li Can? He's just like this; he's got a bit of craziness in him.]
[People in the industry actually all know him. He's quite famous.]
[Yeah, within the circle, he's practically renowned as a dual-natured entity of divinity and demonic madness.]
[Whatever crazy thing he pulls off, it's never surprising. The industry is used to it; our threshold is high.]

Glancing through the comments online,
Chen Gang and Zhao Ze exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly.
The fact that Brother Can was a bit unhinged was truly no illusion—it was a consensus.

"Alright, let's just handle the PR for now. I need to go live-stream."
"Go ahead. I'll keep an eye on the studio here."

Zhao Ze brewed a cup of coffee and began organizing the studio's documents and appointment letters.

As the studio's reputation gradually grew within the industry, the number of appointment letters seeking collaboration was increasing daily. Although most had to be declined due to recent busyness, long-term projects were still being locked in advance.
Many collaborative projects spanned several years and certainly wouldn't be rejected just because of a short-term rush.
These projects were far more important—vastly more important than booking one or two songs.

...

Li Can, who had briefly become a trending topic on Weibo, was completely unaware of it.

At that moment, Li Can was inside the National Centre for the Performing Arts, rehearsing with the National Symphony Orchestra.

When the rehearsal concluded and the musicians departed, Li Can slumped exhausted beside the conductor's podium, unceremoniously pulling his musical score over his face to block the light.

Liu Kangping, the head of the National Orchestra, walked over with a warm smile and asked with concern.

"Student Li Can, what's wrong? Are you a bit tired? Or is there an issue with the rehearsal?"
"Sigh..."

Li Can stood up and sat down with Liu Kangping in the section reserved for the violins.

After a moment of hesitation, a deeply troubled expression washed over Li Can's face as he slowly spoke.

"The orchestra has massive problems—truly massive ones. Ordinarily, it shouldn't be my place to say this, nor is it my role to evaluate it, but... if we truly want to achieve the anticipated effect, the orchestra as it is right now... simply cannot do it."
"Oh?"

Liu Kangping straightened his posture, his attitude turning much more serious.

He did not treat Li Can as a mere junior at all, nor did he harbor any dissatisfaction.
After all, as the orchestra leader, Liu Kangping was the person most acutely aware of the problems plaguing the ensemble.

"Could you elaborate in detail?"
"..."

Li Can nodded and slowly continued.

"Our domestic orchestras started late and formed late. The average proficiency of the musicians is very high, but our concertmasters haven't reached the level where they are strong enough to command the vitality of an entire section."
"Moreover, after targeted restructuring and expansion of the sections, there are far too many musicians who are only temporarily capable of shouldering the responsibilities of a concertmaster. Many of them are just gritting their teeth and trying to push through."
"This creates immense trouble and pressure for the conducting work, and individual skills cannot be fully unleashed."

Liu Kangping nodded with a solemn expression.

The concertmaster is paramount within an orchestra, commanding a salary far exceeding that of regular musicians.
Their duty is to establish the fingering, bowing methods, playing styles, techniques, and organizational training for their section in accordance with the conductor's demands, as well as to mark nuances in timing, dynamics, and other technical issues.

To satisfy the artistic demands of the composition, the orchestra had undergone section expansion, leading to an immediate and acute shortage of personnel.
Given the reality that concertmaster development and training were already somewhat inadequate, this was nothing short of adding frost to snow.

"What else?"
"There are still many other problems."

Li Can sighed.

"The timbre of the strings, the volume control of the winds."
"Dynamic coloration... the problems are all too significant. This is the insurmountable chasm that separates a first-class orchestra from a top-tier one."

Liu Kangping nodded earnestly.

This actually had nothing to do with the individual skill of the musicians.
Rather, it came down to coordination and tacit understanding.

After all, Li Can's demands regarding acoustic intensity in this piece were extraordinarily harsh; it required transitioning from an ultra-soft 20 decibels to a peak acoustic level of 120 decibels within a mere second.
Only in this way could emotional tension be truly expressed.
If the dynamic gap was merely the orchestral norm of 60 to 90 decibels, the resulting emotional tension would fall far short.

Liu Kangping nodded.
Li Can had already phrased it very tactfully.
If one were to strictly evaluate it by international top-tier standards, the only fitting description would be a "shambolic amateur troupe."

The progress of an orchestra could not be achieved overnight.
Li Can could not instantly cause a qualitative transformation in the national orchestra; all he could do was push the expression within his own single piece to the absolute highest standard possible.

"The cooperative attitude and training intensity of the musicians—are there any issues there?"
"No."

Li Can shook his head.

"Word has it that our opponent might be Berlin, so everyone is holding their breath and pushing themselves to the limit."

The musicians' earnestness and humility, along with their arduous training and high intensity, were all witnessed firsthand by Li Can.
Although this was merely an artistic exchange,
if they were going up against Berlin—
even if it was just an exchange, no one wanted to lose in an ugly fashion!

During this period, in order to adjust their physical states, these musicians had even begun strictly controlling their diets, with a level of stringency that surpassed professional athletes.
No oil, low sodium, high protein, leafy greens, low carbohydrates.
Most of them even slept for less than five hours a night while practicing their instruments for over sixteen hours a day.
Before every rehearsal, in order to relax their muscles even further, they would consume massive amounts of bananas to replenish their potassium levels.

The owner of the fruit shop nearest to the Grand Theatre had worked through the night to deliver two truckloads of bananas, terrified of running out of supply.

Seemingly sensing Li Can's dilemma, Liu Kangping smiled.

"I understand how you feel, but... if there are problems, they must be voiced. Escaping problems prevents progress. When criticism is due, you must criticize! Do not pity them."
"We are not afraid of hardship; what we fear is that after the hardship... there is no result. We fear that the suffering is all in vain!"
"We are terrified of letting the audiences of Xia down. What we have never feared is scolding and criticism; what we fear is failing to stand at the summit in the name of our nation!"

With that, Liu Kangping stood up and gently patted Li Can on the shoulder.

"...Mercy does not command soldiers!"
"..."

Li Can clenched his teeth slightly and nodded with a solemn expression.

It wasn't that Li Can was unfamiliar with orchestras, nor was it because he didn't understand these principles.
If it were a foreign orchestra and they fell short, he would simply start yelling.
At worst, they could have a physical showdown.
But this was the National Orchestra.
The musicians endured the scoldings, carried the burden of blame, remained silent, gritted their teeth, and drove themselves mercilessly.
Many musicians were even taking antidepressant medication.
No one was forcing them, but they carried the banner of the entire Xia orchestral standard on their shoulders.
Otherwise, given their proficiency, these people could have long since gone abroad and developed thriving careers.
Everyone gathered here were comrades-in-arms.

Under these circumstances, Li Can truly found it difficult to be heartless.

"Alright, I understand."

Li Can took a deep breath, looked at Liu Kangping, and his gaze sharpened like a falcon's.

"I need to hold a meeting with the concertmasters and acting concertmasters, and... summon personnel from the Central Conservatory of Music!"
"Good!"

Liu Kangping nodded forcefully, looking straight into Li Can's eyes with unwavering determination.

"We will cooperate with you fully! Who do you want to summon? Just name them!"
"Jiang Jinhua, Zhou Liping, Xu Zhendong, Jia Chunxue, Yu Zechun, Chen Ping..."
"Wait!"

Liu Kangping's resolute expression instantly collapsed.
He stared at Li Can in sheer disbelief.
Was this guy rattling off a restaurant menu of dishes right now?!
Did he even realize who the people he was naming actually were?

"Are you certain?"
"Certain!"
"..."

Seeing that Li Can was not joking, Liu Kangping lost his composure completely, his expression turning extraordinarily colorful.

"Did you just manage to uproot several professors from the Vocal Music Department of the Central Conservatory of Music, along with the head of the department?!"
"Not just them."

Li Can frowned, his expression earnest.

"Their students as well."
"?!?!"