"Call the police! Must be a broke Beijing Drifter artist!"
"Hahaha, you know, I also met one before, a street performer insisting he’d become a big star someday... asked the boss to treat him to a meal..."
Amidst the mocking laughter of the onlookers, the man unhurriedly took out his cello from the case.
When this cello emerged, it made Lin Tian grimace as well.
Anyone who loves cellos would hate to see this.
Yet another battle-damaged cello, with so many scratches on the body that Lin Tian couldn’t begin to count them.
Considering the man’s earlier act of using the bow to knock on a bowl.
It seemed like smashing someone with the cello wasn’t off the table either.
The things Lin Tian wanted to see Gan Yanyu do seemed to often happen with this man.
Watching the man set up the battered cello, Lin Tian almost felt like selling him on his and Gan Yanyu’s cello.
The man swayed his head, lifted his bow and made a couple of sweeping motions in the air, as if finding the right mood.
Then, he started playing the strings.
A section of melodious yet rapid music arose.
Lin Tian and Gan Yanyu both froze in place.
The melody was familiar, but they couldn’t quite place it.
After a while of listening, they barely recognized it.
...Damn, it’s a very famous piece in this world—"Spring Overture."
But he turned it into a dark jazz style!!
The man’s bow danced on the strings like it was electrified, the string sound like a mangled firecracker.
Not commenting on other things, just this performance alone.
Lin Tian immediately sensed the cello player was no ordinary musician.
Before he had time to further confirm,
Lin Tian witnessed a performance he probably would never forget for the rest of his life...
After finishing one section, the man suddenly kicked open the cello case.
Took out a Jinghu and placed it on the cello.
Using the cello bow, he played the Jinghu!
The Jinghu’s shriek sounded like nails on a chalkboard, while the cello’s bass turned into an old Beijing peddler’s chant: "Grind~ mirrors~"
At this point, the man also turned on his phone, playing a recording of pigeon whistle sounds... while he played, he mimicked the cries of a red bird.
This was old Baijing’s bird-keeping culture, yet with this man, it was increasingly bizarre to watch.....
The previously cursing bald boss froze upon hearing this.
After a moment, he finally reacted:
"That bastard played the funeral Suona tune from my dad’s funeral?!"
"Damn!! What a lunatic!!"
"The earlier part was quite nice, then he suddenly played some nonsense??"
"There’s got to be something wrong with his brain, right?!"
The onlookers cursed variously.
However, Gan Yanyu, who had been quietly watching the entire scene, now showed a slightly surprised expression.
"He’s using the cello to mimic the ’Sesame Scattering’ technique of the three-string lute..."
"Remarkable... to perform at such a level....."
Gan Yanyu said softly.
Lin Tian looked at Gan Yanyu, a bit dazed.
"Sesame Scattering" is a rapid fingerpicking technique in the three-string lute performance, named for the dense sound like sesame seeds scattering.
The performer alternates the right-hand index, middle, and ring fingers swiftly to produce a continuous series of fine notes, like raindrops hitting lotus leaves, or the rustling of wind through bamboo.
To achieve such a level of mastery at will.
This cello player before them... his skills are truly unfathomable.
It’s no wonder, he could make Gan Yanyu display that kind of surprise.....
Lin Tian glanced back at the man.
At this moment, he turned his attention to the man’s appearance.
In the midst of the intense performance, Lin Tian carefully observed the man’s face, his brows increasingly furrowed.
Beneath the disheveled look,
This guy’s facial features... actually quite handsome?