Ten o'clock in the morning.
Having received the invitation yesterday but unable to come immediately, Lang Yuan, after finishing his video conference this morning, rushed to Gao Fei's home, eager to appreciate his younger brother's newly composed piano piece.
Gao Fei, who was busy planning his money-making scheme, hadn't expected Teacher Lang to be so enthusiastic, arriving at ten in the morning.
However, at this hour, the night owls who enjoyed surfing the internet were still asleep.
In the plan, netizens were an indispensable and crucial element.
It was only ten o'clock, not yet time for the plan to begin.
He had invited Lang Yuan precisely because of his passion for the piano.
Jin Qiqi, as his agent, felt too embarrassed to deceive a renowned pianist and hid in the study, letting her boss handle the conversation with Teacher Lang.
Gao Fei was notoriously thick-skinned, a reputation he had earned at school and in the military.
Upon Lang Yuan's arrival, Gao Fei didn't mention the new piano composition at all.
Instead, he chatted with Lang Yuan in the villa, discussing his insights on the piano and talking about pianists from home and abroad.
After nearly half an hour, Lang Yuan began to sense something was amiss.
"Didn't we agree to come and appreciate the new piano piece? Why is little brother chatting with me about everyday gossip?"
He became suspicious and glanced at Gao Fei, who was making tea. He chuckled, "Xiao Fei, do I need to do something for you before I can hear your new piece today?"
Gao Fei, his deception seen through, showed no embarrassment and immediately addressed Lang Yuan as "Ge" (older brother) affectionately, saying, "Brother Lang, what are you saying? Does your younger brother need to do anything for you before you can hear his new piece?"
As he spoke, he put down the teapot and walked to the piano placed at the entrance.
He prepared to play the new piece he had selected for Teacher Lang, "Moonlight."
Seeing that his younger brother was about to play a new piece, Lang Yuan's eyes lit up with excitement.
Simultaneously, he took out the camera he had prepared and aimed it at Gao Fei's back.
"Dong dong..."
Gao Fei habitually tested the keys first, then slowly closed his eyes and began to play Beethoven's famous piece, "Moonlight," from his past life.
The first movement of "Moonlight" is in C-sharp minor, in 2/2 time.
The tempo is slow and somber.
The piano music narrated tenderness, sorrow, and also dark emotions that coexisted within it.
As he was about to transition into the second movement, which already had a strong rhythm and emotional expression,
Gao Fei suddenly stopped, and the music abruptly ceased.
Lang Yuan, who had been closing his eyes and feeling the new piece, was already moved. He felt the second movement was a transition with intense conflict.
But the sudden stop made him frown. It was like watching a thrilling scene in a movie, only for the internet to suddenly lag.
He desperately wanted to hear the rest of the movement.
Because this new piece gave him the feeling that it was comparable to, or even surpassed, the world-renowned piece "Für Elise."
Lang Yuan looked at Gao Fei, whose back was to him, and his impatience could no longer be contained: "Xiao Fei, why did you stop so suddenly? Is it possible that the latter part of the movement hasn't been composed yet?"
He took the bait!
Gao Fei, the cunning schemer, chuckled inwardly and turned around with a sorrowful sigh, saying, "I'm sorry, Brother Lang, I might not be in the right state today and cannot play the emotions of the latter movement.
Would you like to schedule another time? I'll try my best to adjust my state and present the new piece to Brother Lang perfectly next time."
However, Lang Yuan, who was deeply passionate about the piano, would not wait for another time.
"Xiao Fei, is it the studio, or is there an emotional problem?
If there's anything I can help with, please don't hesitate to tell me! No need to be polite!"
After Teacher Lang finished speaking, Gao Fei's objective was achieved.
"Teacher Lang, I do have a rather impertinent request. I'd like you to cooperate with me online in a play."
He no longer concealed his intentions and directly revealed his plan to earn money by selling stone and wood carvings, asking Teacher Lang to act as a stooge.
He also mentioned that if Teacher Lang could help him complete the plan, he would definitely present the entire new piece, and even lend out the sheet music.
Normally, Lang Yuan would have been disgusted by such a request and would have immediately refused on the spot.
But facing Gao Fei, who was a genius in both composition and performance, the unfinished new piano piece, and the extremely tempting sheet music,
He felt no displeasure and no aversion. Instead, he agreed to the request and promised his full cooperation.
Lang Yuan nodded, and Gao Fei sat back down at the piano, preparing to play the remaining movements.
But before he could start, he was stopped by Teacher Lang.
The reason was simple: he wanted Gao Fei to resolve his troubles first before playing perfectly.
For Teacher Lang, the performance of a piano piece had to be perfect, whether on stage or off.
Gao Fei agreed to Lang Yuan's request and called Jin Qiqi over, asking her to explain the role-playing aspect of the money-making plan to Teacher Lang.
Seeing that her boss had successfully tricked Teacher Lang into falling into the trap and willingly acting as a stooge for selling stone and wood carvings,
Jin Qiqi couldn't help but give him a thumbs-up.
Within the core circles of the Dragon Country, everyone knew that getting Lang Yuan to endorse something was as difficult as climbing to heaven.
Let alone asking Lang Yuan to be a stooge, it was something no one had ever dared to imagine.
Twelve o'clock noon.
The night owls who enjoyed staying up late surfing the internet, playing games, and engaging in online relationships also began to become active.
After lunch, everyone was in place.
Jin Qiqi logged into her alternate account and began to post new photos of stone and wood carvings.
Since the netizens already knew she was an employee of the "Silhouette Pianist,"
The photos had only been posted for two minutes before receiving over a thousand likes and a hundred comments.
The comment section was filled with netizens' praise.
At the same time, seven or eight officially verified accounts of Dragon Country sculpture collectors also posted their bids in the comment section, wanting to acquire the stone and wood carvings from the "Silhouette Pianist."
About twenty minutes later, Lang Yuan's social media account went online and simultaneously reposted the sculpture photos posted by Jin Qiqi.
"Little brother's technique is getting better and better. I've seen the works of many top international sculptors, and little brother's technique has already surpassed theirs."
Teacher Lang commented on the stone and wood carvings in the photos, and tens of thousands of netizens gave him likes.
Furthermore, two well-known sculptors in the country also liked his reposted photos and expressed their approval.
Netizens who were watching the show also started to chime in, helping the "Silhouette Pianist" to raise prices in the comments of those eight collectors.
"Esteemed collector, our Silhouette Pianist possesses both skill and fame. Offering two hundred thousand for the "Blue Stone Mountain Tiger" stone carving shows a lack of respect for our Silhouette Pianist. Add another fifty thousand, making it two hundred and fifty thousand, and I'll place the order for you on behalf of little brother."
"Wow, big spender, you're offering two hundred and eighty thousand for the "Five Horsemen Chasing the Wind" wood carving. Why not add another twenty thousand, making it a round three hundred thousand? It won't cost you much. Little brother will likely be very pleased with the price of three hundred thousand and might sell it to you directly."
"Teacher Yuxin, you are a well-known collector in the country. Thirty thousand for the "Double Dragons Playing with a Pearl" stone carving is too low a price. This price not only disrespects your reputation as a famous collector but also underestimates the technical skill of little brother's wood carving, which is definitely worth more than three hundred thousand. Please add more money, three hundred and fifty thousand."
In the collectors' comments, netizens were driving up the prices, with these three comments being particularly eye-catching.
Lang Yuan, who was watching, couldn't help but say to the three commentors: "This netizen named 'Heartbreaker' is quite skilled at raising prices. I wonder who this talented individual is."
He looked at 'Heartbreaker's' comments and sighed, thinking this person was definitely cut out to be a stooge.
Meanwhile, Jin Qiqi winked at him, signaling him to look at Gao Fei.
On Gao Fei's computer screen, the account name was 'Heartbreaker.'
This was an alternate account he had created, using past-life tactics of moral blackmail to comment on those collectors and help drive up the prices of his stone and wood carvings.
Noticing their strange glances, Gao Fei coughed and said, "Teacher Lang, you can make your comment now. Just state a price directly: forty thousand for each stone and wood carving!"
"Alright!"
A moment later, in the dynamic post recently made by Jin Qiqi's alternate account, Lang Yuan appeared again.
"Little assistant, you and little brother are quite familiar. This "Double Dragons Playing with a Pearl" stone carving, the "Five Horsemen Chasing the Wind" wood carving, and the "Roaring Tiger in the Jungle" wood carving... I'd like to purchase them at a price of fifty thousand each. Please ask little brother if he's willing to sell."
Teacher Lang was also very aware of the situation, raising the original forty thousand by ten thousand.
His comment, combined with 'Heartbreaker's' assistance,
Made the collectors who wanted to buy the stone and wood carvings restless. The original two hundred thousand and two hundred and fifty thousand were all more than doubled.
As collectors began bidding in the comment section, wanting to snatch up the stone and wood carvings they fancied,
The "Yuan Fei Studio" account suddenly came online.
The account immediately reposted the photos and dynamic post from Jin Qiqi's alternate account.
As the account representing Gao Fei, its follower count had already reached over nine million, and all of them were real people, not bots.
The moment the dynamic was reposted, it immediately received over ten thousand likes.
The fans were also surprised that classmate Xiao Gao was still paying attention to the "Silhouette Pianist."
After reposting the dynamic, the studio account also posted its bid in the comment section.
It intended to offer a top price of sixty thousand for the "Phoenix Chasing the Sun" wood carving by the "Silhouette Pianist."
The sudden entry of "Yuan Fei Studio," coupled with the further price increase,
There was no doubt that it was Gao Fei himself operating it.
He had truly mastered the role of a "stooge."
Currently, Gao Fei was a traffic magnet online. As soon as he commented, it generated a massive buzz.
And this auction in the comment section, within just one hour, had climbed to the website's trending topics.
Now that the heat had been generated and the prices driven up, all stone and wood carvings had tripled in price from their original twenty thousand.
As the popularity continued to soar, many sculpture collectors also entered the fray to bid.
Finally, each stone carving and each wood carving maintained a price of around sixty-five thousand.
Gao Fei's operation of the studio account as a stooge was the biggest contributor to the entire auction.
And this unusual online auction in the comment section allowed Gao Fei to sell his five highest-quality stone carvings and five wood carvings.
The total transaction value was six million five hundred thousand yuan.
Gao Fei was still five million five hundred thousand yuan short of his target of twelve million yuan.
(Chapter number error, requires re-fetching data to restore normalcy. End of the month, please vote for tickets.)