For The Musical Genius (Novel) - Chapter 75

Chapter 75

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“Again.”

The raised eyebrows, deep eye sockets, and hooked nose still gave off a menacing impression. Despite the passage of time, his sharpness had only intensified, earning him the title of “The Devil of Moscow.” This nickname likely stemmed from his endless obsession with melody. How else could one explain calling Alexei, the director of the Moscow Conservatory, the reincarnation of Tchaikovsky? Of course, Alexei’s temperament was the complete opposite of the introverted Tchaikovsky.

“Again.”

A short but firm voice.

“Again.”

The violinist’s arm trembled like an aspen leaf, but Alexei casually sipped his tea. Historically, it was rare for a conservatory director to personally instruct an undergraduate student. The last time this happened was over a hundred years ago when the first director, Tchaikovsky, taught harmony.

“Enough.”

The teacup was set down with a clink.

“That arrogant brat has already started composing music under his own name. I thought he was holed up in his room doing nothing after turning down offers from Berlin and London. It’s a damn shame he’s not playing the violin on stage, but after listening to his recordings, his talent is still as formidable as ever. This is why I hate geniuses.”

Anyone else would have been shocked by such words. But Alexei was a maestro of Russia, possessing both exceptional talent and experience. After all, which living musician from Moscow wouldn’t show him respect?

Then,

“By the way, Anna, what have you been doing for the past two years?”

Her thin lips clenched tightly.

“I thought you were the one who would surpass Andrey.”

Andrey, the violinist, was hailed as Russia’s next great maestro. The Russian classical music world had high hopes for him. Before Hyun appeared, he was the youngest winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition. His impressive resume spoke for itself.

“Artistic talent isn’t something you can acquire through learning. Music is no different. If music could be mastered simply by studying, then everyone who studied under Joseph Joachim or Leopold Auer would have become maestros. Anna, you probably think you’ve hit your limit. But that’s just what fools say when they can’t break through their own walls.”

Alexei stood up, passionately delivering his speech.

At that moment,

Zing—!

The bow was raised again. The sharp melody stopped Alexei in his tracks, and his cheeks, which rarely showed emotion, twitched. The frail, sickly-looking girl from two years ago was gone. Her platinum blonde hair swayed like a beautiful white rose, and her green eyes followed Hyun. In that moment, Alexei, the Russian maestro, instinctively knew that this nineteen-year-old girl would eventually surpass Andrey.

*

Spio spio mem-mem—!

I was so exhausted from the morning that I felt like my soul had left my body. I had just sat down in the studio to compose when Mi-hyeon noona kept knocking on the door. The reason was obvious. After it was revealed that I was Baek Jeong-hoon’s “teacher” and the composer of “Iron Blood” at the recent recital, the floodgates opened. Interview requests poured in daily, and reporters even came to the gallery. It was no wonder Mi-hyeon noona looked so stressed. Moreover, the fact that I was seated between the two founders became a hot topic. All of this was because of Baek Jeong-hoon’s grand event.

How did the two grandfathers react?

Of course, my grandfather was incredibly proud of me. On the other hand, Chairman Wang, the old fox, insisted that “Iron Blood” was exactly his style and begged me to compose the anthem for Jeil Group. Who would have thought that the legendary Chairman Wang would make such a request? Did he really think I would start chanting the Jeil Group anthem again?

“Hyun-ah, are you working?” Just then, Director Im Hye-ra came to see me. It was around lunchtime. I subtly pushed the sheet music I was working on aside.

“Lately, Jeong-hoon hasn’t been coming to the studio.”

After the recital, Baek Jeong-hoon stopped coming to the studio as if it were a lie. He must be busy preparing for his provincial recitals. But if he does show up, I’ll tie him to the piano chair and coach him all day. He has to pay the price for pulling off such an outrageous event.

“It’s chaos in Japan. Apparently, Japanese journalists came to Jeong-hoon’s recital. They keep asking if you plan to release a classical album under your name, morning, noon, and night. And EMA also contacted us, strongly requesting to release an album of your compositions.”

Director Im Hye-ra clicked her tongue. And for good reason—EMA was one of the top classical labels in Europe. While Japan held a significant share in the classical music world, it still couldn’t match Europe’s powerhouses. Rumors spread fast, and it was clear that Baek Jeong-hoon’s “Iron Blood” had caused a sensation in the classical music world.

“Jean-Pierre seems to be getting anxious too. He thought you’d contact him right away, but you’ve been silent. He might even come to Korea like last time. It seems like he’s considering improving the contract terms.”

“Is it really that serious?”

It’s probably about simultaneous recording again, but why is he so eager to have me? Paganini’s techniques are difficult, but Europe has many outstanding violinists. Moreover, offering to improve the contract terms for a simultaneous recording artist is unheard of. I don’t know much about the film industry, but such conditions are unlikely.

“By the way, did I not mention it?”

What are you talking about?

“Jean-Pierre, once he sets his mind on something, he goes all the way. That’s why his nickname is ‘Stubborn Bull.’ He’ll wait until you say okay.”

It seems like I’m getting love calls from all over. In my past life, I chased power and material desires, but now they come to me without lifting a finger. And they all say they’ll accommodate my convenience. Just then, the sheet music on the desk slid to the floor.

“Chairman Wang? The title of the score is quite unique, Hyun-ah.”

Director Im Hye-ra picked up the score with a puzzled expression.

Ahem,

Who would have thought Chairman Wang would offer such a hefty composition fee? Moreover, he’s determined to buy me Guarneri and Amati instruments, which are hard to find even at auctions. How could I refuse? It’s a profitable deal. We must clearly distinguish between public and private matters.

* * *

“Yon-seok, do you just eat and play Go every day?”

Chairman Wang was staring intently at the Go board. His furrowed brow made him look like an old general preparing for war. But that doesn’t mean unexpected moves suddenly appear.

“The composition is progressing smoothly, right?”

“Who could refuse your request? You don’t need to worry.”

Of course, I’ve been working on the Jeil Group anthem for days. My memories of Jeil Group only go back to my past life, so I had to squeeze out some inspiration. But it’s going well, so Chairman Wang just needs to prepare the instruments.

“By the way, Hyun-ah, the domino effect has started, just as you said. But it seems the government is trying to stop it. If this continues, the outcome might be different from what you predicted. They’ve signed debt moratorium agreements and are now trying to save dying financial companies.”

Even so, it’s like performing CPR. They’ve provided massive special loans to financial companies on the brink of bankruptcy, but the capital market is already dry. The government’s response is not just a step behind—it’s way too late.

“You can’t fill a bottomless jar with water.”

Despite announcing measures to boost the stock market, prices continue to fall. As large corporations go bankrupt, financial debts keep increasing. Debt moratorium agreements, special loans, and settlements are just delaying the inevitable collapse. Like peeling an onion, the truth is gradually being revealed. Chairman Wang twitched his white eyebrows at my calm demeanor. It was a habit of his when something pleased him.

Thud—!

“Do you feel good going all out against an old man? Didn’t your grandfather always say to respect your elders?”

“Grandfather, you’ve already taken three of my stones.”

“If I collapse from high blood pressure, what will you do? Playing so fiercely.”

Who could call Chairman Wang an old man? Despite his age, he’s in great health and has been consuming anything good for the body. A few weeks ago, there were rumors that Jeil Group had purchased a three-hundred-year-old wild ginseng discovered by a mountain hermit in Jirisan.

“I need to live long enough to see Hyun-ah’s wedding.”

Chairman Wang’s gaze was sharp, but I pretended not to notice and fiddled with a white stone. *

“Hyun-ah, next time you go to Pyeongchang-dong, bring some soy sauce marinated crab. Chairman Son loves your mother’s soy sauce crab.”

The dinner table was filled with my mother’s delicious cooking. The soy sauce crab was so good that even my grandfather, who usually only finishes one bowl of rice, ate two bowls in a row. Even Chairman Wang, who had tasted all kinds of delicacies, couldn’t get enough of my mother’s soy sauce crab. What more can I say? Maybe we should start a soy sauce crab business with my mother.

“After dinner, Kang, come to the study. We need to discuss the Russia matter.”

Russia?

“And Hyun-ah, come along too.”

I looked at my grandfather with a questioning gaze, but he didn’t answer. My father seemed to know something but remained silent, focusing on his meal. Well, I’ll find out after dinner. For now, I need to focus on the soy sauce crab. Otherwise, it’ll be gone soon.

“Kang, we’ve received a proposal from the Moscow Chemical Research Institute, right?”

After finishing dinner, I headed to my grandfather’s study with my father.

“Yes, Father-in-law. They want to collaborate on the commercialization of Glyphin. It seems they want us to scout them. Their research team is good, but their environment is poor.”

It was clear without even looking. Research institutes worldwide were sending love calls for Glyphin’s commercialization. But most were just testing the waters.

“The lead researcher has been contacting us so frequently that we’re in a difficult position. We’ve never been pursued this aggressively before.”

The prevailing opinion in the chemistry world was that Glyphin’s commercialization was nearly impossible.

“What’s the name of that researcher?”

“Dr. Vladimir Tikhonov. He’s known as an eccentric in the Russian chemistry world.”

I almost jumped out of my seat. Was it because my software had improved so much? Memories from my past life, even fleeting ones, surfaced as if I were pulling books from a library. If my memory serves me right, in my past life, after Dongju was absorbed by foreign capital, Dr. Tikhonov became a key figure in Glyphin’s commercialization. Of course, it could just be a coincidence, but it’s worth a shot.

“How about meeting that doctor?”

My sudden suggestion made both my grandfather and father turn their heads.

“I’ve heard that the more eccentric someone is in that field, the better their results. If they’re reaching out to us, it must mean they have confidence in their work.”

I answered evasively, and my father gave me a puzzled look. But my grandfather nodded with a satisfied smile.

“Alright, if they’re so eager to meet us, we should at least see them. We also need to assess the state of their research institute in Moscow. We’ll see if it’s all talk or if there’s substance. Kang, will you go on a business trip to Moscow?”

My father looked surprised by the sudden decision.

“And Hyun-ah, you’ll come too. Think of it as a father-son trip.”

Me too?

It seems I’m joining the Moscow trip. My grandfather had already made up his mind. If I suddenly leave, Jean-Pierre will pester Director Im Hye-ra for a while. Well, the basics of negotiation are push and pull, so it’s not bad. Moscow, huh? Suddenly, one side of my face felt warm.

“Make sure to visit Moscow later!”

At that moment, a platinum blonde girl popped into my head.