Chapter 141: The Exchange Meeting Begins

"Brother-in-law, why are you out so soon?"

Qin Hao walked up and said with a smile, "We finished early."

"No, something came up, so we left ahead of schedule," Yang Qing replied with a shake of his head. He then introduced Qin Hao, "This is the diva Wang Yingying. You should know her, right?"

"Of course!" Qin Hao looked at Wang Ying and smiled. "Diva Ying is my goddess; how could I not know her?"

Saying this, he politely extended his hand. "Nice to meet you, Diva Ying. It’s a great pleasure to finally see you."

Wang Ying smiled and shook his hand lightly. "You call him 'brother-in-law' quite naturally. Has Qin Xue already taken Qingzi to meet her parents?"

"Huh!"

Qin Hao froze. Wang Ying’s sudden remark caught him off guard, and he stared blankly at Yang Qing.

Yang Qing gave him a helpless smile and gestured toward Li Dongning. "This is Li Dongning, from the Beijing Music Association. He's my friend."

"Ah, oh, nice to meet you, nice to meet you."

Having found an escape, Qin Hao took it without hesitation. After shaking hands with Li Dongning, he whispered, "Brother, what’s the situation between this Diva Ying and my brother-in-law?"

"The situation?" Li Dongning pondered for a moment before whispering, "It's hard to say. As long as your sister and Qingzi haven't registered their marriage, I suspect the three of them will always have a 'situation.' Yes... the kind of situation you're thinking of..."

Qin Hao: "..."

The kind I'm thinking of?!

Damn! Is my brother-in-law really that smooth?

After getting acquainted, the four of them went to the barbecue restaurant Wang Ying had been looking forward to. As they started eating, the skewers were surprisingly fragrant—so much so that Yang Qing considered bringing some back for his younger sisters.

Qin Hao was a straightforward person. Once they were familiar with Wang Ying, he didn't hesitate to extend an invitation: "Diva Ying, have you ever thought about diversifying your career?"

"No," Wang Ying replied calmly. "I only have a passion for music; I have no interest in film or television."

"Ah, well..."

Qin Hao opened his mouth to speak but then glanced at Yang Qing, who had gone off to chat up the owner of the barbecue shop. He said with disappointment, "I was hoping to invite you and my brother-in-law to star in my debut film. That would guarantee a massive wave of traffic. It's a pity..."

"Wait."

Wang Ying interrupted him. "You invited Qingzi?"

"Yeah," Qin Hao nodded.

"And did he agree?"

"Not yet, but I'm eighty percent sure I can convince him."

"Hm." Wang Ying took a bite of meat and looked at him calmly. "If you can get Qingzi to participate, I don't mind taking a role as well."

"Really!" Qin Hao’s eyes lit up with sudden delight.

Wang Ying: "Yes."

Qin Hao laughed, "Haha... that’s fantastic! Come on, eat up! Dinner is on me tonight!"

Li Dongning ate his meat in silence. He finally understood: none of the siblings of beautiful women are simple! First Wang Ming, then Qin Hao. Haha... the way they use Yang Qing as their central axis is truly masterful!

...

The next day, June 15th.

Yang Qing looked at his reflection in the mirror—black leather shoes, black suit, white shirt. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, he loosened his collar and looked at Qin Xue with a wry smile. "Xiao Xue, is the tie really necessary?"

"It is." Qin Xue took the black tie and fastened it for him, smiling. "Today is the International Musical Instrument Exchange. For an occasion this important, you must dress formally and solemnly. It’s a matter of our country's etiquette as a host."

"Fine."

Unable to resist her, Yang Qing let Qin Xue have her way.

A few minutes later, as the well-dressed Yang Qing and Qin Xue walked out of the room, a cheerful, high-pitched voice rang out:

"Wow! Brother, you look so handsome! And Sister Qin, you look so beautiful! You look just like a fairy in that white dress!"

Qin Xue looked at little Qiu'er, who was dressed in a matching little white dress and looked exquisite and lovely. She smiled affectionately and kissed the little girl's cheek. "Our Qiu'er is a little fairy too."

"Sis, brother-in-law, are you both ready? Let's go," said Qin Hao, who also looked handsome and masculine in a black suit.

"Yes, let's go."

...

At 2:00 PM, the four arrived at the venue for the International Musical Instrument Exchange: the Jinghua Grand Concert Hall.

Yang Qing followed Li Dongning, who had been waiting there, to the China Orchestra section, while Qin Xue and Qin Hao took little Qiu'er by the hand and went to the entrance to check their tickets as audience members.

When Li Dongning brought Yang Qing to the China Orchestra area, everyone’s eyes fell upon them.

"Hmph!"

Zhuo Yi let out a cold snort but didn't say anything further. He knew that if he spoke, he would only be mocked for his trouble; it was better to watch coldly and see how Yang Qing would back up his own boastful claims.

One man trying to take on an entire instrument ensemble from the Dwarf Country? Who do you think you are? How arrogant!

No one said a word, and the atmosphere was somewhat frosty. Yang Qing shrugged it off, unaffected, and walked straight to a seat, with Li Dongning close behind.

Just then, a hearty voice rang out:

"Yang Qing, is it? Haha... youth is a wonderful thing—so much drive! 'Mandarin is the future'—well said! I think very highly of you. Keep it up!"

Yang Qing looked toward the voice and saw an elderly man looking at him with eyes full of appreciation.

"Qingzi, that's Lu Baiwu, the president of the association. A true master," Li Dongning whispered in his ear.

Yang Qing understood immediately. A humble smile appeared on his face as he said, "President Lu, thank you. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I will certainly give it my all and will not disappoint you or the netizens who support me."

At this, his voice grew firm and resonant. "I will uphold the charm of our traditional Chinese instruments and win glory for our country! We, the ambitious youth of China, will certainly live up to the expectations!"

"Good! Haha... well said!"

Lu Baiwu laughed, stepped forward, and gave Yang Qing a firm pat on the shoulder. "I heard that at the banquet last night, you claimed you would defeat the Dwarf Country's instrument ensemble single-handedly. Do you have the confidence?"

"I do!"

Yang Qing nodded earnestly. He could feel Lu Baiwu's expectations and encouragement. He could even feel that the old man was longing for him to keep his word—to act and succeed, to defeat the Dwarf Country.

Lu Baiwu said in a deep voice, "Good! You are the first person to ever dare to say such a thing. I support you! Tell me what you need, and I will provide full support from my side!"

"Hmm... I need..."

Yang Qing pondered for a moment. "I would like to speak after each of the Dwarf Country's performances. Is... is that possible?"

Lu Baiwu was silent for a long moment. "That is not part of the standard procedure. But... since you want it, I will communicate with the authorities and add a 'Master's Critique' segment. But tell me, are you certain? I mean one hundred percent certain! Otherwise, this will become a laughingstock!"

"I am!" Yang Qing smiled. "But I haven't gone through the Master Instrumentalist certification yet. Will they recognize me?"

"Haha..." Lu Baiwu laughed heartily. "Whether they recognize it or not doesn't matter. You just need to conquer them! If you conquer them, you are a master even without the certificate! Do you understand? Everything depends on your strength!"

"I understand," Yang Qing nodded with a smile. "Then I’ll leave it to you, President."

"Haha... such a humble young man. Dongning, take young Yang to have some tea and rest. I'm going to talk to the higher-ups."

"Yes, President."

Lu Baiwu walked away with a smile, and Li Dongning, looking equally pleased, led Yang Qing toward a lounge, leaving the others in the room staring at each other in confusion.

Zhuo Yi’s expression was so dark it looked like it could drip ink. Lu Baiwu’s words and actions were a clear indication that he was taking Zhuo Yi’s pride and trampling it into the dirt.

"Hmph! Let's see how you clean up this mess later!"

He thought bitterly, his eyes scanning coldly at Yang Qing and Li Dongning, who were chatting and laughing over tea.

At 2:50 PM, all the audience members had taken their seats, and the dignitaries sat in the front row. Lu Baiwu had arranged for Yang Qing to sit in the second row, the section reserved for masters.

Facing the questioning and disdainful gazes, he sat calmly and composed. Just as Lu Baiwu had said, there was no need for explanation or defense; he only needed to conquer them!

Yang Qing had the confidence and the strength, because he was a man with a "cheat"!

The International Musical Instrument Exchange was about to begin, and the main event was about to unfold.