CHAPTER 676: CHAPTER 426: THE TERRIFYING OPPONENTS OF THE KELLER CUP! _2

"Alright, since you’re going, there are some opponents you need to pay attention to."

Wan Qi spoke, lifting his head and looking at He Zhichen.

He Zhichen immediately understood his meaning and picked up a tablet:

"Go ahead."

"German composer and cellist Connor Ortiz."

"French cellist, runner-up of the last Keller Cup, Alik Zorn."

"American cellist, hailed as a pioneer of contemporary pop music, Chupnos Brian."

"Winner of Brazil’s highest cello honor for five consecutive years, Noel Perkins."

"Australia’s famous ’father of the cello,’ Sun Bennett Meyer."

"...."

"Etcetera, etcetera....."

After listing over ten names, He Zhichen interrupted Wan Qi, awkwardly saying,

"Sorry to interrupt you, Mr. Wan... Is it really necessary... to pay attention to so many players?"

Talking about keeping an eye on "some" players.

But how does this look, the number clearly exceeds the range of "keeping an eye," right?

Why not just have Lin Tian and Gan Yanyu memorize all the players who directly advance to the second stage?

"Do you know or do I know? Just take note when I say pay attention!"

Old man Wan Qi grumbled discontentedly, seeming very displeased with He Zhichen interrupting him.

Thus, he explained further,

"None of these cellists are simple; to make it here, they almost all have their own advantages, some of which might even be unheard of."

"Unheard of?"

This statement made Lin Tian laugh,

"What do you mean?"

"For instance, American cellist Chupnos Brian."

At this point, the old man smiled mysteriously,

"Have you ever seen someone play rock music on the cello?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, all three simultaneously fell silent.

The old man, thinking he’d scared these young people, revealed a proud smile,

"This Chupnos Brian....."

"Mr. Wan."

Lin Tian interrupted Wan Qi, finding it somewhat difficult to speak but still speaking passionately,

"Not only have we seen it, but we’ve also seen cellists with colorful LED lights on their cellos, creating DJ effects for themselves on stage."

"LED lights??!"

Wan Qi couldn’t hold it in anymore.

As an old artist now well into retirement age, he showed a "are you trying to fool this old man?" expression.

He couldn’t imagine a cellist being this eccentric.

"Not kicked off the stage??"

"There are no regulations against putting LEDs on the cello at the Dragon Violin Cup."

"Really a cellist at the Dragon Violin Cup?!"

Wan Qi’s mouth opened wider.

"It’s true, Mr. Wan..."

He Zhichen awkwardly explained, "You probably didn’t watch this year’s Dragon Violin Cup, did you?"

Not only were there cellists dressed like beggars, lighting cellos with LEDs on stage.

There were also music producers who turned their freshly released pop music into pure music and immediately performed it on stage.

And a British man who battled his way up all leagues, branded as a ’Qingjiang cello player.’"

Moreover, someone with bloody accompaniment backstage, who declared forfeiture and was then directly advanced to the Keller Cup.

Yes, this is the Dragon Violin Cup of 2025, Tian Chao’s highest cello honor competition!

No rational person, saying this match is Tian Chao’s highest cello competition, would say it’s anything other than chaos in the wards.

"Ahem... It’s been a while since I’ve followed domestic cello competitions."

Wan Qi was truly sweating, thinking to himself how the domestic cello scene never used to be this chaotic before retirement.

How come it got this chaotic with Lin Tian and Gan Yanyu involved?

Despite his feelings, Wan Qi pretended to cough, then stubbornly said,

"Even so, wearing strange clothes and lighting the cello with LEDs is ultimately just for show. Without the strength like Chupnos Brian’s, it’s certainly..."

"His name is Bai Junze, the runner-up of this year’s Dragon Violin Cup." Lin Tian said.

"Enough!!"

Wan Qi forcibly ended the topic.

He knew this topic couldn’t continue!

Too terrifying, Tian Chao cello!!

He’d only been retired for a year... just a year!!

Now it’s so unfamiliar it’s frightening.

He now looked at Lin Tian and Gan Yanyu anew.

The already overflowing respect for them was now unstoppable.

For them to break out of such a hellish environment, there was truly no reason not to admire them.

"Although I mentioned many players earlier, there’s one cellist I absolutely must emphasize to you."

Wan Qi paused for a moment and said,

"Austrian cellist Isaac Meck, who has won the world’s three highest honors for cello."

"Three honors?"

"Yes, three!"

"Which three?"

"Other than the Keller Cup."

Hearing this, even Lin Tian couldn’t help but be shocked.

Back when he was still in high school, Gan Yanyu had once said to him.

The competitions most representative of the highest honors in cello aren’t limited to just the Keller Cup.

In fact, there are a total of four cello competitions, all honored by the music world as "highest honors," located in New York, Sydney, Berlin, and Vienna.

However, situated in Vienna, the Keller Cup with its longest history is recognized as the highest accolade among these competitions.

Yet this doesn’t mean the other three competitions are inferior, as they’re also known as the highest honors for cello and often propel their champions to the pinnacle of the cello world.

Wan Qi continued to elaborate.

In fact, there are many in this competition who have won a championship in one of the other three competitions.

But one who has won all three trophies is only him.

"Here for collecting trophies, huh!" Lin Tian sighed.

Clearly, one Keller Cup win is sufficient to prove world-class skill.

Yet he insists on collecting all four cello trophies.

Feels like a gamer who must achieve full game completion.

"Indeed."

Wan Qi said,

"He’s here aiming to complete the achievement of four trophies."

"I know that."

Beside him, He Zhichen showed a severe expression,

"Winning a championship isn’t only about cello skills; often, it involves timing, opponents, even luck."

"Though the other three competitions might be slightly less prestigious compared to the Keller Cup, for cellists obsessed with titles, the allure of winning all four trophies remains high. Thus, cellists have continually attempted it."

Historically, players who’ve achieved all four trophies exist, but they’re rare, nearly one every 50 years. This Isaac Meck is probably chasing that accomplishment."

.....

Lin Tian understood.

This is truly encountering a "full achievement" player!

Not to mention Isaac Meck, with his remarkable strength and luck having already won the other three trophies.

Just his sheer thirst for this fourth trophy—the Keller Cup—makes one feel his terrifying determination.

"I have a question."

Lin Tian pondered briefly and said,

"If we beat him in the finals, does that mean we’ve also won the other three trophies?"

Upon hearing this, both Wan Qi and He Zhichen fell silent.

They looked at Lin Tian in horror, the word "reckless" practically written on Lin Tian’s face.

"It seems... there’s truly no issue!" He Zhichen bit his finger.

Though this claim is shameless and quite absurd.

If it were to actually happen, the media would surely seize upon it, inadvertently crediting the victory with all three championships.

Too ruthless!

"Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Isaac’s formidable skills don’t just lie in his cello playing."

At this moment, Wan Qi stepped in once more and said,

"He also has a piano accompanist, someone from Japan—a composer and pianist of strong capability—his presence has bolstered Isaac significantly, explaining their dominance in three major competitions."

Upon hearing this, Lin Tian thought, isn’t that similar to him and Gan Yanyu?

"What’s the name of that pianist?"

"If I remember correctly, the name is Nishikawa Yuubei."