The two of them went back and forth, captivating the onlookers.
Shen Lang and the others murmured, "I don't understand what's going on."
They knew how to play chess, but they couldn't grasp the strategy these two were using.
Unbeknownst to them, the true masters were already calculating the next dozen moves in their heads.
"Checkmate! Old Chen, you lose!"
Chen Jianguo burst into laughter. "Hahaha, you're good! I didn't expect to lose to a chain horse with a rook and a cannon. Let's play another round!"
The two played with gusto. Shen Lang and the others glanced at each other and shook their heads helplessly. They probably didn't stand a chance. After saying their goodbyes, they left.
Wang Zhi watched, his face filled with shock. Brother Fei was also a chess master?
No wonder Brother Fei was so excited. So, Old Chen was really in high demand. Did you need these skills to recruit a musician these days?
In a best-of-seven series, Lin Chudong let Chen Jianguo win the game.
"Haha, Little Lin, you have my respect!"
Lin Chudong said, "Old Chen still has a lot of experience. Your tactics are too profound. I definitely won't fall for it next time!"
Chen Jianguo was beaming with smiles. He reviewed the game with Lin Chudong again, explaining how he had set the trap and how he had lulled him into a false sense of security.
In reality, Lin Chudong had seen through all of these tricks, but he just smiled and didn't say anything, playing along with Chen Jianguo.
After the laughter died down, Chen Jianguo's expression became serious.
"You want to ask me to be a guitarist?"
"A band you put together yourself?"
Lin Chudong nodded. "A small band, but I can still afford a decent salary."
Chen Jianguo waved his hand. "That's not a problem. I don't have anywhere to spend so much money. I've listened to many of your songs; they're very musical. I can see you're a talented person."
"However, with you around, it seems I won't have much room to shine."
Old Chen liked playing chess, but music was still his priority.
He had many concerns about joining a band.
Lin Chudong smiled. "My previous band didn't really give the guitarist much room to shine; the guy just wasn't very good, so he didn't get many chances."
"But it's different with you. I have a dual-guitar solo; would you like to try it?"
Chen Jianguo nodded. "Let's try it."
The two of them picked up their guitars, turned on their effects pedals and speakers, and started a drum machine. Lin Chudong printed out the sheet music from his phone, one for each of them.
Chen Jianguo started to play slowly, and after one run-through, he was immediately surprised.
"Interesting, I've got it down. Let's play together!"
As expected of Old Chen, his sight-reading ability was quite strong; he could play in sync after just one run-through.
"Let's go!"
The sounds of their guitars rang out simultaneously, fingers flying. Sixteenth notes mixed with thirty-second notes, creating a strong sense of rhythm.
Wang Zhi widened his eyes, he couldn't believe there were such guitar masters in the world. This was true mastery, reaching the pinnacle!
Lin Chudong suddenly did a string bend, and Wang Zhi's scalp began to tingle; this single note truly resonated with him.
On the other side, Chen Jianguo did another string bend, another high note, and amidst the incredibly chaotic sounds, each main note was still played so clearly.
That's the charm of dual guitars!
Wang Zhi completely gave up on the idea of being a guitarist at this moment.
It's too competitive! At fifty-six years old, his skill couldn't even compare.
The other guy had been playing guitar for forty years to get to that level.
But... Brother Fei was only in his twenties, and he had that skill too? It was too much, wasn't it?
After the song ended, Chen Jianguo was full of surprise.
"Good, did you arrange this solo?"
"Yeah, I have a lot of these dual guitar arrangements. If you join us, you'll definitely have room to shine."
Lin Chudong wouldn't belittle his own skill, nor would he try to hide the brilliance of others.
In a band, no matter how many guitarists there are, no one would be overshadowed.
The only things that could hold someone back were self-doubt and unrealistic ambition.
Chen Jianguo said, "I make 300,000 a year with Northern Band, plus five percent of the performance revenue. What can you offer me?"
"The same package," Lin Chudong replied. If it were someone else, he would definitely negotiate, but Chen Jianguo was worth the price. There was no need to haggle when the money was well spent.
Chen Jianguo thought for a moment. "You guys are a new band, so I won't put too much pressure on you. I'll take 300,000, and I won't take the performance revenue."
"Don't worry, I love performing, even without the extra pay. I'll quit when I can't play anymore."
Lin Chudong laughed. "Thank you, Old Chen."
The two of them carried their guitars, with a messy chessboard at their feet.
Lin Chudong extended his hand, "Welcome to the Cool Music Band."
Old Chen's weathered hand clasped his.
"Chen Jianguo, guitarist, at your service!"
The next morning, Lin Chudong hadn't even gotten up yet when Old Chen was already sitting in the music store, sipping tea.
"Teacher Chen, you're here so early?"
Old Chen chuckled, "Want to jam before work?"
"Sure!"
Lin Chudong played two more rounds with Chen Jianguo, and the shop owner, Jing Feifei, and Jia Lu also arrived at the music store.
With all five band members present, Liang Yin was a bit excited, "Teacher Chen, I never thought our band could invite a great musician like you! It truly brightens our humble abode!"
Chen Jianguo said, "Since we're here, we're colleagues. No need to be so polite. You can just call me Old Chen."
"Don't let my age fool you; my heart is still young!"
Lin Chudong stood up and said, "This is our band's first meeting, so I'll say a few words."
"It's my, Brother Fei's, honor that you've all joined the band. You are the talents I've handpicked. But once you're in the band, you're my soldiers."
"I'm very strict when it comes to music. If there are mistakes, even Old Chen will be criticized."
"Just a heads-up, so you don't get your feelings hurt later. I, Brother Fei, am not afraid to offend anyone. If you can't cut it, we'll just part ways amicably."
"I don't want anyone who doesn't follow instructions, and I don't want anyone who doesn't put in the effort."
"Old Chen is exempt. The three of you still have a lot of room for improvement. Please, make sure you work hard. If you can't keep up with the band's rhythm, I'll have to replace you."
"Especially you, Wang Zhi. You're still an intern bassist. You don't have much time left. If you're not up to performance level before the big show, I'll have to find someone else. Do you all understand?"
"Understood!"
The three of them clenched their fists, especially Wang Zhi. He touched the blisters on his fingers, and he knew he had to work hard to make up for the sleepless nights he'd endured.
Chen Jianguo nodded. Brother Fei was indeed living up to his reputation; he had a certain leadership quality.
Lin Chudong said, "The boss lady will be arranging a few performances for us. Everyone must be there. We have a small team, and we can't afford any absences."
"Rehearsals are the same. If someone's missing, we can't rehearse. If you miss a rehearsal without a good reason, you won't be in the next performance."
"Music theory knowledge is very important. If the two of you girls aren't very familiar with it, quickly ask Wang Zhi to tutor you. The drummer also needs to be proficient in music theory."
"No goofing around during rehearsals. Don't waste everyone's precious time. Practice your parts beforehand; don't make everyone slow down to practice with you during rehearsals."
"Take good care of the instruments. They belong to the landlady. If you damage them, you'll have to pay for them."
"No bringing friends to watch rehearsals. If I catch you, you're immediately kicked out of the band."
"That's all for now. Landlady, please add a few words."
Liang Yin was slightly agape, a little surprised.
Brother Fei is so strict. He's completely different from when he was recruiting…
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