Chapter 791 Stringless is Here?
Right now, Betsy was kicking herself. Her grandpa had dragged her here tonight, hoping she'd become Clarence's student. But guess what? Clarence already had someone lined up. After chatting with her grandpa, they figured they'd try their luck with KnightStrategist instead.
Little did they know, Abella was actually KnightStrategist!
Thinking back to when Abella strutted in today, Betsy had felt all kinds of jealous of Abella's looks. Even after Abella nailed that Go puzzle, Betsy wasn't buying it and challenged her, only to get totally wrecked.
She shot a look at her grandpa, both of them regretting their moves. They kicked themselves for not figuring out who Abella really was and blowing their chance to make a good impression.
Now, getting Abella to mentor her seemed like a pipe dream.
Willow was also feeling pretty bummed. Earlier, her buddy Enid had run into Abella twice and had beef with her. Even though Willow tried to play peacemaker, she kinda sided with her friend and didn't really help Abella out.
She probably left a bad taste in Abella's mouth, making it tough to become her student.
But the one looking the most miserable was Enid.
Before this birthday bash, Bradley had straight-up told her to find a way to get Clarence to take her on as a student.
Later, when Clarence said he already had someone in mind, she and Bradley talked about learning from KnightStrategist instead.
Back then, she had no clue Abella was KnightStrategist. She was just hell-bent on getting back at Lola, which made her bump into Abella twice and argue with her.
Looking back now, it was obvious Abella would never take her as a student.
"Dad, I kinda had a run-in with KnightStrategist earlier," Enid whispered to Bradley, "There's no way she'll mentor me now. Anyway, I'm more into the violin. Let's see what Mr. Edward or Stringless has to say later."
"That's all we can do," Bradley said, sounding bummed.
"KnightStrategist, you look so young. You probably aren't thinking about taking on students right now, but could you give my kid some tips? He's kinda stuck."
"KnightStrategist, why haven't we seen you in the news before?"
"Yeah, you've won so many championships, and even though the news covered it a bunch, there were never any photos of you. We should've recognized you tonight, but we didn't."
"I'm sorry, KnightStrategist. Earlier, I thought your Go board was just randomly drawn. My bad."
"Don't sweat it. Even when I was in the same competition as KnightStrategist, I didn't recognize her."
During the prelims, Abella would crush her opponents in under two minutes and bounce early.
In the finals, she was hardly on stage for long 'cause no one could keep up with her.
Plus, she always rocked a mask and wig during competitions, showing only her eyes.
So, hardly anyone knew who she was.
On top of that, her mentors didn't want her getting too much attention at such a young age, worried that more exposure would be risky. So even if reporters snapped pics of her in disguise, they didn't dare publish them.
That's why, in some vids, you only see Abella's hands playing Go, not her face.
"Abella's usually swamped and probably doesn't have time to guide you," Clarence chimed in, giving Abella a hand. "Even I can't track her down when I wanna play a few games of Go with her."
"Mr. Wodehouse, could you hook us up with some top-notch teachers?"
"Honestly, all the Go masters in the scene are pretty solid."
Meanwhile, a bunch of guests were crowding around Clifford, bombarding him with questions.
"Mr. Edward, I'm Enid. I totally dig your musical skills. Any chance I could study under you?"
"Mr. Edward, my kid's been at the piano for years. Every teacher says she needs someone better. She looks up to you the most. Any shot she could learn from you?"
"Hey, Mr. Edward. I'm Maggie Cunningham, and I'm a huge fan."
"Mr. Edward, nice to meet you. I won the Liberty Violin Competition last year, Kurt Fields, eighteen years old. Been playing since I was four, all because of you. I really admire you and would love to study under you."
Clifford, seeing the swarm of guests, smiled and said, "Sorry, but I already have someone in mind."
Everyone looked bummed, and some couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Edward, who's the lucky one? Do we know them?"
"Mr. Edward, that piece you played with Stringless, 'Worldly,' was mind-blowing. Is Stringless gonna be here today?"
"Today's Clarence's birthday. Any chance we get to hear you and Stringless jam together again?"
"If so, we'd be over the moon."
Clifford smiled and said, "I'd be happy to play a few pieces for Clarence. As for Stringless, it depends if she shows up later."
"So, Stringless is here? Or on her way?"
"Mr. Edward, does this mean we get to hear you play now?"
"That's awesome. We can't wait. Thanks, Mr. Edward."
Clifford looked at Clarence. "Clarence, what do you wanna hear?"
Clarence replied, "That's a no-brainer. It has to be what everyone's waiting for."
"Shall I play 'Worldly' then?" Clifford took the stage, and someone handed him a violin. The lights dimmed, and soon, the unmatched sound flowed from his violin, mesmerizing everyone.
This is what a master does—captivating the crowd from the first note, stirring deep emotions. The highs and lows of life played out like a movie in everyone's mind under his performance.
The rich and nuanced emotions, conveyed through the music, hit everyone right in the feels.
Just as everyone was lost in the music, another sound joined in.
The highs and lows of life, under her swift and powerful interpretation, swept over everyone like a tornado.
Was it Stringless?
Stringless was here?
Her violin playing was overwhelming, like a thousand horses galloping, yet also like a gentle stream flowing into everyone's hearts.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
