Chapter 51: The Rock 'n' Roll Spirit of the Musical Duel

(Du Xing dared to calmly take the stage and perform at other bars, and he certainly had a measure of skill. Although rock was not particularly popular in the Chinese pop music scene, a great number of rebellious young people were drawn to this Western style of expressing one’s demands. Chinese rock naturally had its own circle, and Du Xing's mentor, Duan Hongliang, was a guitarist of considerable weight in that world—he was also the lead guitarist for Eastern Invincibles, a rock band with some renown in Shanghai.)

(The reasons why rock never truly became mainstream in China are manifold.

From the perspective of band members, China simply cannot compete with the West. It’s common for Western bands to have members hailing from musical families, whereas most Chinese rock enthusiasts were self-taught prodigies. Rock is a product of Western industrial civilization, and China never had that atmosphere.

From a vocal standpoint, Mandarin’s monosyllabic nature and distinct tonal differences make it inherently less suited for singing rock.

On a deeper level, Confucian culture imbues Chinese people with a sense of restraint, making it difficult for them to accept the rebellious, shouting, and angry spirit of rock, which starkly contradicts traditional values. Most traditional Chinese people have a special affection for quiet, elegant music, so metal sounds like mere noise to their ears.

Then there’s the issue of subject matter—war, human rights, class, and so forth are all taboo in China. Apart from praising the motherland, one is limited to singing about love.

Some traditional rock is dismissed by Chinese listeners as outdated, reminiscent of songs from the seventies. In truth, classic rock singing styles are quite distinct from those old tunes.

But in Cheng Xiaoyu’s eyes, trying to make rock popular would betray its spirit. Rock is not merely guitars, bass, and drums. Nor is it powerless screaming, rebellion, or decadence. Rock is a spirit, an attitude.

Aroa said: “Forever young, forever with tears in our eyes.” A poetic sentiment.

Zhou Yunpeng described the spirit of rock as: “Forever young, forever disobedient.”

Cheng Xiaoyu said the spirit of rock was: “Never compromise with mediocrity.”

Even today, people discuss 'the spirit of rock' in earnest, and there is never a shortage of brilliant insights, attesting to its influence. Whether as a musical style or an ideology, rock is one of the rare forces in history able to profoundly shape human society. I believe rock is the greatest revolution in musical history, comparable to the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution.

But rock will never be what Du Xing and Qin Yi make of it—a tool for attracting the opposite sex, rebellious in appearance but hollow within. To them, rock is like a peacock’s feathers, not the wings of a bluebird.

Cheng Xiaoyu did not particularly dislike such people; he himself had once been like them. It was only after years of experience and the grind of life that he began to understand.

Life is not only fine wine and lust, but also bread and love.

Of course, Du Xing could not understand the seasoned Cheng Xiaoyu. For Du Xing, the guitar was not just a tool to attract admirers, but also a weapon to trample others.

A young man, walking with beauty by his side, seeking excitement and revenge—that was the life he yearned for.

Rock is about being different, about destruction and passion.

Du Xing held his guitar horizontally, one foot resting on the bench’s crossbar, the other on the floor. His posture was relaxed and free, a faint smile on his handsome face.

He played the Chinese classic “Goodbye,” a song familiar to every Chinese ear, resonant and melodious, with lyrics as beautiful as poetry. It was also his most difficult piece.

The guitar arrangement was a proud creation of his mentor, featuring many classical guitar techniques. Du Xing had observed Duan Hongliang’s performances several times before finally mastering it.

The song’s opening featured the most challenging classical guitar technique—tremolo. Also known as vibrating notes, this is both the most important and the hardest technique on classical guitar. Tremolo involves rapid repetition of the same note, with the right-hand ring, middle, and index fingers plucking the same string in turn, creating a flowing melody with an enchanting tone.

Clearly, Du Xing had invested considerable effort in his guitar skills; he was no arrogant fool.

Moreover, Du Xing’s voice was bright and clear, unexpectedly pleasant to the ear. Combined with his good looks, he quickly captivated the audience. As the resident singer at Whispering Wind, Du Xing had plenty of reason for pride—he had even auditioned at Myth Bar, but rejected their offer because the time slot wasn't the most popular, despite the pay being twice that of Whispering Wind.

He remembered that afternoon, stylishly leaving his number with the admiring manager at Myth Bar, arrogantly telling him to call if they ever wanted him to perform during prime time.

Du Xing sang and played with deep immersion. His actions were almost akin to crashing the venue, so he could not afford to make mistakes.

As the saying goes, serious men are the most attractive. Even if Cheng Xiaoyu was loath to admit it, at this moment Du Xing had much more style than him. In terms of performance, not pure musicianship, it was hard for Cheng Xiaoyu to win.

Every moment,
Ashes prove themselves to be the palaces of the future.
Night embraces sorrow,

Then unties its braids.
Closing the door,
Not to imprison joy,
But to liberate sadness.
He buries himself in the ocean of forgetting,
Yet arrives at the shore of memory.
He says: the moon is a lake, his love is a boat.
But An Lu doubts him.
His joy,
Has tailored the strings for his sorrow.
The days,
Are letters written by time to people,
Yet they never fall into words.
Time is wind,
Blowing from the direction of death.
If daylight could speak,
It would proclaim the gospel of night.
Inserted into the braids of sorrow,
The hand of the night is gentle.
Winter is loneliness,
Summer is parting,
Spring is the bridge between the two,
But only autumn permeates all seasons.
Daylight will not sleep,
Except in the embrace of night.
The past is a lake,
With only one swimmer: memory.
Light works only when awake,
Darkness works only in sleep.
Night’s dreams

Are the threads with which we weave the garments of day.
If the sky would weep,
As the clouds say,
Then wind would be the history of tears.
Music comes,
Played by wind upon the trees.
Rain is the wind’s cane,
Wind is rain’s swing.
Wind, teacher of silence;
Though it never ceases to speak.
When the song ended, many recognized Du Xing as the popular resident singer at Whispering Wind, much liked by girls. His performance and singing were indeed impressive, so the audience generously gave enthusiastic applause. Many young women approached to place flowers, their faces shy, a gesture akin to giving likes and showing support.

Du Xing bowed in thanks, and soon a vase was filled with flowers. He glanced at the number of blooms and was satisfied.

Smiling, he handed the guitar to Cheng Xiaoyu and patted his shoulder, encouraging him with the grace befitting a senior. He knew how to maintain appearances.

As he left the stage, he called for the servers to bring up ten bottles of beer.

Cheng Xiaoyu took the guitar without any hint of anxiety. The contempt in Du Xing’s eyes meant nothing to him.

In fact, Cheng Xiaoyu thought Du Xing played quite well, better than he had imagined.

But only quite well.

Du Xing’s arpeggios and techniques were solid, his speed consistent—neither too slow nor too fast, which is key for arpeggios. Too fast, and it becomes strumming; too slow, and it devolves into broken chords. Arpeggios are between strumming and broken chords—fast enough to distinguish each note clearly.

But his shifting was mediocre, mostly replaced by slides. Only someone as experienced as Cheng Xiaoyu could notice this; the average person wouldn’t see the difference.

At a glance, shifting and sliding look similar, but in reality, they are quite different. Their purposes differ: shifting moves the hand to reach a particular note or group of notes, or to achieve the unique tone of a string; slides are mostly for chromatic effects. Though both involve finger movement, the methods differ.

The technique for shifting is to slightly lift the moving finger, release pressure on the string, let the finger hover, and move quickly. Proper shifting never reveals traces of the notes between the two positions.

In this time and space, Cheng Xiaoyu could confidently claim to be the only master guitarist, for he possessed techniques beyond the reach of this world.

But the audience didn’t see it that way. Watching the chubby Cheng Xiaoyu sit on the stool, looking as if he might topple over, his shiny face covered in sweat—even before he began, he seemed so nervous that it was hard to believe he could play well. Though they liked Guilty Crown and thought it was unfair for a keyboardist to compete with a guitar master, there was no turning back now. Absolute fairness rarely exists.

Xia Shamo and Wang Ou were also in the audience, and they had full confidence in Cheng Xiaoyu, knowing his unmatched abilities.

As Du Xing stepped off the stage, he tossed his head at Xia Shamo and gave her a cool smile.

Xia Shamo didn’t even glance at him; her gaze was fixed on Cheng Xiaoyu.

Only then did Du Xing realize Cheng Xiaoyu was a member of Guilty Crown. He thought coldly: would this fat man still have the face to stay in the band after tonight?

Anticipating the coming harsh reality, Du Xing could not help but smile knowingly.