Chapter 18: I Can Play the Piano

This part-time job, aside from requiring constant standing, was fairly manageable and not particularly exhausting.

Suddenly, a staff member came out and asked, "Does anyone here know how to play the piano?"

The group was taken aback—especially the regular security guards of the hotel, who looked utterly bewildered.

Who among them could play the piano?

Everyone shook their heads.

The staff member didn’t seem surprised by this outcome; he was merely asking out of routine, without much expectation. This wasn’t the first place he had inquired.

Just then, a system task appeared in Jiang Zheng’s mind.

[Task: Transform this teacher appreciation banquet into your own piano recital!
Temporary skills:
Pianist: Able to play pieces of any difficulty.
Focus: Enter a state of concentration, shutting out all external distractions.]

Staring at the sudden task, Jiang Zheng’s brows furrowed ever so slightly. Was he meant to play the piano here, or at the banquet itself?

A flurry of thoughts crossed his mind.

As the staff member was about to leave, Jiang Zheng spoke up, "I can play the piano, at least a little."

The staff member turned his gaze to Jiang Zheng, sizing him up.

He then asked, "I haven’t seen you before—you’re one of the temporary hires today, aren’t you?"

Jiang Zheng nodded in response.

"Come with me," said the staff member.

Jiang Zheng followed him away.

"Who would have thought young Jiang was hiding such a talent—he can play the piano," remarked one of the regular security guards.

The two classmates working alongside Jiang Zheng watched his retreating figure, but quickly looked away.

Being able to play the piano wasn’t particularly rare; still, discovering that their fellow part-timer had this skill was a mild surprise, though they accepted it soon enough.

...

"What? No one is available!"

Cheng Yingdong’s voice was a little loud.

From the phone came a somewhat helpless reply: "That’s right, no one is free."

"There are so many pianists—how can it be that none are available?" Cheng Yingdong demanded.

"It’s because your timing is so tight—less than an hour. Anyone too far away won’t make it. Those who could rush over are few," the other person explained.

"Fine, I understand," Cheng Yingdong said, hanging up, his expression gloomy.

He hadn’t found any other performer, and in his mind, he cursed the previously hired musician fiercely.

But curses aside, he still had to solve the problem.

As the hotel manager, Cheng Yingdong quickly made a decision.

If no pianist could be found, the performance would have to be canceled and the piano relegated to a mere decoration in the banquet hall.

This was a far cry from the scene he had envisioned, but there was no other solution now.

The office door sounded and Cheng Yingdong called, "Come in."

He saw two people enter—one was the staff member he had just sent out to ask about piano skills, the other was a stranger.

As hotel manager, Cheng Yingdong had a keen memory for faces. He would recall anyone he had seen before, and this ability was a major reason why he held his position. Whenever regular guests arrived, if he had met them, he could always address them by name instantly.

Yet the young man before him was unfamiliar, though he wore the uniform of the hotel’s security staff.

Cheng Yingdong quickly realized Jiang Zheng’s identity—a temporary security hire for the day.

He had personally approved the addition of extra staff, so he knew the details well.

The hotel had been reserved for the event, and ordinarily the staff would have been sufficient. But Cheng Yingdong had chosen to hire more, unwilling to risk any mishaps, especially regarding safety.

Though temporary staff were hardly professional, at least extra eyes meant more vigilance.

Before Cheng Yingdong could speak, the staff member announced, "Manager, this man says he can play the piano."

Cheng Yingdong raised his eyebrows, asking, "You can play the piano?"

Jiang Zheng nodded, replying, "A little."

Cheng Yingdong frowned, contemplating Jiang Zheng’s words.

He wanted a pianist to fill in, but he didn’t want someone who played poorly.

"Can you play through an entire piece without interruption?" Cheng Yingdong asked.

A piece...

Jiang Zheng’s mind suddenly buzzed. He realized he’d overlooked a crucial point.

He had no music!

The system skills were impressive, but the problem was that they didn’t directly impart knowledge.

The "Focus" skill aside, the "Pianist" skill hadn’t filled Jiang Zheng’s mind with any knowledge of piano music.

He silently berated himself for being careless. Previous tasks had been so easy that he hadn’t noticed this flaw.

How could he play the piano without a piece to play?

Cheng Yingdong noticed Jiang Zheng’s expression and asked, "You can’t play a complete piece?"

Jiang Zheng didn’t answer immediately, instead asking the system internally, "System, can I choose to give up the task?"

He felt this task might be beyond him.

He had never played the piano before and knew no pieces—how could he perform?

[Do you wish to abandon the task?
Yes/No.
Note: Abandoning the task will randomly deduct one previously acquired reward.]

Jiang Zheng stared at the system interface, hesitant to confirm.

A random deduction of a reward—he couldn’t accept such a penalty.

He currently had only two rewards: "Robust Physique" and "Natural Singing Voice."

He hadn’t noticed much use for "Natural Singing Voice" yet, but "Robust Physique" was different. He’d felt tremendous benefits from it; with improved health, his whole being felt transformed.

If the system randomly took away "Robust Physique," what then?

"Why aren’t you answering?" Cheng Yingdong pressed.

Jiang Zheng forced a strained smile and replied, "I can play through a piece."

Cheng Yingdong considered for a moment, then said, "Very well. In a moment, you’ll perform in the banquet hall until the guests finish their meal. Do this well and I’ll give you one thousand yuan."

One thousand yuan was not insignificant to Jiang Zheng—his monthly living expenses were only a thousand, and he rarely spent that much.

But at this moment, Jiang Zheng’s mind was not on the money, but on how he could possibly complete this task.

The system’s skill was certainly reliable, but the issue was that he had never learned piano and couldn’t read music—how could he play?

Could he learn on the spot?

Suddenly, a wild idea sprouted in Jiang Zheng’s mind, growing like weeds.