The stage beneath the resplendent archways gleamed with an almost tangible golden radiance flowing across the floor.
Upon it, everyone sat in meticulous black-and-white formalwear, black leather-bound scores before them, arranged in a semicircle.
At the center, the conductor focused intently. The principal first and second violinists led the members behind them, while the violas and cellos displayed that classical brown hue.
On the outermost right, twelve double basses stood in a row.
Flutes, piccolos, clarinets, and oboes formed the diverse woodwind section, while trumpets, trombones, French horns, and tubas sounded out the brass section's grandeur.
There were timpani surrounded by other percussion instruments, as well as an eye-catching harp standing alone at the rear.
All these elements intertwined amid the classical instruments, creating an air of tradition and elegance.
On the stage was a symphony orchestra of more than a hundred people!
They came from Vienna, the city of music. As one of the world's finest symphony orchestras, they had a history of more than a century and had passed through eras led by several masters.
This grand performance across the ocean should, by all rights, have commanded the attention of the entire venue and filled every seat.
But—
At this moment, beyond the stage's illuminated glow, the five levels and more than 2,800 seats were nearly completely empty.
No, more precisely—
There were only two people.
Sitting in the spot with the best acoustics in the entire main hall, Fang Ran watched the ensemble of more than a hundred people perform beneath the stage lights. As he emerged from his immersion, the thought surfaced once again.
Wait, why am I here?
With the financial sector in its final crisis, Golden Iris stock plummeting, and the more than 650 billion US dollars "avalanche" only days away—
He had sorted