ATLAS TRANSLATES

The great hall borrowed Jiang Yin’s sound system. The sound was full, clear, and rich, with distinct layering of various instruments.

The bass was maxed out.

The experience was as immersive as listening to a master-level musical ensemble live.

After the opening performance, even the dance troupe that performed second seemed lackluster.

Not to mention the final instrumental solo.

It was too bland.

The comments were still discussing: [“The guzheng doesn’t sound as good as ‘Old Days of Heavy Books’”] [“Of course, only our Sister Lu is the best”] [“Where do you rank Jian Shen and Jian?”] [“Speaking of which, didn’t you think the opening dance’s accompaniment was really good? Tried to identify the music but couldn’t”] [“And that style… who dares to tag Principal Jian?”]

The comments started to chat casually. The livestream audience was no longer paying attention to the final guzheng performance. Instead, they began discussing the style of Bai Lian’s opening piece, trying to find where this BGM came from.

But after three hours, even with hundreds of thousands of clips of Bai Lian’s spear dance section online, tens of thousands of netizens still couldn’t find the source of this music.

The audience at the performance were also discussing among themselves.

The contrast was too great. They thought since the opening was so energetic, the finale would be even more spectacular. Unexpectedly, it couldn’t even match the opening BGM. The whole evening started with a bang but ended with a whimper.

Bai Lian was responsible for the bang, others for the whimper.

People who managed to get seats in the front rows were leaving with their phones. “If I knew the rest would be like this, I wouldn’t have changed my train ticket. My 7 o’clock train would’ve been perfect – I could’ve left right after the opening.”

“Yeah, me too…”

Yan Zhiming and the Finance Department’s student council members were standing in the first two rows. They could hear these whispered complaints clearly.

The finale hadn’t even finished, but half the audience had already left.

Even some of Bai Shaoqi’s fans felt the finale was mediocre.

The evening started with great fanfare but ended almost silently.

Everyone only remembered Jiang University, the Physics Department, and Bai Lian – they even trended online. As for the Finance Department, which had promoted heavily from the start, barely anyone mentioned them.

When they did, it was only to say the later programs weren’t exciting enough.

“President Bo,” Yan Zhiming looked at Bo Shiming, “why didn’t you tell us your student council’s program would be this good?”

If they had known, they wouldn’t have scheduled Bai Lian so early.

Ye Jianxian thought about last week when they weren’t even given a few minutes to rehearse, all to give the Finance Department freshmen time to test the sound. She smiled, “Director Yan, we asked to rehearse last week, but you wouldn’t let us.”

Yan Zhiming and others were left speechless.

How could they have known?

Nearby, Kong Wei and Yu Simin were packing up. They thought Bai Shaoqi’s playing was actually quite good, just not as impactful as the opening dance’s explosive music.

The visual effect was even more pronounced – even Yan Lu’s millions of fans admitted her spear performance couldn’t match Bai Lian’s.

“You know,” Kong Wei picked up paper cups from beside the first row, lowering her voice, “Tang Ming said Bai Lian plays guzheng better than Bai Shaoqi. What do you think that would be like?”

Yu Simin picked up her water bottle, “Now that you mention it, I’m curious too.”

It was just a shame there wasn’t a chance this time.

—

At Shanhai Apartments.

Bai Lian was in room 303’s study, her fingers pressing down on draft paper, working on problems from the Jiang Jing app.

The window was half open, the breeze making the silver ornamental ball nearby sway.

Her phone rang – it was Principal Jian.

Bai Lian’s fingers still pressed on the draft paper as she lazily pressed the answer button and speakerphone, placing the phone aside. “Principal Jian.”

Old Hu had sent Principal Jian the viral videos of Bai Lian. Her popularity online tonight was no less than A-list celebrities – almost everyone’s social media feeds were flooded with that final frozen smile.

“So,” Principal Jian raised an eyebrow, “how was the sound system I lent you?”

Bai Lian wrote down a string of numbers. She had washed off the eye shadow the makeup artist had applied, sitting at her desk bare-faced, her hair repinned with the white jade hairpin: “What sound system?”

She asked calmly.

“Oh,” Principal Jian remembered she had been absorbed in studying at the Physics Department, oblivious to outside matters. “Jiang University lent us the sound system. No big deal. Tonight’s effect should have been good. But you… have you formally studied the spear?”

On the other end of the phone, Principal Jian was still in his office.

He leaned back in his chair, his clouded gaze fixed on the tablet on his desk, displaying a slow-motion edit of one shot.

Bai Lian’s 4-minute-28-second spear performance had been edited into various clips, mostly focusing on her final frozen pose.

There were shots of the opening lights shining down, and her reverse spear move…

Regardless of which clip, each video had at least 200,000 likes, with the most popular one reaching millions.

Principal Jian was watching the clip of her final leap and spin with the reverse spear move.

The comments on this video all said “Now I understand what Sister Lu meant when she said her skills weren’t up to par – in comparison, even Sister Lu pales in comparison.”

Spear and guzheng.

As it happened, Bai Lian knew both.

“I’ve studied it,” Bai Lian was somewhat surprised, “You called so late just to ask me this?”

“Of course not. There’s an international music exchange conference in Jiang Jing,” Principal Jian got to the point, “It will gather luminaries from the music world. You should come find some inspiration.”

This was Principal Jian’s unique way of urging her to compose new pieces.

Bai Lian attended Tongfeng class daily, worked on professors’ assignments, helped Wang Xu and others review Boyuan class problems, and discussed classical texts with Jian Zhe in her spare time.

During breaks, Principal Ma would call her to the lab. Her days were very full, leaving little time for the music room.

“Alright.” Bai Lian wrote down another formula, speaking distractedly.

“I have an old friend who I’m sure would like you very much,” Principal Jian heard her perfunctory yet focused tone and knew she must be doing homework. “Never mind, finish your homework first.”

He hung up.

Looking at his tablet again, she knew guzheng, interpreted “White Clothes” so well, and this reverse spear move had gone viral nationwide in one night. Principal Jian recalled that back in Xiangcheng, Bai Lian was close with the Calligraphy Association’s president.

Even his grand-nephew listened to Bai Lian very well.

The Jian family all knew Liang-style calligraphy. Though Principal Jian wasn’t expert at it, he could do it.

He had seen Bai Lian’s writing – very orderly yet with a unique style of official script. So he wondered, would she know Liang-style too?

If she even knew Liang-style…

Principal Jian pondered.

—

On the first day of break, countless tourists came to Jiang Jing.

The entrance to Jiang University was especially packed. Although many people visited Jiang University every year, no year had been like this one, with crowds gathering at the university entrance early in the morning.

Jiang University had daily visitor quotas, but people who couldn’t get in didn’t leave. They just stood at the entrance taking photos with their phones.

Those who could get in first went to the plaza, then to the great hall to see last night’s venue, and finally to find the Physics Department.

The number of people coming to the Physics Department for photos was countless.

The usually low-key Physics Department never expected to become famous this way.

Dean Huang lived in school housing.

The Academic Affairs staff and math professors lived next door. Early in the morning they came over to discuss this matter – the flow of people was too large. Bai Lian’s traditional music and martial arts, combined with being a top student at Jiang University, had gone viral on short videos.

It sparked a “Jiang University trend” and “traditional martial arts” trend.

Various official organizations wanted to find Bai Lian, but no one had her contact information. They couldn’t find anything, so they all came to the Physics Department.

“What does the Martial Arts Association want with her?” Dean Huang was grading Tongfeng class topology answers. Hearing this, he couldn’t help but say, “Don’t give them Student Bai’s contact information. Don’t give it. As for the general public…”

Dean Huang smiled, “I hope they work hard and get admitted to our Physics Department soon, to be in the same major as Student Bai.”

“Your Physics Department’s score requirements are already ridiculously high, they’re going even higher next year?” The calculus professor couldn’t help but put down his teacup. “Leave some students for us.”

Dean Huang didn’t answer him, moving on to the next answer sheet.

Neat and beautiful handwriting.

He immediately felt pleased looking at it.

Professor Ma was busy – it was already rare for him to teach one class to Tongfeng class each week. His student Dean Huang graded the assignments, sending particularly good answers separately to Professor Ma.

These were the answer sheets Bai Lian and others submitted last week.

Dean Huang nodded. The handwriting was beautiful, but… something seemed a bit off.

Beside him, the calculus professor also noticed this. He made a surprised sound, “Isn’t this our Boyuan class’s answer sheet?”

“What Boyuan class,” Dean Huang’s brow twitched. He quickly pushed this sheet to the bottom. “This is Tongfeng class’s answer sheet. You’re mistaken.”

The next sheet was also Bai Lian’s answer, thankfully this time it was topology.

“That’s definitely our Boyuan class’s marking.” The math teacher put down his teacup and forcibly took the answer sheet from Dean Huang’s hands, examining it carefully up and down.

He taught calculus to Physics Department freshmen, but math majors didn’t study calculus – he taught real analysis in Boyuan class.

This question was exactly what he assigned last time. He could recognize it at a glance.

Dean Huang expressionlessly watched the calculus teacher’s expression grow brighter and brighter.

Internally he was frantically complaining – what was Bai Lian doing? How did she even have time to do Boyuan class problems?! What kind of wild operation was this from Little Junior Sister?

“I think…” the calculus professor held the test paper, looking at Dean Huang.

Dean Huang snatched back the paper and looked up: “Don’t think. Be careful my teacher doesn’t come after you.”

Calculus professor: “…?”

—

Bai Lian didn’t know that Tang Ming and Ning Xiao had submitted both sets of her answers together after reviewing them.

She was trending these days, but both her high school and university classmates were kind enough not to leak her WeChat or phone number. Nobody exposed her contact information.

Basically no one bothered her. Bai Lian herself was very relaxed.

Of course, except for Xu Zhiyue sending her harassing messages on WeChat every day.

Xu Zhiyue: [Ahhhhhhh.jpg] Xu Zhiyue: [Sister, are you coming today?] Xu Zhiyue: [Sister, are you coming today?] Xu Zhiyue: […]

She started spamming Bai Lian’s screen again.

Today was the second. The Xu family was holding the one-month celebration for Xu En’s child at noon.

Bai Lian had just returned from her morning run. She sent a symbol, and Xu Zhiyue stopped.

Looking down, the next message was from Ye Jianxian.

Ye Jianxian: [Junior sister, where’s your opening BGM from? Many netizens want to know. The student council’s phone is ringing off the hook.]

Bai Pick: [Improvised it. No name.]

On the other end of the phone, Ye Jianxian was startled by Bai Lian’s message. She sat up in her dorm bed.

Such a rhythmic piece that netizens had been arguing about, music that could be called divine – it was actually an impromptu composition?

Ye Jianxian looked at the student council group chat, thought for a moment, and asked Bai Lian again –

[Junior sister, can we release this music online? Netizens are all asking for the original.]

The student council had the audio source Bai Lian sent them. There were also recordings of the live performance online, but the live recordings were always inferior in quality.

This music had nothing to do with Bai Lian. She took a screenshot and sent it to Principal Jian.

Principal Jian: [1]

Half an hour later, Jiang University Physics Department’s student council posted a Weibo: [The audio source everyone’s been looking for – asked junior sister, she said it was improvised without a name. Have a listen.]

Attached — [Simple.mp3]