Devil’s Music

On the day of the performance.

The show was scheduled to start at 6 PM, but Norman, who had arrived early to meet Abraham, was enjoying grilled dishes at JJ's Manhattan. As he peeled a freshly grilled shrimp, he commented.

“Ha, it’s been a while since I’ve come here, but the taste hasn’t changed. Try some, the shrimp here are delicious.”

As Abraham accepted the crispy grilled shrimp from Norman and chuckled, Norman let out a snicker.

“That good, huh? Heard you got a lot of praise at work because of the Kay interview.”

Abraham grinned and began peeling the shrimp.

“Of course, it was an interview no one else could secure. Honestly, Kay has held press conferences in front of many reporters, but never a solo interview like the one I did. Even if it was for a short time, to have secured an exclusive interview and even received his business card in the end – my editor was ecstatic, haha.”

“Haha, Herald News is a big company as it is, why the fuss?”

“Every little bit like this has made Herald News what it is today, sir.”

“That’s true. One who doesn’t focus on the present can’t create the future. Here, try this too. The pork ribs are really delicious.”

“Yes, sir, haha, you have a great taste!”

Abraham, giggling foolishly, seemed to please Norman, who continued to laugh along as they ate. Amid their meal, Abraham pulled out his phone to check the latest news updates online.

“Gosh, sir. Have you seen this news?”

“What news?”

Abraham showed his phone screen to Norman.

“This director Son Lin. He must be a genius. Look at the PPV sales figures. They closed sales at midnight yesterday, and now they’re sending out PPV numbers via mobile phone MMS. As of yesterday, they’ve sold 93 million units! That’s more than the entire population of Kay’s country!”

Norman nodded as if it was to be expected.

“Makes sense, doesn’t it? It’s a concert by Kay, a musician who ranks high on Billboard, plus it’s the last performance of the legendary diva Leontine Price, not to mention the new genius Kiska Miocic writing the lyrics. And after the incident in Nepal, Kay, who is being called an angel, is performing. Naturally, it's drawing huge attention. Ah, and all 100% of the PPV sales revenue is going to aid famine relief in Africa, plus it was offered at a low price.”

Abraham pushed his phone forward more excitedly.

“But, sir! 93 million units! That’s 930 million dollars! In Korean money, that’s over a trillion won. A musician’s single concert moving a trillion won? That’s like the annual budget of a small country!”

Norman chuckled.

“After the Nepal incident, wasn’t the scale of money Kay moves already verified? Perhaps it’s because he seems detached from money, if there had been a movement to earn, the response might not have been this heated.”

Abraham clapped his hands as if that was exactly it.

“That’s exactly what I mean! If Kay had taken a higher percentage for himself during the Nepal fundraising broadcast and this concert, he could have pocketed several hundred billion won. How can someone be so devoid of greed for money? If he already had a lot of money and thus didn’t covet more, that I could understand, but that’s not the case with Kay, right?”

Norman wiped the oil on his fingertips with a wet towel as he replied.

“That’s right, I heard he took 5% of the revenue from Nepal, but I also heard he donated an additional 4% of that.”

Abraham’s mouth fell open in shock.

“Eh? An additional 4%? Where did you hear that?”

Norman crumpled the towel and put it aside before speaking.

“One of my friends is on the board of UNICEF. Kay went to them personally, handed over the money, and asked to keep it a secret. My friend was so moved, he couldn’t stop praising him. And as soon as this concert was announced, he donated and said he would come to the performance. Unfortunately, his donation fell a bit short for an invitation to see the live performance.”

Abraham leaned on the table, propping his chin with his arms, flipping food with his fork.

“I’ve been curious, how much do you have to donate to get an invitation to see the performance? Is it only for the incredibly wealthy?”

Norman wiped his mouth, shaking his head.

“Not really. Priority is given to those who have been a big help in good causes. Take Warren Buffet, for instance; he didn’t donate a dime to this cause, but got an invitation because of his ongoing donations to his friend Bill’s wife’s foundation. Remember the incident two years ago? Someone left a suitcase full of money at

the Little Flower Children Orphanage on Livingston Street.”

“Oh! I remember. It became a topic when it was revealed through CCTV that a woman over ninety had left her life savings there.”

“Right, that elderly lady got an invitation too. She’s coming, albeit in a wheelchair with her grandson’s help.”

“I see.. What about those without such records? The venue seats a thousand; they couldn’t have filled it with just those people.”

“Correct. The rest were invited in order of the amount donated. If it had only been the latter, some might have complained, but thanks to the former, there were no complaints. It’s not a social obligation for the wealthy to donate. Why should they give away the money they earned? But they are doing so, and giving them the opportunity didn’t make the general public discontent. New invitees also made donations to enter, and it’s believed they were selected based on their potential for future charitable activities.”

“Ah.. So, no chance for newly rich people to suddenly make a large donation and get an invitation?”

“That’s the understanding. Smart move, wasn’t it?”

“Was that Son Lin director’s idea?”

“Doubtful. This was decided before Kay joined the performance, so it seems it was Leontine Price’s own will.”

“Hmm.. I see.”

Norman checked the time on a wall clock and stood up.

“Time flies when you’re having a good conversation. I’ll head to the venue now. Where will you watch?”

Abraham, looking pitiful, scratched his cheek.

“Haha, well, I wasn’t invited, so I guess I’ll watch on my laptop outside. I even bought a pair of headphones for over 400 dollars just to properly enjoy the music! Haha”

Norman, holding the bill, waved it.

“Well, poor Abraham. I’ll take care of the bill then. Enjoy the performance.”

After paying, Norman walked alone towards the Juilliard Opera House as the time for the performance neared, with many people outside looking forward with anticipation. Smiling at the sight of the cheerful crowd, Norman arrived in front of Juilliard to see many reporters interviewing and filming the audience entering the opera house. One reporter, spotting Norman in a neatly dressed suit and black coat, quickly signaled to a cameraman and ran over with a microphone.

“Mr. Norman Lebrecht! Hello! Danny Smalling from Channel 5 UK. It’s nice to see you in the US.”

Norman, about to pass by, stopped upon hearing it was a famous channel from his country.

“Channel 5? Reporters came from the UK too.”

Danny gestured around and chuckled.

“Not just the UK. Over there are reporters from Korea, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, and on the other side, from France, Italy, Germany. Ah, and there are Mexican reporters coming too. Almost all famous news channels from around the world are here. It’s a highly anticipated performance.”

As Norman nodded, someone gently patted his back. Turning around, he saw a Hispanic man with long black curly hair smiling at him.

“My, Carlos! Long time no see.”

Watching Norman greet loudly, a nearby reporter muttered in surprise.

“Ca...Carlos Montanada…”

Carlos smiled broadly and rested his hand on his hip.

“Of course, I had to come. It’s Kay’s performance. Haven’t you forgotten? I was with Kay on his first tour. Haha”

Norman laughed heartily in response.

“Ah, Lollapalooza, right? Sadly, I missed that performance. Ah, were you invited?”

“Yes, Kay sent me a ticket. Thanks to him, I’m getting out of Mexico for the first time in a while. Haha”

“Well, that’s nice. Where’s your seat?”

“Kay mentioned you were coming, so I asked for the seat next to yours. Look, it’s R-58. Yours is R-59, right?”

“Oh, that’s exciting, watching the performance with Carlos. Haha.”

Danny, unable to find an opening to jump back into the conversation, held and then lowered his microphone as a commotion started on one side.

“It’s President Herald Winston!”

Danny, turning his head as if his neck might break, saw Herald Winston waving from his presidential car. Reporters crowded around the president, leaving their previous interviews. Seeing this, Danny looked apologetically at Norman, who chuckled and nodded.

“Go on, Danny. That’s more newsworthy than us.”

Danny brightened, then apologized.

“Oh! Th, thank you. And... sorry, sir.”

As Danny hurried off, the two elderly men walked leisurely towards the now-cleared path to the opera house. Carlos led the way inside, showing their invitations to the security guards. With the auditorium still relatively empty, they quickly found their seats. Carlos waved Norman over.

“This is our spot, right over here.”

Norman, smiling,

sat down and glanced at the curtained stage, then suddenly noticed something interesting.

“Ha, that must be Kiska Miocic over there.”

“Eh? Where, where?”

Carlos turned his head, catching sight of Kiska peeking through the curtains, playfully observing the audience.

>

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