Kapitel 141: Chapter 141: Her Final Performance
The next day, at the Juilliard staff-exclusive dining hall, as Lin placed her order facing Leontine Price and Geon, Leontine Price, observing her with a gaze mixed with both friendliness and caution, said,
"So, what brings Ms. Son Lin, hailed as Fantagio's marketing genius, to seek out this old man? Even Kay doesn't seem to know."
Geon, waving his hand dismissively, replied,
"Honestly, I have no idea either, professor. It was Byungjun hyung who suddenly told me today that Director Lin wanted to have a meal, so I just came along."
As the two focused their attention on her, Lin, wearing a light smile on her face, leisurely took a sip of water and began,
"First, I'd like to apologize for arranging this meeting so suddenly without sharing the agenda in advance. It would have been better if I had planned and proceeded with a prior notice, but there isn't much time left until the performance, and this idea came to me quite abruptly."
Leontine Price nodded slightly, indicating for her to continue.
"Professor, and Mr. Geon. This performance is indeed a free concert, but in reality, it's a fundraising event for those starving in Africa, correct?"
Both nodded in agreement, prompting Lin to continue,
"Then, regardless of the set amount, people coming to see the performance will put whatever amount they can afford into the donation box at the entrance. While it's for a good cause, paying to see it makes it no different from a regular concert, right?"
After pondering for a moment, Leontine Price nodded and said,
"While the intention is different, from the audience's perspective, it is indeed similar to a paid performance. But what about it?"
Lin, looking directly at Leontine Price, asked,
"One question, professor. The venue for this performance is the opera house within Juilliard, which has about 1,000 seats, correct?"
Upon his nod, Lin immediately followed up,
"So, how have you decided which attendees will be granted entry to this free concert? Is it on a first-come, first-served basis?"
Leontine Price hesitated, leading Geon to ask curiously,
"What's the matter, professor?"
"Um..."
As Leontine Price struggled to speak, Lin alternated her gaze between the two and explained,
"Mr. Geon might not be interested in this aspect, but the attendees are usually those who donate to Juilliard or those who are economically and socially established, so to speak 'people of leisure'. I understand that selections were made based on applications received by the professor and the school, correct?"
After a brief look at Geon, Leontine Price sighed and admitted,
"Yes, that's correct. Since it was for donations, we needed people who could afford it."
Lin, facing her squarely, said,
"So, essentially, only the selected wealthy can attend this performance?"
Caught off guard by Lin's direct question, Geon asked in surprise,
"What? Was that the case, professor?"
Leontine Price, flustered, hurriedly clarified,
"It may seem that way, but my intention was to help the African famine victims as much as possible. I have not lived as a materialist. Please don't misunderstand."
After a moment of silence from Lin, she raised her hands and said,
"I understand, professor. Thank you for answering my bold question."
Relieved, Leontine Price asked,
"It's good that you understand, but may I ask why you've brought up this topic?"
Lin took a folder from her briefcase and placed it on the table, catching their attention.
"I have a proposition. Would you like to hear it?"
Leontine Price nodded, interested,
"Listening to others is a basic duty of a professor. Please, go ahead."
As Lin opened the folder, Geon and Leontine Price focused on its contents. Geon, looking at the first page, asked in surprise,
"Pay-per-view? Isn't that the billing method used for cable or internet TV services?"
Leontine Price, also intrigued, looked up for an explanation. Lin turned the folder for a better view and explained,
"Yes. PPV is commonly used for sports events. Mr. Geon, having spent his school years in Korea... oh, with the professor here, let's call him Kay. Kay might not be familiar with PPV since it's more common in the US for important or high-profile sports events like soccer, UFC, NBA, NFL games, which Americans are accustomed to buying viewing rights for."
Leontine Price, curious, picked up the document and said,
"Yes, it's a well-established culture here. But why bring this up?"
Lin leaned in closer and said with a direct gaze,
"The initial discussion. It's not me saying this but what people are saying, professor. That it's a performance for
the wealthy few."
"That... that..."
"You wouldn't want to be misunderstood, right? Since it's against your intention. And since Kay from Fantagio is also performing, it would be problematic for us if he were also misunderstood."
Leontine Price looked apologetically at Geon, who waved off the concern,
"I'm fine, professor. I understand your intentions. It's frustrating to be misunderstood, but I don't believe such misunderstandings harm me. Director Lin, please don't entertain such misunderstandings."
As Geon spoke earnestly, Lin shook her head,
"It's not me misunderstanding but others. Kay."
"What should we do, then? Is there a solution?"
Lin looked thoughtfully at Geon then turned to Leontine Price,
"Fantagio has no intention of profiting from this event. However, as Kay's management company, it's our official stance that we cannot afford financial losses or damage to our image, professor. Do you understand?"
After a deep sigh, Leontine Price responded,
"Yes, I understand."
Leaning forward, Lin looked into her eyes,
"So, if there's a way that doesn't damage your and Kay's image, can offer greater support to the children in Africa, and provides an affordable viewing opportunity to those misunderstanding, would you entrust me with it?"
Surprised, Leontine Price stared at Lin for a long moment. That day, their meeting in the staff dining hall lasted for a very long time.
**
That afternoon, journalists scrambled upon seeing the notice posted on Fantagio's website. The world paid attention to the sudden news from Fantagio.
<Fantagio, Kay's Management Company, Decides on Opera Performance PPV Sale!>
Fantagio, a subsidiary of the JC Group under China's Jinsung Investments, is already well-known worldwide. They clinched a contract with the Korean musician Kay, quickly becoming Asia's top entertainment planning company and gaining a reputation as the world's most notable agency. According to the announcement made at 07:00 PM today, PPV will be sold for Leontine Price's retirement concert held at Juilliard Opera House in Manhattan, New York, 12 days from now. PPV, short for Pay-per-view, refers to purchasing video content for a fee, and the service will be provided via live internet streaming rather than TV service. Users can buy PPV on Fantagio's website and access the live performance on the day of the event by entering their PPV number on the LIVE channel. The proceeds from the performance, excluding a 3% transaction fee for third-party payments, will be entirely donated to aid starving children in Africa. Fantagio explained that they made this choice because they couldn't accommodate all the audience members who wanted to attend the opera house concert, which seats about 1,000, and participate in the fundraising activity. They announced the PPV price at an affordable $10 USD to ensure many people could watch without burden. This news led many worldwide to inquire about the PPV sales schedule on Fantagio's website, and the company is increasing physical servers to manage server traffic in response.
<January 03, Die Welt by Germany, Wolfgang Malte>
Numerous articles poured out daily, and the world awaited new announcements on Fantagio's website. On the second day after the first notice, the start of PPV sales was announced, causing Fantagio's server room staff to scramble as server traffic spiked.
"Tsuyu! Server 3 is down!"
"Damn! Server 2 is on the brink too, better shut it down and switch to another!"
"Server 19 is stable! Switch over here!"
Watching the busy scene, Chairman Wang Hao smiled broadly and asked Director Yan'an standing beside him,
"What time did PPV sales start?"
Glancing at his watch, Director Yan'an replied,
"Two hours ago."
"Ah, and it's already this chaotic. How many have sold?"
Checking his phone, Director Yan'an reported,
"We're supposed to receive hourly updates, and the last one came one hour after sales started, showing 1,932,938 tickets sold."
Chairman Wang Hao burst into laughter, pleased,
"Haha, nearly two million in one hour? Kay really is something! Though we won't make a profit, it's the best choice for Fantagio's brand marketing, all thanks to Director Son Lin."
Director Yan'an briefly showed jealousy but soon nodded in resignation,
"Indeed, there's no beating Director Lin. The data analysis team predicts we might sell over thirty million tickets."
"Thirty million? That's a lot. At ten dollars each, that's 300 million dollars."
As Director Yan'an checked his phone again, he looked puzzled,
"Chairman, the second report just came in..."
Curious, Chairman Wang Hao urged,
"Yes? How many now? It must be less than the first hour, right?"
Director Yan'an, sounding shocked, announced,
"Actually...
it's over seven million in just two hours..."
"What?"
On a day when PPV sales were booming, inside the Juilliard Opera House, rehearsals were in full swing regardless of the happenings outside. Leontine Price, having run through the rehearsal from start to finish for the fourth time today, was oblivious to the sweat dripping down her forehead as she devoted herself to practice. It was only when she loudly announced a break, clapping her hands, that the students, who had been holding in their need to visit the restroom, rushed out with relief. Like the students, Geon, who had been drenched in sweat from practicing hard, flopped down on the floor and let out a sigh.
"Phew, Professor, you're really amazing. Even I'm finding it tough, and I'm young."
Leontine Price approached Geon with a gentle smile, sitting down on the floor beside him.
"Ha-ha, well, my movements aren't as extensive, so it's not too hard for me. Kay, you have long movements and have to change outfits frequently, so it must be harder for you."
"Phew, at least we're not in full makeup for rehearsal. I'd die during the actual performance with all the costume and makeup changes."
"Ha-ha, it's not easy, indeed."
Leontine Price moved to the front of the stage, sat down with her legs dangling off the edge, and patted the spot beside her.
"Come sit here?"
Geon, struggling to get up, moved to sit beside her. She then handed him a handkerchief.
"Wipe off some sweat. Oh dear, you must be really tired. You should have taken it easy."
Geon weakly smiled, accepting the handkerchief to wipe his sweat.
"Opera is new to me. Plus, I'm not used to acting, so I keep feeling anxious. And when I'm anxious, I end up practicing more. I guess you, being an experienced veteran, don't have such worries. You're not afraid of the stage, are you?"
Leontine Price widened her eyes in surprise.
"Oh my, Kay, are you afraid of the stage?"
Geon, clutching her handkerchief, hesitated before responding.
"Yes, I still am."
"Really? But you've been on a world tour, and even experienced the grand stage of Lollapalooza, though it wasn't your own show."
"Ha-ha, right. I'm not afraid when it's just about music, but this stage scares me. Especially since it's your last performance, Professor. I don't want to ruin it."
Leontine Price looked at Geon thoughtfully and then admitted.
"I'm scared too, Kay."
Geon looked at her in surprise.
"You've been on countless opera stages, Professor, and you still feel fear?"
Leontine Price looked out over the empty auditorium.
"The stage is always a fearful place. It was at eighteen on my debut, and it still is now, as I'm retiring."
As Geon waited for her to continue, she looked long at the stage before adding.
"I was afraid. So, I practiced more, considered risks, and even practiced improvisation to break through those risks. And still, I'd be so scared that I couldn't sleep at night, muttering lines and songs like a mad person until I could do them reflexively. And only when I've shaken off the fear do I truly step onto the stage. Fear means you're not prepared. A person who's prepared feels excitement more than fear."
Geon nodded in agreement.
"Your words are absolutely right, Professor. But even if everyone prepares hard, not everyone succeeds. I guess that's where the fear comes from."
Leontine Price's eyes twinkled as she smiled.
"That's not about being unlucky or lacking skill. It's about failing to prepare. Those who fail to prepare are essentially preparing to fail, Kay. They've misused the little time given to us. The one who doesn't value even a minute now is only preparing for failure."
Geon, seemingly struck by her words, quietly contemplated with his eyes half-closed, prompting her to continue.
"Opportunities for great fortune are fleeting. Those who let time slip away without hesitation haven't discovered the value of life yet. Remember you said not everyone succeeds? The condition for victory isn't innate talent, high intelligence, or sensibility; it's attitude. Attitude is the measure that separates winners."
After taking a moment to catch her breath, she added,
"A person I met once kept telling me to always envision success in my mind, and for the longest time, I thought those thoughts alone made me successful. As I grew older, I realized it wasn't just about thinking dreams in my head but feeling them in my heart, writing them down with my hands, and singing them out loud. Don't waste even a day, not even a minute. Oh, and don't think that means you
shouldn't rest. Rest is very important. But that rest should be a springboard for flying higher, not just resting for the sake of rest. It's about resting to soar higher."
After a long moment of deep thought, Geon finally looked up at her.
"Thank you, Professor."
Leontine Price covered her mouth with her hand, laughing softly.
"Ha-ha, I've gone on a bit of a rant. As I get older, I hope young people wander less, so I end up lecturing a bit too much. Thank you for listening so seriously, Kay."
Geon straightened up, shaking his head.
"No, thank you. It's been incredibly helpful. And reading the opera's script and reflecting on your life has been enlightening. I was shocked to learn about the hardships you've endured when I first saw the script."
Leontine Price's gaze turned distant. She looked out at the empty seats and softly said,
"Back then, everyone lived like that. Not just me. During the turbulent 1920s, there was the Great Depression, and World War II began when I was ten and ended when I was eighteen. And in my late twenties, the Vietnam War broke out. Those times were experienced and endured by everyone living through them."
Geon, holding her wrinkled hand, gave a bright smile.
"It might upset you, but my grandfather, who has passed away, was also born in the 20s. I was surprised to learn he was of a similar age, having lived through the Japanese occupation of Korea."
Leontine Price smiled teasingly.
"My spirit is still youthful. It's unfortunate about your grandfather, but comparing him to me is disappointing, ha-ha."
"Ha-ha, no, I just thought it was impressive."
"Ha-ha, thank you. Oh? Isn't that Director Son Lin over there?"
At Leontine Price's remark, Geon turned toward the entrance and saw Lin wearing an aqua-blue blouse and a black high-waisted skirt.
"Director! You're here?"
Lin glanced back at the two Asian staff members following her and smiled.
"As expected, you're drenched in sweat from practicing. I've brought some drinks; please share. Staff, please leave the drinks under the stage and then leave."
After quickly placing a box of drinks down and leaving, Lin turned to show the tablet PC she was holding.
"You two seem disinterested, but I know you're curious. About the PPV sales, right?"
As Geon and Leontine Price looked at each other and smiled, Lin approached, tapped the tablet, and showed them the screen. It displayed a linear graph with a steadily rising curve.
"It means the cumulative sales are increasing every day. The PPV sales are successful."
Geon, looking intrigued, asked,
"I heard from Byung-jun this morning that we've sold over 7 million copies?"
Leontine Price, hearing this for the first time, exclaimed in shock,
"What?? 7 million copies, Director? Is that true?"
As Lin smiled with her eyes, Leontine Price's eyes widened as she looked at Geon. The beautiful, freshly smiling face of Geon filled her vision.
"Yes, Professor. It's true. I'm glad so many people will see your final performance. And I'm satisfied it will help a lot of children in Africa. Ha-ha."
Still unable to grasp the reality, Leontine Price kept her eyes wide open, looking back and forth between Geon and Lin.
"Seven... seven million copies..."
Lin shook her head slightly and said,
"Manager Byung-jun didn't give you the exact sales figures. Since I hadn't officially informed you, he must have heard it through a friendly senior-junior connection at the head office and told you."
Leontine Price clicked her tongue as if she had expected this.
"Tsk, of course. That couldn't be, could it? Ha-ha."
Feeling guilty for giving false hope based on inaccurate sales figures, Geon hesitated, and Lin approached with a smile, looking up from the stage.
"Kay, there's no reason for you to feel sorry, so don't look like that."
Embarrassed, Geon scratched his cheek, glancing at Leontine Price.
"Still... I feel bad for raising hopes and then disappointing you."
Leontine Price playfully slapped Geon's arm and laughed.
"Disappointed? Ha-ha. I didn't believe it from the start. 7 million, ha-ha. Even my most successful opera, 'Aida,' only just surpassed 1 million cumulative audience members over three months of performances. And even that was considered a record-breaking success, you know? Ha-ha."
Watching the two exchange comfort and jokes, Lin laughed and offered the tablet PC to Geon.
"Here's the data. I'll go talk to Manager Byung-jun outside for a bit. You
two check this."
"Ah, thank you, Director."
Geon took the tablet PC from her and scooted closer to Leontine Price to look at the screen together.
<Fantagio Data Report: Opera Performance PPV Sales Status>
Day 1 Sales: 9,363,123
Day 2 Sales: 11,253,533
Day 3 Sales: 17,368,112
Total Sales for 3 Days: 28,621,645
Remaining Sales Period: 3 days
Projected Sales: 40 million copies
As Geon and Leontine Price stared with their mouths agape towards the door Lin had exited, only the sound of the door creaking closed could be heard.
Unable to speak, Leontine Price's eyes fluttered as she stared fixedly at the screen, while Geon murmured with a trembling voice,
"It might end up being close to our country's population..."
Trembling, Leontine Price ran her hands over her forehead.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein