"I didn't hear it then;I heard it before that... Ah! Got it, that line of code!"
I took out the piece of paper that read "66bpmPed(G#C#E)×4."
"66 bpm, that's what's written on this paper," I said excitedly.
Xin Hui adjusted the pendulum weight, and the metronome started making a "tick-tock" sound. At that moment, the air conditioning suddenly became stronger, and the first line, "The slow tempo of Adagio," disappeared.
"What could the part after the code mean?" Xin Hui asked after looking at the paper.
"Ped (Pedal) in sheet music refers to the sustain pedal. G#, C#, and E probably refer to these three notes," I said, casually playing the three notes on the piano. "I don't understand the '×4' part."
"Could that '×4' mean 'multiply by 4'? Try repeating those three notes four times," Xin Hui suggested.
"Wait a minute!" Zi Qian grabbed my hand and looked at me. "How do you know so much? Did the teacher in the brass band room really say that much?"
Xin Hui also looked at me, waiting for an explanation.
"Don't look at me like that. I learned piano as a child, though I only took lessons for one year before quitting," I said.
"No wonder you seem to know a lot," Zi Qian said, letting go of my hand.
Xin Hui pressed down the sustain pedal and then played those three notes four times in a row.
"Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata," I said.
The lights in the auditorium gradually dimmed until only the single beam of white light shining on the piano on the stage remained.
"'The slow tempo of Adagio, press down the sustain pedal, the main melody of Moonlight.' It seems you have discovered my secret."
Xin Qin appeared.
She played the prelude to Moonlight Sonata on her violin.
"I have already planted bombs in the auditorium. Tomorrow evening, playing this Moonlight Sonata as the opening piece will start the bomb's countdown. After 3 minutes, with a 'BOOM,' everyone in the auditorium will vanish into thin air in the explosion. Hahaha!" she said while playing the violin, ending with three bouts of hysterical laughter.
We ignored what piece she was playing or what bombs she was setting, focusing instead on preparing our light swords and discussing strategy.
"Initially, we'll test Xin Qin's combat style, focusing on defense. If the opponent uses a special skill, retreat immediately. Wu yi, you're the strongest, you take the center. I'll cover the left, and Zi Qian the right."
As the team leader, Xin Hui explained the battle plan and positioning. Although Xin Hui didn't have a detailed, perfected strategy for defeating a boss like the experienced Ming Hua, I felt a familiar thrill and excitement, as if back in Battle Evolution running a dungeon.
"Wu yi,I know you have a lot of HP, but don't charge ahead too fast like last time; it's too risky. Some stage bosses have two hidden skills after they go berserk," Zi Qian repeatedly reminded me.
"Got it!" I said, then muttered quietly, "You've said that like a hundred times."
"Since you've discovered a secret you shouldn't have, I won't let you leave here alive," Xin Qin said, placing her violin aside. She tossed a green card into the air and raised her violin bow high. "Energy Card, grant me your power!"
The green card burned with green sparks in the air.
"I love your jealousy and hatred. I shall grant you power accordingly."
It was that same terrifying, heavy voice from before.
The violin bow emitted a red glow, and then a red light sword, identical to the robots', appeared in Xin Qin's hand.
The three of us each took our prearranged positions.
After the green card flew into Xin Qin's pocket, the battle began!
I took a step forward. Xin Qin's red light sword flashed as she lunged towards me. Her first thrust aimed for my chest; I sidestepped to avoid it. She then followed with two quick jabs at my face, which I also dodged. Compared to the previous Wei Syuen, Xin Qin's sword swings were much slower, and her attack patterns were similar to those of the robots I encountered on the road.
...