Superstars of Tomorrow

Nanfeng felt immense pressure on his first day as Fang Zhao’s assistant.

The next day, Fang Zhao had class. After Nanfeng completed his own tasks, he didn’t head home immediately. Instead, he sought shelter in a pavilion that was part of an on-campus park. He opened a plastic container to reveal slices of iced watermelon. Nanfeng wanted to take in the artsy vibe of the HuangArt campus.

Someone was practicing the piano nearby. Legs crossed, Nanfeng shook along with the beat. He felt he had gotten a taste of the artistic life.

Soon, a parent and her child joined Nanfeng in the pavilion. The child looked like he was a secondary school student. Judging from their conversation, they were at HuangArt to sit for an exam. The parent was consoling her son, who was complaining about how hard the HuangArt exam was.

"HuangArt’s admission exams are tough. Even prospective students with connections need to sit for them. But do you know why HuangArt has these exams? It’s for your own good. The administration doesn’t want any of their students to be in the awkward position of cluelessly munching away at a melon because they can’t follow an academic discussion."

Nanfeng, who was eating watermelon 10 meters away: "..."

He felt like he had been punched in the gut.

It was quite the demoralizing comment.

But Nanfeng quickly regained his composure.

The sky was the limit for Fang Zhao’s career. As Fang Zhao’s assistant, he had to be presentable too!

Should he sign up for a short-term course?

After consulting with a few friends who also worked in the same industry, Nanfeng signed up for an online course. After filing his application, he didn’t immediately head back to his own flat, instead making his way to Yan Biao’s place. He watched the season finale of "Founding Era" with Yan Biao and Zuo Yu. Nanfeng had already watched the episodes from the Yanzhou chapter that featured Fang Zhao, but the entire series was too long. He couldn’t possibly catch up in a day or two.

He would watch the remaining episodes when he had time, not just those of the Yanzhou chapter but the other chapters as well. He wasn’t interested in the series per se; he wanted to get to know the actors cast in the series better.

After finishing class, Fang Zhao returned to his dorm room and organized his notes for the day. When it was time, he turned on his TV to a preset channel.

As long as he didn’t have class, Fang Zhao would tune into the 10th season of "Founding Era." Today was the season finale.

Unlike the previous seasons, the 10th season of "Founding Era" had a brighter visual tone.

Downcast from a grim and grey color palette since the first season, audiences were finally rewarded with a change in the 10th season.

The overall epic storyline was quite stifling, but the 10th season was much more upbeat even though quite a few main characters died.

From the full recovery of territory to cleaning house in Huangzhou, to the Founding Era and the naming of the 12 continents, to a new regime, a new order, and a world—after enduring 100 years of suffering, the human race was finally marching toward a brighter future.

A short film concluded the series.

It featured the final victory, the triumphant homecoming of the heroes, and the changes to the world in the 500 years after the Founding Era.

The score to the short film kicked off with a Chinese flute and violin solo that resembled a lone voice beckoning from the vast landscape.

A powerful force was gradually forming and gathering pace steadily.

Darkness always preceded the dawn, but darkness also became the dawn.

Bellows from the brass section resembled deafening cries that pierced the dawn, charging toward the sky and beckoning the future.

The world was rebuilt on this wasteland under a warm, nourishing light. A series of pale headstones told the stories of countless legends.

Every note that traveled to the ear evoked a fragmented memory, and every melody formed coherent scenes in the mind.

Like a preacher relaying an epic narrative.

The TV series was a lesson in history and time that told of grand, epic battles and legendary figures who were also regular folks.

Blurry shadows appeared in the film. These were the characters that survived or perished during the 10 seasons.

During the 100-year Period of Destruction, it was the work of these titans that had led to them escaping the darkness and forging a new world.

Now, five hundred years later, they were long gone. What history remembered was their determination and glory as well as tragedy and sorrow. But what took their place was something brighter, a sense of purpose powerful enough to motivate people to strive their entire lifetimes.

In later years, people called it faith. Others called it the grand cause.

It was this force that had underpinned 100 years of struggle and gave rise to countless miracles.

The short film was accompanied by an uninterrupted 10-minute score.

Ten minutes, far longer than the average song, was sufficient to convey a mind-blowing range of color.

Ten minutes, 12 melodies, 28 sections, more than 100 lines of music. They encompassed the cultural elements of all 12 continents. A large and complex ensemble of instruments. The rich range of emotion and the exquisite melodies that varied in pace but came off as seamlessly edited, coupled with the repeated variations, did not result in an overwhelming or protracted effect. The piece did not feel long at all, with surprises popping up at every corner, giving little in the way of respite. It had both the weight of an epic and the sheer beauty of a romantic score. A stunning and grand construction filled with twists and turns that put the listener in the moment and stirred their emotions.

When Mo Lang had composed the piece, he had been inspired by Fang Zhao’s "This Life of Mine."

What Mo Long had wanted to create was not just a perfunctory account of these historical figures or collection of memories. What he had wanted to do was recreate the ethos of the era.

As if these giants had never left and the hope and faith that had propelled them into battle had lived on.

The human body might decompose, but the human spirit lived forever!

The blood of the martyrs painted the skies red as the heroes made a triumphant return!

Remembering these forgotten souls and etching their stories into stone.

Forgetfulness was the ultimate killer.

The short film ended with a monologue from the character playing General Lu Xi from Xizhou while resting on his deathbed.

"I will have experienced three deaths in my life. The first time was when the Period of Destruction began. I bid farewell to my past and took on a new identity. The second time will be my imminent death, when my heart stops and my coffin is buried. I will be declared dead by a doctor, by friends and family, and by society. As for my third death, it will occur when the last person in this vast universe who remembered me forgets me. At that point, I will have nothing to do with the world. That is when I will truly disappear. I lived through my first death, and I’m about to welcome my second, but as long as you remember me..." The hoarse yet firm voice summoned all the remaining strength of his lungs, transcending time and space. "I. Shall. Live. On. Forever!"

Fade to black, followed by the text: "Please remember them."

Commemoration and the passing of the torch could withstand the test of time.

Audiences from around the world only shifted their attention away from the screen when the end credits rolled. They felt a sense of loss and were reinvigorated at the same time.

The 10 seasons of "Founding Era" had finally concluded.

A visual and auditory feast, without a doubt.

When these stories of the past were transformed into images and the effect was enhanced by a haunting score, 10 seasons later, audiences acutely felt the power of fate and faith.

"Unsurpassable god-level work!’

"We probably won’t see another piece of filmed entertainment that can rival ’Founding Era’ for another 100 years."

"They weren’t kidding about the series being a milestone. Even if there’s a remake featuring a bunch of big stars, it can’t beat the original. It’s just not the same."

"I’m outta here. Gotta go pay my respects at the martyrs’ cemetery."

"I’ve decided. My plan for the second half of the year is to hit all the martyrs’ cemeteries on all 12 continents!"

"Who’s going to the martyrs’ cemetery in Qi’an? Can I trouble you to bring back a good-luck charm from Old Fang’s grave?"

"They’re in high demand these days and will be difficult to come by. I think there’s a quota of one per person."

"I love the soundtrack! The score to the short film at the end is jaw-dropping!"

"The piece was written by Master Mo Lang. It’s a complex, meandering piece that incorporates elements from all 12 continents. It’s grand and meticulous at the same time. This is a true master at his finest. No wonder he’s a national treasure, someone who’s won the Galaxy World Medal, the highest honor in the arts world!"

"Factoring in all 10 seasons, the score for ’Founding Era’ is so strong. The songs keep getting better and better. The final piece that ran with the short film at the end was the grandest of them all."

"Did anyone notice the credits at the end of the film? Two people were credited with the arrangement of the final song. One was Mo Lang, and the other Fang Zhao!"

"What? Fang Zhao was involved?"

Curious viewers rewound the episode. Low and behold, there was Fang Zhao’s name.

Concluding score "Legend"

Composer: Mo Lang

Arrangement: Mo Lang, Fang Zhao

"..."

"This was a tough song to compose—and arrange as well. Fang Zhao was actually one of the arrangers?"

"As far as us academics are concerned, arrangement is a form of composition. In other words, Fang Zhao took part in the writing of the song."

"No wonder he’s a genius who got into the Twelve Tones program. He’s on a completely different level."

The more people discussed Fang Zhao, the more folks studied the end credits. Some of them scrutinized the list word by word. Thus, their attention was drawn to the list of musicians who had taken part in the recording of the final song.

"The world’s top three orchestras, Huangzhou Nightfall, Hongmenlan, and Saint Byron were all involved!"

"I knew it! Sheng Yong from Saint Byron nailed his solo!"

"My absolute favorite TLB also took part! No wonder the performance in the middle of the song sounded familiar."

"I took a close look at the list of parties who participated in the recording. Besides the world’s top three orchestras, the others are all masters or critically acclaimed ensembles. They represent a wide range of styles. It’s hard to believe that someone was actually able to incorporate them all into one song."

In that context, lined up alongside a host of world-class masters, Fang Zhao paled in comparison. But the criticism was muted by the fact that Fang Zhao had been admitted to the Twelve Tones program.

Yet while professionals and non-professionals alike touted their beloved orchestras, bands, and masters that had taken part in the recording, a lone comment quickly became the focus of attention over a short period of time.

"Such a show-off, Granddaddy Mo! I can’t handle such a sophisticated piece! This is the kind of material that will become my dissertation topic or appear in my final exam! I wanna cry my eyes out!"

After worshipping this magnificent piece, breaking down how technically difficult it was and admiring the all-star lineup that recorded the song, students from various music academies became paralyzed with fear.

A single thought lingered in their heads after reading the comment: Sh*t. This is definitely going to show up on an exam!