Chapter 22 – The Most Unexpected Ending:

“Tell us!” “Come on, tell us!” “Hurry up!” Voices erupted all at once, almost driving everyone crazy. The story had reached the most critical point, and everyone was stuck in suspense, frustrated beyond words.

“I just realized,” Mao Yi said, “five minutes ago I was still annoyed by this connection….”

“He can’t help but make every sentence a cliffhanger…” Fang Kuan grinned, baring his teeth. “I feel like I could hold my pee for another 30 minutes just to hear his story…”

“I think he might not be the ‘relationship hire’ we imagined,” Guo Miao frowned suddenly. “The CEO’s assistant added him purely because his script is good…”

At her words, everyone seemed to have a sudden realization.

“Exactly. If I read a script like this, I’d add him without hesitation too.”
“Right, I’ve always said the rumors are exaggerated—Shen Baizhou has been here a year. If he really had connections, could he still be an ordinary employee?”
“Exactly! Look at that handsome face. How could someone like him be a villain…”

On the other side of the hall, Wang Xiaopang was bubbling with excitement.

“Brother Zhou’s script is amazing!” Wang Xiaopang told Zhang Xiaomei excitedly.
“He perfectly tied back to the first scene—the man sitting motionless was a corpse! That’s why he said he wasn’t playing it for him—how could a dead man hear it?”
“No wonder the old lady initially refused entry, but once the neighbor appeared, she let him in—she was worried the neighbor might notice if there was a fight…”

Zhang Xiaomei also got excited—they were screenwriters who loved dissecting the main storyline and design. Shen Baizhou’s structure was truly brilliant.

“Do you want me to continue?” Shen Baizhou asked on stage.
“Go on, go on!” everyone shouted impatiently.
“What happens next?”

Shen Baizhou had captivated everyone using no visual aids, relying solely on simple narration.

At the contestant seats, Gu Chen couldn’t hide his admiration. In the front row, Huang Liang felt like he had been trampled by a herd of wild African buffalo—what had he just said? Shen Baizhou managed to grab everyone’s attention in five minutes. Had he really said that in front of Chen Xuanzuo?

Shen Baizhou continued:

“The old lady pulled the protagonist to the piano, speaking quickly—‘Our house is under renovation; the paint spilled. That’s why I didn’t let you in.’ As she lied, she pressed the protagonist onto the piano bench. The moment he sat down, he noticed the dead old man on the sofa—two nails driven into his temples!”

“So brutal? Killed with nails?” Huang Liang couldn’t help but imagine the scene, then suddenly realized—damn, I’m following his plot completely.

“‘Give me your clothes,’ the old lady said. ‘Your clothes are stained with paint. Take them off. I’ll get my husband’s clothes for you…’ Yet she didn’t move, just stood there suspiciously watching the protagonist…”

“I guess she’s wondering if he’s really blind…” Su Hongdou whispered to Liu Susu in the CEO’s office.
“Maybe just one glance at the corpse exposed the protagonist…”
“Makes sense.” Liu Susu nodded, unconsciously clenching her fists.

The protagonist stood up, pretending nothing had happened, and began changing clothes. The old lady stared, then said suddenly—“You have a smudge on your face.” She pretended to wipe it off, snatched his sunglasses, and examined his eyes…

Stay calm, the protagonist told himself. She won’t see through me. I just need to tune the piano normally…

The conference room fell silent except for Shen Baizhou’s voice.

“The old lady turned and walked away. Is the person on the sofa her husband? The protagonist’s mind raced. She’s going to give me her husband’s clothes? I hear laundry from the kitchen. She’s washing clothes for me… The protagonist thought, once I put on the clothes and tune the piano, I’ll leave as if nothing happened! Wait, there’s a notebook in my clothes! If I were truly blind, why would I take notes?”

“Yes!” Mao Yi’s eyes widened. “That exposes him!”
“Oh no!” Guo Miao panicked.
“Not necessarily!” Fang Kuan said. “Maybe he can get away with it?”

“Footsteps… the old lady finally returned…” Shen Baizhou continued:
“She slowly stood behind the protagonist!”

“The person standing behind him in the first scene was the old lady!” Fang Kuan realized.

On stage, Shen Baizhou’s face grew tense. Mimicking the protagonist’s fear, his speech grew faster:

“I can’t turn around. I have to say something! But I can’t say a word. Then, inspiration struck. The protagonist began to play the piano before him.”

“It perfectly echoes the first scene,” Chen Xuanzuo, who had been silent, exhaled. “A blind man in his underwear plays the piano, while the person who decides his fate stands behind him—”

Li Shuqing, the third partner who had not spoken, nodded: “The piano isn’t for the dead old man. It’s for the old lady behind him!”

“The camera focuses on the piano. A low, eerie piano sound drifts…” Shen Baizhou spoke softly, his voice haunting.

“I’m blind. I don’t know what’s happening behind me… My piano must not stop! The camera pans, showing the old lady holding a nail gun aimed at the protagonist’s head…”

“Ah!” someone in the audience screamed.

“The piano continues. The camera slowly tilts upward…” Shen Baizhou squinted, voice trembling.

“Upward, upward, until it reaches the mirror on the wall—showing the full scene… The old lady arches her back, gripping the nail gun tightly, aiming at the protagonist’s head…”

Someone swallowed nervously.

“From the moment I started playing, she hasn’t moved!” Shen Baizhou’s eyes darted wildly, a mix of near-mad fear on his face.
“My piano must not stop! As long as I don’t stop, she won’t act… Keep playing, keep playing!”

Everyone’s scalp tingled, watching him mutter to himself. Some clenched their fists; others leaned back instinctively. Everyone knew the ending was coming.

Then, suddenly, Shen Baizhou stopped talking. The grimace on his face vanished instantly. Bowing, he returned to his seat quietly.

“What happened?” Everyone was confused. The story had reached its climax, and he just stopped? Hey, continue! Don’t leave!
“And then?” Minister Sima couldn’t help asking.
“What’s the ending?” Everyone wanted to know.

“No more,” Shen Baizhou stood and turned to the audience.
“This is the ending—my ‘Tuner’ is finished. Thank you, everyone.”