Chapter 9: The Venice Beach Mystery

Simon finally turned to Janet Johnston with a hint of a smile, saying earnestly, "Actually, I only intended to invite Katherine, but it's fine if you join us too."

Janet, upon hearing this, immediately pulled Katherine closer to her side, as if afraid that Simon would take her away.

However, she quickly regained her composure and pointed to the guitar case with a delicate finger, saying, "What I mean is, that money of yours won't even open a decent bottle of wine."

Simon plucked the guitar strings nonchalantly and replied, "Let's skip the wine this time. A guy inviting two ladies for dinner and opening a bottle of wine might give people the wrong idea."

Janet scoffed at Simon's attire disdainfully, "Who would get the wrong idea about you?"

Simon glanced at Janet's Hermes bag slung over her shoulder and smiled, "Exactly, so I'm worried about you two getting misunderstood."

Janet blinked a few times, finally catching on, and glared fiercely at Simon, "Ugh!"

Katherine had intended to walk past Simon on the street without drawing attention.

Her previous encounter with him had left a strong impression, and she subconsciously felt that such an outstanding young man would naturally be proud and might not want her to see him in a less dignified state.

Only because her friend dragged her over did Katherine end up facing Simon.

Hearing Janet's snide remarks toward Simon, Katherine was about to intervene but noticed Simon's unfazed smile. It made her realize something deeper about him.

He was indeed proud, as she could tell from many details in their first meeting.

However, this pride didn't come with the paranoia that often stems from deep-seated insecurities. Thus, he didn't see his current situation as embarrassing. Facing Janet's taunts, he behaved more like a mature adult indulging a petulant child.

Most of the time, wasn't she also indulging Janet's childish temperament?

Thinking this and seeing her friend not gaining any advantage in her verbal sparring with Simon, Katherine couldn't help but laugh.

"Whose side are you on?" Janet glared at her friend with dissatisfaction, warning her, then turned back to Simon. Her eyes twinkled mischievously, suddenly dropping the angry act. She leisurely pulled out a wallet from her bag, waved a $100 bill in front of Simon, and casually dropped it into the guitar case, "Here, little boy, I haven't had enough yet. Sing another one for me. But if I'm not satisfied, I might just take my money back."

Simon nodded, "Alright, I'll even open a bottle of wine for you after."

"Hey, did you hear me? I said…" Janet was about to reiterate her point when Simon had already started strumming the guitar, producing a series of sharp, quick notes. She found them somewhat familiar but couldn't quite place where she had heard them, instinctively saying, "This, I know, um, it's…"

Simon adjusted the strings a few times, getting used to the feel again, then looked up at the two women with a slight smile, "'Flight of the Bumblebee', for Jenny."

As he began to play, the lively and rapid music instantly created a vivid scene of a nimble bee swooping down towards the wicked weaver and cook from the opera "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" by Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. The music, known from many movies and shows for its blazing fast melody, is often used by musicians to showcase their skills.

Unlike those who merely seek speed and cause numerous mistakes, making 'Flight of the Bumblebee' sound like a swarm of exploding hornets, Simon valued the integrity of the piece and thus didn't push the tempo excessively.

However, the piece, typically played very quickly, still flowed out at a breathtaking pace under Simon's hands, immediately creating a mesmerizing tableau in the surrounding area.

The music enveloped the onlookers, causing them to pause briefly, their attention inevitably drawn to the focused young man.

A mother pushing a stroller stopped;

A couple shopping for crafts put down a matryoshka doll;

A boy attempting to skate past the crowd halted his skateboard;

A middle-aged man on a park bench put aside his newspaper;

Even a cantankerous woman, poised to continue her critique, found herself speechless and tightened her lips.

At that moment, the young man seemed like the center of the universe.

After playing the piece for about seventy seconds, he immediately started again, increasing the tempo, yet the melody remained unaltered.

The cycle repeated, faster each time.

By the fifth iteration, she felt that even if his hand speed wasn't hitting 300 beats per minute, it was very close.

Playing 'Flight of the Bumblebee' with sixteenth notes at nearly 300 beats per minute is a level that only top guitar

ists can achieve. Yet, here it was, unexpectedly performed by an ordinary-looking street musician.

Was she imagining things, or was this a Venice Beach paranormal event?

Despite the improbability, she instinctively felt he could go even faster.

But when the last round ended, the music abruptly stopped.

She looked away from the side of his face to see him gently resting his hands on the strings, evidently deciding not to continue.

A wave of slight disappointment seemed to ripple through the air.

Then, the onlookers around them burst into enthusiastic applause.

She wanted to join in but realized she was still holding her camera.

Quickly turning it off, she casually put it down, giving him a guilty glance. Although she didn't capture the 'Big Yellow Taxi' she had hoped for, this video was certainly a treasure worth keeping.

As the applause continued, the boy graciously thanked everyone, and some generous individuals even placed several large bills into his guitar case.

She glanced at the $100 bill the woman had added; it was still prominently displayed. However, the $10 bill she had sneakily placed earlier had been covered by other notes.

Feeling somewhat regretful, even though her wallet was still full, she instinctively didn't dare to step forward again.

Afraid he would notice her.

Such an inconspicuous girl.

Thinking this, the crowd dispersed after the excitement, and realizing she should also leave, she lingered for just a moment longer.

Then she heard the woman who had been quite harsh to him stammeringly ask, "So, little boy, where did you say you escaped from… uh, which mental hospital?"