There are some things in this world that can be done well through hard work and relentless dedication.
However, there are some things that no matter how hard you try or how much you invest, success remains elusive without talent.
A prime example of this is artistic creation.
Within the realm of art, talent can be roughly divided into two categories.
One is the talent for learning and performing, the other is the talent for creation.
Those with creative talent usually have the talent for learning and performing as well.
However, many people possess only the talent for learning and performing and lack creative talent.
While diligent practice can compensate for a lack of learning and performing talent, it cannot for a lack of creative talent – without which, one cannot even find the entrance.
With systematic training and persistent learning, almost everyone can become a skilled craftsman, but not an artist.
Many piano teachers spend their entire lives teaching piano, yet they can't compose a single captivating piano piece.
Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.
Of course, the importance of this inspiration, which refers to creative talent, cannot be overstated.
Harrison Clark neither has creative talent nor does he pass the test of learning and performing talent.
Fortunately, he can first obtain the standard answers and then reverse-engineer the process.
He doesn't create, he merely transports.
So, now, Harrison's task is to work hard to make his untalented self a qualified performing craftsman.
Harrison is also particularly lucky in one aspect.
With his level of talent, if he were to painstakingly practice in the real world during his spare time, it would take him at least five or six years to gain basic proficiency in performing. For those with average talent, it would take about two or three years.
Carrie Thomas wasn't wrong; her assessment of Harrison's talent was spot on.
If not for this dream-like state, by the time he could learn and completely reproduce a piece of music in reality, five or six years would have passed, and he would have long forgotten everything.
Moreover, if he were to focus solely on learning music in the real world, he would have ended up starving on the streets.
This endeavor would have been utterly unfeasible in reality.
But now, he has entered this "dream" and gained an extra year.
Although he wasted two months in the military camp, he still has ten months left.
And these ten months are completely free from work, social obligations, or distractions of any kind!
Therefore, these ten months are equivalent to five or six years!
Time stolen is particularly precious, so Harrison devised a strict schedule for himself.
Every day, he wakes up at 7 a.m., spends the morning reading to learn music theory and notation.
After lunch, he takes a half-hour nap and spends the afternoon practicing guitar, repeatedly playing the accompaniment even if it's interrupted by frequent mistakes.
The evenings are relatively more flexible; he can watch tutorial videos on art and then go to bed promptly at midnight.
Although history has been concealed, information on entertainment and art is quite comprehensive and readily available.
...
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, more than nine months have passed.
Calluses gradually formed on Harrison's fingers.
The floor of the balcony where he practiced had two smooth, shiny footprints worn by his shoes.
The corner of the room was filled with dozens of old strings he had changed himself.
His posture while playing still wasn't elegant and even looked a bit clumsy, but he could finally play two complete accompanying tunes accurately and smoothly on the guitar.
Besides "Boring", the other piece was "Deep in the Night", both early works by Carrie Thomas.
Compared to "Boring," "Deep in the Night" was relatively more mature. Though the title might sound poetic, the song was actually a powerful rock anthem.Harrison Clark painstakingly memorized the two songs, which was a huge workload.
The accompaniment included not only the guitar but also a combination of various instruments such as piano, bass, drums, violin, organ, cellos, and trombones.
Experienced musicians know how to find rhythm and nodes, and facilitate memory by analyzing and summarizing patterns. It's not that difficult to memorize a song.
For some catchy songs, even though the entire piece lasts several minutes, it's actually just a combination of two or three chords constantly repeated.
Understand the chords thoroughly, then combine them, and the framework of the whole song emerges.
But Harrison Clark couldn't do it. He hadn't been learning for long enough, was inexperienced, didn't know how to play other instruments, had poor musicality, and could only force himself to memorize every note from each instrument.
It was like someone who is not sensitive to numbers reciting Pi to hundreds or thousands of decimal places.
Or like a high school student memorizing an ancient text.
He was completely contorted.
In the narrow and dim underground room, Harrison Clark lay quietly on a slightly moldy leather sofa, eyes closed tightly, muttering under his breath like chanting prayers.
He was repeatedly recalling the complete arrangements of Boring and Deep in the Night in his mind.
After a long time, he slowly opened his eyes, making sure he remembered each rhythm firmly and would not make mistakes, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Harrison Clark then looked up at the clock on the wall.
It was almost time.
October 27, 3020 AD, 9:43 am.
If he remembered correctly, that bizarre thing would appear in the sky in a few minutes.
This time he decided to hide in the basement, not looking at the light, to see if he could survive.
During this year, besides practicing music hard, he hardly cared about worldly affairs.
However, about half a year ago, he did cautiously spread the news of the impending end of the world through social networks.
But the rumor he released was quickly covered up by others. At the same time, he received a Level 1 warning from the World Government, telling him not to make sensational claims, or face the consequences.
After that, Harrison Clark stopped meddling in other affairs.
He was just an ordinary man, doing his best to take care of himself. Why bother to lament for others' misfortunes?
He made only a little preparation for himself.
He exchanged his accumulated welfare points for a long-vacant underground air-raid shelter, and prepared a large amount of food and drinking water in the shelter.
He wanted to try again to see what would happen if he didn't die, and if he could live a few more days in this dream.
If there was enough time, he would learn a few more songs.
Click.
Harrison Clark turned on the old-fashioned, flexible screen television.
Last time the dream ended, he ascended while playing tennis with other welfare recipients on an outdoor court.
This time he could see if there was any explanation on TV.
After an extremely brief flicker, the TV picture appeared, and the default channel was set to the Chinese Channel 1.
A recorded interview program was playing on TV at the moment.
A military expert was communicating with numerous journalists and civilian opinion leaders, explaining why the vast and seemingly redundant military system still needed to be maintained.
"Yes, now is the era of eternal peace. But the six-thousand-year history of mankind tells us that war is the driving force of civilization. In order to maintain social order's stability, our military should be maintained at an adequate level. This would not only promote technological progress, but also prevent potential risks."
The military expert spoke confidently.
A respected civil scholar sneered discontentedly, "That's absurd. We would still be promoting basic science without engaging in military activities. Preventing potential risks? What risks? You are just wasting taxpayers' money and the productive force of technological progress!"
As the scholar's words subsided, the TV flickered, the signal briefly interrupted, and the program was replaced.
Harrison Clark glanced at his watch. There were about four minutes left until that time.
A few seconds later, the TV signal resumed.
Seeing the newly cut out picture, Harrison Clark's pupils suddenly contracted and his breathing stopped.