138: Chapter 138 Who says only those standing in the light are heroes?

"All are brave. Your wound on the forehead, your differences, your mistakes, no need to hide. Your tattered doll, your mask, your true self."

"They say to bring light, to tame every monster. They say to mend your wounds, no one loves a clown. Why can't loneliness be glorious? Only imperfections are worth praising. Who says those covered in mud aren't heroes?"

...

"Love you for walking alone in dark alleys, love you for not kneeling. Love you for confronting despair, refusing to cry.

Love your ragged clothes, yet daring to face fate's gun. Love how similar you and I are, with the same flaws."

"Go? Deserve it? This tattered cape. Fight? Fight! With the humblest dream. To the whimpers and roars in the dark night. Who says only those in the light are heroes?"

The song, less than five minutes long, felt like an eternity, prompting deep reflection.

Host slowly walked onto the stage, a rare lack of a smile on his face.

He cleared his throat, paused, and then said, "Thank you, Wang Bo, for your performance, and even more, thank you, Young Master Ping, for writing such a poignant song."

"Let's hear what our judges have to say. Liu Huan, please."

Liu Huan stood up from his seat and solemnly said, "Please bear with me, everyone. I need a moment to compose myself and organize my thoughts. Where should I begin?"

He flipped through the notes he had taken while listening to the song on the table and took a deep breath.

"I believe the most profound meaning of this song, in just these few dozen words, is that it accomplished a revolution in popularizing heroes."

" 'Who says only those in the light are heroes' directly states the theme. It clearly tells us that heroes are no longer perfect saviors, no longer dependent on external recognition or worldly success, but rather on the 'daring to face fate's gun' kind of initiative.

Even us (ordinary people) who 'refuse to kneel' under the heavy pressure of life can become heroes ourselves."

"It provides a mirror that illuminates the souls of the unsung strivers of this era."

As soon as he finished speaking and sat down, Fang Wenshan eagerly stood up to add his thoughts.

"I'll say something more specific."

"Images like 'monster,' 'cape,' and 'city-state' in the lyrics naturally integrate into the popular anime and gaming contexts of today, but their meaning far exceeds the realm of entertainment."

"We can interpret these as the struggles of life itself, completing a transition from the virtual to the real."

"The audience for this song will be very broad: those fighting illness, silently dedicated laborers, young people pursuing dreams, and even children burdened by schoolwork.

They gain identity and strength from 'Love how similar you and I are, with the same flaws.'"

"I predict that a 'the lonely warrior' craze will quickly sweep through, and this song will become a phenomenal hit in a very short time."

At this point, Fang Wenshan paused, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed several times.

He even coughed, choked by his own saliva in his excitement.

"I... I truly envy Young Master Ping, even feel jealous. To write so many popular songs at such a young age."

"Not only that, but in today's music industry, it seems everyone takes pride in being able to sing Young Master Ping's songs."

Fang Wenshan's words were more direct.

Everyone understood more easily.

After Fang Wenshan sat back down, Host smiled and asked again, "Judges, does anyone else have a few words to say?"

As soon as he finished speaking.

Han Hong smiled and interjected, "The two teachers mostly commented on the song itself, so I'll talk about the performance."

"First, this song is quite difficult to sing. Wang Bo's restrained yet powerful interpretation avoided emotional excess, imbuing the song with a steady, epic feel.

This is truly remarkable. For Wang Bo to achieve this level in such a short time shows that he genuinely put his heart into it and fully understood the song."

"He has grown so much compared to the first episode."

Wang Bo was a bit embarrassed by Han Hong's praise and said with rare shyness, "Thank you, Teacher Han Hong, and thank you to all the judges."

"We will continue to work hard."

"Just you keep working hard. Tell Young Master Ping to take a break and give other lyricists and composers a chance."

"How long has it been since he released his first song, and he's already written so many classic tunes?"

"I'm probably twenty years older than him, and I've roughly calculated that the number of songs I've written that people remember might not even be as many as his."

Li Zhongsheng said with a teasing laugh, then let out a chuckle.

His words made everyone laugh.

Among these judges, Fang Wenshan felt largely the same way.

He also shook his head helplessly.

"Thank you, teachers, for your wonderful comments, which have helped those of us who don't understand songs deeply to better grasp their meaning."

"Thank you."

Host first sincerely thanked the judges on behalf of the audience, then immediately said, "Next, please, judges and the public judging panel, score the song 'the lonely warrior.'"

The lights flickered, and the camera began to focus on the judges and the public judging panel.

"Countdown begins."

"3"

"2"

"1"

"Let's first look at the scores given by the five judges."

"Gu Jianfen."

"1 vote."

"Liu Huan."

"1 vote."

"Han Hong, Li Zhongsheng, and Fang Wenshan all also gave 1 vote."

"For tonight's first song, 'the lonely warrior,' all five judges unanimously gave full marks."

Host gasped, filled with immense anticipation. Could the first perfect score song be born tonight?

He couldn't hide his excitement, announcing with a raised voice.

"Let's continue to look at the public judging panel's votes."

"10 votes..."

" 'the lonely warrior' ultimately received 15 votes."

"What happened?"

"What happened?"

Host was so excited he was gesticulating wildly.

"The first perfect score song of 'the singer & songwriter' has been born! It is 'the lonely warrior,' composed by Young Master Ping and performed by Wang Bo."

"We congratulate them."

Wang Bo was overjoyed, beaming, and continuously bowing to the judges and the public judging panel.

He kept saying thank you.

Then, amidst the surging applause from the audience, he straightened his back and walked off the stage with firm steps."

Chen Shaoping was expressionless, feeling that such an achievement for this song was only natural.

Zhang Ying hadn't stopped applauding in the lounge, seeing her boyfriend take first place again.

She couldn't help but feel proud.

Host stood on stage, waiting for a moment until the applause died down.

"I hope the contestants about to perform can withstand the pressure and not be affected by the first group's results.

Relax, and give your best performance."

He didn't need to remind them; the lyricists and composers of the other groups were already cheering on their performers.

Since they knew first place was out of reach, they should actually be more relaxed, approach it with a normal mindset, and strive for a good second-place finish.

They didn't believe their own groups could also get a perfect score of 15 votes.

"Please welcome our second performer, Qu Yang, who will present the song 'do not forget.'"