54: Chapter 54 Sophistry

The second one to take the stage was Huang Wenxing from Live Room 5.

When he stepped onto the stage, the lights were dim and his silhouette was blurred.

The hurried sounds of guitar and bass suddenly intertwined, and the lights grew brighter along with them.

Two people suddenly dashed out from behind Huang Wenxing, and in an instant, there were three people on stage.

Feng Jie and Old High, the composer and lyricist, had personally taken the stage.

The three of them wore wigs, bell-bottom pants, and white tank tops, with electric guitars slung across their shoulders.

They performed a wild guitar solo.

Five minutes later, as the final guitar note faded, the trio's performance ended.

As Lin Xin quickly returned to the stage, a shout erupted from somewhere in the audience; it seemed the song had indeed thoroughly ignited the crowd.

"Thank you to the three of you for the song 'arrow tower', thank you!"

"Which teacher would like to offer a critique?"

The eldest, Gu Jianfen, slowly stood up.

Beside her, Liu Huan quickly stood up and walked to her side, whispering, "Teacher Gu, you can just speak while sitting."

He even joked, "If you stand while speaking, the three on stage would have to listen while lying flat on their stomachs."

His words made everyone burst into laughter.

Whether contestants or judges, everyone present was a junior to Teacher Gu in terms of seniority; many had received her guidance and support, and Feng Jie on stage was one of them.

He took the microphone and immediately said, "Teacher Gu, please go ahead."

At Liu Huan's insistence, Gu Jianfen finally sat down, but her expression remained unpleasant.

"The three of you are too noisy; I don't like it."

"The opening solo and the subsequent melody don't match at all; it was just to show off your skills."

"This wasn't just one person's idea, was it?"

"If you wanted to write about the ancient 'arrow tower', you should have captured the weight of history, not this rowdiness."

"Furthermore, for a song, more instruments aren't necessarily better; you just need to use the right ones."

"This song of yours wouldn't even get a passing grade from me."

Huang Wenxing and the other two readily accepted Teacher Gu's criticism.

They knew full well that the final presentation of this work was the result of mutual compromise between the three parties, rather than any one person's concept winning the sincere approval of the other two.

The reason was that time no longer allowed them to continue their discussion.

Strictly speaking, none of the three were satisfied with the work themselves.

In their minds, describing this 'arrow tower' as a "half-finished product" might be more appropriate.

In the end, the trio's 'arrow tower' received 18 votes.

The third to come up was Qu Yang from Live Room 2.

He performed a song called 'Lotus Flowers', and the melody, lyrics, and stage effects all received unanimous praise from the judges.

They received the current highest score of 139 points, including 43 points from the judges and 96 points from the Jury.

Seeing this score, Fang Mingjie's face showed a proud expression, and his eyes unconsciously glanced toward Live Room 6.

Lin Xin announced loudly once more, "Next to appear is the most popular and highly anticipated Live Room 1 since the show began."

"Please welcome Xu Kun with the song 'the great yellow river' with warm applause."

Xu Kun stepped onto the stage expressionlessly, as if walking a runway, his hair styled with gel and perfectly still.

He wore a bright-colored suit and pointed leather shoes.

He was eye-catching and strikingly handsome!

Walking to the center of the stage, he even performed a Snake Dance—a dance with writhing, snake-like movements.

Below the stage, Liu Xue's face looked grim.

Xu Kun's outfit alone made her feel uneasy, and she hadn't expected him to take it upon himself to add an opening dance.

He hadn't consulted her beforehand, and presumably hadn't asked Ji Ping either.

However, the effect was indeed good; many audience members were swept up in the atmosphere created by this stage performance.

They kept shouting, "Xu Kun, Xu Kun, Kun Kun..."

It was the same online; the bullet chat was filled with "Xu Kun." Occasionally, there were a few differing opinions, but they were quickly buried and vanished without a trace.

The effect of the most popular contestant's appearance was truly extraordinary.

Accompanied by a burst of dense drumbeats, Xu Kun began his stage performance.

The accompaniment was sometimes like ten thousand horses galloping forward, and sometimes like a trickling stream flowing by.

The rising and falling, yet highly rhythmic music easily stirred people's emotions.

Xu Kun sang with all his might, occasionally striking cute and handsome poses, especially at the end when he pointed his right hand, holding the microphone, toward the sky, giving the song a perfect conclusion.

The song ended, and the main lights came on, illuminating the entire broadcasting hall brightly.

Lin Xin walked to Xu Kun's side with a smile, her joy evident. "Let's once again use warm applause to thank Kun Kun for the wonderful performance he brought us."

"Personally, I really like this song, and I like Kun Kun's stage performance even more."

"But my opinion doesn't count; it's up to the judges."

"Next, we invite the judges to provide their evaluations of the song 'the great yellow river'."

Just as Lin Xin finished speaking, Li Zhongsheng said, "The lyrics and melody of this song are both top-notch. It's hard to imagine it was completed within three hours."

"Very good, I like it very much."

Hearing Li Zhongsheng's praise, Xu Kun showed a proud expression, picked up the microphone, and said, "Thank you, Teacher Li, for your recognition!"

Li Zhongsheng had intended to offer a few more in-depth comments, but being preempted by Xu Kun's thanks, he could only give a sheepish smile and sit back down.

Seeing this, Han Hong stood up expressionlessly and asked sternly, "Xu Kun, do you know that your voice cracked just now?"

Xu Kun's gaze turned cold, and in his heart, he had already categorized Han Hong as someone who "flaunts seniority" and "deliberately makes things difficult."

He stiffened his neck, looking aggrieved and speaking with a sob in his voice, "Teacher Han, I admit my voice cracked just now, but who hasn't had their voice crack while singing?"

"Why do you have to keep harping on it and embarrass me?"

At this point, he even lightly wiped his reddened eyes.

His behavior immediately drew the sympathy of countless fans, and the bullet chat was instantly flooded with consoling comments.

Some extremists had even begun discussing how to attack Han Hong online.

Fandom culture is truly terrifying!

Xu Kun's response left Han Hong momentarily speechless.

She had thought he would at least admit his mistake first and then express a determination to practice diligently.

That way, she could have shared some singing experience with him—how some high notes that can't be reached with a natural voice can be compensated for with technique, which would be much better than a voice crack.

Her face darkened, and she retorted bluntly, "According to you, your voice cracking is my fault? As a judge, do I not even have the right to ask a question?"

Xu Kun stamped his feet in anger, his face turning redder and redder, unsure of how best to respond.

Seeing Xu Kun's state, Lin Xin couldn't bear it and spoke up to defend him, "Teacher Han, I think a voice crack is better than lip-syncing; at least it proves he's truly working hard at singing."

"We shouldn't be overly harsh on people who are working hard."

Lin Xin's intervention was like a lifeline to Xu Kun.

He precisely caught the words "working hard," a flash of cunning crossed his eyes, and he immediately followed the lead, continuing aggrievedly.

"During the creation process, I explained my vocal range to Teacher Liu Xue and Teacher Ji Ping. Perhaps... it was because the two teachers hoped I could break through my limits that they specifically wrote such high notes."

"But in such a short time, how could I possibly achieve a breakthrough just like that!"

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