As the show becomes increasingly popular and the discussions surrounding it grow, the contestants' fame is gradually rising.
Apart from being bombarded by numerous fans on their way back to the dormitory after practice, one can also see the growing scale of their popularity from the size of the second event.
The first event could be considered to have reached the scale of a small fan meeting, while the second event directly multiplied the scale of the venue by three.
However, even with the expansion of the venue, a large number of fans are still unable to obtain tickets. In fact, for the sake of a few tickets, many support groups have even turned against each other. Even Luo Xin, who is focused on his job and buried in data work for Shao Xiangchen, was almost affected. Fortunately, his work is well done and he rarely pays attention to these things on his main account, so the conflict did not affect him.
In any case, the second performance has captured a lot of attention.
Although the contestants who are not familiar with other news may not be aware of the twists and turns outside, the repeated chants of support from their fellow contestants on stage before the start of the performance have made them understand something.
"Shao Xiangchen, Shao Xiangchen, Shao Xiangchen!!!!"
"Wen Tongbai, you are the best!!!!!"
"Shang Lin! Shang Lin! Shang Lin! You must debut!!!!!"
The battle of slogans, led by the popular contestants' fan groups, has hardly stopped. What's alarming is that as time passes, the fans not only don't take a break, but their voices become louder and more piercing, making people wonder if they brought some kind of magical potion to the competition.
In this atmosphere, it's natural for everyone to show envy towards the popular contestants.
Only Luo Xin, who is hidden behind a black veil, shows a satisfied smile.
He didn't attend that meeting for nothing a few days ago in the Shao Xiangchen fan group, where he selected a few fans with loud voices in advance.
Listen, there are all kinds of slogans outside now, but the "Shao Xiangchen" chants are the loudest and most persistent.
What does it mean to be unparalleled?
This is it!
Even in fan battles, Shao Xiangchen must win!
The small competition between fans is just a side story outside of the competition. Today, the most important thing is still the competition.
After all the mentors took the stage, the chanting below gradually subsided, and even slowly disappeared altogether.
In fact, in the past, even when idols personally asked for quiet, fans rarely listened.
However, at a previous collaborative concert, a fan of a popular artist insisted on chanting slogans during the speech by an industry leader, which led to the artist losing all job opportunities within six months. This incident made chanting slogans as formalized as charting.
Some rules have become customary, such as making noise and shouting during offline events, but once someone is speaking on stage, everyone must be quiet. Failure to comply may result in expulsion from the fan community without explanation, and in severe cases, even being physically attacked and thrown out on the spot.
This has helped to bring order to the chaotic scenes at various concerts and events in the entertainment industry.
The mentors are all industry veterans and are not at all intimidated by this small setting. They even started teasing each other to liven up the atmosphere, including but not limited to Lin Jiawen's "love for beauty" joke, Cheng Er's "newcomer killer" joke, Rainbow Bei's "cat calling" joke, and Xiang Li's "has-been" joke. In short, they are not holding back and are willing to take a hit themselves just to hit their opponents harder.
The fans below were so entertained that they burst out laughing, almost forgetting that their idols were waiting backstage to perform.
Of course, they didn't really forget.
After a round of laughter, the first team was invited to take the stage, marking the official start of the second round of competition.
The first group to perform was "The Ascetic Monk," a rap group consisting of members dressed in robes and cloth shoes, each carrying a stick.
This group is different from the other rap groups because there isn't a single professional rapper in the team, and it relies solely on mentor Rainbow Bei to lead them. As we all know, rap is one of the hardest things for beginners to master, so during those days, Luo Xin felt that Rainbow Bei's hair was decreasing just by watching him.
However, not having a professional in the team also has its benefits, as they won't be too fixated on professionalism.
Therefore, in order to save mentor Rainbow Bei's hair and to survive in the show without being eliminated, Lian Tang, a student of Buddhism, stepped forward and decided to lead everyone to become monks! (Not to learn martial arts together!)
Now, it's time for the inspection.
Many people have seen the terrible consequences of learning rap with zero experience on various shows.
"The Ascetic Monk" rap group was not much better, even with Rainbow Bei's meticulous guidance. The final performance was barely tolerable, and to professional ears, many issues were apparent. Though the audience may not be knowledgeable about the technical aspects, they are familiar with the original song's legendary performance. Thus, they were not impressed with the comparison. However, when the instrumental break came up, everything changed.
With the original music's strong and fast-paced rhythm, the contestants stood with unwavering determination in the middle of the stage, picking up the sticks they had been carrying on their backs and performing a set of stick techniques.
The music continued, and everyone on stage was serious and respectful, with a sense of holiness that made it impossible to criticize them.
As the song ended, the cheers from the audience said it all.
Even the mentors were infected by this atmosphere, with Lin Jiawen asking, "If it wasn't for this performance, I wouldn't have known that Lian Tang is a student of Buddhism. And, as they say, did he grow up in a temple since childhood?"
The team captain, Lian Tang, smiled helplessly and clarified, "Yes, but I want to make it clear that studying Buddhism doesn't necessarily mean becoming a monk. I actually study it from an academic perspective." It's like how studying medicine doesn't automatically make one a doctor, or studying finance doesn't just lead to becoming an accountant. These entrenched stereotypes force him to explain himself every time he meets someone.
Therefore, Lian Tang later simply stopped mentioning his major and school, pretending to be an ordinary person. If it weren't for this competition, and the sense of responsibility as the team captain constantly reminding him, he was afraid that he wouldn't have revealed his talent and experience even after the competition ended.
Lin Jiawen found this answer somewhat boring and continued to ask, "I heard that it was your idea to perform stick techniques. Can I ask how you came up with it?"
Faced with this question, Lian Tang remained silent for a long time, but he couldn't deceive his own heart and sighed, "Because I realized that..."
"Buddhism cannot save my teammates."
When he said this, Lian Tang's eyes were very desolate.
Rainbow Bei, who was far away, glanced at him, feeling the same way. Although one was a contestant and the other was a mentor, with vastly different identities, their hearts were surprisingly connected at this moment.
"The Ascetic Monk" rap group started off well, and the following groups also gave wonderful performances.
The dance groups showcased either uniformity or individuality in their styles, while the vocal groups alternated between harmony and high-pitched notes. The rap groups mostly wrote their own lyrics and displayed impressive skills, resulting in a dazzling array of performances.
However, in Luo Xin's opinion, the most captivating group was not Shao Xiangchen's highly polished standard boy band singing and dancing, but "Da Guo Ge" group.
This was because, during their opening performance, a contestant named Cheng Yi directly sang a segment of the famous "Drunk Imperial Concubine" from Mei-style Peking Opera's "Hundred Flowers Pavilion", which was truly breathtaking.
Although not a singer, Luo Xin still understood a bit about it.
Cheng Yi sang very standardly, with a rich and full taste, a round and clear voice, and a natural ending, which added more than a star and a half to "Da Guo Ge". After getting some comments from a few professionals later, it will definitely become a hot search.
After enjoying these performances, Luo Xin stood up and began to prepare.
Because, finally, it's their turn to go on stage with "Bloody Love Story".
In order to maintain the performance state, Luo Xin and his teammates had already discussed and agreed not to remove their black veils. When they stood up, other contestants looked at them curiously.
Luoxin did not pay attention to these looks and just gestured to his teammates to leave the noisy preparation room.
Even during their introduction on stage, they did not remove their black veils, leaving the audience wanting more.
Of course, they also gave the director team face.
Didn't you want Huang Ze to be the center of attention?
Other than Huang Ze, we didn't even reveal our faces. Isn't that good enough for being the center of attention?
No matter what was in his mind, when the music started, Luo Xin's mind had nothing else but the performance, the performance, the performance.
At the same time, in the eyes of the audience, there was nothing else as well.
As we all know, "Bloody Love Story" is a very dark and gloomy song that represents the sickly and twisted nature of love.
However, Luo Xin and his team took this atmosphere to the extreme.
This time, they were all wearing elaborate aristocratic costumes in the Rococo style.
The difference was that Huang Ze was dressed in a luxurious white and gold color scheme, while the rest were all dressed in black. However, the dark patterns on their clothes faintly revealed the image of a rose when reflected in the light.
To complement the patterns, everyone was adorned with fresh roses on their collars, chests, waists, legs, and more...
The music began to play, but it wasn't the prelude to "Bloody Love Story". Instead, it was a melody hummed by a child's voice. With this melody, Luoxin and his team, under the control of Huang Ze, slowly rose and began to perform a uniform and precise puppet dance.
The child's melody lasted only 10 seconds.
After 10 seconds, all the "puppets" collapsed on the ground as if their strings had been cut, and the lights went out.
The lights turned on and Luo Xin and the others' black veils fell to the ground. At the same time, they suddenly opened their eyes as if they had come to life.
The director cut to a close-up shot, revealing Luo Xin's exquisitely made-up face. His eyes were a smoky gray, and his pale face was adorned with red marks
"The sweetness you've tasted, it's all the fruit of loneliness, and it's me that's been cut out of your heart..." The deliberately lowered voice inevitably carried a hint of breathlessness as it reached the final note, causing goosebumps and blushing hearts.
On this stage, Luo Xin is exuding his utmost charm.
Although there was nothing particularly different about his expression, even resembling his usual self, there was a hint of naivety brought about by his previous performance, making him seem like a true puppet.
Alluring yet unaware.
The performance continued, but the story to be portrayed on stage had already taken a clear shape.
Huang played the role of a little prince, while the other four were his toys. However, one day, the toys suddenly gained self-awareness but couldn't face the sad reality of being mere playthings. They struggled fiercely, yet interacted with the little prince in various ways, depicting different stories.
"It's too late to speculate, the connection between our hearts is no longer effective, watching two people lose their souls and become empty shells, their spirits detached!"
"Adding more ink is unnecessary, even the most intense stories can be too cliché. It's important to write just enough to make it captivating, to make one feel alive and love with passion."
During the practice, it was easy to sing the most difficult part of the song without any pauses or breaths. However, at that moment, the singing became more and more sinister, as if something was about to come out of the song.
The audience did not have time to think as the next chorus rushed in like a tide: "Let me follow you closely through the ups and downs, let me write a horror story for you. Who is suspicious, who is pitiful, who is innocent, who is struggling to survive, I have already seen the final outcome..."
As the song came to an end, it gradually began to wind down. Despite not wanting to, the puppet had to return to its original form.
Just as everyone was about to return to their positions, Luo Xin, who had collapsed onto Huang Ze's leg, suddenly seemed to use all his strength to pull Huang Ze's head down. The gloves he had been wearing on his hand were also gone, revealing blood-red fingernails.
As the crowd exclaimed in shock, Luo Xin smiled at the audience below, but got closer and closer to Huangze. Just as the two were about to touch, the stage lights went out again.
When they came back on, Luo Xin was lying unconscious on Huang Ze's leg, having reverted back to the original puppet.
Leaving only Huangze, who looked lost and guilty, in front of the camera.
Thus, the performance of "Bloody Love Story" had come to an end.
Warm applause, accompanied by the howls of some unknown fans, surged onto the stage in waves.
Luo Xin and his teammates stood up, relieved as if they had completed an important task.
Huang Ze, on the other hand, still seemed to be lost in the program, with a look of wandering, obviously not in the right state of mind.
Fortunately, the mentors had some knowledge of Huangze's background and did not make things difficult for him, explaining kindly that he was tired and had blurred his state of mind.
Then, Luo Xin expressionlessly rallied for votes: "We hope that all the audience friends can vote for us. Thank you very much." Finally, they could step down and wait for the final results.
Back in the preparation room, the other contestants once again let out monkey-like howls, making the variety show trio, who considered themselves average in strength, feel a little embarrassed.
At first, the others intended to gossip and ask what had happened when the lights went out, but the trio really didn't know anything. Huang Ze was still wandering around like a lost soul, and Luo Xin... They didn't dare to provoke him and weren't familiar with him, so nobody dared to ask.
So, this question remained unanswered until the end of the program, even after the final limited group had disbanded, no one knew the answer.
It was referred to by fans as "The Real Situation of That Scene We Still Don't Know About," or simply "Unnamed Play."
After a brief greeting, the others continued to chat and laugh about tonight's performance, or discuss the performances of the other contestants.
Only Huang Ze kept seeing Luo Xin leaning over and whispering in his ear when the lights went out.
Avoiding the earpiece, Luo Xin pressed his ear tightly against Huangze's, and his hot breath transmitted cruel words to his mind: "Do you know why I gave up the center position and chose you unconditionally?"
"Because your family gave the program team a large sum of money, my dear Center."
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