RPAGF Chapter 70: The Competition Ends
Chapter 70: The Competition Ends
When Qin Xiao appeared, the stage lights changed from ordinary white light to cool-toned blue light, creating a noble and aloof atmosphere.
He started with a piano solo before singing and occasionally dancing.
The piano playing was indeed professional, with both strength and emotion on point.
The dance is an original choreography that blends street dance and modern dance, with fluid movements and a powerful feel.
The five-minute performance stunned the entire audience.
As the performance ended, the audience erupted in the loudest applause of the night.
Qin Xiao stood in the center of the stage, slightly out of breath, sweat dripping down his face and glistening under the lights.
He bowed to the audience, his posture as elegant as if he were taking his final bow at a royal concert.
As he left the stage, he glanced at Wang Bo in the waiting area, his eyes seeming to say: "See? This is the real performance."
Wang Bo responded with a smile.
The fourth performer was Zhao Chen, who sang "Sea and Sky".
Young people are energetic, and although the high notes were a bit challenging, their emotional delivery earned them a lot of applause.
Then, it was Wang Bo's turn.
The host announces: "Next up is Wang Bo, a talented songwriter who tells stories through music!"
Wang Bo walked onto the stage carrying his guitar.
The lights dimmed, leaving only a spotlight shining on him.
Whispers could be heard from the audience.
"It must be 'Once Upon a Time in You'!"
"I'm all ready to sing along. Even though the production team won't allow it, I can sing a little softly."
"Just a heads up, I'll cry as soon as the intro starts!"
Wang Bo stood in front of the microphone and adjusted the guitar strap.
Then he spoke, his voice carrying throughout the entire studio through the speakers: "Today I'm bringing a new song."
The audience fell silent instantly.
In the waiting area, Li Xuan's eyes widened, Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow, and Lin Xiaoya and Zhao Chen nervously clenched their hands.
A new song, really a new song, a new song in the most important first episode?
Wang Bo ignored the surprised looks and plucked the guitar strings.
The prelude begins—simple, clean, yet carrying a sense of spacious freedom.
As soon as the first sentence was uttered, several people in the audience sat up straight.
This melody... these lyrics...
Wang Bo's voice was a bit hoarser than usual, carrying a kind of clarity that comes from having experienced many hardships.
He didn't show off his skills or hit high notes; he simply spoke calmly, yet every word seemed to strike the listener's heart.
Under the lamplight, his eyes were clear and firm, as if he had truly traversed the dark years and finally found his direction.
Some people in the audience have already started wiping away tears.
In the waiting area, Lin Xiaoya whispered to Zhao Chen, "I'm getting goosebumps..."
Zhao Chen nodded vigorously.
Qin Xiao crossed his arms, his expression gradually shifting from initial indifference to seriousness.
Li Xuan's face grew increasingly grim—he knew Wang Bo too well; the old Wang Bo could never have sung with this feeling. Had they switched singers? He was going to report him for cheating.
In the chorus, Wang Bo's voice suddenly rises, but it's not a tearing scream; rather, it's a sudden, enlightened declaration—firm, full of hope, and carrying the calm and vastness that comes after weathering many storms.
The guitar music also became more exciting, with increased strumming force and a faster rhythm, like a heartbeat, like footsteps, like an endless pursuit.
In the audience, a girl in her early twenties had cried so much that her makeup was ruined, but she was still clapping frantically.
The middle-aged man next to her had red eyes and was pressing his lips tightly together, afraid that he would burst into tears.
On stage, Wang Bo was completely immersed in his performance.
He recalled the days before he traveled through time, the confusion he felt while singing in bars, the perseverance he had when making independent music, and the days and nights he struggled, gave up, and then picked up music again.
Those emotions all transformed into song, welling up from my chest.
In the second chorus, his voice was even more engaged and powerful, as if he had used up all his emotions to completely imprint the imagery of eternity, purity, and freedom into the melody.
The sound of guitars swept across the venue like a wave, and the lighting technician turned on the blue lights at the right time, making the entire stage seem like a blue ocean. Wang Bo stood in the center, like a flower that never fades.
As the last note faded, Wang Bo, slightly out of breath, bowed to the audience.
There was a three-second silence.
Then, thunderous applause erupted.
It wasn't just polite applause; it was genuine applause, applause born of shock and emotion, and it lasted for a full minute.
When the host came on stage, his eyes were a little red: "Wang Bo... this song... is amazing. May I ask about the inspiration behind it?"
Wang Bo calmed his breathing and picked up the microphone: "I just feel that there should be a place in a person's heart that is clean, free, and will never wither."
Applause erupted from the audience again.
In the waiting area, Chen Tao and Su Na exchanged a glance, both seeing the pressure in each other's eyes—how could they compete like this?
Qin Xiao stared at Wang Bo on the stage, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
He had to admit that the song's artistic conception and emotional impact had surpassed his previous technically impressive performance.
Li Xuan gritted his teeth, mentally ranting: What's with the pretense? It's just a lousy song, and the audience, why are they crying like that? So fake! It's definitely a shill!
When Wang Bo stepped off the stage and passed through the waiting area, Lin Xiaoya and Zhao Chen immediately surrounded him.
"Wang Bo, you're amazing!" Lin Xiaoya's eyes were red. "I almost cried!"
"This song is absolutely going to be a hit!" Zhao Chen exclaimed excitedly, "Even more impactful than 'Once Upon a Time'!"
Wang Bo smiled and said, "Thank you."
He looked at Qin Xiao, and Qin Xiao looked at him too. The two stared at each other for a few seconds.
Finally, Qin Xiao looked away first, but said in a low voice, "Not bad."
This is probably the highest praise he could give.
Wang Bo returned to his seat, Chen Tao went up sixth, and Su Na went up seventh.
Both performances were excellent; Chen Tao's folk songs were simple and moving, while Su Na's singing and dancing were full of energy.
But after Wang Bo's original song, it always felt like something was missing.
It's not that they're not good enough, it's that Wang Bo's song raised the audience's expectations too high.
After the seven contestants finished their performances, they all returned to the stage and stood in a row.
The host began announcing the voting rules: "Each of the 500 audience members has one vote. Cast your vote for your favorite performance. The performer with the fewest votes will be eliminated from the 'New Voice Battle' stage."
The names and images of the seven contestants appeared on the big screen.
Voting begins.
The tense atmosphere at the scene almost froze.
Standing on the stage, Wang Bo could feel that the breathing of the contestants around him had become heavier.
Li Xuan was trembling slightly, Lin Xiaoya was biting her lip tightly, and Zhao Chen kept wiping the sweat from his palms on his pants.
Only Qin Xiao and Wang Bo remained relatively calm.
One minute later, the voting ended.
The vote count on the big screen began to scroll.
The vote count was finalized shortly afterward.
The entire audience erupted in uproar.