A band, or a battleground?

Then, host He Dong read out the names of 21 bands, announcing their advancement. Among them, besides Spring Shadow, were familiar names like Titan and Star Element.

"As everyone knows, our program is pre-recorded. What you just saw was the second round of the competition, while the first part of the first round has already aired and attracted a lot of attention from netizens. Today, the second episode of the program, which is the middle part of the group stage, was also released an hour ago. At the end of this episode, we announced a new gameplay."

He Dong paused for a moment after saying this.

At the same time, the large screen above his head displayed three big characters: "[Style Match]".

"You can find a voting page by visiting the show's official website or through the viewing app. It contains ten style keywords: fresh and natural, country, electronic music, anime, hip-hop, gothic, cyberpunk, traditional Chinese style, island style, and vaporwave. These are all recent trending keywords selected by the Music Cloud app."

"Everyone can vote on these words, and the three words with the most votes will be selected as the performance style for the next round. As you just heard, the twenty-one bands that have passed this round of the competition will draw lots from those three style words to determine which style track they will enter."

"Competitions will be held within the same track, with the top four from each track advancing and the bottom three eliminated. Furthermore, starting in the next round, audience voting will be introduced. At that time, everyone who comes to the venue will not only be an audience member, but also our show's public judges!"

When He Dong finished speaking, the audience burst into applause.

Of course, amidst the applause, there were also complaints such as "then tickets will be even harder to get" and "good news for insiders and scalpers," but almost no one could hear them amidst the enthusiastic applause.

"The voting deadline is 48 hours. The day after tomorrow afternoon, once voting closes, our third round of the competition draw will officially begin. You can use your tickets from today to enter and watch the draw ceremony. Thank you everyone, that concludes today's recording!"

Someone in the audience immediately wailed, "Why didn't you say the tickets were for the lottery? We'd already thrown them away..."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The following morning, Qi Yuan and the three girls returned to the hotel's rehearsal room. However, this time they weren't there to rehearse; they had been summoned there by their instructor.

The draw hasn't been completed yet, and we don't know what style we'll be playing in the third round of the competition in a few days, so we can't rehearse right now.

Aside from Spring Shadow, only three bands from mentor Zhou Taishan's group have advanced to the second round. Among the three mentors, this godfather of rock currently has the lowest success rate in advancing.

Jiang Yi looked around and saw that, apart from her own friends, the members of the other three bands were almost all rock veterans over thirty. Although they seemed amiable and their attitude towards Chunri Ying was friendly and polite...

But Jiang Yi couldn't help but shrink back, hiding behind Qi Yuan and Qiu Mengxue.

She couldn't hide behind Ning Qianyu; half of her head would be sticking out.

Watching Qi Yuan chatting and laughing with the others, Jiang Yi couldn't help but feel a little envious...

Just as the band members were exchanging pleasantries, the door to the rehearsal room opened.

Zhou Taishan, with his half-gray hair, scratched his head as he entered.

“Wilderness Messenger, Wildfire, Zero Ash,” Zhou Taishan glanced around, “and Spring Shadow, all the survivors in our group are here. Let me start by saying that the reason we’re having this meeting today is for tomorrow’s draw. I don’t like to waste time, so I’ll get straight to the point: the online voting isn’t over yet, but the general trend is already quite clear.”

The guitarist of the Wildfire band, a man with a mohawk and a floral shirt, asked, "Did you know that the vote count isn't online?"

Zhou Taishan laughed and said, "If you don't even have this much privilege, what kind of mentor are you? The director told us that the three words with the most votes right now are fresh and cute, anime and manga, and traditional Chinese style."

"hiss……"

A collective gasp filled the air.

The lead singer of Zero Degree Grey said with a wry smile, "We all play rock and roll, how would we know how to handle this? Oh, apart from Qi Yuan, this young man might be fine."

Qi Yuan quickly waved his hand: "Don't look at me, I'm in a difficult position too."

Of course, that's not the whole truth. These three styles are easier to handle than gothic or something similar; at least he can think of corresponding songs for each, and with some effort, he can write the lyrics and music.

Zhou Taishan said, "We have to find a way, even if there's no other way. If you're signed with a company, ask them if they have the song in their catalog, or have them contact the copyright holders."

"Why contact the copyright holder?" Ning Qianyu asked bluntly.

Zhou Taishan glanced at her: "Because covers must be approved by the copyright holder, and many require payment. The production team certainly won't pay for them for you. Unless you choose songs with completely open copyrights, but completely free ones are either outdated or extremely obscure and niche."

Ning Qianyu: "I see, thank you, Teacher Zhou."

Zhou Taishan: "You're welcome. It's common sense. You'll naturally learn these things as you get more involved in the music industry."

Jiang Yi silently looked at Ning Qianyu.

Jiang Yi had been curious about the copyright issue regarding cover songs, but hadn't dared to ask, especially in front of a top figure in the music industry like Zhou Taishan. Ning Qianyu, however, asked without hesitation and with remarkable composure. Jiang Yi admired her courage.

Zhou Taishan's attention eventually fell on the boy.

He asked, "Are you going to create something original again this time?"

Qi Yuan nodded: "If nothing unexpected happens, it should be an original work."

Zhou Taishan: "You can write about 'fresh and cute,' 'anime and manga,' and 'traditional Chinese style'?"

Qi Yuan: "I still have some confidence, I can give it a try."

"Dude, you're so versatile!"

"It makes us look really silly..."

"What 'fresh and cute' or 'anime style'? Holy crap, I can't even imagine those styles! Qi Yuan is really something else."

The other three bands immediately expressed their admiration.

But Zhou Taishan frowned slightly: "Don't be stubborn. The reason I held this meeting is so that you can help each other. I know you're not signed with a company, but they are. If there's a suitable song, do you still want to write an original one?"

Qi Yuan nodded slowly: "I just like original content."

Zhou Taishan: "..."

After a couple of seconds of consideration, Qi Yuan added, "I only have a few days. I can write the lyrics and music, but I'm afraid I won't have time to arrange the music. Teacher Zhou, could you help me with the arrangement?"

"Qiu Mengxue is not—" Ning Qianyu was only halfway through her sentence when Qiu Mengxue covered her mouth.

Just kidding! With the godfather of rock music helping her, Qiu Mengxue would be more than happy to accept; she wouldn't try to be a hero. Even if he wasn't good at a certain style, simply using his connections would be far better than her forcing herself to make something up!

Zhou Taishan scratched his head: "Sure, but you have to drink with me!"

Qi Yuan laughed loudly, "Of course, no problem!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

There must be something fishy about 061.

It was another draw.

Unlike before, there were many more audience members in the stands this time, while on stage were representatives of all the participating bands that had advanced to the third round.

Twenty-one bands—if all of them came up on stage, it would be too crowded. Twenty-odd people would be just right.

Qi Yuan is naturally the representative of Spring Day Shadow.

Now, he is no longer the nobody he was at the beginning of the show. Not only Su Muluo, but several other contestants also took the initiative to greet him and exchange a few pleasantries.

"You're here, bro."

"Your song 'A Thousand Years Later' is really good."

"Have you seen the comments online? They're all saying that Blue Lotus is awesome..."

Faced with these comments, Qi Yuan could only smile and say things like "You flatter me" as a response.

Even if they don't talk to him, they'll at least make eye contact and nod.

The only person who ignored Qi Yuan throughout was Zhao Xukun, the lead singer of the Titans band.

Until the host came on stage.

He Dong, holding the microphone, said, "Today is the draw ceremony for the third round of the style competition. Just now, the voting results were announced. Everyone can see where their vote went through the voting page. A total of 806,321 votes were cast. We guarantee that every step will be fair and just!"

Qi Yuan almost laughed, but easily held it in.

Even if the voting process is fair, what about the subsequent lottery?

He Dong continued, "Based on everyone's votes, the three most anticipated styles are fresh and clean, anime and manga, and traditional Chinese style. These three will also be the three tracks for our third round. The twenty-one bands will draw lots to determine which track they will be assigned to. There will be seven bands in each track, competing within the same track. Four bands will advance, and three will be eliminated. Now I announce that the draw will begin! First, please have the representative of Wildfire Band draw lots."

Under the audience's watchful eyes, a burly man with a thick beard and a large belly walked up to the host, reached into a box, and pulled out a piece of paper. Unfolding it, he saw that the large screen above was displaying a live image:

[Anime/Manga]

The man, who resembled a grown-up fat tiger, said with a bitter expression, "Isn't this making things difficult for me?"

The audience erupted in cheerful laughter.

"Sorry, but this is how the draw went," He Dong said, suppressing a laugh. "Next up, please welcome the representative from the Star Elements Band!"

Su Muluo walked over and drew lots.

【antiquity】

Su Muluo glanced at it and gave a sunny and handsome smile.

From the audience, several girls shouted loudly: "The Milky Way is burning hot, unstoppable!"

The shouts were so unified and powerful that they startled the spectators around them.

And so, one contestant after another drew lots, until the tenth one, when it was finally their turn...

"Next, let's have the representative of the Spring Shadow Band draw lots," He Dong added, "Let's see which track Qi Yuan will draw. In the previous two rounds, Qi Yuan and his Spring Shadow Band brought us many surprises. I wonder if they will continue this performance this time?"

Qi Yuan reached into the box and found many slips of paper.

This time, he wasn't the last to draw, but rather placed in the middle. However, he was very curious whether his draw had been pre-arranged. If so, how exactly was it done?

He didn't rush to draw it, but instead rummaged around in the box for a while, but didn't find anything interesting.

It felt like just an ordinary box.

The entire room fell silent, everyone waiting for the results of his draw.

Qi Yuan took out a piece of paper, unfolded it, and suppressed a smile.

He Dong looked up at the big screen and announced, "The third performance category for the Spring Shadow Band is: Ancient Style!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The so-called "ancient style," or "Chinese style," is a style that many band members have always been reluctant to touch.

On one hand, traditional Chinese music and bands are completely different circles. On the other hand, traditional Chinese music instruments are usually instruments like the guzheng, guqin, and pipa, which no one in a band knows how to play. Everyone plays guitar, bass, and drums, so how can they arrange music?

“Luckily, our band has Mengxue’s keyboard, which can simulate the sound of traditional Chinese musical instruments,” Jiang Yi analyzed. “Otherwise, I really don’t know what to do.”

By this time, the lottery ceremony had ended, and the four of them gathered again in Qi Yuan's room to discuss the matter.

Qiu Mengxue frowned and said, "But I have never been involved in arranging ancient-style songs."

Jiang Yi: "Isn't there a formula for arranging ancient-style music?"

Qiu Mengxue: "Yes, but I'm not familiar with that formula. I'll give you a formula you've only heard of but never used. Can you solve the math problem within the time limit?"

Jiang Yi couldn't help but sigh: "Actually, the arrangement is another matter, since Teacher Zhou Taishan promised to help. The key question is, can Qi Yuan write ancient-style songs?"

The two girls looked at Qi Yuan, but Qi Yuan was looking at Ning Qianyu.

Ning Qianyu found a detective hat from somewhere, had a pipe in her mouth, and rested her chin on her hand, looking like a young detective facing a locked-room murder case.

Qi Yuan asked, "What are you doing?"

Ning Qianyu pretended to take a puff of his unlit pipe and said seriously, "There must be a dark hand behind the scenes doing something shady."

"Nonsense!" Qi Yuan snatched her pipe away. "Besides, I can tell you who's behind this—it's Jufeng Music, isn't it?"

Ning Qianyu tried to snatch back the pipe, but her arms were too short. Qi Yuan simply stretched out his arm and raised it high, which she couldn't reach. Standing up to grab it would make her look too undetective.

So the girl temporarily put down her pipe, rested her chin on her hand, and resumed her serious demeanor: "In many cases, just knowing the murderer isn't enough; you also need to figure out the method. So, how exactly did Kyoto Music manage to do that? Could there be something wrong with that lottery box?"

Qi Yuan: "I had already thought about it when I was drawing lots."

Ning Qianyu: "Oh, really? My assistant, have you reached a conclusion in your thinking? Don't worry about being clumsy; serious thinking can always play a role in unexpected ways."

Qi Yuan: "Is that so, Miss Detective?"

Ning Qianyu nodded seriously: "Of course, please believe me, believe in the reputation of Detective Serant Solander Feather."

Qiu Mengxue slammed her hand on the bed and roared, "We're discussing serious business, why are you two acting like this! And where did you get that name... oh, the English translation of Ning Qianyu, right!"

Jiang Yi smiled wryly and said, "The results of the draw are already decided. Let's talk about what to do. Qi Yuan, can you write a traditional Chinese style song?"

Ning Qianyu laughed and shrugged: "Didn't you guys notice him typing on his phone on the way back?"

Qiu Mengxue's gaze sharpened: "You're already writing?"

Qi Yuan took out his phone: "To be precise, I've already finished writing it."

Ning Qianyu had already guessed it, and maintained a calm smile. The expressions of the other two girls, however, were quite interesting.

Qiu Mengxue couldn't resist trying to snatch his phone to look at it.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.