A band, or a battleground?

Qi Yuan quickly said, "When it comes to gifts, you should never compare yourself to others. Just buy something more expensive than what Mengxue gave me."

Ning Qianyu pouted: "Dream on. I wouldn't spend tens of thousands of yuan. I wouldn't be able to explain it to my parents."

Qi Yuan breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good."

Then Ning Qianyu had a sudden inspiration: "What if I reveal your birthday, and then the fans give you..."

"Absolutely not!" Qi Yuan quickly waved his hand. "I don't have the habit of celebrating my birthday. I'll just have a meal and go somewhere fun. Don't tell anyone else, and definitely don't tell the fans!"

Ning Qianyu said "Oh," looking a little disappointed.

Qi Yuan thought that she was probably just disappointed because she couldn't see any more excitement or fun.

He said, "Don't worry about such trivial matters. If you have extra energy, let's start rehearsing as soon as possible."

"Okay, okay, I need to use the restroom first."

With that, Ning Qianyu opened the door and ran away.

Qi Yuan went to the balcony again, looked at the other girl, and said, "What I just told Qianyu is the same for you. Don't compare gifts, and don't overthink it. In my opinion, birthdays are no different from any other day. It's just a time for us to eat, drink, play, and have fun together."

Jiang Yi nodded obediently.

However, looking at the girl's well-behaved appearance, Qi Yuan felt uneasy for some reason.

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.

For the band, the days leading up to the finals meant intensive rehearsals. Through repeated practice, every part of each song became increasingly refined.

Then, on the day before the final, all five bands received a notification from the production team to come to the venue for rehearsal.

This place is quite different from when I came to check it out a few days ago.

Qi Yuan led the three girls through the players' tunnel, and when he looked up, he saw the stage that had been covered with layers of steel structure.

Above the stage, a complex network of steel trusses crisscrossed, densely packed with lights and mechanical devices used to create visual effects. The backdrop for the main stage consisted of several giant LED screens pieced together.

The large screen was currently in test mode, scrolling through the animated logo of "Tomorrow Band." The flickering lights illuminated the center of the stage.

To bring the audience closer, a long catwalk extends outwards from the front of the stage, all the way to the center of the inner field. Thick cables secured with black tape can be seen everywhere on both sides of the catwalk.

Two strings of black line array speakers are suspended in mid-air on either side. In a large stadium, the athletes' own small speakers are not used; these are used to ensure that tens of thousands of people can hear every detail in the music.

However, it's hard to say whether those details were a brilliant performance or an unexpected mistake.

At intervals along the edge of the stage, a high-powered monitor speaker was placed on the ground.

In the distance, the sound engineer was sitting at the mixing console at the back of the venue, occasionally making a few test sounds that made one's chest tingle.

Not only the hardware facilities, but the atmosphere of the entire stadium is also completely different.

Last time I came, the stands were empty, and the stadium was so quiet you could hear the echo. Today, although there were still no spectators in the stands, the stadium was filled with busy people.

The director shouted instructions into the walkie-talkie, the cameraman pushed a heavy jib arm back and forth on the track, and a dry ice machine in the corner sprayed white mist to test the effect.

The members of the four bands—Polar Day, Katz, Paper Wind Chimes, and Reverse Gear—were scattered throughout the waiting area. Some were adjusting their instruments, while others were checking the stage layout with the selection staff.

For some reason, just standing here, I can feel a sense of tension, as if a great battle is about to begin.

Ning Qianyu took a deep breath: "Seeing all this, it really feels like we're about to hold a concert for tens of thousands of people."

Jiang Yi subconsciously gripped the bass strap tightly, her expression revealing a hint of nervousness.

Qiu Mengxue suddenly asked, "Won't the other bands hear what we're singing during today's rehearsal?"

Qi Yuan: "Then we need to confirm with the production team..."

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 program's director, Xue Hai, was a man in his early forties. He was wearing a windbreaker and holding a walkie-talkie. When he saw Chunriying and the other three approaching, he quickly went to greet them.

Xue Hai smiled and extended his hand: "You've arrived! How are the preparations going?"

Qi Yuan shook hands with him and politely replied, "Thank you for your trouble, Director Xue. We are almost ready. We will rehearse later to see how it goes and get used to this new stage."

Xue Hai nodded and got down to business: "You're third in line for the rehearsal. The executive director will go through the stage positioning, lighting, and the use of the lifts with you in a bit. This is a live broadcast, so there's no room for error. Let's try to go through it a few more times and memorize the process."

After listening, Qi Yuan took the opportunity to ask his concern: "Director Xue, I have a question. The pieces we're preparing this time are all brand new and have never been shown before. We'll be rehearsing on stage with the electronic music playing, while the other bands are in the venue. If the sound goes off, is there a possibility of a leak?"

Hearing this, Xue Hai waved his hand and explained, "Don't worry about that. When it's your time to rehearse on stage, the inner field and stands will be cleared out. Polar Day, Kaz, and their entourage will all be asked to retreat to the private lounges outside the venue. Once the doors are closed, you won't be able to hear anything."

At this point, Xue Hai pointed to the sound system in mid-air: "In addition, for dress rehearsals, you don't need to use the main amplifier. That is to say, your guitars and vocals will all go through the internal wiring, only into the mixing console and the monitor headphones you are wearing. As long as you don't take off your headphones, all you will hear in the entire venue is the original sound of the drum kit and the strings."

Qi Yuan considered the plan for a moment and nodded in approval: "Sending only the return listener and not promoting the main expansion is indeed a good method. Let's do as Director Xue says."

"Okay, go rest in the waiting area for a bit. When it's your turn, the assistant director will call you over on the walkie-talkie." Xue Hai patted Qi Yuan's arm and turned back to his busy scheduling work.

After the director walked away, Ning Qianyu muttered to herself, "Was it him who cut our shots in the first two rounds of the competition?"

Qi Yuan smiled calmly and said, "We're just doing things for money, and everyone's stance can change. Right now, our performance is directly linked to his future, and he's one of the people who least wants us to make mistakes."

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.

128 Guess what your idol is doing?

In the afternoon of mid-August, the capital city was still so hot and humid that it made people dizzy.

As Lin Yan walked out of the subway station, she could see the crowds outside the stadium from afar.

She glanced down at her phone, confirmed the location sent by Zhang Yanyan, and struggled through the crowd to reach the vicinity of the stadium's east gate.

"Here!" Zhang Yanyan waved and hurriedly ran over.

After meeting up with their companions at the agreed-upon location, it was time to get their tickets checked and enter. But now a huge problem lay before them.

That means there are too many people.

The queue outside the ticket gates stretched like a long dragon, winding and turning several corners before almost spilling onto the roadside.

After stopping at the end of the line, Lin Yan sighed, "How long will it take us to get in?"

Zhang Yanyan shook her head: "That's why I said we must come early. There are bound to be a lot of spectators in a stadium with tens of thousands of people."

Lin Yan: "I've seen other singers perform before, and the ticket gates weren't this crowded."

Zhang Yanyan: "The popularity of Chunriying right now is no joke. The key is that this is the final, and many people are having the opportunity to see them live for the first time and witness them win... Never mind, I won't make any promises, I won't say anything more."

Lin Yan looked around and asked, "With so many people, they can't all be their fans, right?"

Zhang Yanyan thought for a moment and said, "It's definitely not 100%, but it definitely accounts for the majority. It's just that we haven't set any support color or logo yet, otherwise we could recognize it at a glance."

Lin Yan observed the crowd in line and said, "Everyone seems quite young, but the male-to-female ratio seems pretty balanced."

Zhang Yanyan laughed and said, "Because the Spring Shadow Band has both men and women, and they're all pretty good-looking..."

While chatting, the two had already moved forward quite a distance with the group.

Lin Yan turned around and saw that another line had formed behind her. She couldn't help but sigh, "Two or three months ago, I watched Spring Film's performance live. It was just a small square next to a shopping mall, and there were only a few dozen people in the audience. Who would have thought it would be like this today?"

A hint of curiosity flashed in Zhang Yanyan's eyes: "Is the band's official account on Kuaishou, the one with the performance videos, the one in that little square you mentioned?"

Lin Yan nodded: "Yes, that's it."

Zhang Yanyan said confidently, "I bet that after the competition ends, that small square will definitely become a popular spot for fans to take photos."

Lin Yan joked, "If it really becomes a popular spot for taking photos, I might as well set up a stall there after get off work and sell posters and postcards related to Haruhi Kage. Maybe I can make a lot of money."

Zhang Yanyan immediately laughed: "Big boss, if you're going to make a fortune, include me!"

Although there were many people in line, the ticket gates were very efficient, and the line kept moving forward.

So they didn't have to wait long before they passed through ticket and security checks and entered the venue.

The interior space of the stadium is even more astonishingly large.

At first glance, a small portion of the seats were still empty, but there were already large, dark crowds of people.

The two of them were seated in the front section of the inner field, so their view was pretty good.

They found their seats by following the numbered floorboards. However, just as they sat down to catch their breath, they heard a chorus of complaints behind them.

"It takes so long to queue, and then we have to wait just to listen to a few songs..."

Lin Yan and Zhang Yanyan subconsciously turned their heads and saw that the speaker was an uncle in the back row.

The middle-aged man was wearing a plain short-sleeved shirt; his features were fairly regular, but he was somewhat overweight. To his left was an aunt with short, curly hair, and to his right was a thin little girl who was less than 1.4 meters tall. The three of them sat together, clearly a family.

The aunt frowned and patted his arm: "At such an important moment, you still think it's not worth it? Then what do you mean it's worth? Just move a stool and a broken pole to the riverbank and sit there for most of the day?"

The middle-aged man shook his head: "I didn't say I didn't want to come, I just felt the queue was too long. The organizers didn't open more lanes, it's so crowded."

The aunt retorted, "A large number of people is a good thing; it means they are popular!"

The middle-aged man scoffed dismissively, saying, "Come on! People come to watch the game; their fans are all here for Qi Yuan. He can write songs, he can sing, he's a guitarist and lead singer. What kind of fans could someone sitting in the back banging drums and gongs have?"

Hearing the uncle's words, Zhang Yanyan frowned, but she didn't expect that Lin Yan, who was obviously older than her, would be even more intolerant.

Lin Yan turned around and took the initiative to speak: "Uncle, you're not right. I'm a fan of the drummer in the Spring Shadow Band."

Upon hearing this, the family of three in the back row were all stunned.

The uncle's hand, which was waving a fan, stopped in mid-air. The aunt looked at her with some surprise, and the little girl next to her stared wide-eyed.

Lin Yan continued, "Drummers in bands are usually mostly men because it requires physical strength, stamina, and a sensitivity to rhythm. It's amazing that a petite girl like Qianyu can play the drums with such power and almost never makes a mistake!"

Upon hearing this, the aunt in the back row's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but smile, nodding repeatedly.

The middle-aged man opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to refute something, but looking at the earnest young woman in front of him, he was momentarily speechless.

Just as the adults fell into a brief silence, the little girl who had been sitting quietly to the side suddenly moved.

Taking advantage of her father's momentary lapse in attention, she actually pulled out the phone from the uncle's pocket and made a call on the spot.

As soon as the call connected, the little girl excitedly shouted into the phone, "Hey, sis! You have fans now!"

Upon hearing these words, Lin Yan's gentle yet earnest expression instantly froze.

Zhang Yanyan, standing next to her, was equally stunned.

The two slowly turned their heads and looked at each other.

Sis?

The phone was on speakerphone, and a voice came through: "Nonsense! Are you looking for trouble? Did Dad give you permission to use his phone? I'll hang up now, I'm busy here."

Although this drummer doesn't sing on stage, Lin Yan and Zhang Yanyan had both watched Xu Xi's show and could naturally recognize that it was Ning Qianyu's voice!

The little girl asked excitedly, "You're still a long way from going on stage, what are you busy with?"

"Playing games."

Ning Qianyu said this and then hung up the phone.

The little girl looked up at Lin Yan and Zhang Yanyan, who were both shocked, and spread her little hands: "Big sister, your idol is playing a game."

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.

129 Is this eating tofu?

Ning Qianyu hung up the phone, put it down, and asked, "Whose turn is it now?"

Qi Yuan: "It's your turn."

So Ning Qianyu rubbed her hands together and looked intently at the building blocks on the table.

This is a tower of blocks. The blocks are all long and narrow, stacked in layers of three, interlocking and overlapping. The rules are simple: players take turns removing a block from the lower or middle layers of the tower and placing it smoothly on the top layer to complete a new layer.

During the game, whoever accidentally causes the block tower to collapse loses. The game continues until the block tower collapses, meaning someone loses.

This little game is quite fun; it can liven up the atmosphere and also improve finger dexterity, making it a good pastime for the band before they go on stage.

The building blocks were brought by Qiu Mengxue, and without any discussion, the other three immediately agreed and started playing.

At this moment, Ning Qianyu stared at the building block tower on the table for a while, and finally reached out and grabbed a block on the third layer, slowly applying force.

The moment that block moved, the tower of blocks began to shake.

The girl seemed to freeze, as if someone had pressed the pause button. Only after the block tower stopped shaking did she slowly resume applying force…

Finally, she pulled out the block. The entire block tower only wobbled slightly; it clearly wouldn't collapse.

"Yes!" Ning Qianyu couldn't help but pump her fist in celebration.

But just as she swung her fist, it accidentally grazed the edge of the table, making the table wobble.