A band, or a battleground?

However, no sooner had he finished speaking than another phone call came in.

Lin Xin frowned, his eyes showing some impatience, but after glancing at the caller ID, he patiently picked up the phone.

"Hey, Director Xue... What?!"

Lin Xin's expression froze instantly.

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.

“Jufeng is definitely rigging the votes, absolutely!” Ning Qianyu said with certainty.

At this moment, the four members of Haruhi Kage stood once again at the entrance of the elevator platform, but their expressions were no longer as relaxed as before. In particular, the three girls all seemed somewhat anxious.

Qi Yuan, however, remained relaxed and said calmly, "Everyone knows they're rigging the votes, but what does that have to do with us?"

Ning Qianyu glared at him upon hearing this.

Qiu Mengxue said, "If there were no vote rigging, we would definitely be the champions!"

Qi Yuan shrugged: "Yes, but if we don't win the championship, aren't we the ones who suffer the most?"

Qiu Mengxue: "You mean..."

Ning Qianyu: "The biggest loser is the production team?"

Qi Yuan smiled and said, "Yes, without a doubt it's the production team. The one who should be most anxious right now isn't us, it's that Director Xue. If someone blatantly steals the champion's spot, then he really won't need to run this show next year. His credibility will collapse. If I were him, I could already think of what to do right now."

Jiang Yi asked, "What should we do?"

Qi Yuan: "This voting mechanism provides a voting window, and once the time is up, the window closes and the results are tallied directly. If I were Director Xue, and Jufeng had given Jizhou a certain number of votes, I would turn around and tell Tianhua to do the same, or I would simply change the data myself to give Chunriying more votes than Jizhou, to ensure that the championship is not stolen."

Ning Qianyu suddenly interjected, "It's unlikely that we can directly change the data. I saw people from the notary office there."

Qi Yuan shrugged: "Then let's coordinate with Tianhua. Whatever amount Jufeng spends, Tianhua will spend the same amount. They're both big players in the entertainment industry; surely Tianhua can't be incompetent at vote manipulation?"

“You’re right…” Qiu Mengxue pondered, “Right now, the people who should be most anxious are not us, but the production team.”

"Actually, I really want to see Jufeng's big event, generate tens of millions of votes, and snatch the championship."

The three girls were stunned when Qi Yuan said this.

Facing three pairs of stunned eyes, Qi Yuan smiled and explained, "Not winning the championship won't harm us at all; it might even be beneficial. To be honest, the reason we trended on social media from the very beginning was because of the show's unfair treatment. Starting with injustice and ending with injustice, wouldn't the audience be furious? I really can't think of a better topic to attract fans."

Jiang Yi murmured, "But winning the championship would still be the best..."

Qi Yuan: "The champion's prize money is 200,000 yuan. Do you guys care about that? If we get the runner-up, I'll announce on the spot that we'll hold our own concert. In addition to the songs we sang on the show, I'll also release a few new songs to wow you. Guess how much money we can make?"

Qiu Mengxue smiled wryly, "It's not about the money. We're still students, we're not that obsessed with money. It's about the honor of being a champion..."

"The honor is even more ridiculous," Qi Yuan said mercilessly. "Having come this far, haven't you seen it yet? This show is just a platform, or rather a stepping stone, used to give bands from big companies a boost in prestige and attract fans. It's called a competition, but is this competition really fair?"

The three girls fell silent.

Qi Yuan concluded, "Of course, we should cherish every opportunity to perform on stage, but this is not for the championship, but for the audience who like us. As for whether or not there is vote rigging, it's a battle of gods, and we don't need to even glance at it."

Qiu Mengxue muttered to herself, "Big capital is like a god, and we're all just mortals, right?"

Qi Yuan shook his head: "No, we are not mortals."

"Then what are we?"

"It's Sun Wukong, the stone monkey who pierced a hole in the sky with his golden cudgel. I want the sky to no longer be able to block my view."

As Qi Yuan spoke, he appeared calm and collected, but the gleam in his eyes stunned Qiu Mengxue and Jiang Yi.

But the next moment, Ning Qianyu's words stunned Qi Yuan as well.

The short-haired girl slapped her thigh: "Well done, you even brought the Golden Cudgel! No wonder you're called Cudgel Brother! So this is the true meaning of 'Heaven-Reaching Battle Cudgel Shatters Mountains and Rivers'!"

Qi Yuan: "I didn't, I didn't..."

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.

137 I Want a Life in Full Bloom (Seeking Subscriptions)

The third song by the Polar Day Band is, as expected, a song by Chen Jiashu, and it is his latest masterpiece, "Dopamine Trap".

Despite many viewers questioning the band's alleged vote-rigging, their performance, especially their Golden Melody Award-winning song, was powerful and drew considerable applause.

However, compared to Chunri Ying's previous song "Life is Like Summer Flowers," the applause and cheers were slightly weaker.

So, what will Haruhi Kage's next song be like?

With this expectation in mind, the shouts of tens of thousands of spectators gradually subsided. Everyone understood that today's final battle, the ultimate showdown to determine the champion, had arrived.

All the stage lights were turned off, leaving only a few beams of pale blue light.

The four members of Haruhi Kage took the stage.

Without any unnecessary words or fancy opening remarks, Qiu Mengxue pressed the piano keys.

A high-pitched and clear synthesizer sound suddenly rang out in the stadium, like a bugle call on the battlefield, instantly grabbing everyone's ears.

But then, the sound of the keyboard turned low, and Ning Qianyu's drumsticks fell heavily.

The steady and powerful bass drum, combined with Jiang Yi's bass line, made the audience momentarily unable to distinguish whether what was beating in their chests was the drumbeat or their own heartbeat.

A white spotlight shone on the center of the stage. Qi Yuan, holding a guitar, stood in front of the microphone.

He plucked the strings, the guitar entered, followed by a deep voice, even slightly hoarse:

How many times have I fallen on the road?

How many times have my wings been broken?

"I no longer feel lost."

"I want to transcend this ordinary, extravagant desire."

When Qi Yuan sang this verse, he didn't use any fancy techniques. He was like a wounded traveler calmly recounting a past.

Lin Yan, sitting in the audience, felt a sudden tremor in her heart when she heard these words. For some reason, all that came to mind were images of Chun Riying's journey from the auditions: being limited by the platform, having her scenes cut, being schemed against by competitors, being suppressed by capital, and the heavy burden of her growth... Weren't these past experiences just like "falling down on the road" and "having broken wings"?

Not only her, but most of the audience members heard a sense of oppressive weight in her slightly melancholic singing.

As the verses continued, Qi Yuan's voice began to rise, and the suppressed power in his chest was rapidly building between the lines:

How many times have I lost my way?

How many times have my dreams been shattered?

"I no longer feel lost."

"I want my life to be liberated—"

When Qi Yuan sang the word "liberation," Ning Qianyu's drumbeats suddenly accelerated, turning into a dense storm.

The next second, all the stage lights turned on instantly, and several dazzling pillars of fire shot out from the edge of the stage!

Qi Yuan suddenly raised his head and, with an explosive high note that pierced the sky, completely unleashed his pent-up emotions:

I want a life in full bloom.

"Like flying in the vast sky"

"Like traversing an endless wilderness"

"Possessing the power to break free from everything"

The four lines of the chorus came out like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

That indomitable, defiant, and defiant spirit, along with Qi Yuan's roar, transformed into a tangible wave of sound that swept across the entire stadium.

Zhang Yanyan felt a jolt of electricity shoot from the back of her head to the soles of her feet, and goosebumps instantly rose on her exposed arms. She covered her mouth tightly with both hands to prevent herself from screaming as soon as the chorus started.

In the back seat, Ning's father, who had been leaning back in his chair, froze completely. He stared at the stage with his mouth agape, the folding fan he had been waving falling onto his lap without him even noticing.

Ning's mother also subconsciously sat up straight, gripping the back of the front seat tightly with both hands, her eyes fixed on the big screen.

I want a life in full bloom.

"Like standing atop a rainbow."

"Like traveling through a dazzling galaxy"

"Possessing extraordinary power"

Qi Yuan's high notes continued to soar without any sign of fatigue; on the contrary, they became brighter and more powerful with each note, full of the vitality of rock and roll.

The audience erupted in cheers. No one could remain seated during this song.

Many people had a thought: Who would dare say that Chunriying can't do rock and roll? That Qi Yuan can't write rock and roll?

The audience in the front row stood up first, followed by those in the middle... Except for the audience in the back row who were furthest away, tens of thousands of people seemed to be pulled to their feet by some force, without needing any guidance from anyone.

During the interlude, Qi Yuan remained at the very center of the spotlight. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he strummed the guitar with his head bowed, as if he wanted to break all the strings.

Then the verses come back, and then the chorus comes again.

Qi Yuan's high notes continued:

I want a life in full bloom.

"Like flying in the vast sky"

"Like traversing an endless wilderness"

"Possessing the power to break free from everything"

Although it was the first time the audience had heard "Blooming Life" for them, those who stood up in the front row sang along... no, it was more like they were shouting along.

It doesn't matter if you're off-beat or out of tune; all we need is an outlet for our emotions.

I want a life in full bloom.

"Like standing atop a rainbow."

"Like traveling through a dazzling galaxy"

"Possessing extraordinary power"

Qi Yuan finished singing.

The ending came quickly, and the guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards stopped playing soon after, but the audience didn't stop.

They stopped singing and just shouted:

"Champion! Champion! Champion!"

"Spring Shadow is awesome!"

"The champion is Kasuga Kage!"

In the two seats furthest away, Shen Xingyun looked at his daughter beside him and smiled, "Why didn't you stand up just now?"

Shen Yihan pouted and said, "Because it's too far away, and you're here..."

Shen Xingyun: "If I weren't here, would you have stood up and shouted with them?"

Shen Yihan pointed to her mask: "Even like this, no one will recognize me anyway, so what's the big deal if they shout!"

Shen Xingyun smiled and shook his head, then looked down at his phone.

At this moment, another figure appeared on the stage—the host.

"Wow, what a fantastic performance! I'm sure no one could resist being captivated by it, even I felt my heart racing. But let's not forget, this isn't a concert, it's the final stage of the competition."

He Dong's voice also revealed a hint of excitement.

"Next, please welcome the Polar Day Band to the stage. Audience members both in the studio and watching on screen, please pick up your phones; our final voting window is now open!"

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.

I really want to trade with you for 138.

The time spent standing on the stage waiting for the results was a bit boring for Qi Yuan.

His three female teammates were a little nervous, but he was fine. He knew very well that reaching this stage of the competition meant they had already won a resounding victory. The fame and fortune he had envisioned at the beginning of his journey were practically within his grasp.

Next, it seems appropriate to consider long-term development planning...

Just then, a young man's voice rang out from the side: "What are you thinking about?"

Qi Yuan was slightly surprised. He turned his head and saw the lead singer of the Polar Day Band.