The song "The Actor" at the beginning stunned me with its portrayal of the aloof school be

The Shengda contestant who was called out was completely at a loss.

He never expected that the first blow of the competition would fall on his own head.

He and Jiang Che had absolutely no personal grudges.

But Lin Wei, who was sitting not far away, felt a strange sense of relief.

Jiang Che did not choose her.

This result caused her nerves, which had been on edge the whole way, to suddenly break down.

After relaxing, an absurd thought quietly popped into my head.

Why didn't Jiang Che choose her?

Is it possible that he still can't let go of her?

That's why you can't bring yourself to do it?

Once the thought pops into my head, I can no longer suppress it.

The more Lin Wei thought about it, the more sense it made.

After all, Jiang Che had loved her for two years and was so devoted to her.

How can you just let go like that?

No matter how harsh he is with words, when it comes to actually taking action, he still softens in the end.

This moment of wishful thinking made her regain some of her confidence.

She even began to feel superior to everyone else present.

See it.

Even after they broke up, Jiang Che still couldn't forget her.

She was completely unaware of how ridiculous her smug expression looked to others.

……

On stage, Jiang Che had already memorized his opponent's details.

This Shengda contestant specializes in commercial rock.

It's formulaic, heavily packaged, and involves screaming and belting out vocals on stage, though the explosive power is considerable.

Unfortunately, it has no soul.

That kind of rock and roll is mass-produced hype, empty inside.

The louder they shout, the more guilty they seem.

Jiang Che had heard too many things like this.

He neither dodged nor avoided it.

Since you play rock music.

Then I'll crush them head-on with a real rock song.

He took a guitar from a staff member, slung the strap over his shoulder, and sat down on the stool.

Fingers touch the strings.

The spotlight fell.

"This song is called 'Blue Lotus'."

After announcing the program, he plucked the first chord.

Shengda, the contestant on the side of the platform, curled his lip.

In his view, Jiang Che's audacity to challenge him head-on in the rock music field, his forte, was simply overestimating himself.

Guitar?

Unplugged, no hype, just a wooden guitar for rock and roll?

He almost laughed.

He was ready to see how Jiang Che would lose miserably on his home turf.

But the next second, that chord sounded.

The contempt on his face gradually froze.

……

Nothing can stop us.

"Your yearning for freedom"

A life of boundless imagination

Your heart is free of worries.

A melody never before heard in the world flowed from the guitar.

A person's temperament gives them an early advantage.

It doesn't have that kind of restlessness that makes you shout yourself hoarse right from the start.

There was no attempt to build up emotion through shouting.

What it possesses is an upward, free, and indomitable spirit.

Like a person carrying a backpack, walking towards the distant mountains, neither wind nor rain can stop his steps.

It's a vastness that grows from within.

Jiang Che sang the word "rock" back to its original meaning.

The core of rock and roll has never been about volume.

In that spirit of never bowing down and always moving forward.

Even the Shengda contestant in the audience, who has been playing rock music for so many years, hasn't gotten to the point.

"Through the dark years"

"I also felt lost at times."

"The moment you lower your head"

"Only then did I realize the path beneath my feet."

"The free world in my heart"

"So clear and lofty"

"Blooming and never fading"

"Blue Lotus!!!"

As the song reaches its chorus, that upward momentum is pushed to its peak.

Jiang Che's voice was neither hoarse nor roaring, yet it was like a ray of light, cleaving through the dullness of the entire venue.

It doesn't shout slogans, but it inspires everyone who hears it with a surge of urge to move forward.

That's what makes rock and roll so amazing.

It doesn't win you over with its volume, but with its spirit that can ignite people.

One of the contestants, who had been playing in a band for many years, got teary-eyed as he listened.

He's been playing rock music for so many years, and the market has always been pushing him towards "explosive" music.

The louder you shout, the less substance you have.

It was only at this moment that he was awakened to the fact that rock and roll could be like this.

Clean, vast, and unstoppable.

He suddenly felt a little ashamed, but also a little relieved.

I felt ashamed that I had lost this thing for so long, but I was glad that I could still hear it today.

……

Lin Xier, sitting in the guest seats, sat up straight once again.

She has listened to countless rock songs.

I've listened to almost everything, from underground to mainstream, from veterans to newcomers.

But she had never heard this song before.

What alarmed her even more was the song's message.

It doesn't rely on skill to win; the melody is even quite simple.

But that spirit comes from the very core of his being.

You can practice the techniques, but you can't cultivate the concept.

She sighed softly to herself.

Another original piece whose source cannot be found.

Just how many songs like this are still stuck in this person's head?

……

On the mentor's seat, Qin Lie leaned forward slightly, his eyes showing emotion.

Cheng Xue nodded gently along with the melody, her lips revealing undisguised approval.

Shen Yan leaned back in his chair, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

The contestants below the stage sat up straight one by one.

This time, the entire audience stood up, even faster than in the last episode.

Applause and cheers erupted from all directions.

The live stream chat exploded.

"Holy crap, this is what rock and roll is all about!"

"I got goosebumps, that's some serious energy!"

"The rock music from the Shengda contestant in front looks like a toy compared to this."

"Jiang Shen, are you ever going to stop? Another 'Investiture of the Gods' song?"

"I need the audio! I could listen to this song forever!"

Wang Haoran, in the dormitory, jumped up from his chair once again.

"See that?! My brother can even rock music!"

"Popular music, traditional Chinese style, and rock music!"

"Is there anything in this world he can't do?!"

He slammed his hand on the table in his excitement, causing his soda to foam and spill all over the table.

He didn't care at all; his eyes were glued to the screen.

Even some neutral bystanders in the live chat were moved to tears.

"I admit, I underestimated him before."

"Is someone who can sing pop, traditional Chinese style, and rock to the highest level even human?"

"Shengda player: This is too hard for me, I've run into a monster."

"Jiang Shen, please stop your supernatural powers! How are others supposed to survive?"

"This isn't a competition; it's a one-sided massacre."

……

The Shengda contestant was standing on one side of the stage.

He heard it all with his own ears.

The expression on his face gradually changed from fear to astonishment.

From initial shock, it crumbled into utter defeat.

This is the field he is most proud of.

Rock and roll is his trademark in this industry.

It was the only thing he could be proud of.

But now, Jiang Che has cleanly and thoroughly dismantled this signboard with his song "Blue Lotus".

From arrangement to core elements, from style to concept, it has swept across the board.

He was completely powerless to fight back.

There wasn't even the slightest opening for a counterattack.

He didn't even have the courage to open his mouth and sing along.

Every line of this song reminds him how empty his rock music is.

The results are out.

A huge disparity.

That Shengda contestant was eliminated on the spot.

……

The entire audience was shocked.

Only then did everyone realize the ruthlessness of Jiang Che's strike.

He not only won.

He even specifically chose to win in the area where his opponent was most skilled.

When the other side plays rock, he uses purer rock to overpower them.

This is equivalent to repeatedly rubbing someone in the place where they are most confident and at ease.

This kind of winning strategy is far more ruthless than simply eliminating one person.

The mentors exchanged glances, all conveying the same message.

Qin Lie spoke first, his voice not loud, but clear and distinct.

"He's not just here to win."

"He came to tell everyone that he can deal with Shengda's people however he wants."

Shen Yan nodded and added a sentence.

"This kid is after Shengda."

These words sent a jolt through many in the audience.

Only then did they fully realize the true intention behind Jiang Che's strike.

The first cut landed.

Shengda has lost a member.

Throughout the entire process, Jiang Che didn't even glance at Lin Wei.

It was as if she wasn't worth even a glance from him.

The self-delusional "he still can't let me go" look on Lin Wei's face froze on the spot, slowly turning into embarrassment.

She thought she was the one who was specially kept behind.

Only now did I vaguely realize that I seemed to be completely invisible to him.

This realization was even more painful for her than being eliminated.

She lowered her head and for the first time felt that the person she had dumped was now so far away that she could no longer reach him.

……

P.S.: "Blue Lotus", sung by Xu Wei, lyrics by Xu Wei, music by Xu Wei.