Chapter 106: The Final Stage (Part 2)

Chapter 106: The Final Stage (Part 2)

"Lively and Bouncing Brothers" may not have had the same ratings as the first season's "Sisters," but it invested heavily in innovation, stage effects, and sound equipment. For this final battle, they even rented Asia's largest open-air stadium, spending a whole month building the stage that could accommodate 50,000 spectators and numerous media and marketing accounts.

In summary, it was "fiery," "explosive," "cool," and "dazzling"!

Even for an initial shock factor, the program team kept all processes and segments of the final showdown confidential. Fans, unable to get a glimpse of their idols' magnificent appearances in advance, pinned all their hopes on those who could attend the event, even crowdfunding for high-quality cameras for the fans there, to get first-hand beautiful photos of their idols to spread and boost their popularity.

The entire stadium, surrounded by the Autumn Hills and facing the Cuijiang River, resembled a boundless, flowing celestial river under the various light effects, blurring the lines between heaven and earth, unsure if the sky was the river or the ground was the Milky Way, with a celestial hand scattering a handful of fine stars amidst it.

Inside the stadium, the support from various fan bases formed a continuous sea of light, with all kinds of support lights and banners dazzling the eyes.

Thirty brothers each had their own unique qualities, but the most attention-grabbing were undoubtedly Gu Ren, Uzaki, and Yun Zi'an.

Gu Ren's support color, like his high-and-mighty celebrity persona, was a noble and elegant emerald green, while Uzaki, always following a gentle and neighborly style, had a corresponding warm orange.

Emerald green and warm orange dominated half the arena, making other support colors seem sparse and insignificant in comparison.

Moreover, what shocked all the attendees was the complete absence of support lights for Yun Zi'an. In this vast sea of lights, there wasn't a single luminescent blue light for him.

This was incomprehensible to everyone. Even if Yun Zi'an had been slack during the variety show, indulging in eating, drinking, and sleeping, his ranking wasn't low, as many netizens were captivated by his divine-level face.

But what about Yun Zi'an's fans? Couldn't they even afford a ticket to the event?

Online discussions about this soared, with the topic's heat rising dramatically. As soon as a post was made, it quickly accumulated thousands of comments—

"No way, no way, his own fans not showing up to support? What a disaster must the protagonist be facing?"

"'Can’t even afford a ticket? So the rankings that came out from voting were bought?'"

"'Data manipulated behind closed doors, now exposed for all to see, really embarrassing to show up like this.'"

"'Yun Zi'an: I want the whole world to know I got in through the back door.'"

"'As everyone knows, the phrase ‘got in through the back door’ has a rich connotation.'"

"'Hahahaha, and let’s not forget, he naturally has a face that screams seductress*.'"

……

Backstage after the performance, Yuzaki couldn't help but grin as he scrolled through the live audience's photos flooding his phone, brimming with pride.

It seemed like even the heavens favored him, drawing an unprecedented third spot in the performance order.

This meant the first two performers would warm up the crowd, setting the stage for his act to be impressively amplified, priming the audience for a stunning impression.

Yun Zi'an, on the other hand, seemed destined for defeat in this showdown, having drawn the unfortunate last slot.

With thirty "brothers" performing, it would take at least three hours before his turn, by which time the audience would be exhausted. Moreover, the weather was poor, with rain beginning to fall, possibly turning into a downpour by his performance, potentially ruining his act.

Yun Zi'an himself seemed resigned to his fate. While backstage bustled with pre-show activity, he lay on a sofa, face covered with a book, sound asleep, not even bothering to change into his performance outfit.

Yuzaki sneered dismissively at this sight.

In the face of fortune, talent seemed insignificant.

Before the performance, Weibo was abuzz with predictions for each "brother's" stage. True to his role as a singing and dancing lead, Yuzaki predictably performed a fiery, energetic number, embodying the essence of "sweet and spicy."

Even Gu Ren, an actor by trade, showcased his piano and singing skills with "Like a Dream," the theme song of "Magnificent Blossom," blending Western classical instrumentation with Eastern aesthetics, captivating the audience into awed silence.

In the final showdown, everyone brought out their best, holding nothing back. The sheer talent on display had the crowd screaming and exhilarated, leaving them voiceless by the end, as if witnessing a life-and-death struggle – a truly thrilling and intense experience.

#LeapingBrothersFinalStageExplosive#

#ThirtyBrothersGoAllOut#

#WillingToSupportSuchDivineStageForALifetime#

#RegretForLifeNotBeingThere#

Unsurprisingly, the top ten trending topics on Weibo were all dominated by "The Brothers," making it the hottest, most explosive, and dazzling phenomenon this winter!

By 11 PM, the weather turned foul, transforming a light drizzle into a downpour...

Caught off guard, the show's crew was at a loss; they had planned for clear skies, not anticipating a sudden detour of a typhoon near the southeast, affecting the skies above Shanghai, rendering artificial rain dispersal futile.

With only five performances left, crew and security distributed raincoats to the audience amidst safety concerns caused by the rain, but the supporter lights were unusable in the darkness, breaking even the strongest spirits.

The penultimate performer, showcasing street dance floor moves, slipped and fell on the stage, yet persisted to the end, bowing deeply to the audience, tearfully apologizing to his fans before exiting.

The venue plunged into pitch darkness, the sound of chattering teeth echoed, as if trembling leaves in the bitter wind and rain, with many spectators silently leaving, unable to endure the deluge.

Watching this unfold from behind the monitors, Yuzaki couldn't contain his smugness, quickly posting on Weibo—

@Yuzaki: [Thanks for making way. [Fist][Fist][Fist]]

With the defeat imminent and surrounded on all sides, Yun Zi'an had no chance for a last stand.

Just then, an extraordinary bolt of lightning split the sky with a thunderous roar, like a dragon tearing through the heavens, creating a fleeting illumination that made everyone question their reality.

Suddenly, the vast stage erupted with the clanging sound of swords and war, instantly transporting everyone to a tumultuous battlefield, with arrows flying like a starry rain, creating a life-or-death sensation that nearly stopped hearts in their tracks—

Screams and the sounds of frantic footsteps merged into chaos, echoing "Ahhhhhh!"

A lamenting elegy, soft as a sigh, drifted with the wind for miles—

"Kin and friends weep for me; others have already sung. In death, what is there to say? My body rests with the mountains..."

This singing miraculously stilled the panicked crowd, prompting heads to turn in unison, searching for the source of such plaintive tones, touching hearts with involuntary tightness.

As if the singer infused every ounce of their bleeding emotion into the song.

But then, the beat of war drums erupted, revealing a silhouette on the vast, open stage. Yun Zi'an, with flowing hair and clad in a simple white shirt, embodied a taut bow, exuding flexibility and explosive power. Each forceful step on the stage caused myriad ripples in the water.

He wasn't merely singing; it was a guttural cry from his soul, yet amid the solemn shadows and splashing water, his voice resonated with a tragic vigor, "Battling south of the city, dying north of the walls, unburied in the wild, ravens feast—"

The entirety of the fifty-thousand-strong audience fell into a stunned silence, his voice reducing the torrential rain to insignificance, transforming the droplets on them into warm blood.

Amidst the desolate wind and rain, the earth and rivers he trod upon—

Became the most majestic and expansive entity he had ever dwelt in this lifetime.

Nobody even realized when the performance ended. The venue remained silent, lights extinguished, as spectators stood motionless in the storm, waiting, unsure for what, but sensing something profound would emerge.

"This is my final stage," declared Yun Zi'an, drenched and disheveled, his white shirt clinging to his sculpted body, revealing defined muscles, "Dedicated to..."

"The only love of my life."

Yun Zi'an's eyes lowered, lashes quivering with lingering raindrops, his voice choked, "Karl Sagan once said in 'Cosmos': We are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think it's forever."

"Mr. Rong, you are the day I willingly fall, the end of my journey, and the eternal I wish to preserve in the galaxy."

"Yun Zi'an pressed his lips almost devoutly against the sparkling wedding ring on his ring finger, his voice trembling and hoarse, 'I love you.'"