Volume One, Chapter Four: An Original Song, "Big Fish," Ascends to Legendary Status!
Suddenly...
From the shadows, a large hand reached out and took the microphone from her grip.
Accompanied by an ethereal voice, it began to sing.
That hand was steady and powerful, bringing a touch of calm amid the chaos. The airy voice pierced the awkward silence, picking up seamlessly where Ren Yingying had faltered, without a hint of hesitation or discord.
The lyrics were reborn in this new voice!
It was as if the waves had rediscovered their rhythm, gently lapping at the shore and mending the broken melody.
In that instant, the stage lights seemed to resonate with Su Le’s singing, soft and profound blue light enveloping the entire space!
It was like the shimmering sea under the night sky, every beam of light a sprite dancing among the waves.
At the crest of the phrase—the single, soaring “ah”—Su Le’s voice was celestial, pure and luminous!
It wasn’t merely an elongated syllable, but an invisible force!
It pierced the heart of every person present!
Within that voice was a wealth of emotion—vast and boundless like the ocean! Deep and tranquil as the starlit sky. It soared and circled in the air, finally converging into a warm, powerful resonance!
The audience was led as if into a secret realm beyond reality, where sea met sky, stars conversed with waves, and giant fish swam at the edge of dreams!
In that moment, everyone’s heartbeat seemed to synchronize with Su Le’s voice!
Every vibration was palpable; within the resonance was the yearning for freedom, the cherishing of companionship, the unyielding courage in the face of the unknown, and the steadfast pursuit of all that is beautiful.
As the notes flowed, Su Le’s voice climbed, then gently descended—
Like waves blooming into brightest foam on the rocks before returning to calm!
The impact was not only an auditory delight, but a baptism of the soul!
Everyone present felt an unprecedented stirring!
It was as if personal sorrows and the vastness of the world found a subtle balance, the spirit truly released and elevated.
As the exquisite melody faded,
The hall fell utterly silent, as if plunged into deathly quiet.
All eyes focused—
On the figure on stage, gradually retreating into shadow.
Everyone held their breath, hands unconsciously reaching out, yearning to draw that person from the darkness!
Some girls’ tears streaked their makeup.
Some crouched on the ground, sobbing!
Just one song, and it made the very pores tingle, the scalp prickle!
The next second—
Thunderous applause erupted, shaking the very sky.
As if the sunset itself were being hurled into the heavens.
Screams and shouts merged into a single, deafening wave!
The whole venue exploded!
Hearts were shaken to the core.
Even the judges, faces alight with excitement, rose solemnly to score the performance.
In the livestream chat, comments flooded in!
“Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!”
“Damn, this has to be love!”
“Who is that? Who? Tell me, who is he—is he an angel?”
“That voice, I’m in love!!”
“My left ear is pregnant, my right ear has given birth to twins!”
“Can you imagine? One single ‘ah’ and I’m conquered, it’s so ethereal!”
“What kind of man can reach such purity, a voice so clear it’s utterly without malice?”
“Deified! He must be deified, no question!”
In a flash!
Thousands in the audience cried out as one!
“Deify him!”
“Deify him!!”
In that moment—
The stage was awash with brilliance!
Within the shadows, Su Le stood beneath the lights, slowly opening his eyes.
Ren Yingying turned to gaze at him, her expression soft and full of emotion.
That heavenly voice had utterly enraptured her, and only now did she begin to awaken from the trance!
“Su… Brother Su, thank you!”
A thousand words condensed into that single thank you from Ren Yingying’s lips.
Her gratitude and emotion were beyond words.
Were it not for Su Le’s timely rescue, she would have become the night's laughingstock.
Su Le’s final note had been perfectly timed—a finishing touch, a dragon’s eye dot.
Su Le only pressed his lips into a slight smile. Behind the mask, his face finally revealed joy!
All the negativity from his divorce was swept away by the audience’s feverish cheers!
In this moment, he regained his confidence, towering and proud.
Then, it was time for the judges’ scores!
All six judges, including the three international ones, gave high marks!
“Let us now reveal the final score for ‘Big Fish’!” The host, visibly excited, strode onto the stage.
Standing right beside Su Le, she kept stealing glances his way.
Yet, with his mask on, all she could see were his deep, enigmatic eyes!
“The final score for ‘Big Fish’ is…” The hostess’s hand trembled violently upon the microphone. As she paused, the entire audience held their breath!
“9.5!!”
As the host announced the score,
The audience’s roar surged like a tsunami.
Chen Tianxiong and Song Hongyan, too, were jolted from their trance, leaping to their feet, tears of joy streaming down their faces!!
“They did it! They succeeded!!” Even the usually composed Chen Tianxiong was undone, utterly moved.
“It’s like a dream…”
“Is this real?” Song Hongyan pressed a hand to her mouth, her face awash with shock!!
No one could have imagined that, in this qualifying round, they would stage such a stunning turnaround!
Dominating the scoreboard with a 9.5, the highest possible score.
Overseas contestants were utterly outclassed!
A glorious victory for the nation.
The emotions suppressed for so long finally erupted in this moment!
The audience, both in the hall and beyond, and even the other contestants, were set ablaze!
Like an ancient volcano erupting after millennia of silence!
When Su Le and Ren Yingying stepped off the stage, Chen Tianxiong went to greet them himself!
“That was amazing, simply perfect!”
“Su Le, this song you wrote has won us a resounding comeback!”
Chen Tianxiong gripped Su Le’s hand, almost trembling with excitement.
Originally, Yingying was just there to make up the numbers!
Song Hongyan had already advanced.
But none expected Ren Yingying’s appearance to trigger such an earthquake!
An original song, performed for the first time, instantly vanquished the foreign contestants!
It reignited hope for Chinese music!
And this song—both lyrics and melody—was entirely Su Le’s creation.
To Chen Tianxiong, Su Le now seemed almost divine.
“It was nothing, President Chen, your praise is too much,” Su Le replied evenly.
In truth, excitement surged within him as well.
It seemed that the entertainment culture of Blue Star would work perfectly here.
And be so well received.
He could scarcely imagine the spectacle if he transplanted his entire Blue Star music library here!
It could usher in a golden age for Chinese music.
As Su Le and the others left the audition venue,
Lu Yaoyao, sitting in the corner, caught sight of Su Le’s departing figure and felt her heart tremble!
“Yaoyao, what’s wrong?” Yang Wei asked in confusion.
“I think I just saw Su Le,” Lu Yaoyao replied, her feelings complicated.
“Su Le? That’s impossible. I didn’t see him—where?” Yang Wei, the young man always at Lu Yaoyao’s side, was himself a musician.
Glancing around, Yang Wei searched for him.
“Didn’t you think the male lead vocal in the chorus of ‘Big Fish’ just now—the one singing the high notes—his back looked a lot like Su Le?” Lu Yaoyao finally voiced her suspicion.
Though she could hardly believe it, it looked so much like him!
Except for the voice.
Because Su Le had never sung songs in such a high register—she had never heard him do so.