Chapter 28 The Lonely Warrior

Finally, after much anticipation, Friday arrived!

On the day of the competition, starting at noon, no fewer than several hundred entertainment media outlets gathered downstairs at the Hunan-Taiwan headquarters building.

At 3 p.m., amidst great anticipation, Xiao Qingfeng finally appeared downstairs at the Xiangtai Building.

Unlike other artists, Xiao Qingfeng took a taxi to get there. After all, he doesn't have a company, agent, or team now; he's a complete freelancer.

The moment Xiao Qingfeng got out of the taxi, reporters and fans rushed up and surrounded him.

Reporters rushed forward like bees seeing honey, almost shoving microphones and cameras in Xiao Qingfeng's face.

"Ms. Xiao, have you not signed with a management company yet? Why are you here alone, without even an assistant?"

"Didn't the production team provide you with a car? Why did you take a taxi?"

"Teacher Xiao, you mentioned on Weibo that you would sing a song you wrote for firefighter heroes in today's competition. Has the song been written yet?"

"Teacher Xiao, last week you said that you and Xia Luanqiao went your separate ways. Are you still in contact after the program ended?"

"There are rumors online that your relationship with Xia Luan turned from love to hate. Is this true?"

"Mr. Xiao, is the song you're going to sing tonight called 'The Lone Warrior'? Have you thought about how embarrassing it would be if your song wasn't chosen?"

"......"

Media reporters have always been willing to ask anything, and in this chaotic situation they are even more unscrupulous, asking all sorts of questions.

The surrounding fans craned their necks, eagerly awaiting Xiao Qingfeng's response.

"First of all, I am currently unsigned, without a record company, and am a freelance musician!"

"The production team provided me with a car, but I arrived a bit late today, so I took a taxi!"

"The song I promised to write for the firefighting heroes is finished. It's called 'The Lone Warrior,' and you'll be able to hear it on stage tonight!"

"As for whether I can be selected by the central government, I don't care. I'm just doing what I love. Thank you!"

Everyone was stunned. No one expected Xiao Qingfeng to be so clear-headed, answering the reporters' questions one by one in order.

However, Xiao Qingfeng did not give the reporter a chance to continue asking questions. After answering, he walked towards the door.

Xiao Qingfeng, standing at 1.83 meters tall, exuded a powerful aura, causing fans and reporters alike to make way for him wherever he went.

Soon, the video of Xiao Qingfeng being interviewed at the entrance of the Xiangtai Building was uploaded to the internet.

......

At 6:30 PM, the third episode of "Singer Who Makes Waves" is about to begin, and countless viewers are already waiting in front of their TVs and mobile phones...

Those audience members who had the opportunity to attend the event without autographs all arrived half an hour before the show started. Unlike the previous two episodes, many of Xiao Qingfeng's support groups appeared in the audience.

They were holding posters of Xiao Qingfeng, panels made of colored lights, and banners with huge characters written on them...

Hunan TV, studio!

In Xiao Qingfeng's private dressing room, Lin Ran accompanied Xiao Qingfeng as they watched interviews with other singers.

Lin Ran would steal glances at Xiao Qingfeng from time to time, feeling that Xiao Qingfeng's profile was as if it had been carved by a knife, indescribably handsome, and her gossipy heart began to stir again.

"There are rumors online that he and Xia Luan had a love-hate relationship, but I don't know if it's true or not. If it is, then Xia Luan is really blind!"

Just then, Xiao Qingfeng turned to look at Lin Ran and gave her a charming smile.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Do you like me?"

Lin Ran's face flushed red instantly. This...this was way too direct!

"No...nowhere!" Lin Ran's voice trembled slightly.

Seeing the other person's embarrassed state, Xiao Qingfeng didn't think much of it, only feeling that this little girl was quite amusing.

At 7:00 PM sharp, the third round of competition officially began!

The audience was already incredibly excited. The moment the live stream started, more than ten million viewers flooded into the room, and the number quickly surpassed twenty million.

At this time, many professional singers from the music industry also flocked into the live broadcast room. Some used their alternate accounts, while others came in directly using their main accounts, which added a lot of popularity to the live broadcast room.

Cai Qiong, the pop diva who had previously rejected Zong Hai, also sat in front of the television, with her agent Zhang Lan sitting next to her.

Cai Qiong disliked Xiao Qingfeng intensely, believing that he had stolen her starting spot.

Therefore, the more outstanding Xiao Qingfeng was, the angrier she became, because it proved that Zong Hai was right to choose Xiao Qingfeng over her.

Having dominated the music scene for so long, when had Cai Qiong ever suffered such humiliation? She dared not vent her anger directly on Zong Hai, so she could only transfer her anger to Xiao Qingfeng.

On stage, He Han, dressed in a red suit, walked to the center of the stage.

"It's great to see you all again on Friday night. Thank you for coming!"

A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience, and amidst the applause, He Han accepted the program's title sponsor's offer again, following the script.

After the preceding text ended, He Han faced the audience.

"I believe many viewers, like me, have been waiting for a long week. Unlike the previous two episodes, there will be a replacement singer tonight. According to the competition rules, the replacement singer will be the last to appear!"

"So, to be fair, the order of appearance for the other singers will be decided by drawing lots. Now, let's switch the camera backstage!"

After a round of drawing lots, the final order of appearance was Michelle, Wang Bolun, Ashima, Meifei, Xiao Qingfeng, and finally Lin Jiarui.

The scene then switched back to the competition hall, where He Han continued, "The order of performances has now been determined. Let's give a warm round of applause to welcome the first singer to the stage!"

"Please give a round of applause to Ms. Michelle!"

Suddenly, a beam of light shone on the entrance, and Michelle, dressed as a flower fairy, appeared in everyone's sight.

Amidst enthusiastic applause, Michelle slowly walked to the front of the stage!

Michelle looked absolutely stunning tonight. Her exquisite makeup and gorgeous attire perfectly accentuated her noble and elegant temperament. What's even more remarkable is that her elegance was complemented by a touch of edginess.

Some male otaku immediately cheered and jumped for joy, the audience applauded continuously, and even whistles could be heard from the audience not far away.

Whistling on such a grand stage—that sense of relaxation is unparalleled.

Michelle looked at the audience below the stage, then turned to the orchestra teacher behind her, nodded slightly, indicating that it was time to begin.

Michelle finished her song quickly, and it must be said that she performed perfectly tonight. She sang an old song with a brand new feel, expressing a unique charm that won enthusiastic applause from the audience.

The subsequent performances by Wang Bolun, Ashima, and Meifei also showcased exceptional talent, delivering a truly exhilarating audio-visual feast for the audience.

In the lounge, Lin Ran looked at Xiao Qingfeng and asked, "Teacher Xiao, all the teachers performed very well tonight. Are you feeling any pressure?"

Xiao Qingfeng turned his head slightly: "Why should there be pressure? We are all mature singers. What we need is a relaxed feeling. Pressure doesn't exist!"

"But your song is newly written, and it hasn't been sung yet. Won't it...?"

Lin Ran didn't continue speaking, because she didn't know how to describe it.

"Don't worry, just don't cry when the time comes!"

Xiao Qingfeng's words left Lin Ran speechless. What kind of words were those? What did he mean by "just don't cry"?

But when Lin Ran thought of the classic scenes created by Xiao Qingfeng in the previous two episodes, she couldn't help but gasp.

Based on these interactions, Xiao Qingfeng in real life seems to be a cheerful, even somewhat mischievous, big boy. But once he's on stage, he seems to transform into a completely different person, making people want to cry as soon as he opens his mouth.

Finally, after the diva Mei Fei finished her performance, the audience erupted in enthusiastic and sustained applause.

Because everyone knew that Xiao Qingfeng was about to appear.

......