Chapter 36: Two Completely Opposing Schools of Critique

The stage was once again handed over to Lan Yu.

Although she wore her usual gentle smile, the upward curve at the corner of her lips betrayed her good mood.

“Su Bai’s performance just now can truly be called unprecedented.”

“A cultural showcase at a press conference, and you’ve managed to turn it into a concert!”

“But it was, indeed, an exhilarating song.”

“When the chorus hit, I couldn’t help but join in humming with everyone else!”

“I imagine that soon this will become the talk of the internet, a subject for everyone’s idle conversations.”

“I suppose the audience is eager to hear the impressions of our four mentors and the sixteen instrumental reviewers present, aren’t you?”

“Teachers, would you care to share your thoughts?”

With those words, Lan Yu turned her gaze to the four mentors seated before her.

The other three mentors all looked to Lin Feng.

As a guitarist himself, and with Su Bai having just performed live on guitar, Lin Feng was the most qualified to speak.

Seeing everyone’s eyes on him, Lin Feng smiled and picked up the microphone.

“Su Bai’s singing, I believe, is clear to everyone from the audience’s reaction.”

“It’s an enjoyable experience—like a story gently unfolding, inviting us to listen for what comes next.”

“And that ‘Dilililidilililide da’—that was the stroke of genius!”

“The collective chorus it inspired in the crowd says it all.”

“It brought everyone’s emotions to a peak!”

“But to me, that’s not the most surprising part.”

“What truly amazed me was his ability, right at the height of the excitement, to calm himself and return to narrating his story with such poise.”

“More importantly, his steady, deep voice draws the listener instantly into the world of his tale.”

“That takes real skill.”

“Of course, I’ve been asked to comment first because Su Bai accompanied himself on guitar.”

“As for his guitar playing—”

Lin Feng paused, and the entire audience, including those watching the livestream, held their breath.

This was the moment everyone was waiting for—the focal point of today’s talent contest.

Excitement filled the room—some feared disappointment, others secretly hoped for a dramatic upset.

“Exceptionally high! Truly, truly exceptional!”

“From this one piece, you might not see his highest level, but from his ease and proficiency, Su Bai’s guitar playing is nothing less than masterful!”

“That concludes my remarks.”

Applause erupted, loud and enthusiastic—even though there were few of Su Bai’s fans present.

It seemed the answer everyone had waited for had finally arrived.

Lin Feng had said all that was needed.

The other three mentors then shared their impressions of Su Bai’s song—unanimous in their praise.

When the last mentor finished, a heavy silence fell.

It was awkward—profoundly so.

None of the four mentors had uttered a single word about Xu Mingkun’s performance.

While silence doesn’t necessarily mean it was bad, everyone in the room, and all those watching online, had already drawn their own conclusions.

Sensing the discomfort, Lan Yu quickly interjected, “Thank you to our four mentors for their insights!”

“Now, let’s hear from our sixteen instrumental reviewers!”

As the microphone was passed to the reviewers’ area, a woman in the front row hurriedly put down her phone and snatched it up.

“I just want to say, our Xu Mingkun is truly the pinnacle of new-generation idols!”

“Never mind his electrifying song—his exquisite dance moves alone are enough to win over our entire generation!”

“I want to say, ‘Kun Kun, keep going! You’ll always be our idol!’ Perhaps there’s a generational gap between your performance and the tastes of older artists.”

“Maybe the older generation can’t appreciate Kun Kun’s art, but as long as we young people do, that’s enough!”

“To me, Kun Kun is a legend—forever number one!”

Silence—utter, deathly silence.

After five seconds, the crowd outside erupted with thunderous shouts: “Kun Kun, I love you!” “Kun Kun, you’re the best!” “Go, Kun Kun!”

On stage, Xu Mingkun’s expression finally eased somewhat.

Several other reviewers followed, each lavish in their praise for Xu Mingkun.

Of course, the fans outside played their part too.

As for those in the livestream, they were left nearly speechless.

“Say no more, this is next-level!”

“Truly the very definition of a top idol—top-tier management, too!”

“Is this really you, Show Queen?”

“Such a bold move! Next time, maybe hide your phone before you speak, yeah?”

Watching the reviews come to an end, Lan Yu felt a twinge of embarrassment herself.

Still, she smiled and pressed on:

“Well, everyone’s had a taste of the appetizers.”

“Now, let’s move on to the main event!”

At the mention of the upcoming talent contest, a tremor of excitement ran through the audience, even though many had already guessed what was to come.

Earlier, some had wondered whether Su Bai could even play an instrument.

But after his performance of “Once Upon a Time,” singing and playing guitar, and receiving Lin Feng’s high praise, all rumors were thoroughly dispelled.

Now, everyone was eager to see what surprises the musical prodigy—“God Su”—might unveil in the instrumental showcase.

Of course, some die-hard fans had never doubted Su Bai’s talent for a moment.

They had always believed he was a true genius—a bona fide musical creator.

“Xu Mingkun, shall we begin the instrumental showcase with you?”

“We have a wide array of instruments available—essentially anything you can think of.”

“In the spirit of diversity, you may choose whichever instrument you are most proficient with.”

“Let’s give a warm round of applause for Xu Mingkun!”

From the moment Su Bai sang “Once Upon a Time,” Xu Mingkun had been pondering which instrument to perform.

He had considered guitar—one of his own strengths.

But seeing Su Bai’s superior guitar skills, he abandoned that idea.

Of the remaining instruments, few were his forte.

Only the piano was left.

He couldn’t be sure whether Su Bai played piano as well—Su Bai had performed so many miracles recently, it was hard to keep track.

He consoled himself: “You can pick up guitar quickly, but piano? That takes years of relentless practice to reach performance level.”

“While my piano skills aren’t exactly masterful, at least I’m well above the average.”

Xu Mingkun took the stage and bowed to the audience.

Then he turned to Lan Yu. “Host, I choose piano.”

As soon as Xu Mingkun finished, several of the instrumental reviewers spoke up.

“Choosing piano—Xu Mingkun must be confident! The piano is not just any instrument!”

“Unlike the guitar, which you can pick up in a few months, piano requires years, even decades, of relentless practice!”

“No wonder he’s the representative of today’s young idols—just for this courage, I give him full marks!”