On the day of the Star Cup’s finals, the sky was gloomy with heavy clouds hanging low. It created a very oppressive feeling.
The heavy snow started from the steps outside the venue and spread all the way to the wide square in front of the Rubik’s Cube Art Museum where the finals would be held.
The organizers set up a row of ticket gates outside the main entrance of the museum. A few ticket inspectors quickly checked tickets. The audience lined up in two rows, holding umbrellas and entering the venue in an orderly manner in the heavy snow. The scene was very lively and the crowd stretched out as far as the eye could see.
Guan Tong was squeezed so hard as soon as he entered the venue with a ticket for the 5th row that he almost dropped his phone.
The pink-haired young man hissed with lingering fear. He waved to the live stream camera after he stood firm and said with a hearty smile, “Okay, I’m going in. I can’t film inside, so I’ll end the live stream first!”
Guan Tong had just turned off the live stream amidst the envy of his fans when he was pushed into the inner seats by the huge crowd.
Guan Tong followed the crowd passively until he was almost out of breath. Then all the people crowded together suddenly dispersed because they passed through a big door, and the scene in front of them became bright.
The huge arched venue had nearly 10,000 seats arranged according to the curvature of the walls.
The wide stage was sunken in the center of the venue, with audience seats on both sides and opposite it.
At this moment, the stage was full of competition staff who had set up the venue and lighting. The contestants’ works hadn’t been pushed out yet.
There were exclamations from all around.
The extremely high ceiling made Guan Tong look up involuntarily in a stunned manner. “It is so high…”
The ceiling of an art exhibition hall like this seemed to always be very high and spacious.
Guan Tong found seat 01 in row 5 according to his seat number, only to see that the seats next to him were already full.
Fang Xiaofeng and Liu Hao sat together. They couldn’t help smiling and saying hello after seeing Guan Tong’s iconic pink hair.
“Is it Guan Tong?” Liu Hao smiled widely. “I saw you and You Mian on the variety show together.”
Guan Tong’s eyes widened in surprise. “You also know You Mian?”
Liu Hao put his arm around Fang Xiaofeng’s shoulders. He pushed up his thick-framed glasses and said, “I am You Mian’s senior and he is You Mian’s direct junior. We are both from A College.”
Guan Tong exclaimed, “Top students!”
“Excuse me…”
A female voice suddenly sounded from behind him. Guan Tong immediately pulled up his legs that he had accidentally swung into the aisle.
Guan Tong turned around and saw a short-haired, punk rock-styled young lady chewing gum and holding a drawing board in her arms. She bent over as she walked toward an inside seat.
Qu Mian sat next to Fang Xiaofeng and put her hand on his shoulder. She smiled cutely and coolly, “There are so many people! You came before me.”
Fang Xiaofeng knew this senior student. She was a classmate who often hung out with You Mian.
Since the other person took the initiative to say hello first, Fang Xiaofeng smiled in a shy and introverted manner. “Yes.”
Qu Miao sent a message to You Mian as soon as she sat down.
[God Mian, the support team is in place. Now it depends on your performance! Don’t be nervous. Keep going.”
After Qu Miao sent the text message, she started looking around the venue for familiar faces.
“Why hasn’t he come yet?” Qu Miao said to herself.
She was the one who helped grab a ticket for Qin Lan. In order to not make You Mian nervous, Qu Miao didn’t tell You Mian.
In the noisy atmosphere, QU Miao suddenly heard Fang Xiaofeng’s voice beside him.
“The first few rows were full very early and they all have cameras. Are they also fans and spectators?”
Guan Tong asked in a confused manner, “Didn’t they say that the audience can’t film?”
Upon hearing this, Liu Hao pointed to the third and fourth rows of people and motioned for them to look at the work badges on these people’s chests.
“They are reporters and media. Only those who cooperate with the organizers can get front-row tickets.”
There was a constant clicking of shutters in front. It was as if the media reporters were adjusting the lenses.
The editors were typing away at their laptops on their knees.
Guan Tong had good eyesight. Soon, he saw one of the male reporters quickly opening three folders.
The names of the winners were different.
One was named You Mian, and the other two were named Lai Zhikuan and Fang Xuenan. They were all first place winners of the three groups who had successfully entered the finals.
Liu Hao seemed to be aware of Guan Tong’s emotions and said skillfully, “These are all the basic operations. They want to be the first to release the article.”
The moment Liu Hao finished speaking, the giant loudspeaker in the stadium suddenly said, “Please take your seat in an orderly manner as soon as possible. The finals of the Star Cup is about to begin.”
“Dear audience…”
There was a loud warning sound, and the first and second rows, which had been empty, were finally occupied.
Unlike the main entrance for the audience, these people all entered through the side door.
Guan Tong, a newbie to the art circle, just listened blankly as Liu Hao explained who these people were.
The titles were higher and higher and the qualifications were deeper and deeper. They were either professors or academicians. Guan Tong almost saw stars when he heard it.
The rows were gradually filled, leaving only the most central seat empty.
Soon, Guan Tong heard Liu Hao say, “Jaeger Hillman is the dean of the Clios Fine Academy of Arts, one of the top colleges in the world. It is a great honor for the Star Cup to invite him.”
As Liu Hao finished speaking, an elderly and tall German man with short silver hair walked to the seat in the center and sat down, accompanied by a graceful, blonde-haired translator.
Guan Tong nodded blankly as he listened to Liu Hao and Fang Xiaofeng beside him discussing Hillman enthusiastically. However, his eyes instinctively fell on a tall and stern man who was sitting in the second row in a low-key manner.
F*k, Chairman Pei?!
The crowd in the venue, which had already quieted down, instinctively looked at Pei Huaiji, who had just sat down.
The leader of JL was wearing a high-end, custom-made black and silver suit. His every move was full of nobility. His stern profile showed a sharp and domineering aura as he chatted with the organizer of the competition next to him. Pei Huaiji’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he nodded at the person beside him in a very restrained manner.
His naturally dignified posture instantly attracted the attention of all the audience members in the venue.
The man’s dark red tie was firmly tied on his chest. The long and wide hem of his coat half covered his casually crossed long legs. The soles of his leather shoes were so clean that there wasn’t a speck of snow on them.
Broad shoulders and a strong back.
Guan Tong was shocked, but he still noticed that sitting next to Pei Huaiji was a beautiful woman with a graceful figure and dignified expression. Her delicate hair was tied up behind her head with pearls, and she looked dignified in a white coat.
Liu Hao clicked his tongue twice. “The second row. It is the seats for the contestants’ families.”
Guan Tong’s eyes suddenly widened even more. The tickets were released much earlier than the last episode of the show!
Could it be that You Mian and Pei Huaiji were already dating at that time?!
The crowd behind him was noisy, and the staff on stage had already left.
After the competition staff left, Qian Li couldn’t help patting Pei Huaiji’s arm. She leaned over and whispered, “How is Xiao Mian? Is he nervous?”
She hadn’t expected the Star Cup to be so grand. Even Qian Li couldn’t hide her surprise when she walked into this huge venue that could accommodate tens of thousands of people.
Even now, sitting here and listening to the incessant noise of the crowd behind her, Qian Li hadn’t calmed down.
Pei Huaiji, who had just walked out of the backstage not long ago, said lightly, “He is fine. He is in a very relaxed state.”
Qian Li patted her chest, took a deep breath, and said, “That’s good.”
Pei Huaiji remembered You Mian’s carefree smile when they met backstage just now. The corners of his lips couldn’t help curling up in a smile.
The red curtain slowly fell and obscured the entire stage.
Once all the audience members had entered, the lights in the venue suddenly went out. A tightened beam of light fell in front of the stage with a snap.
Qu Shao, a well-known host, opened the show elegantly while dressed in a blue suit. “Welcome, judges and audience members to the finals of the Star Cup. The next two hours will be the stage for the final competition among the last three contestants who have survived three rounds of competition over the past few months.”
“The finals will be a theme match.” Qu Shao glanced at the entire audience and said with a smile, “The theme is rebirth.”
Occasionally, whispers were heard from the quiet audience.
The judges in the first row had already opened the information of the contestants.
Qu Shao waved his hand. The red curtain behind him gradually rose, revealing a wide stage that was divided into three areas.
“Let’s welcome the first place winner of the costume design group, contestant Lai Zhikuan!”
Three rows of clothes hangers and countless mannequins were placed on the left side of the stage. A young and unique boy with lip piercings made a scissors hand gesture toward the audience, not looking nervous at all.
“The first place in the oil painting group, Fang Xuenan!”
A girl with black hair in a yellow dress was sitting in front of an easel neatly placed on the right side of the stage. As the host’s introduction sounded, she used a paintbrush to put her long hair up into a bun at the back of her head.
Qu Shao’s eyes swept over the last name on the cue card. A familiar and intimate smile appeared in his eyes. The host’s voice suddenly raised by a few octaves as he shouted, “Finally, the first place in the sculpture group, You Mian!”
In the center of the stage, a giant sculpture covered with white cloth stood above the gaze of all the audience members.
They had to crane their heads to get a glimpse of the top of the giant sculpture.
Once the stage lights shone on You Mian, the young man was just kissing the red rope on his wrist.
The people in the audience could only see that the end of the red rope seemed to be an amulet.
You Mian put the amulet into his sleeve very quickly. The loose and dirt-resistant black sweatshirt made his figure look even slimmer. His straight shoulders and back revealed his sharp spirit.
He tied his chestnut brown hair on top of his head with a rubber band, revealing his extremely bright amber eyes.
You Mian nodded lightly in the audience during the introduction, causing a burst of soft screams.
“It is You Mian! Come on, baby!”
“Ahhh, he looks even better than in the camera! I even saw Chairman Pei sitting in the first row!”
“Really? Oh my god.”
“Who will win the gold medal of the Star Cup today?” Qu Shao smiled and stepped off the stage. “Let’s wait and see!”
As the host finished his next words, the lights in the venue suddenly lit up. It especially illuminated the three positions on the stage with extreme clarity.
The giant timer hanging above the stage made a ticking sound. The number 120 flashed by, and the countdown to the competition had begun.
You Mian took out a scraper from his sculpture tool bag. Just as he finished the finger scraping action as he was thinking, he heard a burst of noise coming from the audience.
Guan Tong sat in the audience while looking at the center stage with anticipation. He heard the shouts of the fans while thinking, ‘Isn’t it said that not many fans managed to get tickets?’
But before Guan Tong could finish this thought, uniform boos started to come from the audience seats from the sixth row back.
“Boo—!”
“Get out! Get out!”
Everyone in the front row turned around in surprise, Including Hillman and Marcia.
Pei Huaiji frowned even more, his eyes cold.
The media reporters in the third and fourth rows were so excited to watch the fun that they turned their cameras directly to the back rows of the audience and took a lot of photos. Their flashes were going off like crazy.
Nearly one-third of the audience in the 10,000 seat auditorium raised a huge banner with harsh words like, ‘Get out’ and ‘Unworthy’ written on it.
Guan Tong, Fang Xiaofeng, and his group stared at the scene in amazement. Suddenly, they noticed someone in the corner waving a small fan with Bai Lin’s portrait on it.
The boos became more and more intense. The entire venue was instantly drowned out by the shouts.
They shouted loudly in unison, “You Mian! Get out! You Mian! You aren’t worthy!”
“Get out!”
“Shady deal! Shady deal! Shady deal!”
Marcia translated the shouts to Hillman. The gray-eyed man frowned in disapproval.
Guan Tong and his group sitting in the audience suddenly realized that this group of crazy audience members were actually Bai Lin’s fanatical fans.
It turned out that the reason why it was hard to get tickets was due to these people!
Bai Lin’s fans were shouting loudly with great enthusiasm. They held up banners with serious expressions as if they were doing something righteous.
This group of people sincerely felt that Bai Lin was slandered. They also sincerely bought tickets to come here to influence You Mian’s mentality for the competition in person.
No one instigated them, no one provoked them.
This was what was truly terrifying.
Countless shouts were heard loudly in the spacious venue. Qu Miao’s heart tightened, and he turned to look at You Mian on the stage.
“These lunatics!” Qu Miao cursed with red eyes.
Pei Huaiji immediately raised his hand to signal to the security personnel. The gentle smile in his eyes had disappeared, leaving only cold anger.
Under Pei Huaiji’s order, several staff members rushed to the location where the shouting was loudest to persuade them to stop.
There were simply too many people participating. It was no use for security personnel to stand in the crowd and yell at them to put down their banners and watch quietly.
Fang Xuenan and Lai Zhikuan, who were on the right and left sides of the stage, were also startled by this sudden change of situation.
They clearly heard the audience calling You Mian’s name and couldn’t help feeling shocked and regretful.
Fang Xuenan sighed. She thought that even if You Mian was very powerful, it would be impossible for him to remain completely unaffected by the booing that disrupted his thoughts.
A smile appeared in Lai Zhikuan’s eyes. It seemed that the luck of winning the award had fallen to him.
But even in the midst of the deafening shouts of ‘unworthy’ and ‘get out’, You Mian simply turned his head and glanced toward the audience. Then he exchanged a reassuring look with Pei Huaiji in the audience.
You Mian’s eyes were firm and unwavering.
The next second, You Mian finished preparing the scraper and climbed up the seven meter high steps in front of him. He reached out and grabbed the edge of the white cloth. With a swish, he lifted the white cloth covering the work and threw it down!
The half-finished sculpture was finally revealed to everyone.
The huge sculpture stopped the booing for a second before it soon became overwhelming again.
You Mian stood in the center of the storm without panicking at all. He immediately started the real-time creation for the next two hours according to the draft he had drawn long ago. This made Fang Xuenan and Lai Zhikuan, who were watching the fun on the side, fall behind by half a step.
Sharp shouts were heard everywhere, but the three contestants on the stage had already started to concentrate on their own creations.
Especially You Mian. His sharp eyes quickly scanned back and forth between the draft drawing and the sculpture in front of him. Finally, he determined the position of the knife and scraped it.
You Mian lowered his eyebrows, his demeanor firm.
He would never stop here.
He would never succumb to public opinion.
Death and a ridiculous fate didn’t take away his spirit, let alone these noises and clamoring. This was his stage. Even if the whole world booed him…
He would definitely be the final winner.
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GO YOU MIAN!! SHOW THEM BABY
Thanks for the chapter! Pathetic people…
Thanks for the update
y’know maybe i’m going too far with this but wasn’t you mian’s biological dad german? what if hillman is actually his grandpa? 😂
Just for clarity: an iron or steel sculpture of that size would, necessarily, need to be constructed with formed plates around a hollow frame structure. This is because it is practically impossible to accurately cast such a massive sculpture in one go due to the sheer weight and volume of metal needed for the process. I do think it would be fascinating if the author had researched this properly and had the plaster and steel mixed media sculpture be to the point where the plaster had been cast and polished, but only the frame had been completed, leaving You Mian to apply the steel or iron plates and rivet them into place.
For a more practical example, consider the Statue of Liberty, which is constructed of copper plates attached to a framework. As another side note: while it is very possible to cast certain metals into relatively thin sheets, the thinnest you can expect to cast a sheet of steel that is approximately 2 feet by 2 feet is about 1/4-3/8 inch thick and the mold would need to be pre-heated and you would also need to use vacuum rotocasting to ensure that it completely filled the mold. Personally, I’d opt for either bronze or aluminum, since the melting temp is lower and they tend to flow a bit better than molten steel or iron while still offering good durability. Both also have several patinating options available if you really wanted a dark black finish like you’d get from cold-blued iron.
I’d be a lot more invested in this part of the story if the author was describing how he riveted the hundreds of small bronze plates onto the frame and then spent an hour brazing the seams shut with brazing rod before patinating it with a large sponge dipped in the chemical solution for an even finish.
Why werent those ppl kicked out 🙄🙄 isnt this supposed to be a prestigious art contest or smth
There’s simply too many of them. They likely outnumber security no less than 3:1.