At this moment, Lin Yi's heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, each beat accompanied by a heavy echo.
He stood in the center of the stage, surrounded by a dense crowd of spectators. He felt an invisible pressure from their gazes, as if the air itself had frozen.
It is clear that the balalaika is Lin Yi's most proficient instrument, and "Katyusha" is also the piece of music he is most familiar with.
Normally, Lin Yi would not make any mistakes even if he played with his eyes closed.
However, at this crucial juncture, Lin Yi made repeated mistakes, narrowly missing out on the glory that was within his grasp.
Sweat quietly soaked his clothes. Lin Yi's gaze wandered across the empty audience seats, trying to find a sliver of comfort, but he only saw countless eyes filled with sympathy or regret.
At that moment, Lin Yi seemed to hear the sound of his own heart breaking... crisp and resolute.
"As expected! A perfect score is impossible."
Someone in the crowd said something like that.
This whisper was like a biting gust of cold wind, piercing through the last line of defense in Lin Yi's heart.
Lin Yi closed his eyes in despair, forcing himself to suppress his discomfort and taking a deep breath...
Just as Lin Yi was preparing to accept this cruel reality, he unexpectedly sensed a subtle change in the air.
The previously dejected crowd suddenly became restless, as if something extraordinary had happened.
Lin Yi suddenly opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the audience's gaze and discussion.
The "Challenge Failed" message on the large screen vanished like a phantom, replaced by four radiant characters: "Challenge Begins".
This scene was like the first light of dawn breaking through the darkness, bringing a ray of hope to Lin Yi, but it also gave him a great sense of unease.
Based on his previous nine challenges, after the scores were released, the message would either indicate "challenge successful" or "challenge failed".
What does "challenge begins" mean now?
Could it be that he still has a chance...?
The thought had barely crossed his mind when Lin Yi quickly suppressed it.
Then, Lin Yi turned his gaze to Qin Zian, hoping to find some answers from him.
At this moment, Qin Zi'an looked at him with an almost sly smile, a smile that contained boundless trust and encouragement in Lin Yi's potential.
"Oh dear! There's a system error. What should we do?" Qin Zian scratched his head, feigning helplessness. "Let's just pretend nothing happened and try again. Lin Yi, you don't mind, do you?"
Although Qin Zian's words carried a hint of jest, they also conveyed warmth and strength.
Regardless, being given another chance to take on a challenge is a great stroke of luck for any challenger.
Lin Yi's throat bobbed, his voice a little hoarse but unusually firm: "Of course I have no objections, thank you!"
Lin Yi looked intently at Qin Zi'an, his resolve gradually hardening.
In any case, he must seize this hard-won opportunity and win this last point perfectly.
And so, Lin Yi picked up the grand piano again and lightly touched the strings with his fingertips.
At that moment, it was as if the whole world had fallen silent, leaving only his dialogue with this ancient instrument.
Even the onlookers watched Lin Yi intently, anxiously awaiting the outcome of this rematch.
Having learned from his previous failures, Lin Yi dared not be complacent again and focused all his attention on playing the instrument.
He no longer rushed things, but instead allowed each note to be filtered through his heart before flowing out slowly.
With such meticulous performance, Lin Yi's rendition of "Katyusha" was both technically superb and emotionally resonant...
Every note transition and every pause perfectly touches the listener's heartstrings.
As the music grew increasingly powerful, Lin Yi once again stirred the emotions of the surrounding audience.
But this time, instead of starting a large-scale chorus as before, they tried hard to control themselves.
To avoid Lin Yi's performance failing due to these external factors.
With the combined efforts of Lin Yi, Qin Zi'an, and the surrounding audience, Lin Yi's performance could be described as perfect.
Not a single note was played incorrectly, and not a single rhythm was wrong.
Then, a fair score appeared on the big screen—ninety-seven points.
Unlike previous system malfunctions, this time the screen quickly displayed the words 'Challenge Successful'.
Immediately, thunderous applause erupted throughout the venue, and the audience and staff present congratulated Lin Yi.
Qin Zian was no exception; a faint smile appeared on his lips as he turned his gaze to the hidden activity room not far away.
At this rate, Qin Zian believed that it wouldn't be long before that mysterious door would be able to open.
Seeing the relaxed smile on Qin Zi'an's face, the viewers who had been watching the live broadcast of the Harbin Culture and Tourism Bureau couldn't help but start discussing it.
"The first contestant to pass with a perfect score has appeared, and Director Qin can finally breathe a sigh of relief. I have to say, he did a good job of pulling off this 'behind-the-scenes trick,' otherwise, I'm afraid someone would criticize the Harbin Culture and Tourism Bureau for pulling off such a shady deal later."
"Although there is some 'behind-the-scenes manipulation,' it's fortunate that it's biased towards these challengers, so there's still some hope. But gathering all six challengers is indeed not an easy task. I wonder if we'll see the hidden project revealed today."
"What shady dealings? Where are there any shady dealings? I haven't seen any shady operations from beginning to end. Anyway, this Harbin native is already heading to the 'Summer Friendship Carnival' activity area. Director Qin, you must wait for me, I'm counting on you to protect me."
"These challenges aren't particularly difficult, but they're not exactly easy either. Lin Yi's ability to complete them shows he has some skill. Of course, if Qin Zi'an hadn't pulled some strings, he definitely wouldn't have made it that far."
"I told you long ago that there was something fishy going on here, but no one believed me. Now that Director Qin has started this scandal, I want to see how he plans to cover it up."
"This one hidden project alone has almost made me drool. I strongly suggest that Director Qin organize a behind-the-scenes tour. I'm really eager to see what this hidden project is, and I'm sure Director Qin feels the same way."
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