"Holy cow! When it comes to cutting deep, the Untouchable Diva takes the cake!"
"My heart's already broken for Alex Stone."
"Using the fewest words to stab the deepest—that's Teacher Monroe for you!"
"I think Diva Queen Celeste is still kind. At least she gave 20 points."
Though the audience was mentally prepared, hearing Celeste Monroe's critique still sent shivers down their spines. Putting themselves in Alex Stone's shoes, just standing on stage now was terrifyingly strong. Some people found it strange: if Diva Queen Celeste said it wasn't even singing, why did she still give 20 points?
Natalie Young was an excellent host and voiced the audience's question. "Teacher Monroe, it's clear you don't approve of Contestant Alex Stone's performance, but you still gave him 20 points. Was this to encourage him for having the courage to stand on stage?"
Everyone looked at Celeste Monroe. Arthur Zheng had a "my goddess is truly kind" expression.
Celeste Monroe calmly stated: "Director Scott said in my earpiece that I couldn't give zero points."
"..."
The recording hall fell silent for a moment, then burst into laughter. Guests typically wore earpieces during recordings, allowing the director to give reminders. It wasn't surprising that Director Scott reminded Celeste Monroe not to give zero points; what was surprising was that Celeste Monroe actually blurted it out. In the control room, Director Scott looked speechless, while the surrounding staff's cheeks twitched, wanting to laugh but not daring to. The audience, however, didn't have to hold back; the recording hall was roaring with laughter.
"Hahahaha! I'm dying!"
"Diva Queen Celeste has a bit of a comedic streak!"
"I can imagine Director Scott's face backstage!"
"Hahahaha, I can't take it!"
"Hey, Alex Stone looks like he's about to faint!"
Amidst the hall's explosive laughter, someone noticed Alex Stone on stage almost collapsing. Natalie Young asked with concern, "Alex Stone, are you feeling unwell?"
Alex Stone struggled to open his mouth. "N-no, thank you to all the mentors for your feedback." After saying this, it was as if all his strength had been drained. His face was as white as a ghost's. Natalie Young, worried he'd collapse on stage, quickly moved to the next segment: audience scoring.
Ultimately, Alex Stone's mentor score was 305, setting a new historical low for the show. His audience score was 387 points, the lowest in American Voice Season Two. Even with these scores, many audience members expressed dissatisfaction:
"There are still so many good people in the world, that so many actually voted for Alex Stone."
"Alex was about to faint, so I voted just to comfort him."
"Oh, so saintly. Why didn't you vote for Frank Castle earlier?"
"How can Frank Castle compare to our darling pop star?!"
The audience was in an uproar, but Alex Stone no longer had the presence of mind to care. He didn't even know how he got off the stage. When he entered the contestants' lounge, his eyes didn't even move; he looked like a zombie.
Frank Castle asked with concern, "Alex, are you alright?"
Alex Stone's spirit finally returned. Seeing Frank Castle in front of him, he instinctively shivered, as if he'd seen a ghost.
"You... you stay away!"
Frank Castle consoled him, "Don't be afraid, it's all over. Even if you want to experience it again, you'll have to wait until next episode."
Alex Stone: "..."
"Holy cow, that's adding insult to injury!" Others looked at Frank as if he were an executioner.
This episode's most "bloody" moment was finally over. The next few contestants weren't as tragic as Alex Stone, nor were they particularly outstanding. Until Chloe appeared.
The young girl, dressed in a flowing, old-fashioned gown, skipped onto the stage, looking absolutely adorable. Just as the audience cooed about how cute she was, a melodious, melancholic tune began to play. The adorable young girl immediately transformed into a graceful and elegant figure, as if she had stepped out of a classical painting. What was most stunning was that she actually performed a song-and-dance routine. She sang while performing a beautiful classical dance. Her voice was like a nightingale's, her dance like clouds, and even more astonishingly, with her movements, her ample bosom swayed gracefully. Purity, elegance, and sex appeal—three different qualities perfectly combined. The only regret was that the young girl was a bit short. But this, instead, gave her the alluring appeal of a "child-faced, full-figured" beauty.
When the performance ended, the hall erupted in applause. Male audience members were red-faced with excitement, while female audience members were green with envy. The pure ones couldn't sing like her, the singers weren't as endowed as her, and the endowed ones weren't as pure as her. How could they not be jealous? The only one in the recording hall who didn't need to envy her was Celeste Monroe. Her singing and beauty were beyond question, and Celeste Monroe's figure was also well-known, though no one ever dared to openly discuss it.
During the mentor critique session, Amelia Quinn and Liam Reed surprisingly gave 95 points. The audience was astonished. It wasn't that Chloe's performance wasn't good, but Frank Castle's incredible performance earlier had moved the entire audience to tears, yet Liam Reed had only given him 90 points, and Amelia Quinn a mere 70. Now, while Chloe was stunning, from the perspective of fitting the "theme" and song quality, there was no way she could be higher than "The Balladeer."
Amelia Quinn and Liam Reed's calculation was simple: since Alex Stone couldn't take first place, they absolutely couldn't let Frank Castle take it. Forcing Chloe into first place, surpassing Frank Castle, was better than having Frank Castle riding high above them.
Celeste Monroe subtly glanced at Amelia Quinn and Liam Reed, a look that made their hearts pound, daring not to meet her gaze. Amelia Quinn felt aggrieved. Celeste Monroe was her aunt, so why did she look at her with such a stern expression? Was she warning her not to use Chloe to suppress Frank Castle? Why?!
Cecilia Rhodes and Arthur Zheng were quite normal, both giving 90 points. Celeste Monroe gave 80 points.
Chloe's mentor score was 450 points, 7 points lower than Frank Castle's. However, Chloe's audience appeal was much stronger than Frank Castle's, and her audience score was 451 points, the highest among all performers. Her final total score was 901 points, surpassing Frank Castle and taking first place.
"I like child-faced, full-figured cute girls too, but 'The Balladeer' should have been better, right?"
"Chloe sang well, but Frank Castle should have broken 900 points too!"
"If 'The Balladeer' didn't get first place, everyone in this room is responsible!"
"It's all those crazy fans of Amelia Quinn and Liam Reed, refusing to vote!"
"Why does the show invite so many fan groups anyway?"
Quite a few audience members were dissatisfied. The impact of "The Balladeer" was too profound, its echoes still lingering. For such a song not to get first place felt unfair to anyone with normal ears. They also knew it wasn't Chloe's fault, so they aimed their dissatisfaction at Amelia Quinn and Liam Reed's fans.
Today's recording was destined to be lively. Chloe's first-place win once again ignited a ruckus in the audience. And backstage, someone "came back to life."
Alex Stone, who had been listless, saw Chloe surpass Frank Castle, and his eyes immediately lit up. Chloe taking first place wasn't the most important thing; Frank Castle not taking first place was what truly mattered!
When Chloe returned to the contestants' lounge, Alex Stone was the first to congratulate her:
"Chloe, you sang wonderfully! First place is well-deserved!"
After saying this, he smugly glanced at Frank Castle. Still arrogant now, are we?
Chloe walked directly to Frank Castle and sincerely told him:
"Teacher Frank, I don't deserve first place. You should be first!"
Alex Stone: "?"