"Scumbag Frank, get off the stage!"
"Scumbag Frank!"
"Scumbag Fra—"
"Scum—"
"Scu—"
In the audience, from the moment Frank Castle stepped onto the stage, Lynn Evans and a loyal group of Amelia Quinn's fans chanted for Frank to leave. But after Frank's first country gospel riff, their voices abruptly died down. By the time he sang, "Humble yet daring not to forget my homeland," Lynn was utterly silent. She was an Amelia Quinn fan, but she was also an American.
That conflict, seventy years ago, was a scar etched into the American heart. If Frank sang a song of such a theme poorly, he'd be torn to shreds. Lynn had been ready to rip Frank apart with her criticism. But listening to this song now, Lynn had temporarily forgotten that Frank Castle was a scumbag who had hurt her idol. On stage, Frank Castle seemed to transform into the balladeer on that dusty stage in the small frontier town from years past. Though merely a performer, he hadn't forgotten the greater good of his nation.
Lynn stared blankly at Frank, completely immersed in the song's imagery. She didn't notice that the Amelia Quinn fans around her shared her same expression. The entire audience was utterly silent, as if captivated by the performer on stage.
Suddenly, the music paused, and for a moment, hearts seemed to stop.
"Those below pass by, their old colors unseen."
"The one on stage sings a heartbreaking farewell song."
Frank's voice shifted, another soaring, bright country gospel riff. As Frank sang, the background story on the big screen seemed to transform into a series of vivid images.
On the stage, the guitar wept, and the singer moved with grace.
"A tale unfolded, fiddle bowing, singing of joy and sorrow, but it wasn't about me."
In the saloon, flames roared, and demonic wails echoed.
"Love is hard to etch, he sings, it must be seasoned with blood."
"Curtain rises, curtain falls, who is the guest?"
Amidst the crimson flames, the balladeer sang, the song still unfinished.
"Once asked of right and wrong, once bravely sang of rise and fall."
"Spoke of heartlessness, spoke of love, how to ponder it all."
"Spoke of heartlessness, spoke of love, how to ponder it all."
"Longing for the plains, longing for the homestead, a fleeting dream..."
As the last line faded, the blazing inferno consumed the saloon, and the image gradually dissolved. The melody slowly vanished. The recording hall was completely silent.
Then, faint sobs began to rise.
"Who's crying so loudly? How embarrassing!" Lynn glanced around in annoyance, but as she spoke, a tear dropped onto her lip. Lynn raised a hand to touch her face. Only then did she realize her face was already covered in tears!
"How could this be?! How could I be brought to tears by that scumbag Frank Castle?" Lynn was incredulous, quickly wiping away her tears. She was an Amelia Quinn fan, and she and Frank Castle were sworn enemies. How could she be moved to tears by him? This would get her kicked out of the fan club!
However, Lynn noticed that the Amelia Quinn fans around her, who had been shouting the loudest, were all wiping away tears.
"Why are you all crying too?" Lynn was shocked. A fan beside her wiped her eyes, gritting her teeth:
"I didn't want to cry, but I couldn't help it!"
Lynn felt very ashamed and guilty; she felt like she had betrayed Amelia! Fortunately, it wasn't just their group of Amelia Quinn fans; other audience members were also shedding tears. This made her less conspicuous.
The situation backstage in the contestants' lounge was similar to the audience. Almost all the contestants had red-rimmed eyes, and all the girls were crying. The male singers weren't much better; a few big, burly men, afraid of looking weak, hid in corners to wipe their eyes. Alex Stone, meanwhile, was completely stunned. He wasn't unmoved, but he couldn't move!
Didn't they say Frank Castle wasn't good at Americana?
Didn't they say my only opponent this episode was Chloe?
Didn't they say Frank Castle would be eliminated?
He sang like that! How could he be eliminated?! And! Frank Castle's song actually included a classic vocal riff too! And he sang it so perfectly. In comparison, his own half-baked riff, learned from Amelia Quinn, was simply not presentable!
Most importantly, he was next to perform. With a song and performance of Frank Castle's caliber just before him... Wouldn't he just be making a fool of himself? Alex Stone suddenly remembered what Frank Castle had said to him earlier:
"You're out of luck. You're performing after me."
At the time, Alex Stone thought Frank Castle was just putting on a brave face before his impending doom. Now he knew that Frank Castle was actually confident!
It's okay, I still have Amelia and Liam. A glimmer of hope rose in Alex Stone's heart. Amelia and Liam would never give Frank Castle a high score!
Just then, host Natalie Young took the stage. Her eyes were also a little red, clearly having been moved to tears by Frank Castle.
"Frank, that song was incredible! You owe me a pack of tissues!"
Laughter and applause erupted in the audience. The beautiful host looked at Frank, her eyes shining, then addressed the mentor's panel:
"Alright, esteemed mentors, please give your evaluations."
The atmosphere in the recording hall suddenly became awkward. The big screen promptly showed a close-up of Amelia Quinn. Amelia Quinn was caught off guard and immediately lowered the hand holding a tissue. But her slightly red-rimmed eyes betrayed her true state. Yes, though she really didn't want to admit it, she had indeed been moved to tears by Frank Castle. The background story of "The Balladeer," combined with Frank's singing, was more touching than any exquisitely produced MV. Amelia Quinn didn't even know when she started crying; she only knew that when Frank finished singing, her face was already wet. Although she had quickly dried her tears, she was still a bit embarrassed. Given her current relationship with Frank, how could she allow herself to be moved by his song? According to the plan, she should give Frank a low score!
Under the spotlight and the gaze of the entire audience, Amelia Quinn's expression flickered erratically. After a long moment, she finally spoke with difficulty:
"This song... is very good, very moving. I give... 90 points."
Gasp!
Clap, clap, clap!
A gasp and applause erupted simultaneously. People looked at Amelia Quinn with a hint of strangeness in their gazes.
"Even the estranged ex-wife gave Frank such a high score! This 'Balladeer' is amazing!"
"I wonder why Amelia Quinn seems so distressed?"
"You've been scorned by your ex-husband for so many years, and now that you're a mentor and can get revenge, you still have to give your ex-husband a high score. Wouldn't you be distressed?"
As the audience said, Amelia Quinn dared not not give "The Balladeer" a high score. This was about national spirit, and it was sung so movingly. If she intentionally gave a low score to deliberately belittle it, she would incur public wrath. Amelia Quinn seemed to have used all her strength to speak. She put down the microphone, a look of utter resignation on her face.
Next was Liam Reed's scoring. He was much more natural than Amelia Quinn, even praising Frank with an air of sincerity:
"Listening to this 'Balladeer,' I wanted to grab a rifle and fight those outlaws myself! I give 90 points!"
Liam Reed had a fair, delicate complexion, his features soft and refined, more feminine than a woman's. His appearance, combined with such brave words, made for a particularly comical sight. Someone in the audience burst out laughing:
"That effeminate guy wants to fight outlaws?"
"His words sound good, but if something really happened, he'd probably be more cowardly than anyone!"
Liam Reed's face darkened. He exchanged a glance with Amelia Quinn beside him. Both saw surprise and anger in the other's eyes. Amelia Quinn's heart also held a hint of resentment. Frank actually hid such a good song. Why did he keep it from her?