Chapter 159: Envy and Destruction (3)

When the six girls each held a microphone stand and walked onto the stage one by one, the entire small theater instantly erupted into a frenzy. Their fresh and lovely makeup brought out the absolute pinnacle of each girl's beauty. This Idol Project was simply worlds apart from the one that had undergone evaluation just last month.

None of the girls wore the heavy makeup or cat-eye styles that were most popular in China at the time; instead, they sported the remarkably advanced nude and light makeup looks brought by Cheng Xiaoyu. Light and nude makeup did not mean going bare-faced or using minimal cosmetics; in fact, it was much harder to master than heavy makeup. Using pale cosmetics for everything except lipstick and mascara, the focus was placed on the eyes and lips. For Bae Suzy, whose eyes were slightly smaller, Cheng Xiaoyu used a light coffee-colored eyeshadow to enhance her eye contours, applying a slightly darker shade from the same color family to create a sense of depth and blending it evenly with the first layer of light eyeshadow. This made her overall makeup look more three-dimensional without being overly rich, pushing Suzy's innate pure and delicate beauty to its absolute limit. This version of Suzy seemed like an entirely different person compared to before.

As for Su Yuqi, Cheng Xiaoyu applied a nude makeup look. For her eye makeup, Cheng Xiaoyu first used a pearlescent white eyeshadow as a base across the eye sockets to brighten her eyes and make them appear more vibrant. A hint of light brownish-red eyeshadow was brushed lightly along the outer corners of the eyes to add subtle emphasis. For the lips, a pale pink lip gloss was applied, followed by a gentle sweep of pink blush across the cheeks, using the leftover powder to lightly touch the chin and forehead. This transformed Su Yuqi—who usually possessed an excess of coldness and a lack of warmth—as if she were bathed in a soft, faint radiance. She looked exquisite to the absolute limit, instantly radiating a vibrant, youthful aura.

This feeling was reminiscent of the 1990s when one first looked at a group like Girls' Generation—was it shocking or not? Was it beautiful or not? The entire small theater was ignited by such astonishing beauty. By this time, the rain outside had long since cleared, and sunlight pierced through the dense clouds, casting beams of light into the bustling theater. Those flickering golden rays were reflected into every corner by the girls' glittering, form-fitting silver sequined dresses, making everyone feel as though they had stepped into a hazy dream. Such a scene should only ever be encountered in dreams.

When the music started, the intensely avant-garde electronic Motown-style rhythm echoed in everyone's ears. The six girls, swaying their right index fingers with a hint of sexiness and playfulness, stepped two beats to the left, then two beats to the right, before transitioning into a standing posture and clapping. In truth, these movements were extremely simple, yet performed by these fairy-like maidens, they became exceptionally charming and cute. Coupled with this addictive rhythm and retro dance track, this dual bombardment of vision and audition nearly made these Chinese people, who were still living in the late 1990s entertainment industry of Cheng Xiaoyu's past life, drop their jaws in sheer astonishment.

Standing off to the side, Cheng Xiaoyu also wore a delighted smile. With this level of visual appeal combined with this song, sweeping across China and even the global stage was not a mere pipe dream. As long as the upper management of River Up had the slightest bit of foresight, they would not miss out on such a guaranteed chart-topper. How important a hit single was to a singer went without saying; some singers could rely on a single song to release albums and tour for a lifetime—such phenomena were by no means rare.

Seeing the judges in the front row beaming and nodding repeatedly, Cheng Xiaoyu felt that victory was well within grasp.

The four judges, including Su Changhe, were all professionals who had been immersed in the music industry for a long time. Su Changhe merely chose not to interfere, which did not mean he lacked understanding. This song was catchy and upbeat, and the choreography was intuitive and easy to learn. Most of the movements stayed in place, with the dancers moving within a radius of just one square meter, save for crossing and switching positions. The entire choreography mainly consisted of movements of the legs, hips, and arms, with the head rarely even turning. Yet, the overall dance arrangement was exquisitely crafted, playful, and adorable.

As the song ended, all the audience members felt a lingering sense of unfulfillment. The melody still echoed in their minds, and those dance movements lingered relentlessly, playing back in slow motion. The applause that followed was so enthusiastic and prolonged that it seemed it would never cease.

What the audience in the audience seats saw were future superstars, while the judges on the panel saw a future cash cow.

Cao Danian spoke first with a smile. "The girls' performance can only be described as flawless. Compared to last month, they are no longer in the same league. Last month, you still looked a bit raw and green, but this month's evaluation was professional, rigorous, and possessed the distinct aura of superstars. As for this song, I've heard the demo before. At the time, I just thought the melody was good while the lyrics were a bit too straightforward. But what surprised me today was that this song, which inherits the style of 1960s female vocal groups like The Supremes and The Ronettes, gave me a completely different feeling when heard live. The melody is bright and concise, the lyrics are catchy and unforgettable, and paired with the energetic and fun dance moves, this song has all the conditions to become a pop anthem. I have nothing more to say; this piece by Cheng Xiaoyu is entirely capable of helping the Idol Project earn a place at the end-of-the-year award ceremonies. I wonder how Director Xiang sees this?"

Upon hearing that this song was also a work by Cheng Xiaoyu, Ma Guoli felt as though he had been struck by five bolts of lightning. The venomous snake of jealousy in his heart coiled its colorful body tightly around his chest, choking him to the point of near suffocation.

Everyone shifted their gaze toward Cheng Xiaoyu, who was standing to the side. Cheng Xiaoyu bowed to Cao Danian to thank him for the praise.

Xiang Fengxing pondered for a moment, sensing that Su Changhe's purpose in coming to watch the evaluation today might not be entirely pure, so he spoke up. "The girls' performance is beyond reproach. This song showcases a rare retro style in recent years. Aside from displaying the sexy and mature side of young women, the choreography also incorporates humorous and interesting elements—it is very thoughtfully put together. The entire song is three minutes and forty-seven seconds long, with a single hook phrase taking up nearly a minute, repeated a total of seventeen times—not even counting the seven times without the 'bo' sound. Corresponding to this is almost identical choreography. Isn't such a high repetition frequency a bit too simple? The dance is certainly memorable, and its cute and charming nature makes people happy just to watch. But isn't it too subversive of tradition? This is completely different from the high-energy, trendy dance routines popular today, where dancers try their absolute best to look cool and dashing. Here, there isn't a single high-difficulty move. That point is open to debate. Of course, innovating and bringing forth the new is a good thing, and my words above do not negate the value of this song. I also agree with Department Head Cao that this song indeed has the potential to become a massive hit. I hope the girls will continue to work hard." As for Cheng Xiaoyu, Xiang Fengxing did not mention him at all.

Hearing Xiang Fengxing's critique, Ma Guoli felt much more at ease inside and couldn't help but mentally give Xiang Fengxing a silent thumbs-up.

At this moment, Su Changhe spoke up. "So Department Head Xiang also agrees that this song qualifies for the album?"

Xiang Fengxing was somewhat surprised that Su Changhe would actually speak out. Realizing that Cheng Xiaoyu likely still had a powerful background, he smiled and said, "This song is indeed quite good. With a few minor tweaks, it can go on the next album."

Su Changhe turned his head and smiled as well. "Has Department Head Xiang seen the title track of Sony's Oriental Divine Music?"

Xiang Fengxing nodded and said, "Sony is very courageous; this is a major move on their part. But it also serves as a trial run for idol groups. We can observe the results of Oriental Divine Music before making an appropriate response. If they achieve a massive success, we can also increase our investment in the Idol Project for the next album. I believe that with our strength, doing better than them should be no problem. Let's treat the Idol Project's debut album as testing the waters by stepping stones. If the production level falls a bit short, it doesn't matter. I see that the looks of our girls are already more than a notch higher than theirs." At this, everyone in the small theater burst into laughter, feeling that what Xiang Fengxing said also made a certain amount of sense.