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Tang Shi looked up at the two of them and asked politely, "How did it go? You must have performed pretty well, right?"

Song Lijia smiled faintly, but before he could speak, Lin Zhaoran cut in, "Not yet. The computer randomly assigned the performance order, and we got placed in the twenty-second slot this afternoon. It's almost our turn—"

Before he could finish, a phone began to ring. Under everyone's gaze, Lin Zhaoran pulled out his phone and answered it. He had barely said two sentences when his expression changed drastically. He shoved aside the people blocking his way and ran outside. Seeing this, Song Lijia immediately chased after him.

Tang Shi, Lu Hengzhi, and the others left behind exchanged looks. For no reason at all, Tang Shi suddenly remembered that Lin Zhaoran and Song Lijia's names had never existed in his memories. His expression shifted slightly, and unease rose in his heart.

Not long after Lin Zhaoran and Song Lijia ran out, a staff member came over to remind them that it was nearly time for them to go onstage and told them to get ready. Tang Shi and Lu Hengzhi looked up and saw that the person responsible for notifying contestants was Brother Chen, the same man who had arranged their dormitory two days ago. The two stepped forward to greet him. Brother Chen turned around, spotted them, and said with a grin, "So the rich guys are back. How was it? Everything go smoothly?"

As a staff member of Dance Miracle, he knew that the two had won the Lottery. Even the car they had taken to the lottery center had been arranged by him.

Tang Shi and Lu Hengzhi answered him briefly. Then Brother Chen changed the subject and asked, "Have you seen Lin Zhaoran and Song Lijia? Why can't I find them anywhere backstage?"

Tang Shi and Lu Hengzhi exchanged looks. After hesitating for a while, they finally said under Brother Chen's urging, "Lin Zhaoran got a phone call just now. It seemed like something serious happened at home. His face changed immediately, and then he left without saying anything. Song Lijia went after him too."

"What? They ran off without even saying a word?" Brother Chen's eyes widened in disbelief. Then he flew into a rage. "What kind of attitude is that? Do they think this is some child's game? They come when they want and leave when they want. Have they considered the production team's position at all? People this disobedient never should have been allowed into the auditions. If they don't treasure this opportunity, plenty of others are fighting for it."

Brother Chen had already formed a poor impression of Lin Zhaoran and Song Lijia because of the dormitory arrangements last time. He felt the two were talented but arrogant, far too wild and unruly, and needed to be tempered. Now that this had happened, his mood only worsened.

No matter what, Lin Zhaoran and Song Lijia were different from the other contestants. They were seeded contestants personally recruited by the Southern Division's directing team, who had placed great expectations on them. Even if something enormous had happened, they should have informed the production team. Instead, they had left without a word. It was obvious they had no respect for the production team. No matter how skilled or popular they were... they did not even possess basic discipline. Did they really think the production team could not do without them?

Tang Shi and Lu Hengzhi stood to the side, exchanging looks as they watched Brother Chen fume.

After a pause, the two began explaining on Lin Zhaoran and Song Lijia's behalf. They said that the two cared deeply about this competition and trained especially hard every day. If it had not truly been an emergency, they certainly would not have left like that. They asked Brother Chen to give them another chance.

"Give them another chance?" Brother Chen snapped, glaring. "They're the ones who ran off without a care. There are so many contestants lined up behind them. How am I supposed to give them a chance? Should I tell the judges to finish watching everyone else and then stay behind just waiting for those two to come back? Do they think they're that important?"

After that lion's roar, Tang Shi and Lu Hengzhi stood there like quails for quite some time. Only after Brother Chen had vented his anger and his temper was no longer quite so bad did they inch over with smiles. "How about... switching our place in the order with Lin Zhaoran and Song Lijia? If they can return before the recording ends, you can continue filming. If they don't come back, Brother Chen, you'll already have done everything you could. Even if they have complaints afterward, they won't be able to blame the production team."

Because they had gone to claim their prize that morning, Tang Shi and Lu Hengzhi had informed the production team in advance. Their names had been removed from the computer-generated order and placed directly at the very end. By suggesting the switch, Tang Shi simply wanted to buy Lin Zhaoran and Song Lijia some time. He did not want them to end up forfeiting the competition and withdrawing.

Brother Chen glanced sideways at Tang Shi and smirked. "Not bad. It's only been a few days, and you're already getting along quite well. But whether they'll appreciate you helping them is another matter."

Though he complained, he ultimately agreed to Tang Shi's request. Lin Zhaoran and Song Lijia were seeded contestants personally recruited by the directing team. Even if he did not do it for them, he had to do it for the directing team. Giving them a chance would also make it easier for him to explain things later. As for whether Lin Zhaoran and Song Lijia could seize that chance... that was no longer his concern.

Watching Brother Chen hurry away, Tang Shi and Lu Hengzhi exchanged looks, unsure what to say.

"What do you think happened to Lin Zhaoran? It won't delay their performance, will it?"

Lu Hengzhi shook his head and said calmly, "We'll call them after we finish performing."

As soon as he finished speaking, they heard someone ahead calling out the Sugar Juice Duo's name. Lu Hengzhi gave Tang Shi a push, and the two made their way through the packed crowd toward the front stage.

No one knew what had appeared in the VCR playing up front, but a wave of uproar rose from the stage. The audience and judges all cried out "Wow" in unison, so clearly that Tang Shi and Lu Hengzhi could hear it from the backstage entrance.

The moment the host said, "Please welcome the next contestants," Tang Shi and Lu Hengzhi pushed open the door and entered. The dazzling stage lights made them squint slightly. They jogged to the center of the stage, and before they had even settled into place, Qiao Lin said with a smile, "Wow, the lucky winners are here! Come on, let us share in some of that good fortune."

The moment Tang Shi heard that, he knew the VCR must have shown footage of the two of them claiming their prize at the lottery center. He grinned foolishly as well.

Standing to the side, the host quickly recounted how Tang Shi had won the Lottery, then smiled at the camera. "Dear viewers, do you want to become rich overnight? Do you want to win immediately? Hurry and sign up for Dance Miracle. Maybe tomorrow's surprise will belong to you."

Before he could finish, thunderous applause erupted from below the stage.

Zhang Chujie waved his hand and laughed from the judges' table. "That's why joining Dance Miracle is never a loss. Even if you can't make it to the end or reach the finals, you can still go buy a lottery ticket right after the auditions! You arrive as an ordinary person, and by the time you leave, you could become a millionaire. Wow, that's incredible. I need to share some of your good luck too. As soon as the show is over, I'm going to buy a ticket."

As he spoke, Zhang Chujie actually came down from the judges' table and went onstage to hug Tang Shi and Lu Hengzhi one after the other. Then he flashed a V sign at the camera and chanted, "Lucky!"

That single word sent everyone into another fit of laughter.

Once everyone had calmed down a little, Teacher Mo Zi looked at Tang Shi and Lu Hengzhi's black-and-white Peking Opera practice outfits, then at the rosewood table the staff had placed onstage while the judges chatted. Smiling, she asked, "Is today's performance related to Peking Opera?"

Tang Shi nodded and replied, "It's an excerpt from Peking Opera's The Three Forks... adapted into Robot Dance."

Teacher Mo Zi's eyes lit up. She gave another admiring "Wow" and said, "Begin!"

Tang Shi and Lu Hengzhi nodded and retreated to the center of the stage. The distinct clapper sounds of Peking Opera rang out at a pace slowed down by several times. Tang Shi and Lu Hengzhi moved their limbs stiffly like robots and struck their poses.

That opening pose alone seized everyone's attention with its brilliance. After a burst of thunderous applause, a gentle guqin melody began, like pearls large and small falling onto a jade plate. As the music played, Tang Shi and Lu Hengzhi each took a step toward opposite sides of the stage, raised their arms, twisted their waists, turned, and swept their legs. Every movement was full of flavor, but the originally fluid martial-role motions had been broken down by the two, slowly presented in time with the rhythm of Robot Dance. Before their eyes was a union of fast and slow; in their ears, an interplay of guqin and mechanical sounds. Beat by beat, it seemed to strike against their hearts, delivering an absolutely explosive visual feast.

Teacher Mo Zi straightened excitedly, lifted a hand to touch her forehead, shook her head, and grinned silently.

Qiao Lin's eyes widened as she covered her mouth with both hands, looking utterly incredulous.

As for Zhang Chujie, he had long since been unable to contain himself. He rose to his feet and clapped, shouting his approval.

By this point, nearly two minutes had passed. Tang Shi and Lu Hengzhi had already completed, step by step in Robot Dance form, the broken-down movements from The Three Forks. The music paused again, the silence matching their motionless poses. Then a rapid, passionate Robot Dance track burst forth. Following its beat, both their bodies began to tremble as though electrified.

Moving in perfect unison, they rapidly performed the movements from The Three Forks that they had slowed down several times earlier, now at the frequency of Robot Dance. Then they each turned ninety degrees, one left and one right, facing each other. With mechanical yet dazzling movements, they performed several combat sequences from The Three Forks. Then they turned. Lu Hengzhi caught Tang Shi around the lower back, raised his arms, and tossed him upward. Tang Shi stepped on Lu Hengzhi's knee, leaped, performed a side aerial, and landed atop the rosewood table at center stage. Then he kicked both legs forward and dropped into a seated position.

Below, Lu Hengzhi planted his hands on the ground and performed several consecutive inverted spins toward the rosewood table at center stage. At last, he snapped his waist and rose to his feet, then swiftly did a side flip and landed sitting atop the table as well.

At the same time, the music reached its final beat.

The entire dance ended perfectly.

After three seconds of silence, thunderous applause once again resounded throughout the studio.

This applause continued for over a minute before gradually fading.

The host returned to the front of the stage and looked admiringly at Tang Shi and Lu Hengzhi standing at its center. "For outsiders like us, when we watch the Sugar Juice Duo dance, we only know that it looks good. Not only is the Robot Dance beautiful, but the beginning also carries an obvious Peking Opera martial-role style. Being able to combine two completely different things like that feels especially impressive. But what exactly makes this dance so good, and how difficult is it? Let's hear the judges explain."

Teacher Mo Zi leaned slightly toward the microphone and said, "As everyone knows, Peking Opera is one of our national treasures. Its classics and beauty are beyond question. However, as national policies have gradually opened up over the years, Western culture has continued flowing in. Our own cultural traditions have instead become less popular, more highbrow, and appreciated by fewer people. I find that deeply regrettable. But now, in the Sugar Juice Duo, I have seen a collision between domestic classical style and modern Western artistic culture. I suddenly realized that they can be merged, and after merging, the charm they radiate can appeal to both young and old. Especially among teenagers pursuing fashion and individuality, it can be widely promoted. I think this is a wonderful thing. I look forward to your performance in the national competition. I must give you this vote."

After a round of applause, the host smiled at Tang Shi and Lu Hengzhi. "It seems Teacher Mo Zi thinks very highly of you. Next, let's hear Teacher Qiao Lin's evaluation."

"Wow, I just think you're incredible. Your work is simply perfect, absolutely stunning. Especially the second half of the entire piece, the climax of the Robot Dance track—my God, I never imagined dancing could be done like this. Seeing you incorporate Peking Opera movements into Robot Dance, and make it look so beautiful, with not the slightest sense of mismatch—instead, it became even more eye-catching. My God, I'm so excited I've got goosebumps all over. With a performance like this, what reason could I possibly have not to pass you?" As Qiao Lin spoke, she stretched out an arm and shouted at Tang Shi and Lu Hengzhi, "You absolutely have to pass!"