As the final cellist finished performing, the competition came to a close in the Golden Hall.
Before all the audience members and cellists present, no matter how indelible a mark this competition day—destined to be remembered in music history—would leave behind, or how many performances it had given people cause to regret, remember, and miss, the Ke'er Cup's second stage had officially come to an end.
The final list of fourteen official qualifiers was as follows:
Group A
First place: Isaac Mek — 98.42 points
Second place: Conrad Ortiz — 97.12 points
Third place: Alick Zorn — 96.34 points
Fourth place: Allen Perez — 95.85 points
Fifth place:
Group B
First place: Gan Yan Yu — 98.15 points
Second place: Hypnos Brian — 97.31 points
Third place: Noel Perkins — 97.03 points
Fourth place: Bennett Meyer — 96.45 points
Fifth place:
"Welcome, China's number-one cellists."
Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu had just walked out of the Golden Hall.
In the parking lot, He Zhichen opened his arms with a smile. "You worked hard."
Two familiar faces stood beside He Zhichen. "Yo! Great work, Teacher Lin Tian, Teacher Gan Yan Yu!"
Gao Zhenyang waved.
"It's too soon to call us China's number one."
Gan Yan Yu said this somewhat sheepishly, but she knew He Zhichen was praising their performance today, so she smiled.
"How is it too soon?"
Gao Zhenyang, Moonlight and Cat's number-one hype man, was unhappy. "The first cellist in forty years to score 98 points in an international competition, and the first cellist in sixteen years to make it into the finals!"
"If you ask me, calling you the best in history wouldn't be an exaggeration."
"Enough, enough."
Lin Tian covered Gao Zhenyang's mouth.
Keep hyping us up, why don't you.
*You'll jinx us to death, and