After the simple sound check ended, the few people did not leave immediately. According to "Gear's" rules, new coming bands had better stay to look at that day's performance; it was both to express respect to peers, and also to familiarize themselves with the venue's atmosphere.
That afternoon there was a warm-up band, the name chosen was quite explosive, called—"Diesel Three Kingdoms."
This band's style was extremely mix-and-match; the lead singer wore a set of Hanfu modified into a mess, yet held a heavy metal big guitar in his hand, and opening his mouth was a roaring version of "The Rolling Yangtze River Flows East."
"Waves wash away————ah ah ah————heroes!!!"
Although the audience off-stage was scarce, they still sparsely raised their fists.
Immediately following, they started the second song.
"This one, sent to that treacherous hero of the chaotic times—'Soul of Mengde'!"
Following a burst of manic distortion noise, the lead singer began to shriek lyrics about Cao Cao. The lyric content was extremely awkward, filled with fantasies of late-stage Middle School 2nd Year Syndrome.
"Gu's head wind is the world's pain,"
"Rather let me betray the people of the world, than let the people of the world betray my guitar."
"East looking at Jieshi, there are left-over verses! The deep spring of Bronze Sparrow locks the Two Qiaos!"
"Why care about the world's infamy! Married women are my Great Dao!"
"Named a Han Minister but actually a Han Thief! Only other people's brides! Are my heart's delight—!!"
Lin Feng, who was sitting below the stage, was originally spacing out like a sculpture.
However, when he heard that heart-tearing, lung-splitting line "Married women are my Great Dao" and "Only other people's brides are my heart's delight," an indescribable electric current instantly pierced through his skull, exploding all the way down his spine to his tailbone.
Lin Feng subconsciously shivered.
He looked slightly sideways, glancing at Shen Linyin, who was sitting beside him with a cold expression—this was the justifiable girlfriend of his good brother Ren Yichen.
Then he thought about his own [Top-tier Music Superstar System], which only locked affection levels to the death and specifically produced miraculous effects on "flowers with owners"...
A strange, time-transcending sense of resonance arose spontaneously.
These lyrics... why do they sound like they are pointing at me?
Do I have the blood of Lord Mengde flowing in my bones? That kind of Cao Wei spirit of "Thy wife, I shall nurture", actually formed a soul resonance with the roaring on stage at this moment?
Lin Feng shrank his neck with a guilty conscience, pulling the hood of his hoodie lower. A trace of an extremely complex expression appeared on his face, revealing a trace of a subtle expression difficult to describe in words, as if having eaten Nine-Turn Large Intestine.
It was a subtle demeanor mixed with guilt, agreement, and the impact on his own moral baseline.
Just at this moment, the music suddenly stopped.
The lead singer on stage, that fellow called Zhao Meng, fiercely pressed down on the strings.
He saw clearly from the stage. That black-clothed guitar player curled up in the corner, when hearing himself sing "head wind," extremely obviously shivered once, the kind of disdain and pain on his face was simply overflowing into words.
"Hey! That one wearing the black hoodie!"
Zhao Meng held the microphone, pointing at Lin Feng and roaring loudly, "What is that expression of yours? Do you have any opinion on our 'Soul of Mengde'?!"
The whole venue's gazes instantly focused onto Lin Feng's body.
Lin Feng: "?"
He slowly raised his head; on that facial paralysis face unchanged for ten thousand years, at this moment was written a big question mark.
I just felt cold (awkward), does this also break the law?
However, in Zhao Meng's perspective, this was fundamentally not some confusion.
That was a kind of extreme, out-and-out—indifference.
That black-clothed youth was even too lazy to explain, only looking at himself with that kind of empty, lifeless look. That was a top-level world-weariness of "I am quietly watching you posturing", as if all the noise in the world was floating clouds in his eyes.
Zhao Meng's heart went "badump" once.
This kid's aura... so strong. This sense of nothingness decadent to the extreme, simply is the embodiment of the rock and roll spirit!
Immediately following, Zhao Meng's line of sight moved to the right, seeing Ren Yichen sitting beside Lin Feng.
His pupils instantly quaked.
Colorful studded leather jacket, holey fishnet pants, and that silver-gray Shamate wig sufficient to blind his titanium alloy dog eyes.
In this current era where even underground bands pursue "minimalist," "retro," or "cyberpunk," actually there is still someone who dares to wear this kind of aesthetic from the urban-rural fringe of twenty years ago?!
Zhao Meng's brain began to operate at flying speed, conducting a crazy Demiurge storm:
That black-clothed guitar player represents "extreme coldness and world-weariness"; while that Smart lead singer represents "extreme kitsch and clamor."
Putting these two extreme opposites together... this is fundamentally not dressing messily!
This is a ruthless mockery of the current so-called "Non-Mainstream" culture!
Current underground bands all feel they are mavericks (Non-Mainstream), so they specially dressed up like this, using this "old era Non-Mainstream" which has already been eliminated, to resist the current "new era mainstream Non-Mainstream"!
This is a performance art named "Rebellion of Rebellion"!
Zhao Meng looked at these two people—one cold as frost like the Reaper, one fluttering in distinct colors like a pheasant.
This kind of intense visual impact was just like using a brick to ruthlessly slap onto his aesthetic G-spot.
In comparison, his own wearing Hanfu playing guitar, this kind of pediatric mix-and-match, was simply as shallow as a primary school student.
"..."
The stage was a patch of dead silence.
Zhao Meng's hands trembled somewhat, he slowly took off the guitar.
"I lost."
He faced the microphone, voice somewhat dry, "In front of your aesthetic philosophy that transcends the times, my 'Three Kingdoms' appears so pale. You guys are the true punks."
Finished speaking, Zhao Meng extremely chicly swung the guitar onto his back, walked down the stage without turning his head, leaving behind a confused bassist and drummer.
The audience off-stage first froze for a few seconds.
Although they also didn't understand what meaning that last paragraph of Zhao Meng's was, looking at those two "Great Gods" of one cold and one hot in that corner, then looking at Zhao Meng's back view of "glorious despite defeat," a feeling of "though I don't understand, it feels very powerful" arose spontaneously.
Whoosh——!
The sparse applause gradually became enthusiastic.
The look in everyone's eyes looking at Lin Feng and Ren Yichen changed, filled with awe.
Lin Feng still maintained that "?" expression, turning his head to look at Ren Yichen.
Ren Yichen however complacently flipped that tuft of bangs covering his eyes, full of self-confidence saying to Lin Feng: "See that, Feng'er? This is called aura! That lead singer was definitely awed by my set of noble Zang Ai Family battle robes, and didn't dare to sing anymore!"
Beside them, Lu Mingxuan silently closed his eyes, continuing to play a blind man in this clamorous world.