Chapter 95 Dimensionality Reduction Strike (Part 2)
Narrative Section:
What does a "dimensional reduction strike" mean?
If Rachel's performance was considered amazing by everyone, then Amelia's piece could only be described as stunning and unparalleled.
This was no longer about piano playing skills.
The entire piece was like a story written with musical notes, unfolding a historical panorama before everyone's eyes.
On the wasteland.
What is "on the wasteland"?
Even though Celestria now stands proudly at the pinnacle of the world, regaining its voice, no Celestrian can forget the history of their homeland being invaded, ravaged, plundered, and humiliated.
That humiliation is etched into the blood of every Celestrian, and this piece titled "On the Wasteland" suddenly awakened the dormant memories in everyone's veins.
Striving, uplifting, fighting, progressing.
On the wasteland lies unyielding hope.
Rachel's piece depicted the lingering romance of lovers, while Amelia's piece portrayed the grandeur of mountains and rivers, and the rebuilding of a nation.
In terms of scope and intent, it was already a level higher.
Not to mention the flawless technique and execution.
The tear Amelia shed after her performance seemed to drop into everyone's hearts, causing their hearts to tremble.
The live chat paused for a moment.
The mocking comments and the ones waiting to see Amelia fail had vanished as soon as the first notes played.
There was no need to distinguish between experts and laymen; anyone with normal hearing could tell how extraordinary Amelia's piano skills were.
Others simply couldn't compare to her.
Some even felt that this performance was on par with Osborne's previous live show, if not better.
She possessed a unique sincerity and passion that only a young person could have.
Because she is young, representing new strength, tears welled up.
A true dimensional reduction strike.
At this moment, no one in the live chat was talking about Amelia allegedly having relations with the committee members to secure her spot.
With her piano skills, it wouldn't be surprising if Osborne personally wrote an invitation letter for her.
Why would she need to compromise herself for a qualification?
Michael took a deep breath.
He now understood why Amelia had told him she didn't need any help when he asked after seeing the vicious comments on Instagram. She said she had it under control.
She didn't need any tricks or connections, nor did she need any explanations or defenses.
Skill is the best proof.
Dialogue Section:
In the audience, Rachel's lips trembled as she shook her head in disbelief, murmuring, "How is this possible, how is this possible?"
Jenny and Saul seemed equally stunned, unable to recover.
In stark contrast, Tobias was standing on the other side of the stage.
"My Amelia, she's truly my sister! She's incredible!"
Tobias, still teary-eyed from the performance, was so excited he almost jumped up to rush to the stage with flowers for Amelia.
Chris, expressionless, grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back, saying, "Do you think this is a concert? Calm down."
In the VIP viewing area upstairs, Ryan, who had been wearing sunglasses the entire time, took them off, revealing a rare serious expression in his usually playful eyes.
Beside him, Hugo took a deep breath.
"You were right."
"Your sister, whom you haven't officially met yet, is indeed much better than Rachel."
Narrative Section:
The judges' evaluations were surprisingly unanimous.
No criticism, no suggestions—just pure admiration and praise.
When the final score flashed on the big screen, everyone couldn't help but widen their eyes.
9.85!
Even after removing the highest and lowest scores, the average from the remaining five judges was still an impressive 9.85.
This was the highest score ever achieved by a contestant in the seven editions of the Celestria Piano Competition, smashing all previous records.
Compared to Amelia's 9.85, Rachel's 9.57 seemed insignificant.
The champion was already decided.
The audience erupted in cheers.
Only Amelia remained calm, slowly standing up from the piano stool, maintaining the composed demeanor she had before the performance.
Since the last contestant had finished performing, Gabriel invited all the contestants back on stage according to the procedure.
The big screen displayed the rankings of the eighteen contestants based on their scores, with Amelia naturally far ahead in the first place.
The champion's trophy was undoubtedly hers.
Rachel clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, forcing herself to muster a smile for the camera.
But the smile was worse than not smiling, looking more like a grimace.
"And now, I announce, based on the scores, the champion of this piano competition is contestant number 18, Am..." Gabriel hadn't finished saying "Amelia" when an unexpected event occurred.
The contestant in third place, Thea Ellis, suddenly stepped forward, snatched Gabriel's microphone, and exclaimed, "Amelia cannot be the champion!"
"The piece she just played isn't her original composition! This violates the competition rules, her score should be invalid!"
What?
The audience was in an uproar.
Everyone present looked confused, and the live chat exploded with comments. Even the judges were stunned.
Thea claimed that Amelia's piece wasn't her original composition?
How could that be?
The judges were all renowned figures in the industry, and the audience included both professional pianists and enthusiasts.
Such a stunning piano piece, if it had been previously published or performed, would have surely caused a sensation. They couldn't possibly have never heard it before.
Osborne's eyes lit up, as if realizing something, and he instinctively looked at Amelia on stage.
So that's it.
No wonder he felt a sense of familiarity during the performance. This explains it!
Despite being accused of violating the rules, Amelia didn't defend herself. She simply turned to look at the agitated Thea.
A judge next to Osborne couldn't help but ask Thea, "Contestant, what do you mean by saying Amelia's piece isn't original? Are you implying it was composed by someone else?"
"Of course!" Thea exclaimed excitedly, "I'm a fan of Rosy, and I have absolute pitch. Others might not recognize it, but I can tell."
"The piece Amelia just played is actually Rosy's 'Daylight Fireworks' played in reverse and modified. If you don't believe me, you can compare the recordings."
"The competition requires all contestants to perform their own original compositions, but Amelia played Rosy's piece. Isn't this a violation of the rules?"
"Amelia not only shouldn't win the championship, but she should also be disqualified for cheating and infringing on Rosy's rights. She should be punished!"
Dialogue Section:
Rachel's lips trembled as she shook her head in disbelief, murmuring, "How is this possible, how is this possible?"
Jenny and Saul seemed equally stunned, unable to recover.
In stark contrast, Tobias was standing on the other side of the stage.
"My Amelia, she's truly my sister! She's incredible!"
Tobias, still teary-eyed from the performance, was so excited he almost jumped up to rush to the stage with flowers for Amelia.
Chris, expressionless, grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back, saying, "Do you think this is a concert? Calm down."
In the VIP viewing area upstairs, Ryan, who had been wearing sunglasses the entire time, took them off, revealing a rare serious expression in his usually playful eyes.
Beside him, Hugo took a deep breath.
"You were right."
"Your sister, whom you haven't officially met yet, is indeed much better than Rachel."