Chapter 143 Lika Takes the Stage, Reshaping Amidst Resistance
Eloise walked onto the stage amid everyone's cheers and applause.
As the stage gradually lit up, she began her performance.
Eloise was quite a talented contestant. After her song, she won countless rounds of applause.
Amelia waited backstage while Sable paced back and forth anxiously beside her.
This time, Amelia had drawn the third spot to perform.
However, the order didn't matter much this time. Since only three people were competing for the final rankings in this finale, some previously eliminated contestants had been invited. After the three performances, those singers would make brief appearances to enrich the live broadcast content while giving the audience time to vote.
By now, Eloise had come down from the stage, very satisfied with her performance.
She walked straight toward Amelia and stood in front of her with an arrogant expression.
"Lika, now that another contestant is already on stage, you still have one last chance to withdraw," Eloise said, looking at her.
Everyone present watched them quietly.
Especially the looks directed at Amelia—each one seemed strange.
Cecil on the side seemed like she wanted to say something, but in the end, she kept her mouth shut.
Those who understand the situation are wise—Amelia knew this.
So she stood up and looked Eloise straight in the eye.
Seeing Eloise's smug expression, Amelia smiled slightly.
"Thanks for the reminder," Amelia said with a smile, calmly. "But no need."
With that, ignoring what Eloise thought, she walked straight toward the staff corridor.
Life can't always go smoothly, and she couldn't make everyone like her.
What she needed to do was give her best effort and have a clear conscience.
That was enough.
As the sound of high heels echoed, Amelia followed the staff's guidance and walked onto the stage as the second contestant came down.
The stage was pitch black. As she took her position, the host received instructions.
"Next, let's welcome contestant Lika to bring us..."
The host was only halfway through when someone below screamed, interrupting.
"Boycott Lika!"
"Lika, get off the stage!"
...
The shouting grew louder and louder, wave after wave. Some people even started throwing things toward the front.
Fortunately, Jeffrey had prepared for this. He immediately sent the people he had ready to maintain order at the scene.
The host wiped his sweat and continued following instructions: "Let's welcome contestant Lika to bring us the song 'Sculpture.'"
Then he quickly left the stage.
Isabella, sitting at the judges' table, felt pleased seeing this scene.
[Lika, let's see how you turn this around!] Isabella thought.
At that moment, Amelia stood in position on stage. As the stage lights gradually came up, a surreal stage appeared before everyone.
Lika, standing at the center of the stage, had half her body in reality and half seemingly encased in plaster.
The moment she appeared, it created a powerful visual impact.
People couldn't help but whisper—"What is this?"
But no one knew what it was.
"Who cares what it is? Boycott Lika!"
"Boycott the problematic artist Lika!"
"Lika, get down!"
These voices filled the air.
Only Amelia's costume designer stood to the side, nervously watching Lika on stage.
As the murmuring continued, a light tapping sound appeared on stage, as if someone were carving.
To the rhythm of the tapping, the half-plastered Lika on stage began to sing quietly, leading with her voice, telling the story of a plaster sculpture abandoned mid-creation by its sculptor, who received a kiss from the muse and picked up the chisel to carve herself.
As Lika sang, the plaster on her body seemed to fall away piece by piece, beginning her self-reconstruction.
Her voice seemed to have some kind of magic that captured everyone's attention.
Some who had been loudly calling for a boycott now forgot their actions, staring wide-eyed at Lika on stage.
Isabella keenly noticed the change in the atmosphere. She immediately sent a message to Zaid under the table.
Then, people immediately went into the crowd to stir things up.
Those who stopped shouting for a boycott were immediately scorned by people next to them.
"Why aren't you boycotting anymore? Lika faked donations, has bad morals, is a problematic artist, and you still think she's good? I think you have problems too!"
"I don't! Don't slander me!"
"Then boycott with me. Boycott Lika!"
"Fine!"
"Boycott Lika!"
"Boycott Lika!"
The wave of voices rose again below.
Isabella looked with satisfaction at the increasingly loud boycott chants throughout the venue.
And Amelia saw all of this.
This was exactly the effect she wanted.
She had already experienced Isabella's tactics.
Isabella's methods were clever, so she, Amelia, would go with the flow.
Isabella wanted to crush her with rumors.
Then she would use these rumors as chisels to complete her self-reconstruction in front of everyone!
The microphone in her hand was shaped like a chisel. Accompanied by the huge wave of boycott chants, each time the masked woman on stage sang, it seemed like she was using the chisel to complete a cruel carving.
And as the boycott chants grew louder, the plaster on her body fell away faster.
It was as if—
All the gossip and slander at this moment turned into countless chisels, carving into her body one cut after another, sculpting a brand new her.
"Boycott Lika!"
"Lika, get off the stage!"
In the audience, William frowned slightly.
He kept looking at the seat next to him.
Amelia had never come.
Until now, she still hadn't come.
That day, she had clearly said she would come to the venue.
Why didn't she come?
Was it because she knew Isabella was also on this show?
Or was it some other reason?
William didn't understand, so he turned his gaze back to Lika on stage.
At this moment, as the music progressed, the plaster on Lika's body had completely fallen away.
An invisible wind blew the plaster on stage away, revealing the carved form of her body.
The music suddenly changed at this point.
From the previous carving sounds, it transformed into a powerful rhythm.
It seemed that after this piece of plaster completed the self-carving of its body, it began to experience its rebirth.
The powerful rhythm, singing that combined technical skill with storytelling appeal, plus the entire surreal stage—everything captured attention.
And there was intense dancing.
The styles seemed different but were actually well-organized.
She could even stabilize her voice during the intense dancing, perfectly advancing the stage performance.
Story, technique, art—she even calculated the boycott chants inside and outside the venue, incorporating it all into the stage.
Powerful!
So powerful!
Even Zaid, who was sent to stir up trouble, had to admire this scene.
Good thing Isabella had seized on Lika's fake donation incident and made a big deal of it. Otherwise, with such a powerful ally, Jeffrey might really have soared!
Thinking this, Zaid smiled at Jeffrey in front of him.
"I didn't do anything," Zaid shrugged with an annoying expression. "I came just to see your faces after you lose."
Zaid showed a provocative smile, looking at Jeffrey: "That will definitely be spectacular!"
At that moment on stage, only Lika's face remained to be reconstructed.