There is no rock and roll without a band.

Ji Fanxing’s proposal was not made on a whim.

As the saying goes, there is no true rock without a band. Since the birth of rock music, bands have always been its driving force. The chemistry between band members, their collaborative creativity, and the unique appeal of live performances together define the very spirit of rock.

Strictly speaking, all of Hailan’s previous rock performances could not be considered complete live rock shows.

This time, Ji Fanxing hoped Hailan could present her beloved rock music to perfection on the stage of the finals.

When He Hongjing heard Ji Fanxing’s suggestion, she was stunned.

This was a stage that would be filled with tens of thousands, and the “King of All Singers” production team was even preparing to broadcast the performance live to a global audience...

Everyone knew the show’s producers were going all-in, investing almost all the profits from previous episodes into this last one.

The music scene in the Dragon Nation had long been in decline; stages on this scale were exceedingly rare.

Many inside and outside the music industry envied the contestants of this season. Most of them were grassroots, unknown talents, yet they could stand on such a grand stage.

And with Fang Zhijing bringing an invitation to the “National Music Exchange Conference” to boost the show’s profile, rumors swirled that many singers fought tooth and nail for the last guest performer spot, all for a chance to impress Master Fang and win an invitation.

He Hongjing had never imagined that such a place, under the spotlight of so many, would ever be within reach for an underground band like theirs.

She couldn’t help but recall that eighteen years ago, when “Blaze” was first formed, she and her then-bandmates once harbored such dreams.

Over the years, they learned through hardship that this dream could never be realized.

Rock had almost no place in the mainstream music market of the Dragon Nation.

Unless one was born into wealth and resources.

Otherwise, ordinary people like them stood no chance of making it.

There were companies that once saw promise in them, but those either wanted the band to change genres or were only willing to sign one or two members.

At the time, holding fast to their rock dreams, they chose to refuse.

Even with their abundant talent, opportunities were few and far between. Bloodied but unbowed, they could only remain an underground band, performing in various bars and clubs.

For so many years, they went misunderstood—sometimes even mistaken for marginalized members of society.

They had long since accepted reality, stopped hoping for the stage, and even saw performing as a side job.

With “Blaze” on the verge of burning out, He Hongjing now received such an invitation...

She opened her mouth silently, but the words of refusal never came.

Sensing He Hongjing’s hesitation, Ji Fanxing continued,

“The rules of ‘King of All Singers’ never say you can’t play live instruments—in fact, they encourage diverse performances.

So you don’t need to worry about affecting Hailan’s competition.

On the contrary, a live band will only enhance her stage.”

With things said so plainly, He Hongjing had no reason to refuse. She stepped forward and gave Ji Fanxing a big hug.

“Thank you, Fanxing.”

When Hailan came out and heard Fanxing’s plan, her eyes immediately lit up.

She was visibly excited.

All her life, she had admired her aunt—the one disliked by the whole family—for her individuality and her unwavering courage in pursuit of her dreams.

After being taken away from that home by her mother, Hailan discovered the “Blaze” band and realized her aunt’s strength came from rock music.

It was with “Blaze’s” help that she learned to sing, fell in love with rock, and found the strength to heal her wounds.

Whenever she watched “Blaze” perform, she always felt the cramped venues stifled them, their music no longer free but tinged with weariness and resignation.

Hearing one band member say “rock is doomed,” Hailan finally resolved to join “King of All Singers.”

She wanted to show the world both rock and the “Blaze” band.

Seeing Hailan finally on the right track, Ji Fanxing smiled with satisfaction. This time, Hailan would surely mend the regrets of her past life and go even further on her musical journey.

Handing the stage design plans to the two, she left Hailan’s preparations to her and turned to focus on her own matters.

With a stadium of tens of thousands, a global broadcast, and the lure of Fang Zhijing’s “Dragon Nation Music Exchange Conference” invitation, every contestant on Robin Island was preparing with more effort than ever before.

Robin Island was quieter than usual during this period. Each contestant was on high alert, and even guests who came as supporting friends dared not disturb them.

They did all they could to help in areas outside of the contestants’ specialties, quietly and wholeheartedly.

Viewers watching the live broadcasts found these scenes quite magical and marveled:

“To be honest, my mom treated me just like this during college entrance exams.”

“Stop it, I’m crying. If I’d known there was a chance to attend the exchange conference, I would have joined the competition no matter what.”

“I saw the open auditions for this show but thought it looked too amateurish and didn’t go…”

“This show must have saved the galaxy in a past life—having Ji Fanxing is wild enough, and now Master Fang has played his trump card.”

“Oh well, as long as it’s for my pleasure, I’m willing to wait!”

Unnoticed, an online trend of “supervising contestants’ preparation live” began to rise.

Aside from the “Ji Fanxing hitting someone” misunderstanding, there were no particularly dramatic or scandalous moments in the live broadcasts for several days.

Still, the supervising netizens didn’t find it boring—even fans of the contestants would take turns monitoring whether their favorites were seriously preparing.

In this atmosphere, people noticed the most crucial person hadn’t shown up in the recording studio for a long time.

She seemed utterly unconcerned about the finals, staying in the villa all day and never setting foot outside.

Many viewers began to whisper.

But since that person was none other than the undeniably talented Ji Fanxing, it didn’t spark widespread discussion.

Everyone simply assumed the outstanding have no need to try.

“Fanxing, you’ve already broken three keyboards. Why don’t you take a rest?” In the villa on Robin Island, Ning Ze set a cup of water on Ji Fanxing’s desk, his tone full of concern.

“This one’s almost done,” Ji Fanxing replied, eyes fixed on the computer screen, her fingers flying over the keys.

“These scripts are the key to winning our bet with Tenghai. Now that there’s time, I have to get them all written.”

Typing the final period, Ji Fanxing finally paused and decided to take a break. She stood, stretched, and patted her friend’s shoulder with grave sincerity.

“After the competition, we’ll have a real battle on our hands.”

Tenghai, as an entertainment company, had deep roots in the Dragon Nation after many years in the business.

Ji Fanxing was not arrogant; she understood that even with the experience of a hundred lifetimes, she was still just one person—with no connections and no organization.

To take on this established giant, caution was essential.

...

In the blink of an eye, under the watchful eyes of relentless online supervisors, the finals of “King of All Singers” finally arrived.

In the largest stadium of Haishi, dazzling lights and swirling neon filled the air.

From afar, it resembled a radiant pearl shining in the night, drawing countless gazes.