Derek, standing nearby, was dumbfounded and nudged Marcus with his elbow: "Damn! Kevin is really brave! Isn't he afraid of social death?"
Marcus looked completely unfazed and calmly took a sip of water: "It's just a habit. It'd be weird if he didn't have a few episodes like this."
Ethan's brief yet earth-shattering speech had completely reshaped his image in everyone's minds as he stepped down from the stage.
It was a powerful attraction that went beyond handsome appearance, stemming from depth of thought and personal charisma!
He walked steadily toward the VIP seats, and wherever he passed, countless gazes filled with awe, admiration, and curiosity followed him.
Just as he reached his seat, he was stopped by Dean Wilson, who wore a "constipated" expression, and gestured for him to sit down.
Dean Wilson looked at the student beside him, whose blood pressure was fluctuating, and after holding back for a long time, finally squeezed out a sentence through clenched teeth: "Kid, from now on, you're banned from participating in events that require you to speak on stage!"
He really didn't want to experience the feeling of his heart riding a roller coaster again.
Just as Ethan was about to sincerely say, "I'll be more careful next time," the clear and pleasant voice of the female host on stage echoed across the field again: "Next, please enjoy the guitar performance brought by Ethan, a representative from the Business Administration Department!"
Dean Wilson: "..."
Ethan looked at the dean's instantly frozen face, only able to show an innocent, slightly mischievous smile: "Dean, you really can't blame me for this. Next time, next time, I definitely will!"
Dean Wilson waved his hand weakly, feeling utterly exhausted.
Fortunately, this was just a performance, not an impromptu speech. He could only pray that this kid wouldn't cause any more trouble.
Under the gaze of tens of thousands of eyes in the arena, Ethan calmly stepped onto the stage once again.
This time, he was holding a professional-looking acoustic guitar in his arms, prepared at some unknown time.
He sat on a high stool at the center of the stage, adjusted his microphone stand, and aimed the microphone at the resonance box of his guitar.
Without any extra introduction, his fingers gently stroked the strings, trying out a few notes.
Immediately after, a clear and slightly melancholic prelude flowed out, instantly capturing everyone's ears.
He lowered his head slightly, leaned close to the microphone, and began to sing in a low, magnetic voice that carried the weight of a story worth telling. It was an old, well-loved ballad, one about looking back on youthful anger and old grudges, about the sting of being falsely accused, about finally learning to let it all go and walk on lighter, about trusting that truth outlasts lies and that some things are better answered with silence than with words.
"Damn, I know this one!" Someone in the audience immediately cried out in surprise.
"Oh my god! This voice ... So good!"
"No way? Extraordinary academics, legendary speeches, and singing this good too? Are you even leaving anything for the rest of us?"
"Awesome! This guitar playing is way too steady, isn't it? It sounds more weathered than the original!"
"Record it now! Quick!"
Ethan's voice seemed to carry a magical power, bringing a new charm to a classic old song.
When low, it was like the night wind whispering; when high-pitched, it carried a carefree sense of seeing through the world.
The once somewhat noisy field fell completely silent, leaving only the guitar's melody and his deep singing swirling through the night sky.
Countless phone screens lit up, all aimed at the stage, capturing this stunning moment.
Those who had recorded from the start of the speech were even more excited, feeling as if they had captured a true treasure.
This time, playing guitar and singing was Ethan's second performance since being reborn.
He'd chosen this song purely because he admired the openness and perseverance that come from weathering many hardships.
For him, preparing a complicated program was too much trouble; a simple guitar song could express his feelings most directly.
When the song ended, the lingering notes seemed to linger in the night sky.
After a brief silence, even more enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted like a tsunami!
Ethan stood up, bowed slightly to the audience, hugged his guitar, and calmly stepped down under the still-burning gaze.
His performance seemed to set an insurmountable peak for the entire gala.
The students who took the stage later, whether with heartfelt pop songs or flashy instrumental playing, all seemed somewhat overshadowed.
Only a few seniors performing a fiery and dynamic dance number, relying on youthful energy and visual impact, managed to reignite the atmosphere and draw whistles and cheers, barely holding back the heat Ethan left behind.
But everyone knew in their hearts that tonight's true star had long been decided.
...
Originally, as the representative of the Business Administration program, Ethan's program was already positioned in the middle-to-lower part of the lineup.
But the director of the event, responsible for coordinating the entire gala, broke out in a cold sweat after witnessing Ethan's guitar performance ignite the crowd backstage!
"That was close! It almost buried the best moment of the night with a weak finish!" The director was still terrified.
He made a snap decision, found the program list, and quickly manually adjusted Ethan's final act representing the class to be the grand finale!
At the same time, he secretly felt relieved: luckily, Ethan was going on stage three times tonight. Otherwise, everything scheduled after his guitar performance at this carefully prepared celebration would probably have become a dull backdrop.
When the staff informed Ethan that his last program would be moved to the finale, Ethan instantly understood the director's intention.
He didn't have much objection to this, and simply calmly made a request: "Get me a piano."
Singing was still the easiest way to do it in his mind.
He wouldn't perform anything else.
As the evening drew to a close, although the earlier performances were exciting, the atmosphere in the audience never surpassed the peak of Ethan's guitar performance.
Finally, amid the host's eager announcement, the stage lights focused on a black grand piano that had been quietly pushed up.
"Huh? Piano? Who is it?"
"The grand finale must be something special, right?"
Curious whispers rose from the audience.
When that familiar figure once again gracefully stepped onto the stage and sat gracefully on the piano bench, the entire field instantly erupted!
"Damn! Ethan again!"
"The grand finale! Awesome!"
"Quick, quick, quick! Get your phone ready! This time, I'm recording from the very beginning!"
With the experience of the previous two performances, the students had long become "professional spectators." Countless phone screens lit up instantly, and the cameras all focused on the center of the stage.
This time, they wanted to fully capture every moment of amazement from this "treasure classmate."
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