"Alright, everyone, follow my lead—" Chu Zhi demonstrated, stomping twice and clapping once. The thousands of spectators around him enthusiastically mimicked his actions.
The several thousand audience members around him quickly followed suit, echoing his movements with enthusiasm.
To achieve perfect unison, a little rehearsal was necessary. But truthfully, most of the audience's eyes were locked onto Chu Zhi's outfit.
Just look at what Old Qian had prepared for him to wear: a military-style jacket, beige combat boots, and camo pants.
Chu Zhi had the kind of face and figure that could make anything look good, and standing at the center of the stage in that ensemble, there was only one way to describe him—uniform temptation.
"Interacting with the audience to boost popularity?" Higuchi Hanato nodded inwardly. Smart move.
But even the smartest tactic meant nothing when faced with absolute strength.
At the Fuji Rock Festival, no foreign artist had ever secured five straight victories. Higuchi Hanato's expression was resolute. He would uphold the founding principle of this rock festival: to make Japanese rock even greater.
"Ragdoll-san is up against senior Higuchi… who should I support? This is tearing me apart," said Triangle.
Pattern 14 had also left Stage Three earlier but rushed back to watch the showdown between Higuchi Hanato and Chu Zhi.
"No matter who you support, it won't change the outcome. Higuchi Hanato is unmatched," said Square.
Pentagon nodded in agreement. Higuchi Hanato was a god in pop rock. Honestly, just earlier with Sherry, he already had the upper hand. The only reason Chu Zhi seemed to compete was probably because of his over-the-top popularity in Asia, which swayed the crowd a bit.
"I can't believe he drew out senior Higuchi. The title of 'first-generation pretty boy of the 21st century' really wasn't exaggerated."
"It's not just the looks. Chu Zhi's got both the face and the voice."
"My little sister's a huge fan of Chu Zhi. Good thing she didn't come. If she saw her idol crushed, she'd be devastated."
"She'd be upset if her idol lost, but not if her big brother lost? Heron's place in his sister's heart must be rock bottom."
That last exchange was among the AFZ band members. No matter their thoughts, they were here for the show and loving every second of it.
What no one knew was, Chu Zhi was about to drop a nuke on the stage.
Half a year ago, he had drawn Queen's legendary anthem We Will Rock You. He'd been waiting for the right moment to unleash it. Facing off against Asia's top guitarist today? Couldn't ask for a better opportunity.
"My next song is We Will Rock You. We will shake this stage."
Chu Zhi didn't imitate Uncle Freddie's signature look—just a white pair of shorts and a red scarf. Nor did he copy anyone else's stage persona. That would just be a poor imitation.
Instead, he carried a style closer to a German heavy metal band. Cold, intense, and sharp. He didn't just stand still like a statue, but even when he moved, he felt like an Emperor Beast. That chilling stage presence, set against rock's fiery energy, created a jarring contrast.
He put down his guitar, leaving many rock singers in the audience stunned. No live guitar? No bass riff?
"Stomp stomp!"
"Clap!"
Chu Zhi raised his right hand high, guiding the audience like a conductor. Thousands stomped and clapped in perfect sync. It was the song's intro.
This kind of crowd engagement was routine at his concerts. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Higuchi Hanato didn't think much of it at first. But then the sound of thousands of stomps and claps hit like a sonic boom, as if the entire ground was going to shatter.
The momentum was staggering. Higuchi Hanato's face grew solemn. Other musicians nearby shifted uncomfortably.
🎵
Buddy, you're a boy, make a big noise
Playing in the street, gonna be a big man someday
You got mud on your face, you big disgrace
Kicking your can all over the place
🎵
Once the audience settled into the rhythm, Chu Zhi lowered his raised hand and gripped the microphone stand with both hands. His fervent gaze locked onto the crowd.
The overwhelming noise—"stomp stomp clap!"—became his weapon. The provocative lyrics electrified the audience's nerves.
🎵
Singing, we will, we will rock you
We will, we will rock you
🎵
As one music critic on Earth once said—this song had no climax because it was pure fire from start to finish.
More and more spectators joined in the stomping and clapping, drawing bewildered looks from other stages. What the hell was happening over there?
Usually, the loudest noise came from the metal-rock stage, but right now, Stage 3 was stealing the spotlight from all eight other stages.
"You can do rock like this?" Even Polygon felt the adrenaline rush. Though he didn't clap, his feet were stomping along.
The members of Pattern 14 were all clapping and stomping. Triangle stared at the man on stage with admiration—his idol truly lived up to his reputation.
🎵
Buddy, you're a young man, hard man
Shouting in the street, gonna take on the world someday
You got blood on your face, you big disgrace
Waving your banner all over the place
🎵
By the second verse, even those who had never heard the song before—if they knew English—were singing along.
🎵
We will, we will rock you
Singing, we will, we will rock you
🎵
The Fuji Rock Festival had been going on for nearly two hours. Many in the audience were starting to feel tired, but Chu Zhi's voice injected them with fresh energy.
It was like eating ten pounds of wolfberries with oysters or chugging half a pound of coffee after two sleepless nights—pure exhilaration, pure mental high!
With no outlet for their excitement, the audience stomped and clapped even harder.
Chu Zhi dragged the mic stand to the front of the stage, closer to the crowd.
The screams and cheers grew louder. Famous rock stars could command a crowd, but Chu Zhi's every move was like pouring gasoline on a fire.
Standing there in his military-style outfit, Chu Zhi looked like the God of Rock Warfare.
🎵
Buddy, you're an old man, poor man
Pleading with your eyes, gonna make you some peace someday
You got mud on your face, big disgrace
Somebody better put you back into your place
🎵
Stage 3 had now become the most densely packed area of the festival. With 40,000 attendees—making it Asia's largest outdoor rock festival—nearly 8,000 had gathered here.
Considering the flow of the crowd, each stage had ample space, but this was the first time it had become this packed.
Rock!
Guitar or no guitar, bass or no bass—this was rock, and it was fucking electrifying.
The drummer of AFZ Band, who had recently injured his leg in a bar fight, was still stomping along.
"Ooooh ooooh!" The AFZ drummer let out a gorilla-like roar.
🎵
We will, we will rock you
Singing, we will, we will rock you
🎵
At the climax, Chu Zhi suddenly paused and shouted, "Everybody—!"
"WE WILL ROCK YOU!"
"WE WILL ROCK YOU!"
The crowd around Stage 3 erupted into a massive chorus—not just the audience, but even the musicians, including the challenger, Higuchi Hanato.
"Damn it… This song's stage presence is too strong. I might lose." Higuchi thought grimly.
As the song ended, two things followed—
Deafening applause.
And roaring cheers.
"This is the first time I've heard a rock song with such audience participation. Chu Zhi's live performance is even more infectious than his EP—King of Live Shows."
"Before hearing this, I was firmly supporting Higuchi-san… Now I'm not so sure."
"The Stomping Song."
"At Fuji Rock, I met an incredible rock singer—Chu Zhi!"
"How can someone with such a cold expression sing a song so full of fire?"
The shock wasn't limited to the audience—the rock musicians were equally stunned.
"Is this the rock prodigy I've been watching?" Zheng Huo murmured. He felt like the man on stage had turned into the sun itself.
Stage presence was crucial in rock. Even a technically simple song could set a crowd ablaze if performed by a veteran. Big Eyes, the lead singer of Tongue Flower Band, saw that veteran-level magnetism in Chu Zhi.
"Standing still, coldly watching the crowd go wild because of his song… I want that rockstar aura." Big Eyes had his own style as a frontman, but today's performance had captivated him. His feet were still tingling.
And he wasn't the only one—many had stomped and clapped so hard their feet and hands were sore.
"Now, audience—let me hear your cheers for the song you prefer!" Chu Zhi called for the vote.
Nearly 8,000 voices merged into one. The result was overwhelmingly one-sided—Chu Zhi's name drowned out everything else.
"We Will Rock You" was simply unbeatable. On Earth, many might not know Queen, but nearly everyone had heard this song.
In fact, it was one of the two most-played songs at international sporting events—the other being "We Are the Champions" (also by Queen).
Chu Zhi won!
"Holy shit, holy shit." Wu Xi wanted to say something cultured but could only blurt out the most visceral reaction.
"Five straight wins… Senior Higuchi Hanato actually lost?" Polygon was stunned—and even more stunned that he didn't question the outcome.
Members of AFZ, Winter Snow Blast, Four Thousand, and other top Japanese bands had just witnessed a young singer slay a god.
"Total victory—and with overwhelming dominance." Pentagram, the guitarist of Pattern 14, had idolized Higuchi Hanato. He had never dreamed of surpassing him—only chasing him. Today, he saw his idol defeated.
The man himself, Higuchi Hanato, was still processing the loss. He had wanted to break the foreign singer's streak but ended up losing and boosting Chu Zhi's legend.
He had even pulled out his "Sword Strike Strumming Technique"!
"Did I… lose?"
"Is he a greater rock talent than Zheng Huo?"
A thousand thoughts flashed through his mind, but decades of performing had taught him how to lose gracefully.
"Would you like to talk after the festival?" Higuchi asked before leaving the stage.
"Of course. Your Sword Strike Strumming was truly impressive," Chu Zhi agreed.
But internally, the Emperor Beast wondered—what did Asia's top guitarist want to discuss? A rematch after losing on stage?
Putting aside the details, Chu Zhi still had one last thing to do.
"So, who's the next challenger?" he asked.
The musicians below could press their challenge tokens.
But after thirty seconds… Chu Zhi still didn't hear the familiar, ear-piercing "BEEP!"
Huh? Did the machine break?
The audience blinked, waiting. Chu Zhi's first song had moved them to tears, his third had pumped them full of adrenaline—they wanted more.
Chu Zhi asked again, louder: "Is there anyone who wants to challenge me?"
The musician's area was dead silent.
No one dared to step forward…