428: Chapter 428 The Struggle of Capital: Too Cruel

Sander looked down at Chen You, the muscles around her eyes twitching from intense emotion.

The term 'great demon king' accurately struck her innate desire for power and dominance, while perfectly aligning with her recent obsession with 'art'.

"Me?" Sander's voice dropped an octave, carrying a tentative, almost timid quality. "Can I really do it?"

"You must be able to," Chen You said decisively, without the slightest hesitation.

"Cangxing City doesn't need a cookie-cutter talent show champion, and the Source Realm doesn't lack a City Lord who can only sing and dance."

Chen You raised his hand and pointed at the messy backyard. "But this era lacks a Demon King who dares to trample old rules underfoot and redefine what it means to be 'top-tier'."

Sander followed Chen You's finger. The cracked stone slabs and collapsed courtyard walls no longer looked like traces of a tantrum to her; they were symbols of breaking the old era.

"Look at yourself now," Chen You sighed, his gaze sweeping over Sander's torn overalls and disheveled hair.

"Throwing a tantrum and even ruining your battle robe. How can a great demon king descend upon the pinnacle stage in this state?"

Sander's old face flushed red, and her massive hands awkwardly tugged at the tattered strips of cloth on her body.

"Mentor, I..."

"Say no more," Chen You interrupted her. "Come, I'll take you to get a new outfit."

"In tonight's finals, I'm going to make you the sole focus of the entire venue."

Sander waved her hands repeatedly, saying there was no need for trouble and that she could just find some armor to wear.

"Nonsense!" Chen You frowned. "Armor is for war! You are an idol now, a trainee, the King about to be crowned! You must have an exclusive battle robe that matches your status!"

Half an hour later.

The most elite tailor shop in Cangxing City was forcibly cleared by the City Defense Force.

A master tailor in his sixties stood aside, trembling.

In his forty-year career, he had made robes for God-level Mages and cloaks for Sword Saints, but he had never received such an absurd blueprint as today's.

Chen You sat in a grand armchair, teacup in hand, giving instructions from time to time.

"Pull the waist up a bit more. Yes, it needs to be high-waisted."

"Change the material of the straps to iron wire, otherwise they won't hold the City Lord's pectoral muscles."

"The color must be black and white stripes. This is called minimalist high-end style."

Sander stood before a massive fitting mirror, letting several apprentice tailors busy themselves on her by using ladders.

She looked at the burly figure in the mirror wearing extra-large overalls and a center-parted wig, falling into a brief silence.

"Mentor," Sander turned her head, the custom wig swinging with the movement. "Isn't this outfit a bit too... tight?"

"Tight is good." Chen You set down his teacup, stepped forward, and stuffed a custom basketball into Sander's hands.

"Tight clothes can highlight your muscle lines and showcase your wild beauty. Combined with that melancholic center-parted hair, it's a perfect blend of power and beauty."

Chen You took two steps back and looked her up and down.

The vibe was exactly right.

This overwhelming sense of pressure, this unparalleled resemblance to an old friend.

This wave of homage would definitely be recorded in the annals of the Source Realm.

"Remember," Chen You composed himself and put on a serious expression. "Everything is ready. Stay on standby backstage."

"Do not show your face without my signal. You must suppress all your anger, resentment, and desire for art in your heart."

"Wait until I call your name, then let it all explode!"

Sander nodded vigorously, her eyes shining.

She held the basketball tightly, as if holding the center of the whole world.

With Sander sorted out, there was less than half an hour left before the finals began.

Chen You walked out of the tailor shop and headed straight for the grand finals stage.

By this time, the central plaza of Cangxing City was completely boiling over.

Since Cangxing City was the birthplace of the Voice of Star Source, the venue for the finals was naturally set there.

The system had opened temporary teleportation permissions, allowing the finalists to teleport directly to the center of the plaza via the event interface.

However, the situation on-site was completely beyond Chen You's expectations.

The plaza was packed with people, but the vast majority were not fanatical fans, but rather rejected contestants who had traveled thousands of miles to protest.

As soon as Chen You reached the outskirts of the plaza, he heard a deafening roar.

"Rigged! It's definitely rigged!"

A three-meter-tall Berserker was bare-chested, holding a huge wooden sign with "Refund" written on it in crooked letters.

He was shouting and spitting at the City Defense Force maintaining order.

"I split three Earth Dragons with one hand and smashed half a mountain with one hammer blow. Why did the evaluation say I 'lack dance flexibility'? That was a war dance! Don't you understand war dances?!"

A scantily clad Succubus next to him chimed in, "Exactly!"

"I used charm magic to make every man at the audition site have a nosebleed, and the judges said I was 'indecent and doesn't fit the mainstream theme'!"

As soon as Chen You appeared, someone in the crowd screamed.

"It's Chen You! That black-hearted chief judge!"

"Shut up, what does this have to do with God You?"

"Isn't he one of the judges?!"

"What do you know? God You must have his own reasons!"

The crowd instantly rioted, surging toward Chen You like a tide.

Chen You stood his ground without moving.

The surrounding City Defense Force immediately stepped forward, forming a human wall and struggling to hold back the angry masses.

"God You! Say something!"

"God You, it's all my fault. I'll take the blame for this, pass it to me!"

Chen You was speechless, but it seemed quite a few people were still on his side.

A high-level player mage stood on high ground, pointing at Chen You's nose and shouting.

"I've seen that finals list. It's full of weirdos and failures! Why do they get to be finalists?"

"Yeah! On what grounds?!"

The protests were deafening, threatening to overturn Cangxing City.

Chen You's brow furrowed slightly, but his expression remained calm without a ripple.

He cleared his throat, circulated his spiritual energy, and his voice spread through the venue like a great bell.

"Everyone, be quiet!"

The massive sound wave suppressed the venue, and the crowd fell briefly silent.

Countless eyes stared fixedly at him, waiting for his explanation.

Chen You let out a sigh.

He slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with exhaustion, helplessness, and deep heartache.

"Do you think that list was what I wanted?"

The whole crowd was stunned.

"Do you think it doesn't break my heart to see those tone-deaf, stiff-limbed contestants advance? Do you think I'm not suffering?"

Chen You clutched his chest, his brow furrowed, his voice carrying a perfect hint of trembling.

"I am the founder of the Voice of Star Source! I want this stage to be more flawless than any of you!"

"Then why eliminate us?" an elven girl questioned loudly.

Chen You gave a cold laugh and pointed a finger straight at the sky.

"Because of capital!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire crowd erupted in an uproar.

The NPCs didn't understand what capital was, but the players understood all too well.

"The judging panel is not my dictatorship! I, Chen You, am merely a puppet!"

Chen You denounced with a strained voice, as if he had suffered a monumental grievance.