After Frank's performance, the rest of the show's recording proceeded much more calmly.
That is, until the last contestant to appear, Chloe Campbell. The moment she stood up, she attracted the gaze of many contestants. Especially the men, whose eyes carried both admiration and fervent interest. Chloe Campbell's appearance and figure were simply too distinctive. A cute, round, innocent face, pure and naive, like a middle schooler. Yet her figure was incredibly exaggerated; just a simple movement of standing up caused a noticeable sway. Her baby face and bombshell curves were incredibly eye-catching.
"Wow, it's my turn!" Chloe Campbell, being naive in appearance and simple in character, didn't notice the men's fiery gazes. She skipped and hopped towards the door. As she passed Frank, he smiled at her: "Good luck!" Chloe Campbell looked back with a smile, raising her chubby little fist: "Thank you, Mr. Castle! I'll do my best!" With that, she skipped and hopped out of the contestant backstage area.
Alex Stone suddenly sneered: "Some people just got divorced and are already eyeing young girls. Disgusting." His voice was low, though. Unable to win an argument, and unwilling to give up, he could only grumble like a resentful woman. Frank didn't even bother to acknowledge him. Cheering for Chloe was simply returning her previous kindness; there was no ulterior motive whatsoever. Frank had become detached from romantic relationships now; he just wanted to sing well, stand at the top, and let everyone hear his voice.
Chloe Campbell's appearance on stage also triggered huge cheers from the audience. The bombshell cute girl was indeed popular everywhere. However, the song Chloe Campbell sang was completely different from her demeanor. The explosive, naive girl sat in front of a classical string instrument, instantly transforming into a gentle and elegant presence, her singing a mournful and poignant melody that wrung the heart.
When the song ended, applause thundered. Amelia and Liam both gave 90 points, Emily Chen and James Dawson gave 85 points, and Celeste Monroe gave her second-highest score of the night: 65 points. Mentor score: 415 points. The audience clearly favored Chloe Campbell even more, giving her a high score of 451 points. Chloe Campbell's total score: 866 points.
First episode contestant rankings: Chloe Campbell first, Alex Stone second... Frank Castle seventh.
"'The Voice of America' Season 2, Episode 1 contestant competition concludes here. Thank you all for watching, and we'll see you next week!" With host Dana Peterson's closing remarks, the first episode's stage recording ended.
In the control room, the assistant director was excited: "Director Miller, Chloe Campbell's classical-style song is likely to be a hit. Should we make our next episode's theme classical too?" American culture has a rich history, and in the pop music scene, classical-fusion songs have always been popular. However, in the past two years, excellent classical-fusion singers have become increasingly rare. Chloe Campbell's appearance might trigger another wave of classical-fusion popularity. "The Voice of America" certainly needed to ride this wave of traffic.
Director Miller pondered for a moment, then suddenly said: "If the second episode's theme is classical-fusion, will Frank Castle be able to handle it?"
The assistant director froze. "Director Miller, didn't you say we'd eliminate Frank in the second episode? Why do you care if he can handle it?"
Director Miller glared at him. "When did I say I'd eliminate Frank?" Frank's topic visibility was so high, and his songwriting and performance were unexpectedly excellent. Eliminate a contestant with both traffic and talent? Do you really think my brain is stored in a tomato?
The assistant director looked bewildered. Director Miller really didn't say he'd eliminate Frank? Was I just hallucinating from too much work pressure?
At this moment, Celeste Monroe was walking back to the mentor lounge. As soon as she entered, Sarah Green pulled her aside. "My dear, why did you give Frank such a high score? He's your niece's ex-husband! You need to avoid any appearance of impropriety!" Sarah Green had been monitoring the recording from the lounge. The moment she saw Celeste Monroe give Frank 80 points, she almost rushed into the recording studio. For other contestants, Celeste Monroe had given at most passing scores, but for Frank, it was directly 80 points. It was simply too conspicuous.
Celeste Monroe calmly said: "His song deserved it."
Sarah Green just felt a headache coming on. "This isn't about the song! The scandal between Amelia and Frank was so huge; anyone who gets involved will get tainted. Why do you need to meddle?" She continued, "Besides, your new album is about to be released; countless eyes are on you. At a time like this, we truly cannot make any mistakes!"
At the mention of the new album, Celeste Monroe's delicate brows furrowed slightly. "If the songs aren't good, nothing else matters." There were a few songs on this album she wasn't entirely satisfied with. The album, originally scheduled for release last month, had been delayed until now. The company boss had approached her several times, but each time, their discussions ended badly.
Sarah Green, seeing Celeste Monroe's face slightly pale, also felt a pang of concern. "You practiced singing until dawn yesterday and then came to record the show today. Let's go back to the hotel to rest first, Lily!"
"Alright!" The usually quiet and obedient assistant, Lily Adams, immediately responded, tidying up Celeste Monroe's belongings quickly. The three of them walked out of the lounge, only to see Amelia Quinn standing by the door.
"Aunt Celeste, I need to talk to you first."
Celeste Monroe nodded slightly. Sarah Green and Lily Adams walked a little further away. Amelia looked at Celeste Monroe with a mournful expression: "Aunt Celeste, why didn't you help me just now? Instead, you helped Frank?"
Celeste Monroe's answer was identical to before: "His song was good."
"Aunt Celeste," Amelia said dejectedly, "I'm your niece. Frank and I are divorced. You should help me!"
Celeste Monroe glanced at Amelia. "You have indeed changed." With that, she walked straight ahead. Amelia spoke angrily: "Aunt Celeste, you've never even been in a relationship; you don't understand emotional matters! I didn't wrong Frank! He wronged me!"
Celeste Monroe ignored her, quickly walking away. Amelia's face was grim. "Frank, what do you want from me to finally leave me alone?"
"Sarah, I think Ms. Monroe's niece looks like she's about to cry?" Lily Adams, following behind Celeste Monroe, glanced back and couldn't help but whisper to Sarah Green.
"Silence!" Sarah Green glared at Lily Adams, and the young assistant immediately covered her mouth.
The two walked on, then suddenly noticed something was amiss. Sarah Green said to Celeste Monroe: "Celeste, did we take a wrong turn? This is the way to the contestant backstage area."
"No, we didn't," Celeste Monroe said. "I'm looking for Frank."
"My dear sister! Why are you looking for him?" Sarah Green was startled. She now understood: this Frank was a jinx. Celeste Monroe became abnormal whenever she encountered him.
Celeste Monroe said: "He's very talented. My album is missing a male-female duet."
"?"
Sarah Green was full of questions. "When did your album ever need a male-female duet? How come I don't know about this?" Besides, even if it did, it wouldn't be Frank! He was a nobody. Forget about Celeste, even a second or third-tier singer wouldn't ask him to write a song!
Sarah Green was about to speak again when Celeste Monroe suddenly raised her hand to stop her. Just then, a clear, sweet, and slightly accented voice rang out from around the corner ahead:
"Mr. Castle, I really like your songwriting style. When do you have time to write a duet love song? Let's collaborate."
Sarah Green froze. Could it be...? She quietly crept to the corner and peeked her head out. She saw the Pop Princess of New York, Emily Chen, smiling sweetly at Frank.