Chapter 523: He Has the Air of Quincy Manor
"That was perfectly put! Thank you, Leonard Bishop!" the host praised him sincerely.
Leonard Bishop bowed to the stage before walking off.
Several other contestants performed after him, but their acts paled in comparison to Leonard Bishop’s perfect performance. The audience’s reaction was lukewarm, creating no significant stir.
If the audience’s reaction was any indication of the competition’s outcome, then Leonard Bishop had clearly won their approval.
However, many other factors would determine the final result.
After all nine contestants had finished, it was time for the two Virtue Mentors to score them. The scores would be based on their conduct over the last three days, as well as their stage performance just now.
The scoring process was straightforward. Ethan Kingsley would give his score, followed by Adrian Quincy. The sum of their two scores would be the contestant’s final virtue score.
For dramatic effect, the production team had the two mentors save the scores of the three most popular contestants for last.
The three most popular contestants were Liam Linden, Leonard Bishop, and the duo, Hayden Carson and Leo Lynch.
Hayden Carson and Leo Lynch’s popularity was slightly lower than the other two, so Adrian Quincy and Ethan Kingsley announced their score first. Both mentors gave them 88 points.
Next was Liam Linden’s score.
Adrian Quincy raised the microphone. "Liam Linden, 92 points."
Ethan Kingsley followed. "Liam Linden, 93 points."
Adrian Quincy and Ethan Kingsley were much stricter scorers than Claire Sinclair. Claire would usually give contestants with flawless performances a 99, so it was clear the two men had a different standard of assessment.
The host took the opportunity to speak up. "Liam Linden’s total virtue score is 185. Can Leonard Bishop surpass him to become the contestant with the highest score?"
Adrian Quincy ignored him. He calmly raised the microphone and continued his announcement. "Leonard Bishop, 99 points."
The moment he said it, everyone was stunned.
Ethan Kingsley, however, wasn’t surprised, as he had given the same score. "Leonard Bishop, 99 points."
All eyes simultaneously turned to Leonard Bishop. The camera cut to him as well, displaying his face on the large screen.
Leonard Bishop appeared perfectly composed, unfazed by the praise, his expression unchanging.
With the virtue scores announced, all that remained was the tabulation of the online and audience votes.
Everyone held their breath. The C-position—the winner—was about to be decided. The anticipation was palpable.
Claire Sinclair was beside herself with excitement. Her hand unconsciously clutched the hem of Adrian Quincy’s jacket. She wished she could rush backstage and demand the final results from the production team.
Unfortunately, the tabulation would take some time.
The host used the downtime to interview the five mentors.
Of the five mentors, the host was most eager to question the two Virtue Mentors. He started, "Mr. Quincy, I’m sure many people are wondering, what was your reasoning for giving Leonard Bishop a 99?"
Adrian Quincy answered, unhurried and composed, "He has the air of Quincy Manor about him."
The host was taken aback for a second, then began to applaud instinctively. The audience joined in.
It was the perfect answer.
The host then turned to Ethan Kingsley. "Teacher Kingsley, what about your reason?"
Ethan Kingsley smiled faintly. "I’ve seen all sorts of people in the entertainment industry. I can spot promising talent at a glance. Leonard Bishop is a good kid, so I gave him a 99. I held back that last point so he doesn’t get arrogant."
The host chimed in, "Teacher Kingsley, you’ve been in the entertainment industry for many years. I’m sure many people will trust your eye for talent. Thank you, Teacher Kingsley."
Just then, a staff member finally brought the final vote totals onstage.
The host took the booklet, first read off the names of the major sponsors, before finally announcing the vote count.