Tong Yao's back was to the crowd and the lights were so low that only her shape could be seen as the music started.
The speakers started to blare the opening notes of "Pink Venom".
Blackpink
Blackpink
Blackpink
Blackpink
Tong Yao's body swayed from side-to-side.
Kick in the door, waving the coco'
팝콘이나챙겨껴들생각말고
The lights went to full power, as Tong Yao turned around and entered a standing 180-degree spilt while she positioned her arms into a classic, wushu defensive stance.
It looked like she was kicking in the metaphorical door that Tai and others had been trying to close on her. And, as she exited that position, it was clear that she wasn't wearing a bug costume. However, she still didn't look like herself.
Her minimalistic makeup had been replaced by black eyeliner and a cream eye shadow that made her dark eyes pop. Gone was her neutral shade of lipstick. It had been replaced a berry red color that accentuated her pouty lips. Her trademark brown, girl-next-door bob hairstyle had been replaced by long, jet black hair that had been piled on her head in a high ponytail with cute bangs. As if that weren't enough, she was wearing a burnt-orange-colored spots bra that showed off toned arms and abs, paired with long black yoga pants that flared at the bottom, and the look was finished with Jimmy Choo sneakers that had a two-inch lift.
She looked like an idol.
The effect on the spectators was immediate. Most mouths fell open in shock and appreciation. Lu Si Cheng's mouth also fell open in shock, but it was not out of appreciation. Rather, it looked as if he were watching the start of a car crash in slow motion.
I talk that talk, runways I walk-walk
눈감고, pop-pop, 안봐도척
Before her performance, Tong Yao had known that the lights would be too bright for her to see the audience, so she had prepped the stage with tape to mark out where teams would be sitting and where she wanted to perform each move.
She now strutted to the catwalk portion of the stage before entering a brief run that ended in her dropping to her knees and sliding until she nearly reached its end; she stopped directly in front of TAT's table.
One by one, then two by two
내손끝툭하나에다무너지는중
가짜쇼치곤화려했지
Makes no sense, you couldn't get a dollar out of me
She finished that section of the song with a series of aggressive, yet graceful, hand movements while staring at TAT's table (and, hopefully, directly at Ah Tai). Then she moved back to standing position, performed a spin that ended with her back to Team TAT, and stalked away to address other portions of the audience.
The audience was in a frenzy. Someone shouted, "Twirl on your haters, girl. Twirl on 'em!"
Tong Yao returned back to the top of the catwalk for the next portion of the song.
자, 오늘밤이야, 난독을품은꽃
네혼을빼앗은다음, look what you made us do
천천히널잠재울fire
잔인할만큼아름다워(I bring the pain like)
She took a small hop, followed by a brief run which turned into an aerial cartwheel. She landed it perfectly, and immediately followed it with two back handsprings before standing.
This that pink venom, this that pink venom
This that pink venom
She turned to her left and moved the left hand like a dancing cobra while the right hand was held in a blocking position.
(get 'em, get 'em, get 'em)
Straight to ya dome like whoa-whoa-whoa
Straight to ya dome like ah-ah-ah
She faced center again and moved her hips in a series of twitches that would have made Shakira proud.
Taste that pink venom, taste that pink venom
Taste that pink venom (get 'em, get 'em, get 'em)
Straight to ya dome like whoa-whoa-whoa
Straight to ya dome like ah-ah-ah
She repeated the moves from earlier but this time facing her right. Now she could hear Lao K, also a talented dancer, screaming his approval. "Yao-MeiMei! Jai-yo MeiMei!"
Black paint and ammo', got bodies like Rambo
Rest in peace, please, light up a candle
She pointed to her toned abs and biceps during this section, then turned to face the Owner & Guest section of the room as she encouraged their excitement by walking on the side of the stage closest to them while lip synching.
This the life of a vandal, masked up, and I'm still in CELINE
Designer crimes, or it wouldn't be me, ooh!
Diamonds shining, drive in silence, I don't mind it, I'm riding
Flying private side by side with the pilot up in the sky
And I'm wyling, styling on them and there's no chance
'Cause we got bodies on bodies like this a slow dance
During that last sentence, she was able find an enthusiastic female member of the audience with whom to perform a short, mock sexy dance.
자, 오늘밤이야, 난독을품은꽃
네혼을빼앗은다음, look what you made us do
천천히널잠재울fire
잔인할만큼아름다워(I bring the pain like)
She executed a series of complicated spins before using a set of voguing moves to catch her breath and prepare for the next section.
This that pink venom, this that pink venom
This that pink venom (get 'em, get 'em, get 'em)
She turned to her left again, but this time, she quickly pulled her right leg up to the back of her head as she imitated a scorpion lifting its tail. She repeated that move with each mention of the phrase, "get 'em".
The majority of the audience was now on its feet. In addition to hoots and hollers, she could hear people saying, "Did you know that that she was that flexible?!"
Straight to ya dome like whoa-whoa-whoa
Straight to ya dome like ah-ah-ah
Taste that pink venom, taste that pink venom
Taste that pink venom (get 'em, get 'em, get 'em)
Straight to ya dome like whoa-whoa-whoa
Straight to ya dome like ah-ah-ah
She repeated the moves from the first half of the dance to this section of the song before she stood center stage again and stared once again at the mark that identified where TAT's table was located.
원한다면provoke us
감당못해and you know this
She lifted her arms in a gesture of confusion to emphasize her feelings about TAT questioning her skills and the skills of the Chinese teams.
이미퍼져버린shot that potion
네눈앞은핑크빛ocean
Come and give me all the smoke
도아니면모like I'm so rock and roll
Come and give me all the smoke
다줄세워봐, 자, stop, drop (I bring the pain like)
She formed a gun with her right hand and aimed it at TAT as if blowing them away.
라타타타, 트라타타타
라타타타, 트라타타타
라타타타, 트라타타타
Straight to ya, straight to ya, straight to ya dome like
라타타타, 트라타타타(BLACKPINK)
라타타타, 트라타타타(BLACKPINK)
라타타타, 트라타타타(BLACKPINK)
I bring the pain like-
She ended the song by pretending to yank down TAT's banner and stomping on it with her right foot. About halfway through this verse, she beat her chest like she was Ms. King Kong, then she proceeded with her flag stomp motions on the left and finished by looking again at the center of the room with her hands crossed over her chest.
It was over.
Her heart was beating rapidly; partly from exertion and partly from nervousness about how her performance would be received. The lights were still too bright for her to make out individual faces, but she could her teammates screaming in appreciation, and she took that as a good sign. She bowed slightly and turned around to leave the stage. However, she had moved less than a foot away before the stunned Emcee returned to the stage, grabbed her hand and pulled her back to the center of the catwalk.
"Wow, wow, wow!" he exclaimed as he fanned himself with his free hand. His dazzling smile was back.
The Koreans were notoriously crazy for idols; a condition that seemed to transcend age and profession, so the cheering was especially loud from the Korean team owners and their guests, and it included shouts of "Baby, baby!" and "I love you," spoken in both English and Korean.
The Emcee raised his hand over Tong Yao's head and pointed downwards as he said, "I'm looking at the judges and I can see that we have our winner."
"China won?" she asked with genuine surprise. For the last two days, she had focused on trying to perfect her routine and hadn't been able to watch her fellow performers so she didn't know how her performance would rank next to theirs.
The Emcee nodded, and the Chinese side became even louder as they celebrated. Notably, the only people not celebrating were Team TAT, Jian Yang, and Lu Si Cheng.