Human relationships
The top three teams were reported, and everyone was quite happy. They were even happier after learning about the reward for completing the level.
The first three groups to clear the stage will receive an extra performance opportunity, allowing them to collaborate on a stage in subsequent performances. The composition of the groups can be freely arranged, as long as there are two or more members.
In other words, they will have an extra opportunity to showcase their talents in their first performance!
The other trainees were filled with regret, especially the group that was ranked fourth.
The next part of the recording involved the three mentors from the singing competition each preparing their own stage performances. Zhao Qinfeng was the first to step onto the stage.
Lin Ting sat in her seat, watching Zhao Qinfeng stand under the lights with a microphone in his hand, and suddenly remembered the first time she recorded "The Sound Spreads Far and Wide".
After Zhao Qinfeng finished singing, he heard a thunderous roar of applause from the students below the stage. He bowed gracefully and left the stage with composure.
Zhao Qinfeng walked back to his mentor's seat and sat down. The mentors next to him were also applauding. When they saw him, they couldn't help but praise his singing.
Zhao Qinfeng thanked them repeatedly, thanking everyone, and then naturally turned to face Lin Ting.
Lin Ting clapped along with everyone else, and when he met Zhao Qinfeng's gaze, he didn't show any inappropriate expression. He smiled and said, "You sang very well."
The next two mentors also demonstrated their formidable abilities, providing a feast for the ears of the students, as well as the mentors and commentators watching.
Finally, he said some repetitive things, mostly encouraging everyone to perform well, study hard, and ask the mentors for help if they had any questions. Lin Ting didn't listen carefully; it was mostly just platitudes.
The filming ended early that evening, and the director invited everyone to dinner. Lin Ting and Zhao Qinfeng had no other plans, so they accepted the invitation.
After finishing the recording, Lin Ting went back to her room to remove her makeup. She originally wanted to ask Zhao Qinfeng to come with her, but Zhao Qinfeng seemed to be on the phone discussing something with someone else, so she set off on her own first.
When they arrived at the destination, there weren't many people there yet. Lin Ting looked around and saw someone he hadn't expected.
Next to the assistant director sat a student who looked particularly awkward, but still mustered up the courage to stand up and greet Lin Ting: "Hello, Teacher Lin."
"It's alright, it's alright, please sit down. Good evening."
Lin Ting, wearing a standard smile befitting social politeness, quickly responded.
He calmly went inside, found a seat, and sat down, though he was somewhat puzzled.
Lin Ting secretly sent a message to Zhao Qinfeng, who hadn't arrived yet.
"There are some of your trainees in this private room. Did you invite them to the dinner party tonight?"
Zhao Qinfeng replied quickly, "They shouldn't be together. Let me ask."
Lin Ting put down her phone and started talking to her mentor.
A moment later, Zhang Fengming also came in, greeted everyone, and walked straight toward Lin Ting, sitting in the empty seat next to him.
"Do you know why that student is here?" Lin Ting whispered to Zhang Fengming.
Zhang Fengming looked puzzled, glancing in the direction Lin Ting had indicated, before realizing there were still students present. He lowered his voice, "I didn't know. Logically, this shouldn't be the case in a situation like this..."
Zhao Qinfeng sent a message: "I asked the director, and it seems to be a junior member of the assistant director's family. He brought him over to get to know everyone."
Lin Ting asked, "Are you still planning to come?"
Zhao Qinfeng: "Come on, is there a seat next to you?"
Lin Ting: "There are no seats left. Blame Zhang Fengming."
Zhao Qinfeng: "..."
Zhang Fengming suddenly sneezed and hurriedly covered the lower half of his face with his elbow.
Lin Ting looked up and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"
The situation is unusual right now, and no one dares to take any suspected cold symptoms lightly, for fear that the virus could spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred.
Zhang Fengming shook his head. "It's nothing, it's probably just a sneeze. Maybe someone's talking about me behind my back."
Lin Ting: "Haha, that's great, at least someone cares about me."
After a while, people gradually arrived. Zhao Qinfeng and Lin Ting sat quite far away, but were rather close to the assistant director.
"Good evening, Teacher Zhao..." The student peeked out and greeted Zhao Qinfeng.
When Zhao Qinfeng came in, he was watching Lin Ting and Zhang Fengming chat. Hearing the voices from the side, his expression was indifferent, unlike his usual gentle demeanor when recording programs.
"Good evening," he replied simply, nodding to the student.
The student seemed a little afraid of him, and after saying that, he didn't dare to talk to Zhao Qinfeng again.
Once everyone had arrived, the director called over the waiters and asked them to start serving the food.
Although Lin Ting and Zhao Qinfeng did not speak directly, they chatted casually on their phones.
Lin Ting: "What should we do in this situation?"
Zhao Qinfeng: "It's just a matter of personal favor, but you don't need to worry too much. Just communicate normally."
Seeing how calmly he replied, Lin Ting thought to herself, "You've clearly shown your displeasure to these students, yet you claim it's just normal communication."
Fortunately, Zhao Qinfeng and the other student were sitting in two seats close together at the round table, so the other student wouldn't be able to see the expression on Zhao Qinfeng's face unless he deliberately turned his head to look.
The assistant director poured himself a drink, stood up, looked around, and slowly said, "This kid is my nephew. I've watched him grow up since he was a child. Now that he's older, he wants to go out and make his way in the world. I hope everyone can give me some face and give this kid some encouragement."
Lin Ting poured a little juice into a glass, just a small half-glass, and slowly tilted his head back to drink it all.
The people around them accepted the toast offered by the assistant director and exchanged pleasantries.
The meal was a bit awkward. Everyone was just eating and chatting normally, but the atmosphere was just strange.
He and Zhao Qinfeng slowly walked back together.
Zhao Qinfeng asked, "Do you think this restaurant is good?"
Lin Ting thought back for a moment, "The cooking was so-so, the ingredients were okay, and the drinks were delicious."
Zhao Qinfeng said, "I've been watching you drink beverages all night. Have you eaten yet?"
Lin Ting touched her stomach, feeling neither full nor hungry. "Hmm... I'd say I'm about 50% full?"
Zhao Qinfeng laughed and said, "Is that enough water?"
Lin Ting also laughed.
Zhao Qinfeng said, "How about we go buy some snacks?"
They walked to the street corner, where there were a few small stalls partitioned off from the regular storefronts, with small signs barely hanging out: "Fried Food," "Baked Flatbread," and "Egg Pancakes," the aroma and smoke wafting out together.
Lin Ting bought two egg pancakes and handed one to Zhao Qinfeng, saying, "Eat with me."
The two continued walking back.
Lin Ting asked, "Was this the student who was directly selected during the preliminary rounds?"
Zhao Qinfeng nodded, then shook his head: "He's not the only one who was asked to stay in the preliminary rounds, but for now, he's the only one who's gone through this ordeal tonight."
Lin Ting asked, "When you encounter this situation, do you treat people differently during recording?"
Zhao Qinfeng said, "Fortunately, everyone ate dinner normally tonight. At most, it was just a notification. Whether or not people are willing to do favors afterward depends on other exchanges of benefits."
Lin Ting looked at the streetlights ahead; their dim yellow light shone on the floating dust, creating a hazy, drifting effect. He quickly finished his egg pancake, making sure it didn't get covered in dust.
Zhao Qinfeng asked, "Are you still eating? I still have more than half left."
Lin Ting waved her hand, "It's okay, I'm not hungry anymore."
Zhao Qinfeng continued eating slowly.
After calming himself down, Lin Ting checked his emails as usual before bed. A project had invited him to help review it and act as a judge. Since the person in charge was an acquaintance, Lin Ting contacted him directly on WeChat.
"This project is scheduled for May. First, there will be an online selection, followed by an offline event. If it's inconvenient for you to show up, you can be listed as an online judge."
Lin Ting saw that the timing didn't conflict with the current variety show, and the theme was quite interesting, so she accepted the offer.
Several emails also invited him to write lyrics. Lin Ting inquired about the details and planned to check their replies tomorrow.
Waking up, it was another workday. Lin Ting went to the cafeteria and found Chen Taining already sitting with everyone eating breakfast.
He strolled by and passed the classroom where the students were having their vocal lessons. He heard them warming up their voices. Whether they sounded good or not was another matter, but the sound wave made him stagger and almost bump into the wall.
The afternoon was the second performance, and Lin Ting listened all afternoon, feeling like she was grading homework. After several days of training, everyone's singing was surprisingly much less clumsy than when they first arrived, and the attention to detail had improved.
"However, everyone still has a lot of room for improvement, so please continue to work hard. Your mentors already gave a demonstration yesterday, and that should be your goal. Of course, it would be even better if you could surpass them one day." Lin Ting concluded the previous segment.
The trainees laughed, some of them seeming quite helpless, not believing they had such strength, and not thinking they could grow into that kind of person.
Professor Xu picked up the microphone and said, "Professor Lin is right..."
Being addressed as "teacher" by Professor Xu made Lin Ting feel immense pressure, and she frantically waved her hands behind Professor Xu's back. This action was faithfully recorded by the camera.
Professor Xu continued, “You are all undoubtedly talented, some more so, some less so, but to be standing here already means you are on this path. We selected you not to eliminate a group of people to prove the excellence of those who remain, but to hope that you will make good use of this platform. No matter how you feel about your current abilities, absorb knowledge here like a sponge, learn from renowned teachers and classmates, and no matter when you leave, you will ultimately gain something from this experience.”
The laughter gradually subsided, and everyone listened quietly.
Lin Ting didn't know how much of what the students had taken to heart, but he certainly had.
Moreover, he had seen today's schedule in advance and knew the foreshadowing in Professor Xu's words.
The big screen suddenly changed, listing all the scores from the two presentations by all the trainees.
"Now I will announce the elimination rules."
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