Chapter 327 Career
Zhou Xiao's breathing quickened, and she felt as if the entire space had become crowded. After a moment's thought, she leaned back slightly.
The next second, the two people who had been on my left and right immediately leaned forward, their hands on the desks, to squeeze in front of the screen. Their movements were incredibly synchronized, but that was all.
Zhou Xiao, who was still holding the mouse but couldn't see the screen due to the obstruction, was silent for a moment. He simply poked Fang Zai beside him and said, "Teacher Fang, please try."
There was a moment of silence, and then Fang Zai's voice, dry and nervous, rang out, "Can you... let me order? I think that's fine, but Teacher Zhou, I'm a little exhausted right now..."
On the other side, Ren Yaqi, who had straightened up, lowered his head to study the patterns on the pen holder he had picked up from the table. It seemed nothing else could interest him more than this.
The air grew quiet, as if everyone in the room, upon seeing the title of the notice, grew anxious. Everyone wanted to know what was inside, but none had the courage to open it.
A crisp "click" sound rang out in the quiet office. Zhou Xiao placed his hand on the mouse and opened the public notice.
When the page buffering was finished, Ren Yaqi accidentally smashed the bamboo pen holder onto the table with a "click" sound, and it was now rolling on the table.
As for Zhou Xiao, she no longer needed to look at the results. Because the moment she clicked the link, the system prompt sounded in her mind -
[Ding! Detected the host's side quest is underway. Congratulations to the host's work for winning the top spot in the 2024 Top Ten Covers of the World, selected by the internationally renowned award "ZYQ"!]
Special reward: 2 sets of top-notch photography equipment from the photography base. The host can claim them at any time!
On the screen, under the title "ZYQ: Top 10 Covers Worldwide," there was no need to scroll the mouse; the top cover was Mei Yi's cover for the August issue of Modern Style!
At the top of the cover, it was also written in bold black letters - Photographer: Zhou Xiao
"Teacher Zhou, congratulations!" Fang Zai, who had finally come to his senses from his trance, was filled with joy. He stood up, looked at Zhou Xiao, and extended his hand solemnly.
"Teacher Fang, congratulations!" Zhou Xiao held Fang Zai's hand and felt the slight tremor in his hand, which was the excitement that the other party had been suppressing tightly.
She withdrew her hand and slowly exhaled. She looked at Ren Yaqi who was already waiting beside her and also extended her hand to shake his.
"Teacher Xiao Zhou," Ren Yaqi said with a relaxed smile on his face, "Let's work together again next time if we have the chance!"
He turned to face Fang Zai, who was standing beside him. After the two of them exchanged glances, they hugged each other tightly. Zhou Xiao couldn't help but feel a pang of pain in his teeth as he listened to them patting each other's backs.
Just as she was watching, there was a knock on the door. Zhou Xiao turned her head to look at the noise coming from the door, and looked at the two people who were still in excitement, and she responded casually, "What's going on?"
Fang Zai's office, usually sparsely populated, was now packed with people. They had all come in groups to congratulate them after seeing the updated announcement on the website.
For Modern Fashion, having their magazine's name featured on their official website meant that the China edition would receive even more fashion resources from headquarters this year. This not only elevated the magazine's profile, but also meant a bump in positions and salaries for the staff.
“Ahhh, it’s Zhou Xiao talking!” “Congratulations, Teacher Zhou!” “Please take another cover photo for us. I’ll be the host.” “That’s great.” “…”
Listening to the chatter outside the door, Zhou Xiao couldn't help but smile and walked towards the glass door. But just as she was about to open the door, the two people behind her had already shouted excitedly before her.
Zhou Xiao paused holding the door handle, shook his head casually, and then opened the door, and was immediately caught up in the bustle.
…
"Clang!" On the bright red gasoline-powered three-wheeled motorcycle, the gray-haired old man swung the wooden hammer in his hand and hit the big gong hard. The firm rhythm echoed the beating of the gong and drum team in front.
In the parade, Mei Yi, who had gotten on a car for free by helping take photos, sat leisurely on another three-wheeled motorcycle in the procession. However, she had put away her camera and looked down at her phone, which suddenly kept ringing.
After briefly reading a few text messages, Mei Yi's face lit up with a smile like a blossoming flower. Her fingertips brushed over the string of congratulatory messages, and her heart was filled with pride and honor for the younger generation.
From Zhou Xiao's perspective, Teacher Mei seemed quite calm after winning this award. But she didn't know that all this was just Mei Yi trying to relieve her stress.
Mei Yi was well aware of the significance of this award. Zhou Xiao, at her age, possessed a formidable talent and aura for photography. Even though she had only been in the industry for less than two years, her impressive achievements were unmatched by others.
"Sister, what are you looking at so happily?" the aunt next to her, speaking a mixture of dialect and Mandarin, asked curiously.
This small car accompanied the entire "parade" and cost at least 20 yuan to ride. But when the old man, snapping away with a camera, got away with it, the woman expressed envy and curiosity.
"Is it so obvious? It's nothing, it's just that my child won an award." Mei Yi happily took out her mobile phone, flipped through the album to find the photo of Zhou Xiao and her, as well as the magazine cover that they had taken at the time, and showed it to her.
"Oh my, that's incredible! This child has such a bright future!" Looking at the photo, my aunt's expression was filled with envy. She didn't know much about photography techniques, but when she saw the old man's spirit in the photo, she couldn't help but envy him. What a great photo!
"My photos are pretty good too," Mei Yi smiled. "How about I take a photo of you later?"
"Ah? That won't work. My hair will be blown into a mess if I ride in the car." The aunt paused for a moment, and when she realized that Mei Yi had no intention of asking her to stay, she tentatively asked, "How about taking a photo?"
As luck would have it, the sound was completely drowned out by the sound of firecrackers lit on the roadside. Just when she was a little embarrassed to say anything more, she saw Mei Yi beside her had already turned sideways and raised his camera to take a picture of her.
The woman was slightly startled, sensing the joy in the old man's eyes, a completely different expression from before. She couldn't help but think to herself, "The child's success really boosts the elders' spirits."
…
Meanwhile, after seeing the trending search terms, Liu Xiaoxin's group went wild. The group was filled with fans drawn to Zhou Xiao's work, and they were among the first people, outside of the industry and beyond, to learn that Zhou Xiao had been shortlisted for "ZYQ."
Seeing the endless stream of red envelopes being sent out by different people in the group, Liu Xiaoxin took a few too. When she found out that the amounts she received were all in the tens of yuan, she couldn't help but stare wide-eyed.
The person who posted the most was an account called "追风的鹿". He was the first to announce Zhou Xiao's selection in the group chat, and while doing so, he also specifically asked everyone not to share the news on the forum or outside.
As a veteran in the group, Milu had earned considerable respect for his professional analysis. Now, after hearing his words, the others, though initially confused, complied.
Of course, after learning that the difficulty of this award is just to be shortlisted, everyone was more grateful for being shortlisted and discussed in the group how to post on the forum. Even if we didn't win the award, who else in China would be shortlisted?
Here, before Liu Xiaoxin had even sent her first word, someone in the group had already told her not to send it. She nodded in agreement, then suddenly thought of something and quickly opened the forum.
If you want to see other people's praise for Zhou Xiao, then of course you have to go to the forum! On a certain blog, there are a lot of people who are just trying to get the hot search results for no reason. It's really hard to find anything!
——【Entertainment Forum】——[January 30th afternoon]
[Topic] Holy crap! Holy crap! Is that hotly searched award real or fake?
[Main Post] While fans of the domestic entertainment industry are still criticizing their own artists’ photographers, there is a photography teacher who has already reached the next level!!! Sister Zhou, you are simply my god!
1L
Can anyone explain this award? I see Modern's official Weibo is going crazy, posting over a dozen messages... Who said this magazine is so cool? It's really scary when they get excited...
39L
I checked the internet and it was surprisingly well-received! Some foreigners even praised me as a rising star. OMG, I was so happy!
88L
I've already said a lot, so I'll just briefly mention that Zhou Xiao is the second photographer in China to be awarded the "ZYQ" Top Ten Cover!!!
Now, here's the kicker. Do you know who the last teacher to win the award was? [Smiles] It was Mei Yimei, the cover model photographed by Zhou Xiao! Who says this isn't a form of inheritance?
156L
I went to see the August issue of Modern Style, and it was absolutely stunning! You can feel the tranquility and elegance in the photos. Wow, I almost got goosebumps! [Looking Up.jpg]
247L
My hands are shaking right now as I share the same burden with Xindong Teacher. Oh my goodness, is this the closest step to becoming a great person in my star-chasing career? I am so excited!
366L
Reply to 247L: Damn it, sister, go to a certain blog! Shao Zi has posted a blog!
…
On a certain blog, an unexpected congratulatory post was posted. Although it was only a simple line, all Ji Shao fans, including those chasing after him, could feel the full sincerity in it.
@NINE STAR-纪韶V: Congratulations to Teacher Zhou Xiao for winning the grand prize! So proud of you! [Applause][Applause][Applause]
【Ahhhh, baby, you're as happy as us, right?】
Congratulations, Teacher Zhou Xiao! I'm honored to be your supporter!!!
[Teacher Xindong succeeded in chasing stars, hahahaha]
I guess Xiao Ji posted this during a break in filming [laughing with his hands covering his mouth] He needs to record the show well! Of course, the most important thing is, my sister Zhou is absolutely amazing!
[I was shocked to see the trending search, and I didn’t expect Shao Zi to post a special post to congratulate Teacher Xindong! ]
【……】
It was intermission in the lounge of "The Chamber of Secrets." Ji Shao, sitting on the sofa, raised his head, his face radiating undisguised pride and joy, as if he were the winner.
Chen Shenju, staring at his phone, also had a look of disbelief on his face. He had already seen the award information shared by fans on the super topic. Thinking of this, Chen Shenju couldn't help but look at Ji Shao. What should he say? His own artist's luck was truly enviable.
"Knock knock knock" someone knocked on the lounge door. It was the PD who came to remind Ji Shao that the filming was about to begin. Hearing the sound, Ji Shao put his phone down. When he stood up to open the door, he suddenly turned around and said to Chen Shenju, "Brother, please keep an eye on this for me!"
Chen Shenju understood that Ji Shao didn't want this blog post to go viral. He nodded and told Ji Shao to go back to recording the show. As soon as the door closed, he frantically pulled out his phone, found a number, and dialed it, completely ignoring the pinging of new messages on his phone.
You can’t be on the trending search just because you want to, and you can’t decide whether to be on it or not. On the phone screen where he was dialing, it was showing - "Mr. Li of a certain blog"
The problem still needs to be solved at the source, Chen Shenju thought. In this matter, he would never let this congratulation be manipulated and distorted.
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