Chapter 223 The Calm Before the Storm
He Mingming ran out of the room excitedly and told her parents the news. She explained to them how powerful the Talent Cage in Fantasy Park was and how many people had learned their best areas through it. She tried to prove to them that there were better ways out besides attending school obediently.
However, the parents waved their hands and said, "I think these are just excuses. You're doing this just because you want to go to the park."
He Mingming was stunned for a moment, then his emotions broke down. He yelled, "I just wanted to go to the park, so what? Last year you promised me I could go as long as my grades improved, and what happened?"
Both parents were stunned for a moment, and Dad said awkwardly, "Doesn't that mean you didn't buy the tickets?"
Mom agreed, "Yeah. Besides, your improved grades show you're talented in academics. You just didn't work hard before. Now..."
He Mingming sneered, went back to his room without listening to her finish, and slammed the door shut.
She sat on the bed and punched the pillow a few times to vent her anger. The last blow went astray, and her fist hit the bedside table, causing her to burst into tears immediately. He Mingming sat on the bed, covering her hands with pain, not understanding why she had to endure so much injustice.
She has never liked academic subjects since she was a child. She has always loved painting. She still remembers the first time she picked up a paintbrush and the first time she portrayed the feeling of color. At that time, the workload in elementary school was not heavy, and the art teacher praised her talent in painting. She happily went home to show off, but her parents said that it was because the teacher had high emotional intelligence and the teacher said the same thing to every child.
He Mingming still remembers how lost he felt at that time.
What happened next? Under her parents' strict demands, she put down her paintbrush and abandoned her artistic career path. She diligently studied academic subjects like most other students. However, she had no talent for them. While the teacher would explain a point once or twice, most students who listened attentively would understand, she would need to listen four or five times before she could even begin to grasp the basics. Academic subjects were incredibly difficult for her, and she was severely biased in her academic performance, with science being a complete hindrance.
She had memorized the formulas by heart, but as soon as the math problem was changed or had one or two traps, her brain couldn't follow it. After great effort, she finally mastered this type of question, but in the next exam, when the question type was changed again, she still couldn't understand it.
It was like everyone was climbing a mountain together. Some climbed higher and higher with ease, while others struggled and fell a few times before finally reaching the top. But she, despite being fully equipped and clearly working hard, felt like there was a wall of air before her, blocking her, unable to climb up or around it, and she couldn't understand what was blocking her.
She studied academic subjects until midnight every day. Sometimes she couldn't solve math problems, so she didn't dare to sleep or think of a solution. She would sit there until two or three in the morning. The next day, she went to school feeling frustrated. She asked her deskmate about the problem she couldn't solve. The deskmate said, "This type of problem is very simple. You can solve it by making some adjustments." The other person's surprised look made He Mingming feel ashamed.
Looking at other people's grades and then looking at her own grades, she became more and more taciturn day by day. She doubted her IQ and felt that she was born dumber than others.
Until one day, He Mingming met an elementary school classmate who had chosen the path of painting. She would carry her drawing board and go out to sketch every weekend. She had been learning it for four or five years since the first grade of junior high school. She said she was talented in painting and wanted to apply to xx University. She also showed off her works and achievements to her.
He Mingming was extremely shocked at the time because she found that the other party's best work was almost the same quality as the pictures she took of the scenery outside the window in her spare time in the first grade of junior high school.
Did I take the wrong path?
He Mingming returned home and drew some pictures with a pencil, but she hadn't picked up a paintbrush for several years and her level was not even as good as that of an elementary school student.
At that moment she didn't know what she felt.
She told her parents about this, but they said, "You haven't studied it properly, so how can you understand this kind of art? You feel it's similar to what you see, but if you put it to a professional teacher, the difference is huge. They have professional training and have been taught by famous teachers, so how can they be similar to you? Your memory is fuzzy and your feelings are wrong."
Is this really the case?
He Mingming wanted to find her previous works for comparison, but she searched everywhere but couldn't find them. Then she found out that her mother had sold scrap not long ago and sold her works from a few years ago as waste paper.
Maybe it's really what my parents said! Maybe I've embellished my memories! I'm so dumb, I can't even do well in academic subjects, so how can I possibly do well in art?
But she was always unhappy. It wasn't until she became a fan of the park last year and her attention shifted that she felt hopeful and happy again.
Seeing the new projects in the park tonight and watching others having so much fun, she felt very happy too. When she thought about going to the province where the fantasy park is located after the college entrance examination, she felt excited about the future again and no longer worried about the fact that she was not excellent.
It wasn't until she saw the Talent Cage that she inevitably recalled her deepest regrets. She couldn't help but wonder if it was possible that she wasn't that stupid after all, that she had simply chosen the wrong path, and that she could become excellent! If the Talent Cage confirmed her talent in painting, then it wasn't too late for her to become an art student! Although her academic performance wasn't good enough to get into a good university, if she took the art exam, the academic requirements would be much lower! This score was more than enough to get into a top university!
That's why He Mingming couldn't wait to tell his parents, but who knew that he would be poured a bucket of cold water on his head.
She was very sad and was lukewarm towards her parents for the next few days.
It's not that He's parents don't love their child, it's just that they have a rigid belief that art exams are a shortcut for students who can't do well in academic subjects. Besides, although He Mingming's grades are not very good, he can still get into a second-tier university, so there is no need to take the art exam route.
He's parents confided their worries to their colleagues at work, and complained that their child was unrealistic, not studying hard and thinking about going to the amusement park all day long, and said that talent tests were all scams.
Who knew that after saying this, not only did their colleagues look at them strangely, but even the leader who passed by would confront them.
"You two are so young, yet you're so ignorant! Just look at today's news! The talent cage in the park really can test a child's talent. CCTV even published a news report this morning confirming it."
Other colleagues echoed, "That's right. Everyone knows how high-tech the Fantasy Park is. They even have a 'Book Travel' experience center and a sky aquarium. It's not hard to come up with a place to test children's specialties."
"After the news came out this morning, the park tickets were sold out immediately."
"Everyone is being smart. Jin'an, a small third-tier city, has been lifted up by the theme park. The airport is said to be completed next year. As long as the theme park doesn't fail, Jin'an will become a new first-tier city in a few years."
"Hahaha, the park has world-leading technology. Even if it's short on funds, we can make back our investment by selling any one of the projects. Even if the government goes bankrupt, it won't go bankrupt."
The He family's parents were listening with bewildered expressions when they heard their leader speak earnestly to them, "This is a great opportunity, and your child really wants to go. If you don't want to ruin your child's future and have him blame you later, take him for the test! If your child truly has a talent for art, taking the art exam route would be a great option!"
He's parents hesitated, "But her academic performance is not bad..."
"Oh, you're confused. With her grades, if she performs consistently, she can only get into a second-tier university. If she really has artistic talent, she might be able to go to a top university."
"Hahaha, the news these days is all about the Talent Cage. I heard there are even schools offering invitations, saying that as long as the Talent Cage determines that a student has a strong talent in a certain area, they can be admitted as an exception."
"Hiss, talents are now divided into different levels?"
"The exact division isn't very clear, but it's said that as long as you have talent, even if it's weak, you'll have no problem getting a decent job in the future."
"...Every profession has its own genius, and being a master in everything is better than being completely clueless! Don't you trust the park's technology?"
As they were talking, no one paid attention to the He family's parents anymore. Everyone was discussing when they would have time to take their children to the park for a test.
He's parents looked on in confusion, but their minds gradually changed.
They are typical and common parents. No matter how reasonable their children's words are, as long as they don't agree with them, they will think that their children are just imagining things, that they are not studying hard and are only thinking about deviant ways. However, if the same words are said by colleagues, especially leaders, they will have different weight.
They will start to think, does it really make sense? If everyone else brings their children, will they be out of place if they don't? Will they be seen as feudal patriarchs? Will they be laughed at for being short-sighted?
He's parents looked at each other in bewilderment. When they returned home that night, they told He Mingming that they would take her to the amusement park the next weekend.
He Mingming's family's story is just a microcosm of the situation facing millions of other families. The aftermath of the Talent Cage has yet to truly unfold. Perhaps that will only happen in another 10 or 20 years...
Fantasy Park, security room.
Chi Yizhen felt that this period of time was a bit strange.
Game: [What's strange?]
Chi Yizhen: "Don't you think these days have been too peaceful and stable?"
Game: [Isn’t this good?]
Chi Yizhen: "Well... there is a kind of calm before the storm."
With the director's current level and his predictive skills, when he feels something is a little strange, it usually means that it is really strange and abnormal.
He patrolled the paradise and couldn't see anything wrong. However, the gift of prediction was not omnipotent. It could only predict something in the future, but could not accurately tell Chi Yizheng what the thing he felt was not good.
For example, if Chi Yizheng picked up an object, he could predict what changes would happen to it in the future, but he had nothing in his hands now and only had a feeling in his heart. He could not predict this bad premonition.
It’s like you need ingredients to cook. He doesn’t have the ingredients now, and he doesn’t even know what ingredients he wants. He just vaguely feels hungry and wants to eat. Of course, he can’t cook.
Frowning, Chi Yizhen closed his eyes and called out to Sal, but no one answered. A moment later, Chi Xiaozhen's voice drifted in from outside, "Director, have you forgotten? Sal followed Raymond to the Kingdom of Theodore."
Chi Yizheng let out an "oh" and suddenly opened his eyes. Something was wrong, very wrong. With his current memory, how could he forget that Sal had left Paradise?
His heart was beating a little faster, and Chi Yizheng consulted the fourth character card.
"Bo Shuangchi, bring Thrall back."
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