The competition has begun, with five judges (three men and two women) deciding the fate of the twenty-four contestants.
These five judges are all nationally renowned painters.
The oldest judge was named Qi Wei, who held an art exhibition in Beijing this April and sold out all his works in just one day.
The cheapest piece is priced at 2,000, while the final piece is priced at 20,000.
Li Mingzhu wasn't nervous in front of hundreds of audience members, nor was she nervous in front of the judges, but she started to get nervous in front of her idol, Qi Wei.
In particular, when Qi Wei examines her work, she can clearly hear her own heartbeat.
"I'm not nervous, I'm not nervous at all. My husband said I can win the championship, and I definitely won't fall in the first round." Li Mingzhu turned her head to look at the audience.
Wang Peng, sitting in the second row, immediately gave her a thumbs up, a confident smile on his face.
When he was besieged by the ten major sects, when he rescued Li Longfei from prison, he always showed a confident smile in the face of all setbacks.
Seeing her husband's smile and his likes, Li Mingzhu suddenly felt less nervous.
Soon, the moment that would determine their fate arrived.
The beautiful host said, "According to the competition rules, only two contestants from each group can advance to the next round."
"The judges have carefully appreciated and discussed the works of the six contestants and have reached a consensus."
"Now, please let the five judges decide whether the six contestants stay or leave. Please select the first contestant to advance."
As soon as he said this, all eyes were focused on the judges' panel.
Li Mingzhu smiled in response, while the other five contestants in Group A were all very nervous.
All five judges simultaneously raised their number 2 cards, and Sun Jianxiang was the first to advance.
Applause immediately erupted in the audience. Sun Jianxiang clenched his fists, revealing a smile of relief, and hurriedly bowed to the five judges.
Chief judge Qi Wei commented on his work, explaining to everyone why Sun Jianxiang advanced.
Next, the remaining five players competed for the last qualifying spot, making the atmosphere even more tense.
Li Mingzhu turned to look at her husband again, and seeing that he was still full of confidence, she felt very at ease.
"Xiaopeng, Mingzhu will definitely make it into the next round, right?" Duan Cuilu was extremely unconfident.
"She'll definitely win the championship, don't worry," Wang Peng said with a smile.
"I hope so." Duan Cuilu sighed softly, turning to look at her husband and brother-in-law, who were even more nervous than she was.
On the competition stage, after the judges finished their comments, they selected the second contestant from Group A to advance.
Wang Peng stared intently at the field.
As the five judges raised their number one paddles, he heard his mother-in-law cheering and his father-in-law and brother-in-law breathing heavily.
"Believe in yourself, you can definitely do it." Wang Peng clapped his hands vigorously, watching his wife beaming with joy on the field.
Li Mingzhu is the number one contestant in Group A, and she has successfully advanced.
The remaining four contestants were eliminated. Encouraged by the judges, they bowed to the audience, who applauded them as they left the stage.
Next up was the matches for groups B, C, and D. Wang Peng watched their matches with a blank mind, not really interested.
Finally, 16 out of 24 contestants were eliminated, and the remaining eight were divided into two groups, A and B, with four people in each group.
Li Mingzhu, Sun Jianxiang, and two other girls whose names I don't know were assigned to Group A.
Tian Sheng, a painter from Group D, advanced to the next round. His work, "Old Man and Corn," received high praise from the judges.
Duan Cuilu muttered under her breath, "You're a famous painter, why are you trying to steal the children's opportunities? You shameless bastard."
“No martial ethics…” Wang Peng couldn’t help but laugh when he thought of his teacher, Baoguo.
"You're still laughing?" Duan Cuilu said helplessly. "The judges like Tian Sheng's painting so much, Mingzhu's chances of winning the championship are even slimmer."
"Mom, you have to have faith in Mingzhu," Wang Peng said with a smile. "Don't worry, as long as Mingzhu can make it to the last round, she will definitely win the championship."
The final round is a showdown between the champion and runner-up.
Duan Cuilu gently shook her head, taking it as her son-in-law trying to comfort her.
The entire variety show is only fifty minutes long, and the pace of the competition is very fast.
The quarterfinals are even more brutal. Only two players from each of the two groups, A and B, will advance to the final, while the rest will be eliminated.
As the match began, Duan Cuilu gripped her son-in-law's arm tightly, her grip tightening.
Wang Peng scratched his head and said softly, "Are you nervous because you're holding me so tightly?"
Duan Cuilu nodded vigorously, staring intently at the five judges on the stage. "Let me hold it for a while; it will help ease my nervousness."
Wang Peng said, "You think arresting me is the only way to relieve tension? You can arrest my dad."
Duan Cuilu shook her head, "He is my husband, and you are my son-in-law. I feel sorry for my husband."
"Uh..." Wang Peng was both amused and exasperated. She couldn't bear to hurt her husband, but she was willing to hurt her son-in-law, right?
Just then, all five judges simultaneously raised their number one paddles.
Li Mingzhu emerged victorious from Group A and will face off against Tian Sheng, the winner of Group B, in the final to compete for the overall championship of this year's Qi Baishi Cup.
"Long live!" Duan Cuilu immediately stood up and applauded.
The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause, with onlookers clapping enthusiastically.
Li Kefan and Li Keyong also stood up, the two old brothers grinning from ear to ear, their expressions more excited than the other.
Wang Peng didn't stand up. When he saw his wife waving in his direction, he gave her a thumbs up.
After the applause ended, there was a five-minute break for commercials, during which the two contestants went backstage to rest.
The audience consisted of university students who were there to create a lively atmosphere for the free boxed lunches.
"Dad, Mom, Uncle," Wang Peng said, "you all seem very happy, already satisfied?"
“Yes,” Li Kefan said. “Mingzhu’s advancement to the finals is a huge step forward. She didn’t leave the province for the first two competitions.”
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