Chapter 138 Challenge
Chapter 138
Faced with Arkhipova's provocation, everyone present looked at each other in bewilderment. Finally, Li Shaoqing, who had previously interacted with Arkhipova, stepped forward and said, "Arkhipova, Meng Yingying has something to do and can't come back for the time being, so it's no use you looking for her."
Arkhipova didn't have a deep impression of Li Shaoqing. She looked at Li Shaoqing for a while before saying, "If she can't come back, will you go, Li?"
Li Shaoqing's face froze on the spot. She stood at the main entrance of the Capital Song and Dance Troupe. The weather in the capital was unusually cold, even though it was only the end of the first month of the lunar calendar.
The paleness on her face was unclear whether it was from fear of Arkhipova or from the cold wind.
Overall, she did not look well.
"I am no match for you."
It took her a long time to utter those words.
It was tantamount to scraping one's dignity into the dirt. Arkhipova glanced at her, somewhat puzzled, "Then what are you doing out here?"
"I'm not looking for you."
This is what it means to kill someone by destroying their spirit.
This instantly froze Li Shaoqing in place. Her limbs felt cold, and she was so embarrassed that she wished she could disappear into the ground.
It was Shen Meilan who stepped in to smooth things over for her, saying, "Arshippova, don't say that about Li, it will make her very sad."
Arkhipova was puzzled. "What's there to be upset about? Isn't it just that her technique isn't good enough? Can't I even tell the truth?"
This is the way straight people think.
This left Shen Meilan speechless; truly, there's a generation gap between them and Arkhipova.
Arkhipova didn't seem to enjoy wasting time with them. Standing at the doorway, she exuded an aura of invincibility, saying, "With Meng not here, don't you have anyone else to accept my challenge?"
No one spoke.
Li Shaoqing wanted to participate, but in terms of dancing, she was no match for Arkhipova. Similarly, Shen Meilan was also no match; they had both been sent to the Soviet Union for exchange studies.
Even more so, they spent a month at the Moba Affiliated School, and they knew better than anyone else about Arkhipova's talent. It could be said that apart from Meng Yingying, no one could suppress her.
Han Mingbing couldn't hold back any longer. Everyone else had come to provoke them, yet not a single one of them dared to respond.
This made Han Mingbing feel resentful, and she immediately stepped forward, saying, "I'll do it."
"Foreign girl, let's have a competition."
She couldn't remember Arshipova's name; it was so long and tedious. She couldn't understand how such a long name could be so annoying to use in everyday life.
Arkhipova disliked the term "foreign girl." She frowned slightly and said, "My name is Arkhipova. Please call me by my name, and please show me some respect."
It's clear that Arsipova understands some Chinese.
Han Mingbing twitched the corner of his mouth, not responding to her words, but instead gesturing for her to come in, "Let's go in."
Arkhipova raised an eyebrow and followed her up the steps without hesitation, not forgetting to turn back and greet her senior, Ekaterina.
Ekaterina remained silent throughout, which actually made Han Mingbing and Li Shaoqing even more wary.
For the past three days, Arkhipova has been challenging herself with a different organization each day. She started at the school, then moved on to the performing arts troupe, and finally the Capital Film Studio, but she failed at all of them.
Even Ning Lu, who came in second place in the individual competition, was barely worthy of Arsipova's attention, but in the end she still lost.
She was standing outside the Capital Song and Dance Troupe, watching as Han Mingbing took the initiative to accept the invitation from Arsipova to challenge the troupe inside.
This worried Ning Lu, and she said to Yi Cailing, who had come with her, "Han Mingbing is too impulsive."
Yi Cailing murmured, "This is not an impulse, but the spirit of the Chinese people."
"Just like when Arkhipova challenged your unit, you knew you were no match for her, so why did you agree?"
In fact, Ning Lu lost very quickly. After the dance, almost every aspect of her was a flaw that Arshipova could point out.
That's right, that's the most humiliating part.
At the end, Arkhipova would give feedback on each person who accepted the challenge, focusing on their weaknesses.
This was unbearable for the losing side; it felt like their face was being rubbed into the ground by the other side.
Hearing Yi Cailing's words, Ning Lu fell silent. She murmured, "I know Han Mingbing can't stand it, but none of us are her match. So she should wait a little longer, at least until Meng Yingying and Gu Xiaotang come back."
Actually, when Meng Yingying and Gu Xiaotang were around, they didn't think the other was that great. After all, when they participated in the competition together, they even wanted to challenge Meng Yingying and Gu Xiaotang and try to pull them off the champion's seat.
However, when Arsipova and the others appeared, Ning Lu realized the difference between herself and Meng Yingying.
That's the difference between a genius and a top genius.
Ning Lu considers herself to be hardworking and diligent enough. In fact, she can perfect every dance move.
But that's not enough. It's like she's copying the book verbatim; she can memorize all the knowledge points in the book.
And it was written down perfectly.
Meng Yingying and her friends can do it too; they can even rearrange and combine knowledge from books to create entirely new things—that's the difference.
A difference as vast as an insurmountable chasm.
It was clear that Arkhipova was also that kind of person, which left Ning Lu and Yi Cailing feeling quite hopeless. It was only after seeing this that they realized what it meant to be outmatched by others, and that there's always something beyond your understanding.
Do you think Han Mingbing can beat Alkishippova?
Yi Cailing suddenly asked a question.
Ning Lu didn't speak, she shook her head, "That depends on how much Han Mingbing has improved."
To be honest, Han Mingbing's talent is similar to theirs, but in the last Red Star Cup competition, she didn't participate in the individual competition, only the team competition.
Team competitions don't really reveal true strength because the leader of a team needs to accommodate everyone's pace.
So, Ning Lu couldn't really say what Han Mingbing's current situation was.
"Let's go in and take a look."
Yi Cailing said something, and Ning Lu followed her into the Capital Song and Dance Troupe. Actually, these talented individuals from different units rarely interacted under normal circumstances.
In most cases, they are wary of each other, afraid that the other will learn their skills or surpass them.
So basically everyone works in their own unit and operates independently.
Rehearsal hall/practice room.
Han Mingbing led the way, taking Arkhipova and the others to the center of the stage.
Upon receiving the news, Wu Yanzhou rushed over and called Han Mingbing over while Han Mingbing was negotiating with the other party.
"Mingbing, you were too impulsive."
They had watched the previous challenges and matches, and it was clear to everyone that Alkhipova's talent was truly amazing.
Even if Han Mingbing accepts her challenge, he will still lose in the end.
Han Mingbing knew what her teacher Wu Yanzhou was worried about. She murmured, "Teacher, even if we lose, I have to play. We can't let people point fingers at us and say we're no good."
This is a matter of integrity.
Upon hearing this, Wu Yanzhou remained silent for a while before finally raising her hand to pat Han Mingbing on the shoulder, saying, "You're a good kid."
Alkhipova was already urging them on. Han Mingbing took a deep breath and assured Wu Yanzhou, "Teacher, I'm not joking. I'll use my best dance to compete against her."
Wu Yanzhou hummed in agreement and walked over. Yang Jie and Jian had also arrived at some point.
Among the exchange students from the Soviet Union this time, it was Jian who led the team. Wu Yanzhou had also dealt with Jian in the past, but her relationship with her was not as good as that with Yang Jie.
So Wu Yanzhou, who had walked over, paused for a moment before speaking, "Jian."
Jane noticed the calmness in her expression and stepped forward to hug her. "Alright, Wu, don't be so serious. It's just a little competition between the children."
It's easy to say, but Jane and her students from Moba Affiliated School have already challenged many gifted students from various institutions in just a few days.
And they won every single time.
As the winner, it's natural to say such things so easily.
Wu Yanzhou's expression was not good, and even his forced smile seemed somewhat insincere. "Well, we'll see how it goes in a bit."
She had already foreseen the outcome.
Mingbing was no match for Arkhipova. In the end, Mingbing was defeated and Arkhipova succeeded. They were then greeted with cheers from the students who had participated in the exchange.
And the silence of local students.
This scene has been repeated several times.
To be honest, being thoroughly beaten on your own turf is really unpleasant.
So Wu Yanzhou couldn't manage a smile in the face of Jian's comforting words. Yang Jie was calmer than her, "Let's watch the competition first. I remember Ming Bing's talent isn't bad."
"Even if it falls into Arkhipova's hands, she won't lose too badly."
Clearly, everyone thought Han Mingbing would lose.
Including Han Mingbing herself, but she was unwilling to accept it. She had also joined the song and dance troupe at the age of seven, and it had been more than ten years since then.
She lost to Meng Yingying because she was less talented, but she was truly unwilling to lose to Arkhipova on her own turf.
Han Mingbing took a deep breath and walked up to the other woman. She extended her hand, her tone calm and her eyes firm, "Arkhipova, I'm here to challenge you."
Arkhipova was stunned. She laughed and reached out her hand to Han Mingbing. "I've been in your capital for so long, and you're the first person to say that you're here to challenge me."
"Han, whether you win or lose in the end, I will always respect you as my opponent."
As soon as these words were spoken, Ning Lu and Yi Cailing in the audience exchanged a glance, and both of them could see the embarrassment in each other's eyes.
They had all forgotten about this.
On stage.
“We won’t dance separately,” Han Mingbing said to her. “We’ll dance the same dance, together with the music, and see who makes a mistake first.”
This is a new kind of competition.
When two people dance the same dance, they both follow the rhythm, and it's a matter of who dances better and who dances worse.
It's even immediately obvious.
Arkhipova raised an eyebrow and glanced at Han Mingbing. "Han, it seems you are very confident in yourself."
Han Mingbing thought for a moment, "I just want to beat you."
She had never been so eager to win against anyone, not even against Gu Xiaotang back then. Her relationship with Gu Xiaotang had always been a healthy competition.
Even though she knew Gu Xiaotang had won the championship, and that she had been in second or third place for a long time, Han Mingbing didn't seem to be that resentful.
Han Mingbing knew he couldn't endure the suffering Gu Xiaotang had gone through.
Especially considering she was still struggling to survive under Lin Rujuan's command, to be honest, Han Mingbing would rather take second or third place.
Because her teacher was indeed very tolerant of her.
But Arkhipova is truly competitive; she doesn't want to be crushed like this by a Russian on her own turf.
This is truly shameful.
Arkhipova liked this kind of competitive person, and she nodded, "I want to beat you too."
What are you planning to dance to?
She asked Han Mingbing, who should actually be dancing the Red Ballet, but she only knew about the Red Ballet because it was mostly used in their own competitions.
Internationally, Swan Lake is more commonly performed.
So Han Mingbing lowered his eyes and said, "I'll dance Swan Lake."
Arkhipova looked up abruptly and gave Han Mingbing a thumbs-up, saying, "You're amazing."
"I chose one that I'm good at."
Her specialty is Swan Lake. In previous competitions, both Ning Lu and Yi Cailing danced the local version of Swan Lake.
Han Mingbing smiled; what she didn't say was that she was also good at it.
She started by learning Swan Lake, an international ballet style, but during later competitions, the judges preferred the Red Ballet.
That's why Han Mingbing later switched to red ballet, but clearly red ballet wasn't her forte; international ballet was.
Swan Lake was a dance she had practiced countless times, but which was forcibly suppressed and abandoned.
Thinking of this, Han Mingbing's gaze towards her was also full of fighting spirit.
As the music of Swan Lake begins, four violins simultaneously produce delicate plucked notes.
Han Mingbing and Arsipova moved along the lakeside in unison, their toes treading lightly, like swans.
Surprisingly, Han Mingbing was able to keep up with Arkhipova's pace. The two were in sync at first, but gradually the distance between them widened.
Han Mingbing abandoned the synchronized movement. Immediately afterwards, she pointed the instep of her left foot and slammed her toes down on the beat. Her right leg was raised ninety degrees, her kneecap taut and gleaming, and her toes slashed into the air like knife blades.
In that instant, her entire body stretched from her hips to the instep into a white line, like a swan just leaving the water.
When Arkhipova saw this, her expression changed. She hadn't expected that among the opponents she looked down upon, there would actually be someone who was skilled in martial arts.
She took a deep breath and immediately changed her movements, deliberately twisting half a turn more than Han Mingbing to match the rhythm of the music.
With the same leg-lifting pose, Arkhipova opened her hips outward by another fifteen degrees, making her movements noticeably more impressive to the same music.
Han Mingbing knew he was at a disadvantage in terms of flexibility, so he started to seize the initiative.
The knowledgeable students in the audience exclaimed, "This is obviously a steal!" But the stealing was so seamless that even the band conductor raised his eyebrows and followed her lead, slightly speeding up the next phrase.
Arkhipova curled her lips into a smile, advancing instead of retreating.
In the same position and in the same direction, she deliberately swung her legs to her ears with each rotation, keeping her hips completely still, as if someone had used an electric drill to fix the central axis.
After thirty-two whip spins, she had completed twice as many spins as Han Mingbing.
The audience was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
"Arkhipova's strength is too great. Although Han Mingbing is also very strong, it is clear that Arkhipova's talent is almost overwhelming."
"This is truly despairing."
Of course, Han Mingbing's Swan Lake-like movements were somewhat unexpected.
Han Mingbing's chest heaved, but she had no time to feel down. The music had entered a variation of the swan theme, with the bassoon playing a long, mournful phrase. She had to get her emotions back on track.
Otherwise, one wrong step will lead to another, and she will eventually be crushed by Arkhipova.
She took a deep breath, then suddenly abandoned all her fast moves and switched to slow techniques.
Arkhipova's gaze finally changed, gradually shifting from amusement to focus, and then to a slight respect.
She changed her strategy, no longer showing off her skills, but instead making her sorrowful dance even more intense.
The area below was completely quiet.
"Han Mingbing is so strong, she can actually keep up with Arsipova."
Ning Lu was also somewhat surprised, as if she was thinking of what happened back then. "I remember that Han Mingbing initially studied international ballet, and she was good at international ballet. However, later the domestic judges all liked red ballet and even used red ballet as the scoring standard, so she had to switch to red ballet."
So much time has passed that they've all forgotten that Han Mingbing is actually better at something else.
That's why Han Mingbing was able to fight Arsipova so closely today.
As the music ended, Arkhipova stood still, and for the first time, she did not look down with haughty eyes. Instead, she placed her hands on her knees and nodded deeply to Han Mingbing.
That was the purest salute among ballet dancers.
The music ended on a single cello note, the lingering sound lasting for two seconds before falling silent.
Arkhipova spoke first, her voice not loud, but loud enough for those in the front row to hear, "Han, you're amazing."
To be honest, Han Mingbing's defeat was still honorable, even though he lost, he could earn the admission of Arsipova.
She was still a little unsatisfied, saying, "I'll practice international ballet again later and then I'll challenge you again."
Arkhipova nodded and said very seriously, "You are welcome anytime."
She's not as arrogant as before.
"The Capital Song and Dance Troupe is not bad, better than the previous ones."
Those people from her previous workplace were completely defeated by her, except for Han Mingbing, who at least made Arsipova take him a little more seriously.
Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed. Especially Ning Lu and her group, whose unit was actually better than the Capital Song and Dance Troupe in some aspects.
However, when the people from the Soviet Union came to challenge them this time, it just so happened that none of them were good at international ballet, which allowed Han Mingbing to take advantage of the situation.
Of course, this statement is biased; Han Mingbing himself is also a very capable person.
Han Mingbing thought for a moment and tried to turn the tide, "My partners are all very talented, but they are not good at international ballet, which is why they lost so badly."
“Bova, if you were to dance the Red Ballet, you might not be able to beat them.”
Beauvoir —
"What kind of address is this?" Arkhipova's face darkened for a moment, but she didn't say it. After thinking for a moment, she asked the other person to call her Han.
You can accept it instantly.
She stepped off the stage and said to Yang Jie, "Yang, I'm going to challenge the National Ballet of China."
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