Chapter 42 Winning the Individual Championship! (Three-in-One...)
Chapter 42
The entire room fell silent instantly.
Then came a wave of shock.
"What? She's dancing the Red Detachment of Women?"
The one who said this was judge Qin Mingxiu, who turned to look at Coach Zhao sitting behind the judges' panel.
Coach Zhao smiled slightly at her and repeated Qin Mingxiu's words verbatim, "Senior sister, you also know that Qiuya put a lot of pressure on Yingying."
"Yingying, there's no other way but to temporarily change the dance category."
At this point, she changed the subject, "Senior sister, you understand, right?"
Qin Mingxiu gritted her teeth and gave a smile. "I understand."
"After all, our Qiuya changed the category first."
"However, the Red Detachment of Women that your Meng Yingying chose is even more difficult than The White-Haired Girl. In all the time since our cultural troupe was established, there has only been one person who can make the Red Detachment of Women dance outstanding, and that is Chief Wu from the capital."
At this point, she twitched the corner of her mouth, "Does Meng Yingying still want to challenge Chief Wu?"
“If that’s the case, then I can only say, Ping Shui, you’re terrible at raising children. You’ve raised them to be arrogant and overconfident.”
With just a few words, Coach Zhao was also reprimanded.
Coach Zhao stared at her for a while before saying, "Senior sister, you still love teaching and nurturing students as always."
"It was true fifteen years ago, and it will be true fifteen years from now."
"I hope that the students you teach will be more capable than the students I teach."
As soon as she finished speaking, the muscles on Qin Mingxiu's face twitched for a moment before she looked away, her gaze sharp and piercing for the first time. "That's for sure."
"I could beat you fifteen years ago, and I can beat you fifteen years later."
See, this is her true personality.
A personality trait that is only revealed to Zhao Pingshui.
Zhao Pingshui didn't speak. She turned to look at her student and stood up under the watchful eyes of everyone, walking from her chair all the way backstage.
Her eyes were filled with expectation.
However, she did not put her own pressure on Meng Yingying.
Meng Yingying went up onto the stage from the aisle beside the auditorium chairs, and happened to meet Shen Qiuyue. However, one of them came down from the stage, while the other came up from below.
When passing by.
Shen Qiuyue suddenly stopped. Beside her was the judges' table, which was also the first row. She walked up to Meng Yingying and said, word by word, "You danced The Red Detachment of Women?"
Meng Yingying smiled at her and replied irrelevantly, "You're blocking my way."
Shen Qiuyue's expression changed. She turned to the side and asked a second time, "Are you sure you want to dance the Red Detachment of Women?"
There was one more thing she didn't say.
This is an even more difficult dance than the one performed by the White-Haired Girl.
Meng Yingying seemed not to have noticed. She looked up, her eyes clear and bright. "Hmm? You're going to make the decision for me?"
Her tone was neither warm nor cold, yet it carried an air of authority. Even though Shen Qiuyue was clearly the genius, at this moment, standing next to Meng Yingying, she had a strange feeling.
He was overwhelmed by Meng Yingying's imposing presence.
Shen Qiuyue panicked for a moment and didn't know how to reply.
Qin Mingxiu, who was on the judges' panel next to her, stood up and tugged at Shen Qiuyue, "If you're tired, sit down and rest. Don't delay Comrade Meng from winning the championship."
It sounded like advice to Shen Qiuyue, but it was actually a veiled criticism of Meng Yingying for overestimating herself.
Meng Yingying seemed not to have noticed. She nodded to Qin Mingxiu with a proper and obedient attitude, "Coach Qin is right."
"I think Comrade Shen should learn more from Coach Qin. After all, my teacher taught me a principle: don't disturb others before they go on stage. This is the most basic moral quality."
Didn't your teacher teach you that?
One sentence insulted both of them.
You should know that Qin Mingxiu had bullied Zhao Pingshui in the same way before, and with just one sentence, she insulted both Zhao Pingshui and Meng Yingying.
Now, it's the other way around.
With just one sentence, Meng Yingying insulted both of them, the master and the apprentice.
This caused Coach Zhao, who was sitting next to her, to have her eyes redden instantly. She saw her senior, Qin Mingxiu, freeze, and she felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Meng Yingying asked Shen Qiuyue a question but scolded Qin Mingxiu, which immediately made her lose face.
"I had no idea that Ping Shui had taken in such a sharp-tongued apprentice."
Meng Yingying thought for a moment, then said modestly, "I am not as good as your disciple."
Upon hearing this, Qin Mingxiu's face stiffened, and Shen Qiuyue gritted her teeth, "You—"
"Comrade Shen, could you please move aside?"
Meng Yingying seemed to give her no chance to answer, and directly interrupted her, "You're blocking my way to the stage."
"Do you want the judges and audience to wait for me because of you?"
When Shen Qiuyue turned around, she realized that everyone was looking at them. Her face burned, and she took a step back.
He stepped aside to make way for Meng Yingying.
Meng Yingying nodded, "Thank you."
She was polite and respectful from beginning to end.
This only made Shen Qiuyue seem a bit out of line, even though she had been full of praise and admiration just moments before.
But how long has it been?
Shen Qiuyue always felt that everyone was pointing fingers at her.
She felt a little upset and regretful. Perhaps she shouldn't have acted impulsively, and even more so, she shouldn't have asked Meng Yingying in public.
Qin Mingxiu noticed something and whispered, "Qiuya, sit behind me and watch the performance on stage."
This was to give Shen Qiuyue a way out.
And this is the second time.
Shen Qiuya gave a restless "hmm".
Qin Mingxiu sat down, raised her eyes and gazed at the stage, watching Meng Yingying's slender and frail back as she climbed the steps one by one.
Standing in the center of the stage.
An uncontrollable panic suddenly gripped her heart.
This made her feel out of control.
Qin Mingxiu panicked and turned to look for Li Qingqing. Li Qingqing was sitting in the audience. She wasn't playing today, but was there as a supporting character to cheer on Shen Qiuyue.
Look at the coach looking at himself.
Li Qingqing panicked a little, but then she realized why the coach was suddenly looking at her, and she nodded hesitantly.
This relieved Qin Mingxiu slightly, allowing her to calm down and gently pat Shen Qiuyue's hand.
She was the champion of her era.
Shen Qiuya will be the champion of her era.
He rode ahead of everyone else.
Two champions in one family.
No one can break this reputation.
Zhao Pingshui, a former loser, is no good.
Now even Zhao Pingshui's apprentice, Meng Yingying, is no longer suitable.
Next to her, after Shen Qiuyue sat down, Li Qingqing comforted her, "Qiuyue, your score is 9.8, the highest in the whole room, so you don't need to worry about Meng Yingying, she—"
She glanced back at Coach Zhao, her tone condescending, "She will be just like Coach Zhao. Coach Zhao was defeated by our coach back then, and this time Meng Yingying will be defeated by you too."
"Believe me."
Her words were sincere and her tone was firm.
This gave Shen Qiuyue more confidence. They talked as if no one else was around, and Coach Zhao, who was standing nearby, heard them but remained expressionless.
Or rather, her time in the Jishi Cultural Troupe was a joke; she was always second best, constantly suppressed by Qin Mingxiu.
As a result, even the students below her started to disrespect her.
Ye Yingtao, however, had a fiery temper. She sneered, "Yingying is right about one thing: what kind of coach you have will produce what kind of student you become."
"Li Qingqing, is this disrespect for your teachers something your teacher taught you?"
Ye Yingtao may not be as talented as Meng Yingying in dancing, but she is far superior in her talent for witty comebacks.
Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, Li Qingqing's expression changed. "What does this have to do with my teacher?"
"No?"
"I thought all the students in the Jishi Cultural Troupe were like you—hypocritical, mean-spirited, divisive, competitive, and disrespectful to teachers."
Every word in this passage has cemented Li Qingqing's place on the pillar of shame.
Li Qingqing was intelligent, but her intelligence didn't lie in this area. She hesitated for a long time, but didn't know how to reply.
Qin Mingxiu was implicated, so she had to step in and say, "Qingqing, stop arguing and you'll lose face."
"Also, Ping Shui, remember to keep an eye on your students. In arts and culture competitions, it's not about arguing with your mouth, but about real ability."
Zhao Pingshui is an honest person; otherwise, she wouldn't have been driven away by Ye Yingtao when she came to their art troupe.
Ye Yingtao immediately stood up and stood in front of Coach Zhao, "Coach Qin, we won first place in the team competition because of our strength, right?"
"By the way, the scores are given by the judges, right? Could it be that Coach Qin is questioning the judges' abilities?"
That's really brave.
Even Qin Mingxiu dared to talk back, and Qin Mingxiu realized that she had lowered her own standards and shouldn't have lowered herself to the level of the students.
That's enough.
The veteran troupe leader spoke up from the judges' panel, "Meng Yingying is already up there, and the performance is about to begin. What are you all arguing about?"
Both sides fell silent instantly, staring at the stage at the same time.
Ye Yingtao gritted her teeth, "Yingying, you absolutely must outdo Shen Qiuyue!"
Otherwise, these women would probably have been ridiculed to death by the Jilin City Cultural Troupe.
Lin Qiu murmured, "Can Yingying win?"
Ye Yingtao remained silent.
Silence is the best answer.
At this point, they all knew that it would be extremely difficult to defeat Shen Qiuyue.
The highest score of the entire game was 9.8 points, which was like a curse, preventing anyone from reaching that level.
Their thoughts are different.
Meng Yingying went from being nervous at the beginning to standing behind the curtain and listening to the broadcast outside.
"Please welcome contestant number five, Meng Yingying, to the stage with 'The Red Detachment of Women'."
As soon as the old troupe leader raised his voice, the people who had been arguing below the stage instantly turned to look behind the vermilion curtain of the stage.
A small slit, no bigger than a palm, appeared in the crimson curtain, and a wooden rifle emerged first, its tip tied with a red ribbon, so bright it was almost blinding and dazzling under the lamplight.
The next instant, Meng Yingying appeared first, holding a rifle. The bayonet of the rifle lifted the curtain, and with a clever twist of her wrist, the red silk at the tip of the bayonet snapped into a straight line with a snap.
Immediately following was a shooting swallow jump.
She pointed her toes straight and slid directly from the side curtain to the center of the stage, landing silently.
The lights suddenly shone on her, exposing her completely in the center of the stage.
The previously noisy audience fell silent instantly.
A professional immediately chimed in with their comments, "Comrade Meng Yingying's 'Shooting Swallow Jump' was absolutely brilliant. Her lower body was stable, and she was as light as a swallow. If we're just talking about her appearance..."
The other person glanced back at the seated Shen Qiuyue and said cautiously, "She started even faster than Shen Qiuyue!"
Shen Qiuyue heard it too. She pursed her lips tightly and stared intently at the stage.
She didn't understand why Meng Yingying could perform the "Shooting Swallow Jump" move so well.
She could do it, but she was a notch below Meng Yingying.
So even if the dance is changed, she never wanted to dance the Red Detachment of Women.
"Stay calm."
Qin Mingxiu turned around and patted Shen Qiuyue's hand, "This is just the beginning. The Red Detachment of Women will face even greater difficulties later on."
She had danced this dance years ago, but during a performance outside her province, she lost to Chairman Wu, who was far away in the capital.
From that time on, Qin Mingxiu never danced the Red Detachment of Women in public again.
Until now.
Like everyone else, she stared intently at the stage.
Qi Donghan witnessed this scene. He sat on the judges' panel, unmoved, but his gaze swept over Qin Mingxiu's face, and he gave a meaningful smirk.
Only then did he turn his gaze back to the stage, with a hint of appreciation.
At least from the very beginning, Meng Yingying immediately captured everyone's attention.
After a sleek entrance, Meng Yingying stood in the center of the stage, and the lights shone brightly, illuminating her entire body.
She was wearing a gray military jacket with long sleeves rolled up to her elbows and a brown leather belt around her waist.
He was wearing navy blue shorts with straight seams, revealing his insteps.
Barefoot, he wore straw sandals that were tightly constricted at the top, making him look somewhat like a young soldier who had just finished his morning exercises.
When the music started playing from the loudspeaker, she did not bow to the audience.
Instead, he charged out with his spiked gun.
The left leg slid half a circle on the stage floor, the right leg was raised a full ninety degrees, the toes pointed into a line, and the red silk at the tip of the spear was blown open with a bang by the wind.
This is the most flexible Attila in ballet, yet she holds a wooden rifle, revealing extreme flexibility within extreme strength.
They were clearly in conflict, but at this moment, they blended together perfectly.
The judges in the audience sat up straight in a jolt, and the veteran director pointed directly at the stage, his voice trembling, "She's incorporating ballet into a revolutionary theme; how can she be so strong beneath such extreme softness?"
He had barely finished speaking when...
On stage, Meng Yingying changed her movements again, and as the music gradually rose in intensity, Meng Yingying's speed also increased.
She looked down at the audience and saw the hopeful light on Coach Zhao's face, as well as the complex emotions on Qin Mingxiu's face.
The resentment on Shen Qiuya's face.
And the admiration on Qi Donghan's face.
Their eyes met.
Meng Yingying withdrew her gaze, her mind racing, shaking off all her emotions, and followed a beam of light on the stage.
When the light shone on her again, she stepped to the beat of the music, holding the gun in her left hand and suddenly swinging her right.
She flicked the long red ribbon straight out, the spear tip pointing upwards, and with the spear in hand, she leaped into the air, performing a wide split with her legs spread wide, graceful as a startled swan, like a dragon.
The next moment.
She landed suddenly, light as a swallow, her toes barely touching the ground as she pressed down into a lunge position, her upper body remaining straight, like a gun about to be loaded.
Using this series of movements, she held the gun to her chest, flipped over, and fought her way to the edge of the stage without pausing. Her movements were so fluid that they were dazzling.
As she charged towards the audience, everyone's hearts were in their throats, their eyes fixed on her, eager to know what her next move would be.
On the judges' panel, Qi Donghan, looking at the radiant Meng Yingying, silently cried out, "Meng Yingying!"
It was a soft murmur, like a lover's whisper.
Meng Yingying seemed not to hear, and suddenly smiled brightly at the audience and judges below.
Before anyone could react.
Meng Yingying gathered her strength slightly, then suddenly drew up her breath. In the next instant, she suddenly launched a "back kick to the Purple Gold Crown," her straight hind leg kicking straight to the back of the head from behind. The red ribbon at the tip of the hat snapped open with a loud crack in the wind, like a fiery red flower blooming.
This is the true image of a women's army fighting under the raging fire.
What are words like "graceful as a startled swan," "as swift as a dragon," "light as a swallow," and "both soft and strong"?
No amount of praise, heroism, or strength could adequately describe her.
The scene fell silent for a full two seconds.
The audience erupted in uproar.
The audience in the back row jumped up with a roar, clapping their hands so loudly it was deafening, almost shouting themselves hoarse, "Bravo!"
"What a magnificent Red Detachment of Women!!!"
The sound startled everyone present and brought the judges back to their senses.
The old regimental commander grabbed the corner of the table, leaned forward, and dropped his pen without even picking it up. He muttered to himself, "The younger generation is truly formidable, truly formidable."
Qin Mingxiu didn't speak, but just pursed her lips tightly, making the nasolabial folds at the corners of her mouth even deeper, her gaze following the gray figure on the stage.
Coach Qin, who is always fair and impartial, showed a panicked expression for the first time.
Shen Qiuyue, sitting in the first row behind her, started breathing heavily from Meng Yingying's leap into the air, and then continued with her backward kick to the Purple Gold Crown.
She gripped the back of the chair tightly, her knuckles turning blue, and her breathing became rapid.
Because she knew that Meng Yingying's legs, her back, and her murderous aura made her unable to jump.
She also knew that she hadn't built up enough strength.
The Red Detachment of Women's explosive power and endurance made it impossible for many people to achieve what they did.
Even she was like that, but Meng Yingying on stage did it.
Thinking of this, Shen Qiuyue gritted her teeth so hard that they made a grinding sound.
Qin Mingxiu, who always cared about her feelings, was unusually out of control this time. She didn't even bother to comfort her favorite student.
Because she knew that Shen Qiuya's first place was probably in jeopardy.
Their reputation as a team with two championships is likely in jeopardy.
Unlike the grief-stricken expressions on Jilin's face, the Harbin 101 Art Troupe was shocked.
After the initial shock subsided.
Ye Yingtao suddenly realized what was happening and jumped up, crying, "Meng Yingying, Meng Yingying!"
"I knew you were the best."
Lin Qiu burst into tears, wiping away her tears and grinning, "Coach, Coach, did you see that? Yingying did it, Yingying did it!"
After so many failures, Meng Yingying finally succeeded. She successfully portrayed the Red Detachment of Women on stage.
Coach Zhao's eyes were red, and her voice trembled, "I saw it."
“I saw it.”
Even without a score, she knew that Meng Yingying's performance of the Red Detachment of Women dance was enough to be used as a textbook example.
After countless failures, he finally succeeded on stage on the last try.
"Meng Yingying!"
Coach Zhao silently echoed, "Your teacher is proud of you!"
On stage, Meng Yingying looked at the excited crowd below. As the music faded, she gradually lost her momentum and suddenly lost her strength.
The red silk slid down the tip of the spear and landed on the knees with a "snap," thus marking the end of this highly difficult dance.
Meng Yingying looked up, her back straight, and beads of sweat dripped from her chin onto the wooden floor with a soft thud.
At the same time, the stage lights shone perfectly on her. She looked up, her gaze passing through the crowd and landing on Shen Qiuyue.
There was no provocation.
Only peace.
It was as if she was saying, "I'm done dancing."
It was as if she was responding to when Shen Qiuyue blocked her path and asked her, "Are you really going to dance the Red Detachment of Women?" when she first stepped onto the stage.
And now, this is Meng Yingying's answer to Shen Qiuyue.
A perfect answer sheet was enough to break the last bit of backbone and dignity in Shen Qiuyue's body.
Just as Meng Yingying had predicted, when she looked at her like that, Shen Qiuyue suddenly stood up. The movement was so big that she bumped into a chair with a thud, causing the chair to shake.
This contrasted sharply with the abruptly quiet scene.
She didn't even look at the people around her; she turned away in shame and indignation.
"sit down!"
A furious shout came from the judges' panel; it was Qin Mingxiu's voice.
With a stern face, she grabbed Shen Qiuyue, who was about to leave, and said, "Is it not the last moment yet, and you're already giving up?"
Shen Qiuyue bit her lip, her face pale and humiliated.
She is the champion.
She has been the champion since she was fifteen, and now at twenty-two, seven years later, she will be dragged off her champion's throne.
Qin Mingxiu knew she was upset, especially in front of everyone. She took a deep breath and pulled Shen Qiuyue down to sit. "It's not time to score yet, what's the rush?"
"Qiuya, now I'll teach you a trick: never give up until the very end."
What she really meant was that the outcome is still uncertain until the very end.
However, these words were too explicit and unlike her usual style, so she didn't say them aloud.
But she thought that her apprentice, whom she had personally trained, would surely understand.
Shen Qiuyue understood. Her eyes lit up for a moment, then dimmed again.
Because she knew that the dance of the Red Detachment of Women was superior to that of The White-Haired Girl, and Meng Yingying had perfectly performed it.
So what if we wait until the final score is given?
It's nothing but self-inflicted humiliation.
However, she habitually followed her teacher Qin Mingxiu's advice, so she sat down again.
This made Qin Mingxiu breathe a sigh of relief, and she gave Li Qingqing, who had been quiet the whole time, a wink.
Li Qingqing nodded, glancing at Shen Qiuyue while looking up at Meng Yingying on the stage.
The curtain fell, and Meng Yingying went backstage, leaving only a slender, aloof figure.
This gave Li Qingqing an indescribable feeling.
It turns out—Meng Yingying is truly a genius.
But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, Li Qingqing was startled by herself. How could she possibly think that Meng Yingying was a genius?
The real genius should be Shen Qiuya.
She glanced cautiously at Shen Qiuyue, whose face was ashen. For the first time, the usually talkative Li Qingqing chose to remain silent.
Front.
The judges were still engaged in a heated discussion.
The judges' panel was arranged in a semi-circle with small tables, some of the paint on the vermilion tables was chipped.
The old troupe leader placed his pen on the hardcover notebook and spoke first: "Nine points eight! Comrade Meng Yingying's movements were clean and her emotions were full during the dance, I give her nine points eight!"
The two judges next to the old team leader nodded in agreement, "I'll also give it 9.8."
"I'm 9.9."
Qi Donghan made a startling statement, "I give it a perfect score."
As soon as he said that, the judges' panel fell silent.
Qin Mingxiu coughed a few times suddenly, then turned around and looked at Qi Donghan in disbelief.
"Commander Qi, how can a judge give a perfect score?"
Qi Donghan sat up straight, tapping his fingers on the table, and explained unhurriedly, "I think Comrade Meng Yingying did an excellent job in dancing the Red Detachment of Women, whether it was the movements, the expressions, or the theme. I give her a perfect score, and she deserves it!"
The old regimental commander agreed with what Qi Donghan said, and then said, "I also wanted to give it a perfect score, but I was afraid that the student would become too proud, so I held back 0.1 points and gave it a 9.9."
Suppressing her irritation, Qin Mingxiu pushed the scoring sheet forward, her tone official and seemingly fair and impartial, "I object."
Seeing that everyone was looking over, she gave a very official reason: "Meng Yingying temporarily changed the grassland female militia to the Red Detachment of Women without reporting it to the authorities, and it was also an unauthorized change of the dance category. Disciplinary points must be deducted for this."
With a flick of her pen, she wrote "9.2" in black ink on the grade sheet. Not content with that, she added, in a grand manner, "According to the rules, this is at least 0.5 points deducted."
"I saw that she danced well, so I didn't lose as many points."
The old troupe leader frowned: "Xiao Qin, Comrade Meng reported that before the dance, she had Coach Zhao come over and tell us that she wanted to change the program list."
Qin Mingxiu's nasolabial folds were deep, and her voice was cold, "Is this a report? This is a last-minute notice. Did the judges agree? There is no collective signature on the process sheet, so this is a violation."
She bit this one to death.
Qi Donghan, who had been leaning back in his chair without saying a word, suddenly stood up. He looked down at Qin Mingxiu and said in a cold voice, "Judge Qin, which rule in the competition states that changing a dance routine requires the signatures of all the judges? Show it to all of us."
Qin Mingxiu choked, but forced a smile and said, "That's the usual practice! It's always been like this, and we can't set a precedent today."
"precedent?"
Qi Donghan pulled out the notification slip that had been tucked into his notebook that morning and slapped it in front of her. "So Comrade Shen Qiuyue changed her dance category at the last minute before going on stage. Did she get all the judges' signatures?"
"If you have any, just bring them out, and we'll all examine them."
Qin Mingxiu's expression changed slightly, and she wanted to speak again.
Everyone knows that Shen Qiuyue is Qin Mingxiu's student, and as the previous champion, she is also this year's coach and judge.
She and her students still have this privilege.
However, these were all private matters, and everyone turned a blind eye. Only this time, Qi Donghan brought it up in public.
How was Qin Mingxiu supposed to answer that?
Qi Donghan didn't give her time to explain and questioned again, "Since Judge Qin's students can change their dance category right before going on stage, then others can naturally do the same, right?"
"If Judge Qin disagrees, it's like saying 'the magistrate is allowed to set fires, but the common people are forbidden to light lamps.' In that case, I'll have to ask my superiors whether the personal wishes of the resident cultural troupe can override the overall rules of the resident troupe?"
What a compliment!
Qin Mingxiu's face immediately turned ashen, and she instinctively denied it, "Commander Qi, I didn't."
"So that means it's allowed by default for all participants to change their dance category before going on stage?"
How was Qin Mingxiu supposed to answer that question?
No, it's not.
Retreating is not an option either.
But Qi Donghan is not only that; he is also the most clear-headed and the most ruthless.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have become the group leader at such a young age.
He stared at Qin Mingxiu for a while, just as Qin Mingxiu sensed something was wrong.
Qi Donghan began his counterattack. His fingers, which had been tapping on the table, gradually stopped. He looked up, his gaze sharp. "Since the rules are fine, then let's see what your problems are."
"What?"
Qin Mingxiu was stunned for a moment.
Qi Donghan picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and his thin lips appeared somewhat sharp at that moment.
"Your disciplinary score is purely based on your personal subjective will. According to Article 3 of the judges' code, you must not lower or raise scores due to personal preference, which would lead to unfair situations. Has Judge Qin forgotten this rule?"
A few questions caused Qin Mingxiu's facial muscles to twitch, and she could no longer write with the pen in her hand.
Even the 9:20 mark written earlier in ink became evidence of irony.
The old team leader, feeling the acrid smell of gunpowder, quickly tried to smooth things over, saying, "Hey, we're all judges, and we're all on the same side, let's not hurt our feelings. I'll give it 9.8, let's take the middle ground."
He handed over the rating sheet and casually wrote a big 9.8 in the total score column.
The other judges all expressed their opinions, "I'd say 9.7."
"I'm 9.8."
"9:75."
"In that case, if we remove the highest score of 10 and the lowest score of 9.2, the average score is 9.75."
Before the announcement was even made, the audience was already dissatisfied.
Ye Yingtao stood directly on the chair, her height giving her a significant advantage, and her sharp voice pierced through the air, "So, judging is like a marketplace, haggling and changing your mind all the time?"
"Exactly, are these still judges? Or are you just judges from the Jilin City Cultural Troupe?"
"If that's the case, then what's the point of us participating in this arts and culture competition?"
The students have all stepped forward.
Coach Zhao naturally stepped forward as well, and she sneered, "If judges can't even be fair and impartial, then they don't deserve to be judges."
"Isn't that right, everyone?"
She turned to look at the surrounding audience seats.
I don't know who answered first.
"yes!"
"Judges are supposed to be impartial. If judges aren't impartial, what kind of judges are they?"
"Get out!"
"Get out!"
"The arts troupe's performance competition doesn't need behind-the-scenes manipulation or unfairness; what we need is fair and just treatment!"
"Instead of having a one-man show and using ratings as a tool to please or manipulate people!"
The voices below grew louder and louder.
The situation was clearly getting out of control.
Qin Mingxiu's face was terribly pale; after all, her misdeeds had been exposed, incurring the wrath of the masses.
The former peacemaker, the group leader, also looked displeased, somewhat resentful that Qin Mingxiu's selfish behavior had directly implicated the entire judging panel.
The old regimental commander had no choice but to seek help from Qi Donghan, who, as the initiator of the previous actions, was now the one with the most popular support.
Qi Donghan gave the old regimental commander face, raising his hand to signal for quiet, and the previously noisy scene instantly fell silent.
This relieved the old regimental commander and Qin Mingxiu.
But before he could even catch his breath, he was pulled up again.
Because Qi Donghan spoke up again, and his criticism was once again directed at Qin Mingxiu, "According to the rules and regulations, judges who have a direct mentor-student relationship with the contestants should recuse themselves from scoring. Judge Qin is both Shen Qiuyue's coach and gave Meng Yingying the lowest score of the entire competition. To avoid controversy—"
He looked at the old team leader and said slowly and deliberately, "I suggest that we remove all the scores she gave to the two contestants and recalculate the scores."
It directly seizes the lifeline.
As soon as she finished speaking, Qin Mingxiu's face turned deathly pale. She stood up abruptly and slammed her hand on the table. "Commander Qi, you...you're deliberately targeting me!"
"against?"
Qi Donghan was tall, even when sitting he was shorter than Qin Mingxiu who was not standing. His face was cold and stern, with a silent pressure. "I'm just letting the rules be the rules, and making the arts and culture performance competition fair."
"Gentlemen, don't you agree?"
He directly handed over the commentary to the audience.
In the audience, Ye Yingtao was the first to stand up, and she raised her arm and said, "Yes."
"If the arts and culture performance competition becomes a matter of one person's opinion, then there is no need for the arts and culture performance to exist."
"In addition, I would like to request the judging panel to thoroughly investigate whether Judge Qin engaged in any favoritism, cheating, or other violations during the arts and culture performance competitions in previous years."
If any wrongdoing is found, we request the judging panel to officially announce it to the public, so that those of us who have been treated unfairly can receive justice.
"Yes, I agree with Comrade Ye's statement. There are a total of seven cultural troupes in Heilongjiang Province. I don't believe that the Jilin City Cultural Troupe has won the championship every time in the past. My Qiqihar City Cultural Troupe also demands a thorough investigation into the past competition results."
Alright.
This is a case of everyone kicking someone when they're down.
Just when it seemed that the Jilin City Cultural Troupe was about to become the target of public criticism.
Shen Qiuyue, Li Qingqing and the others all turned pale.
"I won the championship on my own merit!"
Not to be outdone, Shen Qiuyue stood up and spat out those words through gritted teeth at the crowd.
Ye Yingtao scoffed, "Since you won the championship on your own merit, shouldn't you accept the fact that your teacher, Judge Qin, gave you the score? After all, you won the championship on your own merit, so your teacher's score shouldn't have much of an impact on you, right?"
Shen Qiuya dared not respond to these words.
We can't accept it either.
The situation reached a stalemate.
If things continue like this, the entire arts and culture performance competition may become a rigged affair.
The usually moderate old regimental commander had no choice but to make a tough decision. He looked to the left and then to the right, and finally made the final decision: "Commander Qi and everyone else are right. The nepotism avoidance system should indeed be implemented."
Then, without giving Qin Mingxiu a chance to explain, he turned and ordered the planning team to work together.
"From now on, remove Judge Qin and recalculate the scores for Comrade Meng Yingying and Comrade Shen Qiuyue."
Qin Mingxiu tried to stop them, but the accounting team wouldn't listen to her at all.
He immediately picked up the abacus and started clicking away. In a short while, he got the result. He didn't say the score, but instead handed the latest score sheet to the old commander.
After reading his report, the old regimental commander nodded and said to Qi Donghan, "Regimental Commander Qi, would you be interested in going up on stage to announce Comrade Meng Yingying's score?"
When Qin Mingxiu thought Qi Donghan would refuse, she was surprised to find that Qi Donghan took the scoring sheet, glanced at it, and readily agreed, "It's my pleasure."
Qin Mingxiu, "?"
You didn't say that before.
When she invited Qi Donghan to announce Shen Qiuyue's scores, Qi Donghan refused outright.
Qin Mingxiu was worried that something was amiss, and that things were getting out of control. She took a deep breath and asked, "Can I see the scores?"
She shamelessly asked a question.
After the scoring team printed out the scores, only the old regimental commander and Qi Donghan saw them.
Qi Donghan stood up, holding the scoring sheet in his hand, and quietly closed it. He turned around and said in a cold tone, "If I remember correctly, Coach Qin is no longer a judge, right? Since he's no longer a judge, it seems a bit inappropriate to show you this scoring sheet."
Qin Mingxiu's face suddenly turned red and then pale. She watched as Qi Donghan straightened his sleeves, pulled out a chair, and walked step by step to the center of the stage.
He stood there, raised his hand and waved it gently, and the crowd instantly fell silent.
"I know everyone is concerned about Comrade Meng Yingying's score, and I am too."
"As a judge, all I can do is be fair and impartial, and fight for the benefits that every participating student deserves."
As soon as he finished speaking, a round of enthusiastic applause erupted from below.
Shen Qiuyue's face turned pale, and she gripped Qin Mingxiu's clothes tightly. "Teacher."
Even his voice sounded a bit panicked.
After her teacher's evaluation was removed, could her score still be the highest in the entire room?
Qin Mingxiu was unaware of this; all she knew was that she felt like she was walking on a tightrope, and one wrong step could send her tumbling down.
Qin Mingxiu's face was also grim. She had been removed from the judging panel, something that had never happened before in all these years.
As a result, she was no longer in the mood to respond to Shen Qiuyue's request for help.
She suppressed her frustration and said, "Listen."
"Qiuya, now that we've come this far, even if we lose the match, you'd better stand up straight."
Shen Qiuyue's smile was bitter. She thought to herself, "Why is she still standing so straight after losing the game?"
Do you want to be laughed at?
The atmosphere at the Harbin Cultural Troupe, on the other hand, was the opposite of theirs.
"Yingying, what will your score be?"
Ye Yingtao asked nervously.
On the contrary, Meng Yingying, who had just finished dancing, was exhausted by the Red Detachment of Women's dance. Now, with a milk candy in her mouth, she had a bit more energy.
She shook her head, beads of sweat rolling down her forehead and her cheeks flushed. "I don't know yet."
All she knew was that she had absolutely exceeded her usual standard in the performance of the dance "The Red Detachment of Women".
That's enough.
As for the scoring, that's the judges' job.
Moreover, with Qi Donghan on the judging panel, Meng Yingying inexplicably knew that as long as he was there, there would be absolute fairness in the scoring.
Because he would never let her suffer a loss!
Meng Yingying knew this better than anyone else.
"Yingying, you are so calm."
Lin Qiu remarked, "Now that the scores are going to be announced, Cherry and I are even more nervous than you are."
Meng Yingying took a sip of water and looked up at the stage.
Qi Donghan stood in the center of the stage, wearing a neat and wrinkle-free shirt with the collar buttoned at the top. Because he needed to hold the scoring sheet, he rolled up his shirt sleeves to his elbows for convenience, revealing his wheat-colored skin and lean, powerful physique.
Qi Donghan also pushed through the crowd and accurately placed his gaze on her.
Their eyes met.
Qi Donghan waved the score sheet in his hand and nodded at her.
The next second he spoke, his voice deep and magnetic, "Now, I will announce the scores."
After things quieted down.
Qi Donghan's voice rang out one word at a time, "Comrade Meng Yingying's latest score is - after removing the highest score of 10 points and the lowest score of 9.7 points, the final score is 9.9 points."
As soon as these words were spoken and the result was announced, the audience erupted in cheers, "9.9 points! Meng Yingying should be number one!"
"Good job removing them! It's fair and just!"
"9.9 points is definitely the highest score in the entire game."
"We are all satisfied; Meng Yingying deserves this score!"
Hearing the shouts, Shen Qiuyue, who was sitting in the audience, turned pale. She gripped the back of her chair tightly, her knuckles bulging with veins. She couldn't believe it. "9.9 points? How could it be 9.9 points?"
This is simply the highest score in the arts and culture performance competition in the past three years.
And what about her?
After removing the score given by the teacher, what was her actual score?
Shen Qiuyue dared not think about it, nor could she think about it anymore.
Qi Donghan, standing above, gently raised his hand and waved it, instantly silencing the lively scene.
"Next is Comrade Shen Qiuya's evaluation."
As soon as these words were spoken, many people looked at Shen Qiuya, but Shen Qiuya did not dare to look up.
However, just as I feared, the deep voice on stage rang out again, "Comrade Shen Qiuyue's score, after removing Qin Mingxiu's score of 9.8, has a new average score of 9.6."
After he said that, the room fell silent for a moment.
They never expected the difference in scores to be so large.
Shen Qiuyue was in a similar situation; she almost thought she had misheard. How many? 9.6 points?
How could it be so low?
Her blood rushed to her head, and she almost swayed.
How is that possible?
How could it only score 9.6?
That's a difference of 0.3 points from Meng Yingying's score.
This is not a small amount.
And Shen Qiuyue's fears came true; someone in the audience below the stage was shouting.
"The score difference is too big."
"It seems there's a lot of water in this too."
"Coach Qin, you should go back to teaching your students. Grading isn't for you!"
"Yes, giving Shen Qiuyue preferential treatment is going too far."
"No wonder your student Shen Qiuyue has been the champion for the past three years. It turns out you were the mastermind behind it all."
These words became increasingly explicit.
Each sentence was more embarrassing than the last.
They also denied everything about Qin Mingxiu's past.
Qin Mingxiu was restless on the judges' panel. She opened her mouth, but looked up at the faces that loathed her.
She wanted to escape, to escape like her student Shen Qiuyue, but she couldn't.
She is Qin Mingxiu, the most outstanding dancer in the cultural troupe of the last era.
He is the champion's teacher.
She can't leave.
Qin Mingxiu feigned composure, straightening her back, "I just made a mistake that everyone makes."
"I wanted to protect my students, and I did nothing wrong."
That sounds very high-sounding.
A burst of ridicule erupted from the audience.
Qin Mingxiu couldn't bear it, and neither could Shen Qiuyue. The master and disciple were once so high and mighty, but now they were humiliated.
They wanted to escape, to flee this place that had tarnished their reputation.
However, Qi Donghan on the stage didn't seem to intend to stop there. He shouted loudly at the two of them, "Officer Qin and Comrade Shen, don't you want to hear who the final champion is?"
"After all, even if you don't win the championship, you'll still get the runner-up title, and there will be an awards ceremony later. Aren't you going to participate?"
Qin Mingxiu and Shen Qiuyue, who were about to leave, suddenly stopped.
The two became the focus of the entire event.
It's a disgrace and an embarrassment; you can't leave if you want to, and you can't stay if you want to.
The person who started it all acted as if nothing had happened.
He smiled and said, "Even as a competitor, listening to the announcement of the victory is a sign of respect for the competitor."
"After all, there are award ceremonies and prize-giving ceremonies after winning the championship, and as a contestant, you can't miss them."
Upon hearing this, Qin Mingxiu took a deep breath and pulled Shen Qiuyue to sit down again.
Seeing this scene.
Qi Donghan nodded, his gaze passing through rows of seats, over the gaps in the crowd, and finally landing on Meng Yingying's face. A very slight smile appeared on his lips, and his voice was low and deep, "After the final evaluation by the judging panel—"
He raised his hand and unfolded the gold-embossed score sheet that was pressed behind the grade sheet. His movements were slow and deliberate, yet carried an undeniable force.
"The first place winner in the individual preliminary round of the Heilongjiang Provincial Cultural Troupe's arts performance is—"
The last syllable was deliberately drawn out, causing everyone in the audience to hold their breath for a moment.
Qi Donghan raised his eyes, his voice suddenly rising so loudly it made everyone's eardrums vibrate, "Meng! Ying! Ying!"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Yingying: If I say I'll beat you up, I'll beat you up! No ambiguity!
Someone exclaimed with starry eyes: "Wife, wife, you're so amazing!"
Oops, I set the date to September 9th... No wonder it didn't post.
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