Back to the 80s Machinery Factory

Chapter 488 Just how many people have taken your class?!
To ensure the competition could be broadcast live nationwide, the Ministry of Education made special arrangements to hold the finals in the studio of China National Radio.

After getting out of the jeep,

After Chen Luyang and the others had their documents checked, they were led into the compound by their accompanying teacher.

At this time, the courtyard of the radio station was bustling with people, all of whom were students who had come from all over the country to participate in the competition.

Chen Luyang looked up at the square, solemn building.

Then I looked at the big red characters on the signboard: "China People's Broadcasting Station".

Then, as if he were climbing a mountain, he took a few big strides and strode up the steps.

Amid the questioning gazes of Wei Chuxiong and the teacher in charge, he stood tall and looked around!
it is good!
very good! !
Excellent!

He just loves seeing those youthful, energetic, nervous, and excited faces!

Even though we're all about the same age, but!!!
They're here to compete, but I'm here to be a judge!
Hey!
Are you angry?
Meanwhile, Chen Luyang was happily puffing out his little belly, enjoying his role as a judge in his heart.

Suddenly, a warm and excited voice rang out:
"Teacher Chen!"

Chen Luyang subconsciously turned around and saw a strange young man waving excitedly at him and running towards him in a few quick steps.

"You are……?"

Chen Luyang looked at him with some confusion.

He doesn't remember knowing this guy.

"Teacher Chen, I am Yu Xin from the Foreign Languages ​​Department of the Provincial University. I am here to participate in the competition."

As he spoke, the young man took out his provincial university student ID and the competition participation certificate from his pocket and handed them to Chen Luyang.

Chen Luyang has no need for this!
Upon hearing the other person's accent and noticing the color of their student ID,
"brother……!"

Chen Luyang grabbed Yu Xin with his left arm and took her hand with his right.

It is said that when fellow villagers meet, their eyes well up with tears.

Not to mention fellow townsmen from the provincial university!
Those are one's own family members.

"Teacher Chen, I attended your lecture at the provincial university on the weekend before! You were excellent."

Yu Xin was speaking excitedly when suddenly another voice rang out.

As he was talking, another person waved to him.

"Brother Chen!"

Chen Luyang turned around and immediately burst out laughing.

It's someone I know...

Ye Minghua raised his hand and strode towards him.

"Minghua!!!"

Chen Luyang excitedly grasped Ye Minghua's hand: "You're here to participate in the competition too?"

Ye Minghua nodded happily: "Yes! The school is giving me a chance to broaden my horizons."

"Wow, awesome!!" Chen Luyang couldn't help but glance at the guy in front of him.

When they met on the train before, Ye Minghua looked extremely anxious about the future.

After most of the semester spent interacting with foreigners,
The Ye Minghua in front of me looks much more confident and cheerful than before!
After the two greeted each other happily, Chen Luyang enthusiastically introduced them:

"Minghua, let me introduce you. This is Yu Xin, from the provincial university, we're from the same hometown!"

Upon hearing the words "fellow townsman," Ye Minghua's eyes immediately burned with fervor!

"Hello, classmate. My name is Ye Minghua, from the Foreign Languages ​​University!"

"Hello!!"

Yu Xin warmly shook hands with Ye Minghua.

After shaking hands,
Ye Minghua sighed, "I originally wanted to come and get a ranking, but seeing Brother Chen here, I've given up!"

"The important thing is to participate."

Yu Xin also chimed in, "That's right! I was thinking that I had taken Teacher Chen's class before and got a good deal, so I thought I could give it a try."

"Now I think the same as you: friendship first, competition second!"

Anyone selected by their school to participate in the National Higher Education Foreign Language Speech Contest must have some serious skills!

They were all aiming for a good ranking.

But no matter how spirited, confident, and bold they were...

They all wilted the moment they saw Chen Luyang standing there.

Although Chen Luyang was a teacher who wrote books and gave lectures to them,

But they are legitimate Peking University students, so it's perfectly normal for them to participate in the competition.

Now that your students and teachers are on the same stage, how can you compare them?
Although the two of them accepted their fate, Chen Luyang refused to agree.

"That won't do! How can participation be the only focus!"

"You two need to talk to each other nicely, in a positive light, the better the better!"

"With me here, what are you two afraid of!?"

Hearing Chen Luyang's words, Ye Minghua and Yu Xin smiled bitterly to themselves.

It's because you're here that they're afraid.

Chen Luyang, Ye Minghua, and Yu Xin were chatting happily.

Wei Chuxiong was getting anxious.

This scumbag!

He thought he was the only one getting special treatment, but little did he know that so many people had taken Chen Luyang's classes!

"It's almost time, let's go in."

Wei Chuxiong calmly greeted someone from the side.

"Okay, let's go."

Chen Luyang beckoned Ye Minghua and Yu Xin to walk towards the auditorium.

Ok?
Ye Minghua looked at the Peking University badge on Wei Chuxiong's body, a hint of doubt in his eyes.

Isn't it true that each school can only send one participant?
How come Peking University produced two?!

And since they've already sent Chen Luyang to the game, why send out a student instead?

Could this student be even more talented than Chen Luyang?!
Filled with doubt, the four entered the studio and were greeted by a banner with red background and white lettering that read "National Higher Education Foreign Language Speech Contest".

In the center of the hall, dedicated staff were checking documents and guiding contestants, judges, and reporters.

As a large-scale national foreign language speech competition, the contestants are all elites from universities across the country, making it a very large event!

On the left side of the hall, many contestants were standing by, waiting for the event volunteers to lead them to the backstage waiting area once everyone had arrived.

Upon entering the studio, Chen Luyang, Ye Minghua, Wei Chuxiong, and Yu Xin each took out their credentials.

Because Chen Luyang was in the first position.

Therefore, when he first presented the "invitation letter to the judges,"
The organizing committee members immediately came up to him and personally led Chen Luyang to the right-hand passage, guiding him to the judges' lounge.

Ok? ? ?
The others waiting in the hall were stunned.

They're all here to compete.

Everyone else went to the left and waited in line.

Why did he turn right?

Just as he was wondering what was going on, Ye Minghua handed over his competition invitation and student ID, and was then directed by a staff member to walk to the left.

Wei Chuxiong and Yu Xin are the same.
They were all directed to the left by the staff, and after everyone arrived, they went to the waiting area together.

"Why did he go to a different room than us?" Ye Minghua wondered.

"He's a judge," the staff member said politely.

Damn it! ! !

at the same time,

Several different tones and dialects of "Holy crap!" were heard simultaneously in soft voices.

Ye Minghua's voice was almost the loudest.

This is absolutely infuriating! I can't help but curse!
He thought everyone was there to compete, but little did he know Chen Luyang was there to be a judge!

They got seats!!!
But then, Ye Minghua secretly cursed himself for being a pig-headed idiot.

Chen Luyang is a contestant who writes books and gives lectures; with his level of expertise, why would he bother participating in this kind of competition?

To put it bluntly,

With him in the competition, it's practically a guaranteed victory.

This person is clearly here to be a judge.

and many more……

Suddenly, Ye Minghua's expression became quite interesting.

just,

Chen Luyang said that with him here, he and Yu Xin had nothing to fear! ??
next moment,
Yu Xin and Ye Minghua exchanged a perfectly synchronized glance!
My fellow villager is a judge...

Isn't this inappropriate?
……

And on the other side,
I watched as my friends and fellow contestants walked one by one to the left, getting further and further away from me.

Hahaha!!!

A glint of excitement and smug satisfaction flashed in the corner of Chen Luyang's eye!

See?
See?!
To make his back view appear more imposing and tall,
Chen Luyang deliberately puffed out her chest and raised her head, turning her two breasts into two giant machine guns, ready to shoot down all the flowers and plants in front of her at any time!

At this moment, there were already six people waiting in the judges' lounge.

As soon as Chen Luyang pushed the door open and came in,

Before I could even see who was inside, I bumped into someone clutching their stomach and running out with their head down, looking like they were in a real hurry.

"What... happened?"

Chen Luyang stared at the man's back in surprise.

Is he going to pull down his pants pocket or something?

Running so fast!

At this time,

A smiling middle-aged man stood up and extended his hand to him.

"You must be Teacher Chen Luyang?"

"My surname is Xu, and I am the chief judge of the organizing committee for this competition."

"Director Xu, hello!" Chen Luyang quickly clasped his hands together and greeted him humbly and politely.

Subsequently, under Director Xu's introduction,
Chen Luyang and the other judges in the room all...

You won't believe it until you hear it, and once you do, you'll be shocked.

The judges in front of me are either experts and professors or vice deans of various schools.

As for that judge who suddenly had a stomachache and ran out, he was also a very impressive person.

I heard that he studied abroad in his early years and returned to China, and is fluent in several foreign languages.

Sitting among these top experts in the field of foreign languages, Chen Luyang felt a little embarrassed.

Although he was quite confident in his abilities,
The "Practical English Communication Handbook" in my hand has been included in the national higher education textbooks. In terms of academic contribution and academic ability, I am more than qualified to sit here.

But compared to these scholars,
I am still "too young" in terms of age and reputation.

The people in front of me, even with a casual flick of their sleeves, carry far more weight than I do.

Fortunately, Chen Luyang is naturally thick-skinned and has an amazingly strong mental fortitude.

Since we're already here, what's there to be afraid of?
Chen Luyang sat casually on the stool, her mind racing, trying to find a topic to chat about with these seniors.

Unexpectedly, it was several teachers who spoke first.

"Xiao Chen, your 'Practical English Communication Handbook' is really well written!"

"Especially many of the sentences inside are truly very flexible!"

One of the female judges couldn't help but praise it.

"Yes, and it also includes pronunciation and intonation markings, which is very helpful for students' self-study."

Immediately afterwards, a male judge smiled and said:
"I heard that you learned your language skills by listening to the radio and staying at hotels for foreign guests."

"Speaking of which, our students also listen to the radio every day and communicate with foreign guests, but none of them have English as good as yours."

Do you have some trick up your sleeve?

Talking,

What began as lighthearted small talk gradually turned into a serious discussion about learning from each other.

After all, everyone has methods, but some people can learn them exceptionally well, which must involve little-known tricks.

Seeing the questioning looks in the teachers' eyes,
Chen Luyang calmly began to fabricate lies:

"I'm mostly self-taught. When I was a child, the radio at home was always on, so I would learn to imitate the voices and practice my speech by listening to the radio broadcasts."

"After I graduated from high school, I worked at a foreign guest hotel for a while. During that time, I had conversations with 'real people' and the feeling was completely different."

He spoke in a serious tone, his voice not loud, but his delivery was natural, and his expression carried a hint of "I can't explain how I learned it."

After listening, the teachers looked at each other, and then laughed.

"To put it bluntly, it's all about having high 'comprehension'."

An elderly man with a gray beard nodded, "This kind of knowledge can't be acquired just by studying textbooks."

“But it’s not just about comprehension,” another teacher said thoughtfully.
"He can organize things, write them into a manual, and have it selected by universities across the country. That's the ability to 'teach others,' which is much harder than being able to talk about it yourself."

“Yes, that’s exactly what I wanted to say!” the female judge immediately chimed in.

“Our department’s teaching guidance group even discussed your book before, saying that you are very particular about the way you set up example sentences.”

"Flexible yet coherent, with a steady control over word choice."

As Chen Luyang listened calmly to the praise from various bigwigs, she thoughtfully added:
"I just remember a lot and use it frequently. When I was writing the manual, I didn't think too much. I just organized it according to the logic of 'how to speak smoothly and how to make it easy for the other party to listen'."

"That's enough," the bearded judge nodded.

"The essence of language is simply to make people understand it."

……

A few people were chatting.
Suddenly, Director Xu asked, "That's strange, why hasn't Teacher Du returned yet?"

"Yeah, the competition's about to start, why isn't Lao Du back yet?" another judge wondered.

Just then, a junior staff member rushed in, flustered.

"Director Xu, something terrible has happened! Teacher Du is stuck in the toilet and can't get out!"

"Can't get out?"

Director Xu was taken aback. "What do you mean, 'can't get out'?"

"It's just... we can't get out." The junior officer looked embarrassed, too ashamed to say it in front of everyone.

Director Xu's expression turned serious, and he and the junior staff member immediately turned and walked out of the house.

All that was left was a room full of people staring at each other.

Watching the two figures leave, Chen Luyang felt a sudden chill run down his spine!
Damn it...

Can it really be such a coincidence?

With a hint of unease,
Chen Luyang forced herself to remain calm and took a sip of water. Just as she put the glass down, the door was pushed open.

A site dispatcher in a blue woolen work uniform walked in and said politely:

"Dear teachers, the competition is about to begin. Please follow me this way."

The group stood up one after another, straightened their clothes, and followed the dispatcher out through the side door of the break room.
Pushing open a heavy mahogany door, a warm light wafted out.

Chen Luyang looked at the large studio in front of her like a country bumpkin visiting the city.

The entire hall has a ceiling height of nearly seven meters.

The walls were covered with gray-blue sound-absorbing panels, and the floor was covered with polished wooden flooring that made a slight echo when you stepped on it.

Directly in front of you is a slightly raised lectern.

On top was a black, hard-shell, square metal microphone, with a spare microphone on the side, and behind it was a dark red velvet backdrop.

There was no screen on the stage, only a few tungsten halogen lamps shining in the center of the podium.

To the right front of the stage is the judges' seat, made of a crescent-shaped wooden desk.

On the table were, in order, a rating sheet, a writing board, a fountain pen, a pair of monitoring headphones with thick coils, and a microphone with a black metal base.

There's also a red button next to it, used to prompt the broadcaster that you need to speak.

Behind the judges' seats, there was a thick microphone boom that stretched from the ceiling all the way to the edge of the table.

"This is a radio-grade microphone arm."

An old judge offered a casual explanation.

"The sound from the scene doesn't come in through the microphone at the front desk; it's all picked up through this."

There were about thirty seats in the audience, with rows of representatives and reporters from the Ministry of Education, China Central Radio and Television, and participating schools.

There were also a few young people with notebooks sitting in the back, taking notes and talking quietly; they were probably from the radio news department.

"Judges, please take your seats here," the dispatcher said softly.

The judges then took their seats in the designated areas.

The middle position was naturally reserved for the oldest and most senior expert.

The others lined up on the left and right in order.

Following the directions, Chen Luyang sat down in a seat on the side.

As he sat down, he glanced at the empty chair next to him.

If I'm not mistaken, this old man is unlikely to show up.

...This damned fate!
Fortunately, it was a radio broadcast, not a television broadcast.

Even if there is one less judge on site, there is no need to rearrange the setup, and there is no need to worry about the scene.

With the judges all seated, a series of commands came through the headsets placed beside them:

"The broadcast signal has been connected."

"Director confirmed."

"Lights ready, microphone monitoring red light flashing normally."

……

With the judges seated, the backstage coordination was completed.

In the contestants' waiting area, several people peeked out from behind a red curtain, secretly observing the front desk.

"It's really him!"

"So he was Chen Luyang!"

"That explains why he, who is about the same age as us, can turn right."

"So he was actually a judge?!"

"I wonder if he still has the 'English Communication Handbook'. If he does, could I ask him for a copy?"

……

(End of this chapter)