How can you ascend to heaven when you are a star?

Chapter 357 Sharp Eyes?

The morning sunlight awakens the entire city, gradually making the streets and alleys clear.

Zhang Wen did not go to the film set with Bai Lu. He asked director Han Xiaohua for half a day off and then drove alone to a residential area near the company.

Because the building density in the community is relatively high and the rent is lower than in other surrounding communities, Tianxi Media arranged for the trainees to live here.

While eating a steamed bun, Zhang Wen sat in the car and looked out. From this position, he could see the main gate of the residential area.

Familiar faces came into his view. After exiting the main gate, he walked eastward, which was the direction of Tianxi Building, only about a ten-minute walk away.

Unfortunately, these were not the people he was waiting for today.

Another few minutes passed.

Zhang Wen stuffed the plastic bag left over from eating steamed buns into the storage compartment next to him. As soon as he looked up, he saw six beautiful young women appear at the entrance of the residential area.

Her delicate face, fashionable outfit, and tall figure attracted the attention of passersby, and some even bumped into the roadside utility poles.

"Drip!"

Zhang Wen honked the horn, then rolled down the passenger window and waved repeatedly in the direction of the beautiful woman.

"Zhang Jiajia, over here!"

The six beautiful women are none other than the six trainees who are going to participate in the reality show "Super Trainee" today.

After thinking it over, he still felt that it would be easier to blend into the production crew on the first day, so he called Zhang Jiajia early in the morning, explained the situation, and then drove Bai Lu's nanny van to pick him up.

Following the sound, Zhang Jiajia and the others looked over and, upon seeing Teacher Zhang sitting in the car, quickly walked over.

"Hello teacher."

Good morning, Teacher Zhang.

The six trainees greeted each other one after another, their voices sweeter than honey, and their smiles brighter than the sunshine today.

"Good morning." Zhang Wen waved to the students standing outside. "Get on the bus."

Upon hearing the instructions, the women immediately opened the car doors, with one woman sitting in the front passenger seat and five others in the back.

After seeing everyone get into the car, Zhang Wen immediately started the car and headed to the filming location of the program, the film and television town.

The film and television town is more than 70 kilometers away from Tianxi Media, and it takes an hour and a half to drive there.

The selection competition was held here, but compared to then, the grass is now green, the flowers are blooming, and the scenery is even more beautiful.

The van parked outside the film and television town, and Zhang Wen led the students out of the vehicle.

A large crowd had already gathered at the entrance of the park, all radiating youthful energy and vitality—a truly breathtaking sight, like stepping into a beautiful Walmart.

There are sweet types, mature types, aloof types, and cute types...

Zhang Wen only regretted that he couldn't have an extra eye like Erlang Shen.

There's too much to see, absolutely too much to see.

These are outstanding trainees trained by major entertainment companies. Whether it's their looks, physique, or talent, they are all exceptional. Anyone who sees them will be dazzled.

"Ahem! Teacher, mind your image," Chen Silu whispered, her voice tinged with a hint of jealousy.

Since getting off the bus, Teacher Zhang hasn't looked at them at all; he's practically treated them like they don't exist.

"Don't speak, I'm observing your competitors," Zhang Wen said seriously, his gaze continuing to sweep over the beautiful women around him.

"..."

Chen Silu and the others were speechless.

If you're just looking at pretty girls, that's fine. The competition hasn't even started yet. What can you tell just by looking at their appearance?
Good looks are important, but ability is the ladder to advancement.

Of those who passed the selection competition, which one wasn't good-looking?
Teacher Zhang, I never imagined you were this kind of person.

Zhang Wen's gaze swept among the beautiful women, and he quickly locked onto one of them.

"Does anyone recognize that trainee who's wearing a white t-shirt and jeans?" Zhang Wen asked.

The girls looked in the direction Teacher Zhang pointed and quickly found their target.

“I know her. Her name is Wang Miao. She ranked second in the qualifiers and stood next to me during the closed training,” Zhao Tong said.

"Teacher, she doesn't seem to have any close-up shots either," Chen Silu said.

"Yes, but she's very strong, so you all need to be careful," Zhang Wen cautioned.

The women nodded in agreement, feeling ashamed for having misunderstood Teacher Zhang.

It turns out that Teacher Zhang was indeed observing their competitors; otherwise, how could he have been so accurate in pointing out the second-place finisher in the preliminary round?
"Teacher, look over there." Su Jin suddenly pointed to a trainee who had just gotten off the car.

The other person was wearing a white dress and a sun hat, carrying a Hermès bag, and behind her was an Alphard minivan.

This high-end business van is very famous in the entertainment industry. Many celebrities travel in it, just like the Bailu business van that Zhang Wen is driving today, which is also an Alphard.

But the woman in front of me is just a trainee. She's already driving an Alphard before she's even debuted, which means she must come from a very wealthy family.

Moreover, the other person kept their chin up as they left, their expression full of arrogance, as if to say: "The young lady has arrived, everyone get out of the way."

“It’s number 31. She’s in the close-up shot,” Zhang Jiajia said softly.

Upon hearing this, the other companions looked even more closely.

And I must say, you really can't find another trainee with that arrogant demeanor in close-up shots.

Zhang Wen looked at No. 31's skill panel.

He Jiaying, Skills: Piano 53 points, Vocal Performance 45 points, Ballet 39 points, Acting 23 points...

After reading it, Zhang Wen's expression immediately turned serious.

There's something there, but not much.

However, this is precisely what makes him feel uneasy.

A trainee who only has one skill that meets professional standards, and that skill is a musical instrument, can get close-up shots?

If there's no inside story here, he should rip his brain off and use it as a football.

Chen Silu, who also had close-up shots, was the weakest of the five trainees in terms of skill, but her vocal and folk dance skills all exceeded fifty points, with two of them reaching professional level.

"Teacher Zhang, how good is number 31?" Zhao Tong asked impatiently.

The others also seemed concerned.

Zhang Wen withdrew his gaze, thought for a moment, and said, "She has a very strong background."

"?"

The women were completely confused. They wanted to know how strong No. 31 was, so why was Teacher Zhang talking about his background?
Zhang Wen glanced at the students beside him and saw that they all looked confused, so he could only say, "Her strength isn't that great; she's far inferior to the rest of you."

"Oh."

The women suddenly realized what was going on, and finally understood why Teacher Zhang had said that No. 31 had a very strong background.

To get a close-up shot without having real talent can only be due to a strong background.

If the special camera shots were due to his own strength, Teacher Zhang wouldn't have looked for other reasons. "Teacher Zhang, so you're saying there's something fishy going on in the upcoming competition?" Zhao Tong gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with anger.

"Mm." Zhang Wen nodded.

Cao Qing's gaze darted back and forth between Teacher Zhang and her other classmates, her heart filled with doubt.

Why is everything Teacher Zhang says taken as gospel?
Why don't others doubt what Teacher Zhang said?

Can you really judge someone's ability with just one glance? That's ridiculous!
They're not Sun Wukong, so where would they get their fiery eyes?

She wanted to question him loudly, but she held back. Teacher Gu had already left Tianxi Media, and now she could only stick together with Zhang Jiajia and others for warmth. If she fell out with Teacher Zhang, her situation in the program team would become even more difficult.

"Teacher, it's getting late, let's go inside too," Cheng Sisi said, glancing at her watch.

"Okay." Zhang Wen nodded and then walked towards the park entrance.

Besides Chen Silu and this trainee number 31, there are seven other trainees who received close-up shots that he hasn't seen before. He wants to see if the others are talented or just have connections.

If there are any truly talented individuals among them, then Zhao Tong and others still have a chance to make it into the top nine. However, if they are all people with connections, then Zhao Tong and others will have learned a lesson from the "Super Trainee" program, which will show them the treacherous nature of the entertainment industry.

"Where are your documents?" a staff member at the entrance asked Zhang Wen as he was stopped.

"I am their teacher and also the team leader of Tianxi Media. I brought them here today to participate in the program recording," Zhang Wen said to the staff, pointing to Zhang Jiajia and others.

Upon hearing this, the staff member reached out and tapped on the sign next to them, which read: "Program recording. No one except trainees is allowed to enter. Thank you for your cooperation."

Zhang Wen read it from beginning to end, looking somewhat embarrassed. He had been so focused on observing the trainees that he hadn't noticed the sign.

"Thank you for your cooperation, tour leader," the staff member said with a smile, then pointed elsewhere, gesturing for someone to move aside.

Zhang Wen glanced at Zhang Jiajia and the others separated by a door, and could only step out of the group and stand to the side.

"teacher!"

Zhao Tong and the others were somewhat flustered.

Zhang Wen, speaking through the bars to the six trainees inside, said, "You guys go and get ready first. I'll be in shortly. Remember what I told you last night: no matter what, you have to give it your all and beat her to a pulp."

"understood."

"Don't worry, teacher."

"We will definitely win."

The goddesses looked serious, and finally turned and walked into the park.

Zhang Wen waved his hand, and only looked away when the six women were hidden by the greenery.

As he turned around, he saw several staff members at the entrance staring intently at him, their expressions like those of wolves eyeing a lone goat.

Zhang Wen raised an eyebrow. He hadn't even gone inside, so why was he being stared at like that? Couldn't he just stand outside? Wasn't this meddling a bit too much?
Little did he know that his words, "I'll be right in," had put the surrounding staff on high alert, fearing that the team leader from Tianxi Media might force his way in and disrupt the recording of the program.

The sun was very strong.

Zhang Wenben was about to go back to his car to try and find some connections to get him into the park, but after seeing the trainees lining up to enter, he changed his mind.

If they don't let him in, he'll just stand here and watch, memorize the trainees' names and skill stats, then contact Zhang Jiajia and the others to ask what the other seven trainees are called. Once they've checked, they'll know who the talented ones are and who the ones with connections are.
How could a living person die from holding in their pee?

With that in mind, he came to a big tree, stood in the shade, and quietly observed the trainees.

As expected of outstanding trainees from various entertainment companies, their skills all look very strong.

Most people have one skill at a professional level, a few have two skills at a professional level, and there is even one person with three skills at a professional level, two of which are musical instruments. Even so, it is already very rare.

Just as Zhang Wen was engrossed in watching, a voice suddenly came from beside him.

"Teacher Zhang?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wen turned around and saw two women standing beside him. The one in front was sweet-looking with bright, expressive eyes that seemed to speak volumes.

Her delicate nose paired with pink lips gives her a fresh and refined look, and her fair face reveals a pair of shallow dimples, adding to her girlish charm.

“Li…” Zhang Wen pointed at the other person, then quickly remembered her name: “Li Yuqi, what are you doing here?”

Li Yuqi is a famous singer in China. She has a sweet appearance and a very contrasting deep voice, making her highly recognizable and attracting a large number of fans.

Zhang Wen got to know the other person not because he had heard her songs, but because after Sister Li released her new album, she invited him to write a song, and that's how they started to interact.

"I'm here to record the show." Li Yuqi stepped forward, her face beaming with joy.

I never expected to meet Teacher Zhang here; I'm so lucky.

"Recording a show?" Zhang Wen looked at the park entrance, then at Li Yuqi, and asked, "Are you here to participate in 'Super Trainee'?"

“Yes, I’m a trainee mentor,” Li Yuqi said.

"Really?" Zhang Wen's eyes lit up immediately, and he looked at the other person and asked, "Do me a favor and take me inside."

He pointed in the direction of the entrance.

Li Yuqi blinked and asked curiously, "Teacher Zhang, what are you going in for?"

Zhang Wen sighed softly, "Sigh, don't even mention it. I have a few students participating in 'Super Trainee,' and I'm a little worried about them, so I wanted to go in and check on them."

Li Yuqi looked enlightened, then smiled and said, "Oh, I see. No problem, come with me."

Actually, she was hoping that Teacher Zhang would ask her for help more often.

In this way, the other party will owe her a favor, and in order to repay the favor, they will write a song for her.

The person in front of you is currently the most sought-after songwriter in the music industry.

She had been waiting for over a month without receiving a song written by the other party, so today was definitely a good opportunity.

"Thank you," Zhang Wen said.

"It's nothing, Teacher Zhang, you're too kind," Li Yuqi said as she walked towards the park entrance.

Zhang Wen followed behind Li Yuqi, but after Li Yuqi went inside, he was stopped again.

"Team leader, didn't I just say that no one except trainees is allowed to enter?" The staff member frowned, looking somewhat impatient.

“This teacher is on my team,” Li Yuqi explained to the staff member.

The staff didn't believe it, but the person who spoke was Li Yuqi, a celebrity mentor invited by the program team. How could a doorman like him dare not give face to a celebrity?

If we really piss them off, they'll leave, and we can forget about recording today's show.

"Oh, then you can go in." The staff member moved aside to make way for him.

"..."

Zhang Wen walked in and looked back at the entrance.

They're in already?
It's so nice to be a celebrity.

However, he was not envious; he preferred making money secretly to being a celebrity.

……

(End of this chapter)