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

Chapter 468 Fanaticism
Because the Spring Festival is relatively late this year, in mid-February, and the entrance exams for top art colleges are all concentrated in the days following the Spring Festival, leaving no seven days in between, the special training class was ultimately scheduled to start before the Spring Festival.

February in Beijing was still very cold, but that did not dampen the trainees' enthusiasm for the special training course.

On the first day of the special training class, 40 students arrived early at the large classroom of Xingxiang Art Examination Training Center, their eyes full of excitement and anticipation.

As art students, they were very familiar with the name of this celebrity principal.

A renowned teacher in the arts exam preparation field, a famous musician, and a songwriter, he single-handedly nurtured Tang Yi and Future Girls, with three of their songs selected as annual hits. He even threw away his trophy in public at the Golden Melody Awards ceremony. In the past year, he has undoubtedly been a prominent figure in the entertainment industry.

Who wouldn't be excited to learn from someone like that? Who wouldn't look forward to it?

"Crack!"

The door to the large classroom was pushed open from the outside, and Zhang Wen walked in.

The 40 trainees immediately straightened their backs and held their heads high, hoping to attract the principal's attention.

Zhang Wen looked at the students below the stage, nodded with satisfaction, and said with a smile, "Congratulations everyone, you have already taken one step into the gates of China's top art schools."

The trainees were stunned when they heard this.

They're already congratulating them before the class even starts?

Isn't it too early?

However, some students' gazes became extremely fervent.

Since the principal congratulated them, it means that the principal is confident and has the means to get them into their desired art schools. Who wouldn't like a principal like that?

He's an idol!
"Snapped!"

It's unclear who started clapping first, but the other trainees joined in.

"Clap clap clap!"

"..."

Zhang Wen raised his hand, and the classroom instantly fell silent. All the students looked at him, their eyes like those of fledglings waiting to be fed.

"Don't be so tense, relax a bit." Zhang Wen stepped down from the podium and looked at the students in front of him, saying, "Aren't you all curious why students from three different majors are taking a special training course together?"

The trainees nodded in agreement.

Performing arts, music, and dance majors study different things. How can they have classes together?

Could it be that the special training involves musicals?

If so, isn't seven days too short?

“The special training course doesn’t teach performance techniques, vocal training, or dance technique analysis. I believe your training class teachers have already taught these. What I’m going to teach you are things that normal art exam training doesn’t teach,” Zhang Wen said.

The trainees were stunned again after hearing this.

What are the things that are not taught in regular art exam training?

So that's something abnormal?

What will it be?
look forward to!
The trainees' eyes shone with excitement; they came here hoping to learn something they couldn't learn elsewhere.

“Special training means taking the unconventional path,” Zhang Wen continued. “So during the next week of special training, you must listen to whatever I say. Of course, if you don’t want to listen, you can choose to withdraw from the special training program, and I won’t stop you.”

The trainees looked determined. They had been selected by the principal from among hundreds of trainees, which was a stroke of good luck. Why would they back out?

Anyone who quits is an idiot!
You should know that there are many students outside who want to pay more but can't get in.

"It seems you're all ready, so I'll begin." After saying this, Zhang Wen picked up a pen from the podium and wrote two words on the whiteboard: Meditation.

A murmur of whispers immediately filled the classroom.

"Meditation? Isn't that something old people do for health? What does it have to do with art exams?" Chen Xinyu, sitting in the front row, whispered to the student next to her.

She had deliberately read "An Actor Prepares" yesterday, preparing to ask the principal for advice on acting techniques today, but what she got was meditation instead, which left her feeling somewhat disappointed.

“My mom’s health and wellness class also teaches this,” Liu Yujie, sitting in the second row, said quietly.

He studied dance, which is dynamic, while meditation is static, so it didn't seem to have any effect on him.

"It feels like a meditation retreat."

"Are they going to teach us to chant scriptures later?"

"Shh, don't talk, listen to the principal."

"..."

After Zhang Wen finished writing, he turned around, and the classroom quieted down.

Although the trainees were speaking very quietly, he still heard them clearly. But that didn't matter; it didn't stop him from using the guise of a meditation class to eliminate the negative personality traits of these trainees.

Zhang Wen seemed not to hear him and looked at everyone, saying, "Everyone, move your chairs to the side, then stand in the classroom, half a meter apart in all directions..."

Although the students were puzzled, they did as the principal said, especially the 15 performing arts students, who were very serious about their actions.

They knew that among the nine senior students who participated in the special training class last year, seven of them took the entrance exams for performing arts majors and all of them passed the exams for Beijing Film Academy and Huaxi Academy of Drama. This gave them a lot of confidence.

Let alone meditation, they would even chant scriptures if asked.

Since we're here, let's learn.

Trust the principal; you can't go wrong.

"Close your eyes, place your hands naturally at your sides, straighten your back, and feel your breathing..." Zhang Wen's voice was very soft, but it had a special penetrating power, causing the originally puzzled students to subconsciously follow along.

But less than half a minute after they closed their eyes, some students couldn't help but open them again.

"Principal, how can you practice acting with your eyes closed?"

"Principal, isn't singing about practicing breath control and resonance? It doesn't say anything about practicing meditation."

These words seemed to open a floodgate of conversation, and the other trainees chimed in with their own opinions.

Zhang Wen didn't answer immediately, but waited for the students to finish speaking before slowly asking, "What do you think is the biggest factor affecting performance during the art exam? Is it a lack of skills or an unstable mindset?"

The trainees looked at each other, but no one spoke.

They've all been through the standardized tests and know that when you get nervous in the exam room, all the skills you've practiced until you're completely forgotten will be forgotten, your mind will be in chaos, and you'll lose the ability to think. "Every year, art students make mistakes because of nervousness and are ultimately eliminated," Zhang Wen said with a hint of regret. "Meditation isn't about spacing out, but about teaching you to control your emotions, to calm down quickly when you're nervous, and to clear your mind when you need to invest emotional energy. Only when your mindset is stable can your skills be fully utilized."

As he spoke, he walked over to the female student who had just asked the question, gently patted her on the shoulder, and said, “Try closing your eyes again, don’t think about what the use of meditation is, just focus on your breathing, count to 1 when you inhale and count to 2 when you exhale, take it slowly.”

This time, the female student didn't say anything and obediently did as she was told.

The other trainees either felt that Principal Zhang's words made sense, or they felt that anything said by Principal Zhang must make sense, so they all followed suit.

But when they closed their eyes, their hearing became exceptionally acute. They could hear the principal's footsteps, their classmates' coughs, and even the car horns outside the window...

This isn't meditation; it's clearly listening to noise. How can you possibly quiet down?
Zhang Wen had taught a group of students, so he was quite experienced. He guessed what everyone was thinking, so he started talking nonsense in a serious tone.

"If you hear background noise, don't try to ignore it. Just like seeing a tree by the roadside, know it's there. Then focus your attention on your breathing: 1. Inhale, 2. Exhale..."

The students have to listen to what he says, because he is the principal and a famous teacher.

Not convinced?

Show the results.

For a moment, the sound of breathing in and out filled the classroom.

Some people inhale too forcefully, their faces turning red; others breathe too quickly, like a deflated balloon.

One of the dance students couldn't help but laugh out loud, wanting to see who was being so funny. But when she opened her eyes and met Principal Zhang's gaze, she quickly stuck out her tongue and closed her eyes again.

She tried to slow down, feeling the air brush against her nose when she inhaled and the breath brush against her lips when she exhaled, and she did feel less flustered.

With Zhang Wen's constant reminders, the atmosphere in the classroom gradually changed, and the heavy breathing slowly became even.

Zhang Wen stopped talking and began to mingle among the trainees, reprimanding them for the negative personality traits they displayed.

……

This year's curriculum is the same as always: meditation, handing out flyers, and being shameless...

Although they had been given a heads-up at the beginning of the special training course, the trainees still couldn't help but tremble when they actually heard Principal Zhang's arrangements.

And it still trembles every day.

For a moment, they even felt that Principal Zhang was a labor broker, or a shady one at that, who was either making them work or perform for money. Meditation, on the contrary, became everyone's favorite class.

Time flies, and the special training course soon came to its final day.

In the conference room of Xingxiang Art Examination Training Center, 40 students sat in their seats. At this moment, their faces showed less of the restraint and anxiety they had a week ago, and more of a calm and determined look.

Daily meditation taught them to clear their minds, handing out flyers on the street enhanced their resilience, and singing, dancing, and reciting lines at the train station strengthened their sense of shame. Everyone could feel their condition improving.

The difference was even more pronounced when they saw the before-and-after comparison video of the special training that had just been played. The parents sitting in the back of the meeting room were filled with surprise and delight, thinking that the 30,000 yuan tuition fee was definitely worth it.

Zhang Wen stood on the podium, his gaze sweeping over each student's face. His voice was magnetic. "This week of intensive training is over. Remember, art exams rely not only on skills, but also on mindset. Believe me, with your current state, you will have no problem passing the entrance exams for any art college in the country."

He wasn't just bluffing or talking big; he had completely eradicated all the negative personality traits in these trainees.

To ensure their success in the art exams, he even provided these students with some skill points to guarantee that they could perform exceptionally well during the exams.

This is a privilege that even the previous cohort of trainees didn't receive.

Of course, he will take back these skill points after the art exam is over.

Although they are all my students, it's best to learn skills yourself.

Top-tier institutions have top-notch teachers and systematic teaching methods, which are the foundation for students to acquire their own skills. He doesn't want students to rely on the skill points he provides and lose the motivation to learn proactively.

The eyes of the forty students lit up immediately when they heard the words "no problem with the art exam".

If the principal says it can be done, then it definitely can be done.

Seeing the students' joyful expressions, Zhang Wen suddenly changed the subject, "However, you can't let your guard down. The art exam is against tension and anxiety, as well as pride and complacency. These will affect your performance. So after today, I require you to return to the training center the day before the art exam. I will check your condition one by one."

With just over ten days until the entrance exams for top art schools like Beijing Film Academy, Peking Opera, Beijing Dance Academy, and China Conservatory of Music, and the Spring Festival in between, who knows if any negative personality traits might emerge during this period? So it's better to be on the safe side. Next year's enrollment for Xingxiang Art Exam Training Center will depend entirely on the performance of these forty students.

"Yes, teacher, we will definitely come," Hu Xinran, sitting in the first row, said loudly, and the other students nodded in agreement.

The parents sitting in the back were also very satisfied, seeing it as a sign of the principal's responsibility.

"Thank you, teacher!"

"Teacher, thank you for your trouble," the parents said politely, feeling that the money was well spent.

Zhang Wen raised his hand to quiet the room before saying, "Everyone, please don't be so polite. This is what I should do. Also, I would like to remind everyone not to forget to meditate when you get back. It's a daily routine."

As he spoke, he took out forty small cards of the God of Literature from his pocket and looked at the students, saying, "These are the amulets I prepared for you. Remember to offer incense, and he will protect you. Note that this is not feudal superstition, but a prayer for blessings. Remember this saying: 'What you keep in mind will surely come back to you.' Come and take them."

Upon seeing the miniature Wenquxingjun card, the students immediately stood up and walked to the podium.

When they came here for training courses, they offered incense to the God of Literature on the first floor every day. They were even thinking about where to offer incense to the God of Literature after leaving the training course. Unexpectedly, the principal had already prepared it for them. The principal is so thoughtful.

We offer incense to the God of Literature every day, and if we suddenly stop offering it one day, we feel a little uneasy.

“Principal Zhang, do you have any extras? Could you give me one?” a parent asked, standing up to help her daughter pray for blessings.

Upon hearing this, other parents also expressed a desire to get one.

Normally, one may not pray for blessings, or even believe in them, but when it comes to major life events for children, such as art exams or college entrance exams, one must treat the gods with reverence.

Let alone legitimate deities, even passing deities cannot be spared.

Zhang Wen paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Sure, I have more for anyone who wants them."

This year's art exam training course is coming to an end, and more than 800 students will soon leave the training center. In order to ensure that the ancestors can continue to receive offerings, he prepared 5,000 small cards to give to these students as graduation gifts.

People may leave, but the incense must continue to be offered.

Parents at the back of the meeting room gradually stood up and lined up behind the students.

"Alright, that's all for today." After handing out the cards, Zhang Wen looked at the forty trainees present and said, "I wish you all the best. I'll be waiting for you in the entertainment industry."

"Thank you, principal!"

"..."

(End of this chapter)