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

Chapter 475 Small Workshop?
Zhang Wen spent the entire day in the restaurant, learning a great deal about "incense offerings" and "ascension" from Zhang Fude and Li Xiuwen, the local earth god and earth goddess.

For example, incense does not necessarily require burning incense. Incense symbolizes the believers' piety and prayers, so as long as believers have him in their hearts and pray sincerely, they will receive incense.

Furthermore, the halo formed by incense behind the statue is actually the power of faith. Each halo requires one hundred million incense sticks. When there are one hundred halos, forming a huge ring, it means that the merits are complete, the test of educating all living beings and benefiting the world is finished, and one can ascend to heaven.

When Zhang Wen heard this, he was speechless.

It took him almost a year to collect 12 million incense sticks. If ascension requires 10 billion incense sticks, then he will need more than 800 years.

Not to mention this life, even in the next life or the life after that, I will never be able to complete the task of ascension.

It seems the art exam training center needs to recruit more students.

Zhang Wen stayed in his hometown for three days before leaving.

It wasn't that he didn't want to stay any longer, but with the art exams just around the corner, he had to rush back to the training center to check on the mental state of the thirty students in the special training class.

As it turned out, his worries were not unfounded.

Whether it was due to the relaxation during the Chinese New Year or the feeling that they were capable after attending the special training course, seven trainees exhibited negative personality traits again.

Although it's only a beginner level, it can still affect the students' performance in the art exam, which Zhang Wen absolutely cannot allow.

He was also hoping to use the news that "all thirty students in the special training class passed the exam" to promote his art exam admissions next year.

The fifth day of the lunar month.

The entrance exams for Beijing Film Academy and Huaxi Academy of Drama have officially begun.

Zhang Wen left early in the morning. Although the morning air in Beijing was still chilly, the gate of the Beijing Film Academy was already bustling with activity.

Zhang Wen moved through the crowd like a slippery eel, quickly squeezing to the front row.

The scenes of last year's support are still vivid in my mind; I can't believe it's been a year already.

"Go Shin-chan!"

"Baby, you are the best!"

"Yuanyuan, don't be nervous, Mommy and Daddy are here waiting for you!"

Parents kept comforting their children who were about to enter the examination hall, and only after their children entered the school did their eyes show worry.

"Principal Zhang, what brings you here?"

A student from the special training class waved vigorously at Zhang Wen. Compared to the other candidates who were expressionless or even a little nervous, this student had a smile on his face and his eyes were full of confidence.

"I'm here to cheer you on!" Zhang Wen said with a smile.

"Thank you, Principal." The student bowed and said confidently, "I will absolutely not let you or the school down."

"Okay, good luck!" Zhang Wen extended his palm to the other person. "Those who believe in me will definitely pass the exam."

The student immediately reached out to give a high five.

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound rang out, and the student strode into the gate.

The parents around were all surprised to see this.

No one is not nervous when facing the art exam. Even some child stars who became famous at a young age will feel the pressure. Let alone laughing, it would be good if their bodies didn't shake.

But what about that student from earlier?
She looked remarkably relaxed, almost out of place compared to the other students who came to take the art exam.

"Principal Zhang."

At this moment, another student spotted Zhang Wen, quickly ran over, bowed, and then greeted him.

"Xiaoxiao, are you ready to step into Beijing Film Studio with your other foot?" Zhang Wen asked.

"Ready." Su Xiaoxiao nodded emphatically.

"Let's go in, consider it a chance to familiarize ourselves with the campus beforehand," Zhang Wen said.

"Yes," Su Xiaoxiao replied, then happily walked into the school.

Next, students kept greeting Zhang Wen. Some were from the special training class, and some were from the performance class, totaling more than two hundred people. Zhang Wen's palms were almost red from clapping.

The surrounding parents finally lost their composure.

what's the situation?
These kids look so confident! They don't seem like they're here for an art exam at all.

"young people."

A middle-aged woman next to Zhang Wen gently patted his shoulder and asked curiously, "I just heard those art students calling you Principal Zhang? Which school are you the principal of? You look so young."

"Oh, I'm the principal of Xingxiang Art Examination Training Center," Zhang Wen said after hearing this.

The middle-aged woman had a knowing look on her face. However, even if he was the principal of an art exam training center, wasn't he too young?

"Were those art students who greeted you just now all students from your school?" another middle-aged man asked.
“Yes.” Zhang Wen nodded. “This year, more than 800 students from Xingxiang participated in the art exams. More than 400 of them took the exams for the performance major, and the rest went to take the exams at Huaxi.”

"So many people? Your art exam training academy must be quite large," the middle-aged woman remarked.

"Only eight hundred people? That's so few?"

Suddenly, a mocking voice came from the side. Zhang Wen looked in the direction of the voice and saw a woman in her late thirties, not yet forty, wearing a red down jacket. Beside her were two other women of similar age, one wearing a green down jacket and the other a yellow down jacket. Standing together, they looked like traffic lights, with contemptuous expressions on their faces.

Seeing everyone looking at her, the woman in the green down jacket couldn't help but say smugly, "Our Mindful Arts Exam Training School has enrolled over a thousand students just in the performance major. Xingxiang? Forgive me for being frank, but I've never heard of it. Is it some newly opened little workshop?"

The woman in the yellow down jacket immediately chimed in, "That's right. The threshold for art exam training is too low these days. Anyone with any level dares to open a school and become a principal. Look at your students, all laughing and joking around. They don't look like they're taking the art exam at all. I'm afraid they won't even pass the preliminary test. They don't take the exam seriously at all."

The surrounding parents immediately fell silent, their gazes shifting back and forth between the three women and Zhang Wen.

Few people have heard of Xingxiang Art Exam Training Center, but almost everyone has heard of Xinling Art Exam Training Center. It is one of the top five art exam training institutions in Beijing. Students and parents who want to apply for art exam training classes will definitely not be able to avoid this school.

Upon hearing what the teacher from Mindful Arts Exam said, everyone began to doubt Xingxiang's teaching level. Even the middle-aged woman who had spoken earlier subconsciously took a half-step back, creating some distance between them.

Zhang Wen wasn't angry. Instead, he smiled and looked at the woman in the red down jacket who had spoken first. "Mindful Arts Exam? Isn't that the Mindful Arts Exam Training Center where a student fainted at the exam hall entrance last year due to pre-exam anxiety?"

The woman's face flushed instantly, and she shouted, "You, you're talking nonsense!"

"Whether it's nonsense or not, those in the industry know it all," Zhang Wen said calmly. "Art exams are not only about ability, but also about mindset. Our Xingxiang students are confident in their art exams, so they naturally look relaxed. On the other hand, your Mindful Art Exam students lack confidence in their exams, so they are all tense, afraid of failing."

"You... spout nonsense! Our students aren't tense; they're just focused and attentive!" the woman in red explained.

“That’s right. Our Mindful Arts Examination has a history of over twenty years. We’ve developed step by step to where we are today thanks to our professional teaching team and professional performance courses. Do you think we don’t know what you’re talking about? Don’t try to show off your skills in front of an expert,” the woman in green said.

"How could the principal of a small training institution like yours know the strength of large institutions like ours? Let me tell you the truth, among the students admitted to the Beijing Film Academy's performance major last year, four came from our Mindful Arts Exam Training Program," the woman in yellow said proudly. "What?" Zhang Wen looked surprised. "Your Mindful Arts Exam Performance major recruited over a thousand students, and only four got into the Beijing Film Academy? That's an incredibly low success rate!"

The three women's expressions immediately changed.

Looking around, the parents were whispering and talking amongst themselves.

"Only five out of more than a thousand students were admitted, which is really quite good."

"It's less than four per thousand. Last year, the admission rate for the Performance Department of Beijing Film Academy was over five per thousand."

"It seems that even large organizations are nothing special."

"..."

The three sisters, nicknamed "Traffic Lights," were ashen-faced. As performance teachers at the Mindful Arts Examination Training Center, they had intended to promote their school by stepping on other training institutions, but they never expected to be turned on.

“That’s not how it is,” the woman in red hurriedly explained. “China has more than one art school with a performing arts major. Many of our students have been admitted to other art schools, such as the Central Academy of Drama, Shanghai Opera, Nanjing University of the Arts, Jilin University of the Arts, Yunnan University of the Arts…”

“That’s right. Our Mindful Arts Examination Training Center serves the whole country, sending a large number of talents to art colleges all over the country. How could your small workshop understand that?” the woman in green said.

"Principal Zhang, if you think our Mindful Arts Entrance Exam is no good, then let me ask you, how many people from your little workshop got into the Beijing Film Academy last year?" The woman in yellow changed the subject.

“Good question,” Zhang Wen said. “Last year, Xingxiang did not recruit students. Instead, we provided free consultation services for art students. During this process, I discovered nine promising talents, so I organized a 10-day special training course for them.”

"The results proved that my judgment was still good. Among these nine people, four were admitted to the Performance Department of Beijing Film Academy, three were admitted to the Central Academy of Drama, two were admitted to the Directing Department of Beijing Film Academy, and last year the top scorer in the Performance major of Beijing Film Academy came from our Xingxiang."

"Later, I don't know who spread the word, but many parents of art students came to me, hoping that Xingxiang could open a class. Faced with the pleas of these parents and the longing eyes of the art students, I finally decided to officially enroll students."

"Therefore, this year is the first time Xingxiang is recruiting on a large scale. Although there are only 800 students in total, I am confident that I can help them get into their ideal art schools."

"There are about two hundred students here today to take the entrance exam for Beijing Film Academy. In fact, most of them have already passed the entrance exams for other art colleges. They came to Beijing Film Academy today to take the entrance exam purely to challenge themselves."

"Based on my understanding of them, these students should have no problem passing the preliminary test, and the second test should not be too difficult either. In the end, seven or eight people should pass the third test and enter Beijing Film Academy."

After Zhang Wen finished answering the question, the three traffic light sisters were all dumbfounded. They obviously did not expect to run into such a tough opponent. The fact that he ranked first in the performance major entrance exam of Beijing Film Academy was enough to crush them.

The Mindful Arts Examination Training Center has never produced a top scorer in the performance major of the Beijing Film Academy entrance examination.

The parents around were also full of surprise. No one expected that Xingxiang Art Examination not only had an extraordinary background, but also that its students had such outstanding academic achievements.

"I remember now!" a parent suddenly said, "Last year, when the art exams were approaching, a famous art exam tutor appeared outside the gates of Beijing Film Academy and Huaxi Opera, offering free consultation services to art exam candidates. Could that tutor have been you?"

After speaking, he stared blankly at Zhang Wen.

"That's me," Zhang Wen nodded with a smile.

The parent immediately widened their eyes and asked anxiously, "Why didn't you come to Jingying this year? I've been waiting around here for seven or eight days and haven't seen you. Did you change seats?"

"This year I've been so busy with the students in my training classes that I haven't had time to help art students from other schools, so I haven't gone," Zhang Wen explained.

"Sigh!" The parent sighed deeply. "If I had known you started a training program, I would have gone there when I signed up for classes in the summer."

Other parents were also surprised that this young principal was a renowned art exam instructor with such a high reputation. They were all a little depressed and regretted not visiting more art exam training schools when they were choosing one, as they had missed the best one.

It seems that big doesn't necessarily mean good.

“Three teachers from the Mindful Arts Exam Training Center, do you have any other questions? I promise to answer them to the best of my ability.” Zhang Wen looked at the three signal light sisters.

The three of them blushed instantly. With so many parents around, if they just swallowed their anger and word got out, wouldn't it damage the reputation of Mindful Arts Exam Training?

"Whatever you say goes? Why should I believe you?" the woman in yellow said defiantly.

"That's right, you said there are seven or eight who can pass the three tests? I thought you were bragging." The woman in green said with a sneer.

Zhang Wen smiled. Although he didn't need to prove anything to his competitors, with so many parents of art students around, wasn't this a good opportunity to promote Xingxiang?

Imagine if your child wanted to pursue art exams, and your friends, colleagues, and neighbors happened to have art students studying performance. As a parent, you would definitely ask, "Which art exam training school is good?" This would be an absolute must-ask question.

"How about we make a bet?" Zhang Wen asked.

"What kind of bet?" The woman in red frowned.

"On the day the results of the third round of auditions are announced, Xingxiang will announce the students' scores. If eight of your students are admitted to Beijing Film Academy, the three of you will have to apologize to me while wearing the uniforms from the Mindful Arts Exam Training Center. You shouldn't have said I was bragging, and you should admit that Xingxiang is better than Mindful Arts," Zhang Wen said slowly.

The woman in red's lips twitched, and she asked through gritted teeth, "What if there aren't eight?"

“Then I’ll apologize to you while wearing Xingxiang’s work clothes. I shouldn’t have boasted, and I’ll admit that my heart is better than Xingxiang’s. How about that?” Zhang Wen asked with a smile.

The three sisters looked at each other. The bet was fair, but they were just acting teachers at the Mindful Arts Exam Training School, not the principals. It concerned the school's reputation, so they couldn't make the decision.

"What, you don't dare?" Zhang Wen sneered.

Upon hearing this, the surrounding parents, adhering to the principle that "only a fool wouldn't watch a show," added fuel to the fire.

"Go ahead and bet, the stakes are quite fair."

"Exactly, unless you lack confidence."

"Don't say that. Mindful Art Exam is one of the top five art exam training institutions in Beijing. How could we lack confidence? We'll definitely agree."

"That's right. How could such a large organization as Mindful Arts Exam not dare to make this bet? If word got out, they'd be laughed at to death."

"..."

The three signal light sisters turned pale and then red when they heard their parents' words. They were already in a precarious position, and if they didn't agree, they would lose face.

With the thought that 'we absolutely cannot embarrass the school now,' the woman in red said, 'Let's bet, but don't regret it.'

"Don't worry, a gentleman's word is his bond," Zhang Wen said with a smile.

"I'll be your witness!" a female parent next to her shouted, holding up her phone and recording the entire betting process.

“I will also testify.”

"We are all witnesses!"

Other parents echoed this sentiment.

It turns out that more than one parent was recording the video.

The three traffic light sisters froze, not expecting the parents around them to enjoy the spectacle so much. It seemed there was no way they could back out now.

……

(End of this chapter)