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

Chapter 477 Climbing Up by Stepping on Competitors
The day after the preliminary exams for the Beijing Film Academy concluded, the preliminary exams for the Huaxia Conservatory of Music officially began.

Because Xingxiang Art Examination Training Center opened a music major last year, Zhang Wen also came to the gate of Huayin to continue to cheer on the students.

Although he arrived early, the sidewalks on both sides of the school gate were already full of people.

Parents either stood on tiptoe to peek into the school gate; or they straightened their children's clothes while constantly telling them, "Don't be nervous, just do your best"; or they held up their phones to record videos, the camera closely following their children, capturing the last moment before they entered the examination room.

There were also some teachers from art exam training institutions here. They gathered in twos and threes to give their students their final words of advice.

They had actually said these words countless times, but in order to demonstrate their serious and responsible attitude, they chose to say them again.

Zhang Wen, dressed in a simple black coat, was surrounded by a chorus of exclamations as soon as he appeared at the school gate.

"Look, isn't that Principal Zhang from Xingxiang Art Examination Training Center?"

“It really is true. I saw a video of him betting with other art exam training institution teachers on Douyin yesterday.”

"It seems that Principal Zhang came to Huayin Conservatory of Music today to encourage the students."

Some people looked at Zhang Wen with excitement in their voices, while others pointed their phone cameras at him and filmed the scene.

"Teacher Zhang."

At this moment, a boy carrying a violin case came up to Zhang Wen.

After hearing this, Zhang Wen looked at the other person. He didn't remember having such a person in the special training class, or even in the regular music class.

what's the situation?
Did the tadpole choose the wrong father?

"Who are you?" Zhang Wen asked, puzzled.

"Teacher Zhang, I'm a fan of yours. I especially love the songs you write. Could you please sign your autograph?" The boy looked on with longing and anticipation.

Zhang Wen was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected that someone would offer him a chance to show off before he even had a chance to do so. So he smiled and agreed, "Sure, where should I sign?"

The boy happily handed over the pen, then put the violin case he was carrying on his back on the ground, took out the violin from it, and said excitedly, "Teacher Zhang, please write your name on my violin. That way, whether I'm taking an exam later or practicing in the future, I'll think of you, which will inspire and motivate me."

Zhang Wen's eyes lit up upon hearing this. He hadn't expected that he would have such a great role to play... That's right, he was the reincarnation of the God of Literature.

Since that's the case, we must give this young man a chance.

With that thought in mind, he picked up a pen and quickly wrote his name on the violin, while at the same time eliminating the negative personality derivatives in the boy.

His devout fans deserve his blessings.

"Thank you, Teacher Zhang." The boy was thrilled as he looked at the signature on the violin. After putting the violin away, he bowed deeply to express his gratitude.

"Good luck! I wish you success in your exams and all the best." Zhang Wen offered his blessings.

The boy slung his violin case back over his shoulder and walked away happily.

The parents around were surprised that a celebrity could be so approachable, and they all gathered around him.

"Principal Zhang, can we take a picture together? My child really loves your song 'Human World' and says he wants to learn from you and get into the Chinese Conservatory of Music to pursue the best music." A female parent walked over and said, it was hard to tell whether she was telling the truth or just flattering her.

In short, the listener felt relaxed and happy.

"Okay." Zhang Wen nodded with a smile, then looked at the camera on the phone in the parent's hand.

"Crack!"

"Thank you, Principal Zhang." The female parent looked happily at the photos on her phone, then suddenly sighed and said, "Principal Zhang, if I had known earlier that you had started an art exam training institution, I would definitely have sent my child to study there. It's a pity I only found out yesterday."

“Yes, Principal Zhang,” a parent chimed in. “I only found out you started an art exam training institution yesterday after seeing the video of you betting with other art exam training school teachers on Douyin. Why didn’t you advertise it?”

"It's the first year of the program, and we were worried we wouldn't be able to handle it all, so we didn't advertise," Zhang Wen said with a smile.

Although he didn't advertise, he did hand out flyers, visiting more than a dozen high schools and even shoving them in the faces of other art exam training institutions.

But he wasn't as famous back then. Many parents saw the flyers but didn't choose Xingxiang. He was already satisfied with recruiting over 800 people.

"Teacher Zhang, my youngest son also plans to take the art exam route in the future, and he will definitely enroll in your school to study when the time comes," the female parent said confidently.

"Thank you. How old is your youngest son this year?" Zhang Wen asked.

"Six years old," the woman said.

"..."

Zhang Wen was speechless. He didn't even know if Xingxiang would still exist more than ten years from now.

Not far away, teachers from several well-known art exam training institutions quietly retreated to the other side of the gate, away from Principal Zhang of Xingxiang Art Exam Training Center.

The bet between Xingxiang Art Exam and Mindful Art Exam has already spread throughout the industry. Although it is still unknown who will win or lose, everyone has reached a consensus: never bet with Zhang Wen.

What is there that someone who dares to criticize even the Golden Melody Awards organizing committee wouldn't do?
Therefore, stay away from Zhang Wen, stay away from danger, avoid causing trouble for yourself, your boss, and your organization.

"Huh? Why don't we see any people from the Mindful Arts Exam Training Center here?" Xiao Hu, a music teacher from Huanya Arts Exam Training Center, asked her colleague Xiao Qin in a low voice.

Teacher Qin stood with her feet up and looked around on both sides of the road at the school gate for a while, but she really didn't see the music teacher for the Mindful Arts Examination.

"They probably knew Zhang Wen was coming and were too scared to come."

"Really? Mindful Arts is one of the top five art exam training institutions in Beijing. Do you think it would be afraid of Zhang Wen?" Teacher Hu was a little skeptical.

"Think about it," Teacher Qin said. "Winning against a small training institution won't improve the reputation of Mindful Art Exams at all, but losing to a small training institution would be a devastating blow to the reputation of Mindful Art Exams."

Teacher Hu was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly realized something.

Yes!

This is called: those who have nothing to lose are not afraid of those who have something to lose.

Zhang Wen's Xingxiang Art Exam Training Center is a small training institution, so it's not afraid to bet with large training institutions.

If they win, they can use a large organization like Mindful Art Exam to gain fame and recognition; if they lose, it's normal for a small organization to lose to a large one.

"I understand, Zhang Wen deliberately set a trap for those three teachers at the Mindful Arts Exam!" said Teacher Hu.

“That’s right, so we need to stay away from him to avoid being targeted by him. Besides, music is his forte, so if we make a bet, our chances of winning are extremely low,” Teacher Qin said.

Teacher Hu couldn't help but look towards the other side of the school gate, her eyes filled with complex emotions as she gazed at Zhang Wen, who was surrounded by the crowd.

This person really dares to think and act boldly, turning the art exam venue into a platform to discredit their peers.

"Don't look at him!" Teacher Qin immediately tugged at Teacher Hu's arm and whispered, "Be careful, don't make eye contact. If he sets his sights on us, we're doomed."

Teacher Hu panicked and quickly lowered her head, like a child who had done something wrong.

I heard that the three acting teachers who made the bet with Zhang Wen yesterday have been suspended and sent home to reflect on their actions. She doesn't want to be suspended and sent home to reflect on her actions.

While chatting with his parents, Zhang Wen kept observing his surroundings. The exam had been going on for more than half an hour, and there wasn't a single teacher from any training institution around, which filled him with deep disappointment.

Without the contrast with its competitors, how can Xingxiang's excellence be demonstrated?

He even planned to bet with another teacher from a training institution that he would climb the ladder by stepping on competitors, and he had even transferred the money he would have spent on buying trending topics to Jiang Xin.

Now, things have turned out differently. These teachers avoid him, no longer join in the fun, and stop making sarcastic remarks. Even if he said Xingxiang was the best art exam training institution in Beijing, probably no one would object. 'Sigh, how lonely it is to be invincible!' Zhang Wen sighed inwardly.

In previous years, teachers from different institutions would compete with each other during college entrance exams, comparing the number of students and teaching results, and occasionally exchanging barbs.

This year, because of his presence, everyone chose to remain silent.

It seems we won't be able to complete today's publicity task.
……

In the following days, several art colleges in Beijing began their entrance exams.

Zhang Wen still attends every exam, both to encourage the students and to 'unintentionally' promote the art exam training center.

Time flies, and the day when the preliminary test results were announced finally arrived amidst the anticipation of countless aspiring actors from Beijing Film Academy and Huaxi Academy of Drama.

The main conference room of Xingxiang Art Examination Training Center.

Fifteen students from a special training class preparing for the performance major entrance exam, along with their parents, gathered here, anxiously waiting.

In addition, the three acting teachers, He Yang, Han Wanling, and Zhou Min, also came. They kept a close eye on the acting class group chat, waiting for the results of the ordinary students.

"Why hasn't it refreshed yet? Is the website broken?" A mother in a red coat tapped her phone screen repeatedly, her fingertips turning white from the pressure.

The daughter beside her clutched the exam admission ticket tightly, her fingers trembling. "Mom, don't click anymore, the phone will freeze if you keep clicking." Although she said this, her eyes never left the screen, and she kept swallowing.

In the seats in front of them, two male students huddled together, their phones hovering over the search results for Beijing Film Academy.

One of the male trainees, his hands trembling, asked nervously, "Do you think we can pass? I dreamt last night that I failed the preliminary exam, and I woke up crying."

Upon hearing this, another male student comforted him, saying, "Don't worry, if Principal Zhang says there's no problem, then we definitely will be fine. Even if you don't believe in yourself, you should believe in Principal Zhang."

Just as a tense atmosphere filled the conference room, a voice suddenly rang out.

"I passed! Principal Zhang, I passed the preliminary test!" Li Jinyu stood up from his seat, his face full of excitement.

"Congratulations." Zhang Wen said with a smile while standing on the podium, and then put a checkmark next to the name 'Li Jinyu' on the list.

"I found out, and I passed the preliminary test," Su Xiaoxiao said, her voice trembling.

"Principal Zhang, what about me?"

"Me too."

The students raised their hands to report their preliminary test results, all with happy smiles on their faces, and even the parents standing nearby had smiles on their faces.

Soon, all 15 names were checked off.

"Principal Zhang, have we all passed the preliminary test?" Cao Jiaying, who was sitting in the first row, asked.

"Mm." Zhang Wen nodded.

As soon as he finished speaking, cheers erupted in the meeting room.

"yeah!"

"Brilliant!"

"We are the best."

"..."

Zhang Wen looked at the trainees in front of him and waited for them to vent their emotions for a while before snapping his fingers.

"Snapped!"

The sound wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears.

The once noisy meeting room fell silent instantly, and everyone's eyes turned to Principal Zhang on the podium.

"It's just the preliminary test. Be happy for a while. We have to take the final test tomorrow. We'll all stay behind to go over the content of the final test again," Zhang Wen said calmly.

"Yes!"

The trainees all said in unison.

Zhang Wen stepped down from the podium, went to He Yang's side, and asked in a low voice, "How were the preliminary test results for Acting Class 1, Acting Class 2, and Acting Class 3?"

He Yang didn't look up, but kept staring intently at the replies from the students in the class WeChat group. He replied, "Class 1 has 23 students who have passed the preliminary test, Class 2 has 19 students, and Class 3 has 26. As for the remaining students who haven't replied, there should still be some."

Zhang Wen frowned slightly. Out of 40 students in the class, only about 20 passed the preliminary test. He was not satisfied with this number.

"What about you over here?" Zhang Wen turned to look at Han Wanling.

“4班已有30个，5班是25个，6班28个……29个了。”韩婉玲淡淡的笑着说道。

Zhang Wen looked at Zhou Min one last time, but before he could speak, Zhou Min took the initiative to report.

“7班确定36个，8班确定33个，9班确定35个。”

"So many?" He Yang and Han Wanling looked surprised, especially He Yang, whose classes had the fewest students passing the preliminary audition among all the performance classes he taught.

Of course, it's also possible that the student was celebrating with their family and didn't reply immediately in the group chat.

Zhang Wen stood quietly, continuing to wait beside the three teachers. In his opinion, all the students in these nine classes should have passed the preliminary test.

Seeing Principal Zhang's serious expression, everyone fell silent and began asking what had happened.

"What's wrong with Principal Zhang? Why is he suddenly unhappy? Didn't everyone pass the preliminary test?"

"Didn't you hear me? Principal Zhang asked about the preliminary test results for the regular classes. There were twenty or thirty students who passed, and Principal Zhang didn't seem satisfied with them."

"Huh? So many people passed the preliminary test, and Principal Zhang is still not satisfied? His requirements for ordinary students are too high, aren't they?"

"It's not that we have high standards, it's that we are serious and responsible towards our students."

Just as everyone was whispering among themselves, Zhou Min suddenly stood up.

"Principal, all the students in classes 7, 8, and 9 have passed the preliminary test."

Her voice was hoarse from excitement.

“Me too,” Han Wanling said with a smile.

He Yang was so anxious that sweat was pouring down his forehead. He quickly made a few phone calls, and finally his tense expression relaxed. "Principal Zhang, all students in Class 123 have passed the preliminary test."

After giving his report, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief; he had almost lost to Teacher Han and Teacher Zhou.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wen smiled.

Good, it's time to give our competitors a real shock.

……

(End of this chapter)