Abstract Art Award Winner

Although everyone tried to avoid the awkwardness and conflict on the first day, how could such a topic be avoided?
Fortunately, the night view of Peach Blossom Village was nice, and people went home to rest in the evening.

Everyone went to their pre-selected accommodations.

The allocation of accommodation areas is also generally reasonable.

Zhou Le, Wang Sulong, Guo Qiling, and Huang Jingyu were assigned to the same area, like a boys' dormitory.

While looking for the room number, Guo Qiling joked, "Well, we've got everyone in this room—speakers, actors, comedians, singers… plus someone who can fight." He glanced at Huang Jingyu, who had a muscular physique.

Huang Jingyu grinned and pushed his suitcase: "I can't sing, and as for playing... I guess I can only do odd jobs."

Zhou Lele laughed: "That's perfect, we'll have to rely on Master Huang for the security of our house."

Wang Sulong laughed and said, "That's right, you guys take care of everything else, and I'll just keep talking."

He felt less pressured and the atmosphere was relaxed when he was with these three.

On the other side, there's a completely different art style.

Tian Xiwei and Meng Ziyi looked at the door number, then at Song Dandan and Su Mang behind them, and exchanged a "good luck" look.

Meng Ziyi whispered to Tian Xiwei, "Oh no, honey, are we going to be walking on eggshells tonight, or will the old lady be lucky?" Tian Xiwei covered her mouth and chuckled, "We don't know."

Song Dandan was quite pleased: "Two young ladies, that's great! They can chat in the evenings when they have nothing to do." Su Mang, on the other hand, was more concerned about the room's lighting and space, and had already started planning how to arrange her skincare products. Beneath the warmth of this combination, however, lay an undercurrent of generational gap and differences in values.

The other guests also settled in.

Although GAI and Zhang Han's rooms are in the same area, they are not too far apart, which is enough to avoid the awkwardness of seeing each other all the time.

Shu Qi chose a relatively quiet area, which exuded a sense of detached leisure.

After only a short rest, PD Chen's voice came over the loudspeaker, calling everyone to a short meeting.

Everyone gathered in the living room, their faces showing a mix of weariness and curiosity from the first day of recording.

PD Chen succinctly stated: "Thank you everyone for completing the first day of recording. The results were... fantastic."

As he said this, the corners of his mouth seemed to be uncontrollably turning up again. "Because the teachers arrived at different times, we lacked a unified and ceremonial opening scene. So, tomorrow morning, we need everyone to cooperate in reshooting the 'Arrival at Peach Blossom Village' opening sequence."

Everyone acted as if they had just arrived, carrying their luggage, getting off the bus, and walking in. The morning was free for everyone to explore and familiarize themselves with the surroundings. In the afternoon, we had an important agenda—electing our Peach Blossom Village's 'Village Chief'.

After hearing this, everyone expressed their understanding.

In variety show recordings, reshoots and going through the motions are commonplace.

Zhou Le knew perfectly well that once this notice was issued, no one would be truly idle tonight.

Everyone has to figure out how to make a memorable entrance for tomorrow's opening sequence.

How should I present myself when the dock manager is being selected this afternoon?

To fight or to yield?

Should we be proactive or low-key?
This Peach Blossom Village is not only a place of life, but also a miniature arena of fame and fortune.

However, he was determined that his goal was to make the show a hit, otherwise how would he make money?
As night fell, Peach Blossom Village gradually quieted down.

Just as Guo Qiling had predicted, the atmosphere in Zhou Le's room was relaxed.

After Huang Jingyu finished packing his things, he went to chat with Zhou Le and couldn't help but sigh, "Dude, I feel like filming this variety show is more tiring than training for a day." He wasn't referring to the physical exhaustion, but rather the mental fatigue caused by the subtle tension between people.

Zhou Le was leaning against the headboard looking at his phone when he heard this. He looked up and smiled: "This is nothing. This is the soul of Peach Blossom Village. Watching a group of unique and sharp-edged people come together to fight is the biggest highlight.

Huang Jingyu nodded in deep agreement: "That's why, who would be a smart person to be the dock chief? It's absolutely thankless work. Managing money, affairs, and arrangements, it's impossible to please everyone, and in the end, you're disliked by everyone."

Everyone likes to be irresponsible and still boss others around, right?

He saw things very clearly.

“Insightful,” Zhou Le agreed. “The director is basically a nanny and scapegoat. Especially with Song Dandan and Su Mang around, who’s in charge of whom? And who can really manage whom?” He paused, then changed the subject, “However, from another perspective, this role isn’t necessarily all bad.”

Huang Jingyu raised an eyebrow: "Oh? What do you mean?"

“There are advantages to being miserable,” Zhou Le analyzed. “If you can handle such an awkward position well, or even if you handle it poorly but have the right attitude, it’s easy to gain the audience’s sympathy and goodwill.”

This is an unconventional way to cultivate a fanbase, but of course, it requires the ability to withstand the exhaustion and frustration.

Huang Jingyu waved his hand: "Then I'd rather not have this audience appeal, it's too much of a hassle."

Zhou Le smiled and didn't continue.

Actually, we had already discussed this topic in a small group before.

Guo Qiling and Meng Ziyi are good at creating a lively atmosphere, but it would be absolutely impossible for them to manage, make decisions, or face the pressure from Song Dandan and Su Mang. It would be too much of a burden on them and a waste of their talents.

In other words, their personas are not suited to such a bitter and resentful job.

Wang Sulong has high emotional intelligence, but she seems to prefer self-preservation and easing tensions rather than taking the lead.

Song Dandan and Su Mang have strong personal presences, but if they were to be the leaders of the show, the people below would probably feel more oppressed, and the show's effect would easily become one-sided.

Shu Qi would never take on this responsibility.

Of the remaining candidates, Zhang Han, needless to say, is definitely not going to be elected.

GAI is out of the question. Yoko and Li Xueqin are both internet celebrities, so they are definitely not suitable for this role, and they are even less willing to take the lead.

Zhou Le himself had no desire to take on this trouble. He invested to make money and promote people, not to become the director of the neighborhood committee.

After looking at it from all angles, Tian Xiwei, who is the most gentle, the most obedient, the least able to refuse and the most easily manipulated, became the most suitable, or rather, the safest choice for most people.

If she becomes the dockyard leader, she will most likely become a "puppet," and various factions will try to express their will through her.

The subtle point is that there are quite a few people from Zhou Le's company in Peach Blossom Village, and some of them are on good terms with him. This has inadvertently created a confrontation between the royalists and the Empress Dowagers.

It was almost inevitable that Xiaotian would be wronged, but as Zhou Le thought, it is the wronged who are more likely to be pitied and remembered by the audience.

This was a hidden move for him, but a perfect source of dramatic conflict for the show.

They remained silent all night, each lost in their own thoughts.

The next morning, sunlight bathed Peach Blossom Village.

The group was woken up by the production crew and repacked their luggage as required, with staff helping them carry it to the vicinity of the entrance.

Then, as arranged, everyone took turns to act out the scene of their first arrival.

Zhou Le and Huang Jingyu were arranged to get off the bus at the back. They watched as the people in front of them walked in with varying degrees of enthusiasm, shyness, or coolness, expressing their surprise and anticipation to the camera.

Zhou Le felt completely calm.

For variety shows, a sense of style is essential.

He obediently carried his luggage, got out of the production crew's car, gave a perfectly timed smile to the Peach Blossom Village sign, and said a few standard opening remarks.

Huang Jingyu did the same, and the two of them acted as they slowly walked inside.

Looking at the process, Huang Jingyu couldn't help but mutter to Zhou Le, "After going through this, I feel like a video recorder with a stuck tape, and I've started rewinding."

Zhou Le chuckled: "You'll get used to it. This is just the beginning."

“I now deeply agree with what you said last night,” Huang Jingyu said. “This position of director can be taken by whoever wants it. I’m just hoping to get through these two days quickly. After that, I guess it will be more work and meals. It should be easier. Of course, don’t worry, I can definitely make sure the show is good.”

After the reshoots were completed, everyone was able to freely familiarize themselves with the environment.

Taohuawu has a beautiful landscape with mountains and fields, and several free-range geese, standing tall and proud.

Meng Ziyi excitedly went to tease the goose, but almost got pecked and screamed in fright.

After a quick tour, touch-ups, and rest, it was noon before we knew it.

The production team prepared a simple lunch, and everyone sat around a long table to eat. The conversation became much more casual, and they temporarily put aside yesterday's awkwardness and today's tasks.

However, just as the meal was finished, PD Chen's voice rang out through the loudspeaker like a punctual alarm clock: "Dear teachers, please take a short break. This afternoon we will hold our first plenary meeting in the conference room. The core topic of the meeting is to elect the head of our Peach Blossom Village. Please be on time."

What is supposed to come will come.

In the afternoon, in the conference room.

The long table was set up, and everyone took their seats, the atmosphere unconsciously taking on a formal and subtle tone.

Sure enough, as soon as the meeting started, Song Dandan naturally took over the role of host, as if it were only natural.

"This meeting is very important. We need to elect a dock manager. This place is so big, with so many people, there has to be someone in charge to coordinate the overall situation, manage the funds, and arrange activities, right? We can't let it fall apart." She set the tone with a commanding presence.

Everyone nodded in agreement; no one wanted to challenge such an obviously correct suggestion from the outset.

Su Mang continued the conversation, smiling as he looked at Song Dandan: "Sister Dandan, you are experienced and have the most influence. I think you are the most suitable to be the dock manager."

This is a typical example of a nomination designed to shift blame.

Song Dandan immediately waved her hand in refusal, reacting very quickly: "No, no, I'm too old, I can't keep up with the energy, these kinds of things should be done by you young people."

Her gaze swept across the room and immediately locked onto the good-natured Wang Sulong. "Sulong, come here! You're thoughtful and have a good personality."

Wang Sulong was startled and quickly declined, shaking her head like a rattle drum: "Sister Dandan, please don't hurt me, I really can't do it, I can't even take care of myself."

He used a form of address to build rapport, politely declining without losing his composure.

He's obviously a seasoned veteran in the entertainment industry.

Song Dandan then nominated several other people, but they were all turned down with various excuses.

Seeing that the situation had reached a stalemate, Su Mang suddenly suggested, "Then let's vote! A democratic election! Raise your hand if you agree that I should be the dockyard chief!"

Zhou Le, Tian Xiwei, Guo Qiling, and Meng Ziyi raised their hands almost instantly.

Zhou Le went with the flow, while the other three were somewhat indifferent, implying that anyone could take the position.

But most of the others, including Zhang Han, GAI, Shu Qi, and Yoko, remained silent.

The atmosphere became a bit tense for a moment.

Song Dandan was a little embarrassed, but she immediately changed her target. Whoever made her feel awkward, she would turn the tables on them: "Then raise your hand if you agree that Su Mang should take the position!"

Several more people raised their hands this time, but Su Mang's reaction was even more intense than Song Dandan's. He refused outright and decisively: "I can't! I'm really not suited for management. How about we go by age?"

She tried to kick the ball back again.

Meng Ziyi then made a seemingly fair suggestion: "How about we take turns being the dock commander? Everyone can experience it."

However, this suggestion received ambiguous responses from Song Dandan, Su Mang, and others, who neither explicitly opposed it nor enthusiastically supported it, clearly indicating that it was not their first choice.

Zhou Le watched coldly, thinking to himself that no one really wanted to take on this real responsibility, but they also wanted to have the power to influence decisions.

If we take turns, then what's the point of refusing beforehand?

Just then, GAI got a little impatient: "Ugh, why make it so complicated? Whoever wants to be one should just step forward! What's the point of pushing and shoving?"

These words directly shattered the false politeness. In fact, Zhou Le thought the same thing, but he didn't need to say it.

Gai and I have a good relationship, so inviting him over was naturally to give him some exposure.

All I need to do is step up when it matters.

Song Dandan chimed in, "Yes! I think he's right! Anyone want to volunteer?"

She looked around, her gaze sweeping over the young people again.

As a result, everyone lowered their heads.

When asked, Tian Xiwei, perhaps pushed there by the atmosphere, perhaps having a vague preparation after chatting with Zhou Le last night, or perhaps seeing everyone pushing each other back and forth and someone having to break the deadlock, took a deep breath, a sweet, slightly timid but very firm smile on her face, nodded, and said in a clear voice: "Okay, then... then I'll give it a try?"

In an instant, the atmosphere in the conference room seemed to melt away like ice and snow!

"Great!"

"Oda is good!"

"Support! Support!"

Wow, Xiwei is so brave!

Praises rose and fell, and almost everyone wore an expression of relief or satisfaction.

Finally, someone took on this hot potato, and it was a young girl who seemed harmless and easy to talk to.

Tian Xi's face turned slightly red as she stood up to give her inaugural speech.

"Thank you for your trust. I will definitely do my best to serve you. Please forgive me if there is anything I do poorly..."

But just then, the conference room speakers blared again.

PD Chen's voice came in again: "Okay, thank you, Director Tian! Now, please move to Room L, everyone, to begin the next discussion."

Tian Xiwei's words were abruptly interrupted, leaving everyone somewhat bewildered. Then, Song Dandan and Su Mang took the lead in getting up and moving to another location.

This reaction and attitude precisely confirms what Zhou Le said earlier.

Huang Jingyu couldn't help but glance at Zhou Le.

Wang Chuanjun was secretly relieved that he hadn't taken the lead.

Upon arriving at room L, everyone sat down again.

Tian Xiwei tried her best to get into character, took out her notebook, and began to chair the meeting: "Let's discuss the preliminary topics next."

"We need some public funds. How about everyone contributes a little to their class fees first?"

She raised a very practical question.

Sure enough, the challenge arose as soon as the question was raised.

Su Mang spoke first, his tone gentle but his words firm: "Paying is a given. But how much? And I don't think we should rush to pay."

As soon as she said this, several people showed strange expressions.

Everyone hid it well, and it was quickly replaced by other expressions.

Following her prepared explanation, Tian Xiwei continued, "This money is what we'll use to make ends meet first."

But then someone spoke up.

"Are we going to share this money? If we want to eat at the exam hall today, and I want to eat an ice cream tomorrow, can we buy it from here too?"

"I think we don't need to discuss this yet. The most urgent thing right now is to figure out what we need to do."

"Money is indeed an issue, but how exactly to pay it needs to be discussed."

“I don’t want our lives to become too tight; we’re here for a vacation.”

At this moment, Song Dandan said, "Of course we're here for a vacation. We have fifty miles of Peach Blossom Valley, so of course we should relax a bit, right!"

"That's right!"

"Sister Dandan is right!"

Everyone was talking at once, and they all ignored Tian Xiwei, the dock leader.

However, the discussion continues.

Zhang Han crossed his arms, his expression indifferent: "I don't think it's necessary to set a fixed amount from the beginning. Let's talk about it when we have a concrete plan."

This is tantamount to directly rejecting the proposal to pay money.

Yoko also raised a question: "Director, who keeps this money? How is it accounted for? Shouldn't we appoint a treasurer?"

Tian Xiwei was somewhat at a loss due to the series of objections and questions. The courage she had just mustered was immediately punctured and slowly deflated.

But she still tried to keep smiling and explained, "But... without start-up capital, many of our group activities will..."

At this point, Guo Qiling couldn't stand it anymore and took the lead in trying to smooth things over and bring the process back on track: "Hey, everyone, let's not discuss how to spend the money for now. The director is right, let's settle the money issue first, so we have a foundation."

However, Song Dandan, Su Mang, and others clearly had their own ideas and began to express their opinions on issues such as the amount, purpose, and management rights. The scene once again descended into a chaotic uproar, and Tian Xiwei's voice was drowned out. She held a pen and looked at everyone with a sense of helplessness.

But I still tried to keep smiling.

Just when Tian Xiwei was about to give up, GAI spoke up again. His voice was quite loud, directly drowning out everyone else: "Hey, what's all the fuss about? I think whatever the director says goes. We didn't want to be directors in the first place because we were too lazy to think about these things, right?"

Now that this young woman is willing to take on this responsibility, we have to listen to her. Otherwise, what's the point of having a dock commander? We might as well all be dock commanders and vote on everything.

Meng Ziyi immediately followed suit. She might not be as quick-witted, but her protective attitude towards her own people was very direct: "I agree with Brother GAI! Listen to the helmsman! helmsman Xiao Tian, ​​whatever you say goes. I'm a straightforward person, I'll be your general."

Some of the firepower was drawn away, easing the pressure slightly.

At this moment, Zhou Le slowly spoke. His gaze calmly swept over everyone, finally landing on Tian Xiwei. His voice was gentle but carried a commanding presence: "Everyone, please be quiet for a moment. Now that we have chosen a dock leader, shouldn't we first hear the dock leader's complete thoughts and plans? Dock leader, please continue with your arrangements."

As soon as Zhou Le spoke, the scene quieted down considerably.

His qualifications, his status as an investor, and his usual calm yet formidable aura all came into play at this moment.

All eyes turned back to Tian Xiwei.

Tian Xi glanced gratefully at Zhou Le, quickly lowered her head to hide her emotions, then took a deep breath. When she raised her head again, her face was once again beaming with that energetic smile. Although a hint of nervousness could still be seen upon closer inspection, her tone was much firmer and clearer:

"Thank you everyone. My idea is that, regardless of any specific plans that follow, start-up capital is the necessary first step. So let's each pay a basic fee first, and we can discuss a reasonable amount together later."

She first affirmed the necessity of paying the money, then cleverly downgraded everyone's suggestions to mere reference, thus appeasing everyone.

"Then, we can discuss the use and management of the money one by one."

Please feel free to raise any thoughts or suggestions you may have. I will record and organize them, and then we will vote on or discuss them one by one.

After all, this is everyone's Peach Blossom Village. The village head's role is not to act arbitrarily, but to gather everyone's ideas, coordinate their implementation, and serve everyone well.

These words were well-reasoned and logical, clarifying the direction, demonstrating a sense of democracy and service, and maintaining the authority of the dock commander.

After listening, a barely perceptible hint of admiration flashed across Zhou Le's eyes.

It seems that Xiaotian has indeed done a lot of preparation and got into the swing of things much faster than he expected.

Others also know how things are divided now, but they are told to say these things because that's their public persona.

At the same time, some of these words also reflect their true thoughts.

All I can say is that Tian Xiwei's way of expressing herself is beyond reproach and is perfect for silencing everyone.

If I say anything more next...

That's pure sophistry and ungratefulness.

After Tian Xiwei finished speaking, her heart was pounding, and she tried hard to control herself from looking in Zhou Le's direction.

They were afraid that if their eyes met, they would be unable to resist showing a smug little expression that seemed to be asking for praise.

After all, we're in front of the camera now.

Of course, she already knew about all of that before.

So, she didn't actually feel wronged; it was just a reality show where she had to play a certain role.

Let others say what they want, but let's all take a look after the show airs.

Moreover, she already had a premonition that her status would even rise to another level after this show!

Therefore, she actually hopes there will be more villains like this.

After everyone quieted down.

They accepted the proposal, but the next issue was how much money it would cost.

Song Dandan said directly, "Then let's go with 650."

But as soon as he opened his mouth, Su Mang immediately denied it.

"No."

Facing the gazes of the crowd, she spoke with an incomprehension and skepticism: "How is this enough? Don't you drink milk in the morning? Don't you eat eggs? How can 650 be enough?"

That's quite obvious.

On the one hand, they are trying to highlight their persona and create a high-class image; on the other hand, they genuinely feel it's not enough.

But Zhou Le understood. Did you think she didn't understand? Actually, she did.

However, for someone in this position, this statement is actually correct, at least for her own perspective.

650?

It's basically just setting out a table full of dishes, then picking out a few that interest you and eating a few bites.

At this moment, Zhou Le saw the camera turn around and knew it was time for him to make his position clear.

So he turned to look at Tian Xiwei.

Tian Xi pondered for a moment: "I think this is a good idea."

This was exactly what Zhou Le was waiting for.

He then took out his phone and transferred 650 yuan.

The number 650 immediately appeared on the electronic screen in the conference room.

"I think that's enough. Director Du and Teacher Dandan are right. We should eat normally. Even if we're looking for cleanliness, hygiene, and nutrition, three to five yuan per person is enough, and even if we're looking for more, ten or twenty yuan is perfectly sufficient. I've already transferred the money." (End of Chapter)