The only sun in Huayu

The Olympic Games are in full swing.

The organization was flawless, and the excitement of the event and the enthusiasm of the audience were unprecedented.

When Shen Shandeng returned home that evening, he saw Da Mimi sitting on the sofa, pouting at the laptop screen, looking angry.

"I'm so angry! These media outlets just write nonsense!"

When Da Mimi saw him, she immediately started complaining.

The incident of a little girl leading the singing at the opening ceremony being accused of lip-syncing caused a great uproar.

"What's wrong?" Shen Shandeng asked casually as he changed his shoes.

"What else could it be? It's about those two little girls who sang at the opening ceremony! Now a lot of people online are cursing them, saying things like they lip-synced, that they deceived people's feelings, and even worse things!"

"This is not a big deal at all, okay? So many TV dramas are dubbed, why doesn't anyone say anything about that?"

She had clearly done her research, and she poured out all of it at once.

"Lin Miaoke, who is standing on the stage, does have a good appearance, but I heard that her pitch is not very stable when she sings. What if she gets nervous and goes off-key during such a big performance?"

"Yang Peiyi, who sings backstage, has a really good voice, but she is in the process of losing her baby teeth and is missing a front tooth, so her appearance may not be perfect."

"So, this compromise approach ensures both the visual and acoustic effects of the stage. What's wrong with that?"

"Don't rush." ​​Shen Shandeng took the water she poured and told her not to rush.

After glancing at the news, Shen Shandeng said dismissively, "Oh, this? It's nothing, is it? I think it was handled quite pragmatically."

He followed the preparations for the Olympics closely from beginning to end.

I am well aware of how many contingency plans and backup measures the organizers have taken to ensure everything goes smoothly.

"For an event of the Olympic Games scale, having multiple backup plans is perfectly normal."

"I heard that not only were there two lead singers, but even the kite-flying segment was prepared by two girls together. This shows that the organization was meticulous."

Shen Shandeng felt it was good for both children.

"In my opinion, this may not be a bad thing for the two children. Lin Miaoke gained the greatest public exposure, showcasing her image and stage presence; Yang Peiyi, although she didn't show her face, had her voice heard all over the world, which is a very valuable qualification in the industry."

"Director Zhang wouldn't go so far as to not credit her, would he? These are all very unique experiences in their lives."

But what Da Mimi said next made Shen Shandeng realize the seriousness of the problem.

"The problem is that things have changed! A lot of people are now cyberbullying those two ten-year-old kids! They're saying really nasty things!"

Shen Shandeng's expression turned serious.

In his memory, it seemed that some people had indeed attacked Lin Miaoke excessively, and even made lewd jokes later on, including an "elite" like Kai-Fu Lee.

Shen Shandeng looked at some of the reports, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper, and he couldn't help but get angry.

"Nonsense! Even if there's controversy, the criticism should be directed at Director Zhang and the adults who made the decision! It was Director Zhang who thought the child's appearance during the teething stage wasn't good and didn't let them go on stage. To then cyberbully two ten-year-olds who don't understand anything—what kind of nonsense is that? Have they no shame?!"

Da Mimi was also filled with righteous indignation.

"And did you know that this whole thing was first revealed by the composer of 'You and Me,' the music director of the opening ceremony himself!"

"The original focus of the controversy was that his song was inappropriate, but he directly brought it up to divert attention!"

Shen Shandeng was speechless after hearing this.

But it makes sense.

"Oh well, it's art."

He talks about loving his partner and everything in between, but his breath is quite frightening.

Da Mimi tugged at his arm, her voice a mix of coquetry and pleading: "Please think of something! It hurts me to see the two kids being scolded like this."

Shen Shandeng looked at Da Mimi's anxious expression and then at the disgusting comments online.

He suddenly remembered something and said to Yang Mi, "This matter is somewhat similar to Huang Xiaoming's 'Nao Tai Nao' incident before."

Is Huang Xiaoming's accent a big problem?
Aren't London accent and California accent also accents?
Moreover, Huang Xiaoming's accent became a topic of discussion for many years afterward.

Lin Miaoke was also hunted down for a long time. Wu Jing was another example.

Upon closer examination, seemingly different types of people or things all have something in common.

Da Mimi asked, puzzled, "Huh? What does it have to do with Huang Xiaoming's accent?"

"This is a cultural 'dog whistle'."

Shen Shandeng explained, "It's a case of veiled criticism. The Olympics were so great, and the opening ceremony was so successful. A small group of people were feeling frustrated, but they couldn't directly disagree, so they picked on these trivial matters to create noise and ruin everyone's mood."

"Then why don't they attack the music director who leaked the information?" Da Mimi asked.

Shen Shandeng chuckled and quickly checked the man's resume.

"He's a big shot in the industry, deeply entrenched. And look at him, he studied abroad on a government scholarship in his early years, but he broke his contract before it expired and stayed abroad. Yet he's still very successful and influential in China."

"Some media people just love this kind of thing, they like this 'rebellious' yet 'refined' style, so why would they attack him?"

Da Mimi got anxious: "But these attacks are unreasonable. It's normal to use pre-recorded videos for such important occasions."

"Their goal isn't to debate with you, it's to mess with your mindset."

Shen Shandeng has seen many such cases in later generations.

The electromagnetic catapult system for aircraft carriers is a confirmed and certain fact, and team building is possible.

A problem occurred at a transportation checkpoint with a small freight volume, even though payment was made before shipment.

Even things that could be debunked in a few days are used for team building activities.

Celebrity suicides are always accompanied by team-building activities.

Later on, they stopped acting and just came to annoy you and manipulate your mind.

It's about exploiting people's compassion, profiting from others' suffering, and deceiving them.

After thinking it over, Shen Shandeng felt that this unhealthy trend couldn't be allowed to continue to run rampant.

He sat down at the computer and said to Da Mimi, "Okay, since they like playing this game, let's play along with them in their own way."

You can whistle like a dog, and so can I.

Shen Shandeng opened the document, pondered for a moment, and then began typing. He imitated the style of magazines like "Yilin" and "Reader" and wrote a long article.

The article didn't directly criticize anyone; instead, it praised them extensively.

"A Smile with Missing Teeth and Perfect Collaboration: A Public Lesson from Across the Ocean"

The stadium lights cascaded down like a waterfall, and the Super Bowl, a major sporting event, was reaching its climax.

The audience was packed, and the air was thick with excitement and fervor.

Under the spotlight, blonde Emily, dressed in a beautiful performance outfit, swayed gently to the rhythm of the music with a confident smile.

The performance ended with thunderous applause.

While the audience was excited about her performance, they were unaware that on the side of the stage, there was a little girl named Sarah wearing braces and missing a front tooth; she was the real singer.

Emily was actually just putting on an act.

Her performance was impeccable; every lip movement perfectly matched the lyrics, and every gesture was just right.

It turns out that Sarah is going through the process of losing her baby teeth, and the gap in her front teeth makes her speak and sing with a slight lisp.

Despite her clear and beautiful voice, the Super Bowl organizers chose to have two people perform together for the best effect, as image and honor are important considerations.

Art director Ms. Williams later added, "When the problem arose, I proposed this collaboration. I didn't see it as an obstacle, but rather as a way to leverage our strengths and avoid our weaknesses."

This special collaboration began two weeks ago.

Sarah was originally going to sing solo, but after one rehearsal, she approached Emily, one of the most popular girls in school, with tears in her eyes.

“I thought she would laugh at me,” Sarah recalled, “but she said, ‘Your singing is the most beautiful I’ve ever heard.’”

Emily proposed a bold idea: "Why don't we collaborate? You sing, and I'll perform. We can prove to everyone that collaboration is more important than individual performance."

So, in the days that followed, the two girls began intensive rehearsals.

Sarah focused on honing her singing voice, while Emily meticulously studied how to lip-sync to make her performance more realistic and natural.

They also designed the stage movements together, ensuring that every detail was coordinated.

“The hardest part is staying in sync,” Emily said with a laugh. “We have to be on the same wavelength. I need to keep up with Sarah’s rhythm perfectly even when I can’t hear the music.”

This tacit understanding reached its peak on the day of the competition performance.

When Emily was performing on stage, she could feel every breath Sarah took backstage; and when Sarah was singing backstage, she could imagine every movement Emily made on stage.

Music producer Mr. Johnson commented: "This is more than just a talent show; it's a valuable lesson in friendship, inclusion, and teamwork. These two kids have shown us real risk-taking, cooperation, honor, discovering each other's strengths, making up for each other's weaknesses, and creating something greater than anything else alone."

In the post-match interview, Sarah's toothless smile touched everyone.

“At first, I was very upset about losing my baby teeth,” she admitted. “But now I know that even imperfections can be special.”

After the performance, the two little girls held hands, demonstrating to the world the true meaning of teamwork: it is not simply about division of labor, but about the wisdom and courage to achieve mutual success.

In this world that values ​​appearance, the two children use their pure friendship to tell us that true perfection is not the absence of flaws, but rather how to weave different flaws into the most beautiful harmony.

This story shows us a maturity and wisdom that transcends age.

It has nothing to do with "stand-ins" or "faking," but is a vivid example of how to intelligently integrate resources and leverage strengths to compensate for weaknesses.

Emily was not complacent about being in the spotlight, and Sarah did not feel inferior because she was behind the scenes.

Their shared goal is to make the team's "work" shine.

This team spirit, where "we" is greater than "I," is the key foundation for any group's success.

In contrast, do we sometimes overemphasize "individual heroism" in our educational environment and social competition?
From exam rankings in childhood to personal KPIs in the workplace, we are used to encouraging individuals to be the brightest star, but we may have overlooked the ancient saying that "a single tree cannot make a forest."

Can we, like these two children, learn to appreciate the unique value of our partners, bravely admit our own shortcomings, and sincerely join hands with others to create the miracle of "1+1>2"?

Sarah's period of losing her baby teeth was supposed to be a little "imperfect".

But in their view, this is not a flaw that needs to be hidden, but a "characteristic" that can be resolved through cooperation.

The entire environment was extremely supportive and encouraging. The Super Bowl organizers supported the plan, the artistic director affirmed the spirit, the media encouraged it, and the audience responded with enthusiastic applause.

This atmosphere allowed Sarah to face her missing teeth with equanimity and still confidently showcase her singing voice.

Can our society also give more space and goodwill to "imperfection"?
Do we often use an overly rigid "ruler," such as appearance, accent, or temporary success or failure, to measure each unique individual?

Teaching children to accept their imperfections and creating an environment where everyone can confidently showcase their talents and complement each other may be more effective in stimulating a team's true vitality and creativity than simply pursuing "zero-flaw" perfection.

These two American children taught us a vivid lesson through their innocent actions.

It shows us that competition is not necessarily a zero-sum game where you lose and I win; it can also be a win-win cooperation where both parties achieve mutual success.

True strength is not about one thing standing out, but about a hundred flowers blooming.

It's not about covering up flaws, but about weaving different strengths into the most beautiful harmony.

This class is much more than just a children's talent show.

From project-based learning in a small class to technological innovation in a country, this spirit of close cooperation between those "on stage" and those "behind the scenes" is the core driving force for progress.

This is why we lag behind, while the United States is powerful. When we learn to applaud our partners who are "lip-syncing" on stage, let's not forget to cheer for the soul behind the scenes who, despite being "missing a tooth," is still singing their hearts out.

Because only a group that knows how to appreciate the "unsung heroes" and is good at integrating the "imperfect" can truly gather the strongest force and move steadily and far.

This is perhaps the most precious lesson we can learn from this transoceanic childhood friendship.

"Ah, is this okay?" Da Mimi was dumbfounded.

Shen Shandeng laughed and said, "Watch my performance."

Shen Shandeng sent the article to Ma Youde.

Before he could explain how he would do it, Ma Youde understood and replied, "I will find a few 'cultural elites' and some media outlets to hype it up."

Soon, Ma Youde found "cultural elites" and some media outlets through several channels and sent the message out.

At first, I was very excited because I was going to get paid, and the article was so flattering.

However, the article quickly became a source of huge controversy and discussion in the public sphere, and it went completely silent.

Holy crap, that's awful!

My head's stuck! (End of Chapter)