Why did the system take my request to take photos with a cosplayer seriously?

The meeting room fell silent for a moment.

A man in his early forties cleared his throat and said, "Teacher Qi, I have a question."

Qi Yanran looked at the man.

She was an investor representative, surnamed Zhou, but she couldn't quite remember his specific position.

Qi Yanran politely replied, "Please go ahead."

Representative Zhou picked up his teacup, took a sip, and spoke in a calm and unhurried tone.

“Our project involves a significant investment, and everyone is monitoring it closely. If anything goes wrong, no one can afford to take the responsibility.”

Therefore, from a cautious and prudent perspective, shouldn't we prioritize dancers with national touring experience who have proven themselves on the big stage?

As soon as Representative Zhou finished speaking, someone immediately chimed in.

"President Zhou is right! For big projects, stability comes first! No matter how well we perform in training, if we haven't taken on a major role on a big stage, we might get nervous and unable to handle the pressure if we lack experience..."

Qi Yanran clenched her fingers, her expression unchanged.

"I understand your concerns."

She said earnestly, "But what I want to say is that 'Looking at the Sea' is a new production, not a revival of a classic in the traditional sense. It needs new expressions, new interpretations, and even to become a new benchmark for domestic dance dramas."

Therefore, we must strive for perfection in the dancers' understanding, technique, performance, and grasp of the character, as well as in their experience on large stages..."

Qi Yanran looked at Representative Zhou: "Everyone starts from the first time, we have to give newcomers a chance, right?"

A woman on the other side of the long table spoke.

"Teacher Qi, may I interject?"

Qi Yanran looked at her; it was Guo Mei, the troupe's executive producer.

Guo Mei asked first, "Hua Qing is from Hunan Normal University, right?"

Qi Yanran nodded.

Guo Mei asked again, "Fan Chenxi is a Shanghai opera performer, right?"

Qi Yanran said bluntly, "Director Guo, what do you mean? You might as well speak your mind."

“I’m not saying they’re bad, but our project is, after all, a key production in the capital. If we could select our own children, they would be familiar with everything and communication would be easier.”

Guo Mei sighed and laughed: "As the old saying goes, 'Don't let the good stuff go to outsiders.' Our own children aren't much less capable. Even if they become famous and outsiders try to poach them, it will be difficult to steal them away..."

Qi Yanran was filled with helplessness.

What a great example of your own child! Just say you only hire people from the Beijing Dance Academy.

“We are all compatriots working together. I don’t think the claim that we are ‘outsiders’ is valid, and we should not show favoritism towards students from Beijing Dance Academy.”

Qi Yanran remained righteous and indignant: "Whoever dances well should go on stage; this is the most basic fairness for all dancers."

Guo Mei's smile remained unchanged, but her eyes turned slightly cold: "Teacher Qi, Hua Qing is your student, isn't she?"

Qi Yanran didn't say anything.

“You’ve always given her high scores.”

Guo Mei said casually, "Of course, I'm not saying that Teacher Qi is intentionally biased... but as her former teacher, shouldn't she be more cautious when giving scores and evaluations? After all, it's easy for misunderstandings to arise from such situations."

Qi Yanran clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white.

She said irritably, "Director Guo, the scoring is the result of a joint discussion among the three teachers. Each score is recorded in detail and has a basis. If you have any questions, I can pull up the scoring records and we can go over them one by one."

"Teacher Qi, don't worry, let's have a normal discussion..."

"Director Guo, are you sure you're having a normal discussion with me?"

The two women were about to start arguing.

"okay."

Li Weiyong tapped the table with his hand, his tone serious: "Let's have a proper discussion. Don't lose your temper, and don't speak with veiled barbs."

No one responded.

"I'd like to say a few words..."

Li Weiyong's tone softened slightly: "A year ago, when the 'Looking at the Sea' project was first launched, everyone thought it was an opportunity to break into the mainstream. But breaking into the mainstream ultimately means reaching the public, not just keeping it to ourselves."

His gaze swept across everyone's faces.

"I have an idea, what do you all think?"

He explained in detail: "The performance of 'Looking at the Sea' is about two hours long. With three candidates, each receiving forty minutes, that should be enough. We'll organize a formal performance, randomly select 1,500 students from several nearby universities to watch, and then let them vote to decide."

Firstly, it allows us to hear the opinions of young people, since the support of young audiences is essential for breaking into new circles.

Secondly, it can also serve as a small-scale warm-up, to generate some buzz.

As soon as Li Weiyong finished speaking, Shen's mother was the first to become restless.

She maintained a polite smile, but her tone had become increasingly urgent.

"Old Principal, I have a different opinion."

Li Weiyong raised his chin, gesturing for her to speak.

"Students are not professionals, and their aesthetic standards vary. Would it be biased to let them vote?"

Shen's mother said anxiously, "Dance is a professional art form that requires a certain level of aesthetic appreciation. I'm afraid we should entrust such an important decision to a group of students..."

"What are you afraid of?"

Li Weiyong interrupted Shen's mother, getting straight to the point: "After all, 'Looking at the Sea' will eventually be presented to the public. Does that mean the public's aesthetic sense is not aesthetic sense?"

Shen's mother opened her mouth, but no words came out.

"People who can attend school nearby are basically highly qualified talents in the country. If you think they lack aesthetic literacy, then who in the whole country has aesthetic literacy?"

Li Weiyong slammed his fist on the table and demanded, "Are we just going to entertain ourselves behind closed doors with so few people like this?"

The meeting room was completely silent; you could hear a pin drop.

Even those working in the industry, including Qi Yanran, didn't think Li Weiyong's plan was reliable.

It's likely that the old man made the decision on a whim, without any careful consideration.

However, due to Li Weiyong's position, no one dared to voice any opposition...

Shen's mother's face darkened further.

If the judges are changed, she still has ways to move around.

With her voting rights covered by 1,500 randomly selected students, she was at a loss.

Li Weiyong turned to Qi Yanran: "Teacher Qi, what do you think?"

"I have no objection."

Qi Yanran nodded and said, "I will contact other universities to arrange venues and audiences."

Even if the plan is unreliable, it's still fairer than having to compete with your boyfriend or your parents, so Qi Yanran had no choice but to accept it reluctantly.

Li Weiyong nodded and stood up.

"Does anyone want to add anything? If not, the meeting is adjourned."

People got up one after another and walked out in twos and threes.

Qi Yanran was tidying up her speech when Ding Heng came up to her, speaking sincerely.

"Thank you, Teacher Qi."

Ding Heng had witnessed the entire scene. Apart from Li Weiyong, who had been hypnotized by him, Qi Yanran was the only one who dared to argue her case.

Qi Yanran put her speech into her bag: "No need to thank me, I was just doing what I was supposed to do."

"I'll need your help to take care of Hua Qing in the capital in the future."

"With you here, do you really need me to take care of you?"

Qi Yanran glanced in the direction Li Weiyong had left and gave a self-deprecating bitter smile.

The fact that Ding Heng was able to persuade Li Weiyong to propose the current solution shows that, as he said two months ago, he indeed has enough confidence and power.

Ding Heng didn't reply, he just smiled.

Qi Yanran withdrew her gaze, her tone serious.

"However, I have a piece of advice for you."

"Teacher Qi, please speak."

"Since the plan was proposed by you... no, by the former principal."

Qi Yanran looked up and stared directly at Ding Heng: "No matter what the final result is, I hope you can respect the outcome and also respect Hua Qing."

Ding Heng chuckled and sighed, "Teacher Qi, what kind of person do you take me for? Someone like Shen Tingwan's mother?"

"Hopefully."

Qi Yanran picked up her bag, turned around, and walked out.

Ding Heng stood there, watching Qi Yanran's figure disappear at the end of the corridor.

As a complete novice, he didn't know if his method was reliable, but it was the "fairest" method he could think of.

…………

When the apartment door was pushed open, Hua Qing was sitting on the living room sofa watching TV, but the volume was very low, and she wasn't really paying attention.

Hearing the door open, she turned around abruptly.

Ding Heng changed into slippers and walked in.

"How about it?"

Hua Qing immediately stood up and asked, the black bean in her hand squeezing so tightly that it made a "meow" sound and jumped to the ground.

Ding Heng sat down on the sofa and reached out to pull Hua Qing into his arms.

"The final selection plan has been decided... The performance will be a vote. The three of you will each have forty minutes to randomly select 1,500 students in the university town to watch and vote."

Hua Qing was stunned.