Chapter 1043: Before the Finals
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Xia Ling had not spoken, but Teacher Chen had already reached her name on the candidate list.
Although Teacher Chen did not know who Xia Ling was, this girl here was simply too gorgeous. She looked just like the picture on the registration sheet, it would’ve been impossible not to recognize her. “She’s Xia Ling,” Teacher Chen said to Li Bingman. “Her entry proof number is H1119.”
H1119!
A lot of people began laughing. “Haha, who does she think she is? Her entry proof number starts with an H and she has the audacity to say that she need not take the examination? Xia Ling, you should at least do your sums before boasting. Haha, what a joke…”
Xia Ling could not care less about the people laughing at her. She asked Teacher Chen, “This is my examination venue, am I right?”
She still remembered the time she walked into the wrong examination venue.
Teacher Chen smiled insincerely. “This is the final examination slot for Imperial’s training camp and you have your entry proof, how could you possibly be in the wrong place? Don’t put on an act. You haven’t even made a debut yet and you’re already telling lies, who knows what would become of you in future? So what if you’re pretty? In the training camp, lying is taboo!”
She was simply too beautiful. Teacher Chen had been involved in Imperial Entertainment’s training camp for so many years, but she’d never seen a girl who looked better than Xia Ling. Judging by her appearance alone, Teacher Chen knew that her chances of getting selected for the camp were pretty high—even if she couldn’t sing or dance, she could be an advertising model!”
Hence, Teacher Chen wasn’t mocking her, but rather, giving her a lesson.
Xia Ling felt wronged. “I didn’t lie.”
“Did you not?” Li Bingman sneered. “You’re so materialistic, even claiming you were exempted. Tell me, what right do you have to be exempted from this?”
“Exactly.” A few other candidates chorused. “Li Bingman sings well, and her bearing and family background are good. But what about you?”
“I…” Xia Ling had not said that her bearing was not too bad too. After all, she had been trained under Ms. Sophia for a period of time, and she, who had trained princesses from all over the world, even said that she was a charismatic girl. But seeing all the annoyed faces around her, she decided she didn’t want to explain herself any further.
“I’m just better than you, how’s that.” She glared at Li Bingman. What a joke, she could even make Li Bingman’s older sister cry, much less Li Bingman herself. “If I hadn’t come for the examination on my own account, I would’ve made it to the training camp even without going through the final round!” She was a little girl, after all. She almost couldn’t keep the bragging inside her. She was so close to telling them about Pei Ziheng’s initial plan, but her last bit of rationalism stopped her from mentioning his name.
“Hahaha.” This time, even Teacher Chen couldn’t help but laugh.
The other candidates looked at her like she was insane. “Are you sick in the mind? Don’t you know that candidates can only be exempted from the first and intermediate rounds of the selection for Imperial’s training camp! No one has ever been able to get selected without having a go at the final round! Who do you think you are? The princess?!”
“I just can,” she whispered.
Teacher Chen frowned. This girl had such a pretty face, but why was her EQ so low? Didn’t she even think of finding things out before telling a lie? This was too absurd to be the truth!
“Your number starts with an H.” Teacher Chen decided to teach her a lesson and thumb her down. “The prefix H means that you come from the Shabei district, and candidates from that district are known to be of inferior standard. It’s been three years since anyone from that district got through the intermediate round. Since you were lucky enough to get through it, then cherish this opportunity and do well, instead of fantasizing about some privilege!”
With that, she glanced at Li Bingman with admiration. “Even those with the privilege aren’t as arrogant as you.”
Xia Ling was even more unhappy now. “I didn’t get here by luck.” And also, why did they classify her as someone from Shabei district? Brother Pei hadn’t even told her about it beforehand, what even was that place?
With her very little common knowledge, she had no idea where that place was or what it was like.
Teacher Chen sneered. “That damned place… nobody there can sing or dance.” Her hopes for Xia Ling to go into acting were shattered as well. Seeing the way Xia Ling lied, she likely had no flair for acting.
Xia Ling said very seriously, “I can sing and dance.”
“Hahaha…” A group of them burst into laughter.
The rest of the candidates were relieved when they found out that Xia Ling was from the Shabei district—that area was known to be poor, and no one inside was truly well-exposed, so how good could they be? Initially, Xia Ling’s stunning beauty had got the other female candidates worried. But since she didn’t have the ability, she wasn’t much of a threat anymore.
They continued mocking her, “What spiritual dance do you do, or do you sing some folk song?”
“You people are too much!” Xia Ling was fuming mad. Why are these people so detestable and annoying? “You are the people doing those spiritual dances and singing those spiritual songs, I sing better than any of you!” From her peripheral vision, she could see Li Bingman suppressing her laughter elegantly. She turned and snapped at her too. “Better than you too!”
“Huh.” Li Bingman did not expect her to be personally attacked. She sneered. “Frog in a well.”
She side-eyed her condescendingly.
Xia Ling was angered further and decided she was going to put up a good show for them! “Just you wait! I’ll come in first! I’ll get that… that Best Student of the Year title!”
The rest erupted in laughter once again.
The little girl suppressed her anger as she waited for the final round to start.
The rules for the final round were unique. Six examiners would sit behind a long desk, while 100 candidates would sit around them in a semicircle. There was no sequence for anyone to perform first, and it was completely up to the candidates themselves. If nobody made a move to go next, the examiners’ solution was straightforward but harsh—
They would randomly eliminate a candidate.
The candidate would have no chance to be selected at all.
Many of them said that this was an unfair practice, but the management had their justification: that luck played a part in their ability too. If they did not have the luck, then they probably were not suited to be in the entertainment circle.
The final round had commenced, and everyone went quiet.
Many of them shifted their line of sight to Xia Ling, wondering whether this boastful girl would volunteer to go first.
But Xia Ling sat quietly without even flinching.
The few examiners exchanged glances and Teacher Chen said, “If nobody makes a move, we’re going to randomly eliminate someone now.”
Many of them gloatingly looked towards Xia Ling. Since she had offended Teacher Chen so badly, the first to be eliminated was definitely none other than her.