Chapter 154: Someone, Bring the Boss

Chapter 154: Someone, Bring the Boss

Tang Fei glanced at her Voice Imitation skill, which on her attribute panel displayed as LV1 (Beginner) (74.18% Proficiency).

This was a skill that involved controlling one's breath and airflow through the abdominal, chest, throat, oral, and lip muscles to mimic various sound characteristics after systematic learning of them.

There were five levels in total. The beginner level was limited to human voices; the second level expanded to animal sounds; the third level encompassed natural environment sounds; the fourth level included weapon sounds; and at the fifth level, one could control multiple sounds simultaneously, equivalent to an entire army with just one person.

The beginner level of Voice Imitation should be sufficient for imitating speech.

Each morning, Tang Fei would commence her vocal exercises after rinsing her mouth, flexing her lips and tongue, and practicing breathing techniques to strengthen her diaphragm and abdominal muscles. This gradual routine significantly enhanced her proficiency in ventriloquism.

When she accompanied Jiang Xiaoying to consult the local villagers about Qinxi dialect, Tang Fei observed and studied its pronunciation nuances. She found that her ventriloquism skill level swiftly rose to 74.88%.

Breath control and muscle training were just components of ventriloquism; incorporating observational learning and imitation formed a comprehensive practice. Indeed, upon integrating these elements, the results were immediate.

The Qinxi dialect, apart from its unique colloquial vocabulary, sounded more comprehensible than southern dialects. Tang Fei deduced that it featured the ng sound as a vowel onset, along with four tones distinct from Standard Mandarin.

There were also distinctive homophonic words to consider.

It was quite similar to the popular online lingo.

As Tang Fei searched for these homophonic words, she took notes while making the camera crew and director laugh uncontrollably.

For instance, the word "roll" was now commonly referred to as "Ge Wuen." In Qinxi dialect, it had long been separated into "Gulong."

Tang Fei: "So 'Ge Wuen' is actually retro!"

Aside from homophonic words, there were also trendy expressions like calling someone "Feifeizi" or "Yingyingzi" online. The Qinxi dialect had its own version of this trend!

But in Qinxi, using "Xixizi" didn't express affection; it expressed dislike.

In Tang Fei's notebook, something beloved would be called "Benbenr," while something disliked would be called "Benbenzi."

Therefore...

Those who called her "Feifeizi" were actually expressing their dislike for her!

Tang Fei took notes while engaging in conversation with the locals, squeezing in a wink at the camera now and then. "Remember, my caramel fans, call me Feifeier, not Feifeizi."

Jiang Xiaoying's head popped out from the lens. "Alright, Feifeizi."

In a Qin Xi accent, Tang Fei replied, "No more of that talk!"

In Qin Xi's dialect, upper and lower often switched places in their speech. 'Under the table' referred to 'on the table,' and 'below the wall' meant 'on the wall.'

As Tang Fei summarized her findings, she continued to play with the camera, muttering to herself in the Qin Xi dialect.

Tang Fei: "There are also 'la' and 'xie' as tone particles. Let me demonstrate for you. What's going on la, what's that xie...?"

Jiang Xiaoying watched, dazed, as Tang Fei took down more than ten pages of notes. From being able to speak only a few phrases with a local accent, she had progressed to engaging in full conversations by dinner time!

Jiang Xiaoying looked into the camera, her face filled with disbelief. "Did we hit fast-forward? Did I miss something? How did she learn so quickly?! What date is it? Has half a month already passed?!"

The producer from Group 4 chimed in, "Sometimes the gap between people can be greater than the difference between humans and pigs..."

Jiang Xiaoying interrupted, "Don't finish that sentence! I have my dignity!"

Aside from Jiang Xiaoying, the entire crew was astounded! Especially the local villagers who refused to believe that Tang Fei had never been exposed to Qinxi dialect before.

"You must be one of us from around here."

"The young lady is tricking us."

Laughter and chatter filled the air until nightfall.

After leaving the most picturesque wheat field in the afternoon, Tang Fei organized her notes, practiced pronunciation, conversed with the locals, and corrected Jiang Xiaoying's mistakes without pause.

In the cave, candlelight flickered softly. Tang Fei said to Jiang Xiaoying, "Starting now, both of us will speak the Qinxi dialect. Since there are plenty of mosquitoes tonight, if either of us makes a mistake, we'll have to spend an hour swatting them."

Jiang Xiaoying cried, "Help!"

Tang Fei replied, "That was incorrect."

Jiang Xiaoying pleaded, "Who can save me?"

The director chimed in, "Someone can save you."

Indeed, someone had come to their rescue, and that person was Song Li.

Song Li took full responsibility, while Tang Fei and Jiang Xiaoying shared seven points. If it hadn't been for their late-night antics the previous day, Song Li would have saved them that very day. Jiang Xiaoying immediately rejoiced, dancing with excitement at the prospect of finally being free from mosquito bites at night.

Tang Fei teased, "There aren't any mosquitoes now. Are you thinking of slacking off?"

Jiang Xiaoying, fearful, replied, "Study! I'll study hard and strive to improve every day!"

When Song Li begrudgingly carried her belongings to switch rooms, Tang Fei and Jiang Xiaoying were already conversing fluently in their local dialect. After they left, Song Li sat on the bed, replaying their conversation in her mind. She observed their ease and naturalness, then compared it to her own progress after a day of study.

Her efforts paled in comparison!

She was still utterly confused.

To an outsider like her, Tang Fei and Jiang Xiaoying's dialect sounded almost indistinguishable.

Their teaching group was destined to lose!

Suddenly, Song Li turned to the departing director and asked, "Can I switch to the control group? I want to join the self-study group."

The director looked at her hesitantly. "Do you really want to do this?"

Switching sides halfway through would appear fickle, which would negatively impact the show's perception of her, but the director couldn't directly intervene.

Song Li said, "I also felt that Teacher Guo was a bit too harsh today. Tang Fei definitely didn't mean it. I want to support her and give her encouragement."

The director and cameraman discreetly swallowed their saliva. Teacher Song's face was truly thick. She had been grinning when Tang Fei was scolded by Guo Lu. What was she trying to pull now?

The director, seemingly enjoying the drama, asked, "Does Teacher Song like Tang Fei?"

...

Song Li wanted to answer that she did, but that would be a lie. She smiled and said, "Maybe I just have a strong sense of justice. I don't favor someone just because I like them."

Who would believe that?

The director said, "The control group isn't an official part of the show. If Teacher Song genuinely wants to help Tang Fei, you can simply skip the class. The results from the control group won't affect the scores. Our evaluations are based on individual rankings."

Oh, is that so?

Self-study would be a loss, and the control group doesn't count for points anyway. It's not worth it.

Song Li's expression shifted abruptly, and she forced a laugh. "Well... I can't not learn either. I have great respect for Teacher Guo. Ah, I can't betray Teacher Guo and Xiao Yuan at this moment. I'll just study then."

The director left speechless.

How could you betray them when it didn't affect your points?

She had never known Song Li to be such a person before.

No wonder she had manipulated the interview to make people believe that Tang Fei had actually thrown sulfuric acid at her.

Was Yao Hui really serious about pushing Song Li into the show?

Reality shows exposed people for who they truly were.

Who was genuine, who was fake, who had good character, and who had poor character – a month of closed-door, all-around filming would surely reveal their true selves.

But Song Li's true colors had come out too quickly, only on the second day.

The director shook their head to clear their thoughts. To avoid disliking the artist they had to work with, they couldn't think too much. Otherwise, the discomfort of spending day and night together would be unbearable.

The second day's shooting passed by uneventfully. Tang Fei and Jiang Xiaoying slept well, ate well, and strolled around the village, admiring its beauty while dragging the cameraman to capture shots here and there. Sometimes, Tang Fei even took turns as the cameraperson, narrating in Qin Xi's dialect for the scenic documentary.

They had a fantastic time.

Jiang Xiaoying commented, "This is what variety shows are all about! The past two days were exhausting."

Tang Fei replied, "With food, drinks, and beautiful views, life is pretty sweet."

The director asked, "Tomorrow is the visitation day. The assistant can bring items over. What would both teachers like to have brought?"

Tang Fei responded, "I don't really want anything. Just bring people, please. I haven't seen them in a long time."

Jiang Xiaoying chimed in, "I want snacks, something sweet!"

...

After Tang Fei's message was sent out.

Capital Time Cultural Office Building, General Manager's Office.

Zhou Weichuan: "Bring people? Who does she want to bring?"

Zheng Haisheng presented a steaming cup of aromatic coffee and said, "Boss, since the company's top star has instructed us to bring people for a visit, we must take you along! Only you can uphold the prestige and presence of our leading lady!"

Zhou Weichuan's lips curved slightly. "You're being too sensible this time."

Zheng Hai Sheng, the expert in love manuals: "How could I have served as your assistant for so many years if I didn't understand anything?"