Chapter 161 – Eliminating Song Li

Chapter 161 - Eliminating Song Li

Even if someone berated you to your face for being stupid, you had to smile and take it. Song Li was baffled as to how she had offended He Zhuhua or why she was being treated this way by a senior. The score of 55 had left her utterly stunned.

Why is my score so low?

How was it graded?

This isn't my score! It can't be!

"Is there a mistake? Why am I only getting 55 points?" Song Li asked, her eyes lifeless as she clutched onto Tang Fei's arm.

Tang Fei: "You can ask the production team."

"He Zhuhua, this is the feedback from the local judges," He Zhuhua handed over the critique, thus sparing Tang Fei from the situation. Song Li took the document.

The critique was more like a scathing review. Perhaps the judges hadn't expected to be so harsh on an artist; they hadn't held back in the slightest.

They criticized her unclear enunciation, mumbled speech, numerous pitch errors, incorrect use of colloquialisms, and lack of comprehension. They essentially tore apart both her conversation and recitation.

Song Li never expected that for just a television drama, the demand for dialect would be so strict.

It's not like they were filming a regional drama.

Didn't her foster mother say it was going to air on a satellite channel, reaching a national audience? Wouldn't learning the dialect roughly suffice?

In her assessment, her dialect skills were more than adequate for the role. Why was she being treated like this? !

Was there some sort of backstage manipulation going on?

"May I have a moment to speak with the judges? I might have performed poorly due to nervousness. Is there a possibility for a retake?" Song Li was initially a strong contender. With her commendable acting skills, pleasing appearance, a supporting role award under her belt, and lead roles in films, her credentials surpassed those of her peers.

How could they be the first one eliminated?

She never imagined that she would be the one eliminated – shouldn't it be Tang Fei who was supposed to be eliminated?

Why her?

The embroidery master's hiatus requires a significant play to justify her decision to abandon her craft; she cannot simply choose any drama to let go of her mastery in embroidery.

Initially, she was overly confident and didn't take the map memory part seriously. Now, genuine panic set in.

"I still have so much knowledge of dialects that I haven't utilized. Can I retake the test? I'm willing to do anything," Song Li looked around, her staff not being allowed on set, leaving her completely overwhelmed with these matters.

She frantically searched for a solution.

"Is my appearance fee too high? I can lower it. You don't have to eliminate me this early," Song Li blurted out, catching everyone by surprise. They murmured in awe; could Song Li's fee actually be negotiable?

Who would reveal such information about themselves?

Did the drama "Adoptive Mother" hold such significance to Song Li?

Xiao Yuan clenched her fists, envisioning herself going mad if eliminated. "Adoptive Mother" was also her last hope, and she would undoubtedly react similarly if she were to be eliminated.

In her heart, Xiao Yuan vowed, "I mustn't become a laughingstock like Song Li."

"My endorsers can sponsor the show as well. I can facilitate the connection," the cameraman from Song Li's team abandoned his shoot, knowing this segment wouldn't air. It was unrelated to the program and touched upon industry rules. Worried about further revelations, the director quickly reassured, "Teacher Song, we'll send your team over to fetch you. The dialect test is just a game segment. Our show operates with absolute fairness and impartiality, witnessed by a notary. Your appearance fee and sponsors have nothing to do with this. Please don't dwell on it."

Your score is genuinely terrible, and we have a notary's proof!

The possibility of Song Li throwing a tantrum was effectively eliminated.

Producer: "Teacher Song, there's no retake. After all, it wouldn't be fair to the others. That's just how the rules work, so I'm afraid you'll have to bear with it."

Song Li: "There's no way my score could be this low. I want to see the videos of their tests."

Despite the notary's certificate, why can't she accept the truth?

The producer had intended to spare Song Li from direct harm, but if she insisted, then he had no choice but to comply.

Producer: "I'll negotiate for you. The scores will be released alongside the test videos. Please take your seat first."

If she wished to face public scrutiny, he could only assist up to this point.

Song Li could only hope that others had given her higher marks. She needed this opportunity, as she had turned down a modern romance drama for the role of the Embroidery Master. With the Embroidery Master project now in limbo, the lead role in that drama had already been signed away.

Moreover, due to the Embroidery Master's existence, production teams no longer approached her with scripts, assuming she was unavailable.

Now, her adoptive mother truly felt like a lifeline.

She never expected Yao Hui to step forward and announce that the Master Embroiderer project was canceled for her sake. Shen Fan wouldn't compromise the company's reputation just for her.

If she didn't join a production or shoot for half a year, lacking exposure and new work, she might witness her rising career take a steep dive.

Without seeing her, fans would quickly drift away.

In this industry, nothing was scarier than losing momentum. Once you fell, it was hard to regain your footing.

Only Tang Fei was an exception.

He Zhuhua: "Song Li, go sit with Little Ying. We'll continue."

Another small stool was added behind Jiang Xiaoying, creating a stark contrast between the prestige of the front seat and the embarrassment of the last one.

As she experienced this sudden rise and fall, Song Li covered her face and began to weep quietly.

With a last glimmer of hope that things had gone awry, Song Li sat on the stool symbolizing last place. She felt wronged, believing it must be a mistake – she couldn't be that bad. Even without pushing herself to the limit, she had studied earnestly, surely that was enough.

At that moment, no one consoled Song Li. The cameras moved away from her, while Jiang Xiaoying continued sipping water. Xiao Yuan silently took note, and Tang Fei found it difficult to empathize with someone who had repeatedly provoked both her predecessor and herself.

Not even voicing "serves them right" was the height of her kindness.

After the director's final discussion, it was decided that they could release the test video, but some post-production would be required, with both correct and incorrect answers labeled to give viewers a more intuitive understanding.

Hence, the scores would have to wait a bit longer.

Two hours later, Song Li's test footage was played on the big screen in the waiting room, with each of her sentences accompanied by a simultaneous comparison from a local speaker – the post-production team had truly worked swiftly!

All within just two hours.

The scene even deliberately highlighted the presence of notaries nearby, so as to leave no room for someone like Song Li to complain; the production team had indeed put in great effort.

An error sound effect would beep whenever an error occurred.

As the viewing of Song Li's video began, beeps sounded continuously from start to finish, leaving nothing but a symphony of beeps for the audience to hear.

Despite having three errors in one sentence, a score of 55 was undoubtedly generous.

There was no foul play, no misgrading – she was genuinely as terrible as everyone saw.

Song Li wept even harder.

He Zhuhua continued to announce the rankings one by one. Tang Fei had achieved full marks, with her video perfectly matching the local pronunciation throughout!

There was quite a commotion on-site. Many staff members applauded Tang Fei, and Song Li, who had just held back her tears, couldn't help but let them flow again.

Second place went to Xiao Yuan with 97 points, with only one mistake!

Xiao Yuan closed her eyes and exhaled deeply. She was safe!

Her efforts and hard work had paid off.

She didn't dare to hope for Tang Fei's monstrous performance, but she felt content with this result.

The staff also applauded Xiao Yuan, acknowledging her efforts and preparation. It was truly impressive to achieve such a score.

Of course, she was still no match for Tang Fei.

Jiang Xiaoying scored 81, with six errors. Jiang Xiaoying finally stopped drinking water and rushed to the restroom, relieved and relaxed.

The test contents were basic introductory-level language, and it was clear that Song Li hadn't put in the effort to study diligently. The gap between her and others was too significant.

While everyone else studied and practiced day and night, she hardly practiced after class.

Song Li wept uncontrollably, unable to suppress her emotions. Crying was her only means of alleviating the embarrassing situation.

After the results were announced, the group gathered around to comfort Song Li and give her some dignity before escorting her out.

Tang Fei's souvenir was a locally crafted horse ladle with a large, colorful facial mask, depicting the legendary Guan Yu, known for warding off evil spirits and bringing peace to the home.

With Song Li's departure, the group, having spent a few days together, didn't feel much sadness. Instead, they all sighed in relief, sensing that the tense atmosphere had lightened with the exit of someone difficult to deal with.

Tang Fei lifted the horse ladle and said, "Let's take a photo with Guan Yu! He's supposed to protect the home and fend off villains."

Jiang Xiaoying promptly agreed, and Xiao Yuan also joined them. The three formed a heart shape around Tang Fei, asking the production crew to capture the moment.

Their posture seemed to imply... that Song Li was the villain who had been repelled.

Unconsciously, the distance between the three of them seemed to have narrowed.

As the daylight of April 5th was fading away, both Zhou Weichuan and Xing Le arrived in Shenzhen. Dressed in flawlessly ironed suits, they stood side by side, entering the grand entrance of the Starlight Awards ceremony.

It has garnered considerable attention from various media outlets.

"Which company's artists are these? Both of them are truly distinctive."

"Both Young Master Nine and Young Master Two at nine o'clock, Elder Master Zhou is indeed blessed with fortune, both of his daughters-in-law are stunning beauties, and both young masters are dashing."

Upon entering the venue, Xing Le reached up to touch his neatly combed white hair. It had been a long time since he had been so formally dressed, and he felt uneasy all over.

"You were the one who said it, promising to clarify matters today and hand over the business to me. If you renege on your word, I don't care how many people here will cause a scene."

Zhou Weichuan had his hands in his pockets, his face expressionless. "It was yours to begin with. Make a fuss if you must, every time."

Zheng Haisheng kept his head down. The boss was using Xing Le to stir trouble and stage a sort of coup. It was a perfect match, but it remained to be seen if the old man could withstand the pressure.