Volume 1, Chapter 110: Would You Like to Join the Cultural Troupe?

Page 1/3
Beijing Zhongshi Television Station.
A group of people emerged after a meeting.
Director Zhang Qi, newly confirmed as the chief director of the Spring Festival Gala, stepped out of his office, holding a letter of appointment in his left hand and a phone in his right, his face weary as he moved from one office to another.
Inside one office, an assistant who had been waiting for a long time stood up upon seeing Zhang Qi enter, holding a document in hand. “Director Zhang, the program lists submitted from across the country have been compiled. There are over two hundred programs in total—more than seventy are song and dance performances, over thirty skits, more than forty crosstalk acts, and several magic and acrobatic shows.”
“Directly review the scripts for the crosstalk and skits to weed out some. As for the magic and acrobatic acts, no rush; I’ll review them with some deputy directors later and keep a few eye-catching ones. For the song and dance programs, well...”
Zhang Qi rubbed his temples.
In reality, for a large-scale gala, having about thirty percent of the lineup consist of language and acrobatic acts is already quite high, and these are usually reliable since there are only a handful of performers nationwide, so problems are rare.
But having around sixty percent of the lineup as song and dance shows was troubling.
The veteran artists’ programs were masterpieces but attracted little audience, whereas the younger generation mostly consisted of fresh-faced idols with massive followings but poor-quality performances.
Many directors had boldly cast these idols in the past; while the ratings weren’t terrible, they received significant backlash afterward.
This was a major reason why many prominent directors declined the role of Spring Festival Gala director.
“This is really something else. Don’t these agencies know what kind of stage the Spring Festival Gala is?” Zhang Qi flipped through artist profiles. “Look at these blonde and pink-haired kids. They must be spending a fortune to squeeze such a crowd onto the list.”
The assistant smiled wryly. “Actually, they do have huge followings.”
“What good is a big following if it means letting a bunch of monsters run wild on my stage? The one who gets embarrassed will be me!”
The assistant chuckled at Zhang Qi’s words.
Although Zhang Qi was not the most famous director in the country, no one was more meticulous than he was, which was why he was chosen as the Spring Festival Gala director.
Zhang Qi sighed deeply. “Fine, I’ll just pick the best among the mediocre.”
He then prepared to select a few artists who still seemed somewhat acceptable.
“Director Zhang, I actually have a candidate who’s excellent and definitely meets your standards.”
The assistant’s sudden remark caught Zhang Qi’s attention.
“Who?” Zhang Qi asked curiously.
“Do you remember Jiang Yu, the one who sang ‘Displaced Time and Space’ at the National Day Gala?”
At the mention, Zhang Qi slapped his forehead. “I remember him now, that young man. I even praised his singing back then. Didn’t he compose the ‘March of the Iron Flood’ for the official military parade? Didn’t he submit a program?”
“Maybe he hasn’t had the chance yet.”
“Call him and see if he’s interested in performing. Have them send an audio sample. If it’s good, we’ll schedule him accordingly.”
“Got it.”

Page 2/3
...
Back again at Jiangxia Film and Television University.
Jiang Yu felt an indescribable emotion.
Since graduating, he had never returned here.
He had been very busy recently and wondered how his roommates—the lively bunch—were doing.
“What are you thinking about?” Su Muyu, noticing Jiang Yu’s nostalgic expression, asked curiously.
“Nothing much, just remembering school days,” Jiang Yu smiled. “By the way, what did Teacher Ning want to see us for?”
Su Muyu shook her head. “I don’t know either. We’ll find out when we get there.”
Jiang Yu nodded.
As the two reached the base of Yifu Building, a voice called out to them.
“Fourth?”
“Whoa, boss?” Jiang Yu turned to see none other than Wang Mingxu, the leader of their dorm.
Wang Mingxu ran up excitedly. “Why are you back?”
“I’m here on some school business,” Jiang Yu replied, also a bit excited. “Why are you still here? Did you repeat a year?”
Hearing this, Wang Mingxu rolled his eyes instantly. “You’re a big star now, can’t you watch your image? Right after meeting, you’re already spouting nonsense.”
Jiang Yu grinned. “Dad talking to son, why bother with pleasantries?”
“Go away! I stayed for the campus recruitment exam, became a counselor, and plan to pursue graduate studies here.”
Honestly, when Wang Mingxu first called Jiang Yu, he felt a bit apprehensive—after all, Jiang Yu was now a big star and had to be careful with his words.
But after a couple of sentences, Wang Mingxu relaxed; the Fourth was still the same Fourth.
Suddenly, he noticed Su Muyu beside Jiang Yu and leaned toward Jiang Yu’s ear. “Not bad, huh? Getting so close to the campus queen now, is your progress bar maxed out?”
Jiang Yu rolled his eyes. “Not telling you. I’m a big star now. What if you leak something and sell it for cash?”
“That reminds me, if you and the campus queen get out, telling Second Brother would drive him crazy.”
“What do you mean? Why would telling Second Brother make him go nuts?” Jiang Yu asked, intrigued.
Wang Mingxu smiled. “Xiong Tao, after graduation, became a reporter.”
“Nice!” Jiang Yu was genuinely happy. “What about Third Brother?”
“Why worry about him? He naturally went home to take over the family business,” Wang Mingxu chuckled. “Haven’t seen him for a few months since graduation. Let’s plan a meal together sometime.”
“Definitely. Just let me know in advance—I must be there!”

Page 3/3
“I’m off to check on the freshmen. The professor said some skipped class; I need to deal with that.”
“Sigh, I’ve really become the kind of person I used to dislike.”
“Enough of the nonsense. You keep busy; I’m heading out.”
“Alright!”
Watching Wang Mingxu leave, Jiang Yu’s joy lingered.
He remembered that when he first traveled through time, the first warmth he felt came from his dorm roommates.
Sadly, their time together was too short—only two months.
“Let’s go,” Jiang Yu smiled at Su Muyu.
She nodded.
They arrived at the principal’s office.
Ning Anbang was seated, with Yang He surprisingly present as well, along with a military officer—the man named Yu Zhiwei.
“Grandpa, Minister Yang, Commander Yu,” Su Muyu greeted immediately upon entering.
Jiang Yu also greeted respectfully.
“You’re here, sit down,” Ning Anbang smiled.
“Jiang, your news hasn’t stopped lately.”
“All just media rumors,” Jiang Yu scratched his head and smiled sheepishly.
“Young people today are remarkable,” Yang He said with a smile. “At the National Day Gala, you stunned everyone with two songs. Even the old Wang Xianjun praised you to the skies.”
“That’s just Wang’s flattery.”
“Jiang, too much modesty borders on insincerity! Hahaha.” Yang He laughed and glanced at Yu Zhiwei beside him. “Actually, we called you here today.”
Jiang Yu looked curiously at both Yang He and Yu Zhiwei.
“In recent times, everyone has witnessed your outstanding performance, especially at the Army Day and National Day galas. The military urgently needs talented individuals like you to assist with publicity.”
Yu Zhiwei smiled and then looked seriously at Jiang Yu:
“Therefore, on behalf of the Military District Art Troupe, I want to ask if you are willing to become a member of the troupe?”