Entering the examination room, Yi Heye stood on the stage in a daze, looking at the three mentors below the stage and the live broadcast camera facing him, his movements numb and stiff.
"He Ye," the old man in the middle called out his name, "You applied for 'acting,' right?"
Yi Heye was completely dumbfounded—how come he didn't know there was such a thing as submitting projects in advance? Was it something the teacher mentioned in class? And who helped him register for this performance?
Standing on the stage, his mind raced. He couldn't very well say no, and performing was better than singing or dancing, so he could only go along with it: "...Yes."
"Then we'll give you a few random questions on the spot, and you can improvise." The mentor's words were like a giant axe falling from the sky, cleaving Yi Heye in two.
"Forget it, I'll just have to play it by ear," Yi Heye thought with a sense of resignation.
After the mentor confirmed the information, a line of text flashed on the large screen behind him. Before Yi Heye could see it clearly, the screen in front of him went black—this was a characteristic of the virus in the brain-computer interface. Yi Heye panicked subconsciously and looked around helplessly.
At this moment, the tutor looked at the randomly flashing question—"Sudden blindness"—and nodded meaningfully.
This question is passed. The next question is "Seeing your long-lost first love in a public place (act without props)".
At this moment, the scene before Yi Heye's eyes lit up again, and in his dazed state, he saw a familiar figure standing in front of him.
He thought he was seeing things, so he blinked again before confirming that the person standing in front of him was indeed Jian Yunxian.
Yi Heye hadn't seen this face in so long that his eyes lit up for a moment, but he quickly realized that he was in the examination room and restrained his urge to go up and ask something.
Looking at Yi Heye, who was displaying such a rich variety of expressions while facing a ball of thin air, the mentor nodded in praise once again.
The last question: "Realize that everything that just happened was a scam."
The scene before him flashed, and Jian Yunxian's figure quickly disappeared.
Yi Heye stared blankly in the direction he had appeared, and it took him a long time to realize what might have happened—a little disappointment and a lot of speechlessness were piled on his face.
By the time he came to his senses, the presentation was already over.
Confused, he looked up and discovered that his tutor had given him a high score of 9.8.
What happened? Yi Heye's brain went blank—could it be that he, as a pretty face, had reached the level of a family heirloom, where as long as he showed his face, the mentors would willingly give him high scores?
"The randomly selected questions were quite tricky, but to our surprise, your performances on the first two questions were perfect, and your facial expressions were very detailed. For a moment, we even thought you had really gone blind," the mentor commented. "The only shortcoming was the last question. If you could have been a little more subtle and gentle, it would have been better—your expression looked like you had a grudge against the other person, which lacked elegance."
Completely unaware of the situation, Yi Heye dared not speak, only nodding in agreement.
Unexpectedly, the teacher gave such a high score, and Yi Heye looked at the real-time data in the live broadcast room in a daze.
Because of an "accident" during his first live stream, some people were quite resistant to Yi Heye's appearance, but this did not prevent him from winning the hearts of most viewers with his "outstanding performance".
At this moment, everyone was still sending themselves gifts, and they had already climbed to the top of the leaderboard, slightly surpassing the second place by a few flowers.
Just as he climbed to the top spot, a guy with a sheep icon suddenly appeared at the top of the gift leaderboard.
Before Mr. Sheep even spoke, the golden light he exuded blinded everyone in the live stream—
"Thank you to 'Ame, President of Wild Treasure Global Fan Club' for sending a rocket rain worth 100,000 yuan!"
Author's Note:
Guards, carry the top-ranking member into the palace!
Chapter 107 (Number 107)
There are always many wealthy people in the live streaming room, but someone like this "Meimei President" who spends a fortune as soon as he appears and has the title of president of a global fan club before even making his debut is indeed quite eye-catching.
Yi Heye was thin-skinned, and seeing this scene, he felt extremely ashamed and wanted to tear this guy on the list of top-ranked men alive on the spot.
Unexpectedly, this high-profile declaration of love directly inspired a wave of imitations from various heroes.
Although no one did what President Mei did and spend 100,000 yuan at once to declare their ownership, the number of submarines and rockets in the live broadcast room has increased visibly.
At the same time, IDs such as "Vice President of the Global Fan Club," "Unofficial Designated Wife," and "He Ye's Beloved Darling" sprang up one after another like mushrooms after rain.
Yi Heye felt nauseous, and then he discovered that all the users who had arbitrarily declared their sovereignty had been reported and banned by President Mei.
At first, some people in the live stream dared to express their dissatisfaction, but under the spotlight of that golden title worth 100,000, everyone could only dare to be angry but not speak out.
"Forget it, money can't win."
"It's alright, let him be moved by his own feelings. I believe our Ye Bao isn't the kind of person who worships money and panders to vulgar tastes."
"Ha, the top spot has always been a clown. Thanks to this sucker for sending our wild treasure to Area A!"
...
Yi Heye, who had only been standing on the stage in a daze from beginning to end, was watching this farce unfold before him with his head buzzing.
He didn't even know how he walked out of the exam hall in a daze. All he knew was that when he left, the mysterious legend of him and the top scorer had already spread rapidly throughout the entire company.
Damn it. Yi Heye had no idea how to describe his feelings.
Fortunately, hard work pays off, and I passed the exam, ranking first by a wide margin. At least for now, I don't have to worry about being eliminated.
Yi Heye touched his nose guiltily, then turned around and saw Xia Tian looking at him nervously.
The kid had just been running around nervously and hadn't heard anything about Yi Heye and the top-ranked guy's legendary achievements. He only knew that his friend had given up before the exam, hadn't prepared anything, and couldn't even sing a song, so he was likely to be eliminated at the bottom.
"How are you, bro?" Xia Tian really didn't want him to be eliminated. "You absolutely can't leave! What will I do if you leave?"
This child was lucky; thanks to her pretty face, clear voice, and unexpectedly endearing and pitiful appearance, she ranked fourth from the bottom, barely escaping elimination.
Yi Heye didn't know how to evaluate his performance, so he could only say truthfully, "Uh... I was lucky and got a high score unexpectedly... I shouldn't be eliminated."
Summer's eyes lit up immediately, and she happily wanted to give him a hug, but as soon as she opened her arms, she belatedly realized: "Oh, sorry, I don't hug people who have partners."
Surprisingly, he adheres to traditional male virtues.
One was a dark horse who made a comeback, and the other escaped death. Before the joy and happiness between the two could fully overflow, they heard a broken sob coming from the side.
On their right, Xiao Liu, a student who was taking the exam with them, was wiping away tears with her head down.
Xia Tian sighed as she looked at him, then quietly said to Yi Heye, "He sprained his ankle while practicing dance last night, and today..."
At this moment, Xiao Liu was feeling very sad. When she saw Xia Tian, she started crying: "I really need this money... My dad is very sick... I even borrowed money to learn dance for a month in order to perform well, but now I can't pay it back at all... There's no way to get my dad's transplant surgery..."
Xiao Liu actually has a pretty good talent for dancing. She learned to dance quite well in just one month, which is much better than someone like Yi Heye who is uncoordinated.
But misfortunes never come singly, and as if knowing his family's dire circumstances, fate played another cruel joke on him at a crucial moment.
Xia Tian has an exceptionally strong sense of empathy; after listening to the story, she also burst into tears, and even considered switching places with Xiao Liu.
“My mom and I are fine, and I’m not interested in this line of work… You need this money more than I do, so…”
Xiao Liu shook his head, only crying as he expressed his gratitude, saying that he couldn't accept such a favor.
Many of the children here are unfortunate, forced by circumstances to earn money from all sides. Even when they are driven to the point of selling themselves, they do not resort to illegal or disorderly conduct, which proves that their hearts are kinder than those of ordinary people.
Two other students who had been eliminated were also sighing and lamenting.
They weren't as short of money as Xiao Liu, nor were they as outwardly sad. They were just discussing which entertainment company to interview at next, saying that if nothing else worked out, they would switch to another industry.
This exam seemed to become a watershed moment for them. Those who crossed the line managed to make it to the shore and continue to strive, while those who failed gave up their dreams and went home.
At this moment, everyone's joys and sorrows were separated as if by a wall, but Yi Heye was caught in the middle and had no time to feel joy.
—Do those who pass the assessment truly find hope? Have those who are eliminated truly escaped their misery? Where do their paths lead now? What fate awaits them?
The destination of the road ahead is shrouded in mystery, but Yi Heye does not possess any magical abilities. He must proceed to the end according to the original plan in order to uncover the complete conspiracy behind this assembly line.
Shortly after the rankings were finalized, staff members came to the corridor to take away the three eliminated contestants.
Some of them wept and lingered, unwilling to leave, while others sighed softly and said goodbye to their roommates and classmates, whom they had only recently met.
Everyone present was a competitor to each other, yet their relationships were surprisingly harmonious.
Some of the trainees who passed the test went up to help Xiao Liu, while others helped the three of them pack their luggage.
Yi Heye stood aside like an outsider. He had always been rather indifferent to this kind of friendship, but this farewell made him feel a little sad.
He knew that if he participated in the assessment with his true abilities, he would inevitably be one of the three eliminated contestants. But now, he inexplicably passed with a high score, which must have meant that he had stolen the advancement spot from Xiao Liu, who was third from the bottom.
However, for a student with a weak sense of morality, this was certainly not the main reason why he felt so uneasy.
He watched the backs of the group as they dragged their suitcases away, and he knew he couldn't just sit and wait to die.
From the very beginning, a strong intuition told him that if he didn't do something, these three people would disappear from this world forever.
Since he had accepted the rescue mission, the people behind him were his rescue targets, and the same was true for the three people in front of him.
He lowered his gaze, then looked up and called out to Xiao Liu, "Wait a moment, I have something I'd like to give you."
Seeing Xiao Liu turn her head with red eyes, Yi Heye asked, "Do you have a clean towel?"
Xia Tian quickly realized what he meant and turned around to find a towel in the dormitory.
Fold it in half, flip it over, and soon a little bear takes shape in his hands.
Yi Heye reached up and touched his ear—hidden there was the miniature transceiver the security department had given him, capable of recording audio, locating targets, and even recording video. Before coming, he had secretly brought a lot of recording equipment, but after a thorough body search, only this one was left.
He tapped his finger lightly on the transceiver, holding the position still. He was seeking the opinion of the security department, since without the location tracker, he would be completely cut off from them.
Based on his understanding of Pei Xiangjin, Yi Heye knew that Pei Xiangjin would most likely not agree to his actions. But since the item was in his hands, Yi Heye thought that even if the other party disagreed, he would continue to do so.
After all, putting everything else aside, he simply didn't want to be constantly watched by these people.
However, after a moment's hesitation, the other party finally made a decision: "Okay. We'll keep an eye on things here, you just be careful over there."
What a pleasant surprise! Upon hearing this, Yi Heye quietly took the transceiver into his palm and then, with a very discreet technique, pressed it into the bear's eye.
He picked up the teddy bear and held it up to Xiao Liu: "This is for you."
Xiao Liu's eyes lit up, and she bowed to him, saying, "Thank you!"
What if the child turns around and puts it in the suitcase? Yi Heye looked at the red string in his hand—this child must be somewhat superstitious; perhaps this could be used to his advantage.
“I’ve added something to your towel. Now this little bear can ward off bad luck and bring you good fortune—especially useful for families like yours that are experiencing illness and financial loss.” Performing arts master Yi Heye randomly generated a metaphysical script. “But on the way back, you must hold it in your arms or hang it on your body until it arrives home safely. Because only by letting it see the path you’ve walked can its eyes discern good and evil and play its role.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Liu's expression immediately turned serious: "I understand!!"
Immediately afterwards, his ambassador, Xia Tian, began enthusiastically introducing the product: "Putting everything else aside, Ye Ge's teddy bear really brings good luck. I can fall asleep while hugging it when I have insomnia, and afterwards I even had some inexplicable good fortune!"
Yi Heye didn't expect Xia Tian to accept scripts so quickly. He felt a little apologetic, thinking that he had just gotten lucky and that it really had nothing to do with his little bear.
Hearing this well-reasoned proof, Xiao Liu, who was already lost in metaphysical legends, now believed Yi Heye's words even more.
He looked around and realized he had too much luggage. He couldn't hold it all in his hands, so he simply took the bag strap, tied the bear face forward, and strapped it to his chest.
Yi Heye nodded and gave him a thumbs up: "It will help you see the road ahead and ward off disasters."