Chapter 37: Being Strong Is Good; What Matters Is Fate

"Oh, got it."

Fang Xinghe had no intention of deliberately showing off; he simply firmly believed he deserved this result.

But Old Fang was in a rush: "Come back quickly, damn it, the county is waiting for an interview! Our No. 3 Middle School also has an award ceremony, and besides, where do you want to go for high school? Those key schools have all contacted me!"

Fang Xinghe touched his empty wallet and suddenly realized this was probably a great opportunity to make money.

"Right away, you can ask about the conditions for me in advance."

"How could I possibly... never mind, never mind, I'll help you talk it over, hurry up!"

Look at you, so impatient again.

Fang Xinghe complained verbally, but actually understood in his heart.

No. 3 Middle School had never produced a first-place finisher in the high school entrance exam; Old Fang had taught classes for so many years and still ended up with a zero, so of course he was excited.

Fine, let's go back then.

Fang Xinghe had just packed his things when Wang Yali and Teacher Feng arrived.

Teacher Feng's attitude was very calm: "Going back is fine; now you can practice on your own. As long as you maintain the intensity, the cost of living in your hometown is lower."

Her words, both inside and out, were admonishing him to maintain the intensity and persist in practicing.

"I will." Fang Xinghe nodded solemnly.

Wang Yali was a bit resentful: "Why didn't you tell me about booking the ticket? I could have bought you a sleeper berth, which is more comfortable..."

"No need for that; I'm not traveling for the first time."

"You... never mind, is it tomorrow's train?"

"It's the train in a little while. Sister Yali, trouble you to drive me to the station; we can chat a bit more."

Wang Yali sighed, muttering "unbecoming" and "you don't treat me as a sister" while angrily driving to the car.

Teacher Feng picked up his canvas bag: "I'll see you off too."

They couldn't really chat much on the road; mostly they gave instructions and Fang Xinghe agreed.

Until Wang Yali happened to ask: "Have the high school entrance exam results come out in your Jilin Province yet?"

Fang Xinghe replied truthfully: "They have, 610 points, first in the entire province."

"The entire province?"

Wang Yali turned around abruptly while the light was red: "What does that mean? Unified exam paper? What is the total score for the high school entrance exam over there?"

Fang Xinghe replied casually: "Including sports, the total score is 615."

"Wow!!!" Wang Yali exclaimed, "Isn't that only 5 points short of a perfect score?"

"Mm."

"Fang Xinghe, your grades are so good? Can you pick any key school you want now?"

Feng Yuanzheng was just shocked and thought of nothing else, but Wang Yali was different; she immediately realized this was a huge opportunity.

"Don't delay the interview; I'll have Chunhua find you tomorrow."

"Okay."

Fang Xinghe was naturally willing; after letting the bullet fly for so long, it was time to blow up the public opinion world together with his big brother.

From then on, the car remained silent for a long time.

As they approached the destination, Feng Yuanzheng suddenly spoke: "Since your grades are so good yet you still want to pursue the arts path, I think it would be better to start working hard now and sprint for the directing department at Beijing Film Academy."

Hmm? Why bring this up suddenly?

Wang Yali asked proactively: "Teacher Feng, what do you mean?"

Feng Yuanzheng explained in detail: "Studying directing does not hinder acting improvement; on the contrary, it allows you to understand film and television art from a higher level and better use performance to serve the work.

Additionally, being purely an actor is actually very passive; you can only wait for projects to find you, and you cannot have much influence over any project.

Our circle nowadays... sigh.

Anyway, since you study well, others don't report on the directing department because they can't get in; you definitely can.

By then, if you can handle screenwriting, directing, and acting all at once, and achieve some results, your future path will surely be completely different."

Wang Yali was convinced almost instantly and immediately agreed: "I think it works; Teacher Feng has pointed out a grand avenue; studying directing carries more weight than studying acting when mentioned."

"Okay, I'll listen to you."

Fang Xinghe displayed a quality of readily accepting good advice, but actually... he had planned this from the very beginning.

Working so hard on cultural subjects wasn't just for a bit of empty fame.

If you want to bring a high-dimensional shock to this era, you must organize your own projects; otherwise, do you expect those profit-driven investors and money-grubbing directors to suddenly develop a conscience?

Or wait until you've been screwed over by people like Hai Yan and Wang Zhonglei enough before gnawing on the dog bones they throw out?

Fang Xinghe couldn't stand those bad bastards and idiots.

He took the opportunity to ask: "Then, where should I start learning?"

Feng Yuanzheng was very gratified and immediately began talking endlessly.

"First, the preliminary test is a 100-point general knowledge question covering literature, art, music, history, geography, everything.

This part relies entirely on your accumulation; read more books and learn more about domestic and foreign film history, art history, and music history.

Then, before the exam, I'll find a senior brother from our direct line to give you a crash course; it will definitely be fine.

The re-examination seems to be divided into three parts; I can't explain it well right now.

However, from what I understand, once you enter the interview, it all depends on the teacher's impression of you.

Directorial quality is a very subjective thing; there is no objective evidence to prove you can or cannot do it.

Whether it's audiovisual language, film criticism, or impromptu skits, as long as you don't get nervous on the spot and speak reasonably well, people will be willing to accept you once they see your fame.

But the premise is, you must have fame; do you understand?"

Teacher Feng is truly not old-fashioned at all; with just a few sentences, he explained the matter thoroughly.

With the current level of information blockage, without guidance from an insider, who could possibly make sense of what the director's exam is actually about?

Fang Xinghe felt deeply instructed and thanked him solemnly.

Teacher Feng wrote down several useful book titles for him on the spot, then Wang Yali snatched the note away, stating without room for argument: "Rest assured and go home; I'll buy them and have Chunhua bring them to you."

Fine, I'll accept the good intention.

The two escorted Fang Xinghe to the waiting room and wanted to stay with him a while longer, but Fang Xinghe firmly insisted they return.

Coming out of the waiting room, Wang Yali turned again to the ticket hall, intending to prepare tomorrow's train ticket for Zhao Chunhua.

Standing in front of the train schedule list for a while, she suddenly froze.

"What's wrong?" Feng Yuanzheng asked.

Wang Yali pointed at the schedule, her expression sorrowful: "There are no trains to Changchun this afternoon; Xiao Fang's train is in six hours."

Feng Yuanzheng fell silent as well.

After a long while, he spoke softly: "Xinghe is a willful child."

"Yes." Wang Yali turned back wistfully, looking toward the waiting room, her eyes glistening with tears.

"So polite and proper, making one know he is proud, know the defenses in his heart and his difficulty in getting close, yet one can't help but feel heartache for him..."

Pausing slightly, the following words grew even more sorrowful.

"Human emotions are sometimes very strange; when you are certain someone is worth helping, but they always refuse with perfect propriety, at that moment, the less they want it, the more you want to compensate, and at the same time, the more you worry, hesitate, and fear gain and loss..."

Feng Yuanzheng pondered and pondered again, then suddenly smiled lightly.

"They are all good things."

Wang Yali looked back in confusion, not understanding.

"Trust me, they are all good things."

Feng Yuanzheng intensified his tone, his eyebrows relaxing with a beaming smile, and said leisurely: "In the entertainment industry, having a defensive mind means suffering less harm, having proud bones means not being tainted, and being willful means going high and far; look, which of these is not good?"

Hearing these words, Wang Yali's eyes lit up, and her mood suddenly brightened.

Yes, thinking from another angle, isn't such a Fang Xinghe even more worth looking forward to?

Just imagining him letting out a roar in some highly anticipated occasion and soaring straight to the nine heavens; just thinking about it makes one shiver with pleasure—where is the harm in that?

Wang Yali quickly regained her brisk and energetic self, bought Chunhua a ticket for the same train tomorrow, and then, unable to stay idle for a moment, began all sorts of fussing...

Since there isn't much one can do for him, then do well what one can do.

Why the kindness arose is unimportant; what matters is the connection.