[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-that-year-in-huayu":3,"chapter-that-year-in-huayu-that-year-in-huayu-chapter-37":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","That Year in Huayu",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2286873,4473,"Chapter 37: The Final Round","that-year-in-huayu-chapter-37",37,"\u003Cp>\"So, Teacher Lin is one of the examiners for the final round?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the phone, Liu Yifei teased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Student Liu, remember to keep it a secret; I've only told you.\" Lin Nan put on a pretentious act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you kidding?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No!\" Lin Nan answered decisively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As expected of you, I'll keep it a secret. It seems someone from our crew went to participate in the second round,\" Liu Yifei said crisply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The actress who plays Guo Xiang.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan's mind jolted; he realized who it was: Yang Mi! But she didn't seem to be on today's roster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have a slight impression. I think I met her when I visited your set, but I didn't see her today. I guess she's later on.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As usual, after chatting for over an hour, Lin Nan ended the conversation and urged Liu Yifei to get some rest early.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan heard Liu Yifei's mother's voice on the phone; it was quite gentle. She seemed to say, \"Is that Lin Nan?\" and then stopped urging Liu Yifei to go to sleep early.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A homebody has the advantages of a homebody; at most, she just surfs the internet. While Lin Nan worked hard to \"swing his hoe,\" he didn't have to worry too much about others getting there first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the second day of the second round, Lin Nan saw the crew member Liu Yifei mentioned, Yang Mi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some people are born to be in this circle. At this moment, she looked just like a girl next door, without a trace of the \"Big Mimi\" from later years, yet she was able to introduce herself to Lin Nan with ease, saying she was Yang Mi, who played Guo Xiang in *Return of the Condor Heroes*, and that they had met at Mount Yandang last time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I remember you. I wish you success in passing the second round.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you, Director Lin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the same group as Yang Mi was Zhang Xiafei, a very hardworking girl from the Northeast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You may go in,\" Lin Nan said after seeing the previous group come out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the third day, Lin Nan did not go to the second-round site because there was a problem with the release permit for *Return to Dust*, and someone called for Lin Nan to go over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is the benefit of having connections; the censors will tell you the reason, and they won't let you keep trying your luck over and over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan sat in Han Sanping's office; *Return to Dust* needed some cuts, as certain shots were filmed too explicitly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having just watched it in the screening room, seven or eight minutes needed to be cut, but fortunately, it didn't affect the main narrative.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cut these, and there will be no problem,\" Han Sanping said very firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your school also spoke up, which is why the bureau explicitly said they would pass you next time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan could accept this result; it was already good news. If it needs cutting, then cut it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That afternoon, the surgery on *Return to Dust* began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The China Film post-production team handled it, promising to finish in two days at most, because it was just cutting some footage, which was much simpler than post-production work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The arts exam second round was effectively over. The Acting Department was very efficient, and by the next day, they began listing those who had qualified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both those who passed and those who didn't were notified via text, phone, and email.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the final round was set for the third day of the third lunar month, which was only a few days away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The news that Lin Nan was one of the final-round examiners spread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were any other student serving as a final-round examiner, they might have been roasted to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Lin Nan had won the Silver Bear for Best Director, so the media praised this move by the Film Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one would say that a Berlin Film Festival Best Director wasn't qualified to be an arts exam examiner; instead, everyone was praising the Film Academy's innovation and openness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he hadn't won the Silver Bear, even as a major commercial director, Lin Nan might have been questioned by some for being an examiner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the final-round judging list, Lin Nan was ranked last. He was responsible for participating in the scoring, which was the most important part; it felt like holding a knife in his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the second round, there were only about three hundred students left for the undergraduate final round, with only thirty spots available—one in ten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were specialized teachers for physical form and lines, and the students entering the final round had to follow along; those who could make it to the final round wouldn't fail at this step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was mainly about acting. Lin Nan looked at the teachers' outline: scripted sketches, prescribed situations, improvisational sketches, improvisational programs... it was much harder than previous years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Lin Nan reached this step, he relied on a stand-up comedy routine he had copied, which successfully made several teachers laugh, and combined with his appearance, he finally got his ticket in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the final round date approached, several teachers ran into Lin Nan, and eventually, the conversation turned to so-and-so, all children or relatives of friends, who also happened to be participating in the final round...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What could Lin Nan do? If he could be told about this, then other teachers must have been notified as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A society of human favors and circle culture. Even he, a twenty-one-year-old student, couldn't escape it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Students who could make it to the final round all had a foundation, and those with connections definitely had an advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan alone wouldn't change the result, so why offend people? He simply nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The focus of the arts exam is always the Acting Department; other majors don't attract as much attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the afternoon of the 2nd, Lin Nan attended the final-round meeting as required, where the leaders spoke about the requirements and criteria.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the morning of the 3rd, Lin Nan received a roster, which every judge had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The final round was not as strictly constrained as the first two rounds, but gave candidates some space for free expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Candidates still entered in groups of five, and the self-introduction was mandatory. Candidates with performance experience would state their resumes, what works they had acted in, and who they had acted with; this was an advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nervousness was inevitable. One boy bumped into other candidates while performing a martial arts flip; that was an accident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many candidates performed their talents based on muscle memory, but their brains were likely half-blank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan noticed Zhang Xiafei, an ordinary-looking girl who was singing very earnestly. Her state was excellent, much more relaxed than many others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gave her an above-average score. Who could have guessed she would eventually overtake everyone by becoming famous through sketches?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this group left, the teachers briefly exchanged thoughts on the first half. Zhang Xiafei's score was decent, mainly as a result of the comparison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That boy is good, he just didn't control his mindset well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That girl is very good, classical dance...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shortcomings and advantages were clear to these teachers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan also chimed in from time to time. Everyone tacitly avoided mentioning the few candidates they had been asked to look after.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan estimated that those candidates wouldn't necessarily get a spot; the \"looking after\" was just at their discretion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many of these students had solid skills; if they crushed you with their strength, you had nothing to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you can't make it, just go to the vocational class. Anyway, don't you have connections? It shouldn't be hard to get roles and join crews later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan saw Yang Mi. In this group, she was the most experienced, having debuted as a child star and acted in several plays; she performed with great poise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hello, teachers. I am candidate number 312, Yang Mi...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected of someone who has acted, her form and lines were not a problem for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When it was her turn to draw a topic for performance, she drew the song \"Nanniwan.\" Lin Nan had no interest in these songs, but he listened carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just that Yang Mi's expression was a bit off when she sang to the end, and even the students next to her glanced at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several teachers nodded and smiled cryptically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When it came to the oral exam, which was just the judges chatting with the students and asking common-sense questions, Lin Nan finally understood that Yang Mi had gone off-key at the end of the song.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I haven't really sung much...\" Yang Mi replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your resume is very rich. Child star debut, *Tang Ming Huang*, *Wu Zhuang Yuan*... do you already have an agency?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, teacher.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan felt a bit playful. \"Has the filming for Guo Xiang wrapped up?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the first time Lin Nan had participated in the oral exam since the final round began. Several teachers were stunned, as they had all assumed Lin Nan wouldn't participate in this part and would just be lazy and stick to scoring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Lin Nan's question, Yang Mi instantly perked up. \"It has wrapped up. My scenes weren't many, and the crew is about to wrap up too, Director Lin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan nodded. \"I heard that Mr. Jin and Producer Zhang think very highly of your Guo Xiang. I look forward to you being even more excellent in the future.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you, Director Lin.\" Yang Mi revealed a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flipping through Yang Mi's scores from the first and second rounds, they were all at the top. Even if she went off-key while singing, it wouldn't affect her score; the outcome was destined to be good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the group left the exam room, a teacher said, \"Candidate 312 is very good. Even though she went off-key, she managed to round it back out. Her mindset is good, and her resume is brilliant...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others nodded. Being able to play a supporting role in *Return of the Condor Heroes* already said enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A high score was inevitable. Lin Nan also put pen to paper and gave her a high score. Her adaptability was strong, and her foundation was very solid. Perhaps because she had been joining crews since she was young, her stage presence was very steady and not at all timid, which made her stand out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at the scores given by other teachers; they weren't low. If he remembered correctly, she was indeed the top candidate for the arts exam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two-day final round ended, and what followed had nothing to do with Lin Nan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The copyright transaction for *Return to Dust* had arrived, and the company's finance department was busy; some procedures still required Lin Nan's signature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second application for the release permit went through without a hitch; the General Administration approved it. All that remained was to set the release date and handle the preliminary promotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>China Film was responsible for distribution and promotion, and the costs were negotiated with Lin Nan to be split from the box office revenue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan was surprised by this move from China Film. Did they think that highly of him? Others usually just take money to do the job. Because releasing a movie is a gamble; who knows if it will make money? There are more times when you lose, especially with this kind of subject matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He agreed to China Film's proposal. Lin Nan didn't have much confidence in the domestic box office anyway. For this kind of story, the market usually only gives you word-of-mouth and praise, excluding the box office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The release date was finally set for July 1st.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Lin Nan had some free time, a call came to the school: the Olympic opening ceremony was soliciting creative proposals!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most significant international event since the turn of the millennium was the 2008 Olympics. He had been gearing up, just waiting for this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Directors, big and small, in the country, especially those in the literary and artistic circles, had received invitations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Lin Nan was young, in terms of achievements, he met the requirements for entry and was even ranked at the forefront.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Director Tian Zhuangzhuang led the team, and Lin Nan and several other veteran directors went.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elder Tian, I think this matter shouldn't have called for me. My constitution is weak; how could I carry this burden? I'd even be useless as a support,\" Lin Nan said, following behind the group with a helpless expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was met with laughter from everyone. \"You don't have a girlfriend yet, and you're already feeling weak? This is a matter of bringing honor to your ancestors and serving the country and the people; how can you shrink back? Not being selected is one thing, but backing out and running away is another.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elder lectured Lin Nan with a straight face, and the latter could only swallow his pride and lower his head to admit his mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Olympic Organizing Committee, along with cultural and sports departments, were all big shots. It was the first time Lin Nan had seen so many great directors gathered together.\u003C\u002Fp>",2215,"2026-06-20T03:22:09.099Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","d4c36c3f20e20bebbc660e3fe0eeb181bb9e5fbbaac369cdf82bb59188172d97","that-year-in-huayu-chapter-38","that-year-in-huayu-chapter-36",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthat-year-in-huayu-cover.jpg"]