At 8:30, they began distributing the examination permits. Organized by schools, only 200 students nationwide made it to the finals, and some universities didn’t have any representatives at all!
For those who made it to the finals, schools would surely provide funding for students to attend. Even the poorest public universities wouldn’t be so stingy.
Teacher Lin submitted the prepared personal photos. The staff let her attach them herself, quickly stamped them, and she squeezed her way out. She handed the permit to Xia Xiaolan, not forgetting to tell her not to be nervous.
“Do your best, you can do it!”
Teacher Lin had figured it out – among those who participated in Huaqing’s second round, there were students whose English level matched Xia Xiaolan’s. So why did only Xia Xiaolan make it to the finals? She discovered that Xia Xiaolan excelled at taking tests. Regardless of the difficulty, Xia Xiaolan remained remarkably calm when receiving test papers.
Being composed already wins half the battle. Some people might have a head full of knowledge but get too nervous during exams to recall anything. Having the capability to score 100 points means nothing if you can’t use it – it’s better to have 80 points worth of ability and use it all steadily and thoroughly!
Xia Xiaolan nodded.
No one knew that the TV station had already set up cameras and was filming.
They had enough blank tapes for today to film freely, and they could edit usable footage later. With 200 university students from all over the country gathered in one place, only a national competition could create such a scene.
“Get more footage. Look over there – someone’s crying before the exam even started. Lacking confidence?”
“Which school is that student from? That one looks quite spirited.”
The crying was a misunderstanding – something had gotten in their eye.
The spirited one was Xia Xiaolan.
Even wrapped up like a ball, she was still the most beautiful ball. She looked somewhat familiar – where had they seen her before?
“Wasn’t she in last year’s National Day parade?”
Sudden realization – indeed she was.
That Huaqing honor guard member, with a three-second close-up shot – the cameraman nearly got disciplined afterward.
Fortunately, the leadership didn’t say anything, and public opinion was positive. Everyone thought the TV station deliberately captured the close-up – youthful, beautiful, clean, and energetic, giving a positive impression.
Live broadcasts were prone to various issues, but recorded broadcasts had fewer concerns.
Why not take a few more shots of an attractive and spirited female student? If the station leaders objected, they could always cut it later. The cameras only stopped rolling when students entered the examination room with their permits.
“That girl just now, she’s from Huaqing, right?”
“Yes, not sure if she’ll make it to the oral examination stage. She’d look good on TV – some viewers might recognize her.”
She was also excellent – not just pretty but smart too.
Being in the honor guard and making it to the finals of the English competition – her intelligence was beyond question. The TV station had its challenges too – programs needed to be engaging and consider the audience’s emotions. Among university students participating in an English competition, who wouldn’t prefer watching someone pleasant to look at?
Even the flag-raising guards at Tiananmen Square were selected for their proper features!
Hoping the English competition would be exciting, the station had sent a host, worried that the Ministry of Education leaders might make the potentially brilliant oral examination stage dry and boring. An experienced host could enliven the atmosphere.
They also needed to arrange for audience applause. To support educational promotion, the TV station was very dedicated. They had spent considerable time preparing for this filming, including how to make the oral examination stage engaging, and had repeatedly communicated with the organizing departments.
“Right, we still need to have lunch with the ministry leaders. Let’s quickly get more footage now.”
Other crew members nodded, carrying their equipment past the examination rooms, filming students writing intently. These shots were all interesting – some with relaxed expressions, others looking serious. Especially for the 20 students entering the oral examination stage, comparing their written exam footage would create good program effects.
The 200 students were divided among five examination rooms.
After filming this sequence, they still needed to capture students leaving the examination rooms.
Even after students finished, the crew’s work wasn’t done – they needed footage of the grading process too. The entire program needed completeness. Time was tight, with the Ministry of Education leaders’ lunch invitation – lunch would have to be rushed like a battle.
The film crew moved outside the examination rooms, trying to be quiet, but some noise was inevitable. Knowing the TV station had started filming affected some students’ concentration.
Being on TV was something Xia Xiaolan might have cared about before, concerning her appearance, but now she had no time to pay attention to the film crew outside.
The test was extensive!
These competitions all followed the same pattern.
Getting full marks was practically impossible – it was about who could score the most points in the given time, requiring students to know what to prioritize.
Spending several minutes hesitating over a two-point question – how many points could have been earned in that time?
Xia Xiaolan raced through the questions, writing down the last word as the final bell rang – she had barely finished the essay. These questions were strange and tricky, with many obscure words that made Xia Xiaolan’s head spin. All she could do was guess from context!
“Stop writing, everyone put down your pens!”
The proctors collected the papers one by one. Xia Xiaolan verified her name and school were correct before submitting her paper.
Walking out of the classroom, Teacher Lin was waiting.
“Let’s go rest a bit. We’ll know the grading results at one o’clock.”
Teacher Lin looked at Xia Xiaolan like a beloved student. Professor He actually quite liked Xia Xiaolan too, during their extra tutoring sessions he said she had a gift for languages and asked if she wanted to transfer to the Foreign Languages Department – it was both easier and more prestigious, with excellent graduates becoming translators or joining the Foreign Ministry, unlike the Architecture Department where future work assignments would be tough.
Xia Xiaolan insisted on staying in Architecture. Her passion for architecture had just ignited after completing one semester of foundation courses – how could she transfer now?
Du Zhaohui had mentioned there weren’t many renowned female architects in the world, which always irritated President Xia.
After the exam came grading. While all students anxiously awaited results, the TV crew had been busy all morning filming the grading process and needed to rush to lunch.
The Ministry of Education leaders had invited them to eat together, so the crew had to hurry over.
“This is Director Wang from the Higher Education Department, Section Chief Zhan from the Higher Education Department…”
The private room at the restaurant was already filled with people, including not only the Ministry of Education leaders but also this competition’s chief judge, Professor Xu Guozhang.
The old gentleman was already 70 years old, with white hair and a thin frame, with age spots covering his temples and cheeks. The crew looked around, unsure where to sit, but Director Wang was very welcoming:
“The TV station colleagues have worked hard. We know you have heavy filming duties, so let’s skip the formalities – please sit down and eat!”