novelraw Chapter 217 - 210 Two Questions
Chapter 217 - 210 Two Questions
Uncle Dong naturally understood what Wang Na meant and also knew who she was talking about.
Since he was the life mentor for this group of girls, certain things had to be answered.
"The troubles you’re talking about are eternal."
"When I sit next to handsome young men, my feelings are quite similar to yours."
"But when there are talented people next to me who aren’t as handsome, I feel comfortable again."
Uncle Dong’s words made the girls laugh.
Uncle Dong’s expression then became serious as he spoke solemnly:
"When we look at many international girl groups, we think their movements are perfectly synchronized, even the angle of their bows are all the same."
"Even when they smile, the number of teeth they show is identical, and we believe that’s what a true girl group should be."
As Uncle Dong spoke, his expression grew sterner, but the trainees below remained puzzled, not understanding why he was saying this.
"But is this the kind of girl group our show aims to create?"
Uncle Dong posed a critical question, prompting the girls’ subconscious to tell them that this was indeed not their program’s goal.
However, many of them responded: "I don’t know." They lobbed the question back at Uncle Dong.
These girls were indeed very intelligent, even if they were considered "invisible nobodies" in the group, their emotional and intellectual intelligence surpassed that of many others.
Most of them had been carefully screened and selected repeatedly by their companies.
"Why did the production team ask you all to volunteer for certain roles? My understanding is that they hope you find yourselves within different directions and within your distinct styles."
Uncle Dong’s words gradually made the girls start to understand what he was getting at.
"There are specific scientists who can determine that the ratio of frying pans in your home is 1:1.4."
"Why? Because when one frying pan’s diameter differs from another by a factor of 1.4, that’s when it’s considered necessary."
The girls listened intently, feeling that Uncle Dong was truly brilliant.
"This shows that everything in the world must have differences to be needed. Your style is simply different from others. What you need to pursue is your own style, and you don’t have to fixate on appearances."
Uncle Dong didn’t resort to oversimplified, extreme remarks such as "That’s just their talent. If you’re upset, go and get prettier, or perform better."
Doing so would be ineffective and could instead stir up opposition.
Instead, he guided them with wisdom and subtly resolved conflicts.
"The teacher wants to ask a question."
"Go ahead."
Uncle Dong’s eyes lit up. This girl was both familiar and unfamiliar to him.
Familiar because every day, he would see her trending on social media; his career required him to stay informed about the latest entertainment industry developments. Unfamiliar because they were meeting for the first time today.
When Lv Fangxin stood up, the other girls reacted as if they were energized, their faces displaying various expressions while they perked up their ears.
Even Wang Na’s palms were sweating.
Her earlier remarks were intended to unite everyone in shared indignation, but she hadn’t anticipated Yu Xiaohong’s earlier blunt rebuttal, followed by Uncle Dong’s subtle resolution.
She now feared being directly called out by Fangxin, knowing the production team wouldn’t shield her.
"Teacher, you mentioned earlier that we shouldn’t change ourselves, but many of us are avoiding the camera and experiencing resistance to it."
Lv Fangxin’s words left all the trainees feeling conflicted. Those with little visibility longed for more camera time, while some who were highly visible but infamous hoped for even more exposure.
Yet trainees like Lv Fangxin, who had genuine popularity but had been edited into misleading personas, felt a deep aversion to the camera.
Her statement was subtly criticizing the program’s questionable editing choices. Although not as impactful as Ye Yuwei’s bold comments the other day, it still made people admire Fangxin’s fortitude.
Uncle Dong, however, felt it was quite natural. Based on what he’d seen of the show, Fangxin was precisely this kind of person, and her remarks sounded perfectly reasonable coming from her.
This was likely something the other girls hadn’t anticipated.
"I think it’s normal when I cry or otherwise express emotions in daily life, but when the camera captures it, it looks like I’m only putting on a show, coming off as immature."
As Lv Fangxin spoke, Wu Zixuan nodded in agreement.
She had also been molded into a "sweetheart princess" persona.
"But I feel happy being like this. Yet other people think I’m just not very bright." Lv Fangxin said, helplessly tapping her head as she spoke.
This gesture made everyone laugh, and Uncle Dong instantly recognized how entertaining this girl really was.
"So, I’m frustrated. I don’t know what to do!" Lv Fangxin finished dejectedly as she put down the microphone.
The core of Fangxin’s remarks was essentially: Should I stay true to myself? I know I’m not wrong, but external criticism makes it very hard not to care.
"Alright, have any of you thought about Fangxin’s question just now?" Uncle Dong turned the question back to the girls.
Ju Lin raised her hand, and Uncle Dong invited her to speak.
"I think the key is to insist on being yourself."
"When you care too much about what others think, your thoughts are no longer your own, and you begin to doubt yourself."
Ju Lin’s words carried a powerful sincerity. Having grown up abroad, she had been educated to prioritize authenticity and avoid pandering.
"When facing all this, you need to first understand who you are and what kind of person you truly are."
"Once you have a clear sense of self, no matter how much others hate you or criticize you, it won’t matter at all. Just stick to being you."
Ju Lin’s words provoked deep thought in Lv Fangxin, making her feel as though this resonated deeply within her.
"I have many colleagues who are fond of Fangxin. They say they love her quirky personality."
Uncle Dong’s comment instantly elicited envy from the other girls, while Fangxin shyly lowered her head, though she couldn’t help but let a proud smile sneak onto her lips.
"Sometimes you cry, sometimes you laugh. The moment you start analyzing whether you should or shouldn’t cry or laugh, you might be losing your edge."
Uncle Dong’s point was that Fangxin’s "natural genuineness" was what endeared her to people. Losing these traits would mean losing the source of her appeal.
Lv Fangxin solemnly nodded, understanding his advice.
"In reality, you can’t determine what others like about you. Or, out of ten thousand viewers, perhaps three thousand like you crying, three thousand like you laughing, three thousand neither like nor dislike you crying or laughing, and one thousand don’t care at all."
This remark sparked laughter among all the girls. After all, didn’t it reflect their own situation?
"When you focus on deciding whether what others say is right or wrong, you’re searching for a so-called ’standard answer.’ But is there a standard answer? If there were, no one would be eliminated. They’d just need to follow the standard to succeed."
Uncle Dong’s remarks pointed to a fundamental problem in the selection process—an issue many contestants understand but continually misstep on.
Some are intent on copying personas from already successful contestants.
"The only person you can fully take care of is yourself. Also, you might find the camera uncomfortable right now, but eventually, you will have to adapt because that’s your objective."
Lv Fangxin nodded solemnly, wholeheartedly agreeing with this statement.
"Your goal shouldn’t be to fight the camera but to become its friend. That will be your best opportunity. Don’t choose; just be yourself, and you will succeed."
Ye Yuwei noticed a long-lost gleam returning to Lv Fangxin’s eyes.
That light had been absent since the wave of online hate had overwhelmed her.
Clearly, Uncle Dong’s authority made Fangxin trust his words, especially the last statement.
Chen Yinghan also noticed the change in her friend and felt genuinely relieved. She had tried to comfort her in the past but, as someone relatively insignificant, her advice was easily dismissed as biased insider input.
This time, Fangxin seemed to have truly figured out what to do.
Uncle Dong also noticed the shift in her demeanor. Deep down, he envied Tencent’s good fortune in discovering her. This girl truly was a once-in-two-decades talent—a destined idol.