Chapter 3

On February 11, 1997, at 10 a.m., the preliminary results of the Film Academy were posted.

Wang Qian and Xiao Xiang squeezed through the crowd to the wall where the preliminary results were posted. Among the 600 candidates who applied for the Literature Department, only 200 made it to the second round, meaning that 66% of the candidates were eliminated in the first round.

The competition in the Performance Department was even more intense, with about 4,000 candidates taking the exam. The elimination rate in the first round was as high as 75%, with 3,000 candidates being eliminated, leaving only 1,000 to advance to the second round.

Therefore, during the time when the results were posted, one could witness a wide range of emotions and human behaviors.

Some candidates looked through the list but couldn't find their names and burst into tears.

Others, even if their names were not on the list, kept checking it, muttering, "It can't be!"

Many cursed the system, claiming that they had so much potential and that the teachers must have been blind not to include them.

A few candidates who passed the preliminary round were overjoyed and wanted to celebrate on the spot.

Of course, there were also some ** who specifically targeted the beautiful girls who had failed, trying to take advantage of their low spirits to win their favor.

"Ugh, the good cabbages are all taken by pigs!"

Seeing a few beautiful girls fall for these **, Wang Qian felt both disdain and envy.

Why?

Because these ** chose mostly those who had failed, not the future stars. Even so, there were still many genuine beauties.

These beauties were easily charmed by these **, and any normal man would feel jealous.

"Xiao Nian... look at the list, the list!" Xiao Xiang pointed excitedly, "You're at the top, does that mean you're the top scorer in the preliminary round?"

"Top scorer?" This drew many curious glances.

Wang Qian was also surprised. Although he hadn't taken the preliminary round seriously, being at the top of the Literature Department's list was still very noticeable.

It seemed the list was indeed ranked by scores!

"Tch, it's just the preliminary round!"

"The Literature Department isn't that prestigious!"

"Damn!"

Although most of the voices were envious and malicious, Wang Qian still attracted a lot of attention.

"Hello, I'm Hao Yi, a candidate for the Art Department. I also passed the preliminary round. Can we get to know each other?" A handsome young man with black-rimmed glasses greeted Wang Qian, but his eyes kept glancing at Xiao Xiang.

Clearly, this young man was attracted by Xiao Xiang's cute face.

"Art Department? So, your art skills must be pretty good?" Xiao Xiang's eyes lit up.

"Pretty good, I guess!" Hao Yi was modest, but also confident.

"Can you draw comics?" Xiao Xiang asked.

"Well, I haven't tried it, but I'm good at traditional art. I plan to work in film and advertising." Hao Yi said with a hint of pride, "There's a big difference between comics and animation."

In fact, Hao Yi's underlying message was that comics don't make much money, while advertising and film do.

Wang Qian recalled the 1997 Beijing Film Academy admission list and found that most candidates were unknown.

The previous year, 1996, was a star-studded class, with famous stars like Zhao Wei, Huang Xiaoming, and Chen Kun, and many others who had made a name for themselves.

Hao Yi, from the Art Department, was one of the more outstanding students in the 1997 class. He had participated in the design of hundreds of advertisements and had also worked as an art director on films like "No Man's Land," "Smiling Blade," "Painted Skin 2," and "Lost in Thailand."

Remembering this, Wang Qian decided to build a connection with him.

Actually, the most important thing about attending the Beijing Film Academy might not be the systematic professional training, as many people could learn the same skills through self-study.

The key was the network of connections. Many well-known directors, stars, producers, theater managers, and leaders in the film review department of the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television might be senior students. Even if they had no prior relationship, they could gradually build connections through their shared alma mater.

Without these connections, it would be almost impossible to build a network with directors, stars, and producers.

Wang Qian introduced Xiao Xiang, "Xiao Xiang and I grew up together. She has learned some basic art skills and aspires to be a professional manga artist, but she's not very good at storytelling. Recently, I've been helping her with a story, but she's having trouble with the character designs..."

"Is that so?" Hao Yi smiled, "I have a few days off. I can try to help!"

"Thank you, thank you so much! You're such a good person!" Xiao Xiang grabbed Hao Yi's sleeve, looking very excited.

Wang Qian watched Hao Yi, who had been given a "good person card" and was still smiling foolishly, and thought, "People nowadays are really too naive."

The three of them returned, but Xiao Xiang's motorcycle couldn't carry all of them.

So, Xiao Xiang went back first.

Wang Qian and Hao Yi took a taxi and arrived at Xiao Xiang's house.

On the way, Wang Qian told Hao Yi about the basic plot of the manga.

In "Rozen Maiden," the protagonist, Jun, is a middle school student who refuses to go to school and rarely leaves her home. She is obsessed with online shopping and often returns items within the return period.

One day, she receives a letter from a self-proclaimed artificial spirit named Holie, which only has two options: "Wind up" or "Do not wind up." Out of curiosity, she chooses "Wind up." A mysterious, unsigned box then appears in her room, containing a beautiful and lifelike doll.

When Jun uses the key from the box to wind up the doll, it comes to life and introduces itself as True Red, the fifth Rozen Maiden. Suddenly, a puppet controlled by a mysterious person appears, threatening her life. In a desperate situation, Jun, despite being confused, becomes True Red's medium, forming a master-servant relationship.

After that, other humans and dolls who have formed similar contracts appear before Jun and True Red, and the battle among the Rozen Maidens begins...

"This story is great! No wonder it's the work of the future top scorer in the Literature Department!" Hao Yi patted Wang Qian's shoulder, showing great admiration.

"Hehe, the key is the character design! That girl, she draws male characters very well, but when it comes to female characters, it's as if she has a grudge against the heroine!" Wang Qian said, frustrated, "If this continues, she'll only be able to draw yaoi."

"Yaoi?"

"Male-male romance novels, a trend from Japan that's popular among female readers."

"How can that be?" Hao Yi was shocked. The idea that the main audience for male-male romance was female seemed to challenge his worldview.

"I think it's normal. Most yuri and moe anime from Japan are sold to otaku. How many girls like to watch yuri?" Chen Fei said.

For example, "Rozen Maiden" is a shoujo manga, but its fans are mostly otaku.

Wang Qian felt that having a male handle the character design might be more successful and appealing.

Moreover, the plot and setting of this manga are relatively simple, unlike more complex series like "Naruto," "One Piece," and "Bleach."

Therefore, Wang Qian chose this story for Xiao Xiang to draw.

When Wang Qian and Hao Yi arrived at Xiao Xiang's house, they found her already home and dressed in a cat-eared maid costume, bowing and saying, "Welcome back, big brother."

Wang Qian felt embarrassed and pinched her ear, "What are you up to now?!"

"If big brother is unhappy, feel free to vent. Even if it's humiliation or training, big brother can do it!" Xiao Xiang said with a pitiful expression, but her words were heavy.

Wang Qian knew she was just being silly and removed her cat ears, "You need to know your limits!"

After removing the cat ears, Xiao Xiang's face turned a bit dark. She extended her claws, growled, and suddenly pushed Wang Qian to the corner, "The seal is broken, the true Xiao Xiang, the Great Demon, has returned! I was sealed for 10,000 years and humiliated in public by big brother. Killing such a big brother is no big deal, hahaha!"

"Fine, even if you're a demon, I'll show you!" Wang Qian stretched out his hands and started rubbing her round face.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch, ugh! I'm sealed again, but the demon will never die, I'll come back!" After finishing her lines, Xiao Xiang finally returned to normal.

"Xiao Xiang has a case of middle school syndrome!" Wang Qian said helplessly, "Sorry, Hao Yi, for the trouble."

"No, it's quite interesting!" Hao Yi said, "I really envy Wang Qian having such a cute little sister."

Wang Qian thought, "Is Hao Yi trying to make me his brother-in-law? No way!"

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