Have you ever been a celebrity? Why are you writing about entertainment?

Two days later, the second large-scale rehearsal for the Spring Festival Gala officially began, and Yu Wei finally had the opportunity to meet Xu Zhen, whom he had been "looking at through the window".

Many previously undecided programs were eliminated. This rehearsal is essentially the final product, except that the program order is slightly different.

As is customary with CCTV, the official Spring Festival Gala program list will be released a few days after the second round of rehearsals.

"Won't we get retaliated against?"

Before entering, Zhang Lingye asked this crucial question: Yu Weigang, the leader, had just issued a challenge, and now he was going to someone else's territory. Wouldn't he be punished by justice?

"of course."

Yu Wei knew their Director Xu quite well; he was a typical Machiavellian figure, and it would be strange if he didn't seek revenge.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lingye couldn't help but gasp. Their boss was deliberately targeting them; they were probably going to be covered in bruises...

"Haha, what novel Spring Festival Gala? I don't know."

"Stop messing around, you're in the very first skit."

When Yu Wei arrived backstage at the studio, she clearly sensed a change in the attitudes of the other participating guests towards her.

During the last rehearsal, they thought Yu Wei and his group were all people with connections, but Yu Wei proved them wrong.

They've made it clear they're going against the Spring Festival Gala. How could this be a favored candidate? It's like they're offering a feast when the enemy comes, right?
Then the question arises: Yu Wei has already challenged the Spring Festival Gala, will the Gala still keep them on?
It's not uncommon for programs to be changed during the second round of rehearsals; what if Xu Zhen gets so angry that she cancels all their programs...?

Don't laugh, you won't get past the second hurdle either.

Eliminated shows: What, there's a revival round?
To be honest, Yu Wei wasn't quite sure either. Whether CCTV could tolerate them was a matter of magnanimity, while whether CCTV could tolerate them was a matter of their ability.

It doesn't matter if they change it. If they really do change it, we can just put all of these into the novel for the Spring Festival Gala, and then the length should be three hours.

Just as they were all pondering their own thoughts, Xu Zhen finally arrived. This time, not only him, but also all five other main creators of the Spring Festival Gala were present.

The second rehearsal was noticeably more formal. Not only was the entire directing team present, but there were even a few leaders scattered throughout the audience, clearly there for an inspection.

As the six people stood still, Yu Wei instantly understood what it meant to be "surrounded by wolves." Their gazes fell squarely on him.

Needless to say, Xu Zhen now even wanted to tear Yu Weisheng apart. He worked diligently every day and actually managed to fool him.

He thought this was a good comrade, and a song called "Good Luck" hit him right in the face. It was well-made and had a clear target audience: the middle-aged and elderly market.

In just two days, the song became incredibly popular, and many shops are now using it as background music; he can't escape it even if he wants to.

Why don't you use such an awesome song for the Spring Festival Gala?
If all of Yu Wei's novels featured on the Spring Festival Gala are of this caliber, then I might as well resign early and avoid taking the blame...

Ye Shengyu's gaze softened considerably. He was impressed by Yu Wei's fighting spirit and also acknowledged Yu Wei's fighting style.

He was initially worried that his self-made Spring Festival Gala would be too hasty and not up to par, but he didn't expect that even the promotional song would be so energetic.

Yu Wei's tactics were very methodical: first promote, then hype up, and the posts avoided risks while lowering expectations. The whole process maximized the topic's popularity.

It's amazing that someone could resist watching this; the novel must be added to the list of must-reads for the Spring Festival.

Zhao Rujun's thoughts were similar to Ye Shengyu's, but since they were both in an arts and culture studio, she particularly admired Yu Wei's pursuit of art.

The third explanation is the most plausible one for Yu Wei's purpose in organizing the Spring Festival Gala. Therefore, most people believe that Yu Wei did it out of artistic pursuit, and Zhao Rujun is no exception.

Zhao Ruyun acknowledges that their Spring Festival Gala does have many rules and regulations. However, it's perfectly normal for the sea to be wide enough for fish to leap and the sky to be high enough for birds to fly.

Feng Qi, the director of the language program, had a much simpler mindset: just one word: crisis.

He was the most flustered of the six besides Xu Zhen. That kid had actually put together seven skits in one go back then...

As a result, only one of the 8.5-rated novels, "To Help or Not to Help," made it to the Spring Festival Gala. The rest of the 9-rated novels will probably be relegated to the novel section of the Gala.

If that thing were served, he couldn't imagine how he would be scolded. The others would at most be told they hadn't done a good job, but he would really lose his job.

What grudge do you hold against me? Please, stop using your supernatural powers!

At Xu Zhen's signal, the second round of rehearsals officially began. The six main creators sat in the audience and provided evaluations and suggestions for improvement for each program.

The process is basically the same every year: the first round is to decide on the program, the second round is to find fault, the third round is to refine it, and the fourth round is to rehearse.

Yu Wei and the others exchanged glances. If it was a fault-finding phase, then they would definitely be the ones to be targeted. They hoped that no one was hurt.

The program list has a general framework. The first performance in their group will be the skit "To Help or Not to Help," and the third performance will follow closely behind the two large-scale performances.

Su Jian was already easily frightened, and with the added worry of being targeted, his performance was abysmal. He stumbled over his words twice in just a few sentences, making Yu Wei sweat with anxiety.

"It's over."

This is practically asking for trouble. The production team already had a lot of resentment towards them, and their performance in rehearsal was subpar. It's no wonder they got a severe scolding.

Sure enough, they were given a good scolding by Xu Zhen as soon as their performance ended, and he even said, "You are the worst class I have ever taught," as if he had been possessed by the homeroom teacher.

His sharp words initially led many to believe he wanted to replace the show, but in the end, Xu Zhen never mentioned changing the show.

Nonsense, he's not stupid. This program has a very good foundation. If it were changed, the Spring Festival Gala would gain another powerful performer.

Yu Wei's performances are all of very good quality and will definitely be the mainstay of this year's Spring Festival Gala. If these performances are replaced, they will definitely lose even more miserably.

This is ridiculous! They're using the barbarians' strengths to subdue them, employing Yu Wei's own program against Yu Wei's Spring Festival Gala – that's their only chance. Passing the ball to other programs will truly finish them off…

Therefore, none of Yu Wei's well-produced programs will be replaced; in fact, they will be heavily promoted.

But that's a matter for later. Right now, he has to find fault with it thoroughly, otherwise he won't be able to vent his anger!
After Xu Zhen finished scolding, Feng Qi followed closely behind. As the director of language-based programs, he was naturally extremely strict with sketch comedy programs, but it was hard to say whether there was any personal grudge involved.

The other participating guests had never seen anything like this before; it was like a joint trial. It seems that Yu Wei really offended the Spring Festival Gala team this time.

The skit was seven minutes long, but the three of them were scolded for ten minutes. When Tong Yulu came off the stage, she was still dizzy. She thought that there was nothing wrong with her performance.

Su Jian acted abnormally, yet she didn't; she still managed to take the full AOE damage.

"To master unparalleled martial arts, one must endure pain that ordinary people cannot bear."

Yu Wei could only console himself with this thought: after the Spring Festival Gala, they would definitely soar to new heights. Compared to that, what did it matter if they were criticized and scolded?
It's all the same path we came from...

Of the six main creators, three were completely offended by Yu Wei. It was truly a three-way interrogation. There was nothing to say; he could just bear it and it would pass. It would be his turn soon.

Yu Wei's "Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies" was the seventh, following a crosstalk performance. The crosstalk performances on the Spring Festival Gala were becoming increasingly restrained, and the response was lukewarm.

Although both are language-based programs, this crosstalk performance was not as good as "To Help or Not to Help," but Feng Qi only made a simple suggestion, and Xu Zhen didn't even say a word.

The situation is quite clear now; there's no doubt that it's a deliberate act of personal revenge.

After the crosstalk performance ended, Yu Wei went on stage under the watchful eyes of the crowd. If the accomplices were scolded so much, how much would the mastermind be targeted?

Yu Wei's mindset was unaffected. His thoughts were just like the song "Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies"—his mind was clear and open, regardless of what others said.

Even under these circumstances, Yu Wei's performance was still impeccable, leaving the guests backstage in awe and wondering how Director Xu would find fault with such a perfect performance.

"Teacher Yu Wei, this Spring Festival Gala isn't a solo concert..."

Xu Zhen was determined to nitpick, "You need to interact with the audience, wave and liven up the atmosphere, that's what makes it festive."

Trying to liven things up, huh? You'll see you're wrong if I liven things up like Deng Chao does.

That being said, Xu Zhen's suggestion is quite pertinent. After all, it's the Lunar New Year, and one shouldn't get too carried away with the performance.

Well said! I'll add some interactive elements to my novel for the Spring Festival Gala when I get back. Thank you, Director Xu.

Yu Wei's expression of having learned something completely stumped Xu Zhen. Was this kid actually going to use what he'd just learned...?

Are you asking him to help find the problem?
Thinking of this, Xu dared not nitpick anymore. What if nitpicking made the novel a big and powerful force in the Spring Festival Gala?
But he wouldn't dare to criticize him harshly. This is Yu Wei, after all. If he really gets angry, what if he goes back and adds embellishments to his novel for the Spring Festival Gala?

Su Jian and the others are just small fry; they can be insulted without consequence. But Yu Wei is a ticking time bomb; who dares to mess with him?
Enraged, Yun brandished his spear, spurred his horse, and charged straight at Chen Ying; enraged again, Yun rode forward to fight, and then killed Jiao Bing...

Xu Zhen weighed the pros and cons and subconsciously looked at Feng Qi next to him, "Why don't you do it?"

"I don't understand music, so I won't comment."

Feng Qi didn't dare to, because there were six skits before the scolding, and who knows how many more would follow.

Yu Wei's singing was indeed flawless; it would be wrong of them to nitpick.

The two then looked at Wang Taikang. As the deputy director, the other side has already issued a challenge to CCTV. Shouldn't you say something?

Wang Taikang wasn't afraid of Yu Wei at all. Yu Wei was there to coordinate the Spring Festival Gala project, so he wasn't afraid of losing his job.

However, he received clear instructions from the station to treat Yu Wei with kindness and courtesy.

This matter is not as simple as it seems on the surface. In fact, the higher authorities support Yu Wei's decision to host a novel-themed Spring Festival Gala...

As a veteran of the Spring Festival Gala, Chen Jinyi's choices were all authorized by higher authorities, which is essentially a win-win move.

Since learning the inside story, Wang Taikang has gone into hiding, deciding it's best not to get involved.

The three of them who were offended by Yu Wei didn't say a word, and the other three were even less likely to curse. Ye Shengyu was on Yu Wei's side, and Zhao Rujun had an artistic mind.

Liao Ling didn't say a word today, she just stared blankly at Yu Wei. She didn't seem like the type to start cursing. Let's end the suggestion segment here.

The "criticism" segment about Yu Wei, the mastermind, ended in just two sentences?

The other guests were stunned when they saw this backstage. The accomplice was almost killed, but the mastermind didn't say a word. Is this right?

Tong Yulu and the other two stood there, feeling very upset. They had agreed to share joys and sorrows, but they had suffered all the hardships...

What about the ten minutes of scolding they just endured?
unfair!
Actually, Xu Zhen and the others wanted to scold him. This kid's crimes were too numerous to count, and they could scold him for a whole day without it being too much.

But Yu Wei's situation was special, so they couldn't criticize him. Watching him calmly step down from the stage was also painful for them.

The anger I suffered at Yu Wei's hands can only be vented on Yu Wei's little brother. If I can't scold Yu Wei, I can scold you.

Because they were already seething with anger at Yu Wei, the next person to appear will bear the brunt of their fury, unleashing a continuous barrage from every angle.

It's up to you.

"Where Has the Time Gone?", by Qi Yuan. (End of Chapter)