Artists under the Rebirth of the Coal Boss

Chapter 304 The Literary Battle Begins
The air in the canteen of Yuezhou Media College was stuffy and sticky.

Clang! Clang!

The clinking of plates against the window was constant, and the entire cafeteria space was invisibly divided into four sections.

Xiao Shenyang and his Zhao family troupe occupied the center, their loud laughter carrying a strong northern flavor.

The staff of Zhejiang TV were talking in hushed tones by the window, creating a tense atmosphere.

Not far away, Da Bing, Huang Hong, and others in the guest area formed a small group to eat together, while Yi Nengjing and A Duo, who arrived late, caused a commotion among the students at the entrance.

These two groups effectively separated Xiao Shenyang's Zhao Family Troupe from the Tiger Group artists...

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Speaking of the entire cafeteria, the most eye-catching group is the Tiger Shadow Starry Sky artists led by Lin Xingzhuo.

They're all handsome men and beautiful women!!
The looks of Zhao Yihuan, Wan Xi, Zhu Yilong, Huang Jingyu, and others are on a completely different level from the looks of the other three groups.

Celebrities are indeed worlds apart from ordinary people! Their appearance, body proportions, style, and temperament are all so much more refined than those of ordinary people!

They're all the kind of people you'd see on the street and have to watch them go for three kilometers!

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The TV in the cafeteria was broadcasting news from Zhejiang TV announcing that the US president would send 5 more troops to Afghanistan and that the Afghan issue would be permanently resolved by 2010.

The cafeteria staff finished distributing the boxed meals, which included three dishes and a soup, two meat dishes and one vegetable dish, with plenty of rice.

It maintains the same dark campus style as always.

Century egg fried rice crust, braised pork ribs with oranges, braised pork with pineapple, dragon fruit and oranges, plus the classic and timeless seaweed and egg soup.

After eating these past few days, everyone in the New Year's Eve program crew has lost a lot of weight.

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At this moment, Cheng Ye suddenly shouted loudly:
"Hey everyone! Yang said you've all been working so hard preparing for the New Year's Eve party! So he's going to treat you to some better food!"

Glug glug! Glug!!

Several assistants from Zhao's troupe pushed a cart full of boxed lunches into the canteen, the rubber wheels of the cart making a heavy sound on the ground.

Then, several young men from Zhao's troupe laboriously carried the large baskets of boxed lunches and unloaded them.

These plastic baskets were noticeably larger than ordinary ones, and the boxed lunches stacked inside were all quite large, piled up to the brim, with the lids almost bursting open.

It was placed heavily on the table, exuding an air of sincerity.

The bland, watery, and culinary-looking standard boxed lunches in the school cafeteria next door suddenly looked even more unbearable in comparison.

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The production team opened the lunchboxes, which contained pickled pepper bullfrog, braised chicken, Cantonese rice noodle rolls, pickled fish slices, and Dingsheng cake as dessert.

Xiao Shenyang slammed the plastic basket onto the table with a clatter, picked up a box first, and said:

"Everyone, don't be shy! Hurry up! Come and take some! This dish was freshly cooked by the chef; it'll get too salty if it gets cold!"

"Jinlong, take your two assistants and keep things under control."

Wang Jinlong nodded and said, "Okay! Brother Yang!"

The cafeteria suddenly became lively as people came to collect their boxed meals.

"Thanks, Brother Yang!" "This braised chicken in a clay pot smells amazing!" "Thanks, Brother Yang!" "No need to fight over it! Everyone gets some!" "This special edition boxed lunch is way better than the previous ones..."

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At the table of Tiger-affiliated artists, Zhao Yihuan looked at the special food provided by the Zhao Family Troupe and said, "This looks like the food from the second floor."

Wanxi said, "Indeed, the last time we went to the second floor to buy bubble tea, we saw that the students who were having their own private meals were buying this braised chicken in a clay pot."

"However, the ingredients are not as substantial as this one. This one has plenty of bread and chicken, so it looks like an enhanced version."

Lin Xingzhuo put down the boxed lunch in her hand and dialed a number...

Zhu Yilong got up and went to the cafeteria on the second floor. After a while, he returned and said:
"I asked at the windows on the second floor, and they were all closed. Xiao Shenyang has booked the entire second floor with all the windows and the chef."

"We even arranged for someone to order a batch of fresh ingredients from the Fengqi Road Agricultural and Sideline Products Trading Market."

Da Peng picked at the orange-braised pork ribs a couple of times, but couldn't swallow it, and said, "I guess there won't be any of us in this boxed lunch."

Huang Jingyu took a sip of seaweed soup and said, "How about I go to KFC? I heard the new Supreme Shrimp Burger is pretty good."

As the group talked, just as Da Peng had said, the boxed lunches were all gone in the blink of an eye.

It just so happens that Tiger Group's artists, along with their managers, makeup artists, and other staff, don't have boxed lunches.

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A-Dan even came over to say hello, saying, "Sorry! We ordered a few less than ordered!"

Wang Jinlong stormed up to Ya Dan and said angrily, "Hey! You're so careless! How could you forget so many people!"

Ah Dan said cheekily, "Bro! I accidentally forgot it too... Besides, there are still lunch boxes from the station, right?"

Wang Jinlong said, "Is this boxed lunch even fit for human consumption? Just a few days ago, people were saying this stuff looks like swill! Even pigs would find it disgusting to feed!"

A-Dan chimed in, "Don't be so dramatic! The rehearsal this afternoon was really intense!"

"As mentioned at the cast and crew meeting this morning, everyone should eat a good lunch, because dinner will be very late!"

The couple showcased their expertise in comedy sketches, drawing the attention of the entire cafeteria to this table of Tiger Shadow performers.

This is clearly an attempt to see someone make a fool of themselves!

Lin Xingzhuo glanced at the time on his Coolpad watch and began to use the techniques from his notes on the Beijing Film Academy's acting course to adjust his vocal rhythm.

"Everyone, I just ordered food from the guesthouse, so please don't rush to eat..."

Good food is worth waiting for!

"The food has arrived at the school gate. We'll bring it over now. Once it's served, you'll know what gourmet food is and what swill is..."

Lin Xingzhuo's two short sentences, though not angry, were authoritative and powerful, and the entire cafeteria immediately fell silent.

Zhu Yilong, who has formal training in acting, recalled the "voice, acting, form and expression" course he took at school when listening to Lin Xingzhuo's lines.

A teacher from the Beijing Film Academy once analyzed the eight-minute monologue in Chen Daoming's "Kangxi Dynasty" where he reprimands his ministers.

The dialogue is precise and rhythmic, especially the powerful presence, which builds up Kangxi's majesty, anger, and helplessness layer by layer, striking a chord with the audience.

Although Lin Xingzhuo's words were unremarkable, the power of his voice gave them a certain impact, reminiscent of the layered, thought-provoking passage from the Beijing Film Academy textbook...

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Compared to Zhu Yilong's theoretical analysis from a professional perspective.

The girls in the cafeteria, including Zhu Dan, Yi Yi, Zhang Youqian, Wan Xi, and Zhao Yihuan, were all completely captivated by Lin Xingzhuo's voice.

They felt that Lin Xingzhuo's voice was very magnetic and had a lot of story to tell. Once he started speaking, they wanted to keep listening. It was super catchy and had a great feel to it.

That voice is so captivating!!
........................

Zhang Youqian and Xiao Ma led several Tiger Shadow Department staff members outside the cafeteria.

After eating two slices of pickled fish, Xiao Shenyang couldn't help but put down his chopsticks and ask:
"What's going on? Even a guesthouse wouldn't be this efficient! They can whip up a meal for a hundred people just by making a phone call?!"

Cheng Ye poured Xiao Shenyang a barley juice and said, "Could there be a mole inside?"

Wang Jinlong interrupted, saying, "Stop talking nonsense. How could any of us brothers do such a thing? Besides, we've never had any dealings with Tiger Group Coal Capital."

Xiao Shenyang glanced at Lin Xingzhuo and the others across from him, then swept his gaze over the group of fellow disciples at the table and said, "They probably really did think the same thing!"

In the entertainment industry, we're like brothers for life. I consider you my brother, and you consider me your sworn brother.

Xiao Shenyang, who worked his way up from the bottom, certainly understands this principle.

But now is not the time to say that.

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While the Zhao family troupe was filled with suspicion, Lin Xingzhuo and Hua Shao, who was standing some distance away, exchanged a glance...

At present, Tiger Capital's penetration into Lantai has far exceeded the imagination of Xiao Shenyang, Cheng Ye and other members of Zhao's team.

Xiao Shenyang, Wang Jinlong, Cheng Ye, Ya Dan, Xiao Pengfei, and others were loudly plotting this matter in the meeting room arranged by the station for Zhao's troupe to create language-based programs.

The receptionist at the Blue Terrace, who was serving tea and water, immediately reported the matter to the head of the administration department.

The director of this administrative office happens to be a member of the faction of Qin Lige, a top producer at Zhejiang TV.

So, that afternoon, Xiao Shenyang discussed "launching a verbal attack" in the conference room.

Just half an hour later, after Lin Xingzhuo finished rehearsing his singing performance, Hua Shao, who was standing by the stage, told Lin Xingzhuo that his girlfriend, Qin Lige, had gotten wind of the situation.

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As Cheng Ye ate his own food, he said, "Even if we bump into each other, so what?"

"We bought these ingredients at a high price; the most important thing in cooking is fresh ingredients."

A-Dan chimed in, "What good food does the guesthouse have?"

Cheng Ye agreed, saying, "Who knows what kind of stuff those guesthouses are!"

"Yellow wood veneer from the 90s, a 1.5-meter bed, toothpaste produced in Hangji, Huaiyang, and a 23-inch Konka color TV."

"The renovation is so old that the hygiene is terrible. The grime that's accumulated over the years can't be washed off. There are plenty of parking spaces, but they're not for you to use..."

A-Dan nodded and said, "You can imagine how the food prepared in this kind of guesthouse tastes!"

Wang Jinlong hesitated for a moment, then took a couple of bites of rice and said, "The food at some of the guesthouses in Beijing's liaison offices is still pretty good."

Junior brother Xiao Pengfei agreed, "Senior brother, you said it yourself, that's the guesthouse of the Beijing Liaison Office. I think it's just that these country bumpkins from Jinyang who have never seen the world treat it like a treasure."

"What kind of people are these coal bosses? We've seen it all when we were drinking at Liu Laogen Grand Stage and Jinbihuihuang on Shenyang Middle Street! They're stupid, rich, and easy to fool!"

Adan said, "Little Pengfei is so sensible! Lin'an and the capital are the same!"

"This is delicious, Pengfei, eat more."

"Everyone, eat up! Why are you all waiting for the food at the guesthouse?"

Adan found her incompetent husband, Wang Jinlong, increasingly displeasing. She picked up a piece of braised chicken leg and placed it in Xiaopengfei's bowl.

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A dozen minutes later, Zhang Youqian, Xiao Ma, and others used a small cart borrowed from the cafeteria to bring a bunch of takeout food to the restaurant.

We ordered food for ten tables, packing it up, based on the standard of ten people per table.

The Zhao family members remained dismissive. Li Xiong, the producer from Zhejiang TV, approached Lin Xingzhuo and inquired about the origins of the food. He then gasped in surprise.

(End of this chapter)