The Long-awaited Mr Han

To be a dog in the manger?

But this was too uncouth, and Lu Qi did not dare say it in front of everyone.

“She doesn’t want to go, but there are others who wish to do so. There are so many other students who want the slot but can’t get it—why should Lu Man occupy it for nothing?” Lu Qi’s words were met with agreement from the other students, who nodded their approval.

“That’s right, we wish to go too!”

“The school is good to Lu Man, but always giving her special considerations is going a bit too far, isn’t it? We want the spot for studying, but what about Lu Man? Not going despite having the slot, is she trying to bluff having proof that she’d been to the exchange to make herself more appealing?”

“That’s too much, I disapprove too.”

“If she doesn’t want to go to New York, don’t give her the spot. If she has the spot, then she has to go. It’s just that simple.”

Everyone was agitated.

Lu Qi turned to look at Lu Man smugly.

Lu Man should stop trying to get her hands on all the good stuff.

She’d never let Lu Man off so easily!

But Lu Qi was too busy being smug to notice that Teacher Liang seemed to have expected this and was totally calm.

“Lu Man did reject going to New York at first.” Teacher Liang spoke, and the students quietened down automatically, wishing to hear her explanation. “Moreover, she explicitly said that she didn’t need the spot. But the school took into consideration Lu Man’s ability, and there is a serious need for Lu Man’s ability in the upcoming exchange competition.

“Some of you might have heard from your seniors who went to the exchange in the previous years that every year, at the end of the exchange, New York University would have a competition with our team of exchange students.

“Winning and losing didn’t matter materially for there were no physical awards or losses. But as exchange students, you’re representing the future of our acting industry. This is something you all have to fight for for our country.” Teacher Liang continued, “But every year, our exchange students have never won.

“Every single year. Don’t forget, our competitor is just students majoring in acting in New York University. Just those 10 students from one school, not the best chosen from the whole of the US. There are countless students majoring in acting there, and so many prestigious performing schools as well. What you’re facing is just a part of the best—not the creme de la creme of the whole US.

“But what about our team of exchange students? They’re the best few chosen from the top four schools in our country to form the team. To blow my own horn, these four schools of ours represent the best of the performing schools within the country, and the students from these top four schools represent the best at the national level. This may be belittling the students of other schools, but the truth is, in fact, this.

“But the students chosen among such a wide range still lost to students from a single school every year. I’m sure you all know clearly the difference between students picked from a single school versus students picked across the whole country without me saying more.” Teacher Liang said, “It’s just like the best ten chosen from our school versus the best ten in the Chinese Arts Championships.”

Zhang Xiaoying could make it to the best ten in the school but could not make it to the best ten in the Chinese Arts Championships.

The Chinese Arts Championships included everyone from freshmen to seniors, the elites from every performing schools across the country.