CH 93

Chapter 93 – Dream Cup

The boy stood up and instantly became the center of attention in the trapezoidal classroom. He had a pair of beautiful peach blossom eyes, with a slight upward tilt at the outer corners. When his name was called by Wei Chen, he flashed a polite smile at him, revealing dimples on both sides of his cheeks, adding charm to his already handsome face.

No wonder there was an exclamation in the classroom when the boy stood up. His face was much more attractive than the celebrities on television.

Of course, Wei Chen wouldn’t be shallow and judge solely based on appearance. What shocked him was that the boy’s answer to his question was surprisingly perfect. It was so flawless that even Wei Chen, as a person with memories from the future several years, couldn’t find any flaws in it. Whether it was the depth or breadth of the answer, the boy combined external evidence and cited recent economic activities from around the world, making it very understandable and even added his own insights. Wei Chen found it refreshing to listen to.

Q University really is a place of hidden dragon and crouching tiger! Wei Chen exclaimed in his mind and took the lead in applauding the boy.

For a moment, thunderous applause echoed in the trapezoidal classroom. The boy showed no signs of pride or arrogance on his face. He nodded in appreciation to those applauding him and then sat back down.

Even after the boy sat down, people were still whispering and discussing his performance. Some were discussing his appearance, while others were talking about his intelligence. However, as soon as Wei Chen spoke up, the trapezoidal classroom immediately quieted down.

Some people naturally exude an aura that makes others unconsciously reluctant to challenge their authority, and Wei Chen was such a person.

The class quickly came to an end, and Wei Chen’s lecture was undoubtedly fascinating. When it ended, some people felt reluctant to leave and stared eagerly at Wei Chen, hoping he would come back to give another lecture. Of course, it was just a wish, as they knew that with Wei Chen’s current status, even a single class could earn him a lot of money. How could he possibly come back to give more lectures?

When Wei Chen came down from the podium, his doctoral supervisor hurried over and said, “It would be great if you could give more lectures.” Free and valuable, naturally, the more the better.

Wei Chen didn’t agree to anything and instead discussed some academic issues with his doctoral supervisor. At that moment, the boy who had given the perfect answer happened to pass by them, heading towards the classroom door. Wei Chen’s gaze involuntarily paused on the boy for a moment, catching the attention of his supervisor.

“He’s our freshman at the School of Economics, the top scorer in this year’s college entrance examination in the capital.” The tone of the doctoral supervisor revealed a sense of cherishing talent. He had also heard the boy’s answer just now, and it was simply perfect, almost on par with Wei Chen when he first entered the school.

“A freshman?” Wei Chen raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. He thought that with the boy’s knowledge, he would at least be a junior student, but it turned out he was just a high school graduate.

“Yes, when he was only in his first year of high school, he was already being pursued by renowned foreign universities. Back then, the school leaders even had conflicts with those from University B just to get him to come to our school.” Recalling the competition to recruit this student, the doctoral supervisor couldn’t help but sigh. However, the fact proved that this classmate was indeed a genius in the field of business. Wei Chen didn’t inquire further after that. There are many intelligent people in the world, and it’s not necessary to be astonished when encountering a few.

Afterward, Wei Chen bid farewell to his doctoral supervisor and walked hand in hand with Chen Li towards the School of Fine Arts at Q University. Later in the day, Zhuge Yu had a lecture, and Chen Li wanted to attend, so Wei Chen naturally accompanied him.

Life flowed forward like water, calmly and steadily. In the blink of an eye, autumn gradually deepened. Most of the trees in the capital were deciduous, and when late autumn arrived, the yellowing leaves fell from the branches, swirling in the autumn breeze, creating a beautiful spectacle in the air before finally landing on the ground, ending their brief lives.

In the past month or two, with the indulgence of Zhuge Feng, Wei Chen often stopped by the company briefly and then took Chen Li to Q University. With formal art education under Zhuge Yu’s guidance, Chen Li’s painting skills naturally improved by leaps and bounds. Every time Zhuge Yu looked at Chen Li’s work, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Even the professors at the School of Fine Arts at Q University were amazed when they saw Chen Li’s works, envying Zhuge Yu for his incredible find.

Chen Li became a celebrity at the School of Fine Arts at Q University. Although everyone knew that Chen Li was not a student at Q University, but only Zhuge Yu’s student, it was precisely this identity that made the students at the art school envy him immensely.

During these two months, Chen Li not only made progress in painting but also in interpersonal skills. At least in the classroom, he didn’t need Wei Chen to accompany him the whole time. He could find a corner by himself, as long as no one disturbed him, and quietly attend an entire class.

This progress may seem small, but for Wei Chen, it was significant progress indeed.

Sometimes, Wei Chen would stand at the entrance of the classroom and deliberately not go in. Although he didn’t officially accompany Chen Li, he observed every move he made, feeling joy in his heart.

Chen Li truly had no idea that Wei Chen was waiting for him at the classroom entrance. At the beginning, the classmates in the classroom didn’t know about Chen Li’s situation and would initiate conversations with him. However, when they approached Chen Li, he instinctively showed a frightened expression and retreated to a corner.

Gradually, as the classmates got to know Chen Li’s situation, they understood and gave him space. When passing by Chen Li, these classmates would intentionally lower their voices and try to convey goodwill to him.

However, not everyone could tolerate Chen Li’s timid behavior. There was always a certain type of person with some psychological issues, finding pleasure in others’ suffering. In the class where Chen Li was currently auditing, there was such a person.

This person’s name was Lu Xiuran, and he actually had a good reputation in the class. He was also talented in drawing and appeared to be a cheerful boy. However, after learning that Chen Li was a student taken in by Zhuge Yu, Lu Xiuran began to feel a hint of jealousy towards Chen Li.

Yes, it was jealousy.

When Chen Li first joined the class as an auditor, Wei Chen had been by his side all the time, so Lu Xiuran wouldn’t dare to do anything even if he felt jealous. After all, Wei Chen didn’t seem like an easy target to bully.

After a month, as Chen Li gradually adapted to campus life, Lu Xiuran began to harbor some sinister thoughts. Especially when he saw Chen Li’s fragile and vulnerable appearance in front of others, Lu Xiuran found it harder to suppress his own thoughts.

‘How did a fool become Professor Zhuge’s student?’

This was the most disgruntled thought that had surfaced in Lu Xiuran’s mind over the past month.

Chen Li was well protected in this class, so Lu Xiuran couldn’t openly bully him. Soon, an opportunity presented itself to Lu Xiuran, and he smirked with an eerie smile.

Of course, this opportunity was also a chance for Chen Li. Zhuge Yu had talked to him about it.

The “Dream Cup” National Art Competition, held once every four years, was about to begin. Zhuge Yu had a qualification to submit an entry, and in previous years, various families had fiercely competed for this opportunity. However, this year, no one dared to seek the qualification from Zhuge Yu, as they all knew that Zhuge Yu had a particularly talented student and was likely to reserve the qualification for his own student.

The “Dream Cup” was the most prestigious art competition in the country. It was named as such because its original intention was to fulfill the dreams of many artists and provide them with a platform to showcase their talents. In fact, the original purpose of the “Dream Cup” was upheld through each and every competition.

Now, some well-known painters who are active in the flower beds of China, half of them are known to the world through the “Dream Cup,” and some even step onto the grand stage of the international art world because of this small stage provided by the Dream Cup.

Long ago, the Dream Cup was merely a grand feast for Chinese painters. But now, the Dream Cup has successfully attracted the attention of the international art world. Every year when the Dream Cup starts, internationally renowned painters and art enthusiasts come to China to find that one painting in the Dream Cup that can touch their souls.

It can be said that the Dream Cup is now a major event in the Chinese art world. The struggling painters eagerly await the arrival of the Dream Cup, hoping to escape their own predicaments through it.

The Dream Cup can be described as a competition without barriers, but also as a competition with extremely high standards.

Because the Dream Cup does not specify who cannot participate, even if you are just a beginner in painting and your work looks like a scribble, you can still participate in the Dream Cup. This is where the high standards of the Dream Cup come into play—rigorous selection!

The Dream Cup is divided into five major competitions in Chinese regions, each with several small competition zones. Under the small competition zones, there are several review groups. Only the works that pass the review of these groups can enter the small competition zones and then be sent to the five major competition zones. The judges of the five major competition zones will select ten works to participate in the exhibition. After half a month of exhibition in the five major competition zones, the works will be consolidated by the organizing committee of the Dream Cup. Ten internationally renowned painters invited by the organizing committee will evaluate and select five works, and determine the first and second place. Finally, the five selected works will be sent to the largest art gallery in China for a one-month exhibition.

At that time, the organizing committee will invite internationally renowned painters to attend. There is a great possibility that the top five works exhibited will gain international recognition due to this opportunity.

And the ticket held by Zhuge Yu is the privilege of the final stage judge. It allows the work that receives this privilege to be directly sent to the selection process of the five major competition zones.

This privilege may not seem significant, but it has already stood out from hundreds of thousands of works, and it can be regarded as winning at the starting line.