She had heard about this big competition which had been subject to enormous advertising in S City for several months.
It was jointly sponsored by Huanyu International Media, JK Entertainment, and a few leading companies in the city.
It was said that the overall champion could potentially sign agreements with these two top-tier entertainment companies, Huanyu and JK, and even become the spokesperson for those sponsoring companies.
That's why it had attracted many young girls from across the nation who were chasing their starry dreams.
Even some third-rate small stars in the entertainment industry participated, seeking to raise their own popularity.
God knows what crazy idea Xiao Yining had in his mind this time.
There were already a lot of people lining up in Hall №2 of the TV station.
The preliminaries were essentially the most basic interviews.
They would first weed out some participants and then start etiquette and catwalk training for those who remained.
After getting the badge, An Ziqi went to a quiet corner in the corridor to wait.
A few girls beside her were reapplying their makeup and chatting excitedly.
After finishing their makeup, they casually threw the wet wipes for hand cleaning next to An Ziqi's feet.
An Ziqi glanced at the litter scattered all over the floor and shrugged helplessly.
She turned to the corner, grabbed the broom and dustpan, and started cleaning.
Suddenly, a foot stepped on the dustpan she was holding, and a sarcastic voice rang out.
"Oh, I thought it was some cleaning lady. Isn't this our glamorous school beauty, An Ziqi?"
An Ziqi slightly furrowed her brows, looked up to see Lin Kelan standing in front of her with her arms crossed and a sarcastic look on her face.
This girl always had a problem with her at school, troubling her constantly.
At that time, she was juggling school and part-time jobs to make ends meet. She had no time or energy to confront her, choosing to avoid her whenever possible. She didn't expect to run into her here.
She was here to participate in the preliminaries and didn't want to stir up any trouble.
She pulled the dustpan hard, but Lin Kelan exerted more force and spoke louder. "You always pretended to be poor at school, what's the matter now? Can't afford to eat anymore? Is that why you're working as a cleaner?"
Xia Xiaotong, standing behind her, brown-nosed, "What else can a poor girl like her do, other than cleaning?"
"An Ziqi, why don't you clean the shoes of everyone here? I may consider rewarding you with a meal."
Lin Kelan laughingly boasted in a domineering manner.
An Ziqi smirked, "Lin Kelan, can you please move your foot? You're too big; my dustpan can't hold you."
"I won't move. What can you do about it?" Lin Kelan exclaimed arrogantly.
Halfway through her sentence, she noticed the people around her covering their mouths and chuckling, only then did she realize that damn An Ziqi was actually calling her trash!
She instantly blushed, "An Ziqi, dare to curse me?"
"I'm just telling it like it is."
An Ziqi raised her eyebrows at her.
"I'll destroy your mouth and see if you dare talk like that again. Xia Xiaotong, hold her. Don't let her run."
Lin Kelan hollered, her face contorted with rage.
Xia Xiaotong immediately pounced over and vigorously seized An Ziqi's arms. Lin Kelan raised her hand to strike.
The bystanders in the hallway knew full well that Lin Kelan was looking for trouble, but none stepped in to help, and instead looked forward to the upcoming drama.
An Ziqi sighed. Just because she preferred not to stir up trouble, didn't mean she was afraid.
If Lin Kelan was determined to strike, she wouldn't just sit there and wait for it to happen.
She abruptly turned her head, causing Lin Kelan's slap to land with a resounding smack on the face of Xia Xiaotong, who was holding her from behind.
Xia Xiaotong panicked but didn't dare to confront Lin Kelan so she screeched and pounced towards An Ziqi.
"What's all the noise? If you don't want to compete, get out!" a cold voice suddenly echoed in the hallway.
A tall and fit man in a simple white shirt appeared at the entrance, which perfectly outlined his slender body.
His deeply sculpted features bore a trace of impatience.
"Wow, it's Director Ye Wuge, he's so handsome! I'd heard that they've invited him to be a judge for this competition, but I couldn't believe it until now."
"I heard that Director Ye is preparing a new film. Do you think he wants to select the female lead from this competition?"
"Even if I can't be the lead, it would be great to make a cameo in Director Ye's movie, even if it's just a minor role!"
The spectators whispered excitedly, their eyes sparkling.