When She Stops Being Dramatic

Chapter 244: Chapter 1100: Leading Lady of the 1960s Art Troupe (39)

The girls nodded eagerly. Of course they were happy.

Zhaoyang Clothing Factory had its own textile manufacturing process, which was renowned throughout the country. To make a good showing among their peer factories, they had worked overtime and made a substantial breakthrough in their weaving and dyeing techniques.

And the prize for the competition was this very fabric.

According to the workshop workers, the fabric was exceptionally comfortable and breathable. It was also crisp, held its shape well, and was wrinkle-resistant, meeting a wide range of needs. The color selection was vast as well. The vibrant shades were incredibly rich, while the more subdued tones were exceptionally fresh and clean. There were even fashionable, color-blocked patterns.

As soon as the samples were submitted for approval, a large quantity had already been earmarked by the leadership, making the production quota for the new product quite demanding.

The workshop supervisors patrolled a dozen times a day, terrified that a worker might smuggle some fabric out and jeopardize the timely completion of the production run.

In other words, it would be at least half a year before this product was available for public sale!

The factory’s ability to offer so many prizes at a time like this showed how much the leadership cared about such vanity projects. No wonder the members of the dance troupe were competing, both openly and secretly. This entertainment performance, hosted by Zhaoyang Clothing Factory, was their battlefield for fame and fortune.

Now they had the chance to get their hands on three bolts of fabric each. Oh, just imagining their friends and relatives flattering them, crying and begging them for a piece of it, was enough to make them grin from ear to ear!

”But,” Xia Zhaoyun said, ”it’s such a great opportunity, and everyone wants it. So you have to keep a low profile. Keep your excitement in check. When you run into the girls from Groups One and Two, don’t be too brazen. Just act as you normally would.”

”Secure the win quietly, understand? Don’t be too conspicuous. Otherwise, if you lose this chance to perform, all your daydreams will go up in smoke, hmm?”

Everyone nodded and immediately wiped the smiles from their faces. They had to forcefully suppress the urge to laugh wildly, and the muscles in their faces twitched unnaturally from the effort.

”One more thing. For the next few days, wherever you go—even to the bathroom—you have to stick together. We can’t allow for a single accident. And with people you don’t know well, always keep a distance of at least half a meter.”

The girls’ expressions turned serious. Understanding Xia Zhaoyun’s earnest concern, they nodded solemnly and promised to protect themselves and not let any saboteurs get their way.

Xia Zhaoyun smiled, but the cold glint in her eyes didn’t fade in the slightest. She gave them a few more detailed reminders.

The girls were completely focused on preparing for the final performance. Their lives fell into a strict routine: dormitory, cafeteria, practice room, communal showers. They never went anywhere else.

Even in these familiar places, they were on high alert, keeping their eyes and ears open, determined to identify and avoid any potential danger around them.

By the time they returned to their dorm, they were utterly exhausted; their arms and legs felt like they didn’t even belong to them anymore. But despite the fatigue, they felt fulfilled and satisfied. They felt that regardless of the final outcome, the journey of fighting for their dreams was intoxicating in itself.

The moment they stepped into the dorm, the girls exchanged a look. After closing the door, they began to inspect the room.

”Do you think Miss Xia is being a little too cautious?” someone asked quietly. ”Would someone in our troupe really resort to dirty tricks for a spot in the performance? The other groups are more skilled than us, and they’ll have plenty of opportunities later on. Why would they need to do something so vile? Wouldn’t they feel guilty?” Despite her words, her movements were anything but hesitant as she checked her own belongings.

”Better safe than sorry. It’s only for three days, so we should just do as she says,” said Yao Yunying, channeling her inner detective. She looked as if she wanted to take a magnifying glass and search every inch of the floor.

Suddenly, one of them let out a soft gasp. Everyone turned to look. Wang Huiwen was pulling two rusty thumbtacks out of her slippers!

Her slippers were a woven style, different from the others’. They had a semi-enclosed, openwork design over the toes that was delicate and pretty, with a bit of an ethnic flair. She loved to wear them when she wasn’t dancing.

Normally, she never would have noticed that the slippers she kept under her bed had been tampered with. She would have come back to the dorm and slipped them on right away. And if she hadn’t known, how could she have possibly controlled the force of her step?

Her foot would have inevitably been pierced by the two thumbtacks, and the injury would have been severe.

Everyone knew how important a dancer’s feet were, especially since her part in the performance began with a series of spins.

The dormitory fell into a dead silence. ”I don’t know where they even found rusty thumbtacks like these,” Yao Yunying gritted out. ”If these things pierced her flesh, wouldn’t they get infected and fester?”

”Worse than that,” Zhao Si’en said, her face grim. ”A neighbor of one of my relatives used a rusty nail clipper on their toenails one night. It was too dark to see properly, and they cut themselves and drew blood. The next day, they were dead.”