-----
-----
"Congrats on making it to the next round! I really have high hopes for you two. Just two more rounds and I believe you'll win the whole thing!"
On stage, all the eliminated contestants had come out.
Nick clapped enthusiastically, congratulating Kyle and Mia.
"Thank you to all the mentors, thank you to the audience, thank you to the production team, and of course, thank you to my partner~"
Kyle and Mia looked so "excited," thanking everyone like their lives depended on it.
Lily covered her mouth, laughing. These two are hilarious.
On stage, when roasting Matt, they were like warriors.Now, doing their thanks? That smile couldn't be faker.
Only Matt kept a steady expression. As the chairman of the Quyi Association, he's been through plenty.
So what if someone called him out? It wasn't even a real scandal. Just a jab from some youngsters.
No big deal!Nothing to worry about!Totally minor stuff!
"Congrats again, Kyle, Mia. Your performance had some social commentary in it. Still, letting a few people get rich first—that's reasonable too~"
Matt's tone was peaceful now, completely different from before.
"You both understand the environment you're in. My advice? Maybe don't keep doing this type of show. Some people won't like it. And when that happens, you might not appear on screen again~"
All it takes is one official document to blacklist an artist.
And Matt had already been notified—there was a meeting coming up soon.
Once that happens, Kyle and Mia? Not his headache anymore.
But right now, they're in the spotlight. Matt didn't want to openly go to war.
It's like stepping on a rat—you can, but would you really want to?
Why not?Because it's gross.
The best way to show contempt? Ignore them completely.
"Thanks for the advice, Mr. Matt," Kyle replied casually. "But we're just small-time actors. We live off audience support. No steady salary for us~"
Blacklist us? Fine. He's got 20 million in the bank—he could make money doing anything.
"Sigh, kids these days," Matt shook his head. "No real skills in hand, no traditional art training, just jumping on hot topics… such a shame."
"When I was young? I had all the skills—speaking, storytelling, comedy, singing, traditional music—I could do it all."
With that, Matt walked off, looking all wise and superior.
"Make sure you prep well for your next act. Looking forward to your performance~"
Nick and Lily tried to comfort them. After chatting for a bit, they all parted ways.
Back at the hotel, Mia scoffed,"Kyle, did you hear that crap from Matt? Skills in hand? Comedy, storytelling, singing? Has he ever even sung anything?"
"Learn what? Local dialects? That dude can't even speak clearly with his lisp!"
"Traditional instruments? He probably can't even whistle! And he's lecturing us? Who gave him the right?"
"If he wasn't the chairman, who would give a damn about him? Threatening to blacklist us?!"
"Using seniority? Authority? Trying to bully us into silence? What, we're just supposed to sit there and take it?"
Mia went full rant mode, yelling at the couch like it was Matt himself.
Kyle nervously stepped aside. After she calmed down, he sweetly handed her a glass of juice.
"Don't be mad, Ling-jie. Getting angry's not good for your health~"
"I'm not mad," gulp gulp gulp, "I'm just sayin'... we might be in a bit of danger~ hic"
She downed the juice, then lounged comfortably on the sofa.
"You're not wrong. Constantly challenging the system isn't a long-term plan. We're actors, not activists."
Kyle rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
And then—ding! The system popped up again.
Super Comedy King System – New Mission Alert! Choose your next performance piece!
1. "Brother-in-law & Little Bro" – Perform this and win $10 million + gain the performer's skills!2. "Look at These Two Dads" – Perform this and win $10 million + gain the performer's skills!3. "Old Tune, New Song" – Perform this and win $10 million + gain the performer's skills!
Oh damn, another task! That meant… at least they weren't getting blacklisted right now!
Kyle eyed the options carefully.
"Brother-in-law & Little Bro" was originally by Billy and Walter. Funny, but both roles were male—hard to adapt with their duo.
"Look at These Two Dads"? Same issue. Neil and Bob Hope's piece, but again, two men. Adapting it would kill the comedic punch.
Only "Old Tune, New Song" might work—it was originally by Roger and Bob Hope. It included reworked traditional performances, bamboo clappers, three-string, guitar, even pop music.
Kyle chose Option 3 without hesitation.
Mia noticed him spacing out and sighed,"Looks like you can't beat the system after all. Should we think about changing direction?"
"Sure! Matt says we got no skills? Let's prove him wrong. This time, we'll slap him in the face—with talent!"
Kyle was fired up.
Meanwhile, on the internet? Chaos.
Some people started sharing screenshots from their friends inside the system. Eye-opening stuff.
"I can't rest yet… I've only got five properties. I'm still just a small fish~"
"After graduation, those with connections went back to cushy hometown jobs. The rest? Off to the big cities to grind."
"White tea that costs $200,000 a kilo? Honestly, can't even tell the difference."
These mind-blowing posts went viral.
Matt? Scrambled to delete his entire Weibo page overnight.
But too late—netizens already had screenshots.
What started as a satirical skit had turned into sharp commentary on reality. And it hit hard.
You told me to work hard while your kids get everything handed to them?You asked me to answer the call while you stay safe and comfy?You said education changes lives—but your power just gets inherited?
Reality was absurd—and now, it was in plain sight.
At a meeting, Matt got torn apart. Some officials didn't hold back:
"Look at the mess you made! When problems come up, fix them! Not cover them up!"
"You forgot all about public oversight!"
"Blacklist them? Really? Can't solve the issue, so you go after the whistleblower?"
Back at rehearsals, Kyle and Mia kept practicing "Old Tune, New Song."
They paid only slight attention to the online storm.
These issues had always existed—but no one talked about them. Now that someone had pulled off the covers, everyone could see who was wearing pants.
Authorities released inspection notices everywhere, managing to calm the storm—somewhat.
Matt slunk back to the show, but his aura was gone.
Nick and Lily were well-informed. With their backgrounds in military arts, they had strong connections.
"Who would've thought? Two comedy performers caused such a stir! Now I get why propaganda is such a top priority~"
Nick sighed.
For years, official media tried to push positive messages—but often missed the mark.
A poor village trying to develop? Instead of highlighting the value of education, they'd glorify some guy landing a government job?
Claiming country's global rise and showcasing a young girl who sleeps 14 hours a day and wins gold medals—only for her to return to her other citizenship after?
It was ridiculous.
And the media still thought they were doing a great job.
But Kyle and Mia's comedy? It was like lifting the veil.
It reminded everyone—hey, while we were eating and drinking at the party, we kinda forgot to take care of the actual business.
Only… the bride turned out to be a eunuch.
"Sigh, it's like this… when it snows, the world looks beautiful. But you never know if there's grass or sheep poop under that snow. Sooner or later, it'll melt."
Lily wasn't as surprised as Nick.
Compared to him, she was way closer to the entertainment industry.
She knew most celebs and influencers were a mess behind the scenes—it just hadn't been exposed yet.
"Well well, look at you, Mr. Director, getting all deep and philosophical~ I'm impressed~"
Nick looked at her, amused.
"I was just talking casually," Lily smiled. "By the way, do you have Kyle and Mia's number? I need to contact them."
"You need to talk to them?"
Nick narrowed his eyes. "Wait… you're not thinking about partnering with them, are you?"
"They're super creative, and they haven't signed with anyone. What? Why are you acting surprised?"
Lily raised an eyebrow, now suspicious.
"Great minds think alike," Nick smirked. "I want to work with them too. Guess I won't be giving you their numbers~"
He grinned slyly. Lily instantly realized—they were now competitors.
Meanwhile, Kyle and Mia had no clue… they were suddenly in high demand!
"....."