The Most Popular Comedian

At 2:00 pm, a group of candidates waiting for an interview had already gathered in the lobby on the second floor of Fan Yu Entertainment Company. 

Sister Qiu, an old employee of the company, happened to come down from upstairs and was surprised to see such a gathering of handsome men. “The resources for this audition are great,” she exclaimed.

Wang Qilin, who was responsible for maintaining the scene on the side, said, “Isn’t it? The threshold is set low this time, and both amateurs and trainees can come. I just took a look and there are quite a few with strong abilities.” 

Sister Qiu nodded, looked around, and saw many contestants practicing their prepared talents in the hall. Their postures showed that they had been trained seriously. 

Suddenly, her gaze froze on a young man standing by the window in the hall.

The floor of the hall was covered with clean white square tiles, and the slender silhouette of a young man casts a long shadow on it. Looking up along his straight legs, a black duckbill cap was seen on top of his head, covering most of his face and revealing only a small, smooth and pretty jawline. 

“Is he an amateur or a trainee from some company?” Sister Qiu gestured for Wang Qilin to look at the young man. 

“His temperament is not bad, suitable for the camera.” Wang Qilin looked carefully for a moment and shook his head. 

“I can’t see his face and don’t recognize him. He’s probably just an amateur.”

“He has good conditions. How come no talent scout has discovered him? With his figure and temperament, he should have entered the entertainment industry long ago.”

“Sigh… it also depends on whether his personality is suitable or not.”

Rong Yuheng was unaware of the discussion between the two of them, as he was still searching for rental information on his phone. It had been three days since he was kicked out by the old man, and he was currently staying with a friend. He knew that bothering others was not a long-term solution, and he urgently needed two things – income and a place to live.

There was also a message from his elder brother Rong Congyan on his phone, with words of concern and advice.

“Xiao Heng, don’t act impulsively. You’re wandering alone without money or connections, how can you support yourself?”

People’s joys and sorrows are not the same. 

Perhaps in Rong Congyan’s eyes, he was just a stubborn child.

Rong Yuheng’s response was short and powerful, “I rely on my interesting soul.”

After that, Rong Congyan never contacted him again. Rong Yuheng felt deeply regretful… His older brother had enough ability, but his temperament was not resilient enough. He would get angry over a joke.

While he was thinking, a boy suddenly walked over and struck up a conversation, “Are you here for the talent show too?” After asking, he realized he was talking nonsense and awkwardly touched his nose, changing the topic.

“Why don’t you take off your hat?”

Rong Yuheng, upon hearing this, promptly took off his hat and glanced at him.

He vaguely remembered that this person had been spinning his head on the smooth tiles just ten minutes ago, with a facial expression of immense enjoyment, resembling a happy spinning top.

“Hello, you danced well just now.”

The boy’s eyes brightened, “You saw it!?”

Rong Yuheng paused for two seconds and tactfully said, “It was quite noticeable; my eyesight is still good.”

The underlying message was that as long as the people present weren’t blind, they could all see it.

The boy, “…”

Seeing the other person caught in an intellectual dilemma, Rong Yuheng couldn’t bear it and kindly released some goodwill, “We haven’t introduced ourselves yet. My name is Rong Yuheng.”

“Oh, I’m Zou Yi! The dance I performed just now was my talent for today.” He said and then asked Rong Yuheng, “And you, what did you bring?”

Rong Yuheng hesitated for a moment… and after a while, he took out a piece of jade Guanyin from his chest pocket.

“I brought the blessings of the Bodhisattva.”

“…”

The atmosphere fell into silence for a moment, and Zou Yi didn’t know how to respond. Rong Yuheng put his hat back on and stood quietly to the side.

After a while, the formal audition began. The door was called, causing a commotion in the hall. Nervous and worried emotions spread among the many participants.

“It’s over, I’m a bit nervous.”

“Me too, I want to drink water but I’m afraid of going to the bathroom.”

“I heard it’s live-streamed on the internet. What if we make a mistake? It would be so embarrassing!”

Rong Yuheng felt alright, probably because those who are used to being barefoot are not afraid of wearing shoes. He didn’t really have any special talents himself; he was just here today to give it a try. If he didn’t get selected, he would explore other paths.

Three hundred and sixty lines, in the myriad of occupations, there would always be a place for him to stay.

“Yuheng, I’m a bit scared,” Zou Yi familiarly draped his arm over Rong Yuheng’s shoulder. “Do you think when I start drilling my head into the ground, my brain might pop out?”

Rong Yuheng imagined that scene and reassured him, “Don’t worry, the judges should be more afraid.”

Zou Yi choked for a moment but surprisingly found comfort in those words.

As one participant after another was called and came out, some were dejected, some were excited, and others were nervous. It was soon Zou Yi’s turn. He took a deep breath and turned to Rong Yuheng.

“Yuheng, cheer me on!”

Following the principle of being kind to others, Rong Yuheng lovingly patted his head, as if bestowing blessings upon him.

“May the Buddha bless you with safety.”

“…Thank you.”

Zou Yi left with mixed emotions. He didn’t understand why there was a “you” in “May the Buddha bless you,” as if he and his head were going to part ways sooner or later.

Just as Rong Yuheng had seen Zou Yi off, his phone rang. The caller was the person he was currently staying with, the silly but wealthy second-generation heir, Lu Mingxuan.

As soon as the call connected, the voice from the earpiece nearly deafened him, “Holy shit! Rong’er, you really went to participate in that talent show?”

Rong Yuheng held the phone a bit further from his ear and softly responded with an “Mm.”

Lu Mingxuan thought his good friend must have gone mad, “It’s going to be live-streamed across the entire internet! I can already see it here! Damn, do you know how amazing those contestants were just now? Singing, dancing, beatboxing. We’ve known each other for so many years, and I’ve never seen you possess these talents!”

Before Rong Yuheng could speak, Lu Mingxuan continued to nag, “I still remember that one time you said you could do beatboxing, but the sound that came out was like air leaking from a kettle. Listen to your brother’s advice, don’t embarrass yourself up there! Your brother will support you, so you don’t have to worry about a few meals.”

Rong Yuheng was on the verge of tears after listening to him. What a filial grandson and how fragrant his words were!

He said softly, “Don’t worry about me, you little fool. I have talent.”

Lu Mingxuan, confused, said, “?”

After exchanging their plastic-like camaraderie, the call was coldly disconnected. Rong Yuheng straightened his collar, adjusted his state, and prepared for the next round of auditions.

Before long, Zou Yi came out. His expression carried a hint of excitement and uncertainty. As soon as he came out, he found Rong Yuheng.

“I think I did pretty well!”

Rong Yuheng asked him, “Did the judges let you pass?”

“They didn’t tell me the result, but Qiao Tan said my foundation is solid and nodded at me!”

Qiao Tan, mentioned by Zou Yi, was a well-known senior in the industry. In his forties, he had been a popular singer in the early years and had transitioned to working behind the scenes in recent years, participating in music production and program planning.

Zou Yi briefly introduced a few other interviewers to Rong Yuheng, talked about the situation at the venue, but before he could finish, they heard someone calling a number ahead, “Number 13!”

Then he saw Rong Yuheng take off his hat and hand it over to him.

“Can you hold this for me?”

“Sure, no problem.” Zou Yi took the hat and looked up at Rong Yuheng, instantly stunned.

Although Rong Yuheng had briefly taken off his hat before, his features were not clearly visible as his face was shaded. Now, with their positions swapped, Zou Yi could clearly see his appearance.

He was incredibly handsome!

Clean face, bright eyes, straight bridge of the nose—his facial features alone were captivating. Not to mention the slight upward tilt of his eyes when he looked at people, and the gentle and radiant gaze. It was truly a natural look suited for the big screen.

Zou Yi took a deep breath. “Good luck.”

Rong Yuheng thanked him and walked towards the entrance ahead.

As he passed by the entrance, Wang Qilin recognized the young man who had just worn the hat. After seeing his appearance, he couldn’t help but be secretly surprised. Shi Qiu was indeed an experienced old-school talent agent who had seen countless people. She was accurate by judging people!

With this face, as long as his personality wasn’t a major issue and his talent wasn’t too bad, there would be no problem in the entertainment industry.

Thinking this way, Wang Qilin’s attitude became more friendly, and he said to Rong Yuheng, “Don’t be nervous, stand in the center of the stage.”

Rong Yuheng thought that every contestant received such instructions, so he didn’t think much of it. He smiled and said “thank you” to Wang Qilin before walking inside.

After he left, the staff members around Wang Qilin were astonished. “Brother Wang, does he have connections? You’re treating him differently.”

Wang Qilin gave him a slap on the back of his head. “You brat, what nonsense are you talking about? Am I the kind of person who pulls strings for others? I appreciate talent. It would be a waste if someone with that appearance doesn’t enter the entertainment industry. I just offered some friendly advice, it won’t have any impact.”

“Yes, yes, yes… I was wrong, Brother Wang. You’re wise!”

Wang Qilin proudly hmphed.

There was still a stretch of road from the entrance to the stage. After passing through the closed corridor and pushing open the door, a dazzling starlight awaited him!

Rong Yuheng squinted uncomfortably for a moment. He only knew that this talent show had a low threshold and a large scale, but he didn’t expect such a grand stage in just the preliminary round.

It was evident how much the current entertainment industry needed a fresh injection of talent.

“Next up is contestant number 13, Rong Yuheng!”

Rong Yuheng calmly pushed the door open and walked to the center of the stage at a steady pace.

There were three judges sitting at the judging panel, and the one in the middle with a sharp gaze was the veteran of the entertainment industry, Qiao Tan.

Beside Qiao Tan were two other judges. One was Jin Zhiyao, the champion of last year’s singing competition, and the other was Song Tang, a popular host and commentator.

After Song Tang got a clear look at Rong Yuheng’s appearance, he raised an eyebrow and exchanged a glance with Qiao Tan. Hosting the show for so many years, he could tell that this face was camera-friendly, especially with the slight upturned corners of the mouth, which easily gave a sense of intimacy.

After Rong Yuheng stood in place, he picked up the microphone in front of him and looked out at the stage.

Although the stage was large, there were very few people in the front. Apart from the judges and some staff members, there was no one else. It seemed that they had considered the fact that some amateurs might not be accustomed to such a big stage and wanted to alleviate some of the on-site pressure.

Under the scrutinizing gazes of many, Rong Yuheng collected himself, calmly opened his mouth, and his clear voice spread throughout the venue through the microphone.

“Hello, judges and teacher. I am contestant number 13, Rong Yuheng.”

 

‘Ello there, hope enjoy your reading~

Disclaimer, This series actually I found first the raw, after translating 37 chapters ready for upload I found that in NU people had uploaded it. Still discontinued and dead link. I will try to upload from the start. The chapter 01~