On the day of the competition.
Morning. Central TV Department 11's recording studio.
The first filming location had already been set up under the building. Cameras had been set up and there were even aerial cameras flying around. Under the "National Crosstalk and Skit Competition" billboard, a few areas had been partitioned off. Thousands of people were queuing up outside to enter.
"Don't push."
"One by one!"
"Everyone, line up and enter with your preliminary competition pass!"
"Please take out your identification as well. Thank you for your cooperation!"
This was a day that everyone was looking forward to. The crosstalk competition had kicked off before the skit competition. Countless television stations, media outlets and online news were all discussing this competition.
The Central TV Department 11 staff did not even have breakfast. The moment they arrived, they began busying themselves. Every year, the crosstalk and skit competition would mobilize almost all of their manpower. After all, this was a popular program that had the highest viewership ratings in the country. Even overseas Chinese were looking forward to the opening of the competition. The higher-ups had already given them orders that they could only succeed in this competition and not fail. Hence, the entire Central TV Department 11 placed great importance on it. For a program like theirs that everyone knew about, it was very difficult to make it better every year, but at least it could not be worse than the previous year. This was something they worked hard on every year!
Outside the venue.
A Central TV Department 11 anchor was interviewing the participants of this year's crosstalk competition. A few cameramen were following closely behind.
"Hello, Teacher Peng. Long time no see." The female anchor said with a smile.
A man in his forties looked back, "Hello, it's you again?"
The female anchor said, "I'm still the onsite host. It was quite a pity for you last year. You had to withdraw during the semi-finals because of your health. This year, you must have a different feeling, right?"
Teacher Peng said with a sigh, "That's right. There are more and more participants. The pressure on me is also increasing. My partner is so scared that he has to go to the toilet."
"Hur Hur, you sure are humorous." The female anchor said.
Then, they interviewed a few more people. They were all popular contestants for this crosstalk competition. There were professional crosstalk actors who were already somewhat famous in the industry. There were also contestants who had performed well last year who were participating again. There were also some "non-mainstream" crosstalk actors who were popular among the people and on the internet.
The dragons converged!
This year's competition was bound to be a fierce battle!
Amidst the noisy queue to enter, Zhang Ye and Yao Jiancai also arrived.
Yao Jiancai was on the phone, "Honey, don't be angry … I swear to God I didn't do anything, really … If you don't believe me, you can ask Little Zhang, he can testify for me … Aiya, we're already at the competition venue, we're not allowed to use cell phones once we enter the venue … Just tell me, I can't always stay at Little Zhang's house, it's so inappropriate … I'm going home today, okay?"
When the two of them came over, a few of the Central TV staff noticed them. But after giving them a glance, they went back to what they were supposed to be doing. The female host hesitated for a moment and did not go over to interview them. In fact, she really wanted to interview the legendary Zhang Ye. Besides, Zhang Ye and Yao Jiancai were working together as a pair this time. This combination was really strange and made people very curious. But they knew very well the policies of the higher-ups. Zhang Ye and Yao Jiancai had already been banned, so even if they saw them, they could only pretend that they did not exist.
"Eh?"
"That's Zhang Ye?"
"Isn't that Yao Jiancai?"
"The two of them are really here?"
"F * * k, I thought it was just a rumor on the internet!"
"Let's just mind our own business. Their matters have nothing to do with us. Even if they were to participate in the competition, their program would not be broadcasted. And even if it was broadcasted, do you think their crosstalk would be listened to?"
"Uh, that's true. We all started learning crosstalk at a young age. We won't be able to become masters without at least ten years of practice."
Zhang Ye and Yao Jiancai's arrival attracted the attention of quite a number of contestants. After all, in terms of fame, Zhang Ye and Old Yao were much more famous than these crosstalk performers. However, it was useless. Fame did not mean much here. Besides, they had been banned. This was a crosstalk competition. If it were a calligraphy competition, hosting competition, or poetry competition, if Zhang Ye were here, they would not even need to say anything and would just admit defeat. But a crosstalk competition was not a competition of literature or hosting. With the backing of decree # 43, the contestants did not treat this old and young duo as an opponent!
This pair of gods of plague?
Let's just hide further away!
The Central TV staff and contestants all turned a blind eye to Zhang Ye and Yao Jiancai. These two were now in the eye of the storm, so no one wanted to cause trouble for themselves!
"Old Yao, hurry up." Zhang Ye urged.
Yao Jiancai hung up his wife's call and rushed to line up. "Old bro, you have to come home with me tonight and put in a good word for me. My wife is still angry."
Zhang Ye threw up his hands. "Would it be of any use if I went?"
Yao Jiancai said, "At least my wife will let me in. If you don't go, she won't even open the door for me. Heh, you don't know your sister-in-law's temper."
People entered one by one. In a blink of an eye, it was the two of them. Everyone else looked nervous. Some of them were still rehearsing their lines and were already preparing for the preliminaries. However, Zhang Ye and Yao Jiancai were the special ones. The two of them did not feel nervous at all. They chatted as they entered the building. Then, they found a sofa in the lobby and sat down. They continued chatting. This showed their background. One of them was a C-lister, while the other was a D-lister. They had seen a lot of storms and had come out of the entertainment industry. What had they not seen? Naturally, they were calmer and more composed than the other contestants. Even if they were uneasy, they did not show it on their faces.
Everyone came in.
The staff members also took their places.
Then, someone led the contestants through the corridors and into the open-air courtyard at the back.
The crosstalk competition's host immediately walked up to the stage. It was a temporary stage built in the courtyard. There was a screen pasted on the wall and a set that was meticulously decorated. It was a huge scene. Just this stage alone looked like it had cost a lot of money. After all, this was just the opening of the preliminaries. The host was a very popular celebrity host. However, he was not from Department 11, but was from Central TV's Department 3. It was unknown if he was here on loan for this competition.
"Brother Wang!"
"Haha, Brother Wang!"
Some of the amateur contestants shouted when they saw a celebrity. Brother Wang was his official title. People who liked him all called him that.
The cameras were switched on.
Two cameras were aimed at the stage, while the other two were aimed at the contestants.
The host named Brother Wang chuckled and said, "Welcome everyone, welcome new friends and old friends. The annual National Crosstalk and Skit Competition has begun once again. This year, I have the honor to stand here and host the preliminaries..." After chattering for a long time, he got down to business. "Let me briefly introduce the procedures. The first segment is the grouping. We have invited the staff of the notary office to ensure the fairness of this segment. After the grouping, it will be the group preliminaries..."
Although it was called a preliminary competition, it was actually an audition. It was similar to those singing competitions. As there were too many contestants, it was impossible for everyone to appear on television. Hence, there was an online audition. It was based on the popularity of the contestants to select the truly capable contestants to advance. Only then would they be able to obtain the official admission ticket to the crosstalk competition. The preliminaries were simply a warm-up for the national audience to get to know the contestants.
The drawing of lots began.
Thousands of contestants stared intently!
These people were basically partners of two. Of course, there were also groups of three to five people, and there were even groups of more than ten people. There were probably more than a thousand pairs that had signed up!
Zhang Ye and Yao Jiancai kept a low profile and stayed at the back of the crowd. This was because they knew that even if they walked to the front, the cameras would not show them.
"How long will the drawing of lots take?" Zhang Ye asked.
Yao Jiancai said, "It will take at least half an hour. The drawing of lots is fast, but the main thing is to announce the grouping. There are more than a thousand teams, so how can it be fast? Just reading the names will take half a day. "
Zhang Ye was still not very familiar with the competition, "Can we finish recording by today?"
Yao Jiancai patted him on the shoulder and said, "What are you thinking about? The first round of the preliminaries will take a few days to record. Even if all the recording studios are open, we won't be able to record it all in a day. It's best if we can record it today, so that we don't have to come here in a few days. Talent shows are always like that.
The contestants are suffering. "Over there, the first pair of contestants from Division A had drawn lots. The staff announced the names and let the two people prepare for the competition at Broadcasting Studio 3.
When Zhang Ye saw this, he said to Old Yao, "I'm going to the bathroom."
Yao Jiancai casually said, "Go ahead. I'll be watching over here."
Zhang Ye re-entered the building and searched along the corridor. He found a bathroom and went in. Most of the people were outside, so it was very quiet here. He was alone. He walked into a partition and locked the door from the inside. He took a deep breath... Well, it was a little smelly. He quickly put on a mask and then closed his eyes to calm down for a moment. He did not speak, nor did he go to the bathroom. He just stood there strangely.
Suddenly, Zhang Ye opened the game ring's screen on his pinky finger. He reached into his inventory and took out two items. They were two dice!
[Difficulty Adjustment Die].
This was an item that Zhang Ye had drawn a long time ago. He had never dared to use it, or rather, he had never planned to use it. Just like at this moment, he was holding the two dice with both hands, afraid that they would accidentally fall to the ground. He was on high alert and nervous. The main reason was that this fellow was afraid of the plane hijacking incident. Back then, it was this small die that nearly caused the plane to crash into a building. Once bitten, twice shy. The last time Zhang Ye drew these dice, there were only two of them, and they had been left untouched in his inventory. This time, Zhang Ye took them out. With a slight hesitation, he kept one of them and left the other one.
It was time for it to make its move!
He was already at the end of his rope. Only a desperate struggle would give him a chance of survival. As for what would happen if an accident happened? He couldn't care less anymore!
Yes, Zhang Ye was prepared to adjust the difficulty. With the background of being banned, he had nowhere else to go. The difficulty was too high. If he did not adjust it, he would not know what to do. However, he did not plan on purely trying his luck. If there was another insanely high difficulty, wouldn't he die? The other reason why Zhang Ye dared to take such a gamble was because he had previously obtained the right to purchase an item!
The Lucky Halo!
When he obtained this right, Zhang Ye had thought of using the Difficulty Adjustment Die, but he had not waited for the opportunity, nor was he forced to do so. Now, he wanted to rely on the Lucky Halo to roll the die. He believed that even if the die could not produce the simplest difficulty adjustment under the influence of the Lucky Halo, it would not produce an insanely high difficulty, right? As for his Reputation Points, he had nearly used up all his Reputation Points from the last lottery draw. But after publishing the three poems, his Reputation Points had increased by quite a bit. It was enough to activate the Lucky Halo for a minute or two!
Come on!
Whether it works or not, it's all up to it!
Zhang Ye made a "go all out" expression on his face. He gritted his teeth and reached out to open the "Lucky Halo" in the merchant shop. With a click, activate!
Shua!
A white halo appeared out of thin air above Zhang Ye's head. It looked like an angel's halo. Then, waves of light rippled out in a rhythmic manner, creating a slight ripple in the air. The game ring's notification also appeared!
[Lucky Halo activated]
10,000!
10,000!
10,000!
His Reputation Points were dropping by 10,000 every second!
Zhang Ye felt his heart ache when he saw this. This Lucky Halo was good in every way, but it was too expensive. It was even charged by the second. Now that he was in trouble, his Reputation Points could no longer support him. Hence, he grabbed the die, closed his eyes, and threw it into the air!
The die flew up!
Phew, two seconds later, it began falling!
When the die hit the ground, Zhang Ye's heart was in his throat. He suddenly opened his eyes and stared at it, watching it bounce and roll on the ground! The die had six sides, and each side had the corresponding difficulty: Reduce Difficulty by 10 times, Reduce Difficulty by 5 times, Reduce Difficulty by 1 times, Increase Difficulty by 2 times, Increase Difficulty by 5 times, Increase Difficulty by 10 times. These difficulties kept appearing in front of Zhang Ye's eyes as the die rolled.
"Stop, stop!"
"Aiyah!"
"Hurry up and go over there!"
"Hey!"
In the bathroom, Zhang Ye was talking to himself and making a fuss.
Finally, after a while, the die lost its strength and came to a stop with a click. The corresponding words on the top of the die were reflected in Zhang Ye's eyes!
When Zhang Ye saw it clearly, he nearly burst out laughing from his throat, "Hahahahaha!"
Reduce Difficulty by 5 times!
He had actually managed to roll it!
Then Zhang Ye did not deactivate the Lucky Halo, because he was still waiting. He was waiting for the duration of the die's effect. Back on the plane, the die's Increase Difficulty by 10 times had lasted for several hours. The duration of the Difficulty Adjustment Die was also random, and did not seem to have a limit. Hence, even though his heart ached at the Reputation Points that the Lucky Halo was using up every second, Zhang Ye had to bear with it. It was not the end yet!
Finally, the results were out!
The die turned into a beam of light and suddenly flashed. It was as if the entire world had been illuminated for a moment, and then disappeared into thin air.
[Difficulty adjusted]
[Reduce Difficulty by 5 times]
[Duration: 6 days, 1 hour, 17 minutes]
[Countdown begins: 6 days, 1 hour, 16 minutes, 59 seconds …]
What?
Six days?
More than six days!?
When Zhang Ye saw this, he was stunned. He could not believe his eyes. Then, he quickly deactivated the "Lucky Halo". Only then did he take a deep breath of cold air... The stench made him want to laugh out loud. It was as if he had been hit by a sudden pie in the sky! The last time he rolled the die on the plane, it had only been a few hours! This time, it had actually rolled out a duration of more than six days? And it was even reduced by 5 times? Heaven never bars one's way! The Lucky Halo was too awesome!
Of course, at the same time, he was a little afraid. On the plane to Shanghai, it was fortunate that the Increase Difficulty by 10 times had only lasted for a few hours. If it had really lasted for a few days, even if Zhang Ye had survived the ordeal on the plane and landed on the ground, he probably would not have survived. He might have died a few hundred times over!
Luckily, the Lucky Halo was still around!
Luckily, the three poems he wrote a few days ago had given him some Reputation Points, allowing him to activate the Lucky Halo for a minute or two!
Hahaha!
The time to turn things around had come!
Although Zhang Ye did not know what reducing the difficulty by 5 times would do, but based on the analysis and inference of the crazy difficulty increase by 10 times, the effects would definitely not be weak! That was to say, from now on, for the next six days, Zhang Ye would be an invincible existence!
From yesterday to today, countless friends and family had called him. They did not understand why Zhang Ye wanted to participate in the National Crosstalk Competition. They felt that it was meaningless even if he participated. Yes, Zhang Ye obviously knew this. Even if he signed up, even if Central TV Department 11 allowed him and Old Yao to participate and perform, it would still be meaningless. This was not a way out. As long as the ban was still in place, Zhang Ye had no way out!
Then why did he come?
Knowing this, why did he still do something useless?
Now, he had the answer. Since there was no way out, then Zhang Ye would do it his own way. He would not sit still and wait for death!
No way out?
He would carve out a way out himself!
The highly anticipated National Crosstalk and Skit Competition was the way out that Zhang Ye was looking for. He wanted to stand on this stage, in front of the entire country, before the heat of the ban had dissipated. He wanted to tell those who hated him, doubted him, cursed him, and hated him that no matter how much they hated him, no matter how tightly they banned him, this bro was still standing on this stage!
What can you do to me!?
Walking out of the bathroom, Zhang Ye was in a good mood. Thinking of the upcoming crosstalk competition, he could not help but recite a poem:
"Bright moonlight in front of my bed."
A staff member who passed by was stunned. Looking over, it was Zhang Ye!
"I suspect it is frost on the ground."
Another female staff member from Central TV looked over. Ah, Zhang Ye was reciting a poem?
"Raising my head to look at the bright moon."
Another person heard this poem and was immediately filled with anticipation. What a good poem! What a good poem!
"I am Face-smacking Zhang!"
As a result, when the last sentence was said, the Central TV staff all fainted!
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