April 19th, Saturday, Feng Bujue's home.
Xiao Tan, Master Bao, and Brother Jue, these three good friends, were sitting side by side on the sofa in the living room, watching the TV screen in front of them. The coffee table in front of them was filled with takeout. These items were obviously Brother Jue's royalties and the remuneration for participating in the TV show.
Feng Bujue had already synced a video file from his computer to the TV, so he could watch it directly. The content of this file was the episode of "I Am a Writer" that he recorded a week ago.
"This episode will be broadcast next Friday. This … is an hour long pre-edited version. When it's officially broadcast, the content should be shortened to forty-five minutes." Feng Bujue raised the remote and said before pressing the button, "Are you sure you want to watch this …"
"Cut the crap." Master Bao said, "Hurry up, my wife is waiting for me to go home for dinner."
Xiao Tan was already excited, "Hurry up and play it. This is the first time I've seen someone I know on TV on a variety show!"
"Ah … okay." Feng Bujue pressed the play button.
Strange and blurry images began to appear on the TV screen like a bell at midnight.
However, this phenomenon only appeared for a second or two before it stopped. It was probably a problem with the file. After all, this was not an official TV show, so it was normal for there to be some flaws in the editing.
The image came out. The camera zoomed in from above and zoomed in from the full view of the stage to the center.
In this day and age, the lighting technician of a large variety show was crazy. If they didn't blind the audience, they would be too embarrassed to go out and greet their peers. This show was the same. The lights on the stage flashed at high speed, and the camera started to shake with the rhythm.
However, the contestants' area was pitch black. The seven contestants sat side by side, each one about a meter apart. There was a control panel in front of them. The lights shone at a strange angle, allowing the audience to clearly see the silhouettes of the seven contestants, but not their faces.
As the music started, a host walked onto the stage. Compared to a certain fatty in Death Quiz who went on stage with a horse dance, this host was much more stylish. He wore a casual suit and headphones as he walked calmly to the center of the field. After standing still, he opened his arms. The lights stopped flashing and focused on him. The host bowed slightly and said, "Welcome, I'm a writer. I am the host, Oscar. "
Two seconds later, the lights illuminated the entire stage and the audience. However, the contestants' seats were still dark, as if they were filming a horror movie.
Oscar was obviously a stage name. Anyway, in this day and age, the audience could accept any kind of strange name, as long as you didn't find someone called Jin Fugui to host.
"Alright, everyone, I'm sure you can't wait any longer …" Oscar turned to the contestants and raised his arm. "Out of the seven contestants today, six of them have already been seen in the last episode. I believe many of you will be able to recognize them from their shadows …"
"Eh? Why is this guy's second sentence 'I'm sure everyone can't wait any longer'? "Xiao Tan, who was sitting in front of the TV, asked in confusion.
"Because in the official broadcast version, before Oscar says that, he has to read out a long list of sponsors." Feng Bujue explained, "In the recorded variety shows nowadays, the content is usually recorded separately. Since they have to be read out clearly and the timing has to be controlled, there might be a few NGs." He paused for a moment before continuing, "Every time after the commercial break, there has to be a specific advertisement message from the sponsors. The length is comparable to a crosstalk. These are not recorded live, they are recorded separately. "
"I see … It's not easy being a host." Xiao Tan sighed.
"Hey." Master Bao reminded him, "It's time to introduce the contestants. Be quiet."
On the screen, the first contestant's area lit up. It was a bespectacled young man in his thirties. He was on the plump side and dressed casually.
Oscar took out an inscription card from his suit pocket and started to introduce the contestants. Of course, he used a pen name. "Contestant number one, Xuan Tianzong. Well-known web novelist. He's thirty-two years old this year and has written ten web novels with more than two million words. His works are very popular and have been adapted into games, movies, TV series, and so on … He's one of the few writers with an annual income of more than ten million. The chief editor's comment — His writing is smooth, his characters are rich, and the plot is interesting. He's the number one online fantasy writer today. "
The host paused for a few seconds after he finished speaking. The live director did not need to make any gestures as the audience was already applauding.
Then, the second contestant's area was lit up. He was also a young man with a medium build. He looked a few years older than Xuan Tianzong. The style of his glasses and his clothes looked more mature.
"Contestant number two, Ba Shanping. Well-known web novelist. He's thirty-three years old this year and has written five historical novels. The chief editor's comment — His knowledge is solid, his writing style is majestic, and his works have a deep foundation. It can be said that … he has thousands of classics in his mind and his writing style is fascinating. "
Ba Shanping received the same applause and cheers.
Then, Oscar continued to introduce, "Contestant number three, Vegetables and Fruits. Well-known web novelist and the holder of many records. He started writing when he was eighteen years old and his works are mostly urban fantasy. In ten years, he's published more than twenty-seven million words and there's no record of him not updating for a single day. He's always at the top of the sales charts of major mobile reading websites. The chief editor's comment — His writing style is smooth and he's good at grasping the rhythm and tension of the plot. He's the king of no strings! A hardworking genius. "
Vegetables and Fruits is twenty-eight years old and quite handsome. He also has the most fans. From the moment he appeared, the audience cheered.
"Contestant number four and our only female contestant, Mo Buxiang. The age of the girl … is a secret. "Oscar read this and smiled at the camera. Laughter came from the audience.
Mo Buxiang had a ponytail. She looked quiet and was on the thin side. Although she was not a beauty, she was quite photogenic with makeup.
"She started writing five years ago. She's written six novels, covering six themes — supernatural, Xianxia, urban, romance, games, and history. All of them have been published in physical books. She's the female author with the highest income last year." Oscar continued, "The chief editor's comment — Her writing style is elegant and varied. She deserves the title of a talented woman."
Another round of applause came from the audience. Even though Mo Buxiang's number of die-hard fans could not compare to the previous contestants, there were many male audience members who viewed her as their second favorite author.
Another contestant's booth was lit up. Contestant number five was also a man. He was around thirty years old and had a classic black mop hairstyle. He wore sunglasses indoors and looked quite muscular.
"Contestant number five, I'm going on stage. Web novelist, editor of a well-known sports magazine. He's written thirteen short stories about sports, and his works are mainly realistic. His setting is strict and professional, and he's well-liked by sports fans, "Oscar said." The chief editor's comment — An author with a deep foundation and a thoughtful work. He's undeniably outstanding in the same genre. "
After the applause, contestant number six revealed his real face. He looked quite similar to Xuan Tianzong, from his appearance to his fashion sense, but he was a few years older.
"Contestant number six, Soda. A well-known web novelist who specializes in supernatural stories. He's written seven novels, and all of them are classics. He's well known in the industry and is known as the master of horror. " Oscar said, "The chief editor's comment — Each of Soda's stories can evoke the deepest fear in the reader's heart. The plots are meticulously crafted and unique. The master of horror is definitely worthy of his reputation. "
"Oh! He's coming! "Seeing this, Xiao Tan was excited because Brother Jue was coming on stage.
Suddenly, the camera zoomed in to give Oscar a close-up. "Ladies and gentlemen, contestant number seven is a newcomer this season. This stage is cruel. Every season, someone will be eliminated, and the elimination rate for newcomers this season is as high as fifty percent … "He created a tense atmosphere, making the audience look forward to the newcomer's identity." So, will he be able to stay on this stage? Or will he be like a shooting star that flies across the sky, disappearing in a flash? Let's wait and see … "
There was the sound of drums, and the spotlights flickered. In the end, the whole place was plunged into darkness. The drums stopped, and the lights stopped on Feng Bujue.
Even though Feng Bujue was looking at the camera with lifeless eyes, the audience cheered and applauded.
"Actually, when the show was being recorded, the audience and the contestants entered the studio at the same time, so they saw my face a long time ago." Feng Bujue explained in front of the TV. "Their reaction as if they saw a monster appear was arranged by the live director. Actually, even if no one recognized me, it wouldn't affect the stage effect. "
Master Bao said, "Come and listen to how they introduce you."
On the screen, Oscar waited for the audience's reaction to end before he said, "Wow, contestant number seven looks very young." Even though he had chatted with Feng Bujue before the recording, he had to pretend that he had just seen him. "I believe some of the audience have already recognized him, and some of them might have read his novels but have never seen him in person. So … who is he? "
The suspense had been stretched out long enough, and it was time to answer it. Oscar took out the theme card and read. "Contestant number seven, Bujue. A famous detective novelist who has published twelve detective novels. His works have been serialized online, in magazines, and in newspapers. His style of writing was witty and humorous, unique and unique. Regardless of the length of the story, the plot is ingenious, strange, and unexpected. " Oscar put down the card and said, "Contestant Bujue, you were recommended by the three main editors of our show. They are all your fans."
"Is that so …" Feng Bujue answered half-heartedly.
Oscar continued. "The main editor's comment is, 'If you are good enough, but you can't make it big, at least there won't be a second me.'"
"Haha …" Feng Bujue's lips twitched.
Oscar quickly added, "Based on the habit of our show, every episode, we will have the newcomer come up with a title for that episode." He walked to Feng Bujue's panel. "Contestant Bujue, you have three minutes to think about it. Let's start with a commercial."
"What did you decide?" Xiao Tan, who was sitting before the television, asked.
Feng Bujue did not answer but pointed at the screen. Since this version of the tape did not have a commercial, and Oscar's next line was recorded separately, after a simple scene, it was time for the reveal.
Oscar stood beside Feng Bujue and glanced at the words that he had written on the panel. Then his expression shifted, and he glanced at Feng Bujue from the corner of his eyes. There was a strange look in his eyes.
"Alright, let's take a look at the title that Bujue came up with for this episode of I Am a Writer …" After all, Oscar was a professional host. No matter how ridiculous Feng Bujue's writing was, Oscar had to maintain his composure on the surface.
As the host raised his hand, the words written by Feng Bujue appeared on the big screen. "Please feel free to comment."
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