Top Chinese celebrity: Debuted from Running Man

Chapter 424 Handsome Lei Lei: Is this melon guaranteed to be ripe? (7k)
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Gu Qing carried the heavy bamboo tube filled with gold bars to the doorway of the inner hall. He took a deep breath, bent over and straightened up, and pushed open the curtain without changing his expression as he walked out.

"Little Gu is out? How was it? How many gold bars did he bring?"

"That's right, Xiao Gu, you can't be too greedy. At least leave some soup for us old brothers."

As soon as Gu Qing appeared,

The members of the "Men's Gang," who had been teasing each other, immediately focused their attention on him, asking questions all at once, their eyes unconsciously glancing at the bamboo tube behind him.

"I didn't take much, I didn't take much,"

Gu Qing put on an innocent smile and waved his hands repeatedly, "There are still plenty of gold bars inside, brothers, feel free to choose."

As he spoke, he casually walked to an empty pear wood chair next to him, intending to sit down and rest his feet.

"Oh, I knew Xiao Gu was an honest kid who knew how to care for others!"

Wang Xun, fanning himself with a folding fan, sighed with satisfaction, as if he were witnessing the shining of the traditional virtues of respecting the elderly and caring for the young.

However, before he could finish speaking—

"Clang!!!"

A deafeningly loud bang suddenly exploded!

Gu Qing sat down with the bamboo tube on his back. The solid wood chair seemed to groan in pain as if it could not bear the weight. The sound of the bamboo tube hitting the back of the chair almost echoed throughout the hall, like a thunderclap.

The relieved smile on Wang Xun's face froze instantly, as if a pause button had been pressed.

The other members of the men's group: "???"

Gu Qing: "..."

"Little...Little Gu,"

Huang Xiaochu's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily as he stared blankly at the bamboo tube that had made the loud noise. "You... just how much did you take? Judging from the noise, you probably even brought out the box that contained the gold bars, didn't you?"

"Little brother, you didn't really empty the whole place, did you?"

Zhang Yixing's mouth gaped open in shock, wide enough to fit an egg, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"I swear I didn't empty the place!"

Gu Qing struggled to place the bamboo tube on the table, her eyes darting around, her hand unconsciously touching the back of her neck. "There's... there's still quite a lot inside."

As a top star who rose to fame through variety shows, no one understands the importance of creating a good show better than him!

"Next person, please come in and collect your principal!"

Just then, the waiter's announcement rang out.

"No! I have to go in and check right away! If I'm too late, there might really be nothing left but ashes!"

Upon hearing this, Huang Bo rushed towards the inner hall, his face filled with a sense of urgency that "delay could lead to unforeseen consequences."

"Hey! Senior Brother, Brother Bo! Wait for me!"

Seeing this, Gu Qing immediately stood up "helpfully" and quickly chased after him, saying, "Take your time choosing, don't choose mine."

But just as Gu Qing's figure disappeared behind the curtain...

"Yixing, Yixing!"

Sun Honglei's already small, beady eyes suddenly flashed with an evil light.

He lowered his voice, furtively hooked his arm around Zhang Yixing's shoulder, and gestured vigorously toward the bamboo tube that Gu Qing had just placed on the wooden table next to him, his intentions all too clear.

"You can't fool Brother Lei! Absolutely not!"

Zhang Yixing's painful memories were instantly awakened. He shook his head vigorously, righteously rebuking him, "You stole my gold bars before, how can you still be eyeing my brother now?"

He has to protect his juniors.

Hey! How can you talk like that, kid!

Enraged, Sun Honglei slapped his thigh hard. "Who said we were going to rob you? Do you think I'm that kind of person? What I meant was, let's go 'take a look,' just 'take a look'!"
Let's understand the enemy's situation, know ourselves and our enemy. Let's see how much Xiao Gu actually took; this will definitely be crucial to our later victory or defeat."

"I'm not going. I don't do that kind of thing anyway."

Zhang Yixing remained unmoved by either soft or hard tactics, firmly upholding his moral bottom line.

"Honglei, I'm warning you!"

Huang Xiaochu also joined the "protective parent" group, pointing at Sun Honglei with his fan, "Xiao Gu is practically my student now. If you dare to touch his gold bars, I'll definitely tell him to watch out for you!"

"Give me a break! Did Xiao Gu even attend your class? You're just a student, shameless!"

Sun Honglei retorted without hesitation. Seeing that a "united front" could not be established, he steeled himself, stood up, and fiercely pulled up his belt.

"Fine, none of you are going. You all want to be upright gentlemen!"

Okay, I'll be the bad guy! I'll do it myself!

He rubbed his hands together, eager to get started, but before his foot even touched the ground, he had already taken a step.

The curtain that had just been lowered was suddenly flung open again.

Gu Qing returned and walked to the wooden table where he had left it, then hugged the bamboo tube he had left behind.

"Little...Little Gu, you...why are you back again?"

Wang Xun, who was sitting closest to the curtain, was startled by the sudden turn of events and stammered a question.

"Oh, I just remembered I left my gold bars here. I need to come back and keep a close eye on them, lest they get caught by Hong Lei..."

As Gu Qing was joking, she turned her head, her expression subtle, and narrowed her eyes. Suddenly, she saw Sun Honglei standing up on the outside. "Brother Honglei, what are you doing?"

"Huh? I...I didn't do anything!"

Sun Honglei's heart skipped a beat, but he reacted quickly. He kept his leg raised and pretended to rummage around his waist with both hands.

With an "innocent" look, he said, "I... I just felt that the belt was a bit too tight, it was uncomfortable, so I stood up... loosened it up, and stretched my muscles a bit!"

After saying that, he even started breaking dance in an abstract way.

This is a textbook example of the classic scene in variety show history of "guilty conscience" and "caught red-handed".

This caused Huang Xiaochu, Zhang Yixing, and the others who were watching the show to finally lose their temper, their faces turning red and their shoulders shaking violently.

Even experienced and seasoned crew members could be heard letting out suppressed, uncontrollable chuckles from behind the monitor.

"Oh, I see."

Gu Qing drew out his words, his gaze sweeping over the group of "audience" who were practically bursting with suppressed rage, and he immediately understood.

It seems he was right after all.

Sure enough, as soon as he left, Sun Honglei tried to steal his gold bars.

Gu Qing chuckled twice, "Brother Honglei, it seems I misunderstood you."

"Oh, it's okay, everyone makes mistakes, I won't blame you."

Sun Honglei, with his astonishingly thick skin, readily backed down and even waved his hand dismissively.

Gu Qing closed his eyes speechlessly, holding the bamboo tube full of gold bars, turning back every few steps to stare at Sun Honglei, until the curtain completely blocked his view and his figure completely disappeared into the inner hall passage.

As soon as he left,
It was as if a laughter switch had been flipped in the outer hall, and deafening laughter erupted instantly!

Chef Huang's belly jiggled rhythmically as he couldn't help but mock Shuai Leilei, "Honglei, look at your reputation now! It's completely tarnished. Even the new kid knows you inside and out! Hahahaha—"

"Oh my god, that's hilarious, Brother Honglei."

Zhang Yixing laughed so hard he squatted down on the ground, clutching his stomach, unable to speak properly.

Wang Xun grinned, showing off his two prominent front teeth, and said with a hearty laugh, "Honglei, I'm not trying to be mean, but your image on our show is completely beyond saving. It's deeply ingrained in everyone's minds!"

—Inside the inner hall

Just as Huang Bo finished listening to the old butler explain the rules of the three gold bar rooms, he saw Gu Qing carrying a bamboo tube and crawling in again.
He immediately grabbed the "insider" and asked, "Gu, tell me the truth, which room did you just go into?"

“I go ‘less’! Brother Bo.”

Gu Qing made a solemn vow.

"You child! You never tell the truth! Do you think I'm stupid?"

Thinking of the sound of gold bars when they sat down in the front room, Huang Bo was both amused and exasperated. He lightly patted Gu Qing's bottom with his folding fan.

Based on his own judgment, he walked without hesitation to the room with the sign that read "few" on the door, deciding to take a safer approach.

The cabinet door opened.

Twenty gold bars were neatly stacked inside.

Huang Bo took eighteen coins and left two behind.

When filling out the guarantor information, he thought for a moment and wrote down Wang Xun, who was known for being "frugal" and "stingy," probably because he felt that Wang Xun was a low-risk individual.

"Dear customers, after you have collected your principal, you may proceed to the ancient town market to purchase four designated supplies: watermelon, ham, chrysanthemum, and salt."

Please note that each shopkeeper may only choose to purchase one type of resource. Please make your choice carefully, as it will affect your future business profits. The shopkeeper read the rules aloud again.

"Xiao Gu, aren't you going out?"

After Huang Bo finished the formalities and was about to leave, he saw that Gu Qing was still standing there, showing no intention of moving, so he asked in surprise.

"Brother Bo, please go first. I'll stay a little longer to work on the strategy."

Gu Qing patted the bamboo tube in his arms, clearly indicating that he had other plans.

"Okay, I'll go first then. You... be careful, don't let Honglei fool you."

Although Huang Bo was curious, he was pressed for time and left first.

The third person to enter was Sun Honglei.

As soon as he came in, he showed great enthusiasm, putting his arm around Gu Qing's shoulder and trying to get close to him, calling him "brother, brother, we're family."
They solemnly proposed an alliance, promising to "share the good times and the bad."

Gu Qing wore an impeccable smile and readily agreed, "No problem, Brother Honglei, we're like brothers! We have to be allies!"

Just as Sun Honglei, completely satisfied, strode confidently into the room filled with "just the right amount" of gold bars...

Gu Qing turned to the camera that was following them and said in a low voice, "Dear viewers, if you believe Brother Honglei, you've got your life. If he doesn't betray us, I'll write Brother Chao's name backwards!"

at last,

Gu Qing finally met the person he truly wanted to "cooperate" with.

The fourth person to come in was Chef Huang.

The "fortune teller" was indeed highly skilled and daring, directly choosing the room with the word "abundance" on it, intending to replicate Gu Qing's "get rich quick" route.

however,
When he opened the cabinet door with great anticipation, it was completely empty; not even a single gold bar remained.

Chef Huang retreated speechlessly, looked at Gu Qing who was guarding the door, and said in a resentful tone, "Gu, you didn't leave me a single one? That's too cruel!"

"Teacher Huang, don't worry."

Gu Qing's face lit up with a warm smile. He slammed the bamboo tube down on the ground, lifted the lid, and the dazzling golden light inside was almost blinding. "I have plenty of gold bars, you can borrow them."

He wants to lend money!

"What do you mean?"

Huang Xiaochu was a shrewd person, and immediately became alert, squinting at Gu Qing. "Xiao Gu, are you setting a trap for me? You're not thinking of a way to trick me, are you?"

"How could that be, Teacher Huang? Do I look like that kind of person?"

Gu Qing protested, "My guarantor's name is on all the papers."
I'll lend you start-up capital, and I'll only charge you 10% interest. Whatever amount you need, I'll give you.

Gu Qing's approach was very simple.

Huang Xiaochu is his guarantor. If he makes money, he can take 20% of the profits.

Now he can lend the gold bars to Huang Xiaochu and still get an extra 10% interest.

With this back and forth, he can earn a steady 30% profit without doing anything!
This is practically a sure-fire way to make money; Gu Qing simply can't imagine how he could lose!
To increase persuasiveness,
Gu Qing added, "Teacher Huang, we are the ones who truly unite. I didn't agree to Brother Honglei's offer to form an alliance with me earlier."

Hearing this,

Chef Huang smiled and said, "Honglei? He's an idiot. You're right not to ally with him!"
We, the faculty and students of Beijing Film Academy, are truly one of us.

"Little Gu, with you saying that, I believe you. Lend me ten gold bars to tide me over!"

"Teacher Huang, it's up to you now."

Gu Qing counted out ten gold bars and handed them to Huang Lei, who had written the IOU.

After seeing Chef Huang off, Gu Qing tried to lift the bamboo tube again, but it was still incredibly heavy.

"No, it's still too heavy and it's affecting my movement."

He muttered to himself, "It seems I have to continue my 'lending' business, which can both lighten my burden and make money from money!"

The fifth one to enter was "Little Sheep" Zhang Yixing. He chose the "just right" room that Sun Honglei had just entered.

After Sun Honglei took away thirty gold bars without any hesitation, only a pitiful ten remained in the room.

Zhang Yixing naturally accepted them all with a smile.

and,

Having been on "Go Fighting!" for so many seasons, the once innocent little sheep has long since evolved, developing his own little tricks and survival wisdom.

He deliberately divided the gold bars into two pockets, and only symbolically put five in the bamboo tube provided by the program team, in order to confuse the audience and reduce the risk of being "robbed".

When he stepped out of the gold bar shop and saw Gu Qing waiting outside, he asked in a daze, "Little brother? What are you still here? Didn't you go out to do business?"

"Brother Lay!"

Gu Qing's eyes lit up as if he had spotted a new "customer." He yanked open the bamboo tube lid again, revealing it still brimming with gold bars that gleamed alluringly.
"Need start-up capital? I have plenty of gold bars! Want to consider lending me some?"

Wow, so many!

Zhang Yixing gasped in surprise, then suddenly asked, "Can you carry it?"

Gu Qing: "..."

"...I can't carry it."

Gu Qing slumped his shoulders, even the way he waved his fan exuded a sense of utter despair. "So... Brother Lay, can you lend a hand and share the burden? I'll only charge you 10% interest, no cheating!"

"I don't want it,"

Zhang Yixing shook his head decisively and patted his seemingly empty pockets, saying, "I have enough gold bars, that's enough."

"enough?"

Gu Qing expressed doubt, "How much did you take? You can't do business with too little capital."

"I took six."

Zhang Yixing remained expressionless, spouting nonsense with a straight face, his acting skills even showing some improvement.

"Six? That's far too few!"

Gu Qing immediately seized the opportunity, "What if the prices of the supplies we encounter later are high and you can't afford them?"
Just now, Teacher Huang even asked me to borrow ten slips. Look, the IOUs are still here, in black and white.

He took out the IOU that Huang Xiaochu had just signed from his pocket and waved it in front of Zhang Yixing to increase its credibility.

"Huh? Master borrowed them all?"

Zhang Yixing was indeed led astray. His trust in his master made him lower his guard. "Well... alright, little brother, then lend me... seven."

"make a deal!"

Fearing that he might change his mind, Gu Qingsheng immediately counted out seven gold bars and stuffed them into Zhang Yixing's hand, while also handing him an IOU and a calligraphy brush.

Watching Zhang Yixing write the IOU and leave, Gu Qing weighed the bamboo tube, which had finally become much lighter, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Sigh, there's only one left, Brother Xun. With his 'thrifty' personality, he'd rather go out empty-handed and try his luck than borrow money and pay interest. It's probably hopeless to lend him money."

"It's time to set off."

Gu Qing had no choice but to pick up the bamboo tube, straighten his dazzling red robe, hold a folding fan, and, with the cameraman in hand, officially step into the bustling market of the ancient Huizhou town.

Upon arriving outside the town, they had barely squeezed a few steps when a riot broke out.

"Ah—!!! It's Gu Qing!!!"

"My God! It really is Gu Qing! What's he doing here?"

"Little brother! Look here!!"

As soon as Gu Qing appeared on the stone-paved road of the ancient town, especially her eye-catching red dress, she immediately attracted the screams and onlookers of tourists, especially young girls.

Fortunately, the "Go Fighting!" production team was experienced and well-prepared. They not only deployed a large number of security personnel to maintain order, but also had staff members act as NPCs to cleverly guide tourists.

To ensure the smooth progress of the filming, a safe distance of about three meters was maintained between the artist and the photographer, which guaranteed safety without affecting the interaction.

Most of the tourists who come here are of high quality. Although they are excited, they do not do anything too crazy, and the overall order at the scene is good.

Gu Qingchao waved to the enthusiastic audience and greeted them, then began to focus on finding the four types of supplies required for the mission and inquiring about their prices.

He quickly figured out the market prices: ham cost twenty gold bars, salt five gold bars, and chrysanthemum three gold bars.

"Just one more, a watermelon..."

Gu Qing wandered through the quaint streets and alleys, his eyes searching everywhere. Finally, in front of the county government office in the ancient town, he found a stall with a canopy and full of green watermelons.

"Boss, how much is this watermelon?"

Gu Qing stepped forward, squatted down, picked up a watermelon, patted it skillfully, and listened to the sound it made, looking like a knowledgeable person.

"Sir, you have a good eye! One gold bar and one melon! A fair price!"

The melon stall owner, wearing a straw hat and waving a palm-leaf fan, greeted us warmly.

Is it sweet?

Gu Qing continued to ask.

"Don't worry, sir, it's guaranteed to be sweet! This is a genuine Lingshan watermelon, a specialty of Huizhou. It's juicy, sweet, and refreshing!"

The boss patted his chest and assured him, "Why don't you try it?"

"Want to try some? Free to try?"

Gu Qing's eyes lit up.

"Oh, sir, you're too kind. We're a small business, one gold bar per item. Please do not try our food."

The boss said with a bitter face.

"Fine,"

Gu Qing didn't hesitate and took out a gold bar from the bamboo tube, handing it to the shopkeeper readily. "Then I'll have one to try first."

He looked up at the rising sun, scorching the pedestrians, and added, "Boss, could you please cut it for me into easy-to-handle slices?"

"Okay, sir, wait a moment."

The shop owner deftly sliced ​​a round watermelon into crescent-shaped red flesh slices, neatly arranged them on a large tray, and handed them to Gu Qing.

"Thank you."

Gu Qing took the tray, thanked him, and then turned around and walked straight towards the group of fans who had been following him and eagerly waiting outside the safety line.

“Ahhhh——!!!”

Seeing Gu Qing take the initiative to approach, the fans' screams instantly reached a new climax.

"It's so hot, you must be having a hard time following along."

Gu Qing wore a gentle and warm smile, her voice clearly reaching everyone's ears, "Come on, have some watermelon to cool off? Want to try some?"

"Yes, yes, yes!!! Eat, eat, eat!!"

The fans were so excited they were speechless, and they all reached out their hands.

Gu Qing patiently distributed the watermelon slices from the tray to the fans closest to her, and thoughtfully reminded them:

"It's hot, so everyone must make sure to get plenty of rest, drink lots of water, be careful of heatstroke, and take good care of yourselves."

"My little brother is so gentle!!"

"He's such a nice guy! He's so down-to-earth!"

This is the common thought in the hearts of every fan who received the watermelon.

They held the watermelon slices carefully, as if they were holding some rare treasure. They were even reluctant to take a bite right away. They felt as sweet as if they had eaten honey, and all the hard work and waiting under the scorching sun were worth it.

Passersby watching from a distance couldn't help but admire the scene.

"Who is this celebrity? They're so down-to-earth, they even share watermelon with their fans!"

"Can I go up and get one too?"

"Yes, he seems very down-to-earth and is very polite in his interactions with others."

"You don't know him? Gu Qing! The one who sang 'Small Town Ballad' at this year's Spring Festival Gala! He's a big star from our Huizhou! He's made our hometown proud!" a local proudly introduced to the person next to him.

Passersby whispered among themselves.

After distributing most of the watermelon, Gu Qing did not forget the cameraman behind her, who was carrying a heavy camera and was already drenched in sweat.

then,

He personally took a slice of watermelon, smiled, and held it out to her mouth, saying, "Come on, thank you for your hard work, teacher."

The burly cameraman blushed deeply, and the tough guy shyly finished a slice in a few bites.

Gu Qing then returned to the watermelon stall, imitating the owner, and sat down on the steps next to him. She picked up a slice of watermelon and started chatting with the owner while eating it:

"Boss, how many watermelons do you have on your stall? Do you know?"

"How much in total..."

The shop owner scratched his head, looking at the mountain of watermelons, somewhat embarrassed. "This... I really haven't counted them carefully."

"How about this, boss?"

Gu Qing swallowed the sweet watermelon flesh in his mouth. "I'll give you forty-three gold bars. How about you buy all the watermelons on this stall for me?"
You've saved yourself a whole day here. A one-time clearance sale, is that alright?

He realized the key to victory—monopoly!
As the saying goes, "A rare commodity is worth hoarding."

Facing the camera, Gu Qing confidently explained, "I bought up all the watermelons in the market, creating a monopoly."

"Then, I'll decide how much to price these watermelons! It'll be hard not to make a profit!"

"Alright, sir, you're a very straightforward person!"

The watermelon vendor saw the filming crew nod and hurriedly agreed, "I'll pack them all up for you right away."

After all,

He then began to quickly move the watermelons from the stall into the several large bamboo baskets he had brought.

Gu Qing poured out all the remaining gold bars from the bamboo tube with a "whoosh." Under the bright sunlight, dozens of golden gold bars piled together radiated an incredibly alluring glow of wealth.

The dazzling golden light indeed attracted those with a keen sense of smell.

"Xiao Gu, wow, you...you've brought out a mountain of gold?!"

Wang Xun, nicknamed "Big Squirrel" for his "stinginess" and "love of money," came closer, drawn by the "scent of wealth."

His eyes widened at the pile of gold bars on the ground, and he was so envious that he almost drooled. His tone was so sour, like he had drunk ten-year-old vinegar.

"Not much, not much,"

Gu Qing waved his hand modestly, "It's just enough... to buy all of these watermelons."

"What?! You bought all the watermelons?!"

Wang Xun's eyes widened. "Xiao Gu, are you confused? Why did you buy so many watermelons?"
"What if the market crashes and you can't sell them, then you're stuck with them all, and all your gold bars will be gone for good?"

"Brother Xun, you just don't understand,"

Gu Qing remained unmoved, shaking the folding fan in her hand with an air of confidence, "Look at the weather, the sun is blazing, and it's unbearably hot."

Watermelons are an essential summer treat, so they're always in high demand.

"Okay...okay, you have a point."

Unable to argue with Gu Qing, Wang Xun looked at the pile of gold bars beside him and then touched the only two "start-up funds" in his pocket.
With a sour sigh, she reluctantly turned back again and again to continue her search for other potentially cheaper goods.

When the watermelon vendor finally finished packing all the watermelons, he ran over and carefully counted the gold bars Gu Qing had paid him, one by one, for fear that the amount was wrong and he would be cheated.

Gu Qing walked over to the bamboo baskets filled with watermelons and began to count his "spoils," pondering how to price them to maximize profits.

Just as he was engrossed in counting the melons, a tall shadow quietly loomed over him.

Simultaneously,

A slightly mocking voice rang out above his head:
"Boss—is this melon guaranteed to be ripe?"

Gu Qing paused, then looked up.

Against the light,
He saw Sun Honglei grinning, sporting his signature, slightly roguish smile, looking down at him.

What's even more eye-catching is that Sun Honglei had a huge, shiny ham tucked securely under his armpit.

The way he was holding it didn't look like he was handling ingredients; it looked more like he was carrying a salty-smelling... watermelon knife, ready to strike at any moment.

The air seemed to freeze at this moment.

……

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(End of this chapter)