Reborn as a comedic artist

The air in the second canteen was filled with the smell of stale cooking oil and dish soap.

The large cafeteria was somewhat empty, with only a few postgraduate entrance exam candidates huddled in a corner eating their meals.

Cheng Ming and Wang Shuo had just found a seat by the window and sat down.

Before my bottom could even warm up the plastic stool, a strange chill crept up my spine.

The light at the entrance suddenly dimmed.

Backlit, three figures walked in, lined up in a triangular formation.

The man in the lead had short, neat hair and wore sunglasses to cover his face.

A black vest paired with dark cargo pants and a pair of Dr. Martens boots.

Although slender, her proportions were harmonious, and every step she took on the tiles seemed to echo. It was Gu Xiao.

On the left, Zhao Yufeng stood tall and proud, dressed in his usual attire, looking like a bodyguard responsible for clearing the area.

Although Lin Yiyi on the right was wrapped up tightly, her exposed eyes burned with a fierce flame of revenge, fixed on the two people by the window.

[A hidden quest has been triggered, fraught with twists and turns (no pain, no gain; adversity reveals the true value of art). Please resolve the current crisis, and rewards will be given based on your performance...]

...............

"Old...Old Cheng...!"

Wang Shuo's half-eaten meat bun froze in mid-air, his cheeks bulging, his eyes wide open, as he mumbled indistinctly:

"I told you not to mess around! Look at this situation, it's obvious... it's obvious they've come here specifically to seek revenge...!"

Cheng Ming put down his chopsticks, slowly took out a tissue to wipe his mouth, and narrowed his eyes as he observed the person who had come in.

I've dealt with Zhao Yufeng before. He's simple-minded, physically strong, has shifty eyes, a slight upturn at the corner of his mouth, and zero resistance to PUA tactics. He's a total freebie.

Lin Yiyi had learned her lesson once and been fooled twice.

Although his anger was off the charts, his steps were unsteady and his eyes showed hesitation. He was clearly not fully recovered from yesterday's "artistic brainwashing" and was easy to fool.

Only the short-haired, mature woman in the middle... Cheng Ming's gaze lingered on Gu Xiao for two seconds.

Sunglasses obscured his eyes, making it impossible to discern his emotions. His arms crossed and lips tightly pursed suggested he was not easily fooled.

However, it wasn't a big problem; Cheng Ming had his own judgment.

The strategist personally intervened!

A wave of 200 art points was poured into beginner-level acting!

A mysterious feeling welled up in my heart, and my whole demeanor was subtly elevated.

[Host: Cheng Ming]

Art Value: 200

Current Skill:

[Auditory Skills: Piano (Professional), Guitar (Professional), Vocal (Amateur), Percussion (Amateur)]

[Visual Arts: Photography (Professional), Painting (Professional)]

[Taste: Cooking (Beginner)]

[Physical Skills: Dance (Beginner), Acting (Amateur)]

[Lifestyle/Other: Fishing (Beginner), Video Editing (Amateur)]

[Special Note: Skill levels are divided into Beginner, Amateur, Professional, Expert, World, Master, and Legendary.]

[System Shop: Now Open]

[Next mission refresh countdown: 131 hours, 59 minutes, and 36 seconds]

[Hidden Mission: Full of Twists and Turns]

....................

"Fatty."

Cheng Ming lowered his voice, his tone as calm as if he were discussing today's weather, "Plan B."

"Huh? What the hell?" Wang Shuo almost choked.

"Plan B: In this situation, words alone aren't enough; you have to be sincere. Looks like I'll have to go all out today..."

His slender fingers tapped lightly on the table, making a "tap-tap" sound, as if Cheng Ming was counting down to some kind of action.

"You mean...?"

Looking into Cheng Ming's eyes, which had suddenly become deep and slightly melancholic, Wang Shuo instantly understood, and his entire body of fat trembled violently:

"Holy crap, are we really going to go this far? This is a sacrifice strategy, you might end up... or maybe we should just forget it, I'll just delete my account and apologize to them right now!"

Playing around is fine, but if something really goes wrong and you get punished, you won't be able to graduate, which would be a huge loss. Torn between money and his brother's future, Wang Shuo ultimately chose the latter...!

The original owner's brother was not a bad friend after all; he was quite sensible at crucial moments. Cheng Ming seemed somewhat moved, and after a moment of silence, he pointed to the side door with his chin.

"Alright, enough nonsense. If you don't want to get beaten to death, get out of here. I know what I'm doing."

I'm going back to my dorm right now to get my action camera and wide-angle lens. Remember to turn on the microphone; I'm going to do my utmost to generate this last bit of bandwidth!

Before the word "club" could even be uttered, Cheng Ming immediately seized the opportunity: "It will become a significant chapter in art history...!"

"Fine, if you want to die, then die. I'll die with you, brother...!"

Seeing that Cheng Ming had said that, Wang Shuo was quite the drama queen.

He shoved half a steamed bun into his mouth, abruptly stood up, pretended to answer a phone call, and shouted loudly:

"What? The teacher called my name? Okay, okay, I'll be right there!"

After saying that, he slipped away with an agility completely disproportionate to his size, making a quick getaway through the side door.

Wang Shuo's escape caused a slight easing of the tense standoff.

Gu Xiao took off her sunglasses, revealing a pair of clear and sharp eyes. She glanced at Wang Shuo's fleeing figure, and then focused all her attention on Cheng Ming.

.................................

"One ran away, looks like you're planning to carry the burden alone...?"

Gu Xiao's voice was clear and crisp, carrying an undeniable sense of pressure.

The three of them had already reached the table.

Cheng Ming slowly stood up.

He wasn't wearing his signature baseball cap today.

As he stood up, his bangs, which had been pressed under the brim of his hat, fell down, slightly obscuring his eyebrows and eyes.

The morning sunlight shone through the slightly mottled glass windows of the cafeteria.

It fell right onto his fair cheek.

At this moment, Cheng Ming completely unleashed his good looks and acting skills.

"hiss--"

Zhao Yufeng was always looking for trouble.

At this moment, his hands, which had been clasped in front of his chest, had fallen to his sides. His mouth was slightly open, and a very soft gasp escaped from his throat.

This is... amazing!

If you disregard character, you'd be smiling in your sleep just looking at that face, and you might even want to ask what skincare products they use.

Lin Yiyi gripped Gu Xiao's arm tightly, intending to draw strength from it.

But when she faced that face up close again—the face that had once caused her to lose 150 centimeters—the solid fortress in her heart began to shake once more.

"No! Lin Yiyi, you need to wake up! He's a liar! He's a big liar!"

She screamed inwardly, but her eyes kept wandering uncontrollably over Cheng Ming's face.

Only Gu Xiao.

Although a hint of amazement flashed in her eyes, it was quickly suppressed by reason.

He stepped forward, his Martin boots clicking crisply on the ground, exuding an aura of power as he shielded Zhao Yufeng and Lin Yiyi behind him.

Gu Xiao sneered and stared directly at Cheng Ming.

"Don't try that on me. The theory that 'beauty is justice' doesn't work on me..."

"Refund Yiyi's money, delete the video, and issue a public apology. That'll be the end of it. Otherwise, I'll show you just how hot the pinned posts on the Shuyin forum are..."

..........................