Reborn as a comedic artist

"Nature is for survival."

Cheng Ming put down his chopsticks and simply uttered a few words.

After speaking, he glanced at everyone present, his eyes calm and composed.

"Survive?"

Zhao Yufeng's hand, which was holding duck intestines, paused. The slippery intestines fell into the oil dish with a "plop," splashing a few drops of sesame oil.

"Why make it sound so scary? We're living just fine, aren't we? We have food and drink, and we can even go out for hot pot. How is this related to survival...?"

"Everything's fine now, but what about later?"

Cheng Ming tapped his fingers lightly on the table, each tap seeming to strike a chord in everyone's hearts:

"They all studied art, and their families were all well-off. After all, the amount of money a person has determines the level of their art, and that's true."

Everyone fell silent.

This may sound cliché, but it is indeed the truth.

The poor study literature, the rich study martial arts, and those with immense wealth study art!

For everyone here, the annual tuition, training fees, and equipment fees—aren't they all built with money?

The grand piano in Lin Yiyi's house is enough to buy a car.

Zhao Yufeng's percussion equipment is a bottomless pit of money.

Even Gu Xiao, who seems to be the most "frugal," is not cheap in her outfit.

"But that was before..."

Cheng Ming sighed, not mentioning his own situation, but instead pointing to Wang Shuo, who was buried in his food beside him, looking like a starving ghost:

"Take Fatty for example. You see him always laughing and joking, carefree and without a care in the world. Do you know how much his family sacrificed to get him into the Sichuan Conservatory of Music?"

Wang Shuo, who was frantically slurping up wide rice noodles, suddenly froze.

The wide rice noodles hanging on the edge of the mouth slid back into the bowl with a "slurp," splashing up a patch of red oil.

The food in my mouth suddenly lost its flavor.

He put down his chopsticks, his signature honest smile frozen at the corner of his mouth, finally turning into a bitter smile.

He picked up his glass and took a big gulp, his voice a little muffled: "Old Cheng, we're eating, why bring this up? It's such a downer."

"Most of the people sitting here are academically weak. If they were in Shandong Province, you all know how difficult the college entrance exam would be..."

Cheng Ming ignored Wang Shuo's obstruction, his gaze becoming somewhat distant:

"The fat man's family used to be in the wedding business and were considered quite wealthy in the county."

But in the past few years, in order to get him to pursue photography, we've spent money on art exam training, buying equipment, and finding connections... Our family's savings have basically been emptied, and even..." Cheng Ming didn't finish his sentence, as he was a little hesitant to say it.

"Why? Just so he can get a diploma, and at least get a government job in the future..."

"In Shandong Province, the end of the universe is the civil service exam."

Wang Shuo gave a self-deprecating laugh, his eyes somewhat dim, looking down at the beer foam in his glass, as if it reflected his bleak future:

"If I don't make something of myself after graduation, my dad will break my legs when I go back home. Seriously, I'm not exaggerating."

My cousin took the civil service exam for five years and went crazy... I really don't want to go back to that kind of predictable life.

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

The atmosphere inside the private room suddenly became somewhat awkward...!

The hot pot, which was originally bubbling with red oil and full of aroma, now seemed rather bland to everyone.

The rising steam was no longer the enticing aroma of fireworks, but rather a reflection of the confused and uncertain future of these young people.

Cheng Ming held the slightly oily glass in his hand.

He didn't look at anyone; his gaze seemed to pierce through the murky wine before him, landing on a far more cruel dimension.

"My neighbor is the ancient city of Qin Province."

Cheng Ming's voice was not loud, carrying a detached tone as if he were telling someone else's story, yet every word pierced the hearts of everyone present:

"The pressure of education has dropped dramatically, which sounds like a good thing, right?"

My dad runs a small renovation company. It did quite well a few years ago when the real estate market was booming, but I don't need to elaborate on what that industry is like these past two years, do I?

He chuckled, tilted his head back, and took a sip of his drink. The icy liquid rolled down his throat, but it couldn't erase the helplessness in his eyes.

"Ha, it's common for clients to delay payment for projects."

At the end of the year, the workers blocked the door demanding their wages, and my dad had to give them cigarettes and put on a smiling face, robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Where's my mom? She sells insurance; she used to be a top salesperson.

"Right now? The pressure to meet sales targets is so intense that my hair is falling out in clumps, and I also have a brother in high school."

At this point, Cheng Ming raised his eyelids and glanced at Zhao Yufeng, Lin Yiyi, and the others:

"You only daughters might not understand the value of having two sons, but I do. They are like two mountains, weighing down my parents and making it hard for them to breathe..."

Given his family background, Cheng Ming didn't even need to deliberately act out the situation.

The private room was deathly silent, with only the bubbling sound of the hot pot boiling, like a countdown.

"Future education reforms, layoffs at large companies, and the devaluation of academic qualifications are all trends..."

Cheng Ming's voice wasn't loud, but every word was piercing, tearing away the veneer of "dream" to reveal the bloody reality beneath.

"We art students are ambitious and have high expenses. Besides our tools and that so-called aesthetic sense, what else can we do? What will we do after graduation?"

After he finished speaking, he scanned the crowd and called out each person's name.

"We won't talk about that. What about you? Getting into the group? That would require your ancestors' graves to be emitting auspicious smoke, plus three generations of good deeds in your family, plus some unspeakable connections."

Teaching classes at institutions, tutoring art exam candidates?

It sounds respectable, but in reality, it's unstable and insecure. Parents are difficult to please, and bosses exploit you. And if you encounter a particularly difficult student, well... that's it.

Zhao Yufeng opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to refute, but swallowed the words back.

She remembered her close friend from the previous year, who now seemed to be working as a saleswoman at a music store, posting on her WeChat Moments every day about "buying a piano and getting free lessons."

"Go to a performance venue? That's a short-lived job. Not to mention the work schedule, the environment is chaotic, and you guys have to worry about being harassed and taken advantage of. Do you think you'd even be interested in that...?"

And what about taking the postgraduate entrance exam, the doctoral entrance exam, or studying abroad...?

Cheng Ming paused, his eyes becoming somewhat playful:

"To get started, your family needs to be rich, and the kind of rich mine that you can't mine indefinitely. You study hard for ten years, and you're thirty when you graduate. And then what? You keep studying?"

"Take the civil service exam, for example. There are few positions available, and being a teacher training graduate is a major hurdle."

If you actually pass the exam, women will be treated like men, and men like animals. You'll earn a few thousand yuan a month, barely enough to make ends meet, and your entire life will be predictable.

"As for the last option, starting a business, well...!" Cheng Ming couldn't help but give a bitter laugh.

Ultimately, their fates will either be working on the factory floor tightening screws, or delivering food; or worse, they'll have to compete with others for orders.

After saying that, Cheng Ming seemed to have released all his strength, leaning heavily against the back of his chair and quietly watching them.

That look seemed to say: I've been through this, you guys know better than me...

Lin Yiyi: "..."

Zhao Yufeng: ? ? ?

Gu Xiao: !!!

Wang Shuo had long since stopped eating. He stared at Cheng Ming, his mouth slightly agape, a look of utter disbelief on his face.

"Old Cheng, you call this the photography department? Are you sure you're not a sociology major? I feel like you know more than anyone else here! Did you secretly go to some think tank for further studies...?"

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