Reborn as a comedic artist

Lin Yiyi bit her straw, her eyes a little red.

She thought of her parents who braved wind and rain to support her piano and guzheng lessons, even selling their house in their hometown.

Her family runs a restaurant business, and although they are not doing badly, her parents work hard from dawn till dusk to earn their money. She always thought of herself as a little princess, but in reality, it was her parents who were carrying the burden for her.

Zhao Yufeng remained silent, unaware that the duck intestines in his hand were overcooked.

Her family lives in a factory area in Hebei Province. In the past two years, environmental inspections have been strict, and business has been difficult. Her father's gray hair has become visibly more abundant.

Gu Xiao lowered her head, watching the beer foam in her glass gradually dissipate.

She was in the music industry, where competition was even fiercer; you either became a superstar or completely unknown.

Although her family was well-off, as Cheng Ming said, she wasted ten years going on to graduate school and then a doctorate after graduating with her bachelor's degree. Moreover, she was ambitious and didn't want to live off their wealth, nor did she want to get married after graduation, and she certainly didn't want to go home and follow arrangements.

"You're right...!" But what does that have to do with you coming to see us today? After a long while, Gu Xiao raised her head and looked intently at Cheng Ming.

The dejection in Cheng Ming's eyes vanished instantly:

"Of course it's related. Precisely because the traditional path is no longer viable, we need to find a way to overtake others...!"

"A bend...?"

"Self-media, short videos"

This is the current opportunity, and our only chance to transcend social classes and achieve financial freedom.

Cheng Ming pointed to the phone on the table.

Zhao Yufeng rolled his eyes and said disdainfully, "Tch, I thought you were going to say something profound. This site is so stupid, which big spender doesn't use it?"

Lots of people at our school do this, but very few become popular; most are just self-indulgent.

"That's because they're too pretentious...!"

"They just want to show off their beauty and their talents."

But in this information-overloaded era, beauty is the cheapest thing. With beauty filters and advanced technology, there are plenty of handsome men and beautiful women out there. Why would anyone look at you?

On a technical level, putting aside other aspects...

The two major hurdles in China are the Chinese and Mandarin Chinese music styles, which are difficult to overcome, let alone break out of Asia and go global...

"Then what are you looking at?"

Lin Yiyi asked curiously, blinking her big eyes.

"Look at the creative and the abstract."

Cheng Ming leaned forward, lowered his voice, as if imparting some secret technique:

"Whether someone is handsome or ugly, they will eventually become aesthetically tiring."

Only abstraction, originality, and creativity can endure. It's essential to constantly create conflict and contrast, providing emotional value to retain viewers.

He pointed to himself, then to Wang Shuo:

"That's why we risk getting beaten up to take those abstract photos—because what I want isn't praise, it's attention, discussion, and traffic...!"

"Perhaps it's fate...!"

At this point, Cheng Ming couldn't help but sigh.

I never would have imagined that an ordinary arts school could produce so many outstanding talents like you.

That's why I tried to find a different path, which unexpectedly led to this series of chain reactions...!

Looking back, everyone realized that what Cheng Ming had said was indeed true.

Silence fell for a moment.

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

"So, it's really fate that we all ended up together..."

Cheng Ming's eyes grew brighter as he teased, and his voice became increasingly seductive.

He pointed around and began calling out names one by one.

"Da Shuo, he's a technically skilled photographer, an editing genius, and you all know firsthand his sense of camerawork, rhythm, and ability to create entertaining content."

Wang Shuo puffed out his chest, looking proud.

Zhao Yufeng has a hot figure and a straightforward personality, possessing a natural "gap moe" (unexpected charm) persona.

Even if you just stand there without saying a word, simply stepping on a stone lion or breaking a brick with your bare hands can attract a huge wave of lewd people.

Netizens these days love this kind of thing: a modern-day Mulan, a female version of Zhang Fei—that's what I value most!

Zhao Yufeng blushed, wanting to curse, but then felt it might sound like he was complimenting her figure. After a long pause, she managed to utter a single word: "Get lost...!"

"Lin Yiyi, needless to say, is sweet-looking, the girl next door, Panda Sister, and her persona as the shame of Chongqing has become a golden brand."

Backstage, people kept coming and going, drawn by the allure of her, and she was perfectly suited to playing the innocent, bullied, and wronged little flower.

This is called arousing the audience's protective instincts; the moment you cry, the entire internet will be handing you tissues...

Upon hearing the words "Shame of Sichuan and Chongqing," Lin Yiyi's face inexplicably darkened.

But unable to refute it, she blinked and pointed to herself: "Me? A little white lotus? But I don't want to cry..."

"It's okay, as long as you don't give up, there's always a way to overcome difficulties..."

Cheng Ming smiled meaningfully.

Lin Yiyi suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.

"As for Gu Xiao..."

Cheng Ming's gaze fell on Gu Xiao:

"His appearance and temperament are exceptional. Although he's a bit of a hindsight expert, he's generally quite intelligent. He can manage logistics while also offering strategic advice, which is quite worthy of the title 'Sleeping Dragon' (Zhuge Liang)..."

After summarizing the others, Cheng Ming pointed to himself.

"And I won't go into too much detail about my abilities; you've all seen them. I can oversee the overall situation, manage the script, and lead you all..."

We don't need to curry favor with those so-called judges, and we don't need to squeeze onto that narrow bridge to get a civil service job!

Now that we have a user base and plenty of traffic, all we need to do is build a team, work together, and move forward steadily. We can take on projects, create short videos, short dramas, and online movies...

"Well, the door to wealth has been opened, how about some big moves...?"

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

The private room was quiet for a moment.

Wang Shuo was the first to stand up, raising his glass: "Old Cheng, I'll drink with you!"

Anyway, if I fail and go back home, I'll just be a laughingstock, so I might as well take a gamble here. Besides, I think this can work...!"

Zhao Yufeng glanced at Cheng Ming, then at her two best friends, gritted her teeth, and stood up as well:

"Fine! If you're willing to risk everything, I dare to bring down the emperor!"

Seeing that everyone had stood up, Lin Yiyi also weakly stood up, holding up her Wei Yi soy milk:

"Well... I'll join too, but it's a deal, no more scamming me out of my money...!"

All eyes were on Gu Xiao.

Gu Xiao sat there, her fingers gently stroking the rim of the cup, weighing her options.

Although Cheng Ming's words were arrogant and even somewhat unorthodox, they were full of opportunistic whims.

But undeniably, he accurately hit the sore spots of each of them.

In this era of devalued academic qualifications and rigid social classes, it is indeed difficult to find a way out by following the established path.

and…

Gu Xiao looked up at Cheng Ming's eyes, which were full of ambition and confidence.

This person, although extremely abstract and a bit shameless in their antics,

But in reality, that vibrant vitality and indomitable spirit are indeed very attractive.

Compared to those rich kids who only know how to boast or live a life of idleness, they seem exceptionally real.

"I have three conditions."

Gu Xiao finally spoke, her voice clear and cold, yet carrying a sense of determination.

"you say."

First, all plans must be discussed by everyone.

You can't make all the decisions on your own. If you dare treat us like tools, we're ready to leave.

"That makes sense." Cheng Ming nodded.

"Secondly, although it's a joke,

But we can't cross the legal line, and we can't engage in vulgar or borderline content. We're studying art, not selling sex.

"Definitely, jokes are jokes, but we won't joke about the law."

Besides, while we might pull off some gimmicks, we're not vulgar. We promote positive, abstract ideas and aim for a high-end experience.

"third."

Gu Xiao stood up, raised her wine glass, and finally a smile appeared on her lips:

"Money should be distributed according to work done; even close brothers should keep clear accounts; and contracts must be signed."

"No problem!"

Cheng Ming agreed very readily.

Even a hero needs three helpers. Once you've built a team, have a system, and have the "talent?", money will naturally follow!

"Cheers!"

Five wine glasses clinked together loudly amidst the steam from the hot pot.

The crisp sound of glass colliding.

It was as if a bizarre group called the "Abstract Art Dream Team" had been officially born at this moment.

In this era full of uncertainty

The young people never dreamed that Cheng Ming would bring them together because of his most absurd prank.

"For survival!" Wang Shuo roared.

"For comfort!" Lin Yiyi shouted.

"For freedom!" Zhao Yufeng laughed.

"So that... I won't have any regrets," Gu Xiao said softly.

Cheng Ming looked at the young faces in front of him, tilted his head back, and drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.

"For art..."

Even if it's an art of creating something extraordinary.

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