Reborn as a comedic artist

Night falls!

Inside a private room at Ronghe Hotel.

The air conditioning was set to 18 degrees Celsius, but it still couldn't keep up with the lively atmosphere of the house.

The huge rotating round table seemed to have become a battlefield, with the air filled with the numbing smell of Sichuan peppercorns, the spiciness of alcohol, and the restless hormones that were unique to young people and almost overflowing.

Wang Shuo has completely let loose at this point.

With a lobster in his left hand and a bottle dispenser in his right, he ate with such ferocity that he looked like he had just been released from prison.

"Slurp—"

Wang Shuo showed absolutely no awareness of being a "million-follower internet celebrity" or a future artist. With his mouth greasy, he mumbled incoherently, "Old Cheng... this one, burp! This one has to be finished!"

He stood up unsteadily, spilling a few drops of liquor from the decanter onto the table.

"Back in the day, the two of us were eating instant noodles in the dorm, and we even had to share a sausage... Who the hell would have thought that we'd be sitting here eating and drinking like this today?"

"Without you leading the way, we brothers would still be trash-talking in the canyon right now..."

After saying that, he tilted his head back and took a big bite.

He downed a shot of liquor without even flinching, as if he were drinking plain water.

"Alright, alright, look at you, so pathetic..."

Cheng Ming leaned back in the main seat, toying with his wine glass, and sighed helplessly as he looked at his adopted son's behavior.

He turned his head and glanced at Li Qiang sitting next to him:

"Qiangzi, this fat guy gets all excited and can't keep his mouth shut. If he throws up later, you guys have to carry him back and remember to throw him next to the trash can, so he doesn't make a mess..."

"Don't worry, Ming-ge!"

"We're experts at this...! Let alone carrying a person, even carrying a pig, the Three Musketeers of Shuyin are no slouch for us!" Li Qiang patted his chest loudly, his muscular body jiggling with the movement.

"Ha ha ha ha.....!"

Seeing everyone burst into laughter, Wang Shuo wasn't annoyed at all. Instead, he chuckled to himself, clearly enjoying the atmosphere of being "disliked."

.......

At this point, Zhao Yufeng could no longer contain himself.

Tonight, she was wearing a deep V-neck black tight-fitting tank top with a sun-protective shirt over it. Her extremely voluptuous figure was incredibly imposing at the dinner table, and as she stood up, it seemed as if even the bowls and chopsticks on the table trembled.

She skipped over the decanter and, with her hands that usually played the drums, grabbed the bottle of five kinds of grain liquor that was still more than half full.

His demeanor was even more arrogant than Zhang Fei's at Dangyang Bridge.

"It's all in the drink...! I'm not like that fat guy who talks a lot of nonsense, and I can't say anything sentimental...!"

Zhao Yufeng placed one foot on the chair crossbar, poured himself a full glass with one hand, and the wine created a small swirl around the rim of the glass.

"I'll finish this glass; you can drink as you like..."

After saying that, he tilted his head back and started drinking.

The pungent liquor slid down her slender neck, a few drops spilling from the corners of her mouth and flowing down her collarbone into the deep cleavage, causing the Adam's apples to bob involuntarily as the onlookers watched.

"Awesome! Sister Feng is awesome...!"

Li Qiang, not to be outdone, picked up his glass and stood up: "That's right! Brother Ming, I also want to toast you...! I was just joining in the fun. I used to think all musicians were sissies, but now I'm convinced! It's truly rare to find someone as talented as Brother Ming, who is both scholarly and athletic..."

"Alright, alright, stop praising me to the point of exhaustion. This is baijiu, not beer, so take it easy..."

Cheng Ming smiled and waved his hand. Although he spoke modestly, the smile in his eyes was genuine. Unable to resist the enthusiasm of the crowd, he picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

.........

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

Seeing that the atmosphere had been set for a while, Cheng Ming put down his chopsticks.

He raised his glass but did not get up, and the previously noisy private room fell silent instantly.

The sound was not loud, but it was powerful and resonant.

"This glass is a toast to everyone...!"

Everyone hurriedly raised their glasses, even Lin Yiyi, who had been quiet all along, quickly picked up her juice.

Cheng Ming drank it all in one gulp. The spicy liquid slid down his throat, like a fire burning his chest.

He poured himself another glass of wine, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone present.

From Wang Shuo, whose face was flushed, to Zhao Yufeng, who was full of heroic spirit, to Gu Xiao, whose eyes were cold and indifferent, the focus finally fell on Huang Yuxi.

"This journey has only taken a month...!"

"Without Fatty's unexpected turn of events, without Sister Panda's natural performance, without Butler Gu's diligent work, and without the contributions of each and every one of you, even if I had three heads and six arms, I probably wouldn't have become famous so quickly...!"

Cheng Ming's words were truly sincere.

Wang Shuo chuckled and scratched his messy hair: "Old Cheng, the way you're saying that, we should be thanking you. If it weren't for you, how could we be so successful...!"

"That's right, Lao Cheng! Because of you, what I've seen and heard in these short ten days has been more exciting than four years of university..."

Li Feng then chimed in, saying that the final episode, which he had edited, had already been uploaded.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this will be his most explosive work before leaving school, something he can brag about for the rest of his life.

"Yeah... Without Ming-ge's guidance, we'd have to watch our stepmother's every whim every day..."

Lin Yiyi let out a long sigh, as if recalling some terrible memory.

The vocal music teacher, known as "Abbess Miejue," is one of the most capable and skilled teachers under Li Baoguo at the music academy. She is usually stern and unsmiling, and for those of them who are only average in vocal music, she is the most terrifying nightmare.

"You have no idea...!"

"The way my vocal coach, Abbess Miejue, looks at me has changed lately! She's so kind and friendly...! She even asked me if my throat was tired. I'm starting to wonder if she's been possessed!"

When Zhao Yufeng mentioned this, he got so excited that he slammed his fist on the table, making the bowls and chopsticks jump around.

Gu Xiao smiled without saying a word, only nodding slightly in agreement.

They are all decent at instrumental music, but their vocal skills are all lacking to varying degrees, and they are often criticized.

With the powerful tool Cheng Ming obtained from Zhao Zhiqiang, even the teacher's attitude underwent a complete 180-degree turn.

Everyone started talking at once, and the atmosphere became lively again, as if the whole world was under their feet.

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

Cheng Ming listened to them with a smile, without interrupting them.

He looked at his spirited companions, his fingers gently tracing the rim of his wine glass.

Only when the noise gradually subsided and everyone noticed that Cheng Ming hadn't spoken and their gazes returned to him did he finally drink the wine in his glass in one gulp.

When he spoke again, his tone was more serious.

"Becoming famous is a good thing, but have you thought about the problems that follow...?"

This question was like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing everyone's excitement.

Everyone looked at each other, clearly realizing that most people hadn't thought about this question.

In their view, once they become famous, they become famous. From now on, they can take on roles, make big money, and reach the pinnacle of life. What other problems could there be?

"The internet has a memory, but that memory is also the shortest-lived...!"

"Today we're trending at number one, but tomorrow we might be pushed down by all sorts of other news!"

A celebrity cheats, an internet celebrity gets plastic surgery, another new scandal breaks… In this era where traffic is king, if we can't consistently produce high-quality content and retain this traffic, then our current success will be nothing but a flash in the pan!

Huang Yuxi's eyes lit up, and she looked at Cheng Ming with more admiration.

She was initially worried that these students would become arrogant after achieving early success, since overnight fame is the easiest way to lose one's way. However, she didn't expect Cheng Ming to be more clear-headed than anyone else.

This student, who usually seems carefree and irresponsible, is actually very perceptive.

"Therefore, I have a nine-character guideline to share with everyone."

Cheng Ming held up three fingers, his gaze sharp as a knife.

"Build high walls, store up plenty of grain, and delay declaring yourself king..."

The moment those nine words were uttered, the private room fell completely silent.

Wang Shuo blinked, looking completely bewildered, half-sober now: "Godfather, are we going to rebel? I know those lines well, isn't this Old Zhu's script...?"

"Screw you! This is strategy! Don't you understand strategy...?"

.........