"Big brother, I didn't expect you to be so serious," said Zhang Ji after watching Wang Shu's performance, his face full of shock.
"You have no idea how I've been all these years, how many shoes I've lost because of this!" Wang Shu said to Zhang Ji with a feigned look of sorrow.
"How much did these shoes cost you?" Wang Shu couldn't help but look at the shoes on Zhang Ji's feet and ask.
"Two hundred and twenty!" Zhang Ji replied.
"Exactly the price of a pair of crutches!" Wang Shu muttered to himself.
"Brother, where can I buy crutches?" Zhang Ji asked, frowning with worry, looking at Wang Shu.
"Here they are! Perfect for selling to you!" Zhang Liangying chimed in, pointing to the crutches placed nearby and saying to Zhang Ji.
"What are you talking about? Get away! Sell them? What will I use to walk? Sell them?"
"How can you be like this?" Wang Shu yelled directly at Zhang Liangying.
"You're so stingy, why not just give them to our brother?" Wang Shu said deliberately.
"Take these!" With that, Wang Shu directly shoved the crutches into Zhang Ji's arms.
"Big brother, I can't just take them for free, I have to give you money!" Zhang Ji said hurriedly.
"I know, women always say they want money, and you feel obliged to give it. If I don't accept it now, it would be looking down on you. How about this, give me a hundred!" Wang Shu continued to con him.
Then, Zhang Ji quickly rummaged through his pockets for cash. After searching for a long time, he only had about thirty yuan.
"Big brother, look, I only have this much," Zhang Ji handed the money to Wang Shu.
"Just take it, how much is enough!" Zhang Liangying also advised.
"What do I need a bicycle for? What do I need a bicycle for?" Wang Shu suddenly shouted loudly.
This made Zhang Ji, who was nearby, hear his words.
"Hilarious, 'What do I need a bicycle for!' So brilliant!"
"I've learned this skill of asking for things, I'm going to practice it when I go home for New Year's!"
"He's so greedy, he's directly asking for a bicycle!"
The audience was also roaring with laughter at Wang Shu's remark. This phrase, "What do I need a bicycle for?", was a well-known internet meme on Earth from Liu Chuan's wide circle.
"Bicycle, yes, yes, yes!" Hearing the word "bicycle," Zhang Ji quickly turned around and pushed the bicycle that was nearby.
"Why are you asking him for a bicycle? I really can't manage this woman. You're asking him for a bicycle!" Wang Shu said, deliberately putting on a helpless expression.
Zhang Liangying, standing nearby, wanted to argue but was constantly interrupted by Wang Shu.
"Big brother, don't be angry. I think this elder sister makes some sense. With my legs, I've basically said goodbye to bicycles!" Zhang Ji quickly stepped forward to mediate.
"Big brother, this bike is for you, thank you!" With that, Zhang Ji handed the bicycle directly to Wang Shu.
Zhang Liangying originally wanted to persuade Zhang Ji, but Zhang Ji flatly refused.
"Take the crutches! You'll get better if you rest well!" Wang Shu then handed the crutches to Zhang Ji and said earnestly.
"Isn't this a bit too mean of you?" Zhang Liangying looked at Zhang Ji, who was walking away with crutches, and said to Wang Shu.
"Mean? What's mean about it? He'll be thanking us later!" As soon as Wang Shu finished speaking, Zhang Ji, who had walked away, turned around. "Thank you, big brother!"
"See!" Wang Shu smiled triumphantly.
"Let's go, we'll find another place!" Wang Shu said, pushing the bicycle.
"What else are we going to do?" Zhang Liangying asked, looking confused.
"Find another place, find someone with bad legs and sell the bike to him!" A smile spread across Wang Shu's lips as he pushed the bike off the stage.
The story ended abruptly here. However, the audience in the venue was still savoring the story they had just witnessed. It had to be said that the plot of this story was very simple, but the dialogue and performance were extremely humorous. Any line taken from it was hilarious and amusing. Phrases like "walk a few steps if you're not sick" and "what do I need a bicycle for?" were firmly etched in the audience's minds.
"It was so brilliant, I laughed so hard my stomach hurt!"
"Best in the show, I never expected Wang Shu to be so good at comedy as well as singing!"
"I used to think skits were boring, forgive my shortsightedness."
"Although I'm not a fan of Wang Shu, I think Wang Shu's performance in this skit was truly commendable, and the script itself is excellent."
As the lights on the stage dimmed, the audience below began to chatter excitedly.
"I never expected, never expected, that a few singers could put on such a brilliant comedy show!"
"Yes, this skit, both the script and the performance, is already more professional than ours. It's hard to believe that it was created by three singers."
"It seems our perspective was too narrow before. Who says singers can only be singers, and who says singers can't perform comedy well? Aren't these examples of people who can sing well and perform comedy well?"
Many professional contestants were also marveling. As professional comedians, they gave high praise to Wang Shu's performance. The members of "Happy Meat Rolls" particularly enjoyed this act.
"Did they write this script themselves?" Shen Teng asked curiously.
"I'm not sure. This script looks quite professional, so it's probably written by a professional screenwriter," another actor guessed.
"I think they wrote it themselves, because this person named Wang Shu is very talented!" Shen Teng said meaningfully. He had been paying attention to Wang Shu, and from his songs, he could already tell that Wang Shu was a singer with strong creative abilities. Therefore, he guessed that this skit was most likely written by Wang Shu himself. After all, there weren't many screenwriters in the industry who could write such a script, and if there were, they would be well-known in the skit community.
"Do you mean we should try to connect with him?" another member asked Shen Teng doubtfully.
"There's no need for that at the moment, but I think he will be extraordinary in the future," Shen Teng muttered to himself.
"Tch, I don't know what there is to applaud. This kind of low-quality performance, and they dare to call it comedy? These audience members really don't know what good stuff is!" Cao Jin couldn't help but say again, looking at the atmosphere in the venue. He felt nothing from Wang Shu's performance and didn't find any humor in it. However, the audience was acting as if they had taken stimulants, laughing non-stop.
As Wang Shu returned to his seat, and after waiting for the next few contestants to perform, the performance segment of the day officially concluded. Now, it was time to tally the votes. During this phase, the top ten contestants would be announced. Other contestants who did not rank would be eliminated. This was the cruel nature of the competition. Although many comedians were invited for the preliminary round, only ten spots would remain for the season's competition after the preliminary round concluded. This meant that many contestants would be eliminated today.
As the host announced, the rankings began to scroll across the large screen. This time, the rankings were revealed starting from fifth place, then sixth, fourth, seventh, and third place, and so on. As the announcements were made, the contestants who secured their spots in the top ten successfully advanced. Cao Jin, who was sitting in first place, remained without any news.
"Boss, are we going to be eliminated?" Zhang Liangying asked worriedly, as Wang Shu's name had not been heard for a long time.
"Don't worry, our act will definitely be number one!" Wang Shu said with a confident smile.
"Really? Could there be insider dealings in this show?" Zhang Liangying's eyes lit up as he asked Wang Shu.
"Insider dealings? We rely on our strength. I wouldn't bother with such things!" Wang Shu said directly. While he could have asked Gong Tao to arrange some insider dealings for him on this show, he felt it was completely unnecessary. With the knowledge he had from his previous life on Earth, he was confident he could win the championship. Why would he tarnish his reputation with insider dealings?
"The first place in this round: 'Selling Crutches'!" As the host announced, the entire venue erupted in cheers.
"Damn it, this show is garbage. An amateur actually got first place!" Hearing the host announce Wang Shu as the winner, Cao Jin snorted coldly. Then, the host announced the tenth-place act. However, Cao Jin was not among the top ten qualifiers.
"Hilarious, he rated himself first, but didn't even make it into the top ten. I wonder if he feels embarrassed."
"I don't know where he got the courage to sit in first place. His crosstalk was so boring, and he threw tantrums. Hurry up and leave, he irritates me. He really thinks he's somebody." Many contestants, realizing that Cao Jin, who was sitting in first place, had not made it into the top ten, began to mock him.
"Now, please contestants, take your seats according to your rankings!" After announcing all the rankings, the host said to the contestants. Subsequently, many contestants voluntarily gave up their seats and swapped with each other. However, Cao Jin remained seated in first place, unmoving.
"Jinzi, maybe we should leave?" His partner, Liu Tian, said somewhat awkwardly to Cao Jin.
"Leave? Why leave? This seat belongs to us!" Cao Jin said coldly. He absolutely would not give face to Wang Shu, an amateur who won first place in a comedy competition. He would not give up this seat.