Chapter 122: Dust Affairs

Zhao Liying had been very depressed during this period, often waking up from nightmares in the middle of the night and unable to fall back asleep.

Because of the success of last year's Super Girl, various talent shows had sprung up like bamboo shoots after rain during this period.

In January, she signed up online for a talent show called "Yahoo Search Star."

This "Yahoo Search Star" was a talent show organized by Yahoo and Zhejiang Satellite TV.

The program team found four directors, divided them into four groups, and through online selection and voting, and popularity competition, the first place in each group would finally be able to film an advertisement with that group's director.

The four directors were Feng Xiaogang, Chen Kaige, Zhang Jizhong, and Zhang Yiyi.

When signing up, Zhao Liying chose Director Zhang Yiyi. However, she didn't expect the competition in this group to be so fierce.

Currently, it was only the preliminary stage, and there was only half a month left until it ended on February 27th.

Her ranking had dropped again and again, and she had currently fallen to 51st place, falling out of the top 50 advancement circle.

She had been hardworking enough.

She not only mobilized all the friends around her, but she also spent all her spare time outside of work online, going to every possible place to solicit votes.

Whether it was Baidu Tieba, Tianya Forum, Xisi Hutong, or various large and small BBS... she was copying and pasting her voting information every single second.

She actually pinned a lot of hope on this competition.

She wanted to stand out, not just to realize her dream; she also wanted to escape from her current muddy life.

The poverty of generations was like a nest of quicksand, always trying to roll her into the deepest underground, and she had already used all her strength to struggle.

However, without the help of external forces, she couldn't see any hope of escaping.

And today, what made her life worse was that she had lost her job.

She had only graduated from technical secondary school last year, majoring in flight attendant studies. As a result, her family had no connections and no money, so with this diploma, she naturally couldn't get into an airline.

So she went to find a job herself and finally ended up as a sales assistant at a pipeline anti-corrosion company.

One day before the New Year, the sales manager took her to accompany some clients from out of town for a meal.

If she hadn't been highly vigilant that night and gone to the bathroom once, and then didn't drink the glass of wine in front of her when she came back, she didn't know what would have happened to her now.

Because she later heard that a girl who seemed drunk that day was later taken to a hotel while unconscious, and what happened after that, no one knew.

This made her shudder every time she thought about it.

Therefore, when that sales manager asked her to accompany clients for a meal again today, she resolutely resigned.

She threw her resignation letter in front of that lecherous middle-aged man without a second thought.

At that moment, she felt great inside. But the New Year had just passed, the balance in her bank card was less than 1,000 yuan, and she still had to pay rent and utilities soon. What should she do now?

Zhao Liying walked aimlessly on the streets of Langfang; she actually didn't know where to go.

But she didn't want to go home, because that narrow and crowded rental room couldn't give her anything, including the warmth and comfort she urgently needed now.

This day was February 12, 2006, the Lantern Festival, and it was also the last day many people stayed at home before going out to work, so the streets of Langfang were very lively.

She was currently in the city center, which was quite prosperous. In front of her, within her line of sight, there was a stage built with red cloth, and the display board had the words "Xinxin Gold Store, New Year's Grand Promotion," and a character was performing on it.

It was a clown.

Unlike the clowns everyone usually saw, wearing colorful clothes, this clown was very distinctive.

He wore a red suit, and instead of wearing a wig, he had actually dyed his entire hair jujube red. His face was covered with a thick layer of white powder, a heart mark was drawn on his right cheek, and his mouth wasn't drawn particularly exaggeratedly; it was just drawn with a smiling arc.

He didn't look much like the kind of clown in a circus; he had an indescribable sense of reality, the kind where you might not even turn your head in surprise if you passed by him.

The clown was performing ball tossing on stage. It was clear that he wasn't very skilled; he was a bit clumsy and somewhat flustered. The three balls were tossed high and low in his hands, making Zhao Liying break into a cold sweat for him.

After tossing the balls for a while, the clown began his funny performance on stage, making all kinds of strange faces and movements, trying to make everyone laugh.

But Zhao Liying could tell that this clown must have just started in the industry, because although he performed very hard and really wanted to make everyone laugh, his movements and those tricks were really clumsy and not funny at all.

The audience watching below found it uninteresting, and more than half of them dispersed all at once.

Probably seeing that the situation was bad, the host suddenly walked onto the stage at this time, interrupting the clown's performance: "Thank you, thank you to the clown for the wonderful performance. Now, it's time for our prize wheel again. Any customer who buys gold jewelry in our store today can enjoy a special discount..."

Zhao Liying saw that the clown was a bit caught off guard, flustered, and walked off the stage to the back of the stage.

With a bit of curiosity, or perhaps because she was really bored, she also walked over slowly, pretending to be passing by unintentionally.

Behind the stage, a "Transformers" Optimus Prime was saying to the clown with great pain: "Xiao Wang, it's not that I'm criticizing you, but those few jumps you made on stage really almost scared me to death. Is that funny? You were just ruining my mood. You might as well have just honestly tossed balls for five minutes. Did I ask you to be funny before? Because I could tell that you don't have any comedic cells at all, sigh."

Beside him, a giraffe was adding fuel to the fire: "It wasn't easy for Team Leader Su to gather the popularity, and you scattered more than half of it all at once. What do you want me to do when I go up later?"

Optimus Prime sighed: "Forget it, forget it. There are only three of us left in the troupe now, and I don't want to criticize you anymore. Xiao Wang, go practice well when you get down, and go online to learn."

After saying that, he turned his head and asked: "Xiao Si, we still need to recruit people quickly. Guo Peng and the others have left, and our staff is really too thin now. Go print some more recruitment ads today and post them on every street and alley."

The giraffe said pointedly: "Team Leader Su, are we still only recruiting Flower Fairies?"

Optimus Prime glanced at the clown, hesitated, and said: "Um, still only recruiting Flower Fairies. Write it clearly: female, between 18-25 years old, look a bit cute, can sing. Experience doesn't matter, as long as they can sing."

While they were talking, Zhao Liying had been pretending to wait for someone, listening silently. Hearing this, her heart suddenly stirred.

She had always been the type to do whatever she thought of. After hesitating for a few seconds, she walked over and asked: "Hello, may I ask if you are recruiting people?"

Team Leader Su clearly didn't expect someone to suddenly come knocking. He was stunned for a moment, turned his head to look her up and down, and said: "Yes, we are recruiting a girl who can sing and perform. Are you interested?"

At this time, the host on stage was saying "Please welcome the giraffe to the stage," and the giraffe hurried onto the stage.

Zhao Liying said: "Do you think I'm okay?"

She did look okay, otherwise she wouldn't have had the courage to participate in any talent show. Since she was a child, although she didn't dress well, Zhao Liying had also grown up being praised.

On a small round face, her big eyes were bright and moving, and her small mouth was like a cherry.

The key was that she wasn't like the average baby-faced girl with a flat nose. Her nose bridge was high and straight, making her look very spirited.

Although her makeup was a little heavy for work, the sweet and pure feeling still couldn't be hidden.

Optimus Prime seemed quite satisfied with her image and asked: "Can you sing?"

"Yes."

"Sing a song you're good at for me to hear now."

Zhao Liying wasn't stage-frightened. Although there were people weaving around, she opened her mouth and sang Zhang Shaohan's "Fable."

"I wandered to this busy street, the sun makes me a bit tired, strange that I've been muttering to myself lately, but I feel like I don't care..."

Optimus Prime listened with a frown for a long time, and it wasn't until the whole song was almost over that he interrupted: "Okay, that's it. Sigh."

This long sigh from Optimus Prime seemed to exhaust the impermanence and helplessness of the world, just like the old saying: "Life is not always as one wishes, seven or eight out of ten."

Zhao Liying's face was a bit red, but she didn't back down. Instead, she took the initiative and said: "I didn't perform well just now, why don't you listen to me sing another one?"

Optimus Prime said: "Okay, then you go ahead."

"I have always had a pair of invisible wings~ taking me to fly~ giving me hope~ I finally see~ my dreams all blooming~"

It was still Zhang Shaohan's song, but this time Optimus Prime only listened to the beginning before saying: "Okay, okay, that's it."

He looked Zhao Liying up and down, this time for a long time, before asking: "What's your name?"

"Zhao Liying."

"You shouldn't have sung before, right?"

"No."

"Um... your pitch isn't very accurate, and your breath isn't stable. The person we want to find is responsible for warming up the stage for our program. Between our appearances, sing a few songs, trying to attract more people to come and watch. Currently, sigh, your image is good, but your singing still needs a lot of practice. By the way, don't sing this 'Invisible Wings' in the future, okay?"

"Oh." Zhao Liying blinked and said again: "I can also sing Fish Leong's 'Courage,' do you want to listen?"

Optimus Prime waved his hand and said: "You have a lot of courage, I already know that. Let me tell you about the salary: daily settlement, 30 yuan per stage appearance, and after a week, it's 50. If you're willing, you can come to work tomorrow."

How could Zhao Liying not be willing? This monthly calculation was higher than her previous salary, and it was daily settlement. For her current situation, it was simply sending charcoal in the snow.

She nodded without hesitation: "Okay, then I'll come tomorrow."

Having recruited someone, Optimus Prime also breathed a sigh of relief and said: "Then we are colleagues from now on. Come, let me introduce you. My surname is Su, you can call me Team Leader Su from now on. Our troupe is called the Mingming Comedy Troupe. This is the clown Wang Xiang, and the one just now was the giraffe Huo Xiaosi."

"Hello." Zhao Liying greeted the clown.

The clown looked a bit wooden, nodded to her, and said "Hello." Finally, four people were gathered. Although the two newcomers felt a bit unreliable, Optimus Prime felt that it was a major event accomplished. After all, the team was getting stronger and stronger.

He raised his hand to check his watch and said: "Today is the Lantern Festival, we're going to have a dinner later. Xiao Zhao, if you have nothing else to do, come with us, how about it?"

Zhao Liying didn't want to go back to the rental room anyway, so she nodded and agreed.

After a while, the giraffe came off the stage, and the performance for the day ended there.

The clown and the giraffe surrounded Optimus Prime, waiting for the day's wages. Zhao Liying watched curiously from the side.

"Xiao Si, you get 50. Xiao Wang, yours is 30."

Just as Optimus Prime said, the clown was still in the trial period, so he only had 30 yuan. Zhao Liying saw the clown take the money and carefully put the 30 yuan into his pants pocket.

She felt even more that this clown was very similar to her.

Not that they looked alike.

But that they had no talent, but were both very hardworking.

Also, equally poor.

At this time, Optimus Prime suddenly said: "What is my biggest dream now, do you know?"

The giraffe shook his long neck and tossed his head: "I don't know, Team Leader Su, what is it?"

"It's that we finally have a full staff now. Let's work hard in the future and snatch the business of the Forest Comedy Troupe to help me vent my anger. At that time, there will be endless work every day, doing two shows a day, 50 for one show, 100 for two. Think about it, how much money can you earn in a month? 3,000 yuan! Wouldn't that be rich and noble?"

The giraffe continued: "And we can make Guo Peng and Zhou Jinxuan regret it!"

Optimus Prime nodded and said: "Right. So, let's work hard together. Xiao Zhao, go back and practice your singing well. Xiao Wang, go back and practice your ball tossing well, think about how a clown performs. Xiao Si, don't slack off either, go back and lose weight for me. How can a giraffe be as fat as you? Do you understand?"

All three nodded and said: "Understood."

Optimus Prime nodded with satisfaction and said: "Today can be considered a new starting point for our troupe, and it's also the Lantern Festival. Let's go, I'll treat everyone to a meal."

The giraffe chuckled: "Team Leader Su, is there a red envelope?"

Optimus Prime feigned anger and said: "Get lost."

Team Leader Su, who had taken off the Optimus Prime armor, was a man in his 30s, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, looking quite handsome, with stubble, unkempt, and feeling a few years older than his actual age. However, precisely because of this, he had a kind of vicissitudes, and a kind of mature man's charm.

The giraffe was a young man in his 20s, a bit chubby, looking honest and simple, and would look at Zhao Liying from time to time.

As for the clown, he hadn't removed his makeup.

The Lantern Festival hadn't ended yet, and many restaurants hadn't opened for business. Team Leader Su took a few people to look for a long time before finding a Sichuan restaurant that was open.

It was past 5 o'clock, and there was no business yet. Inside, there were only the boss and a waiter, watching the TV program on the wall in boredom.

The four ordered six dishes and a bottle of Erguotou. The boss happily went to cook, and Team Leader Su asked the others if they wanted to drink some, but all three refused.

So before the dishes were even served, Team Leader Su poured himself a glass and drank it in one gulp, squinting his eyes happily. After a while, he spat out a breath of alcohol from his throat and said: "Comfortable."

Team Leader Su looked at Zhao Liying and asked: "Xiao Zhao, what did you do before?"

Zhao Liying said: "I worked in sales at a company before, and I resigned today."

Team Leader Su was surprised: "Resigned today?"

Zhao Liying said "Um" and said: "I met a disgusting person."

Team Leader Su didn't actually pursue the question.

But Zhao Liying had been holding this matter in her heart for a long time, and she poured out her encounter all at once.

Team Leader Su was so engrossed in the story that he slapped the table in anger and cursed: "Damn it, there are too many scumbags in society, damn! Xiao Zhao, I'll add 10 yuan to your pay tomorrow to comfort you."

Zhao Liying said happily: "Thank you, Team Leader Su, I will work hard in the future."

Team Leader Su waved his hand and said: "Small matter."

Guo Xiaosi also said indignantly: "What kind of people are they? If I met them, I would definitely help you vent this anger."

Team Leader Su observed Zhao Liying's expression at this time.

Seeing her happy appearance, Team Leader Su decided to explain: "Xiao Zhao, the 10 yuan I mentioned is an addition for tomorrow only, not an addition to your daily pay, heh."

If the dishes hadn't just been served, it would have been very difficult to break the awkward atmosphere.

Zhao Liying had a cheerful and lively personality, and she soon forgot about this. She was quite talkative at the dinner table, unlike the clown who was just eating silently.

Team Leader Su and Xiaosi kept chatting with her.

At this time, Team Leader Su picked up a chopstick of shredded pork with garlic sauce and was stunned: "Ah? You also participated in a talent show? What's the name?"

Zhao Liying picked up a mouthful of rice and put it into her mouth, "Yahoo Search Star."

Team Leader Su said thoughtfully: "Xiaosi, I remember someone else also participated in a talent show, is it also called this name?"

Huo Xiaosi thought for a while and said: "It seems to be called this. Hey, Xiao Zhao, is it the kind where you vote online, and one mobile number can only vote once? Then there are several groups, and the top 50 in each group can advance?"

Zhao Liying said: "Yes, that's it."

Huo Xiaosi said to Team Leader Su: "Then that's right, it's the same as Zhou Jinxuan. Before the New Year, she also asked me to go to an internet cafe to vote for her once. The leader of her group seems to be called Zhang Yiyi."

"Ah!" Zhao Liying exclaimed, "I'm also in this group."

"Zhang Yiyi, who is that?" Team Leader Su asked.

Zhao Liying said in surprise: "Director Zhang Yiyi, he won the Silver Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival in Germany last year, he's very powerful. Team Leader Su, don't you know?"

The clown, who had only been listening and not speaking on the side, suddenly spoke and asked: "He won an award?"

"Um-hum!"

Zhao Liying patiently explained: "Director Zhang Yiyi is particularly powerful. After graduating from the Directing Department of the Film Academy, he filmed two movies, but because there wasn't enough money and the filming time was too short, the films didn't reach his own standards, so he voluntarily interrupted the filming and was determined to continue his studies, so he was admitted to the Film Academy as a graduate student. As a result, last year, guess what happened?"

Team Leader Su asked curiously: "What happened?"

Zhao Liying continued: "Last year, he accumulated his strength and broke out, writing, directing, and investing in a movie himself. As a result, he was a sensation internationally and won the Silver Bear Award, winning honor for our country. That movie is called 'The Mute's House,' released in May last year. Have you seen it?"

Team Leader Su and Huo Xiaosi both shook their heads. Huo Xiaosi said: "Haven't seen it."

Team Leader Su was serving his second bowl of rice: "I've seen the poster, but I haven't seen the movie."

Zhao Liying said excitedly, "I went to see it three times at the time, and every time it made me cry. Director Zhang Yiyi is really too powerful, he filmed it particularly well, I really admire him. The movie is particularly good, Team Leader Su, you must watch it when you have the chance in the future."

Team Leader Su nodded and said: "Okay, I'll go rent a DVD another day."

Zhao Liying said again: "The more I understand him, the more I admire him, really. How can there be such a hardworking and talented director in the world? If I could film an advertisement with him, I really feel it would be the happiest thing in the world."

"Cough, cough, cough!" The clown seemed to have choked on his rice.

Team Leader Su said: "Xiao Wang, eat slowly, don't rush."

"Um-hum." The clown nodded, "Just ate a chili pepper."

Huo Xiaosi said: "You're from Sichuan, what are you afraid of spicy for. Hey, Little Zhao, what place are you in now? When I voted for that person last time, she seemed to be 16th. How about you?"

Zhao Liying's face dimmed instantly, and she used her chopsticks to stir the shredded potatoes in her bowl, seemingly having no mood to eat, "I was 35th before, now I'm 51st."

"Ah, then aren't you?"

"Yes, almost eliminated." Zhao Liying's expression was very sad, "I really didn't expect that the competition in Director Zhang Yiyi's group would be so big, there were actually thousands of people signing up."

"Are there very few in other groups?" Team Leader Su asked while shoveling rice.

"Yes, the first place in our group, Zhang Wanru, Team Leader Su, do you know how many votes she has? She actually has over 3 million votes. The first place in the other three groups combined doesn't have as many as her alone. My 150,000 votes, if it were in other groups, would definitely be in the top 20, but here, I can't even get into the top 50."

Team Leader Su asked vaguely while holding rice: "Why? Is Zhang Yiyi so popular?"

Zhao Liying said cleanly: "No, they are all here for that scumbag Chen Nuo."

"Pfft!"

The clown was eating.

He hadn't spoken, because he had been eating, and now he was on his third bowl.

At this moment, he suddenly spat out all the rice in his mouth. If he hadn't turned his head quickly, the whole table would have been covered.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 123 =====