-----
-----
This was the first time Mia had ever been hit with such harsh, baseless criticism!
The stuff they were talking about in their sketch? It's not like it's a hidden problem—it's as obvious as lice on a monk's head!
Kyle gave Matt a quick glance. Ugh, this guy was clearly the type who sings praises all day. People like that are always kind of annoying.
When the two performers on stage didn't respond, the host, Nick, worried things might get tense and quickly stepped in:
"Alright, that's enough commentary. Let's move on to the voting!"
"Eliminated. And I mean definitely eliminated!"
Matt said right away, voice firm and final.
Nick and Ashley both didn't expect that. Matt, a veteran of the game, didn't even bother to be polite at the end.
Ashley paused for a second, then picked up her mic and said:
"I was really looking forward to seeing you perform in the smaller theater shows—it would've been a blast. But… I'm sorry, it's a no from me too."
She really wanted to say yes, but she knew you can't go against someone that powerful.
Still, she offered some sincere advice.
"That's two votes already, so I guess my opinion doesn't matter now."
Nick let out a sigh.
If this were an online-only show, he'd bet money Kyle and Mia's sketch would've made it through easily.
And they'd probably win the whole competition!
"Well, just as expected—we're out,"
Kyle took a deep breath and said:
"Just like we thought. We got eliminated on this stage."
"No, technically you just didn't pass the current round. You're not officially eliminated yet! You've still got one more chance~"
Nick hurried to explain—there's a fixed elimination system in the show.
"Oh, this is another 'chance'? More like another way to get kicked off…"
"But this is great! I don't have to fake cry or force some emotional nonsense anymore!"
Mia suddenly shouted, totally letting loose and being herself.
"Huh???"
Kyle was stunned.
It wasn't just him—even the others looked totally confused.
Nick: "What's going on here???"Ashley: "Being a sketch comedian is really hard, huh…"Matt: "Knew it. Eliminating them was the right call. They're clearly losing it."Audience: "Wait wait wait… no way. Even the actors can't handle doing these 'praise-and-happy-ending' shows??"
"She was laughing so naturally during the harmony bit earlier—what happened now?"
"Duh! When you don't have any real connections, of course you keep your head down. One misstep and you're out first round!"
"I used to think comedy shows ending in tears meant the actors weren't skilled. But now… maybe it's not their fault at all."
"Small theater sketches don't go through censorship—they're way funnier. Look at the big satellite channels and the New Year Gala, it's all this same formulaic stuff. Funny? Yeah right."
"If our school didn't threaten to withhold credits, I wouldn't even be at this show."
"Ha! Weren't you the one all hyped when you heard Ashley was in the sketch 'The Taoist'?"
"Yo, look! Kyle's walking Mia off stage, holding her hand—how sweet~"
"Definitely has a crush on her~"
While the crowd kept whispering and commenting, Kyle had already pulled Mia off stage, skipping the usual 'thanks to the judges' completely.
Matt (thinking): No manners at all. Clearly a couple of wild amateurs with no teacher.
"Alright, let's welcome our next group! Their performance is called 'Unreliable Neighbor'~"
Nick jumped in to keep the show moving:
"Let's give them a warm round of applause!"
Backstage, the other contestants completely ignored Kyle and Mia. They were basically dead meat now—no one wanted to get involved.
And if word got out they were friendly? Matt might even hold a grudge.
"Well, either way, we're trending now! Next up is that interview show!"
Kyle was in high spirits:
"But first—Mia, let's go get some real food. You've been craving that roast lamb chop, right? Come on, your big bro's treating you~"
"You can still think about food right now? My legs are literally shaking~"
Mia groaned, clearly feeling regret.
She'd enjoyed being on stage, loved the applause.
And she'd loved venting her frustrations afterward.
But now… now she felt weak and a bit guilty.
She thought they'd blow up and go viral, but who knows if that'll really happen?
And offending Matt? That could mean a total career blackout—just like Eddie back in the day.
Worse still, Kyle and Mia didn't even have a group like Deyunshe backing them.
"Come on, with legs that thick, you really think they'd go weak? Let's eat!"
Kyle laughed and dragged her off to a fancy restaurant.
Meanwhile, on the "Comedy People" production team and among viewers all over the country, discussions were buzzing.
"Isn't that Li Yiming Matt's grand-disciple? That skit of his was sooo boring."
"Seriously! Your neighbor's cooking in the middle of the night and you're just fine with it? And he's doing it to make soup for orphans? Who eats bone soup first thing in the morning?!"
"Ugh. After watching 'The Thief Company,' this new one feels like a splinter in my throat—totally uncomfortable."
"You took the cash to hype it up, but you're not crying anymore?"
"Because my upstairs neighbor actually makes noise at night!"
Not only did the energy at the live venue drop massively,
Even people watching on TV felt the upcoming performances were bland and boring.
Huìwù Garden Neighborhood
A family of three was eating dinner. The dad wasn't in a great mood today.
His recent project idea had been handed over to a rookie, Kevin.
They said the team was short-staffed and Kevin needed a quick win to go full-time.
But everyone knew Kevin was the team lead's brother-in-law.
What could Dad do? With elderly parents and a kid to support, he had to swallow it.
Back when he was single and full of fire, forget about a team lead—even a manager, he would've called them out right then and there!
Sigh… not as bold as I used to be.
At that moment, the TV was playing Kyle and Mia's crosstalk sketch "The Thief Company."
"Cutbacks keep piling up, and more and more people sneak in with connections. Once they're in, they get promoted to managers!"
"If they say you're good, you're good—even if you're not. If they say you're bad, you're bad—even if you're good. You have to agree, even if it's nonsense!"
Huh? This sketch… hits way too close to home!
"Son, listen up! This is a good sketch—it really nails the workplace reality!"
"Why are you telling me? I'm still a student."
"Exactly! If you wait until you're working to understand this, it'll be too late."
"Come on, it's just a comedy sketch."
"You've studied, right? Don't you know a lot of truths are only said through jokes?"
Hearing the father and son talk, the mom started paying attention too. After a while, she burst out laughing:
"Hahaha! This sketch is actually funny! No forced happy ending, no cheesy praise—haven't heard something like this in years!"
"No way, Mom? Dad? You two actually like this kind of sketch? Wow, never thought you guys were rebels!"
The son smacked his lips, like he'd just uncovered a family secret.
"Alright, vote for them on your phones—wait, what? They got eliminated?"
"No way. They got eliminated?"
"This sketch was way better than the others!"
The whole family stared at the TV as Kyle and Mia were shown getting eliminated—and just froze.
Provided by Feilu Novel Network
[Free audiobook with multiple voice actors available]
Recharge via: WeChat, Alipay, SMS, and more
"....."