Chapter Four: After Leaping the Dragon Gate, Listen to the Dragon's Song

After Uncle Benshan finalized the role of the restaurant owner for Jackie Chan, the latter departed from the rehearsal room.

Xu Ming stepped forward and whispered, "Master, Brother Shenyang asked me to participate in a commercial performance on the first day of the Lunar New Year."

"The first day of the Lunar New Year? Isn't he scheduled to perform at the Beijing TV Spring Festival Gala?" Uncle Benshan frowned.

"I asked, and he said it wouldn't be an issue."

Xu Ming’s specialty was answering exactly what he was asked; in front of his master, he was as docile as a quail.

"If he says it’s not an issue, then go ahead. Just tell him that if anything actually goes wrong, he shouldn't expect me to cover for him," Uncle Benshan replied.

Clearly, he sensed a degree of arrogance in his favored protégé.

"Understood," Xu Ming nodded.

There were some matters he preferred not to get involved in; after all, he was a latecomer to the troupe. Fortunately, this had its advantages: neither his fellow disciples nor his master suspected him of ulterior motives.

"By the way, how many years is your contract with Benshan Media?" Uncle Benshan asked casually.

"Eight years. I signed it at the beginning of the year. I originally wanted to sign for thirty, but the agency department wouldn't allow it, saying I was looking to retire before I’d even started working," Xu Ming said, feigning an aggrieved expression.

"Haha, you’re too honest, kid. In thirty years, who knows if Benshan Media will even exist?" Uncle Benshan laughed, patting Xu Ming on the shoulder as the latter stood hunched over. "You were the one who proposed the framework for 'Don't Mind the Money,' and all the punchlines went to Yadan. You don't have any hard feelings, do you?"

"We're all family, why would I? Yadan is my senior sister, after all," Xu Ming replied.

As if he didn't know exactly who held the real punchlines. But this wasn't the time to be smug. Once the live broadcast of the Spring Festival Gala on January 25th passed, he would have leaped over the dragon gate, and then, he would let the world hear his roar.

Although he certainly couldn't catch up to Jackie Chan’s career anytime soon, he felt he could at least compete in the department of romance. He might not have a big nose, but he possessed a face as handsome as Daniel Wu’s.

...

In the time that followed, Xu Ming practiced alongside his master and Yadan. During this period, Bi Fujian arrived as well. As a host for CCTV, his schedule was quite flexible.

However, the scene everyone had anticipated—Jackie Chan performing on stage with Uncle Benshan—was now off the table. The role of the restaurant owner simply had too few lines to be significant; it felt like a filler role. If Jackie Chan were to play it, it would be a disservice to his enthusiasm, and it would easily overshadow the main act.

It wasn't as if Jackie Chan had said he was at their disposal and they would actually be foolish enough to boss him around. Someone that prominent simply couldn't survive in the Spring Festival Gala production team.

In the rehearsal room, the group stood in their positions, the atmosphere tense. Tomorrow was the live broadcast of the gala. They had to take advantage of every remaining moment to practice, lest they make a mistake in front of the entire nation, which would be an unforgivable catastrophe.

After all, not everyone could be like Uncle Benshan, who, during the 2006 Spring Festival Gala performance of the sketch "Discussing Matters," realized mid-performance that he had forgotten an important prop. While his partner, Sister Dandan, was nearly paralyzed with fear, he had calmly walked off stage and retrieved it.

"Yadan, take a break. Don't strain your voice; just recite the lines in your head," Uncle Benshan said, pulling up a stool. He was fifty-two this year, but due to years of irregular meals in his youth, his health was much frailer than it should have been. "Xiao Ming, give me a rendition of 'The Red Flowers of Shandan Bloom Brightly.' I want to see how you're maintaining your state."

The final punchline rested on the two of them singing. Uncle Benshan was highlighting this segment specifically to boost his two disciples. The truth was that his other disciples weren't very impressive; not one of them had managed to break out beyond the Northeast provinces. If it weren't for the unexpected success of "Rural Love" in making the other three members of the Northeast F4 famous, the entire burden would have rested solely on Xiao Shenyang’s shoulders. As for Wen Song, Yang Shulin, and Song Xiaofeng, they were all from a later generation and didn't even rank yet.

"Ahem."

Xu Ming cleared his throat and began, "The Shandan flowers bloom so bright, red and fresh, Chairman Mao leads us to build this great nation..."

Since his rebirth, besides apprenticing under Uncle Benshan, his number one priority had been training his voice and singing technique. If his singing wasn't up to par, even if he got the chance to perform, he wouldn't be able to compete with the others.

Come to think of it, singing this song in front of Teacher Bi had a touch of irony to it. Of course, the humor of this cross-temporal irony was something only Xu Ming understood.

"Your two disciples have voices that get higher with each note. They’re both great prospects," Bi Fujian said with a smile.

"They’re all self-taught. Yadan has the foundation of Errenzhuan, but I never expected Mingzi to be able to sing like this," Uncle Benshan remarked with emotion. "I remember when he first apprenticed with me, he was best at stand-up comedy. It seems he’s put in a lot of effort since joining."

What he called stand-up comedy was, in fact, the monologue-style performance Xu Ming had used to get his foot in the door.

Of course, in this day and age, the concept of "stand-up" wasn't very popular in the country, so his master automatically categorized it as a monologue. Since joining, Xu Ming had kept a low profile within Benshan Media, hiding his talents. He wouldn't shy away when it was time to shine, but he remained humble afterward.

People in the media company might not have praised him, but absolutely no one spoke ill of him. Even if he couldn't be compared to Song Jiang, he could at least be called a "Little Shi En."

"I didn't start as early as my senior brothers, so I just had to work harder in my daily practice," Xu Ming said lightly, though his words encompassed an entire year of hard work.

People struggle to find motivation without clear goals and rewards, but he knew the immense wealth and fame that "Don't Mind the Money" would bring him. It was like completing a system quest; as he progressed every day, he could practically see the progress bar nearing completion.

"This kid is really something. We should have him come on 'Star Boulevard' to give it a try later. With his singing and his image, I wouldn't dare say he'll be a massive hit, but a moderate success is guaranteed," Bi Fujian said.

"Let’s wait until after the New Year. We'll see what the kid wants to do. He has a mind of his own; he even put together that 'Silk Man' thing online. I heard it’s really popular."

Uncle Benshan neither accepted nor rejected the offer; he wasn't particularly strict with his disciples. Benshan Media was different from the Deyun Society; it was at least a corporate entity, and most of his disciples had already mastered their crafts before joining. Most importantly, Uncle Benshan’s heart was truly magnanimous—far more so than a certain other master of crosstalk.

It was hard to imagine a master claiming his disciple had betrayed his ancestors and violated moral principles simply because the disciple wanted a raise...

Time slipped away, and soon it was the day of the Spring Festival Gala.

The backstage area grew increasingly lively, and the atmosphere became more and more tense. While most people were celebrating and relaxing in anticipation of the New Year, those backstage at the gala were coiled like springs, terrified of ruining the annual event.

One performer after another was led by their agents to the lounge to pay their respects to Uncle Benshan. Xu Ming stood to the side, acting as both bodyguard and assistant, and managed to collect quite a few business cards in the process.

Gradually, the crowd dispersed, and the lounge returned to quiet.

Outside, the faint sound of the hosts’ opening remarks could be heard.

Simultaneously, the same image appeared on countless television screens across the country. Behind the six CCTV hosts hung a massive backdrop—The 2009 CCTV Spring Festival Gala.