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"That was a fantastic performance—sharper and more on point than ever. Kyle, Mia, could you tell us a bit about how you came up with it?"
Nick looked at them expectantly, as if he couldn't wait to sit down with Kyle over drinks and talk comedy all night.
Kyle smiled, "Honestly? We just saw that this kind of comedy content was missing. It felt like a wide-open blue ocean for us to explore."
"And you know how language teachers always said good art reflects reality—like Edgar and Liami? That kind of thing."
"The audience likes this kind of comedy, so we created it. Though personally speaking… I wasn't super thrilled to do it."
"Because, well, if people laugh at these things, it means those issues still exist in real life—and that's kind of sad, right? It means we've still got a lot of problems to deal with."
As Kyle explained, Mia nodded beside him, adding:
"This time, honestly, we weren't very confident about the script. It was so blunt—it felt more like a serious drama than a comedy!"
"But seeing how the audience responded live... we finally breathed a sigh of relief. Thank you all so much!"
The audience burst into applause. People were thinking, Wait, this wasn't a comedy?!
But the more they thought about it—yeah, they got it.
"Holy crap, it wasn't even trying to be funny and it still cracked me up. Imagine if they really tried! That'd be nuts!"
"What do you mean it's a drama? That was pure comedy gold!"
"Only people who've never worked in an office wouldn't get those jokes."
"Man, when's the last time I felt this relaxed? So what if it's about bosses? Bosses can't be joked about?"
"After all the crap my boss pulls, I can't even make a few jokes about him?"
"I deal with enough stress at work. Now I gotta take crap when I'm watching TV too?"
The audience was going off in their heads, each silently ranting their own inner monologue.
Nick nodded and smiled.
"I really understand you both, and I admire you. Comedy isn't just about silly laughs anymore—your sketch was genuinely brilliant."
"A lot of people might say, 'Oh, it's just making fun of the system, criticizing issues.' But look, anyone can complain. I could list a bunch of problems too—but that's just giving suggestions."
"Even Records of the Grand Historian had a section called the 'Biography of Jesters'—it used funny stories to advise the emperor, to push reform."
"Now today, let's skip the criticism and just talk about the comedic structure of your piece."
"At first, it was just a normal conversation—nothing too flashy, but it felt natural. You didn't force the laughs."
"Bit by bit, you pulled the audience in. And then the punchline—'Leader:'—bam! That's when it clicked. The whole crowd was with you."
"Then you hit us with things like the Pavlovian feast, and the study session speech—that really nailed the idea of people in power not being worthy of it."
"The laughter didn't just hit all at once—it kept building, growing. You didn't wrap it up with some cheesy feel-good ending. That takes skill."
"'Creative Titles' and 'Thief Company' might start from different character angles, but the satire, the comedic effect—it's all top-tier. I loved it."
Nick finished his feedback, clearly fired up.
"Thanks for the feedback, Teacher Nick—you're too kind!"
Kyle and Mia quickly bowed and thanked him.
Heh, looks like the director wasn't lying—the judges really are giving fair comments.
As long as it's fair, Mia and I totally got this in the bag!
If they could keep performing on this stage, Kyle was more than happy. It was great exposure anyway.
The audience listened to Nick's breakdown and finally understood why it was so funny.
"Damn, that was really Nick giving a serious review? From him?"
"No way, he's supposed to be the goofy one, right?"
"Didn't he used to do that bit like, 'What's your dream?' That sketch killed me! Seeing him this serious is kinda weird..."
Some audience members were shocked—turns out Nick had this other side.
And back home, a certain actress was watching the flood of surprised comments scroll across the screen. She smirked:
"You guys didn't know? Teng-ge is a classically trained actor. Studied comedy theory in school. Spent over a decade on stage doing dramas. Just 'cause he acts silly doesn't mean he's got nothing upstairs."
Comedy actors can act clueless, play dumb, be loud and ridiculous.
But that's all acting. Their actual foundation and training? That's no joke.
After Nick finished, Lily took a moment, then turned on her mic. Smiling warmly, she looked at Kyle and Mia:
"Kyle, Mia—you two really surprised me. Taking a serious topic and making it so fun to watch... that's talent."
"Thank you, Director!"
Kyle replied casually. Mia froze—wait, didn't she just call her Teacher Lily earlier? Oh right! In the "Thief Company" sketch, Lily played the director!
Mia quickly caught on and echoed:
"Thanks, Director Lily!"
The audience paused for a beat—then burst into laughter and applause.
"Hahaha, you guys! Now I've got a whole new title—stop, you're making me blush!"
Lily laughed uncontrollably. Out of nowhere, she'd just been promoted!
Finally, it was Matt's turn to comment. The cheerful vibe instantly cooled. Last time, he'd been brutal with his criticism—and since then, his disciples had been stirring drama online too.
People used to think of Matt as a respected elder in the arts. But after one too many "life is perfect" speeches, and his students going wild on the internet, his image took a big hit.
"Kyle, Mia—your performance this time... I'd say it was excellent."
Matt's tone was softer than usual—not his usual direct, sharp style. Kyle was a little surprised.
"Using 'creative naming' to justify lavish spending from public funds—well, in this moderately prosperous era, that kind of thing is rare now."
"For an average person, eating roast duck every day isn't really a big deal anymore."
"So Kyle, your sketch—it's kind of out of touch. It exaggerates reality to the point where it's below reality."
"Which is why it's funny."
Matt's expression stayed calm. Some audience members nodded—yeah, it sort of made sense.
They looked toward Kyle, thinking, Did he just make this stuff up to bash the system?
Only people with real insider experience knew—what Kyle showed wasn't even 1% of the truth.
If the country wasn't worried about excessive spending, why would they push so hard to ban luxury dining?
Because that kind of spending is a huge issue.
Then Kyle spoke:
"Teacher Matt, I heard you're into health food. You get goat milk from a sheep named Blaza, flown in fresh just for you?"
Matt's calm face instantly stiffened.
"You also said the more primitive the creature, the higher the nutritional value. So two-legged animals are better than four-legged, and things with no legs are even better, right?"
"You like eating stingrays from the Antarctic—but only the tails. And of course, as an actor keeping your figure, you don't eat dinner at all."
The audience, even if they weren't there in person, could tell—Kyle's words, Matt's face—yeah, this was more than just a joke.
"Wait, wait... is that for real?"
Row 5, seat 16—Dora whispered. Her bestie, Linda, giggled:
"Told you to do your homework. Should've checked all the contestants' and judges' Twitter. But no—you skipped Matt's. Now look at you."
"No way... it's true?"
"Of course! His daily meal costs are easily 3-5K, maybe 8-9K if he's feeling fancy. Not even surprising."
"Do crosstalk performers really make that much? That generous with food?"
"Who knows? Let's just sit back and enjoy the show."
Dora and Linda whispered to each other, while everyone else at home grabbed their phones.
On Weibo, Matt regularly posted about shows, meetings, and pics of his students treating him to expensive meals.
And now? Everyone was staring at their screens, eyes wide.
This old man's been living in secret luxury, huh?!
Back on stage, Kyle was still playing it humble:
"It's inspiring, really. But as for your signature fish maw and caviar stew—let's not even talk about the price. We couldn't even find those ingredients!"
"So all we can do is scroll through your Weibo to drool over it. Ahh, let's stop here... I'm about to start drooling for real!"
As soon as he finished, the crowd exploded with laughter. Matt was so mad, he couldn't even speak.
Getting older, he'd started learning to use apps like Weibo to seem younger, more relatable.
And at first, yeah, he liked showing off the fancy stuff, the compliments that came with it.
But now? That casual flex had completely backfired. He'd exposed himself.
"....."