Chapter 147: Chapter 117: Good or Bad Isn’t What Others Say
The Beijing Exhibition Center was a large, comprehensive venue, integrating conventions, dining, performances, and lodging. It was a key site for cultural exchange, both domestic and international.
Su Chen and his group were headed to the Beijing Exhibition Theater, which was part of the Beijing Exhibition Center.
"There are so many people!"
Long lines had already formed in the plaza in front of the theater. A quick glance revealed several hundred people in each queue.
Fortunately, the theater had six entrances, which greatly eased the congestion.
"Do we need to queue?" Su Chen asked, frowning slightly at the long lines.
"We shouldn’t have to. I’m sure there’s a dedicated VIP entrance," Chen Fei said from the side.
Jiang Hui gave Chen Fei a look. "Xiaofei, go to the ticket gate and ask what the situation is."
Upon hearing this, Chen Fei immediately ran toward the nearest ticket gate. He used his size to his advantage, quickly squeezing through the crowd and causing a small stir.
He was gone and back in a flash. After just two or three minutes, Chen Fei returned, panting heavily.
"PHEW... PHEW... That was terrifying. How can those women be so vicious with their words?" Chen Fei gasped.
"What’s wrong? Did you fall into a den of sirens?"
"You have no idea, Mr. Su. I just went to ask the ticket checker a question, and they all thought I was cutting in line. They just let me have it! You should have seen them, their mouths were like machine guns. If I hadn’t been quick on my feet, I would’ve drowned in their spit!"
Su Chen and the other two burst out laughing.
"So what did you find out? Is there a VIP express lane?" Jiang Hui asked. ’If we have to queue, I’ll have to find another way in. There’s no way I’m letting Mr. Su wait in line!’
"There is! Mr. Su, everyone, follow me!" Chen Fei said, trying to catch his breath. He led Su Chen and the others toward the left of the ticket gate.
Meanwhile, at the VIP entrance, two young men were sitting by the door, shooting the breeze.
"Hey, He Yang, who do you think Uncle Qian invited? It’s for VIP Box One. You know, this whole theater only has two boxes, and Uncle Qian warned us over and over to be on our best behavior. Could it be some big shot from the crosstalk world?" a somewhat stout young man asked, clearly puzzled.
"I’m not sure either. But when I was chatting with Xiaolong earlier, he mentioned that this guest Uncle Qian invited is a really big deal. Said even Sicong would have to take a backseat to him."
"Huh? Sicong? You mean *the* Sicong?" The stout young man shot to his feet, a look of disbelief on his face.
He Yang nodded. "Bingzi, when they get here, watch your attitude. Don’t be so loud and reckless. If we accidentally offend this person, we’ll both be in deep trouble!"
Bingzi looked simple and honest, but he was sharp enough on the inside. His only issue was a slightly short fuse.
"Don’t worry. You take the lead on greeting them, and I’ll back you up from the side," Bingzi replied. He had already made up his mind: ’It’s best if I don’t say anything at all.’
He knew full well that his people skills were nowhere near as good as He Yang’s.
As the two were still mulling over how to greet their guest, a deep, resonant voice sounded in their ears. "Excuse me, is this the VIP ticket check?"
The sudden voice made them both jump.
They quickly looked up to see a young man peering at them through a glass window.
"Yes, sir. May I ask... who you are?" He Yang asked, quickly getting to his feet. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw three other people standing behind the man.
’Two young men, a middle-aged man, and a middle-aged woman?’ Even the worldly He Yang couldn’t figure out this combination. ’What kind of group is this?’
He could rack his brain and never imagine some rich kid bringing his butler and housekeeper along to a show.
At this, Chen Fei took four VIP box tickets from his pocket and handed them to He Yang.
He Yang took the tickets. When he saw they were for "Box One," his hand trembled involuntarily.
Calming himself, He Yang put on what he hoped was a cordial smile and asked, "Might I ask which of you is Mr. Su?"
Chen Fei glanced at He Yang, then stepped aside to reveal Su Chen behind him.
Seeing this, He Yang hurriedly opened the door. He made a respectful welcoming gesture and said, "Mr. Su, please, right this way."
Su Chen’s gaze rested on the two of them for a moment before he stepped inside.
He Yang hurried to lead the way for Su Chen, while Bingzi brought up the rear.
Bingzi watched the group walk ahead, a thoughtful expression in his eyes. ’The VIP, Mr. Su, is at the front. Behind him is the middle-aged man. The young man who presented the tickets is about half a step behind him, and the middle-aged woman is at the very end!’
He mulled it over for a long time, but Bingzi still couldn’t make sense of this strange entourage.
They soon arrived at the box. After Bingzi and He Yang served tea, snacks, and fruit, they excused themselves.
The moment the two of them returned backstage, they saw their fellow apprentices busy running their lines.
As soon as they saw the pair return, everyone crowded around them. "Brother Bing, which big shot did you go pick up? Give us the details!"
"Bingzi, is it someone who’s on TV all the time?"
"Brother Bing, a big shot from the entertainment industry?"
The backstage area instantly became a cacophony of voices as everyone chimed in with their questions.
"What are you all huddled up for? If you have so much energy, shouldn’t you be running your lines? If anyone messes up on stage later, you’ll see how I deal with you!" a coarse voice boomed, instantly quelling the backstage clamor.
Seeing Old Guo’s grim expression, the crowd scattered and went back to rehearsing with their partners.
"Bingzi, He Yang, with me," Old Guo said, then turned and walked into a small room in the back.
The two exchanged a glance and hurried in after him, finding the small room occupied by Old Guo, Yu Qian, Xiaoyueyue, and Sun Yue.
"Master, Senior Uncle, Uncle, Senior Brother!"
Standing in the middle of the room, the two of them greeted each person in turn.
"Boys, has Mr. Su arrived in his box?" Yu Qian asked with a smile.
"Uncle Qian, Mr. Su has arrived. There are four of them in total," Bingzi replied. As He Yang’s senior, it was his place to answer.
"Four people?" Yu Qian said, nodding thoughtfully.
"Then it’s just as I thought. I can’t believe Mr. Su really brought his butler and housekeeper along!"
"Huh?" A few confused murmurs went through the room.
Even Old Guo looked at his good partner in confusion. If he hadn’t known that Yu Qian wasn’t one to make things up, he never would have agreed to give away Box One in the first place.
Yu Qian glanced at everyone before explaining, "Mr. Su isn’t from the Imperial Capital. He’s currently living in a courtyard home on the northern bank of Houhai in Shichahai. People you’ve all heard of, like Sicong and Qin Fen, are frequent guests at his place."
At this, Yu Qian paused for a moment before continuing, "In fact, the mutton restaurant I’ve been planning recently... he’s the one heading the project."
"Hmm?" The others didn’t react much. At most, they just assumed Yu Qian had managed to curry favor with this Mr. Su.
Only Old Guo’s eyes widened. He’d heard Yu Qian mention this offhandedly before and had been extremely curious who had the power to snatch food from a tiger’s mouth. He never expected it to be this Mr. Su.
Old Guo’s mind started racing. He asked tentatively, "Old Yu, do you think I should go pay my respects to this Mr. Su?"
Yu Qian immediately knew what his old partner was thinking. He mulled it over for a moment before saying, "Probably not right now. The show starts in twenty minutes, so there isn’t enough time for a proper visit. I’ll take you after the performance."
Old Guo knew he was right. "Fine. We’ll go after the show!"
.......
Box One.
Su Chen was lounging on the sofa, his seat giving him a perfect view of the center of the stage.
"Old Jiang, how long until it starts?"
Jiang Hui glanced at his watch. "It’s about to start, Mr. Su."
No sooner had he spoken than people began to file onto the stage. In moments, dozens, maybe a hundred, performers stood there, all dressed in traditional long gowns.
Old Guo and Yu Qian walked out to the center of the stage, one after the other.
"Teacher Guo, I love you!"
Hearing the voice from the audience, Old Guo chuckled. "I appreciate the effort, ma’am!"
"HAHAHAHA!" Laughter rippled through the audience.
"It’s a full house here tonight, completely packed... Look at this, three whole floors, all full of people..."
Their opening banter, lasting just a few minutes, put the whole audience at ease. Even Su Chen, who had been lounging, sat up a little straighter. The chemistry between Old Guo and Yu Qian filled even the introduction with laughter.
SNAP!
"The elders of this land are gracious enough to have me, and I earn no ill-gotten gains. On behalf of the De Yun Society, Old Guo and Yu Qian thank our patrons, who put food on our table! Thank you all!"
The venue erupted in applause.
The show opened with a group performance of "Fa Si Xi." And it had to be said, when Old Guo began to sing, even Su Chen, who wasn’t a huge fan of crosstalk, found it surprisingly good.
"For Old Guo to have built the De Yun Society into what it is today, it really is a testament to his skill," Su Chen remarked.
Chen Fei nodded in agreement. "To be honest, I really admire Old Guo. To come to the Imperial Capital as an outsider and not only establish himself but also revitalize the entire crosstalk industry... that’s truly impressive!"
"Still, public opinion is divided on this crosstalk master. He has his detractors as well as his fans."
Su Chen just smiled serenely. "That’s perfectly normal. ’There are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people’s eyes.’ You can’t expect everyone to agree."
"Whether he’s a good person or a bad one is irrelevant to us. What matters is forming your own opinion instead of just believing every rumor you hear. You can only truly know what someone is like after you’ve actually gotten to know them."
Chen Fei nodded silently, understanding Su Chen’s point. No one is purely good or purely evil; it all depends on your perspective.
Happy times are always fleeting. The hours slipped by, filled with one entertaining crosstalk act after another. Before Su Chen knew it, the show was at its final curtain call.
It’s just as a certain celebrity once said: "When you’re famous, you’re surrounded by good people. When you’re not, you don’t get any respect."
"Mr. Su, should we leave now, before the crowd?" Jiang Hui asked.
Su Chen shook his head slightly. "No need. I imagine someone will be knocking on the door any minute now."
Sure enough, not even a minute later, there was a knock at the door. It was He Yang, the young man who had led them to the box earlier.
"Mr. Su, please wait just a moment. My master would like to pay his respects to you, if it’s convenient."
A flash of surprise crossed Jiang Hui’s and Chen Fei’s faces. They were amazed at how clearly Su Chen had predicted this.
"Alright. I’ll wait for them here in the box." Then he turned to Jiang Hui. "You can take Aunt Tang home to rest. I might be back late."
"Very good, Mr. Su." Jiang Hui then left with Aunt Tang.
Hearing this, an excited He Yang hurried back toward the backstage area.
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