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Lily watched Kyle and Mia with surprise. Their comedic dialogue was really different from the typical stuff from the Comedy Cellar.
It wasn't loud or rowdy. There weren't any tasteless jokes, and there weren't any punchy catchphrases.
But still—it was really funny.
She couldn't even explain why it was funny exactly.
Maybe it had something to do with her background. Lily came from a dance background and didn't have much deep knowledge of theatre or comedy.
Still, she knew enough to tell good comedy when she saw it.
"Gosh, my face hurts from laughing~"
It took her a while to recover and put her expression back together.
But her face was still flushed red—such a sharp contrast with Matt next to her, whose face was icy cold.
Ding~
"Thief Company" finished successfully.Ten million Dollar in prize money released.George Carlin and Bob Hope's performance skills fully absorbed!
As the system let out a soft chime, Kyle suddenly felt like he had two more lifetimes of acting experience stuffed into his brain.
George Carlin and Bob Hope were absolute legends. And not just on small stages—they had huge success in workplaces, musical performance, even in film.
"No wonder people always say having an elder at home is like having a treasure," Kyle thought, fired up. "The experience and skill these old-school artists bring? Absolutely priceless."
Instead of just giving him fish, the system taught him how to fish. With those abilities? Forget ten million—he could aim for a billion.
"Thank you, thank you everyone for your applause~"
Kyle and Mia bowed deeply to the audience.
This performance was a major success. From the frequency of the applause to how long it lasted, everything screamed "win."
As for being "eliminated for not aligning with mainstream values"?
Who cares?
Even if they didn't become famous doing stand-up, they'd still be invited to all sorts of interviews and variety shows.
In today's world where clicks and views rule, even bad buzz is still buzz. Even if comedians get "eliminated," they can still pop up all over the place.
"Kyle, Mia, your style took a turn today. Your content and lines were razor sharp~"
"I have to ask—do you realize the consequences of this kind of performance? Is there a story behind it?"
Shenteng adjusted the mic, eyes full of admiration.
"Right before I got on stage today, I just had this weird feeling," Kyle said calmly. "I realized I really don't like these forced emotional, preachy performances~"
"That's just not what I'm aiming for. Comedy is meant to make people laugh—heck, the word itself has the word 'happy' in it. I just wanted to go back to what comedy's really about."
"And I'm really lucky," he added, "that my partner Mia was fully on board. I really appreciate her."
Kyle didn't even know how the words came out so smoothly—probably Niu Qun's impromptu skills kicking in.
No way could he say, "Oh, it's the system that told me to do this~"
Mia hadn't expected Kyle to say all that either, but she nodded and chimed in:
"Honestly, when Kyle suggested switching up our act, I was hesitant. But he was super firm and asked me to take a look at the new script—and I thought, this is an opportunity!"
"Not necessarily to win, but to explore a new direction for our performances. After tonight, I really think this style suits us. Thanks, everyone~"
After listening to their thoughts, Shenteng nodded.
"Personally, I loved this piece. Structurally and stylistically, it's super polished~"
"But you both know—it's a bit controversial. It doesn't really fit the mainstream stage… and especially not this one."
Kyle stayed calm. Mia looked a bit nervous and disappointed.
She had already mentally prepared for this kind of response before going on stage—but part of her had still hoped for something different.
Lily picked up her mic:
"I really didn't expect a comedy piece like this today. It talks about real life, but at the same time, it's clearly not reality—I mean, a Thief Company would never actually get a business license~"
"It felt so fresh and original to me, like a breath of fresh air. It reminded me of Don Quixote—fun and imaginative, but like a toy with sharp blades… kind of out of place."
Kyle just nodded calmly. He already knew this was coming.
Right now, all he wanted was for the critiques to wrap up fast so he could take Mia out for a big celebratory meal and figure out how to spend that ten million~
Mia had been craving grilled lamb chops for a long time, and recently they'd only been able to settle for braised pork to curb the cravings.
The last judge, Matt, turned on his mic and spoke in a harsh tone:
"This show should never have been performed. And you two actors—if you don't fix your attitude—you shouldn't be on stage at all!"
Huh?
That harsh?
Lily and Shenteng exchanged skeptical glances. Matt was a senior, a veteran, a representative of traditional arts.
But still—wasn't this a bit too aggressive?
"Our country has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. And with our progress and prosperity, petty crimes like pickpocketing have been practically wiped out!"
"And a Thief Company? That's pure nonsense. Sure, art can be imaginative, but creators still need to stay grounded in reality."
"You used Thief Company as a form of satire, to stir up attention and smear the truth. That's dangerous thinking—it totally misleads the audience!"
"If this kind of smear is your way of getting attention, I suggest you quit now. You clearly don't understand your place."
"Don't you know what the people like? The people's eyes are clear and sharp!"
"I advise you not to appear on this stage again—or on any stage in the future!"
"Trying to be clever with cheap tricks and slander? Art should educate and entertain. You two should learn how to be proper people first!"
"Your show had zero educational value! Not an ounce of positive energy!"
Whoa.That was aggressive.
That came from a veteran artist?
Shenteng and Lily couldn't help but glance at Matt, completely taken aback.
"Exactly! Matt's right! This is supposed to be comedy? What a load of crap!!"
"Satire? What satire? This is straight-up slander! Master was absolutely right!"
"Educate and entertain! So well said! Our grandmaster nailed it—art should lead people to do good!"
"Those young folks trying to take shortcuts—they need to be disciplined properly! Show them what real tradition looks like!"
Matt's disciples and teammates jumped in immediately to back him up.
But—the audience wasn't buying it.
"C'mon, that's a bit much, isn't it? I thought it was pretty funny~ I don't think it was slander at all~"
"So we're a fully developed country now? I'd almost believe it—if I hadn't just been to the government office myself~"
"Man, officials really live in a different world, huh? They've totally erased all the surface-level nonsense."
"Heh… if Matt's right, then I guess all those corrupt officials in prison must be innocent and wrongly accused~"
The audience couldn't stay silent anymore. They started whispering to each other all around the venue.
"..…"