Chapter 859: Voting for the most popular celebrity!
Translator: Legge Editor: Legge
Later that afternoon.
The rehearsal ended successfully.
The Spring Festival Gala's production team held a meeting and began to analyze some of the issues that cropped up in the rehearsal.
Chang Xiaoliang also went to look for Zhang Ye and Yao Jiancai immediately.
Yao Jiancai asked with concern, "Director Chang, is everything going to be alright since our crosstalk earlier was posted online by someone?"
"The Station Head said it would be fine." Chang Xiaoliang smiled.
Yao Jiancai laughed and said, "Then that's great. Little Zhang and I were afraid we would cause trouble for the TV station because of this problem. If we knew that someone would record our performance, then we wouldn't have said all that."
Chang Xiaoliang asked, "Are you two prepared for the actual performance yet?"
Zhang Ye said, "I'll have to go back and think over it, but I guarantee there won't be any problems."
"I hope the subject won't be as sensitive as today's performance." Chang Xiaoliang coughed and said, "Of course, the both of you are professionals, so I think you will know what to do without me telling you."
Zhang Ye reassured him, "Don't worry, we definitely won't speak irresponsibly."
Chang Xiaoliang nodded. "Alright then, I'll be looking forward to your actual routine. When the performance is ready, you can contact me so that our production team can go through it once."
When Zhang Ye left the television station, there were already reporters blocking the entrance.
Originally, there were quite a number of reporters interviewing some of the celebrities and performing groups who had just exited the venue, but when they saw Zhang Ye and Yao Jiancai, every one of them abandoned their current interviews and piled toward the two!
"Zhang Ye has come out!"
"It's Yao Jiancai and Zhang Ye!"
"Teacher Zhang, I'm from Huabei Entertainment Magazine!"
"Teacher Zhang, can I ask a few questions?"
"What's the actual routine that you will be performing at the Spring Festival Gala?"
"What was the reason for your attack on the crosstalk world again?"
"Is your performance titled ‘I Want to Get on the Spring Festival Gala’? Are you mocking Central TV's Spring Festival Gala because they did not invite you? This year's most popular celebrity poll organized by the official Weibo site is starting soon, how do you think you will be ranked?"
"Teacher Zhang, please don't go!"
"Teacher Yao!"
The reporters were hounding them like crazy!
Zhang Ye dodged the questions. "No comment, no comment for now."
Yao Jiancai squeezed past the crowd as he said, "We have an agreement and a lot details can't be revealed yet. If you want to know what the actual routine is, you can just tune in to Beijing TV when the time comes! We definitely won’t disappoint anyone!"
After a great struggle, the two of them finally got into a car.
Yao Jiancai panted, "Where did you park?"
Zhang Ye sighed. "I drank too much yesterday, so I didn't dare drive here this morning."
After starting the car, Yao Jiancai laughed loudly. "Since it's still early, let's go over to my house. It's been a long time since we've had a drink together. Shall we have a round then?"
"Let's go!" Zhang Ye gestured.
...
At the Yao household.
In a small bedroom.
Yao Mi had invited some of her old high school classmates to her house for lunch. At this moment, the several of them were crying out in excitement as though they were injected with adrenaline.
"Zhang Ye is so cool!"
"Mimi, your dad is awesome too!"
"That crosstalk was so funny! Let's listen to it again!"
"But we've listened to it three times!"
Yao Mi checked through the news online and let out a curse. "Damn, my dad and Uncle Zhang have really caused an outrage this time. There are so many industry peers criticizing them that it looks like it's getting out of hand!"
Little Ling interrupted, "You make it sound like your dad and Zhang Ye have never caused an outrage before."
Little Yu laughed and said, "Yeah, as long as it's a crosstalk performed by Zhang Ye and your dad, when have they not angered the masses? There were people denouncing, scolding, and reporting it!"
Little Qing yelled, "I like Zhang Ye a ton!"
Little Ling blinked. "Mimi, are we friends?"
"Nonsense, what do you think?" Yao Mi laughed as she rolled her eyes.
Little Ling immediately said, "If we are friends, then you should arrange for us to meet Zhang Ye someday!"
"Right, right!"
"Haha, that's a good suggestion!"
Her old classmates all appeared to be anticipating it.
Yao Mi equivocated, "It's difficult for me to meet Uncle Zhang as he hasn't been coming to Peking University to teach lately."
At this moment, they heard someone knocking on the door.
"Eh?" Little Ling's ears perked up.
"My dad is back!" Yao Mi stood up.
The house door opened.
Yao Jiancai's wife had opened the door. "You're back? Eh?"
Zhang Ye who was standing beside Old Yao smiled and said, "Sister, I'm here to visit you."
Yao Jiancai's wife beamed at once. "Come in, come in. Heh, this Old Yao sure doesn't know how to be treat his guests. He should have informed me that you were coming over so that I could've made dinner."
Zhang Ye smiled and said, "Sister, it's fine as long as there's alcohol."
Yao Jiancai asked, "Where is Mimi?"
"She is chatting with her old classmates in the bedroom," Yao Jiancai's wife replied.
From there, the bedroom door of Yao Jiancai's daughter was suddenly opened by someone from inside!
Then, a loud scream sounded!
Followed by a second and third scream!
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
"Zhang Ye!"
"It's him in person!"
Yao Mi's old classmates were so excited that their faces were flushed. Zhang Ye got scared from those ridiculously high decibel screams, thinking that someone's foot had been stepped on!
Yao Mi felt a bit embarrassed and smiled sheepishly. "Uncle Zhang."
Zhang Ye smiled and said, "Hi. Who are these friends of yours?"
Without waiting for Yao Mi to reply, Little Ling was the first to step forward. "Teacher Zhang, we are Mimi's old high school classmates! Oh, Teacher Zhang! You're my idol!"
Little Qing also came over quickly. "We've just listened to your and Uncle Yao's crosstalk! It's really fantastic!"
Little Yu said loudly, "Teacher Zhang, you're really awesome. Can you teach me how to scold and curse people?!"
Little Ling said right away, "I wanna learn too! Teach me!"
Yao Jiancai was amused.
Zhang Ye didn't whether to laugh or cry as he had mixed feelings about this request. Consider the requests other superstars would get when their fans saw them. There would be requests for hugs, taking pictures together, asking to be in a relationship, and so on. But when fans saw this bro, their request was to learn how to scold and curse people? What the hell?
Yao Mi nearly fainted. "Can you guys learn something proper instead?"
Little Yu giggled. "What do you mean by calling it improper? Scolding and cursing is also a type of talent and ability. If the English and Japanese languages can be categorized into grades, then Teacher Zhang will definitely be ranked at the highest grade of ten if scolding and cursing also has a grading!"
Little Ling directly bestowed a title on Zhang Ye by saying, "That's true. Teacher Zhang Ye is definitely The Top Reviler of China! He will scold whomever comes at him, whether it's one person or an entire group!"
Zhang Ye asked exasperated, "Just why would you guys have such a terrible impression of me?"
Yao Jiancai remarked, "Did you think otherwise?
Everyone in the house laughed.
At night, dinner was ready.
Yao Mi's old classmates had originally come over for lunch at noon and were supposed to go home after that, but when they saw that Zhang Ye had come to visit, they decided to stay. Even though Yao Mi kept pressing them to leave for the longest time, her old classmates simply feigned ignorance and clowned about in a bid to stay. In the end, against this shamelessness of theirs, Yao Mi could do nothing.
Yao Jiancai's wife served the dishes. "Try some of these, try them."
Zhang Ye quickly said, "Sister, it's been hard on you."
"What are you standing on ceremony for? It's been some time since you have come over." Yao Jiancai's wife smiled at him.
Zhang Ye said, "Hai, Old Yao is always doing movie shoots outside of Beijing and there's only a few days when he's back at Beijing. Our timing always clashes, otherwise I would have come over sooner."
Yao Jiancai smirked. "How can I be busier than you?"
Zhang Ye said, "What can I be busy with? I've just been idle every day."
"You haven't been busy with the serious matters," Yao Jiancai said, "But you have been busy with scolding people every day. Didn't you just finish fighting with Central TV Department 1 a while ago?"
Yao Mi suddenly recalled something. She slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "Oh right! This year's most popular celebrity poll on Weibo is starting soon."
Yao Jiancai wondered, "Why is it so early this year?"
Yao Mi said, "It has happened around the Spring Festival every year."
Zhang Ye also knew about this poll. It was a rankings list that was organized by the official Weibo platform. In the many years of holding it, this rankings list had become a traditional affair for all Weibo users to satisfy their self-entertainment needs. During last year's poll, Zhang Ye also got onto the Weibo's most popular celebrity rankings, but his result was just average and he had barely broken into the top 100 of the poll. However, there was another poll for the most unpopular celebrity rankings in which Zhang Ye dominated the list. He scored an overwhelming victory with an unbelievable amount of votes and won the most unpopular celebrity award. At that time, this news had even caused quite a stir.
This year's poll was going to begin again?
Little Ling said immediately, "Uncle Yao, will you be pulling for votes?"
"Count me out." Yao Jiancai smiled and said, "This poll was meant for the celebrity idols. I'm just a middle-aged old man and can't possibly beat the others."
Little Ling asked, "How about you, Teacher Zhang?"
Zhang Ye dismissed, "I'd rather drink."
"Come, let's toast again." Yao Jiancai clinked glasses with him.
Little Ling laughed and said, "I'll just give my votes to the two of you first."
Little Yu said excitedly, "I'll go and have a look too. It looks like it has already started?"
Little Qing replied, "Yes, it started at 6 PM today and ends tomorrow at 6 PM too."
...
Online.
The annual polls on Weibo had been placed on the website's homepage for some time and had already been promoted for many days. At exactly 6 PM, the voting window officially opened!
The Weibo users swarmed in!
"It has begun!"
"I'm here!"
Holy shit, Huo Dongfang already has 1,000 votes? So awesome?"
"Sect Leader Huo has been canvassing for votes since long ago!"
"Haha, I will still vote for my Big Qi!"
"Supporting Sister Zhang without hesitation!"
"It's not necessary for Sister Zhang to compete in this, so I will give my vote to Sect Leader Huo. Rise to the Dance was so terribly beaten by A Bite of China and the viewership ratings has already dropped below 0.6%. A while ago, a domestic best actor award was also won by someone else with Sect Leader Huo missing out. I should give him a vote because I think he's been really unlucky lately."
The competition for the most popular celebrity rankings poll was too intense!
One moment, Zhang Yuanqi was in the first place, then the next moment, Huo Dongfang's votes would increase explosively, then another moment later, two Heavenly Kings were occupying the top two positions, and yet another moment later, a famous Korean drama star who had come to Mainland China to develop his career was dominating everyone else. With the rankings going up and down, the vote count was very close with no way to determine who was winning at the moment.
Yao Jiancai did not get into the top 100, while Dong Shanshan was currently ranked at 97th place. She had strong momentum in the poll, but was unsure if she could maintain her position.
"How nail-bitingly close!"
"The fans are amazing!"
"Quickly vote for the Heavenly King! He's going to get overtaken!"
"Who dares to fight with my oppa for the top spot?"
"Damn you, we will definitely fight for it! Give all our votes to Sister Zhang!"
"Bring it on, who's afraid of who! Fuck!"
"Haha, Sister Zhang has 500,000 votes now!"
"Awesome!"
"Ah, the Korean has 510,000 votes! Did they manipulate the votes? How could it increase by 10,000 votes in the blink of an eye? That fast? Even the Heavenly King and Queen have been overtaken by him!"
"He's at 520,000 votes already!"
The fans were also starting to fight and neither could get the upper hand!
However, when they clicked on the most unpopular celebrity rankings poll, many netizens were stunned by what they saw. Then everyone burst out laughing!
"Hahahaha!"
"What the hell!"
"Pfft, I already knew that would happen!"
"As expected, there's no suspense in this poll at all!"
"This guy's reputation is too terrible!"
Zhang Ye's name appeared impressively at the top of the most unpopular celebrity rankings. With a current vote count of—2.75 million votes!
As for second place?
Second place only had 21,000 votes!
Zhang Ye's votes were over a hundred times more than the second place votes! And it was also five times more votes than that Korean celebrity who was currently at the top of the most popular celebrity rankings had.
There was no suspense to the outcome at all!
It was a completely overwhelming lead!
When all the netizens saw the poll rankings, they were left "kneeling" to Zhang Ye!