Chapter 19: Reba: Punish Evil, Promote Good, All for Justice! [Please Vote]

The show's director didn't respond.

The resident cast members all looked awkward. Deng Chao, serving as the team leader, opened his mouth but hesitated, seemingly weighing whether he should give Teacher Huang this face.

Just as the atmosphere turned tense, Wu Qian puffed out his chest with confidence. "I'm very familiar with the 'Running Man' format from the peninsula. If we need to find clues or crack codes, just listen to my arrangements when the time comes!"

Li Chen: "..."
Deng Chao: "..."
Chen Chichi: "..."

Are young people these days really this arrogant?

"I had a classmate, Li Gang, just in his twenties. He passed away in the hospital a while back because he couldn't be saved," Lu Ming suddenly remarked.

Baby asked, confused, "Why?"

"Because ever since he was a child, he had no manners when visiting others. If he met a host who was easygoing, they’d just laugh it off, but if he met someone who wasn't, he’d get scolded at best, or slapped at worst."

"His parents didn't raise him well, so naturally, he was bound to suffer once he entered society."

"Word is, he went to sing at the entrance of someone's funeral hall. While the family was wailing in grief, he belted out a festive song about 'Good Days.' His cheerful singing drowned out their crying, and he ended up being beaten into the ICU by a group of the grieving family members!"

Baby: "..."
I shouldn't have opened my mouth to ask!

Teacher Huang immediately recalled past incidents at Mushroom House, and his old face darkened instantly.

Reba said, looking innocent, "Although I sympathize with your classmate, he really was quite immoral."

"You're still talking?" Lu Ming expressed his agreement. "The host hadn't even spoken yet, and the guest acted like he was back in his own home. Those who know understand it's just an 'old child' acting immaturely; those who don't might think some uneducated son brought along an ill-mannered father to perform on the show!"

The expressions of everyone present changed drastically.

What on earth is an 'old child acting immaturely'...
Do you even hear what you're saying?
But for some reason, it felt incredibly cathartic!

Wu Qian: "??"
Teacher Huang: "!!"
Is this D-list celebrity trying to pick a fight?

Both men stared at the D-list celebrity with wide, livid eyes. Wu Qian’s gaze, in particular, looked like it was about to spit fire.

Reba agreed, "Yeah, that kind of behavior is really lacking in character..."

Before she could finish, she felt her arm being tugged. She turned back to find Baby and the other resident MCs looking at Lu Ming—who was making such shocking statements—with terrified expressions. Baby, in particular, was frantically signaling her with her eyes.

Seeing the livid faces of the two seniors, Reba finally realized what was happening.

She waved her hands in a panic. "No, Teacher Wu, Teacher Huang, that's not what I meant. I didn't mean to target anyone..."

Deng Chao: "Xiao Di, she actually..."

Before he could finish, Lu Ming snatched the spotlight: "Exactly, we aren't targeting anyone. We are simply launching an objective critique against those who lack manners and discipline!"

Lu Ming stepped forward and pulled Reba toward him.

"You don't need to be afraid. As a variety show facing the entire nation, we must be brave enough to point out and criticize such malpractice."

"But..." Reba hesitated.

"But they have high status, so you're afraid to offend them, right?" Lu Ming said with disdain. "Don't be afraid. Their status might be high, but our morality is higher!"

Reba grew flustered. "But..."

"But they have people backing them, right?" Lu Ming took over the conversation, speaking loudly. "Even less to be afraid of! They have people backing them, but we have the millions of the people backing us!"

Reba was stunned by this addition.

Was that what she meant? In such a short time, had she even thought of all these things?

But for some reason, the moment the D-list celebrity shouted 'the people,' it was truly infectious!

"You just need to remember: the bad should be criticized, and the good should be promoted."

"To sum it up in four big words—"

"Punish evil and promote good! For justice!"

Reba muttered weakly, "That’s eight words..."

"What do you know? Good things come in pairs, good words come in doubles; this is called 'buy one get one free'!"

"Brother, that's called 'good things come in pairs' and 'good words come in doubles'..." Reba felt ashamed.

"We 'MeiGni' (fans of Kris Wu) are all like this. Anyway, don't worry about those details," Lu Ming waved his hand dismissively.

Wu Qian: "???"
Was he being subtly insulted by this D-list celebrity?

"Come! Say it with me..." Lu Ming grabbed Reba's small hand and held it high in front of the camera, swearing: "Punish evil and promote good! For justice!"

"Pun... Punish evil and promote good!" Reba said blankly. "For justice!"

"Yes, say it again!"

"Punish evil and promote good! For justice!"

"Louder! Didn't you eat?"

Reba shouted word by word: "PUN! ISH! EVIL! AND! PRO! MOTE! GOOD! FOR! JUSTICE!"

Perhaps because of Lu Ming's persuasive coaching, or perhaps because his demeanor was so solemn and grand, Reba was truly infected by this strange emotion. All thoughts of social etiquette or the status of their seniors were completely thrown to the back of her mind.

The resident MCs couldn't even get a word in, staring at Lu Ming in stunned silence.

This D-list celebrity is too explosive!

If reason hadn't prevailed, even they would have had the urge to join in and denounce Teacher Huang.

Baby looked at the two of them, singing in harmony and filled with passion, her face full of shock.

A D-list celebrity being this bold from the start is a rare spectacle in the history of the Chinese entertainment industry. But girl, when did you get so bold, too?

How many lives do you have that you dare to join him in ganging up on Teacher Huang?

Lu Ming looked at the enthusiastic, even slightly excited Reba, and smiled: "So, tell me loudly, what is Teacher Huang?"

"Someone of poor character!"

"No, he's just a loser!"

"What is Wu Qian?"

"Also someone of poor character!"

"No, he’s not even a loser!"

"Please answer again!"

"What is Teacher Huang?"

Reba shouted excitedly: "A loser!"

"Wu Qian..."

"Also a loser!" Reba exclaimed excitedly: "They're both losers!"

"Congratulations, you've learned to buzz in!" Lu Ming excitedly shook Reba's hand. "It's a blessing for 'Running Man' to have you!"

Wu Qian: "..."
Teacher Huang: "..."

The two men looked livid, having cursed this damn D-list celebrity a thousand, ten thousand times in their hearts!

If looks could kill, Lu Ming would have already been shredded to pieces several times over.

The other MCs were turning red from holding back their laughter, afraid to let it out. Baby was biting her lip so hard she left clear teeth marks, her expression twisted into a knot, terrified that if she accidentally laughed out loud, Teacher Huang would make her life difficult—after all, in today's lineup, she had the lowest status.

"Pfft!"

Wang Baoqiang looked at everyone's reddening faces and was the first to burst out laughing. When he met the angry glares of Teacher Huang and Wu Qian, it only added fuel to his amusement. Wang Baoqiang began to jump around with joy: "Hahahaha!"

"No, you two are just too funny! Oh, I can't take it, hahaha, *hic*!!"

Wang Baoqiang slapped his thigh and looked at the other brothers, laughing uncontrollably.

"How are you guys still holding it in? Your faces are all purple. Are you sure you still want to endure it? If you want to laugh, just let it out!"

"Pfft!" "Pfft!"
"Pff—"

Everyone finally broke, and a roar of laughter erupted.

Wang Baoqiang hopped over to Teacher Huang. "No, why are you two able to hold back from laughing?"

Wu Qian: "..."
Teacher Huang: "..."

Looking at Wang Baoqiang jumping around in front of them, their fists clenched simultaneously.

Their fists were hard!
This guy is truly sick!
Why can we hold back from laughing? We are damn near about to explode, ready to rush over and smash that bastard's head in!

Seeing Teacher Huang and Wu Qian's faces turn the color of liver, Lu Ming stepped forward:

"Teacher Huang, it's not that I'm saying this, but you're 50 this year; how can you not understand even this little bit of social etiquette? This time, considering you're still an 'old child,' I'll forgive your rudeness on behalf of the netizens. I hope you can conduct yourself properly in the future and not be so restless."

Teacher Huang: "Hiss..."
What is this familiar 'fatherly' tone?

Damn it!
I've been running rampant in the entertainment industry for half my life, and in the end, a D-list celebrity is lecturing me?!
This is an insult to the heavens!

...

[666!]
[This guy is as cheeky as always!]
[Showing me this right from the start? Is this a variety show? This is a 'variety prison'!]
[I'm dying of laughter. I expected the conflict between these three to be intense, but I never imagined it would be this strong.]
[Before, there wasn't even an entrance song; no one even noticed him come out. Seeing that treatment, I thought he was being bullied by the whole cast, but now it seems I misunderstood!]
[No misunderstanding, he was being bullied, but he's bullying Teacher Huang and Wu Qian single-handedly!]
[The number one straw man in the entertainment industry, jumping right in their faces, specializing in full-coverage magic damage!]
[I love this D-list celebrity's mouth so much.]
[The internet's number one professional roaster!]
[To be fair, Teacher Huang and Wu Qian were definitely in the wrong this time. Brother Chao didn't say anything as the captain, yet these two guests were trying to take over. This lack of boundaries is truly repulsive.]
[Netizens know that 'Ming-haters' rarely stand on his side, but this time, I approve of his aggression.]
[Even so, is he not afraid of his reputation collapsing by offending people so easily?]
[Collapsing? It's already a ruin; how much more can it collapse?]
[Hahahaha, what a ruin!]
[Reba is so cute!]
[Won't this girl regret being complicit with the D-list celebrity later?]
[Daring to answer the D-list celebrity, Reba's episode is done for.]
[Done for how?]
[Scandals and cyberbullying, she's got it all now!]
[The sky has fallen for Alice (Reba's fans)!]

The bullet screen comments were flooded.

Teacher Huang felt he couldn't keep his face on, and looking at the D-list celebrity who was attacking the heavens, the earth, and the air, he decided to set his sights on the soft target:

"Little girl, which agency are you with? I have plenty of friends in the industry. Maybe your boss is my friend. If you pick the right side, you'll have more development opportunities in the future."

Reba froze.

She looked left and right, searching for Lu Ming, only to find that after messing with her, he had gone to the display cabinet on the side and was studying the sponsor's liquor products.

Only then did Reba, waking from a dream, look at Teacher Huang's insincere smile and realize things were bad.

The sky had fallen!
She had caused trouble!

"Teacher Huang, I... I..."

"What's wrong? You were calling out quite happily just now, weren't you? Even calling me an old man, right?" Teacher Huang sighed: "It's okay, I'm over fifty, what storms haven't I seen? I still have that much heart. Being cursed a couple of times is nothing, I don't mind."

Reba pleaded pitifully: "Teacher Huang, I'm sorry..."

"Hey! You don't need to apologize. Young people should be bold and take responsibility. I quite liked your true self just now; please go back to that!"

Seeing Teacher Huang's passive-aggressiveness, Reba knew she couldn't handle this situation and quickly hiked up her skirt to run to Lu Ming and drag him over.

"Lu Ming, say something!" Reba said, eyes welling up with tears, looking at him for help.

Lu Ming was stunned: "Say what? You were the one talking, you were the one roasting them. What does that have to do with me?"

Reba: "?"

"To go along with you, those little haters are probably trashing me on the bullet screen right now. You have to pay for my reputational damages after filming!"

Reba: "?"

You tricked me into joining your side, and now you're playing the victim?

The girl looked at him in disbelief, her big, watery eyes staring straight at Lu Ming, seemingly trying to confirm if he was joking.

But to her disappointment, Lu Ming ignored her expectant gaze and just walked away.

Reba: "..."

In front of the camera, the teary-eyed girl faced the fierce glares of Teacher Huang and Wu Qian, helpless as a child who had done something wrong.

Her eyes filled with tears instantly!

"Hey, don't, don't!" Chen Chichi's expression changed: "Don't cry!"

Wang Baoqiang was agitated: "Look at what you've done, you made Reba cry. Bullying a female guest on her first day, you're too mean."

"Xiao Di, don't cry, Uncle Deng will beat him for you!" Deng Chao quickly stepped up and punched Lu Ming twice.

Lu Ming faked pain and yelled: "Aha!"

It would have been fine if they hadn't fussed, but with all this, Reba burst into tears.

In an instant, crystal-clear tears couldn't stop flowing; she looked so pitiful!

"This is Teacher Huang's status in the industry: in broad daylight, under the blue sky, he dares to bully others like this!"

Lu Ming looked miserable: "And this is just in front of the camera where he has to restrain himself slightly—just bullying a weak girl to tears. If the cameras weren't watching, who knows what kind of wicked things he'd do!"

"I don't dare to imagine it, I don't even dare to think about it!"

Teacher Huang: "..."

D-list celebrity, I'm going to kill you!

"Do you believe I'll slap you?!" Teacher Huang raised his hand in anger.

"You're going to slap me?" Lu Ming pulled his voice, disbelieving: "Is there no law? Is there no justice?!"

"This is only because everyone is watching; for offending him, he's just slapping me. If the stream were off, Teacher Huang would probably kill me on the spot!"

"There are warlords in the entertainment industry! Don't be a star; big names treat small names like slaves; the sky here is black!"

"Boo... hoo hoo..."

"I'm scared, I'm so scared, I'm so afraid Teacher Huang will take my life tonight!"

Teacher Huang: "..."

He clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug into his skin, his murky eyes staring straight at the provocative young man, his whole body trembling violently!

Damn him!
D-list celebrity, I must kill you this episode!

"Pfft!"

Reba, who had been crying, saw Lu Ming's exaggerated performance and burst into laughter through her tears: "You're so funny!"

"Child, I was just joking with you earlier." Teacher Huang took a few deep breaths, then looked at Reba, finding himself a way out.

Reba exhaled: "Teacher Huang, you really scared me just now."

"You're still too small," Lu Ming shook his head.

Reba: "Where am I small?"

"Your perspective is small!"

"I don't know if Teacher Huang's status is big, but I know Teacher Huang's heart is definitely not small." Lu Ming continued: "He said he didn't care about being cursed, so he definitely doesn't!"

"After all, in just a few days, Teacher Huang has already filled in all the gaps in his life's suffering."

"Being swallowed alive in public, being whipped with a belt, being slapped in the face—my great Teacher Huang can laugh it off and make peace with his juniors without holding a grudge."

"Your slight offense won't even reach his noble eyes!"

Reba looked innocent: "Teacher Huang is truly benevolent!"

"That's for sure. So, to help the 'virtuous' Teacher Huang remember you better, you should go up and reward him with his favorite slap in the face. From now on, Teacher Huang will surely arrange your career in the industry, and your future will be bright!"

Reba: "..."

She retreated into the crowd, putting distance between herself and Lu Ming.

This person is rotten to the core!

Teacher Huang: "Can you turn off the stream?"

"Why?" Lu Ming asked, confused.

"I'm preparing to set up a pot and stove to cook you a pot of your favorite stewed green beans." Teacher Huang took a deep breath, reached into his suit pocket, and to everyone's surprise, pulled out a handful of green beans: "Look, I even brought the ingredients."

Teacher Huang thought for a moment and felt it wasn't enough: "Why don't you try the taste of raw green beans first?"

"I'll hold him down for you!" Wu Qian stepped forward, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

Lu Ming immediately stood at attention: "Let's talk about the mission instead."

"Hahahaha!"

Amidst the laughter, Deng Chao stepped forward to take the task card:

"A day's planning starts in the morning; a beautiful day begins with a morning run. Please have the brothers' group gather at West Lake Park at six o'clock tomorrow morning."