Chapter 233 Delaying is Such a Common Thing

“CUT!”

Oscar was relieved by the director’s stop because he didn’t know what to do next. If the scene kept going on, he would have no idea what to do but begin to roast.

As soon as the screen turned, it went straight to the voting stage.

“Eh? What happened during that time?”

Feng Bujue returned: “…Well, it’s going to include a couple of post-match interviews with various players about the other writers and my own evaluation of the program. Oscars then recorded a bit of information separately to make the show more effective on the spot.”

“Because there are too many roasting points in this paragraph, he needs to think seriously about his comment…” Interrupted Master Bao.

“Probably.” Feng Bujue shrugged. “Oh, right. At that time, the director told me something very troubling… “

…

“All unit rest, the cameraman adjust the equipment, ten minutes later we will start again.” The director said a few words calmly into the microphone of the headset, then raised his arm and gestured, “Bujue, come here for a second.”

Feng Bujue stepped down from the stage and walked to the director. “Director Fei, are you going to declare me out of the competition with a bad attitude?” When he asked the question, he was all smiling.

“As I see it, it’s going to go on like this… You’re definitely going to stay in this turn for today.” Fei Ran the director answered calmly.

“That’s not what you said!” Feng Bujue was a little hurried.

“Who made you stand out? Do you think a spoof can be eliminated?” Fei Ran said, “The right way to be eliminated is to be as mediocre as possible,”

“What about right now?” Feng Bujue asked.

“Well… You really don’t want to come again for one more period?” Asked Fei Ran.

“Yes.” Feng Bujue gave a sincere answer.

“Well then, In the last round of calculating the total index, I can help you operate in the dark.” Fei Ran said, “But It’s…”

“I understand…”

“What do you understand?

“First, don’t talk about black-box operations. Second, don’t talk about black-box operations.” Feng Bujue said, with a serious face, adding: “Third… Don’t talk about black-box operations!” 1)

Fei Ran shoved his glasses on the bridge of his nose. “Do I look like the kind of person who loves the joke of Fight Club?”

“Very much, of course.” Feng Bujue said.

Fei Ran nodded. “Well, well, since we are so agreeable, I’m sure you’ll keep it a secret for me.”

“I must.” Feng Bujue continued.

“Oh, and one more thing I have to mention to you……” Fei Ran said.

“Shoot it.”

“My hunch is that the ratings are going to be good, and your maverick behaviour is going to generate a certain number of followers.” Director said, “So, by the end of June, before the end of this season, you will probably have to attend the resurrection match.”

“Huh?” Feng Bujue asked. “So troublesome?”

“The player of the resurrection will be the top seven writers of the online voting, all the contestants who have been on the show and have been eliminated will be included in the voting list. The process is fair and visible. If you’re up, I can’t help with it.”

“Just make a statement like… Bujue contestant has a mild-illness and he’s unable to participate in the resurrection competition, so we invited the number eight from top instead.” Feng Bujue said.

“Do you think this is a case pupil skipping class?” Fei Ran roasted, “mild-illness, how will people believe that… “

“Not convincing enough… What about syphilis?”

“You seem to have misunderstood the point of what I said… “

“Don’t worry, it’s perfectly reasonable. Schubert got it when he was twenty-five, and so did I…” 2)

“You should respect yourself, Mr. Feng… “

……

“Aye? That is to say… Two months later, you’re going to the resurrection match?” “Asked Little Tan.

“It depends on how the show responds.” Feng Bujue returned, “If I don’t get into the top seven in an online poll in early June, hehehe… “

“It’s the first time I’ve seen someone smirk while looking forward to his own defeat…” Master Bao said.

“And yes, please Master Bao, help me contact people and spread some words to black me during the vote, to… “

“Wait a minute.” Master Bao interrupted him. “Why do you want me to contact for you… Where can I even help you find people working on that?”

“You work in a government office, you don’t have to pretend.”

“I don’t know what you imagine the government is like… I’m… nevermind. “

“Well, you don’t have to explain.” Feng Bujue also interrupted him, “Let’s see the video first, we could talk later about this again.”

Then, in the picture, the second round of the divine vote had been revealed.

The story of Feng Bujue that broke through the sky made him second in the round. The first place went to Soda. And the last one was actually Ink Incensing. Her story was good, but it lacked impact and highlights. After the other six writers published their own outline, the audience’s impression of her story was diluted, so she received very few first votes.

Oscar steadied himself a bit during the break and got back to normal and spoke like nothing happened: “After two intense rounds, we’re finally in the third round of the ultimate fight.” He paused for a second, then said. “The index of the first two rounds of seven players will each account for 30 percent of their total, while the index of the third round will account for 40 percent. So, every one of our players, at the last minute, has a chance to get over the others and get the first place of the season. Of course, it also means that every contestant has a risk of being eliminated.

“But before the third round, let’s take it easy.” Oscar’s tone also changed with the line’s content: “Let’s enter the card question time.” He said, pulling out a few prepared cards from his suit pocket. “Here, I have three questions from the internet question panel of I’m the Writer.” His eyes scanned the stands, and the camera scanned all seven writers. He held the card up to eye level: “There is no scoring system and you can answer with relative ease.”

Oscar turned to the camera. “So, the same question, what would different writers say? After the advertisement, we will find out for you.”

The next second, Oscar in the picture started reading the question, “Today’s first question is…” He read according to the card: “Dear writers, I’m a newbie writer, I’m serializing an online novel. There is a Chunibyo character in my book and I think he’s too upstage, its existence’s not really necessary. I want to write him to death, but surprisingly I can’t find a reasonable plot. What I write is an ordinary city novel, there are no supernatural elements.”

“Oh,” Oscar said after the reading, “This questioner is also a writer, he/she met some difficulty in writing and wanted the help of our seven great minds.”

Oscar wasted a minute or two, then added, “So, is it ok to start with Skywalker?”

Skywalker replied, “Well… All right.” He looked at the microphone and mused, “I think… When the subway came into the station, he accidentally fell into the rail… “

“How cruel!” Oscar spoke directly, and the laughter from the audience rang out, as did Skywalker himself.

“Isn’t it about the same as getting hit and killed by a car crossing the road?” Oscar said again. “Do you mean Chunibyo characters would always die a little worse?”

Skywalker laughed and said, “No, it is not. It can be assumed that: This character is on the subway platform, playing a game of heroes fighting monsters, a man playing a hero and a monster, jumping around, and… “

“What a pity! “Oscar interrupted, the audience laughing again.” Do you think this guy’s getting worse?”

“Let’s see what the answer from Parcloses-Ge.” Oscar arrived at another stage. “What’s your answer, Parcloses-Ge?”

“Well… Pretending to be a sea monster in the swimming pool, accidentally drowning… “he answered.

Oscar did not comment but turned his head to the camera with a mischievous look, and the live director incited laughter from the audience.

“Why do I think these two ways of death do not reflect the Chunibyo characteristic of the character, but the feeling that the character is only in the second grade of junior high school?” Oscars continued to laugh, and by this point, he was free to make fun and roast on it.

“Well, let’s hear how Vegetables answers the question.” Oscar was in front of Fruit and Vegetables again.

The answer, apparently, was already in his head, and he said to the microphone: “Jump off a tall building in a homemade superhero uniform.”

“Like the beginning of Kick-Ass?” Oscar said.

Vegetables smiled: “Sort of.”

Oscar nodded, as if there was nothing more to say in that answer, and went straight to the table of Ink Incensing. “What’s your answer, Ink?”

“Myocardial infarction at comic-con?” Ink answered with a very uncertain tone.

“Do you equate Chunibyo with Otaku?” Oscar asked.

“What’s the difference? “Asked Ink Incensing, puzzled.

Oscar licked his lips with a look of speechlessness, and the audience burst into laughter again.

“Well, what’s Up-Ge’s answer?” Oscar asked.

“He made a dish like the one in the comics. After he ate it, he died of food poisoning at home.” Let Me Up answered.

“Hey… There is nothing to do with the cooking part right? Did it come from buying toxic raw materials in the beginning?” Oscar roasted again.

Then came Soda’s answer: “Well… There’s no supernatural set… It would be… Eat to choke?”

“You ask me?” As Soda was talking in a purely interrogative tone, Oscar followed. “I didn’t kill him.”

He amused himself by teasing all the way, but his heart sank when he came to Feng Bujue again…

Oscar pretended he was smiling: “Bujue, your answer is… “

“On the downhill highway driving at over 100 km per hour, the car drove the u-bend and at the moment of the turn, he drove the tires into the drainage ditch at the side of the road.” Feng Bujue finished the sentence calmly.

It took Oscar two seconds to realize what the phrase meant. “And then he was dead?”

“Didn’t die to use a Magnum Tornado?” 3)

There was a burst of laughter, and Oscar responded with two dry laughs, “Ok, let’s look at question number two… “

He took out the second card and read, “How do you explain it to the reader if you have a particularly uninspired day and you just don’t want to release chapter’s?”

“Oh, that’s a tough question.” Oscar said, “and there’s no reason nor asking something very specifically, isn’t it the main editor who added his questions in?”

He just casually said that, but he did not expect the director at the moment in the headset said: “Don’t say excessive words.”

Oscar’s mouth slightly twitched with a fake smile: “Haha, just kidding.” He hurried back to Skywalker and stayed there. “Hard questions need to be answered fast to get the true answer. Skywalker. What’s your answer?”

“I will tell the readers the truth,” Skywalker said solemnly.

The writers answered this question tactfully with an air of sincerity.

The answer of Parcloses was: “I will release a chapter to say something personal and take a day off work.”

The answer of Vegetable was full of confidence: “I haven’t stopped once.”

“I only write physical books, and I always hand in my papers on time.” The answer from Ink Incensing was also flawless.

“I write short stories on the Internet, and usually when I start, the whole book is almost finished. Also, I’m the editor myself so it won’t be a problem.” Said Let Me Up.

When Oscar finished asking the men, he came to Soda and asked, “Soda, what’s your answer?”

“Well… I also did not have that experience. When I wrote a book, I would save a manuscript that can be issued for three or four months. After my first draft was used up, the rest had come to an end.” Soda didn’t duck the question, and he replied, “But if I have to do that one day because I’m not inspired, I think I’ll be honest as well.”

Oscar arrived at the final contestant with a shudder in his voice, “Bujue… If it’s you…”

Feng Bujue answered with a relaxed tone: “Go out to collect materials.” 4)

“Huh?” This was a common reaction of the other six writers. Next second, their expressions changed, and they said the same thing in their hearts: ‘Is it really okay for you to say this?’

Oscar said, “Well, that’s a reasonable explanation.” His smile became extremely embarrassed again, and he began to roast in his mind again: Collect your sister! You’re a detective novelist but not a detective! Are you going to the scene of the crime to collect materials? Or are you going to create some cases? This guy should have been on some kind of secret police blacklist for a long time!

“Ha… Haha… So, let’s take a look at the end of this section.” Oscar thought it would be better to finish this session quickly. With the lighting and sound effects, he held up a third question card and read to the camera: “Excuse me, what’s the thing you’ve said the most to an editor?”

It was AD time again, and Oscar, prompted by the director, said a line of words, “We will come back from the AD.”

After switching between the two shots, the contestants began to answer one by one.

“Hello,” It was the reply of Skywalker. “I would say it every time,” he explained. It’s kind of a slippery answer.

Eight Parcloses was more mature than him, so he also answered: “Thank you.”

“Vegetables,” jested Oscar, “You’re not going to answer ‘Goodbye’, right?”

Vegetables smiled and said, “Please.”

“Well, it seems that the communication between a pure online writer and an editor is not something that we could pry on.” Oscar laughed.” The following writers have solid books. I wonder what the answer will be?”

“Well… Say the most to the editor…” Ink Incensing answered thoughtfully, “Please criticize unkindly.”

Oscar finally found an answer to dig for, and immediately said, “The reason?”

“Because every time I hand in a manuscript the editor says it’s good, the criticism is always good.” Explained Ink Incensing.

“Oh…” Oscar said,” What do Up-Ge think? You also serve as the editor, to such a beauty, is it hard to have harsh criticism?”

“I’m the editor of a sports magazine,” Let Me Up said. “The people who hand paper to me are always strong men…”

The audience laughed, and Oscar smiled, “Ok, what was the thing you said the most to your editor as a writer?”

“It should be…Don’t be too polite.” Let Me Up: “My editor was a little younger than me, he always calls me sir and let’s me give advice.”

“Up-Ge is engaged in sports professional and his attitude is different.” Oscars commented, followed by Soda: “Soda, your answer?”

“Thanks a lot.” Soda said,” because I have a lot of obscure or old or weird words in my writing work, and I did a lot of research on them myself, so proofreading work is a hassle.”

“Well, it looks like the answer is really a collection of everyday phrases.” Oscar said, reluctantly coming to Feng again, “Bujue, I think your answer will be an eye-opener once again.” He had made his joke clear.

Feng Bujue sneered with the expression of a dead pig: “Don’t get too angry, put down your knife first, everybody has words to say. Please forgive me again. A few more days, really, a few more days will be good.”

1. Reference from the movie Fight Club. Also, there’s a rule “Don’t mention Fight Club” appeared twice in the rule for the Fight Club. I love the movie! It’s really a good one.

2. Warning: DO NOT SKIP CLASS BY USING FENG BUJUE’S STATEMENT syphilis. If you said that please don’t tell others I saw that in TP, or I will get in trouble for sure. 

3. Magnum Tornado: The ultimate skill of the car Cyclone Magnum in Japanese cartoon Bakusou Kyoudai Lets Go, a cartoon tells about two brothers to build their mini racing car and win the championship of racing.

4. Go out for the material is an excuse by San Tian Liang Jiao, the author of this book, when he doesn’t want to post a chapter. He loves to play video games, video editing and travelling, and his releasing speed for his novel is really slow. He was called “Amateur writer and professional live video gamer”. Also, when I arrived in his live room, all the comments were like “Please go to write” or “I want new chapters”, and he will refuse that by “Go out for material”.