Chapter 5

Facing Sakauchi's provocation, Zhou Xiao was at a loss for words and actions, should he be angry? This guy was provoking his former self, which had nothing to do with his current self. Moreover, he never intended to pursue a long career as a comedian. So, apart from today's unexpected encounter, whether they would meet again in the future was uncertain. This made him completely uninterested in Sakauchi's provocation, let alone angry.

The theater was not just the three of them. Besides Sakauchi, Zhou, and Jing, there were many staff members and other comedians who were about to perform. However, these comedians all seemed to be on par with Zhou. The reason was simple: Sakauchi stood there with his hands on his hips, scolding left and right like a boss, and no one dared to stop him. Even Jing, the theater manager, looked troubled and helpless.

"What did I do to offend this guy?" Zhou Xiao felt puzzled as he watched Jing point at his nose provocatively.

Recalling the scene when he first came to the theater, it appeared in his mind. At that time, Zhou Xiao was a novice, full of sharpness, and his self-written and self-performed skits were quite effective, winning him over a dozen regular audience members. Don't underestimate these dozen audience members; a comedian's initial fame often spreads from the mouths of these first batch of viewers.

If a more magnanimous comedian saw Zhou Xiao's popularity, they might be unhappy but wouldn't show obvious jealousy. However, Sakauchi was different. Sakauchi had a strong sense of jealousy. From the moment Zhou Xiao joined the theater as a comedian, Sakauchi had a grudge against him. At that time, Zhou Xiao hadn't shown much talent, and what Sakauchi envied more was his face.

This jealousy and dislike were initially minor, only making Sakauchi treat Zhou Xiao coldly and occasionally say things like, "Looking like that, you still want to be a comedian? You'll never become famous." However, the turning point came during a performance. On that day, Zhou Xiao performed before Sakauchi, and he did exceptionally well, making many in the audience laugh heartily. Sakauchi's face was not pleasant, as the pressure on the next performer was obvious.

When Zhou Xiao finished and Sakauchi took the stage, the audience seemed still immersed in Zhou Xiao's performance and reacted coldly to Sakauchi's familiar skits, making the atmosphere in the theater chill.

After the performance, Sakauchi's face was as sour as if someone owed him a few billion yen. However, the novice Zhou Xiao didn't notice this. He still bowed humbly to Sakauchi, saying, "Sakauchi-senpai, your performance today was excellent. I don't know when I'll reach your level. You're really amazing!"

In the past, even though Sakauchi didn't like Zhou Xiao, he could still manage a smile. But today, with such a stark contrast in their performances, Zhou Xiao's words were like rubbing salt in the wound.

"Hmph!" Sakauchi didn't say anything, just grunted and walked into the dressing room, leaving Zhou Xiao puzzled about why Sakauchi-senpai suddenly seemed so angry.

Up to this point, there was no conflict between them. The real breaking point came after the performance.

After Zhou Xiao's performance, he didn't leave the theater immediately. On one hand, he had no other work to do, and on the other, he wanted to stay backstage to observe how the other senior comedians performed.

When all the senior comedians had finished their performances and Zhou Xiao was about to leave, Sakauchi, who had left almost simultaneously, was right in front of him.

As they walked out of the theater, a group of girls was waiting outside. Despite the varied and imaginative appearances of comedians, many girls in Japan like them. They often wait at the theater entrance after performances to give small gifts or even slips of paper with their phone numbers to the comedians.

Today was no different. Seeing the girls with bright, admiring eyes, even Sakauchi's usually stern face broke into a relatively friendly smile.

But his smile quickly froze.

The girls waiting outside squealed as the comedians emerged from the elevator and rushed forward.

Sakauchi's hand, halfway open, froze as he realized the girls were bypassing him and rushing toward Zhou Xiao behind him!

Although only thirty, Sakauchi had been in the industry for ten years! While he wasn't a big star, he lived comfortably and had accumulated a fan base, especially among female fans. These fans were not only a source of income but also occasionally left their phone numbers, implying that if he called, there was a 90% chance of meeting up. If he performed well, he could take the girls to a love hotel for the night!

In Japanese culture, there's no strong concept of virginity. Having sex on the first meeting is quite normal. Some girls even believe, "If we're harmonious in bed, we can be harmonious in life and consider becoming a couple!"

But today, the girls who usually surrounded him were all gone! They all rushed toward Zhou Xiao! Sakauchi could clearly see that several of the girls surrounding Zhou Xiao were his former fans!

You win on stage, fine, but you also steal my fans! How can I tolerate this!?

Sakauchi hated Zhou Xiao from that moment on!

After that, Sakauchi began to oppose Zhou Xiao in every way. Initially, Zhou Xiao still smiled, after all, Sakauchi was a senior who had been in the industry much longer. In Japan, the senior-junior relationship is so strict that even if Sakauchi slapped Zhou Xiao, he couldn't retaliate. Of course, Sakauchi might not face much punishment at the time, but his future work could be affected, as no one likes working with such a person.

Looking at the arrogant face in front of him, Zhou Xiao suddenly felt annoyed after recalling everything. I already have enough on my plate; do I have to waste energy dealing with someone like you? Don't be ridiculous. I never intended to be a comedian for long, so why should I care about your attitude?

Realizing this, Zhou Xiao smiled at Sakauchi, who was still ranting.

"What are you smiling about? You still have the nerve to smile after deceiving Mr. Jing?" Sakauchi asked.

"What am I smiling about? I'm smiling at how you, who haven't accomplished much, already know how to be jealous!" Zhou Xiao retorted without backing down.

"Zhou Xiao!" Jing was very surprised. Today's Zhou Xiao was very different from before. The old Zhou Xiao seemed weak and often smiled harmlessly when Sakauchi bullied him. But today, Zhou Xiao seemed unwilling to endure it any longer, and his response was quite direct!

"I'm jealous of you!? Ha! What do you have to be jealous of! I've been on morning shows! I earn in a month what you might earn in a year! I've been in the industry for ten years longer than you! What are you!?"

"You know what you're jealous of, do you need me to say it? Aren't you ashamed?" Zhou Xiao said with disdain, then turned and walked into the dressing room, completely ignoring the furious Sakauchi behind him.

"Zhou Xiao!!!" Behind him, Sakauchi's voice was angry and helpless.

PS: Who's still spamming? TAT Everyone from Koshien, go back and vote for a satisfactory review! May you eat big birds!

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