The two they were referring to had been performing crosstalk at Boss Wu’s place for two years and recently had several appearances on television, gaining notoriety. Boss Wu had sensed they were planning to leave; who would choose to stay in a teahouse when they could be on TV? With that level of fame, there would be more opportunities to earn money. However, it was inconsiderate to stand someone up, Boss Wu grumbled. “Alright then, Old Zhou, you go ahead and cover for them.” Old Zhou was a storyteller and could step in without hesitation. He grabbed his props and went with the manager to the front. But not long after, the two returned. Boss Wu was surprised and asked, “What happened now?” The manager wiped the sweat off his brow and said, “Those schemers Liu Da… Today there’s a whole tour group here; I think the tour guide took a kickback from Liu Da and doesn’t know how to pitch to the tourists, telling them that they want to see Liu Da perform.” Boss Wu was at a loss for words. “I never promised them who would be performing; I just sold them a group ticket!” Both of them began cursing Liu Da and his buddy.
But there was nothing to be done; Liu Da had indeed been on TV twice, and the tour guide hyped them up, causing the tourists to feel like they would be missing out on a great show if they didn’t watch a lesser-known act. However, cursing wouldn’t fix the situation; saving the show was what mattered. Boss Wu scanned the backstage, considering who could hold down the fort.
“Boss Wu, why don’t I come and sing a song?” Xia Yiwei suddenly smiled and suggested.
Boss Wu looked at her in astonishment; Xia Yiwei was a real star. But because of that, he had never dreamed of having her save his small venue!
“This… You’re being too kind; I can just find an old actor to cover,” Boss Wu quickly replied.
Though finding someone else might take some effort, it was better than making a joke of the situation—regardless of whether it was Liu Da’s fault or not, failing to handle the matter would reflect his incompetence as the owner.
