Chapter 131: The Unspoken Rules of Deyun

Although there aren’t many people in this line of work right now, there are always a few good ones. Take a look…”

Zhuang Chen put down the first book and picked up the second register, curious. “This one too?”

Song Qiao smiled faintly. “These tastes are rather extreme. I wonder whether you can accept them.”

“These are the ones who like whips… these are into ropes… these like candle play… and these are into spanking…”

“This is the leg-fetish category… three-inch golden lotuses… kneeling and licking… This is the most intense of all—stomping and kicking people in the balls!”

“Ball gags… towels and stockings… masks… and the lunatics who use underwear for asphyxiation…”

“This is very popular: human puppies. Both men and women are available, and they’re perfect for training…”

“Peeping… exposing themselves in public… installing hidden cameras…”

“This is the latest trend: wet and messy play… holding in feces and urine… ABDL…”

“The most outrageous are these: coprophilia… golden showers… and whatever ‘red gold’ means… the unaltered original flavor… Good grief!”

Seeing the various photographs that were almost impossible to look at, Zhuang Chen quickly closed the book and shuddered. In a solemn tone, he said, “Don’t worry. I definitely can’t handle any of that!”

Song Qiao let out a long breath, then laughed so hard that her whole body trembled. Leaning against Zhuang Chen, her full figure brushing against him now and then, she gave him a seductive smile. “It’s actually quite normal. A young man who isn’t a little lustful has wasted his youth—especially someone as…”

A thought flashed through Zhuang Chen’s mind. He asked curiously, “They play that wildly and aren’t afraid of catching diseases?”

“Diseases?” Song Qiao froze for a moment, then could not help laughing. “With money, that’s no concern at all. For one million, you can get the latest imported high-tech vaccines. Unless you were born under an unlucky star, you can play however you like without any trouble!”

So there was something that effective? Zhuang Chen nodded. He would have Wade obtain a few doses when the opportunity arose. They could prevent illness if he became sick, and even if he stayed healthy, they might improve his constitution a little.

He stood up and transferred two hundred thousand as a tip. “Forget these two categories. Something more normal will do. Health comes first. From now on, please keep an eye out for me.”

Song Qiao naturally agreed and saw Zhuang Chen off. Watching his departing figure, she murmured with a low laugh, “Men…”

He drove to Heavenly Essence and Earthly Splendor to find Yu Qian. Together, they invested five million to build a new mastiff breeding ground. From then on, they would strengthen and expand the native mastiff line, and he could amuse himself with them whenever he had nothing better to do.

After becoming business partners, Zhuang Chen and Yu Qian grew increasingly close. Once the funds arrived, construction began at once. These days, Yu Qian practically ate and slept at the worksite, personally overseeing every detail and taking no chances.

After making a brief tour of the place, Yu Qian said, “Native mastiffs are treasures. We can’t afford the slightest carelessness, especially when it comes to temperature. If that isn’t handled properly, something could go wrong.”

“Are you free tonight? The Deyun Society is performing at the North Exhibition Center. Why don’t you come with me and take a look?”

Zhuang Chen could not have been happier. A little after five, they returned to the city and arrived at the North Exhibition Center, the old home base of the Deyun Society. They performed there at least four or five times a year. In the past, Zhuang Chen had only been able to watch them online; now he could finally see them live.

They went straight backstage and greeted Guo. Since there was still plenty to arrange before the show, Yu Qian led Zhuang Chen to a place to sit. Pointing to five photographs beside the stage entrance, he introduced them.

“The first is Dongfang Shuo, said to be the founding ancestor of comic dialogue.”

“He was a literary figure of the Western Han dynasty and served as an official at court. Naturally witty and humorous, he was quick-tongued, comical, and ingenious. Dongfang Shuo did not create comic dialogue, but his wit, humor, and ability to improvise in conversation were the earliest forms of what later developed into the art.”

“The second is Master Hou Yaowen, Guo’s mentor and a benefactor who proved his sincerity in times of hardship.”

“The third is Elder Zhang Wenshun, one of the pillars who fought alongside us as we built everything from the ground up. The road was full of hardships, but Mr. Zhang remained steadfast and loyal, never abandoning us.”

“Who would have thought that only a few years after the Deyun Society became famous, Mr. Zhang would pass away after falling ill? For Guo, it was like a bolt from the blue. Although the Deyun Society has grown tremendously, there’s an old saying that having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. Unfortunately…”

“The last is Jin Wensheng, a renowned storyteller. As Guo’s master in the storytelling tradition, he imparted decades of experience and skill without reservation during his later years. He was a truly venerable artist, accomplished in both talent and virtue.”

Looking at the photographs and the busy backstage, Zhuang Chen could not help sighing inwardly. Guo had truly come a long way.

Compared with Yu Qian’s smooth and steady path, Guo’s rise to fame had certainly not been accidental. It was the result of thirty years of preparation and accumulation. Although he had been hot-tempered in his youth and offended many people, he had even more friends in the industry. At the Deyun Society’s twentieth-anniversary special, for instance, more than a hundred celebrities and major stars had come to lend their support.

The previous year, he had made a film, and half the entertainment industry had appeared in cameo roles for free. Although the box office and reviews had not been impressive, it still demonstrated the breadth of Guo’s connections.

Watching the youngsters rushing about backstage, Yu Qian spoke with feeling. “After suffering several betrayals, Guo came to understand many things. He changed quite a few of his old habits and established several rules over the past few years. That’s why the Deyun Society has continued to improve.”

“The first is this: once someone is your master, he remains your father for life. You must respect your teacher and honor the tradition. Once you enter the school, you must follow your master’s teachings. Whether you later rise to great prominence or remain unknown, you cannot change masters, and you certainly must not betray or disown the person who taught you.”

“It’s like parents raising a child. If the child refuses to acknowledge his parents, he’s an unfilial son. In a master-and-apprentice relationship, that would make him an unfilial disciple. No matter how talented you are, it won’t matter.”

“All the comic-dialogue performers in the Deyun Society are forbidden from stealing one another’s material or taking one another’s livelihood. Take Yue Yunpeng’s famous ‘Five Rings Song,’ for example. No matter how popular it becomes, he is the only one allowed to perform it.”

“Zhang Yunlei is also tremendously popular now. The folk song ‘Exploring the Clear River’ is his signature piece, so no one else is allowed to sing it. This preserves everyone’s individuality and prevents conflicts from arising between them.”

“However close the relationship, no one is allowed to eat food given to them by members of the audience. If you often listen to comic dialogue, you should know how treacherous people in this circle can be. Colleagues are rivals, so one must always be cautious. The main concern is being secretly harmed by someone.”

“The final rule is that there are no seniority distinctions onstage, but there are rules backstage. When performers are onstage, anything goes for the sake of the performance. Once they step offstage, however, seniority and hierarchy must be observed. In a moment, take a look at Guo’s sour face. Who would dare make even half a joke with him?”

It was almost time. Yu Qian stood up, and one of his disciples brought him a long gown. It was dark blue and black, embroidered with clusters of flowers, dignified and imposing.

“Within the Deyun Society, an actor’s status determines the color of his gown. Apprentices who aren’t famous are allowed to wear only solid-colored gowns onstage, such as black or dark red.”

“Those with a little fame and seniority may have subtle patterns printed on their gowns. They aren’t obvious, but you can see them if you look closely. The highest level is an embroidered gown, and only four people are allowed to wear one.”

“Guo and I need no explanation. The other two are Little Yue and Sun Yue. Sun Yue has seniority—he’s the grandson of Master Hou Baolin. Even that grandson gets to wear the good stuff.”

Zhuang Chen burst out laughing. Yu Qian put on his gown and straightened it. “Yue Yunpeng has finally made it. He can now headline overseas specials on his own. The boy hasn’t had an easy journey either.”

“Zhang Yunlei, who has been especially popular this year, also wears a somewhat different gown. It doesn’t have conspicuous embroidery, but the collar is distinctive, with fashionable design elements. It’s a special style made by Deyun Formalwear.”

Knowing that Zhuang Chen enjoyed comic dialogue—otherwise they would never have become friends—Yu Qian continued chatting with him.

“Actually, even the order of appearances is carefully arranged. At the annual year-end closing performance, they usually let the more famous performers warm up the audience, people like Zhang Helun and Zhang Yunlei.”

“They use their popularity to heat up the room. Once the atmosphere gradually becomes lively, the Deyun Society’s leading performer, Yue Yunpeng, comes onstage. By then, the audience is ready and the mood is burning. Yue Yunpeng and Sun Yue then raise the audience’s excitement even further, bringing the show to its first small climax.”

“As for ordinary performances, whether in a small theater or at a commercial event, the program usually features five pairs of performers. The second-to-last act is particularly important. It’s called the penultimate headline act, or the act before the finale.”

“By that point, the audience is usually tired, so someone with real ability is needed to hold the room. Normally, Guo and I take that spot. The penultimate act is usually performed by Gao Feng and Luan Yunping, which is why they often joke that their performance time is when the audience goes to the bathroom and Guo Degang drinks water!”

“As for the encore, that’s all arranged in advance as well. They use short pieces to fill a little time. After all, the audience never wants to leave. Sometimes it’s past midnight and the show still hasn’t ended. When people hear that we’re performing at the North Exhibition Center, they know they’ll have to work overtime. We’re used to it.”

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