The old man kept his word and the next day he took a fishing rod and went fishing with Hou Wenjie.

The two chatted casually.

The old man was a good conversationalist.

He wouldn't mention the original owner's deceased father, nor would he ask Hou Wenjie if he had a girlfriend, where he worked, or how much he earned a month.

He simply chatted about some interesting stories from his past, unofficial histories of historical figures, and his views on the changes in the village over the years.

Perhaps because it was rare for someone to listen to his ramblings, the old man always had endless things to say.

Unfortunately, the old man was a poor fisherman and could only catch a few small fish each time.

However, he didn't mind and always put the small fish back into the pond at the end of each time.

Hou Wenjie lived a quiet life in a nearly deserted mountain village.

It's Saturday night at 8 PM again!

The final episode of "Rising Star" was released on time.

The moment the broadcast started, the screen was already filled with a dense barrage of comments.

The program began with the same unchanging advertising script from host Zhang Fei.

Then, he got to the point: "I believe many fans of the show already know that this episode is the last episode of the first season of 'The Rising Star'!"

I'm here to officially tell you all, yes! This is indeed the last episode!

From the very beginning of the project, we decided to create a fast-paced variety show!

Compared to the standard 12 episodes per season for a typical variety show, we decided from the beginning to use only 5 episodes to determine the final champion!

This could make the competition even more brutal and unfriendly to many players!

But that's competition! Only the best performance deserves the final victory!

We simply put the game back where it originally belonged!

We are proud that the audience feedback for "Rising Star" has far exceeded our expectations!

Okay, now let me explain the rules for the final episode.

First, the remaining 10 of us will compete in pairs to determine the top 5!

Then, through online voting, one person will be selected from the five who lost to fill the vacancy!

After that, the six people continued to compete in pairs to determine the top three!

Finally, these three engaged in a final showdown to compete for the championship!

After hearing the rules for the final, netizens went wild, tapping the screen with comments!

"Holy crap, that's awesome! So, I'm going to hear three of Hou's songs in the final episode?"

Worth it! Absolutely worth it!

"I'm just wondering, since there are three songs, why not just sell tickets at the stadium and broadcast it live!"

Why bother filming an indoor variety show? Just sell tickets; they'll sell out instantly!

"Once they form a group, they'll have their own dedicated concert tour, and then you'll have plenty of opportunities to spend money!"

"Great, great, I'm definitely watching this episode!"

"Brothers, I have inside information. The top 10 in the competition are required to sign a group agreement!"

However, since Boss Hou didn't sign, it's likely there's something fishy going on!

"Seriously?! The production team can't be that stupid, right? By doing this, aren't they just making themselves look bad?! Are they even going to do a second season?!"

"That's how capital works. If you don't want to bring it profits, it will suppress you!"

"I have a bad feeling about this. Can someone go check at the last minute to see if Boss Hou has won the championship?"

"I don't want to watch it! If I don't win in the end, I'll cry my eyes out. I want to watch it from beginning to end!"

…

After explaining the rules, host Zhang Fei announced the theme for the first round:

"The theme for the first round is survival! Please watch the video!"

The scene begins to change, showing a video clip of a child going from elementary school to junior high and high school, then failing the college entrance exam and entering a factory!

From initial naivety and awkwardness, to becoming skilled.

He was busy all day long but didn't earn much money. He finally managed to get married and later had a daughter.

He was overjoyed at the birth of his daughter, but he also became busier and more reluctant to spend money on food and clothing. However, looking at his pregnant daughter and his busy wife in the distance, he still smiled happily.

The scene shifts again, showing a child fast-forwarding through elementary school to university graduation.

He dreamed of making a name for himself in a big city, but he found that reality didn't offer him much room for error.

When you invest the money you worked hard to earn into starting a business, only to end up with nothing.

His girlfriend broke up with him, and his father's chronic illness also required money for treatment.

Ultimately, he chose a job with average pay but relatively stable employment.

I've just gotten used to the corner, used to being alone.

But when he returned home and saw his father cooking his favorite dishes, he suddenly realized that things weren't as bad as he had imagined, and that there were still relatives in the world who loved him deeply.

The scene then cuts back to the stage, where host Zhang Fei announces the first contestant's appearance!

At this moment, the screen was filled with an explosion of comments.

"This video is so damn heartbreaking! Isn't that me in the first one?!"

"Just show me your ID card! I'm the second one!"

I had such high hopes back then, but it all came to nothing in the end. Now I'm fine on my own! I just feel a little guilty towards my parents.

"Actually, that's not bad enough. One of my friends is the first type, the kind of person who is very honest and hardworking."

He scrimped and saved to support his wife and children, only to find out that neither child was his. He then killed his wife and committed suicide; the thought of it is unbearable.

"For an ordinary person, the most important thing is to recognize their own mediocrity, so that they can live a peaceful and ordinary life! Or, they can only live by being crazy! Just look at those monsters on Kuaishou!"

…

One by one, the contestants took the stage, and Hou Wenjie was still the last to appear.

As a contestant, Hou Wenjie naturally already knew about the theme of survival and the video.

Upon seeing this theme and this video, the first word that popped into Hou Wenjie's mind was "Old Boys"!

The tear-jerking hit song that made Chopstick Brothers famous!

"Old Boys" is undoubtedly a classic among classics!

Dreams, reality, passion, numbness—all are portrayed in this song!

This is a song that evokes the strongest sense of empathy!

Just hearing the intro is enough to bring tears to your eyes!

However, after much deliberation, Hou Wenjie ultimately chose another song!

He felt that sometimes, even though people live tragic lives, life should still be enriched with some humor and wit.

When Hou Wenjie stood in the center of the stage, he picked up the microphone, put it to his lips, and began to speak:

"There are many people in this world who are born less intelligent!"

I'm probably the kind of person who's not very bright! I started working very early, so I'd say I'm the first type of person in VCR.

Luckily, I was fortunate enough to participate in such a program and actually experienced what it's like to be famous!

As Hou Wenjie finished speaking, netizens began to discuss the topic in the live chat.

"Did Boss Hou start working a long time ago? He doesn't look very old!"

“I heard from a friend who used to be an extra that he used to be an extra in the same cohort as Boss Hou. Back then, he seemed like the kind of person who was very inconspicuous.”

"I heard that Boss Hou used to be a top-earning daily wage earner!"

"Are day laborers the same thing? You day laborers just sleep all day and lie around like a corpse! Other day laborers are teaching themselves music composition and improving their skills!"

"You have to admire them! They're not from a professional acting background, they only graduated from high school, and yet they've reached this level! You can imagine how much effort they've put in!"

"It's so true, a huge number of people in the entertainment industry are faking their academic credentials! All those PhDs and Masters, their actual level is laughable!"

It turns out that Hou only has a high school diploma, but his lyrics, as a literature major, are... I have to say, "Wow, amazing!"