Hong Kong variety show: From being bitten by a cockroach to becoming a legend

Chapter 36: Nonsensical Marketing

Uncle Rong suddenly remembered that a few days ago, a young man named Ye Rongtian, led by a few familiar faces from Tsz Wan Shan, managed to stuff a box of "Man Kee Beef Balls" into his hands, saying that he would try selling them first and there was no rush to pay.

I was too embarrassed to admit it, so I just tossed it into the bottom of the refrigerator without a second thought! Who would buy a brand they'd never even heard of? Or some kind of "pissing" beef ball? The name is just awful (disgusting).

"Yeah~" Uncle Rong jumped up suddenly and rushed to the refrigerator like he was on springs. He frantically rummaged through several boxes of frozen milk tea and fish balls, and finally found the box with the "juicy beef balls" logo: "Quick, Qiang, take a bag out to defrost and cook it right away! Cook it big, quick."

He had a feeling that these beef balls would bring a pleasant surprise.

The competitive eating contest concluded amidst a near-frenzied "CD binge." The bowls in front of the five anorexic challengers were empty; each was slumped in their chairs, patting their bulging bellies, their faces showing unprecedented satisfaction and...

These people even wanted more, but Song Zhaowen dared not supply them, because it would really cause people to die from oversupply.

This led to a minor incident: several anorexia patients caused a disturbance on stage, and it took the medical staff a great deal of effort to pull them off.

The stage was quickly cleared. The focus shifted to the pool table next door!

With the previous exciting program as a foundation,

The on-site PD told Ah May that the ratings were off the charts, far exceeding previous episodes, and the station manager would continue to broadcast additional episodes.

Originally, Ah May only wanted to help Ye Rongtian, but the live broadcast just now had such a high viewership that the station director personally called to add more episodes, which made her feel like she had been injected with stimulants.

"Fellow neighbors! The miracle isn't over yet! After the God of Cookery feast, the main event is about to begin—the 'Bouncing Over Table Tennis Balls' Hao Nan Beef Ball Contest. The rules are incredibly simple: use incredibly bouncy beef balls instead of table tennis balls. Whoever catches the most without them bursting with juice wins. Please welcome—former Hong Kong Youth Team representative, handsome ball king, Mr. Li."

Everyone has seen many table tennis matches, but using beef balls as balls is a first for me.

In an effort to create a buzz, Song Zhaowen spared no expense, hiring a former professional golfer from Hong Kong Youth at a high price.

This guy is handsome, plays basketball well, and is very popular with women.

Wearing a professional jersey and sporting a slicked-back hairstyle, Mr. Li walked onto the stage with a dashing air, flashing a professional smile and waving to the audience, especially the housewives, which elicited screams of admiration from the crowd.

As for the opponent, that was even more intriguing: a middle-aged woman wearing a floral shirt, slightly overweight, with a kind smile.

The onlookers laughed heartily.

"Haha, an old lady playing tennis? Does she even know how to hold a proper racket?"

"Auntie VS Hong Kong Youth Team, there is no need to fight."

Ah May handed over the microphone: "Big sister, what's your name? What's your job again? And do you know how to play billiards?"

"Just call me Sister Xia, I'm a farmer." The camera focused on Aunt Xia. She wore a floral shirt, had a slightly plump figure, and a kind smile like a friendly aunt next door: "I love table tennis. When I was young, I was unbeatable in the village, and people called me 'Chaozhou Deng Yaping'."

"Hahaha..." The entire audience erupted in deafening laughter. A farming auntie versus a handsome young man from Hong Kong? And they're even playing ball with beef balls? The contrast is incredible, the gimmick is amazing.

At Rong Kee Tea Restaurant, Uncle Rong and the diners laughed so hard they were doubled over: "Playing billiards while plowing the fields? Hahaha, damn, the production team is really a genius for coming up with such a crazy idea."

Standing at one end of the table tennis table, Li Sheng looked at Aunt Xia, who was awkwardly holding her racket with a simple and honest smile, and mentally ranted, "They say retired athletes are worse off than dogs. For a 50,000 yuan appearance fee, I've been reduced to playing tennis with an old lady. Sigh, it's really tough being in this world."

Ah May: "Alright! The match begins, Mr. Li serves first."

Li picked up a raw beef ball, weighed it in his hand, and found it incredibly bouncy! It was just as good as a table tennis ball. To finish the match quickly and save face, he decided to give it a rude awakening with a standard serve, full of spin and speed! "Crack!" The beef ball shot at high speed towards Aunt Xia's open forehand side with a tricky arc.

Everyone thought Aunt Xia wouldn't even see the ball. But to everyone's surprise, Aunt Xia, who seemed clumsy, suddenly unleashed the sturdy arms she had honed from farming and a burst of raw strength! Her eyes widened, and she shouted, "Beat!" Her stance wasn't like playing ball, but more like swinging a hoe in the field. She swung the racket in a wide arc, making a whooshing sound, with a sweeping motion that was almost like swatting a fly.

"Bang!"

With a deep, drum-like thud, the beef ball, imbued with powerful spin, seemed to crash into a thick rubber wall the moment it touched Aunt Xia's racket. The spin was forcefully shattered, and the beef ball shot back with an even more terrifying speed and a more bizarre arc, accompanied by a sharp whooshing sound. Its trajectory was as unpredictable as a drunkard dancing.

Li Sheng's pupils contracted sharply. His prediction was completely wrong. Just as he started moving, the golden "cannonball" had already grazed his astonished cheek.

"Thump!" A muffled sound slammed hard against the wooden panel behind!

"Splat~" The baffle was smashed and a small dent was made. The beef ball didn't explode. It was just squeezed and deformed for a moment, and then bounced back at a faster speed and an even more outrageous angle.

"Wow~" The entire venue was silent for half a second, then erupted into a tsunami of exclamations. The elasticity and resilience were beyond imagination.

"Holy crap, it really bounced like a table tennis ball! What's it made of?! It makes me want to try it."

"Aunt Xia, give it a good thump!"

Li Sheng's face turned ashen, and his forehead was instantly covered in cold sweat. He no longer dared to underestimate the situation and focused intently, displaying the fighting spirit he would show in a regular competition.

The two players went back and forth, the beef balls on the court turning into a phantom, bouncing and crashing at high speed on the table. Each impact produced a dull and powerful "bang" sound, accompanied by the extremely bouncy vibration of the beef balls themselves. What was nerve-wracking was that despite such high-speed and violent impacts, not a single beef ball wrapped in scalding hot soup burst open.

"Bang!" "Snap!" "Whoosh!"

"Good job, Aunt Xia! Slap him on the right!"

"Li Sheng, hang in there! Don't lose to Aunt Gengtian!"

"Pfft~"

right!"

Finally, in a high-speed rally, Li Sheng, in an effort to save Aunt Xia, delivered a powerful "scooping the moon from the bottom of the sea" style return shot with an absurdly sharp angle, almost skimming the net. The beef ball, which had withstood countless violent impacts without breaking down and possessed amazing elasticity, finally broke through the defense with this "edge shot"! The scalding hot golden soup gushed out like a miniature fountain, accurately splashing Li Sheng's face, who had just gotten up, covered in sweat and panting.

I got faceshot~

"Ah, it's so hot!" Li Sheng was caught off guard and jumped up and down from the heat. He frantically wiped his face, his hair was all messed up, and he looked disheveled. His expensive jersey was covered in golden oil stains.

"Toot~" A sharp whistle rang out.

"Aunt Xia scores! Challenge successful! Aunt Gengtian beats Gang Qingbo King!" Ah May roared excitedly, her voice cracking!

"Aunt Xia, this is delicious!!!"

"Wen Kee Beef Balls are so bouncy they've bounced like a table tennis ball and are tougher than steel wire."

"Great! I want to buy it right now."