Chapter Sixteen: The Top Rank

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After another twenty-odd minutes on the road, the five cars carrying the five families arrived one after another at a remote mountain village. They parked around a large open space in the village, something like a threshing ground.

Chen Lei, the field host who had unexpectedly become popular after the first two seasons of the show aired and who called himself the “Village Chief,” was already waiting there with a smile.

Carrying their luggage, the five families gradually gathered in the open space. As mentioned before, anyone invited to participate in this program was naturally far from unknown in the entertainment industry. Even if they had never dealt with one another personally, they had all appeared often enough on television and in entertainment news that none of them was a complete stranger. Since they were participating in the show together, they naturally began by exchanging greetings and pleasantries, as well as introducing their children.

The fathers in this season’s five celebrity families came from three acting backgrounds, one musical background, and one athletic background.

Lin Shaohua, thirty-six, was an actor. At the age of twenty-five, he had won the Best Actor award at the Berlin International Film Festival for an art film, and his portrayal of melancholy, literary young men had left a deep impression on audiences. In real life, however, he was more of a clown, with a great deal of childishness in his personality. In that respect, he resembled Xiao Siqi quite a bit. He had a son and a daughter, and the child he had brought on the show was his five-year-old son, Lin Qisan. He also had a three-year-old daughter.

Sun Zhihao, forty-one, was an actor as well as a director, producer, and screenwriter. Early in his career, he had even worked as a singer, making him a true all-rounder in the entertainment world. More remarkably, he was currently a lecturer in the Acting Department of Yanjing Film Academy. His daughter, Sun Tingting, whose nickname was Duo’er, was also five years old.

Zhou Lixing, thirty-three, was a boxer who had won two Olympic boxing gold medals. Two years earlier, he had retired from the national team and transitioned from amateur athletics to professional boxing. The previous year, he had won an international lightweight championship belt. His son was four-year-old Zhou Zhihao.

Those three families, together with Zhao Tao and Zhao Rui, as well as Xiao Siqi and Xiao Yao, made up the cast of this season’s program.

“Welcome, fathers and children!” Once the five families had finished getting acquainted, Chen Lei clapped his hands to draw everyone’s attention before setting the show’s rhythm and procedures in motion. “First, as in previous seasons, the fathers must hand over their mobile phones, while the children must hand over their snacks and toys.”

The fathers who had watched the first two seasons naturally knew the rules, and they sighed as they surrendered their phones. When the children heard that their snacks and toys had to be taken away, they immediately began protesting and making a fuss, while their fathers started coaxing them patiently.

Chen Lei observed everyone’s reactions with a smile. After the first two seasons had aired, this rule was clearly well known. It seemed the adults had already prepared their children before leaving home. Although the children were reluctant, they still took the forbidden items out of their luggage and handed them over after being persuaded by their fathers.

The most cooperative of them all was Zhao Rui. Zhao Tao barely had to say anything before Zhao Rui opened his own backpack, took out the items, and handed them over.

When Chen Lei looked toward Xiao Siqi and Xiao Yao, he was surprised to discover that neither of them had moved. Xiao Siqi did not urge his son to hand anything over, and Xiao Yao did not take anything out. The two of them merely smiled as they watched the other children reluctantly part with their beloved belongings.

“Bayi, why aren’t you handing anything over?” Chen Lei asked curiously.

“Me?” Xiao Yao was taken aback, then laughed. “I didn’t bring any snacks or toys, so there’s nothing for me to hand over.”

Chen Lei was stunned as well. He looked at Xiao Siqi in confusion. Xiao Siqi merely spread his hands and answered proudly, “We really didn’t bring any.”

At that moment, Zhao Rui, having finished handing over his belongings, suddenly pointed at the small guitar case on Xiao Yao’s back.

“Isn’t that little guitar on your back a toy too? A real guitar should be as big as the one your father is carrying.” Zhao Rui had played drums before and knew a little about musical instruments.

“This isn’t a guitar,” Xiao Yao explained with a smile. “It’s called a ukulele. It only has four strings, so it’s different from a guitar. Its normal size is supposed to be this small. That makes it a musical instrument, not a toy.”

“I don’t believe you,” Zhao Rui declared skeptically. “Not unless you open it up and let me see it—and play it for us here.”

Zhao Tao immediately stopped him. “Rock, don’t make trouble.”

Unexpectedly, several of the other children, already unhappy about losing their snacks and toys, became interested in Zhao Rui’s suggestion. Without understanding what was going on, they joined in excitedly.

“I want to see too! I want to see too!”

The remaining three fathers were left speechless by the children’s enthusiasm and looked at Xiao Siqi apologetically.

Sun Zhihao had worked as a singer in his early years, and his daughter was currently learning the piano. He himself also played the guitar from time to time. He knew about the ukulele and had seen plenty of them on television and in videos, but he had never actually watched anyone play one in person.

So he said to Xiao Siqi, “Siqi, why not let your son show us what he can do?”

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Xiao Siqi spread his hands indifferently. “I don’t mind. Let Bayi decide for himself.”

Xiao Yao shook his head helplessly. He removed the instrument case from his shoulder, opened it, took out the ukulele, and handed it to Zhao Rui.

“Here, Rock. Take a look. See? It’s different.”

Zhao Rui accepted it and examined it. Sure enough, it had only four strings. He plucked them randomly with one finger, and the tone did sound different from that of a guitar.

Zhao Rui nodded and handed it back to Xiao Yao. “Then perform something for us.”

Xiao Yao took the instrument, laid his suitcase flat, and sat down on it. He settled the ukulele across his legs, tuned it briefly, and then smoothly played a melody—the chorus of “The Most Beautiful,” a song that had been extraordinarily popular half a year earlier.

When the flowing melody came to an end, the whole scene erupted in applause.

The staff whispered to one another in astonishment, while the fathers openly praised Xiao Siqi. Xiao Yao, meanwhile, calmly put the instrument back into its case.

Chen Lei had hosted the program for two years and had gained a certain understanding of children’s thoughts. He smiled and asked Zhao Rui, “Rock, do you still have any objections?”

Zhao Rui knew when to let things go. He nodded. “No objections.”

Then he turned and began pestering his father. “Dad, I want to learn this yoo... yoo...”

He stopped halfway, unable to remember what the instrument was called, and turned back toward Xiao Yao.

“Ukulele!” Xiao Yao answered without even looking up.

“I want to learn the ukulele too. Buy me one when we get home, and find me a teacher!” Zhao Rui continued.

As soon as he said this, the other children joined in, tugging at their fathers and making a fuss.

“Dad, I want one too!”

“What is this?” Xiao Yao thought helplessly.

After thinking for a moment, he suddenly called out to Wu Zhan’kui, who was standing at the edge of the group.

“Uncle Wu, remember to blur the brand name on my instrument during post-production. I’m not giving them free advertising. But if you manage to negotiate a sponsorship deal with them, don’t forget my share.”

“Pfft...”

That shout stunned all the adults into silence. Wu Zhan’kui, who had been drinking water to cool himself down, sprayed it out for the second time that day.

Chen Lei stared at Xiao Yao with an odd expression. “Bayi, you even know about things like that?”

Xiao Siqi answered with a laugh, “For more than half a year, this kid has accompanied his grandfather to quite a few film and television sets. I suppose he picked it up from watching so much. He’s a rather precocious child.”

Xiao Siqi offered the explanation casually, but the other fathers secretly took note.

They all began calculating inwardly. This child clearly knew a great deal and was far more mature than others his age. Later, when the children had to complete tasks on their own, they would have to find a way to get their own children partnered with him. Their children would certainly have an easier time that way.

Once this little interlude passed, the program moved on to the next stage. The next event would fully demonstrate what it meant to experience heaven on one side and hell on the other: the house-selection round.

“All right, all right. We’ll begin the next round now—the house selection.” Chen Lei clapped his hands and brought everyone’s attention back to the program.

The fathers let out an excited howl and began rubbing their fists in anticipation.

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But Chen Lei’s next words immediately turned their excitement into disappointment.

“This time, the children will compete to choose the houses.” Chen Lei smiled. “They’ll have to compete in intelligence. The game is a jigsaw puzzle.”

The staff, who had long since prepared everything, began carrying tables into the open space and arranging the props. Chen Lei continued explaining.

“We have five puzzles with different images. Each one consists of forty-six pieces arranged in a four-by-four format. Whoever finishes first gets to choose a house first. Whoever finishes second chooses second, and the last one to finish won’t have any choice at all. Is everyone clear?”

Zhou Lixing was the first to raise his hand in protest. “Village Chief, our child is the youngest. I don’t think that’s fair.”

Chen Lei seemed to have anticipated this objection. He immediately smiled and said, “All right. The fathers may offer guidance beside their children, but they are not allowed to touch the pieces.”

The contest had thus changed from a pure test of intelligence among the children into a test of intelligence for the entire family. Zhou Lixing had no further objections, and naturally, neither did anyone else.

Before long, five tables had been set up in the open space. Each table held a cardboard box filled with a disorderly pile of jigsaw pieces.

“Ready... begin!”

At Chen Lei’s command, the five families hurried to the tables and began examining the piles of puzzle pieces.

Xiao Yao found the game somewhat absurd. He quietly asked Xiao Siqi, who was crouching beside him and watching him, “Dad, should we hold back a little?”

“Hold back? Why?” Xiao Siqi looked completely baffled. “Don’t you want to live in a good house?”

“All right, then. We won’t hold back.” Xiao Yao nodded.

He grabbed the cardboard box containing the puzzle pieces and tipped everything onto the table with a clatter. Then he turned the box upside down.

He thought helplessly, “What was the production crew thinking? They used the lid of the original packaging as the container for the pieces. Didn’t they know the complete picture is printed on the outside of the puzzle box?”

After quickly scanning the image on the box, he immediately began searching through the scattered pieces. He found the four corner pieces first, followed by the eight edge pieces, then the four middle pieces with gaps along all four sides. Using the image on the box as a guide, he assembled the puzzle rapidly.

Compared with Xiao Siqi’s relaxed attitude, the other fathers were excited and anxious, directing their children to pick up the pieces one by one, examine them, and place them where they belonged.

However, Sun Zhihao, standing beside Xiao Yao, had been secretly watching him from the corner of his eye. When he saw Xiao Yao pick up the box and examine its underside, he noticed the picture printed there and immediately instructed his daughter, “Duo’er, hurry. Pour the puzzle pieces out of the box. There’s a picture on the bottom. Turn the box over first and show it to Daddy.”

Although Sun Zhihao deliberately kept his voice low, Sun Tingting’s movements were still noticed by Zhao Tao at the next table. Lin Shaohua, standing beside Zhao Tao, noticed as well, followed by Zhou Lixing beside Lin Shaohua.

Soon, the sound of puzzle pieces being poured out rang across the other three tables too.

“Done!” Xiao Yao clapped his hands and turned to Xiao Siqi.

“Huh? Done already?” Carefree as ever, Xiao Siqi had been enjoying the other four groups scrambling around and had paid no attention to his own son’s progress. Startled by Xiao Yao’s announcement, he hurriedly glanced at their table.

The puzzle was indeed complete.

He immediately raised his hand and shouted, “Village Chief, we’re finished!”

Chen Lei had naturally been following the progress of all five families. He had noticed the instant Xiao Yao completed the puzzle. Smiling, he nodded.

“Bayi is first!”

“Yeah!” Xiao Siqi cried excitedly as he high-fived Xiao Yao.