The Overlord Backs Down: The Crew Is Still Here

Autumn. Jianghan Plain, Huatai Street. At Wang Deshun's funeral, debt collector Chen Ye arrived with the memorial tablet, demanding three thousand five hundred yuan.

That was the money Wang Deshun owed Blind Liu, then pledged to Chen Ye. Second Uncle settled the bill: fifteen hundred upfront, and the remaining two thousand after the opera was over. The debt became a performance contract.

Blind Liu's troupe had dwindled to just five people. Uncle Geng, who had played Yu Ji for thirty years, had shaky hands and could no longer hold a bowl. Chen Ye rounded out the troupe to seven and learned from Uncle Geng to handle the bamboo slips, starting with three. He couldn't sing. All he could do was grip them. Uncle Geng said, “You're just drawing.”

Later, Uncle Geng said, “Even a slow release is still a release.”

For the first time, the release had a name: a three-beat pause. After the third beat, the hand still had to fall a little farther.

The troupe had its moment in the spotlight once. A clip reached twenty million views overnight. Uncle Geng said just two words: “Delete it.”

Later, Uncle Geng handed him all five slips and died mid-performance. The six of them kept vigil for three days and performed half of Farewell My Concubine. There was no Yu Ji, only the King of Chu.

Life had to go on without him. Three standardization requirements came down, and the ledgers had to be filled out. An AI experience kiosk was set up in the square, with two hundred people lining up each day. On the second day of the first lunar month, there were two benches in the audience. On the third, not a soul. Chen Ye still carried the three benches out as usual, then returned them to the foot of the wall.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the town laid concrete slabs outside the grain station, making it impossible to plant the bamboo poles. The troupe moved its stage to the muddy ground by the wall.

A three-beat release. The review came in: “A three-beat release, with a life in it.”

In early spring, the five slips were handed to Qiangzi. Chen Ye moved to the back row. “If you can't hold it back, then you can't. Next time, hold back a little less.”

Blind Liu's shed was registered as Village Collective Asset No. 2 and designated for teaching. The threshold would not be replaced. No apprentices. Teaching.