Unlike Tak, live streaming on Capital has been developing for many years, reaching a mature and stable stage. This stability, to some extent, also means class stratification and polarization—the vast majority of traffic is firmly locked up by a few of the most popular streamers, leaving the rest of the streamers struggling to make ends meet.

Of course, the authorities have tried to control this situation, but the results have not been significant.

Take the Daily Hot List, for example. This list selects the ten live streamers with the highest overall popularity each day and displays them in the recommended position on the homepage. For four months, there have been no new entries on the Daily Hot List. It's been the same ten or so top streamers from each region, with only their positions fluctuating.

It is conceivable that it was a sensational and incredible thing for Gu Yumian, a new anchor who had just passed the rating assessment and was broadcasting live on the Capital Star for the first time, to be on the popularity list of the day.

The discussion among the netizens spread from Weibo to Star Forum, and Tieba was not spared.

[1L: This streamer was previously recommended by Youyunduo, and at the time, he was criticized for being human... But, and this isn't hindsight, I knew back then that he would be a big hit.]

[2L: Directly landing in the top ten of the day's popularity charts on the first day. Putting aside the issues of humans and the countryside, this data is too impressive. Are we about to witness the ascension of a new generation of top-tier gods? ORZ]

[3L: Don't rush to draw conclusions. The ratings haven't been announced yet, so forget about anything below B. Also, his race is a real flaw. We'll have to wait and see how the rookie competition pans out.]

4L: Although, his livestream is really good! I feel sick if I don't watch it for a day now, and I can't even enjoy my food.

5L: The livestream itself was amazing, and then there were those fireworks at the end!! They went on for a whole hour, and my heart was completely blown. I know the fireworks probably had nothing to do with the streamer... but it was such a coincidence, and so beautiful! 1551

At the same time, the tag #Fireworks for one person# on Weibo also became popular.

@戀裡那个事V: Contributing, thick code here. I was watching a new streamer's livestream today. The streamer said he wanted to see fireworks, and was immediately criticized by some critics, saying there was no way fireworks were going to be set off at that time. But everyone saw it, and there really were fireworks at 9pm last night!! They went on for a whole hour!!

"Usually, fireworks are announced in advance and start around 6 or 7 o'clock, but this time it was very sudden. And the streamer had the best viewing angle! It felt like the fireworks were just for him! QAQ So romantic and sweet."

But soon, everyone thought this was nonsense. His Majesty had just arrived in the downtown area. Who could have obtained permission to set off such a large-scale fireworks display at this time? Could it be that His Majesty himself had set it off? That was even more ridiculous.

The most likely possibility is that a politician in the downtown area set off a fireworks display to please His Majesty, it was just a coincidence.

…

When Gu Yumian went off the air, his number of fans had increased from a few thousand to tens of thousands, and he had received a lot of gifts.

The show was very popular at the time and the audience and fans were very reluctant to leave, but Gu Yumian had to take the children to bed, so he finally went off the air with great apology.

Summer nights in the mountains are unusually quiet.

With only a dim light left in the small tent, Gu Yumian lay on his side in his blankets, listening to the distant chirping of cicadas and the sound of running water. The baby panda was incredibly optimistic and innocent, carefree, and soon fell asleep, holding Gu Yumian's hand.

The little snow leopard nestled beside Gu Yumian's neck, firmly occupying all of Gu Yumian's sight and embrace, sleeping in a wanton and lazy posture.

In the entire tent, only Gu Yumian was still awake.

"Tuantuan, how did you know the fireworks were going to be set off at that time?" He reached out and scratched the little snow leopard's chin, his voice so soft that it seemed like he was asking and answering himself, "Or was it just a coincidence?"

"Why do I feel like you, a little kid, are hiding a lot of things from me..."

The little snow leopard moved its nose in its sleep, and after a moment, it unconsciously kissed Gu Yumian's ear. Gu Yumian could feel the slightly moist touch on his ear, which was a little itchy. It was as if the little guy was trying to please him awkwardly and ask him not to mind.

Gu Yumian couldn't help but want to laugh, and some of the pent-up emotions in his heart suddenly dissipated.

——Their little snowball has always been very smart, so this little thing is nothing.

He reviewed recent events in his mind, made some plans for the future, and gradually fell asleep to the even breathing of the little snow leopard and the little glutinous rice ball.

This live broadcast also allowed the Starry Sky Operations Department to see the commercial value of Gu Yumian.

An A-rated streamer alone doesn't mean much. Just because Gu Yumian pleases the judges doesn't necessarily mean she'll be liked by the general audience. But the popularity of this first livestream is enough to prove it.

——Most of the StarCraft audiences are very fond of Gu Yumian’s style!

Moreover, President Fang Lena has leaked the information and is helping Gu Yumian apply for the review process for S-level anchor.

If this succeeds, Gu Yumian may become the first S-level anchor in history!

Several people in charge of operations held an impromptu meeting to discuss Gu Yumian's promotion and development. So, on the afternoon of his return from camp, Gu Yumian's temporary agent, Tangtang, approached him.

[Tangtang: Mianmian, we at StarSky have discussed this carefully and decided we can't just casually announce you. Let me be clear, your streamer rating is very high, and you may even have the opportunity to reach even higher in the future.]

[Tangtang: So, we'd like to wait for you to edit the video first, then shoot a commercial, and then make an official announcement together. The shoot is tentatively scheduled for next Friday afternoon. Are you free? I've sent you the commercial materials. If you have any questions, please let me know.]

Shooting a commercial? Gu Yumian was stunned for a moment, then remembered that one of the items in the new talent support program was indeed… advertising endorsement rights.

"So I'm half an internet celebrity now," the little snow leopard went to school, and Gu Yumian sat on the carpet with the panda baby. "Yuanyuan, does this count as promotion?"

Little Tangyuan was happily playing the 'high-five game' with him. When Gu Yumian asked it a question, it was very confused and responded with a little "hmm" sound.

In a previous life, influencers' main income came from promotional fees, both hard and soft advertising. Promotion was very lucrative, and Gu Yumian's high school classmate happened to be knowledgeable about this field. An influencer with millions of followers could earn around six figures for a hard advertising job, and within two years, they could buy a house in downtown Shanghai.

But it's strange to directly ask anchors to shoot commercials. Isn't shooting commercials the job of celebrities and models?

Gu Yumian was confused and worried that he wouldn't be able to do it well, as he had no relevant experience. Gu Yumian asked Tangtang again, and finally understood.

[Tangtang: This brand is excellent, and they've partnered with the Imperial Academy of Sciences. Their quality and reputation are fine, but the publicity and exposure haven't kept up. Also, the director they chose for this commercial was incredibly strict. They couldn't find any of the recently available popular influencers or celebrities, so they were desperate to find a live streamer... Then we sent all the live streamers' profiles over, and the director picked you. Maybe it was a perfect match.

[Tangtang: It’s okay. It’s an opportunity anyway. You don’t have to be too nervous. Just give it a try. The chance of success is actually not that high. If it succeeds, you’ll be lucky.

[Tangtang: There are still more than ten days until the rookie competition. Mianmian, your main task now is to maintain the popularity of the live broadcast, and at the same time, edit the video when you have time.]

This brand was indeed very good. Tangtang had seen their R&D process, so she worked hard to help Gu Yumian win the deal. However, because the product was so niche, even after finding several influencers with tens of millions of followers to promote it, it still didn't work.

Therefore, Gu Yumian got this opportunity, and the top anchors of Starry Sky had no objection. Some of them were secretly waiting to see Gu Yumian make a fool of himself.

——Since Tangtang said so, Gu Yumian was really relieved.

He reviewed the materials and the ad proposal, formed a rough outline in his mind, and then devoted himself to editing the video. The technical threshold for editing in the interstellar era was much lower; anyone with a computer could do it, without having to learn PE or VideoStudio.

But the core remains the same.

On Friday afternoon, the little snow leopard went to school as usual, leaving only Gu Yumian and the baby panda in the villa.

"First of all, I need to have an artistic brain," Gu Yumian said helplessly, looking at the video he had been working on for several days. "Yuanyuan, I don't think I'm cut out for this."

The video was based on the previous livestream. Extracting the essence of a three-hour livestream and compiling it into a few minutes, while also maintaining the narrative rhythm and continuity, and ensuring that it was understandable and relatable, was incredibly difficult. Gu Yumian felt like this was touching upon a blind spot in his knowledge.

Little Tangyuan curiously climbed into Gu Yumian's arms and tilted his little head to look at the semi-finished product projected on the screen.

Gu Yumian, having worked through the night editing videos for several days, was so sleepy that he rested his chin on the baby panda's head to rest for a while. However, his eyelids grew heavier and he felt sleepy...

Five minutes later.

A little boy, who looked about eight or nine years old and was wearing overalls, sat in Gu Yumian's arms, looking around blankly. He first felt that being held in Gu Yumian's arms was like being held by an older brother, a very solid and reassuring feeling.

Then, he saw his fingers—hey, they changed back to their original shape?

The intermittent return to normalcy was a matter of practice. The little boy blinked his round eyes for a moment, and after a moment, his gaze was suddenly drawn to the video looping on the screen in the air.

Um……

The little boy just looked at it casually at first, and then his expression gradually became serious.

Some of his older fans know that Ershisiguo's undergraduate degree wasn't in acting, but in directing. Although after becoming famous, he's often accused of relying on his racial advantages and family background, Ershisiguo is indeed a true professional. He even won a Best Newcomer Award for the short film he directed and starred in after graduation.

He could tell which were rocks and which were real things.

For example, in this eight-minute video, a professional can spot many flaws, such as abrupt transitions and incorrect timelines, but that can't obscure the fact that it's a piece of jade. Even unpolished jade is still jade.

The little boy was so itchy that he couldn't help but make some small and inconspicuous modifications, correcting the flaws in the transitions and rhythm, and tried his best to maintain the same length so that Gu Yumian wouldn't notice anything.

Half an hour later.

When Gu Yumian woke up, the baby panda was sleeping soundly in his arms, and the light screen had automatically turned off.

He glanced at the video and couldn't help but sigh again. I've changed it so many times, but I really can't do it anymore. I plan to just send it to Tangtang first and see if it doesn't work.

'Ding Dong'.

At the Starry Sky headquarters, agent Fang Tangtang's work computer lit up, indicating that a new text message had been received.

Cube Sugar left her desk to get some coffee, leaving her work laptop on because she was transferring a file with a partner.

It just so happened that Xingkong's server was being updated and repaired, and the company's intranet was interrupted, so the video sent by Gu Yumian was directly sent to the partner's mailbox.

Fang Tangtang went to get coffee, but was temporarily called away by her supervisor to be given a few instructions. When she returned to her seat, she was frightened by the bombardment of messages from her partner in the chat box.

You uploaded an extra video, maybe the wrong one? 2:40 PM

[Sorry, I accidentally opened it... Why can't I close it?! It shouldn't contain any private content.] 2:43 PM

There was a twenty-minute gap, and then—

[Ms. Fang, is this video going to be submitted to the Qinglan Cup? I can guarantee it'll definitely be in the top three, if not first place!] 3:00 PM

If they haven't submitted their work yet, please persuade them to do so now. Our chief judge has just reviewed it and gave it a thumbs-up. He's currently analyzing the content, rhythm, and technique frame by frame. 3:00 PM

[Also, a friend of mine who works at the Academy of Sciences... ahem, has also seen it, and is now asking me who made and recorded the video. Do you know?] 3:00 PM.

Tangtang: “…”

Tangtang: “???”

Shangcheng District, inside the Academy of Sciences.

A handsome young man in a white coat sat in the chief seat with an expressionless face, watching the video playing on his private computer.

He looked too young. The staff members around him who were rushing around were at least a hundred years old. Several light screens were suspended in the air, scrolling through various data at a rapid speed. From time to time, test tubes collided and instruments made a slight sound. The whole environment seemed very serious and full of technology.

This is the Empire's First Academy of Sciences.

The sole center of all intellectual achievement in the entire empire, the cutting-edge research and development site for all new discoveries, it brought together all the geniuses of the empire over the past century. And this young man, having just reached adulthood this year, was already the head of the Academy of Sciences. It was clear that he was a genius among geniuses.

He had been living independently since he was very young, and few people, including his parents, knew about it. He hadn't eaten for two weeks and was barely surviving on a diet of nutrient solution. It wasn't intentional; he simply had no appetite.

According to the doctor, the prolonged mental stress and intense work at the Academy had caused a decrease in his desire for all life activities, including a loss of appetite and chronic insomnia. However, his work was now at a critical juncture, and he couldn't withdraw at this time.

This video was sent by a partner. It is only more than eight minutes long. It will be played automatically in a loop after watching it once.

The background music for the holographic video is a gentle and romantic post-rock song. The image starts out as a blur of color blocks, which gradually become clearer, with the colors gradually becoming richer from the initial monotony.

Dusk, bonfire, mountain breeze.

The sizzling sound of thick soup simmering on the stove, the gurgling sound of mountain breeze and the long chirping of cicadas in my ears, the aroma of food lingering in my nose. The embrace of a young man gives me an inexplicable sense of satisfaction that makes my heart soften, forming a small world untouched by wind and rain.

The video uses color as a clue to connect several small pictures one by one.

Although there is no plot or lines, it is extremely captivating, and it draws people deeper and deeper into the story. It seems that you can touch the soft and boundless night in the mountains in midsummer with your hand.

After dusk falls, there is a sky full of stars, and under the night sky, there are ice-sweet and delicious watermelons and small talks, and there are endless stories to tell.

Yet, it wasn't perfect. There were flaws, things lost, things left unfinished, and everything came to a hurried end amidst the sweltering heat and the chirping of cicadas, leaving a hint of bitterness and sourness amidst the sweetness.

In this kind of atmosphere, one can always taste something subtle and restrained, emotions are moved and infected by this night, waiting to brew to the point of overflowing -

Bang!

The colorful fireworks burst out unexpectedly.

Countless blocks of color and images surge forth, and at this moment the sound of the piano breaks in. Like a stream of water, the piano music pours out, enveloping the entire world like a sudden downpour of fire, venting all the emotions that belong to this season and this night.

The shock I felt at that moment is indescribable.

After the climax, the music becomes gentle again, entering the closing section. The last shot freezes on a book with the word "Summer" written on the title page.

A pair of white and slender hands closed the book, and the video ended abruptly here.

“…”

Inside the academy, the boy closed his eyes.

He could feel a long-lost drowsiness and a surge of appetite. His stomach, empty for so long, spasmed and gave warnings, something he hadn't felt until recently. He even wanted to step into the video, be hugged by the young man, taste the clay-braised chicken, see if the rich soup was delicious, and take a bite of iced watermelon.

This feeling is actually... very good.

——It was like I had been in a daze for a long time, and finally one day, I came back to life.