Chapter 53
Tonight, the sky is bright with stars and the moon. A light blue electric scooter is parked on the cement road on the hillside. Zhan Mu is sitting on the muddy ground with a vague look in his eyes, drinking a can of Coke.
The breeze blew on his face. He hadn't spoken for a long time. That strange and lonely feeling came back, making Lu Chao feel that his heart was closed again and no one could sympathize with him.
The wheat branches before him, the breeze carrying the natural scent of sun and corn, Zhan Mu took a deep breath and suddenly said, "I can't sleep every night. My mind is like a perpetual motion machine, anxious, irritable, yearning, all kinds of desires mixed together, making me sleepless and making me uneasy about the status quo."
"What are you thinking about?" Lu Chao asked in a soft voice.
"Maybe it's money, but I think it's more like something else." Zhan Mu replied: "I feel that life is real, very illusory, but also very real. Let me put it this way, the first opportunity I realized that my life could be changed artificially was losing weight. It really is, you may not understand, it's just..."
"Before this, I was just a fat otaku who lived a life of idleness and waited for death. I had ambition, but not much. But after being ridiculed by those around me, I thought, I can't do this anymore, I have to lose weight. I felt a surge of motivation inside. Now when I think back, I don't know why, but it suddenly dawned on me that I shouldn't be a coward. I wanted to change myself, and then cut out the bad social interactions. I just had to do it."
Lu Chao remained quiet and listened to his past.
"I've never thought I was handsome since I was little, I was just ugly. I'd always feel inferior standing next to Zhan Miao, and I always thought I wasn't my parents' biological child, but was picked up, haha. But ever since I lost weight, I've realized I'm not that bad after all. Especially when I play basketball on the court, other girls watch me. Some even ask for my contact information, flirt with me, and try to hook me up. And in class, the young female teachers tease me, saying, 'I'm a gym student,' and pick me out to demonstrate some moves. Wow, that feeling of attention makes me feel awkward, but also really good."
Lu Chao frowned, wondering if he was the kind of person who would remain chaste when faced with someone throwing themselves at him.
Zhan Mu continued to discuss himself, and Lu Chao felt that it should be.
"Before, I was just a fat person who loved to eat. It was impossible. These experiences and changes have deeply touched me. My mental outlook has also changed. I have become more confident. This incident also made me realize that life can really be changed. I am very proud and even feel that I am awesome and amazing."
"Then..." Zhan Mu laughed, a flicker of melancholy between his brows. He said, "I didn't study hard in college, so I just wanted to start a self-media business. After graduation, I didn't learn my undergraduate major well, so I couldn't become a physical education teacher or anything like that. I didn't like it either. I was completely focused on playing games and studying desperate situations. I created an account, and I showed my face and showed off my abs, but it only got a few thousand likes. I really don't like to play by the rules. I want to focus on being a technical anchor, or a comedian."
"Then I realized I had no talent and my voice wasn't that good. In just two or three years, I was back to square one. I felt so mediocre, so ordinary, and I couldn't do anything. The confidence I had gained from my previous weight loss success was gone."
Zhan Mu took a deep breath and continued chatting, "Also, I understand that good looks don't bring any benefits. They do, but it depends on how you use them. What's more, I'm not as handsome as Leonardo DiCaprio. I'm just average-looking and can't be a star. Really, realizing this makes me feel so disappointed and even resentful. Damn, there are so many troubles. I always have people asking me if I'm gay when I create an account. Haha, it's mainly because they're ugly, and I can't accept it."
Speaking of this, Lu Chao, the former top two-dimensional star who is more handsome than Daniel Wu and comparable to Takeshi Kaneshiro, smiled. Indeed, if Lu had not been hit by a car, his life would be the best. Even if he became a data life, he could still make a living by relying on his face.
"It's really hard to build up self-confidence, only to be shattered by reality, and to accept one's own ordinariness and insignificance. There was a time when I really thought I was excellent and awesome, but then I realized... I just have a face, a slightly attractive face. Other than getting women to look at me a few more times, want to talk to me, and have sex with me, that's all I have."
Lu Chao nodded, smiled without saying anything, revealing a calm demeanor that showed he had deep understanding. Presumably, he had more experience in this area than Zhan Mu.
"As a sports student, there are always a few second-generation rich guys. Honestly, I'm just jealous. I once saw Huang Jiye in a bar. I wouldn't call him surrounded by girls, but he was surrounded by a lot of girls. All I could think was... he's so fucking ugly. Isn't it just a couple of bucks? I'm a woman. No matter how rich he is, I can't bring myself to talk to him."
Lu Chao pushed his arm and said, "I've noticed you're quite discriminatory against people based on appearance."
"Yeah." Zhan Mu smiled and answered him nonchalantly, "Otherwise, why would I turn myself into a homosexual with you? It's because you're pretty. I'm a face-lover."
"...Fuck." Lu Chao turned his head away, hiding the smile in his eyes, and said, "It's too much for people like you."
"That's just me. I know exactly what I want and what I don't want." Zhan Mu's eyes changed, and he pinched the empty can in his hand, making a crackling sound as if to vent his anger.
"And now I understand that other people's words and opinions are bullshit. I only listen to what is beneficial to me. I only like people who make me feel comfortable - I am my own person."
He slammed the can to the ground, his dejected dejection replaced by a sense of confidence. Zhan Mu stood up, recalling the past, his words revealing disdain and coldness.
He said: "I don't know if I'm self-righteous, but I still think I'm quite smart. As long as I want to, I can do it. However, I really come from a very humble background, and the resources I can leverage are too few. What I want to do is too big, and the people around me can't give me much help."
"I always think that desire and ambition are not derogatory terms." Lu Chao looked up and shook off the hand that he had pulled up to hold Zhan Mu.
"Yes, I am a person who becomes more courageous when I encounter more setbacks. Comfort can't arouse my fighting spirit. The more people question me on this road, it also indirectly proves that my strength is enough to make others tremble." Zhan Mu looked at the distant sky and spoke with force.
"No one is helping me achieve my ambitions. Who cares? I'll climb the mountain and reach the clouds!" Zhan Mu kicked away the flattened can at his feet and roared, "Just do it!"
Then he got on his electric scooter, raised his chin towards Lu Chao, and said with a raised eyebrow, "Let's go home and sleep."
"Okay, Mr. Zhan." Lu Chao was extremely amused.
-
The next day, Zhan Mu was still guarding his shop peacefully, his mind full of thoughts and considerations, wondering what he should do to make his business bigger and stronger.
His cat was lying on the counter, meowing, making people feel annoyed. Zhan Mu poked at his notebook with a pen, scrolling through videos absent-mindedly.
Maybe the times are just like this wonderful thing, sometimes good and sometimes bad. Just when Zhan Mu was feeling sleepy and wanted to take a nap, Lu Chao, who was originally a small liquid cube, turned into a human and jumped out.
He seemed anxious and said in a stammering voice, "Are you online? Do you want to go live and explain? The comment section on your account is a bloody mess right now."
"What's wrong? What did I do?" Zhan Mu was curious and switched to the Xiaohong software. Sure enough, he saw the familiar 99+. He was shocked and clicked it. For some reason, he heard a lot of curses.
Netizen 1: I don't know what he is bragging about. His appearance is very ordinary. I have seen his gaming videos and his level is really average. Even if his equipment is not good, he still eats like a food streamer. He can't even swallow. It's fake.
Netizen 2: They are fans of the internet celebrity Qiqi who came here for team building. They have nothing to do with this anchor.
Netizen 3: Your fans of the real master are going crazy everywhere, which means we can't say anything. I'm not a fan of this Master Zhan, and his self-media editing skills are indeed average.
Netizen 4: Qiqi is a technical anchor, better than someone like him who sells homosexuality. Gay men are disgusting to the whole family. (vomit) (vomit) (vomit)
Netizen 5: Where does this Mr. Zhan get so much attention? What did Qiqi do wrong? Why does he always get scammed by these small anchors? They are just trying to get attention and take advantage of others.
Netizen 6: Qiqinb Qiqinb Qiqinb Qiqinb Qiqinb Qiqinb
Netizen 7: Qiqi nb Qiqi nb Qiqi nb Qiqi nb Qiqi nb Qiqi nb
Netizen 8: Qiqi nb Qiqi nb Qiqi nb Qiqi nb Qiqi nb Qiqi nb
Even Zhan Mu was confused, but he continued to eat melons.
Netizen 9: The internet trolls bought by Qiqi? If you have the guts, go to CCTV and post comments. It's hilarious. They just love to put down the weak and praise the strong, bullying ordinary people. What a talent!
Netizen 10: @爱吃的大师展, host, please take screenshots as evidence. Seriously, you were definitely tricked. It's so fucking disgusting. You rely on your fame to suppress your peers who are weaker than you. Such people will not be popular for long. Host, don't be scared. If you encounter this level of online violence, you can call the police.
Zhan Mu was still frightened by what he saw. He blinked, took a deep breath, and sighed, muttering, "So this is what it feels like to be famous. I've finally experienced it."
"You're not nervous at all?" Lu Chao admired him even more. His mental strength was not that of an ordinary person.
Zhan Mu: "I just feel that I have done nothing wrong."
Seeing his calmness, Lu Chao's original worry for him faded a little. He reminded him, "Your old photos have also been dug up. Keep going."
"What do you mean by 'come on,'" Zhan Mu was speechless. He continued to look through his own comment section. He was really impressed. He was shocked by how such popularity came from. All his former classmates from elementary school, junior high school and high school showed up, giving him mixed reviews.
Netizen 1: Here are pictures and the truth (video link). This is effective weight loss. It's like a completely different look. It's quite inspiring. My friend said that this is his high school classmate. He is a quiet, low-key and dull person.
Netizen 2: (Screenshot, chat history) The one where he ran errands for his senior sister and was labeled a good guy, the one where he treated a girl to milk tea as a bootlicker but was blocked in return, and finally the one where his heart was completely broken and he bought an electronic male pet to become gay.
Zhan Mu looked at it and thought it was too much. How could his private chat records be disclosed? He was a little angry, but since the matter was already done, he felt that it didn't matter as long as the consequences were not bad.
Netizen 3: This guy is getting funnier the more he digs into the matter.
Netizen 4: So miserable and so funny hahaha, who is messing with him? In the end, all the negative information has become funny, outrageous.
Netizen 5: After watching it, I think this young anchor is quite normal. Good people are not afraid of being exposed, and bad people can't pretend. It makes those who want to discredit him look like a joke.
Netizen 6: Qiqi fans, stop dancing. It is doomed for you to be a failure. A blacksmith must be strong himself. Where do you get the confidence to treat netizens as idiots?
As things continued to unfold, Zhan Mu watched, then suddenly stood up and slammed his hands on the table. He seemed more like he was excited than thrilled. He felt he had to seize this rare opportunity. He suddenly said, "Should I start a livestream to make some money? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I feel like public opinion is leaning towards me."
Boss Zhan is truly a genius. Facing online bullying, he showed no fear. Instead, he believed that the bigger the storm, the more valuable the fish. Scolding him? Haha~ He's afraid that netizens won't scold him, that they'll ignore him.
Obviously, people like Zhan Mu also like to be at the center of the public opinion storm and have a lot of discussion. He feels quite accomplished and thinks about turning traffic into wealth.
But unfortunately, money doesn't come that way.
"No." Lu Chao said seriously, analyzing and explaining it carefully, "This is just the ordinary netizens' goodwill. They just say a few good words for you. It doesn't mean they are willing to spend money on you. After all, you haven't created any cultural IP."
"Uh... is that so?" Zhan Mu seemed a little at a loss.
"Although I'm not a big shot, I have come into contact with many big shots." Lu Chao suddenly took the pen from Zhan Mu's hand and wrote a few words as if to impart life experience to him.
"Public opinion is uncontrollable. A person who really wants to achieve something should control himself, especially his mouth, and prove his ability through actions and industry. At the same time, he should be responsible for every word he says." Lu Chao is extremely serious and lives up to the title of an advisor. He is both a counselor and a master of philosophy.
"It's normal to want to be famous, to be recognized and noticed by others, and even to get rewards and make money."
"Wait a minute, so what you mean is that if someone slanders me or even defames me, I have to shut up and remain silent?" Zhan Mu immediately became unhappy, as if he was holding his breath, as if he wanted to kill a bull with a quick knife.
"You can issue a statement, do some PR, but the worst thing to do is explain things to people in person, or even argue with them." Lu Chao told him meaningfully, "That just means you've lost your credibility."
Zhan Mu suddenly realized what was going on and calmed down. He calmed down and replied, "Then I'll just write an article to briefly explain this matter and then shut up. What netizens think is their business and it shouldn't disrupt my work."
"Yes, that's right." Lu Chao looked at him with satisfaction and said with a smile, "The only thing you can control in this world is yourself. If you want to be a powerful person, then you must know your bottom line, then move forward bravely, experience failure, and no matter what others say, just do it."
Zhan Mu nodded, and gave up the idea of using AI. He wrote an article to briefly introduce himself, and then waited for good news.
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