As soon as Zhaixing Live announced those three Weibo posts, an unprecedented wave swept through the livestreaming industry. Such a generous move instantly piqued the curiosity of both streamers and viewers alike.
The lucrative rewards of the “Zhaixing Dream Nurturing Program,” especially the unconditional base salary plan, not only attracted attention from streamers within the industry but also drew interest from those without any prior streaming experience, with countless ordinary individuals signing up solely for the three months’ base pay.
In less than a week, the number of applicants vying to become streamers reached an astounding twenty thousand, and this figure continued to surge at a terrifying pace.
The newly appointed person in charge of Zhaixing handed the report to Ye Zhou. Despite their composed expression, there was a hint of worry in his voice. He said uneasily: “Mr. Ye, the number of applicants has far exceeded our expectations. Perhaps we should consider modifying the previous rules; otherwise, the base salaries alone will…”
“No need.” Ye Zhou interrupted, rhythmically tapping his slender fingers on the chair’s armrest. “We currently need to establish our reputation, and changing the rules now would be akin to sabotaging our own brand after all our previous efforts.”
“Continue to increase our promotional efforts. We’ve already invested so much money in the initial stages, so this additional expense is negligible.” Ye Zhou calmly instructed the person in charge while perusing the documents.
Although they already expected it, the person in charge couldn’t help but sigh upon hearing their boss’s words. This was the epitome of extravagance.
Amidst their awe, the person in charge raised another crucial question: “There’s one more matter, Mr. Ye.”
“Should we have any requirements for the livestream content? If not, opportunists might exploit loopholes by streaming meaningless content solely to accumulate hours and claim the 2,000 yuan base salary.”
Fearing Ye Zhou’s dismissive response, the person in charge directly analyzed the drawbacks of such behavior: “While merely collecting the base salary is one issue, more importantly, if such meaningless streams become prevalent, it could negatively impact the user experience and lead to customer attrition.”
Ye Zhou hadn’t considered this problem, but he wasn’t the type to stubbornly ignore sound advice. Whenever presented with reasonable suggestions, he would willingly accept them.
“Do you have any good proposals?” Ye Zhou straightened his posture and asked seriously.
Seeing that he was willing to listen to the advice, the person in charge felt even more favorable towards the boss. They were reassured that Zhaixing would remain a platform with long-term development potential. At least in the short term, they would not have to worry about disruptive managerial operations.
With this in mind, the person in charge proceeded to outline the various proposals discussed in recent meetings.
“Set a minimum monthly viewership threshold of three thousand viewers.”
“Enable 24-hour administrator monitoring of all live streams. Issue two warnings for any intentional stream hour manipulation, and revoke participation eligibility if the behavior persists.”
“Establish a user reporting function. The platform management team will review user complaints, revoking participation eligibility if the report is substantiated. Complainants will be rewarded with Star Coins. Issue two warnings for any misconduct, and failure to rectify will result in revoked eligibility.”
Star Coins are the circulating currency on Zhaixing Live, where 1 Star Coin equals 1 cash unit. They can be used to reward favorite streamers. Since Star Coins are only for consumption on the platform, they can only be recharged, not withdrawn.
After discussing the details, Ye Zhou nodded in agreement with the person in charge, finalizing these disciplinary measures.
Upon checking the time, Ye Zhou stood up. “I’ll take my leave now. Contact me if anything comes up.”
The person in charge accompanied him to the company entrance. Watching Ye Zhou’s retreating figure, they sighed to the secretary beside them: “It won’t be long before Zhaixing shines in the livestreaming industry.”
Though uncertain about the basis for such confidence, the secretary politely nodded without dampening the mood.
After leaving Zhaixing, Ye Zhou got into the driver’s seat, retrieved an address from his notes, and set the navigation.
Approximately half an hour later, Ye Zhou parked in front of an aging residential building. Consulting his notes for the detailed address, it took him about ten minutes to reach his destination.
“601 on the sixth floor. This should be it.” Standing at the door, Ye Zhou double-checked the address before knocking on the dilapidated security door.
After knocking for a long time, no one came to open the door. Just when Ye Zhou thought that the person inside was probably not at home and was about to go to the next house first, a muffled sound of footsteps came from inside. About ten seconds later, the tightly shut door finally opened from the inside.
The person who opened the door was a girl in her early twenties. She wore thick-framed glasses and disheveled hair resembling a bird’s nest. Her pale pajamas were stained with dried food residues around the neckline, and she wore tattered slippers, presenting an unkempt appearance.
Peering at Ye Zhou through the security door, the girl’s eyes, hidden behind her heavy lenses, held a trace of wariness as she addressed him in an unfriendly tone: “Who are you looking for? What do you want?”
Ye Zhou was slightly surprised by her appearance, which starkly contrasted with the well-groomed image portrayed in her records, rendering them almost unrecognizable.
However, Ye Zhou’s surprise was fleeting. Regaining his composure, he politely asked, “Excuse me, are you Ms. Gu Xixi?”
Hearing her name, the girl seemed momentarily stunned. After scrutinizing Ye Zhou’s appearance, as if recalling something, she abruptly attempted to shut the door, unwilling to engage with him.
Fortunately, Ye Zhou was well-prepared and shouted before she could close the door, “I’m the owner of Zhaixing Live. I came today to ask if you’d be interested in streaming on our platform?”
Upon hearing “livestreaming platform,” Gu Xixi paused her motion to shut the door. Staring at Ye Zhou for a moment, her face revealed a hint of mockery. “What, you’re calling me over to laugh at me, using me for publicity again? Do I look like an idiot to you? Do you think I’d agree?”
Her outburst was sudden, but Ye Zhou remained unfazed, calmly waiting for her hysterics to subside. Throughout, he offered no explanation until she had vented her frustrations.
“I’ve watched your streams and understand how you feel.”
“You understand jackshit!” Gu Xixi’s barely contained rage flared up again as she glared fiercely at Ye Zhou. “Zhaixing? What kind of third-rate streaming platform are you? You want me to be part of your publicity stunt again? How much are you offering this time? In you capitalists’ eyes, can everything be calculated with money?”
“Hah, of course you don’t care. You only care about topics, heat, and popularity. Those insults, personal attacks, and cyberbullying don’t affect you. What do you have to worry about?”
“I beg you, leave me alone! I know I was wrong, and I apologized. It was all my fault. I beg you, spare me!!”
After speaking, Gu Xixi didn’t even bother to look at Ye Zhou again and slammed the door shut, the violent impact echoing through the old hallway.
Having mustered her last ounce of strength to slam the door, Gu Xixi slumped down, her feigned toughness crumbling as she silently broke down in tears.
After an unknown amount of time, Gu Xixi, exhausted from crying and assuming the person had left, prepared to return to her room. However, she heard his voice again from outside the door.
“Ms. Gu, are you alright?”
Ye Zhou’s voice sounded calm, not much different from when he first arrived. However, upon his initial arrival, Gu Xixi had felt only resistance and aversion towards him. Influenced by those emotions, even the most melodious voice would have sounded like malicious mockery and contempt.
But after her emotional outburst, Gu Xixi’s feelings had somewhat subsided. Hearing Ye Zhou’s steady and soothing voice, she detected a hint of consolation.
Receiving no response from Gu Xixi, Ye Zhou let out a soft sigh and gently continued, “I don’t know what you’ve been through, but I’m sorry that my visit today has caused you so much distress.”
“Though you may not believe me, I truly came with no ill intent.” Ye Zhou paused briefly. “Zhaixing is a newly established livestreaming platform, and I’m an investor. We have a great need for high-quality streamers.”
“I took the liberty of visiting today because I have watched a lot of your past livestream videos recently. I really enjoy your streaming style. I am very sorry to hear the reason for your withdrawal. After thinking about it for a long time, I still want to give it a try.”
“I’ve watched a lot of mukbang shows recently, and though you may laugh, I mustered the courage to come because out of all the videos I’ve seen, only yours could make me hungry while watching.”
“Regardless of what others say online, I refuse to believe that someone so passionate about food, whose eyes sparkle with delight at every dish, would engage in faking it and induce vomiting.”
Ye Zhou took out a promotional page for Zhaixing from his bag and placed it on the doormat.
“Many share my sentiments,” he stated firmly and resolutely through the closed security door. “Since you pay attention to online comments, please also consider the words of those who have steadfastly trusted and defended you against the trolls.”
“Otherwise, wouldn’t that be unfair to them?”
Gu Xixi froze upon hearing these words.
Ever since the controversy erupted, she faced constant doubt, condemnation, and insults whenever she opened her computer, though she had considered explaining herself and even recorded clarification videos.
However, people preferred to believe their own fabricated notions that allow them to vent openly.
Not all those attacking Gu Xixi were her fans; many were mere passer-by netizens who had never watched her streams. Yet, they berated her self-righteously, relentlessly launching personal attacks.
The wall was about to collapse, and everyone gave it a shove1墙倒众人推 (qiáng dǎo zhòng rén tuī) – lit. when a wall is about to collapse, everybody gives it a shove (idiom) / fig. everybody hits a man who is down. What began as a minor issue, despite the lack of substantial evidence, escalated into a frenzy, as if everyone took pleasure in insulting and denigrating her.
One should never underestimate human malice. As the situation progressed, the trolls were no longer satisfied with online abuse. They began doxing her address, sending grotesque and bloody packages, making threatening calls in the middle of the night, and vowing to kill her family. Incidents like this happened more than once.
Eventually, Gu Xixi couldn’t bear it anymore. Due to unfounded accusations, she had to shut down her streaming channel, clear her Weibo, and move five times to avoid being doxed by fans. She had to live in constant fear.
Aside from guarding against trolls, she had to be wary of platform managers seeking to exploit her name for controversy and publicity, caring only about heat and not her well-being.
Many times, she felt utterly hopeless, more than once contemplating death. If not for her ailing elderly mother, Gu Xixi might have already ended her life.
Only after moving to this remote, old residential building did her situation improve slightly. Gu Xixi dared not read online comments, cutting off internet access and completely isolating herself.
She built a thick protective wall, preventing herself from viewing any online comments about her, believing… no one believed her anymore.
Even though she was right, even though every word she spoke was the truth, even though the accusations were as flimsy as paper and could not withstand scrutiny.
Yet, at this moment, Gu Xixi unexpectedly learned from the person outside that there were still those in this world who believed her, willing to argue with trolls on her behalf, striving to clear her name, and desperately trying to protect her.
Could such people really exist?
Gu Qianqian didn’t bother to put on her slippers and ran to the room with her bare feet thumping on the floor. She charged her mobile phone, which had not been turned on for a long time. Once it was powered on, she trembled as she logged into her Weibo.
Her inbox was flooded with messages. Gu Xixi rapidly scanned through them, recognizing familiar IDs and reading the gentle, impassioned, or sincere words of comfort. Her previously contained tears streamed down once more.
Gu Xixi wept bitterly, clutching her phone. After she had cried her fill, as if recalling something, she rushed back to the door. Pulling open the heavy wooden door, she found no one outside.
A pang of disappointment struck her, overshadowed by regret for her impulsive outburst and her indiscriminate anger towards the person.
Wiping her tears, Gu Xixi prepared to close the door when she noticed a sleek, well-designed promotional flier on the doormat.
She bent down, picked it up, and after studying its contents, she murmured, “Zhaixing Live…?”
—
After leaving Gu Xixi’s home, Ye Zhou sat in his car for a while, regretting his earlier rashness.
He was aware that Gu Xixi had announced the closure of her streaming channel and left the industry after being slandered, but he had not anticipated the extent of harm it had caused her.
Had he known the situation earlier, Ye Zhou definitely would not have reopened such wounds.
Sitting in the car in a daze for a while, for the first time, he questioned whether he should continue with his plans. What if he encountered another situation like Gu Xixi’s? How would he handle it?
As Ye Zhou wavered between proceeding or turning back, his phone suddenly vibrated with a call from Jiang Tingyuan. Almost immediately after Ye Zhou answered, Boss Jiang perceptively detected the unusual tone in his voice and, considering his schedule for the day, surmised the reason.
“Things didn’t go smoothly?” Jiang Tingyuan set down his water glass, leaning forward slightly.
Ye Zhou heaved a long sigh, briefly recounting the recent events to Boss Jiang. His voice was laden with dejection, devoid of the earlier feigned calm and composure.
Holding his head, he sought Jiang’s advice with a groan. “Jiang-ge, do you think I was wrong to approach these previously hurt streamers? Was it too unethical? What if they had nearly recovered, only for me to reopen their wounds by showing up? They probably hate me now.”
“Maybe I should just give up. I could bite the bullet and poach from other platforms instead. If the price is right, I could probably persuade a few, right?”
After Ye Zhou finished speaking, there was silence on the other side of the phone for a few seconds. Just as he thought Boss Jiang had grown weary of his foolishness and was ignoring him, Boss Jiang finally responded.
Securing the lid on his cup, Jiang Tingyuan rose from his desk and approached the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing outside as he inquired, “When you initially selected this group of people, was it solely because they would be more affordable to secure?”
Hearing Boss Jiang’s question, Ye Zhou hesitated briefly before slowly denying it, “No.”
Recalling his initial, admittedly childish, idea, Ye Zhou let out a bitter laugh. Although reluctant to admit it, he answered truthfully, “It sounds ridiculous, but my original intent was… a sense of regret, perhaps.”
“They were all once immensely popular, with incredibly bright futures.” Ye Zhou shook his head helplessly, recalling the streamer profiles he had received. “Yet they fell from grace due to baseless reasons, becoming public punching bags.”
“If possible, I wanted to give them a new platform, a chance to start over.”
Seeming to acknowledge the impracticality of his thoughts, without waiting for Boss Jiang’s response, Ye Zhou swiftly added, “But I also have selfish motives. Zhaixing has just been established and is severely lacking in streamers.”
“Smaller streamers can be recruited through various means, but to truly attract viewership and establish a firm foothold in the industry, we need prominent streamers to stabilize the situation.”
“However, the prominent streamers we need are typically bound to their current platforms. Unless there are irreconcilable conflicts, few people are willing to switch allegiances. Even if they did, countless larger and more competitive platforms would vie for them. Why would they choose our newly established, uncertain platform?”
“Whether they can be recruited or not is one issue, but even if they agreed to switch, their values are evident. Apart from a substantial signing fee, we’d have to cover exorbitant breach penalties.”
Ye Zhou expressed his previous considerations and concerns in an attempt to restore his image in front of Boss Jiang.
When Boss Jiang’s deep, pleasant chuckle resonated from the other end, Ye Zhou knew he failed. Since his image was already tarnished, he might as well double down, stubbornly and irritably trying to overpower Boss Jiang through sheer audacity.
“Anyway, if successful, we’d not only save money but also secure a pillar streamer. It’s a win-win!”
Unexpectedly, this only fueled Boss Jiang’s suppressed laughter, which grew even more raucous. Ye Zhou, both embarrassed and annoyed by his laughter, gritted his teeth and growled, “What’s so funny? I’m trying to save you money! If you keep laughing…”
“I won’t cook for you anymore!”
Uttering the fiercest threat while taking the most cowardly action – this was an accurate depiction of Ye Zhou’s current state.
Hearing Ye Zhou’s fierce tone, Boss Jiang finally stifled his laughter and replied with a smile, “Then proceed as you envision. I have no objections.”
“Whether it’s poaching or whatever, Zhaixing Live is your company, and I will fully support any decision you make.”
Well, after beating around the bush, the matter had circled back to his own responsibility for the decision.
Ye Zhou had lost count of how many times he had sighed that day. Wearily, he told Boss Jiang, “Alright, alright, I’ll give it some more thought.”
Sensing his dejected tone, Jiang Tingyuan, who had initially intended to let Ye Zhou develop his management and decision-making skills, couldn’t help but feel distressed.
“How do you know this isn’t the opportunity they’ve been longing for?” Jiang Tingyuan asked calmly. “Each person is an individual. You cannot completely dismiss everyone based on a single encounter.”
“Living with a stigma for the rest of your life is not the life that everyone wants. After falling, shouldn’t one get back up instead of remaining on the ground forever?”
Jiang Tingyuan’s words left Ye Zhou stunned.
Indeed, if given the chance to live righteously and exonerated, who would willingly bear an undeserved stigma, hiding for the rest of their lives?
“Since you acknowledge your investigation was insufficient, strive to research thoroughly before visiting. The information compiled by others will always be just a superficial representation. Of course, you need to see and hear the truth with your own eyes and ears.”
It was just a few simple words, but they instantly cleared the gloomy haze shrouding Ye Zhou’s mind.
That day, upon returning home, Ye Zhou set aside the previous materials. Anyway, he didn’t have much to do recently. He had plenty of time to do his own research and investigate.
Three days later, Ye Zhou stopped in front of an affordable apartment complex and rang the doorbell of the indicated address.
This time, the door was answered by a casually dressed young man, around twenty-three or twenty-four years old. After Ye Zhou explained his purpose, the young man seemed somewhat skeptical but remained friendly, inviting Ye Zhou inside.
“I don’t often have guests, so please excuse the humble setting.” The young man pushed a teacup toward Ye Zhou.
Unperturbed, Ye Zhou took out the prepared promotional flier and handed it to the young man. “This outlines our platform’s current initiative. You can take a look first.”
The young man readily accepted the flier and read through the rules. Upon finishing, he smiled at Ye Zhou. “Quite tempting. It seems you’ve invested heavily.”
“But why me? You’re likely aware of my past, right?” The young man broached his controversial history with nonchalance, showing no signs of discomfort.
Ye Zhou matched his straightforwardness. “Because you’re cheap.”
“That’s… quite an ambiguous statement!” The young man’s smile froze momentarily. “An uninformed person might assume you’re implying something else.”
The two exchanged a glance and burst into laughter.
“Alright.” After their laughter subsided, the young man steered the conversation back on topic. “I understand why you approached me. It’s simply because, with my past experiences and former fans, I’d undoubtedly be much more affordable than streamers of the same caliber. You want popularity while saving money.”
“Am I right?”
Ye Zhou nodded, openly acknowledging, “Yes.”
The young man let out another chuckle. “Ah, but that’s all in the past. I’m blacklisted across the entire internet now. Even if I’m cheap, could your little platform accommodate someone as controversial as me?”
“I’m not boasting, but I used to be a multi-million-follower streamer, so I definitely had fans. But whether they were true fans or just trolls, who knows? As the saying goes, ‘The deeper the love, the harsher the judgment.’ My fans loved me back then, but now they absolutely hate me. By inviting me, aren’t you afraid of your platform being targeted?”
Ye Zhou raised an eyebrow at him. “Of course, I’m afraid. Our platform just launched, and we desperately need a good reputation. How could we possibly sabotage ourselves?”
Upon hearing this, the young man’s smile faded slightly as he lazily sank into the sofa, drawling, “Well, you should be afraid. Some money is worth saving, but some aren’t. I’ve been in this industry for years, so let me give you a friendly warning.”
“If you want your platform to thrive, be willing to spend what’s necessary and steer clear of trouble. Cutting corners now might taint your reputation beyond repair, and you’ll regret it later.” The young man drained his cup of tea and smirked at Ye Zhou. “Alright, buddy, time for you to go. Let’s pretend you never came.”
Ye Zhou did stand up, but contrary to the young man’s expectation, he casually sat beside him on the same sofa.
As the young man was about to speak, Ye Zhou gestured for silence.
“Of course, I came prepared.” Ye Zhou slipped a document into the young man’s lap. “Take a look at my sincere gesture.”
Now it was the young man’s turn to be taken aback. He glanced at Ye Zhou, then at the document in his lap. After a moment’s hesitation, he opened it.
While the young man reviewed the document, Ye Zhou calmly remarked, “Coincidentally, I’ve played the game you mentioned. I even have a team, and we ranked second in the overall leaderboard this season.”
“Oh, my apologies, we actually surpassed them a couple of days ago. We’re now ranked first.”
“As a former professional player yourself, you should know that at the end of each season’s final match, the winning team competes in a friendly match against a team of lucky audience members, right?”
“Although it’s just a friendly match, the hardware is provided by the organizers and used for competitive play, so there’s no possibility of cheating or hacking.”
Ye Zhou looked at the young man with a hint of a smile. “If you’re willing, you could be one of the lucky geese this year. If you truly have skills, this would be the perfect opportunity to clear your name.”
“My presence here today means I’m confident in helping you shed the stains and come clean.”
“Of course, if you’re so pathetic that you need to hack just to show off, then let’s pretend I never came.” At this, Ye Zhou gave him a disdainful glance.
The young man, who had been in a daze, feeling that everything was surreal, snapped out of it upon hearing Ye Zhou’s words, his hackles rising instantly.
Raising his voice, he challenged, “Who are you calling pathetic? Bring it on! Have I ever backed down from a challenge?”
“Do you have the contract? Hand it over, and I’ll sign it right now! I must sign it, immediately! If I don’t sign, I’m not a man!”
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