Starting from a Bar to Sign Internet Celebrities-Chapter 150 - 140: Just Being Near Him Paints a Picture
Lin Hao knew Chen Jincheng better than any other influencer, so he was instantly hooked when he heard the name.
What’s more, he suddenly noticed the video creator’s nickname was actually "Chen Jincheng’s Little Brother."
’So shameless, just chasing clout like that?’
Just as he was thinking this, he got a clear look at Elephant’s face. This was the same Elephant who had kept him company at the bar before, calling him "Brother Hao" over and over. He immediately recognized him as Lao Cheng’s actual cousin.
At that moment, he saw the passerby in the video agree to lend his umbrella to Elephant.
’Looks like Lao Cheng’s name still carries a lot of weight. He’s really blown up.’
By now, many of Chen Jincheng’s fans had seen the video. When they saw someone lend an umbrella to "Chen Jincheng’s Little Brother" just because he shouted the name, they couldn’t help but think, ’Things are finally looking up for Cheng. Even a random passerby is showing him respect.’
But just then, a sudden plot twist gave everyone whiplash.
Lin Hao watched as Elephant excitedly took off the exhaust pipe he was using for cover, ready to take the umbrella. But then he saw the passerby snatch the exhaust pipe and run for it, shouting, "You dumbass, Chen Jincheng!"
He left Elephant standing there, completely bewildered, unable to even process what had just happened.
Text even floated above his head: *Who am I? Where am I?*
"That poor fool!" Lin Hao couldn’t help but exclaim at the twist.
’Look at his bewildered face. Isn’t this passerby just bullying the poor guy?’
’Damn, I’m even starting to feel sorry for him. The rain is coming down so hard.’
He thought the video would end there—after all, that twist was pretty wild. But who could have known the biggest twist was yet to come? A flashback played, showing the fleeing passerby. He was kneeling in a corner, holding flowers and crying, as Chen Jincheng walked out of the Jinyi Hotel with his arm intimately wrapped around the man’s dream girl.
"Holy shit..." Lin Hao cursed out loud at the sight.
Many people who knew Chen Jincheng had the same reaction. A moment ago, they were cursing the passerby and sympathizing with Elephant. Now, they suddenly realized they’d cursed the wrong damn person. The one who deserved sympathy was the passerby!
’Damn, Chen Jincheng’s little brother totally had it coming. Whose fault is it that his brother is Chen Jincheng? It’s only natural for a younger brother to take the heat for his older brother, right?’
By this point, no one doubted that Elephant was actually Chen Jincheng’s brother. After all, Chen Jincheng himself had appeared in the video.
Just like that, his image as the unlucky, scapegoated, goofy little brother was cemented.
Moreover, many people recognized the woman with Chen Jincheng. Wasn’t that Ximeng, the one who went viral with that eight-part cutesy act today?
Her pouting in a nightgown already had a certain vibe, but now, in this secretary uniform with black stockings, she gave off the ultimate "female subordinate from a certain kind of special movie" feel.
"When it comes to planning, you’ve got to hand it to Lao Cheng," Lin Hao sighed in admiration. "The twists in this goofy video are just insane."
In his arms, Mikami Youya, who was also in a uniform, said in her broken Chinese, "This video is amazing. It tells a whole story so clearly in just fifteen seconds. Whoever wrote the script is a top-tier screenwriter."
"That goes without saying. He’s my brother," Lin Hao said with a proud smile. Then he gave her a teasing look. "You understand this stuff? The movies you used to be in rarely had much of a plot, did they?"
"You’re asking for a beating!" Mikami Youya protested, hitting him lightly. "I’ve been in legitimate films too, and I have studied the craft, you know!"
"Well then, shouldn’t we film something a little less... legitimate?" Lin Hao said. "We still haven’t posted today’s video." As he spoke, he grabbed a tripod, set it up, and hit record on the phone attached to it.
Then, he took out another phone and walked menacingly toward Mikami Youya, waving it in her face. "Teacher San Shang, you wouldn’t want the school to find out about the video of you and the security guard, Ah Hao, in the utility closet, would you?"
Teacher San Shang got into character in a second, her face filled with panic. "Student, I’m begging you, please don’t post the video."
"That depends on your performance, Teacher!" Lin Hao said, approaching her with a sinister smile. Just as he got close, he hurried back to the recording phone to make some adjustments.
’The video came out great. Time to post it.’
He had gotten experienced at shooting these short, plot-driven videos. The only problem was that fifteen seconds was too short to develop much of a story.
Next, Mikami Youya said with a beaming smile, "My turn to film. Go sit down."
After Lin Hao sat down, she gave him the look of an obsessive admirer, a teacher’s pointer suddenly appearing in her hand. "Ah Hao, your test scores have dropped again."
"But Teacher, I’ve been studying really hard!" Lin Hao said, feigning terror.
Mikami Yuu advanced on him with a wicked smile. "Your scores have dropped, so I’ll have to begin your punishment, just as we agreed." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞
"Nooo!" Lin Hao’s weak voice cried out.
...
Online, Elephant’s video had indeed gone viral. By a little after 9:00 PM, it had already surpassed one million likes.
Furthermore, "Chen Jincheng’s Goofy Little Brother" had become a trending topic.
Most people who watched the video went through the same three emotional stages regarding Elephant: Goofball —> Sympathy —> Serves Him Right.
Truly, the twists in this goofy video were brilliant, instantly leaving a deep and lasting impression of Elephant on the audience.
In a private room at a hotel, Chen Jincheng and his group were also looking at the video’s stats.
The video had truly blown up. The only shame was that while it had over a million likes, Elephant himself only had 35,000 followers.
That’s right. This was why it was so difficult for male influencers to gain traction, especially those in comedy.
First of all, men aren’t naturally inclined to follow other men or become their fans. That only happens if the influencer’s persona truly resonates with other guys, creating a sense of empathy. The ones who managed to do this were, without exception, incredibly popular top-tier streamers, like Tong Jincheng, Xuxu Baby, Dong Yuhui, and Tingquan from that other world.
