After finishing his work, Cheng Mi stood up the tablet computer that had been lying flat beside him and checked whether Chu Tingwu was still live streaming.
Apparently, the live stream hadn't ended yet.
He smiled, pushed back his chair, switched the computer interface to the Chewan TV Station broadcast channel that had been minimized in a corner, and found that the program had already finished. He muted it temporarily and put it in the background, then opened the chat group.
This was Chu Tingwu's fan group, and although she herself was in the group, she had never spoken. Her partner, named "System," was also in the group but only appeared to post announcements and live stream previews. As for Three-Five-Five... well, maybe Three-Five-Five could use a phone, but Chu Tingwu hadn't bought one for her mother.
The group was indeed discussing the content of the previous live stream, so Cheng Mi scrolled up to read—
Bao has been using a first-person perspective in recent live streams. I get dizzy with 3D, so I'm a bit unaccustomed to it, though it's not as shaky as others'.
[Master of the fancy cat cart.]
I check the backend three times a day, scrolling through all the official websites, but there's still no definite news. Are they selling this VR equipment or not? I'm not planning to live stream; I just want a experience pod to experience it.
[Expensive and heavy, right? Chu Chu did mention that the equipment is quite heavy, though they've tried to minimize the impact on the live stream effect.]
Cheng Mi chimed in here:
"The activities she tries are always quite dangerous, and since they're extreme sports, even a small mistake could lead to danger. @System, it's better to avoid using this method for live streaming and prioritize the safety of the child."
The fans didn't actually demand that Chu Tingwu provide a "VR live stream" experience. After all these years, the live streams were fine as they were, and everyone was used to it. The safety of the UP owner was more important.
His comment prompted others to start discussing with him, but System didn't reply.
Cheng Mi's account ID was just an orange symbol. He had been in the group for over a year and was a big fan who regularly topped the donation rankings, so he had made many friends in the group.
In Chu Tingwu's fan base, the majority of fans were women, and there were more "mom fans." The age group mostly consisted of those over twenty, with sufficient economic strength, so they often supported Chu Tingwu's "side businesses."
Initially, they thought they might have to support the content creator by buying products like other creators did—using discount coupons to shop online, believing it was to support the creator so they could get more business opportunities.
Further down the line, the UP owner might open their own online store, selling items such as T-shirts, small stands, animal plushies, and canvas bags. Although these items would definitely be overpriced, it was an IP they had watched grow from an underage UP owner, so they indulged in a bit of spoiling.
But they didn't expect—
Oh no, when Chu Mi was in the car earlier, I wasn't interested in the chat content in the bullet comments, so I kept scrolling through 365's cats. The backend shows I've been spending over five hours a day on this. I'm addicted! ῳ*Ɩ
[You're just watching cats... I've been eyeing the themed blind boxes in the mall and am now planning to buy a display cabinet just for the blind boxes I've collected.]
At least the things I've bought while following this star are practical. My mom had no idea these were cultural and creative products when she visited my place. She even said my room decor was very unified and pleasing to the eye. Haha, of course it's unified—my bedding is printed with 355.
[So, who got the knee pads?]
This question silenced everyone. Right... who got those damn knee pads, limited to only a hundred pairs per day? Did they look down on their fan base or something?
Chu Tingwu's knee pad brand had indeed started selling. With the trust built over time, the fans found that, apart from drones, there was finally a product that was both pricey and could genuinely support the content creator, and it was also a daily use item. So, they all wanted to give it a try.
However, the company somehow managed to delay the launch date, which was already rare, with the reason being—
"Technological innovation??"
Then the price changed, at least tripling, turning the originally mid-to-high-end knee pads into high-end products. However, those high-end knee pad brands had been around longer, had stable audiences, and had brand effects.
Chu Tingwu's brand, on the other hand, was almost starting from scratch, a complete newcomer in the sports equipment field.
Cheng Mi had some connections in the industry and knew that other companies were watching with a mix of skepticism and ridicule, wondering if Chu Tingwu was really going to take advantage of the fans like a wave of chives.
Of course, even so, they would still buy them.
Cheng Mi guessed it was because of the unmanned flying ball.
He had also bought a drone ball, even though he didn't use it much. "Stans" were like that—the collectible value was more important than the practical value.
Even though he hadn't used it much, just testing it in his living room, Cheng Mi found that the flying ball's technology was truly top-tier: its eye-catching design aside, its obstacle avoidance was incredibly user-friendly for beginners, and its low damage rate made it sturdy, with a spherical shell that made it more durable. Its positioning system was also superior to other brands.
Everything was perfect except for the price, which wasn't very friendly. Sometimes, Cheng Mi got itchy hands and wanted to take the flying ball apart to see how it worked.
So, with the example of the unmanned flying ball, even though the knee pads hadn't even been delivered to the first batch of buyers, everyone remained silent and didn't publicly express any opinions.
...But what special technology could a knee pad have?
Cheng Mi, with a spoiling mindset, tried to buy them. The first time he didn't get them and even considered finding a scalper, but System had a zero-tolerance policy toward scalpers, so he couldn't get them at a higher price. Fortunately, he successfully got them in the second batch, and the logistics were already on the way.
Before shipping, the customer service sent an apology message, stating:
[The customer service mentioned that this set of knee pads also comes with a set of elbow pads, but they're still in production and can't be launched together—however, those of us who purchased early can buy the elbow pads directly when they launch, without needing to compete for them again.]
They would also provide them with special discount coupons, but that wasn't the main point.
Cheng Mi's main point was: Although limited, I got them.
He quickly received jealous curses from the group members, who warned him to sleep with one eye open tonight.
Actually, not everyone in the group was nice. Some people, for some reason, would lurk in the group, screenshot the chat content, and spread it in smaller circles, mocking and ridiculing them for willingly being cut down like leeks.
But such people were usually quickly found out by System and kicked out, and they deleted their unfriendly comments. The group admins were so reliable that it was reassuring.
He looked at the screen again and then decided to open the projector, projecting the live stream onto the screen.
Probably because the fans had been complaining about Chu Tingwu always using the first-person perspective, this time she provided a dual perspective, with the other perspective consistently using a drone for filming.
She was on a helicopter, with a friend who was helping her hold a cat.
Cheng Mi knew that the friend was someone she had met during a winter camp and had convinced to come back and celebrate the New Year together.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile: there was nothing particularly funny about it, but just watching Chu Tingwu's live stream always made him feel good, like a cat owner watching their cat play by itself.
Cats skipping class—well, they're cats, and it's normal for them not to like attending classes. Cats jumping around, being lively—that's just how lively cats are. Cats falling in love with every sport they see, always ignoring others and playing by themselves—that's what cats do. It's already a rare blessing if they let you watch them without running away... let alone if they're also outstanding, happy, passionate about charity, making new friends, and although they act on impulse, they always execute their plans with strong determination, never disappointing those who look forward to them.
So every day, Cheng Mi eagerly enters the live stream, watching Chu Tingwu try new things, feeling happy, and he also genuinely feels the happiness that is passed on to him.
He had never been a fan of celebrities, nor did he understand the fanaticism of stans. But during the more than a year of following and keeping up with her, he found himself becoming more cyber-outgoing—making many online friends, even playing games together—and he became more hopeful about life. So, those who stan celebrities might also be "chasing themselves," gaining emotional value while being influenced by their idols, and thereby becoming better versions of themselves.
A helicopter dropped Chu Tingwu off at the side peak of Kasha Snow Mountain, and then they began to prepare.
Obviously, influenced by the previous "fan calling the police incident," this girl had slightly changed her approach—
She finally agreed to humor her audience a little.
She used a drone to show everyone the upcoming speed-descent route.
But her protective gear still consisted of only a few items. If you're doing extreme sports and you're afraid of dying, then what's the point of doing extreme sports?
The hospital, however, wasn't far away, so if you break a bone, they can just drag you there.
In the group chat, people kept mentioning Cheng Mi:
"Old Cheng, come out and scold her!"
"Old Cheng would never bear to scold her!"
"That day, Old Cheng was the first to call the police, right?"
Cheng Mi: "Forget it, forget it..."
He did always value safety, but through a screen, he couldn't fly to Kasha Snow Mountain to scold her, could he? So, he decided to tip her with a 2,000 yuan firework to let her have some fun.
As he thought this, the doorbell rang, and the image from the Bluetooth video doorbell appeared directly on his phone—
Was a delivery guy here to drop off a package?
The delivery guy at the door seemed a bit impatient, but he needed Cheng Mi to sign for the package personally.
When he reached the door, it opened, and the delivery guy instinctively said, "My next delivery is... uh, should I just leave the package here, or bring it inside for you?"
Cheng Mi, sitting in his wheelchair, stretched out his hand and smiled helplessly, "Give it to me, I can take it."
He glanced at the package and found it was the knee guards he had ordered.
But did a pair of knee guards need such a large box?
Cheng Mi moved his wheelchair back to the living room. The screen still showed the live stream, where Chu Tingwu hadn't started yet, but the audience in the chat wasn't in a hurry.
Curiously, he opened the box—
Inside, he found a pair of knee guards and a VR headset.
"Dear buyer, thank you for purchasing 'WU' knee guards. This knee guard can be used together with this VR headset, which is a complimentary gift and has not incurred any additional charges."
"Please note that this VR headset is not produced by our company, but is provided as a complimentary accessory to experience the full functionality of the knee guards. If the buyer does not wish to use this headset, they can wait for our company's more compatible models."
"Please keep your purchase proof, as you will receive corresponding discounts for future purchases."
On the back of the shopping card was a QR code, prompting Cheng Mi to scan it and download a new app. After downloading, he could use the "WU" app to open the Fenghua Network and select a live-streaming UP host.
However, all other UP hosts' names were grayed out and unselectable, with only "A Chu and Three-Five-Five" being lit up.
Cheng Mi: "?"
Maybe he should try it out himself and then report his experience in the group...
After hesitating for a while, Cheng Mi rolled up his pants and started putting on the knee guards.
Halfway through, he couldn't help but laugh and think:
How could someone with paralyzed legs buy sports knee guards to support their idol's career?
And although the knee guards felt nice, they seemed a bit heavy. Was there something that could be removed?
He then put on the VR headset and, following the app's instructions, selected Chu Tingwu's avatar on the screen.
The image in the headset instantly changed.
It was as if someone was whispering in his ear:
"I think we can try sliding down now."
Another voice: "Then I'll go up in the helicopter. I'll be watching you with Three-Five-Five!"
Cheng Mi felt as if "he" slightly tilted his head, made an "ok" gesture, and then, "his" legs... moved.
Moved!?
He watched the scenery that Chu Tingwu saw:
Snow like a blanket, mountains like a battlefield.
Beneath him was a cliff, but she had a snowboard.
Chu Tingwu adjusted the angle of the snowboard, as if someone pushed her from behind.
She slid down from the top, throwing the flying snow behind her!
