Although Xie Tingzhou’s money was limitless, there were still requirements for whom to give gifts to. Lan Huan was Xie Tingzhou’s money-spending tool—a six-million-yuan sports car was something he could afford to give. However, giving a phone to a stranger was not as meaningful as giving it to fans who adored his son.
Upon hearing that this big spender Xie was about to give away things again, Zheng Xiao immediately thought of her star-chasing younger sister and naturally nodded in agreement.
“Mr. Xie, of course I can arrange this. Nowadays, fans who chase celebrities mostly do so on Weibo. We can run a giveaway in Xie Xinghe’s celebrity super topic on Weibo. For the entry threshold, we can set it to fans at level ten or above, or even level fifteen and above. Fans who have reached such levels in a celebrity super topic must have been checking in and completing tasks for a long time—they are undoubtedly loyal fans of Xie Xinghe.”
Her sister had been checking in and doing voting and donating tasks from the very beginning, and it took her two years just to reach level sixteen. Clearly, not everyone was cut out for this kind of star-chasing.
“Alright, then I’ll leave it to you. Use my account to post a giveaway in Xie Xinghe’s Weibo. Post it now, and announce the winners tomorrow at noon, 12 o’clock.”
Xie Tingzhou directly tossed his phone to Zheng Xiao, letting her handle it, then lowered his head to look at the list in his hands. He found that the list was exceptionally well-prepared—all clothing items had been matched and photographed, ready for him to choose and wear. Even the purchased watches had been fully coordinated. It was clear that careful planning had gone into it, making Xie Tingzhou feel that the staff at the Hilton Hotel truly provided excellent service.
With five million yuan spent to take over the hotel, nearly three hundred staff members were now dedicated solely to serving Xie Tingzhou. Apart from Xiao Lin, the butler of the current presidential suite, there were two other butlers—one skilled in fashion coordination and another proficient in photography. This clothing portfolio was the result of their efforts over the afternoon.
Zheng Xiao took Xie Tingzhou’s phone, her heart still pounding wildly, while maintaining a perfect smile on her face.
“Rest assured, Mr. Xie, I’ll arrange it right away.”
She stepped aside to handle the Weibo giveaway. Opening Xie Tingzhou’s Weibo account, she discovered that his username was [Xie Xinghe’s Dad]. Well… Considering that even a rich second-generation content creator like Lan Huan clung to Mr. Xie’s leg and called him “godfather,” it wasn’t too surprising that Mr. Xie’s Weibo name was like this.
Did wealthy people all have such quirks—enjoying being called godfathers or dads?
Was it too late for her to kneel down and call him “dad” now?
While lamenting her missed opportunity to cling to a powerful figure, Zheng Xiao first contacted the relevant personnel at Weibo, then got in touch with the administrators of Xie Xinghe’s celebrity super topic. These administrators were typically online around the clock, dedicated to managing such matters. Some were genuine fans, while others were staff arranged by the celebrity’s company, specifically responsible for managing fan sentiment and public opinion.
Just as Zheng Xiao was setting up the giveaway, Lan Huan immediately spoke up.
“Godfather, I’ll also follow Xie Xinghe with my main Weibo account later, and I’ll follow your account too. Since I plan to be a fan of Xie Xinghe from now on, I should also make a gesture—I’ll post a Weibo giveaway with a red envelope of five hundred thousand yuan. What do you think?”
Lan Huan wore a smile that cost him nothing. Of course, his words didn’t mean he had genuinely taken a liking to Xie Xinghe. Instead, it was all about cozying up to Xie Tingzhou—whatever his godfather liked, he, as the godson, had to like too! If his godfather smashed a million-yuan phone, was it too much for him to give away five hundred thousand in red packets?
“Sure, it’ll be more lively with everyone together.” Xie Tingzhou gave Lan Huan a look, thinking this kid knew how to play the game. He didn’t mind bringing him along for some fun.
“You got it, Godfather! Besides, I have ten million followers myself. When I tag your little account later, more people will notice, and we can pull in even more fans for Xie Xinghe!”
Though he didn’t understand why his godfather had taken a liking to a minor celebrity, it didn’t matter—whatever his godfather liked, he liked too!
Lan Huan quickly got up to find Zheng Xiao. He logged into his main Weibo account, “Young Master Lan of Xicheng,” first followed Xie Xinghe, then found Zheng Xiao to check out Xie Tingzhou’s Weibo account. When he saw the username “[Xie Xinghe’s Dad],” he burst out laughing, thinking to himself that he’d called it right—Boss Xie really enjoyed playing the role of someone’s dad!
Zheng Xiao had already contacted the moderators of Xie Xinghe’s celebrity super-topic and the Weibo lottery applet staff. Soon, a new Weibo post went up:
[Xie Xinghe’s Dad: #Xie Xinghe Super-Topic# Lottery for YOYO13# Forward and comment under this post @Xie Xinghe Weibo Super-Topic Level 15 or above, 200 lucky fans will each receive a YOYO13 endorsed by Xie Xinghe! Drawing at 12 PM tomorrow! @Weibo Lottery Assistant @Xie Xinghe Super-Topic Moderator]
Fans in Xie Xinghe’s super-topic were instantly buzzing. After all, Xie Xinghe had been in the industry for two years and had quite a few die-hard fans. There were at least a thousand or two with super-topic levels of 15 or higher! With two hundred phones up for grabs among a thousand or two people, the odds were pretty good!
Not only that, but Lan Huan’s fans online were also left bewildered. Earlier in the day, they had seen Lan Huan kneeling and clinging to someone’s leg, and he was even rumored to have been gifted a six-million-yuan Rolls-Royce. Though many had dismissed it as a scripted act, after Lan Huan ended his livestream, there was no further news. Those who had watched the livestream knew the situation—there wasn’t even a single recording left as evidence! It felt like a dream.
Just as fans were doubting whether the daytime “script” had been a dream, Lan Huan came online. He directly followed Xie Xinghe on Weibo??
Following the trail on Weibo, wasn’t this a male celebrity? Since when did Young Master Lan become a fan?
While fans were scratching their heads, Lan Huan reposted the lottery Weibo.
[Young Master Lan of Xicheng V: Godfather likes @Xie Xinghe. I hereby declare that starting today, I’m also a fan of Xie Xinghe. Later, I’ll hold a lottery for Xie Xinghe’s fans with five hundred thousand yuan! @Xie Xinghe’s Dad, this is my godfather. My fans, get familiar with him.]
When they saw this Weibo post and the words “godfather,” fans who had watched the livestream at noon finally felt their memories flooding back. Had what happened in the afternoon been real??? A wealthy tycoon spent a hundred million on luxury cars! And even gifted Young Master Lan a six-million-yuan Rolls-Royce…
Just as they were lost in confusion, Lan Huan posted another Weibo, but this one left his fans utterly speechless.
【Xicheng Lan Shao V: #Xie Xinghe Super Topic# 500,000 cash giveaway! Anyone who reposts and comments on this Weibo post while following both @Xie Xinghe and the Xie Xinghe Super Topic is eligible to participate. The draw will take place tomorrow at 12 PM, with 1,000 lucky fans each receiving 500 yuan via Weibo’s giveaway assistant @Xie Xinghe Super Topic Moderator】
Holy cow! Lan Huan’s fans are speechless! Lan Huan has been live-streaming for three or four years now, with over 10 million Weibo followers and more than 30 million on Douyin! He’s never even visited his own super topic, let alone hosted a giveaway. Now he’s suddenly dropping 500,000 yuan and asking people to follow someone else’s super topic?
Lan Shao, are you a spy sent by the enemy or something??
Despite the internal grumbling, fans were quick to repost, comment, and follow both Xie Xinghe and his super topic. After all, who would turn down a chance at 500 yuan out of the blue?
No one wants to miss out on free money! And the requirements were just reposting and following someone else. Within a minute, reposts and comments each soared past 10,000. These days, wealthy second-generation influencers like Lan Huan have massive followings on Weibo.
What’s more, Lan Huan posted this directly in Xie Xinghe’s super topic, prompting its millions of fans to frantically repost as well. Within just over ten minutes, both Lan Huan and Xie Xinghe were trending on Weibo.
By 9 PM, when night owls were most active online, hashtags like #Xicheng Lan Shao Follows Xie Xinghe# and #Xie Xinghe’s Dad# were climbing the trending charts. And with #500,000 Cash Giveaway# also trending, countless casual users quickly followed Xie Xinghe—why not? Everyone thinks they might be the lucky one to win 500 yuan!
That night turned into a celebration for Xie Xinghe’s fans, especially as many newcomers also followed his celebrity super topic, nearly dominating the trending list.
As Xie Xinghe’s manager, Liao Yun hadn’t expected his fanbase to be this powerful. After browsing the super topic, she headed to Xie Xinghe’s room. Everyone had finished dinner and gone their separate ways.
Xie Xinghe had just finished showering and was sitting on his bed, reviewing his script.
“Xinghe, I was about to leave, but I saw new trending topics. Remember when we were drinking milk tea earlier, and I mentioned a fan who spent a million yuan buying 200 phones you endorsed? Well, it turns out they’re giving them away in your super topic. What a generous fan!”
Such a big fan definitely deserved special attention—it would be great to get to know them.
Xie Xinghe nodded, picked up his phone, and logged into his super topic using a secondary account. He saw the two top giveaways: one by someone named Xicheng Lan Shao, whom he didn’t recognize, and the other titled “Xie Xinghe’s Dad.” The latter made him frown instantly.
He hated the word “dad.” From the moment he became aware, the concept of a father had always been absent. He only had his mother and sister.
“And this Xicheng Lan Shao is a well-known wealthy second-generation influencer on Douyin, with 30 million followers there and over 10 million on Weibo. You already posted a selfie online today, so don’t log in again. Tomorrow, make sure to follow Xicheng Lan Shao. Who knows, you might even become friends in the future.”
More friends mean more opportunities. Liao Yun, who follows the entertainment industry, naturally knew of this “Young Master Lan of Xicheng.” As a wealthy second-generation internet celebrity, he had plenty of money, and there were many benefits to associating with such people.
“Mm.” Xie Xinghe turned off his phone and nodded indifferently.
His demeanor left Liao Yun at a loss for words, and he could only awkwardly say, “Get some rest,” before leaving Xie Xinghe’s room.
Xie Xinghe, who always appeared innocent, radiant, and naive in front of the camera, now sat in silence so quietly it was heartbreaking. A soft ding sounded—a WeChat notification.
Xie Xinghe picked up his phone and glanced at it. It was a message from his sister.
[Sister: Xinghe, I saw you trending. Your fans are so lovely, so you must perform well on stage! I’ll always support you.]
The tender concern brought tears to Xie Xinghe’s eyes. He blinked hard, trying to hold them back, and replied with a trembling hand: “Mm.” Simple and cold.
Soon… he would be able to save his sister soon…
The pain and torment he endured were unknown to others. After Zheng Xiao handled the prize draw, Xie Tingzhou thought of something.
He couldn’t just return abruptly. Before going back, he needed to understand the situation of his wife and child.
So Xie Tingzhou turned to Lan Huan beside him.
“Lan Huan, do you know any private detectives?”