novelODS Chapter 404 Super Topic Turmoil
Chapter 404 Super Topic Turmoil
On Weibo, Jiang Feng's personal super topic.
In other places, Jiang Feng might be a streamer, a tech guru, or a startup star, but here, Jiang Feng has only one identity—an idol in the eyes of his fans.
This corner, which Jiang Feng had almost always overlooked, is no longer the quiet, deserted little place it used to be.
The super topic has 126 million followers, 137 billion cumulative views, 620,000 posts, and 50,000 to 60,000 daily check-ins.
Within the Weibo ecosystem, this is already the size of a super topic on par with those of a top-tier celebrity.
What's even more outrageous is that all of this has grown almost entirely out of control.
There was no intervention or organization from the studio.
Even Jiang Feng himself rarely remembers that he has such a super topic.
But it just kept growing unstoppably.
The reason is simple: Jiang Feng has popularity, he has a thrilling story with god-like skills, and more importantly—he's good-looking.
When it comes to fan culture, Weibo is the originator, and it has survived to this day thanks to this ecosystem.
On platforms like Weibo, where fan culture is highly concentrated, good looks are the most basic, direct, and irrational reason to become a fan.
So even if Jiang Feng himself doesn't care, a spontaneous ecosystem has long been formed in the super topic.
Some people repost live stream clips, some edit offline photos, some create promotional infographics, and some write short essays.
It's outrageous, but it's very much like a fandom.
Early morning of May 2rd.
Liu Xingnuo huddled in her dorm room, scrolling through Jiang Feng's Weibo super topic as usual.
As a female college student, she is already considered a seasoned fan.
I started following celebrities in junior high school, and it's been six and a half years now. I've seen my idols crumble, climbed walls (on social media platforms), stayed up all night doing data analysis, and climbed the charts. After countless vows of "I'll never follow celebrities again," I've skillfully opened the next super topic.
This was the first time she had ever fallen for Jiang Feng.
Jiang Feng isn't a celebrity in the traditional sense; he's just a game streamer.
Liu Xingnuo initially thought the whole thing was a bit outrageous.
She used to idolize celebrities, actors, and artists who came from talent shows. At least they all had companies, teams, promotional materials, stages, magazines, and endorsements. But what did Jiang Feng have at the beginning?
Dormitory live stream.
Game slice.
A group of viewers were shouting "Fengshen is awesome" in the live chat.
Logically speaking, this kind of person shouldn't be on her list of idols.
But the river wind is just too special.
He is capable.
She's good-looking.
There's also a kind of authenticity that traditional artists find hard to fake: a youthful spirit.
Liu Xingnuo felt a strange sense of satisfaction, especially when she first started liking Jiang Feng last year.
It's like discovering a niche treasure that hasn't been fully explored by the public yet.
Later events proved that her judgment was indeed correct.
The river breeze is taking off too fast.
Even the long-time fans in the super topic were a little dazed.
From game streamer to Delta Force's number one player, and then to various trending topics, public welfare, acts of bravery, and e-sports competition, Jiang Feng seems to be able to add a new label to himself every now and then.
And Liu Xingnuo has been a fan ever since.
However, liking something is one thing.
This doesn't stop her from harboring deep resentment towards Jiang Feng's team.
Because this team is so unprofessional.
Or rather, Jiang Feng doesn't have a team at all. No official studio, no anti-blacklisting site, nothing.
It's a very small workshop, but many people have some complaints about it.
Many fans feel wronged: We've accompanied you all the way through your growth, but now that you're famous, there aren't even any decent schedule announcements or official materials. Compared to other celebrities, we fans seem like "cheap retail investors," and we have absolutely no prestige.
In the early hours of February 9th, this hidden resentment was suddenly ignited by a fuse.
Someone in the super topic shared a set of photos and behind-the-scenes shots of Jiang Feng taking photos of GG offline.
The photo isn't high-resolution; it was clearly taken by a passerby from a distance.
Even so, Jiang Feng still stood out in the crowd.
With a black coat, a sharp profile, and a tall, upright figure, he stood amidst the lights and equipment, looking nothing like an ordinary game streamer, but rather like a young male celebrity filming a blockbuster movie.
At first, the super topic was just about admiring the characters' looks.
[Who understands the appeal of this profile?]
[Let's not even talk about the gaming industry; how many truly competitive companies are there in the Chinese entertainment industry?]
It's a waste that this face isn't on the big screen.
How many more surprises does Brother Feng have in store for me?
How could I have ever thought I was a fan of a niche game streamer?
But as they continued licking, the conversation started to go astray.
[Is this B&OGG? Why wasn't there any prior announcement about shooting such a large penis?]
[B&O headphones? Their endorsement deal is almost over, could they snatch it away?]
[They didn't even say a word before returning to Hangzhou. Our fan club was planning to organize a pick-up party at the airport.]
Is it possible, sister, that he doesn't need us to pick him up at all?
[Why are you keeping your schedule so tightly under wraps? Are you trying to protect yourself from us?]
Is it possible that they're not just wary of us, but simply don't care about us at all?
Sure enough, someone quickly chimed in.
To be honest, Jiang Feng is quite indifferent to his fans.
[It was one thing when they were just small-time streamers, but now that they've reached this scale, this lack of professionalism is really hurtful.]
[Fans aren't tools to be used to generate hype, yet they're not given any updates on the schedule.]
Does he think he's famous now and doesn't need fans anymore?
Upon hearing this, Liu Xingnuo frowned slightly.
It doesn't taste right.
She's been in the fandom for so many years, she's very familiar with this kind of dynamic.
Normal fans might be dissatisfied and complain about the "incompetent studio," but they would never immediately target the artist or steer the argument in the direction of "Jiang Feng doesn't care about his fans."
This is a classic case of sowing discord!
Liu Xingnuo immediately clicked on the homepages of those accounts that were stirring up trouble and took a look.
As expected: all new accounts, a bunch of male celebrities in the Chinese entertainment industry on the following list, and very few posts in Jiang Feng's super topic, but every word he said tonight precisely hit the sore spots where fans are most vulnerable.
It's obvious that professional online trolls have joined in to stir up trouble.
In fact, Liu Xingnuo's guess was entirely correct. Jiang Feng's sudden and illogical rise to fame, coupled with CCTV's official stance, had already caused extreme panic among several top entertainment agencies in China.
Especially a top-tier team that is promoting a "refreshing young man" and "positive boyfriend vibe".
Jiang Feng emerged out of nowhere, with overwhelming good looks, a realistic story, and a clean resume. He also holds a huge market share in the gaming industry and the immunity of mainstream media. His commercial value skyrocketed, posing a direct threat. Many endorsement deals that were being negotiated or were about to be renewed began to waver and consider Jiang Feng.
Explosion-proof measures are necessary. There's nothing wrong with the material, but stirring up the fan circle has caused a fire in the backyard.
Moreover, Jiang Feng has no management company, no public relations team, and no well-organized fan base.
To deal with this kind of irregular army, there's no need for formalities; all you need to do is stir up the emotions of their fans.
This makes new fans feel that he doesn't respect them.
His longtime fans felt that he had become arrogant after becoming famous.
His female co-stars make his fans feel that his female partners are an eyesore.
Once internal strife breaks out, the super topic will naturally crumble from within.
Several marketing accounts and a group of professional fans quietly stirred up trouble in the early hours of the morning, a time when emotions are most easily aroused.
Just as this muddy water was about to boil over, the online trolls dropped the real, most devastating bombshell.
Someone has shared another set of images.
This time, it wasn't just Jiang Feng.
And there's an encore.
In the photos, the two are clearly taking pictures of a couple's intimate moments. One scene resembles a headphone-themed photoshoot, with Jiang Feng sitting on the sofa and An Ke leaning close, the two being ridiculously close. Another scene resembles a fragrance-themed photoshoot, with An Ke standing beside Jiang Feng, her wrist gently held by him, the shots filled with an ambiguous and unspoken tension.
Reuters' resolution is low.
But the lower the resolution, the easier it is for people to fill in the blanks with their imagination.
The hashtag exploded instantly.
Is it her again?
Why was Jiang Feng's first large-scale business trip accompanied by a female colleague?
[Can you please stop creating romantic pairings during your career's upward trajectory?! Esports doesn't need women, you know?!]
[I'm unfollowing! Does she really think she's a top celebrity acting in an idol drama?]