This Line Is Worth Five Mao; Delete What's in Parentheses

★ Signed for publication in simplified Chinese. Follow the publication progress on Weibo: @Jinjiang Fushangzhiwo A year ago, Qin Wu anonymously wrote an answer about Xu Jianian on a certain Q&A site. Question: What's the most obscure celebrity you've ever seen? Answer: Thanks for the invite. I just switched back from my alt after managing his comment section. He probably has fewer than a thousand Weibo followers, and more than half of them are inactive accounts. I'm the only one, along with my alt, who keeps signing in to his fan page. Don't ask me why I don't help him fight the anti-fans. Being obscure is the best protection. You think I did all this because I'm a genuine fan? No. I'm a paid shill he hired. A year later, the low-budget web series starring Xu Jianian becomes an overnight hit, and he joins the ranks of the top-tier stars, with countless fans going crazy over him. Newly crowned legend Xu Jianian is handsome and talented. Even his once unremarkable, unknown past now adds to his image as a capable star. Looking at the fan club, anti-fan accounts, and data team that have sprung up overnight for Xu Jianian, Qin Wu thinks she might be out of a job. She messages Xu Jianian: "Brother Xu, does this mean I can retire?" Xu Jianian thinks Qin Wu might not understand his feelings, so he sends her a 520-yuan red envelope. "No. Keep going." Qin Wu breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank you for trusting me, Brother Xu. I'll post 1,040 more comments for you." Xu Jianian: "???" He thought the money he'd spent a year ago had bought him a fan who genuinely cared about him. He never expected that he really had... bought himself a conscientious paid shill. #WeWereNeverDestinedToMeet,ItWasAllThanksToYourFiveMao# #AsLongAsTheMoney'sRight,I'llTakeUpMyKeyboardAndChargeIntoBattleForYou# #InMyDarkestDays,YourCommentsWereMyOnlyLight# Theme: May the people you love shine brightly.