Chapter Seven: Start by Offering a Taste of Sweetness, Willing to Do Anything

Huo Qitai felt no ripples in his heart when he read that passage.

To him, girls who adopted this kind of "green tea" persona—pretentious and coy—were a dime a dozen on the internet.

However...

When he saw the photo she sent of herself drinking milk tea, his pupils dilated in shock.

"Isn't this the exact photo that made 'Sister Milk Tea' famous? Where did this brat come from? How shameless, trying to cat-fish me with a viral image."

Recalling the timeline, Huo Qitai remembered that the "Milk Tea Photo" incident had occurred earlier that year. After months of fermentation, fueled especially by the "energetic" college-bound students during summer break, "Sister Milk Tea" had gained significant traction across the Chinese internet.

"Come to think of it, Sister Milk Tea is practically a first-generation internet celebrity. Before her, figures like Sister Furong, Sister Feng, Sharp Brother, and Brother B could all be considered phenomenal web icons."

The innocent photo of a girl holding milk tea awakened Huo Qitai's memories. Yet, in his view, these early influencers were born in the wrong era. At that time, the internet had not yet fully permeated every household. The best way to monetize fame was merely to appear on television talk shows for an appearance fee, or to rush into publishing a book while the hype was still fresh. If you lacked literary talent, it didn't matter; publishers had plenty of editors and ghostwriters who could churn out a 200,000-word inspirational autobiography for you in minutes.

Yes, it was that magical—any living person could publish a book back then.

Traditional print and television media were enjoying their final glory. New media, centered on the internet and mobile internet, was like the morning sun at five or six, about to burst forth with brilliant light. Those fortunate enough to be the first to bathe in this sunlight would reap the massive dividends of the era, acquiring wealth beyond the reach of ordinary people in a lifetime.

"Sister Furong actually became beautiful later..."
"Sharp Brother seemed to disappear after he cleaned up his look!"
"Sister Feng fled to the United States to wash feet and do manicures..."
"Brother B, who dared to eat excrement, tried to make a comeback in the TikTok era by urging his parents to sell their property to buy a Rolls-Royce..."

These were all waves of the era, eventually dashed against the shores of reality. Perhaps the only one who could shed the "internet celebrity" label and ascend to the top was "Sister Milk Tea" herself.

"Not to mention, the hype surrounding the romance between Brother Dong and Sister Milk Tea saved JD.com billions in marketing costs in a single year."

Huo Qitai shook his head and opened the JD.com page. The products were still primarily focused on 3C digital goods. This year, the mall's sales had just surpassed ten billion, and the mobile version had only just launched. The trend of nationwide online shopping seemed to be just beginning to unfold.

All of this made Huo Qitai feel a great wind blowing—one filled with hope and vigor, yet carrying the heavy scent of the era.

Yes, Lei Bus was right: if you stand in the path of a hurricane, even a pig can fly.

"I can see countless such opportunities. The problem now is to get on board quickly!"

Pulling his thoughts back, Huo Qitai looked at the chat window with [ゞYour Little Treasureべ_] and tapped out a reply.

*Huo-Not-Single:* "Little Treasure, you're getting naughty! Do you think your big brother doesn't go online? Trying to trick me with a viral photo."

*Ping!*

*ゞYour Little Treasureべ_:* "What viral photo? Big brother, I really am Sister Milk Tea. There are indeed many people on the internet impersonating me now; it’s all my classmate's fault."

Whoa!

A moment ago, she acted disgusted by the hype, and now she was insisting she was the real "Sister Milk Tea." This kind of hypocritical, "green tea" vanity...

Wait.

Huo Qitai felt that the vibe was actually a bit like milk tea!

"Could it be... did I accidentally add the real Sister Milk Tea back then? This is too absurd!"

With that premonition, Huo Qitai replied.

*Huo-Not-Single:* "I don't believe it! Unless you get on video and dance some aerobics for me."

*ゞYour Little Treasureべ_:* "Huh? Big brother, how did you know I could do aerobics! Video it is. Besides, my best friend is here today. Wait a moment, let us change our clothes..."

In a high-end residential complex in Nanjing, Zhang Runtian pulled her fingers away from the keyboard, happily opened her wardrobe, and took out two sets of tight-fitting aerobics outfits.

"Huh? No way! Tiantian, are you serious?"

Her best friend, Li Xiuyan, standing nearby, looked immediately awkward and flustered.

"Of course. Yanyan, hurry up and put it on."

Zhang Runtian tossed the tight suit over without room for argument. She herself had already quickly shed her Cherry Maruko pajamas and began pulling on pink aerobic leggings.

"But, to just do aerobics in front of the computer for a strange man..."

Li Xiuyan began to change, but her expression remained one of extreme embarrassment.

Surprisingly, Zhang Runtian smiled indifferently. "What’s the big deal? Like you said, it’s just a stranger in front of a computer. He doesn't know us in real life anyway."

After a pause, Zhang Runtian added, "This Brother Huo, I added him in a '90s funeral-style' group. He’s a group admin and runs several other thousand-member groups. Besides... he's very talented; he writes novels on Qidian Chinese Network, and he probably has quite a few readers. As long as the video proves I’m Sister Milk Tea, and I say a few sweet, soft things, he'll help me promote myself in those groups—the effect will definitely be great..."

"I knew it! So that’s what you were planning! But you don't have to dance aerobics for him! And dragging me into it... it’s so embarrassing..."

After putting on her leggings, Li Xiuyan carefully tucked in the edges with her fingers to ensure nothing unsightly was revealed.

Seeing her fidgeting, Zhang Runtian gave her a playful nudge. "Come on, Yanyan, just help me out! These little boys—give them a little taste of sweetness, and they’ll do anything you ask."

"Fine, fine! You’re so desperate for fame? Besides, what’s the use of being popular on the internet? We’re only in our second year of high school."

Li Xiuyan shook her head, clearly not buying into Zhang Runtian's logic.

"How could it be useless? Eileen Chang said fame should be sought early. You might think that having the title of 'Sister Milk Tea' online and becoming a 'pure first love' to many boys doesn't have any practical use right now. But how do you know that among these boys hiding behind their computer screens, obsessing over my photos, there aren't some who will make it big later? Maybe one of them will become a future superstar or a big entrepreneur, like a billionaire CEO. Alright, I'm sending the video..."

As she spoke, Zhang Runtian positioned the camera.

"You really want to marry a billionaire CEO? Your brain has been rotted by those novels!"

Li Xiuyan laughed and shook her head again, taking a deep breath and standing beside Zhang Runtian, ready to start the routine.

*Beep... beep...*

In the internet cafe, when the video call from [ゞYour Little Treasureべ_] popped up, Huo Qitai was taken aback.

Whoa!

She actually dared to video call?

Could it be... the real Sister Milk Tea herself?