Half a minute later, Huang Mang was dragged by Lao Qi to the black van.
The window rolled down slowly, revealing Liu Rulan's face.
Seeing the awkward smile on Huang Mang's face, Liu Rulan raised an eyebrow slightly. "Xiao He said someone was tailing us. I didn't believe it, but it's you."
Xiao He also poked his head out of the nearby car window. "Oh, isn't this the lucky jacket guy from the trees before? So you also do paparazzi work around here."
Huang Mang forced a smile. "Xiao, Brother Xiao, Sister Liu, long time no see."
Lao Qi handed the confiscated camera to Liu Rulan.
Liu Rulan opened the photo album and skimmed through it, then snorted with amusement. "Looks like you've been following Jiang Chifei to get rich lately?"
"Uh, Sister, you know, just making a living," Huang Mang played dumb.
"Then why decide to come after Xiao He? I never noticed your eyes being so sharp before. Seems like last time's lawsuit didn't teach you enough," Liu Rulan said with a smile.
Huang Mang thought of being sued by Linghui Studio not long ago, of having to pay compensation and losing his main account, and felt a sting in his chest. He immediately tried to ingratiate himself. "Sister Liu, I really didn't do this on purpose this time. I didn't expect the fans to mistake Brother Xiao for Jiang Chifei."
"It's mainly because Brother Xiao's moves are so impressive. I saw him once and couldn't forget. I kind of couldn't help but follow— but I had no ill intent!" Huang Mang didn't forget to flatter Xiao He. "Sister Liu, I know I was wrong. Keep the memory card, give me back the camera?"
Liu Rulan glanced at him and returned the camera untouched.
Huang Mang had expected to lose both money and face again, but seeing the camera in his hands left him baffled.
"I already deleted the ugly photos. About today's footage, you know what to post and what not to post, right?" Liu Rulan asked.
Huang Mang paused, then brightened and tested the waters. "Can I post it?"
Although he couldn't sell it, using it to attract followers to his account was still useful. After all, his main account had just been wiped and he was rebuilding.
"Yes."
Liu Rulan lifted her chin slightly. "That clip was shot well. Tell the story nicely, understand?"
"Got it, got it, I understand." Huang Mang lit up instantly, clutching his camera and nodding repeatedly.
The van then slowly drove away.
Watching the people in the rearview mirror, Xiao He asked lazily, "Just let him go like that?"
"Yes, it's fine. We've worked with him a few times. He's clever," Liu Rulan said with a smile.
"Huh? You've worked with him before?" Xiao He was surprised.
He hadn't forgotten that Huang Mang had recently lost a lawsuit to them.
That relationship didn't look like one of collaboration.
Liu Rulan waved a hand. "Everything is just phase-based."
"True."
"It's best to let those paparazzi be the ones to leak this time," Liu Rulan said. "Go home and rest. Don't worry about it."
"Okay."
...
That evening, the first thing to hit the Hot Search was Jiang Chifei's trending topic.
[Jiang Chifei Picked Up at Airport]
[Jiang Chifei's Moves Are Handsome]
[Jiang Chifei Running Wild at the Airport]
[Fans Surround and Chase During Pickup]
Instantly, the gossip-hungry netizens flocked in.
Fans unanimously praised Jiang Chifei's moves, and also gushed over his dashing silhouette as he escaped.
[Wasn't Chifei supposed to join the set? Is he already training for the crew? So professional!]
[Seeing this actually moved me. As an old fan of Brother Jiang, I know he once injured his waist seriously during dance practice. Now he's practicing such difficult moves for filming—my heart aches for him. He's really working hard.]
[Yes, yes, his one-handed vault over the railing was so handsome! I fell for him with that move. I love him so much.]
[Please everyone be rational about fangirling. Seeing him chased by these stalker fans and paparazzi makes me so angry. Do they have no manners? Didn't we agree on civilized pickups?]
[Hehe, just asking you—if you were there, would you not chase? Sour grapes from people who can't get it.]
But the bystander netizens were not so kind.
[Jiang Chifei? Who's that? I don't know him.]
[What? You guys can all go crazy over an irrelevant celebrity? I'm speechless. The entertainment industry is done for.]
[Why did he run? Weren't the fans specifically there to pick him up?]
[My god, are the fans trying to chase him down and eat him? I got goosebumps watching. No wonder he ran. Who wouldn't run from that scene?]
[Those saying they wouldn't run, go look at the overhead view. The crowd was like a zombie tide. If they didn't say it was a fan pickup, I'd think a pandemic broke out.]
[Although I don't know Jiang Chifei, I'll say this: be rational. If he hadn't been quick on his feet, I don't know how chaotic the airport would have been. Don't obstruct innocent passersby or add burdens to airport staff!]
[Clicked. These brainless fans are terrifying.]
[But I think Jiang Chifei is also ridiculous. He knew fans would show up and didn't bring a single bodyguard. That's such poor preparation. If things go wrong, it's all a safety risk!]
[Right, I want to say, the fans are absurd, but the real problem is the star's indulgence.]
While these people debated heatedly, some on-site witnesses awkwardly chimed in to explain:
[Stop hyping this video. I'm embarrassed for the fans. Today Jiang Chifei's fans picked up the wrong person and chased an ordinary guy through most of the airport. Embarrassing.]
[The person in the video is not Jiang Chifei, but an unknown ordinary guy. The fans picked the wrong person today. The actual pickup video for Jiang Chifei was posted later. Please identify correctly.]
[Don't spread this video. Jiang Chifei's outfit today is completely different from the guy in the clip. The fans picked the wrong person. Please delete it quickly!]
With these on-site corrections, the other netizens—who had been either snacking on the drama or praising their idol—suddenly snapped to attention and looked closer.
"What? Fans picked the wrong person? Chased an ordinary guy?"
"Yes, we were there today. It was so embarrassing, and we feel bad for that young man."
"Hehe, you all said you'd recognize brother even if he turned to ash."
"No, why did he run? Is he sick? Definitely on purpose."
"Yeah, definitely on purpose. That guy must be an anti-fan trying to mess with the fans, making Jiang Chifei look bad!"
"Gross. Looks like he panicked and ran, but he must have loved every second of being chased. First time getting treated like a star—if he didn't run and fans found out, he'd be beaten to death on the spot."
"That level of malice toward one person is unnecessary. The fans rushed forward first. He didn't know what was happening and got chased. If he didn't run, would he let the fans swallow him? I saw a few girls practically grabbing his clothes. If he didn't run, they'd tear his clothes off."
Discussion swelled across the network. Various public opinions fermented, with more people weighing in.
Just then, Huang Mang's new account posted a video —
[Huang Zhoumeng: Guess who I ran into at the airport? Brother Xiao really got scared today, haha [video][image][image]]
Seeing the familiar clothes and the familiar scene, the snacking netizens dropped their metaphorical melons.
???
Who are you talking about???
The person who had been chased into a panicked flight—was that Xiao He?