Since we are both reborn, of course I would choose the rich woman!

Chapter 407 Lin Qiaoyi's Hint (6k views, please subscribe)

In 2017, Li Ziqi was still quite naive in terms of experience; otherwise, she wouldn't have been so badly deceived by Liu Tongxiong.

She was even surprised that charitable acts could be used to profit herself.

After receiving a promise from Lü Yao that she wouldn't have to worry about the future, Li Ziqi felt relieved. Lü Yao then took the opportunity of Li Ziqi's visit to discuss the script for how things would unfold next with her.

This is the benefit of having abundant resources at your disposal.

For an individual, localized future, it is possible for someone with abundant resources to become a "writer".

After discussing the future "script" with Lü Yao, Li Ziqi left Lü Yao's side with a head full of information that he hadn't had time to process, and returned to her small courtyard in the countryside.

Two days later, Lin Qiaoyi from Shangnan News Agency arrived in Mianyang with her interview team. After meeting with Lü Yao, Lin Qiaoyi led the entire interview team to Li Ziqi's small courtyard in the countryside.

On the way there, Lin Qiaoyi laughed in the passenger seat of Lü Yao's car: "I never expected that you, President Lü, would go to such a far place as Mianyang and quietly bring the rising internet celebrity Li Ziqi under your wing."

Lü Yao laughed and said, "Was it really so quiet?"

He recalled that after Liu Tongxiong transferred Li Ziqi to another company, he secretly spread the news online, announcing that Li Ziqi had terminated the cooperation due to "force majeure". Then, around that time, news began to circulate on the internet that Lü Yao had appeared in Mianyang and contacted Li Ziqi, followed by the news of Liu Tongxiong's termination of the cooperation due to force majeure.

Although these messages did not originate from a single source, when they appeared on the internet at the same time, it was hard not to make netizens draw certain conclusions.

After all, Lü Yao is a notorious scumbag.

You know what, Liu Tongxiong's little tricks did achieve some success on the internet, but before the speculation about this matter could spread widely, it was deleted by people on various platforms through contact with Lü Yao.

Lu Yao is now considered a major player in the self-media platform industry, holding a significant number of shares in the Douyin platform.

With its marketing campaign during the 2017 Spring Festival, Douyin accumulated over 200 million users and over 30 million daily active users. The rise of the Douyin platform is unstoppable, and it is expanding and multiplying at a speed that no domestic internet giant can comprehend or match.

It is foreseeable that Douyin will become a major platform that surpasses Weibo and Baidu in the future.

It already possesses the potential to rival Tencent and Alibaba.

As a major shareholder of such a platform, many CEOs in the new media industry are very willing to give Lü Yao face, let alone dealing with a minor figure like "Liu Tongxiong".

Because they are unsure whether they will need Lü Yao's help in the future, establishing a good relationship now means that if they run into trouble in the future, they can ask Lü Yao for help.

Liu Tongxiong quickly realized he was outmatched and immediately canceled all his operations.

Liu Tongxiong may be the top player in the region, or even ranked high in the provincial server, but Lu Yao is a national server player. Even the national server players ranked lower are still national server players, aren't they?
Lin Qiaoyi smiled and said, "I have heard some news, but I didn't expect President Lü to stay here for so long. But Mianyang is a small city after all. Will President Lü find it boring here?"

Lu Yao smiled and said, "The mountains, water, and air here are beautiful. It would be nice to stay here a little longer."

Lu Yao actually knew what Lin Qiaoyi wanted, but he didn't respond to her at all.

After testing the waters, Lin Qiaoyi stopped. Since reaching a certain level of cooperation with Lü Yao, her position within Xinwang has risen rapidly. Now, Lin Qiaoyi is the chief editor of Xinwang, a position that rivals that of the editor-in-chief.

The big bosses of Xinwang News Agency all have a great fondness for Lin Qiaoyi.

Lin Qiaoyi certainly knew why they favored her so much—it was all because she had a "friend" in the business world named Lü Yao.

However, as Lü Yao's status rises, news about him becomes increasingly scarce, and his presence in the media becomes increasingly faint. Lin Qiaoyi only learned about his appearance in Mianyang much later.

As her powerful backer for promotion at the New Network, Lin Qiaoyi was actually a little uneasy about Lü Yao's disappearance.

Although Lü Yao still called Lin Qiaoyi out when needed, Lin Qiaoyi already sensed that the atmosphere around her had become somewhat subtle since Lü Yao left Shangnan and had been almost completely out of touch with her.

At the same time, all this tension vanished the moment Lin Qiaoyi received Lü Yao's invitation.

This subtle change gave Lin Qiaoyi a different kind of feeling.

She was thinking that perhaps she could solidify and deepen her cooperation with Lü Yao, allowing both of them to gain a deeper understanding of each other.

But Lü Yao completely ignored her, which made Lin Qiaoyi feel a little frustrated.

She turned her head to look at the blurry face reflected in the car window. The face was both happy and angry, capable yet charming. Lin Qiaoyi was very confident in her appearance, and as a media professional, she also possessed a strong cultural background and writing skills.

This gives Lin Qiaoyi an elegant air about her, like a lady from a prominent family.

Given that she hadn't had much contact with Lü Yao before, she should still be considered an unappreciated wildflower to him, right? Aren't men usually interested in wildflowers? So why did Lü Yao reject her clear hints?

The more Lin Qiaoyi got stuck on a single point, the stranger her ideas became.

In the end, she even began to doubt her own charm.

Amidst this somber skepticism, Lü Yao and Lin Qiaoyi had already arrived at the rural courtyard where Li Ziqi lived.

When the car stopped on the ridge of a field not far from the courtyard, Lin Qiaoyi got out and asked the interview team that had come with her to go to Li Ziqi's house to prepare for the upcoming live interview.

Lu Yao led Lin Qiaoyi to Li Ziqi's courtyard. As soon as they entered, Lin Qiaoyi exclaimed, "Indeed, there is a bit of a gap between the internet and reality."

Unlike the lush and tranquil atmosphere presented in the videos online, Li Ziqi's courtyard in reality, although it looks quite nice, has many bricks, stones, and wood piled up in some corners and even outside, so it doesn't have the same serene and exquisite feel as seen online.

Lü Yao smiled and said, "Of course there is a difference between reality and the internet, but the effect presented online is a concrete manifestation of Li Ziqi's inner world. This should be the gift that film and television bring to the world. Just like many classic films convey the director's inner world."

Lin Qiaoyi looked at Lü Yao with a hint of surprise in her intelligent and clear eyes: "Wow~ that's so well said. President Lü is also very knowledgeable about art and literature."

Lü Yao laughed: "Yes, I think it's Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng."

Ga?
Lin Qiaoyi almost didn't understand.

While Lü Yao and Lin Qiaoyi were chatting, Li Ziqi, who was coordinating with the interview team and setting up equipment in the courtyard, also heard what Lü Yao had just said.

Hearing these words touched Li Ziqi, but she didn't show it.

Once everything was ready, Lin Qiaoyi sat down face-to-face with Li Ziqi for a casual chat before the interview to ease the tension between them.

Lin Qiaoyi smiled very professionally and said, "Hello, Ms. Li, I am Lin Qiaoyi, and I am the host responsible for interviewing you this time."

Li Ziqi smiled and said, "Yes, I know you. I've watched your shows."

Lin Qiaoyi smiled and said, "That's my honor. The content of this interview was all discussed in advance, and I'm sure President Lü has made all the arrangements for you, so you don't need to worry at all."

Li Ziqi took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, and finally said firmly, "Mmm!"

Despite saying she wasn't nervous, Li Ziqi's emotions didn't seem to be under her conscious control. So Lin Qiaoyi started by chatting with Li Ziqi about the arrangements in the small courtyard, and only after Li Ziqi was more relaxed did Lin Qiaoyi slowly steer the conversation towards the interview.

Lin Qiaoyi: "Then, let's begin now."

Li Ziqi: "Okay."

Her relaxed mood turned tense again, but the level of tension had decreased considerably; Lin Qiaoyi's previous conversation tactics had indeed been very effective.

After receiving Li Ziqi's affirmation, Lin Qiaoyi quickly faced the camera. At the director's signal, all the equipment that had been set up was instantly activated. Once the live stream started, Lin Qiaoyi faced the camera and said very naturally and skillfully, "Hello everyone, I am your old friend Lin Qiaoyi. Can you guess where I am now?"

The director then quickly zoomed out, bringing Li Ziqi and her courtyard into the frame.

Lin Qiaoyi continued with a smile, "That's right, I'm currently in the courtyard of a food blogger, a promoter of the new farmers' promotion plan, and a pastoral poet in the internet age."

As the camera pans to Li Ziqi's upper body, Lin Qiaoyi's voice-over comes in: "Ms. Li, please say hello to the viewers in front of the screen."

After carefully applying her makeup, Li Ziqi smiled faintly at the camera and said, "Hello everyone, I am Li Ziqi."

The live broadcast director switched the camera back to show Lin Qiaoyi and Li Ziqi together. Lin Qiaoyi then got to the point, starting with Li Ziqi's initial motivation for making videos, and then talking about Li Ziqi's grandmother, family, and past experiences.

Because all the questions and answers had been carefully planned by Lü Yao, an image of a person who had cared for her family since childhood, was understanding, hardworking, and resilient despite her impoverished background, began to emerge. Coupled with occasional cuts to scenes of tranquil and beautiful rural landscapes with smoke rising from chimneys and endless fields, the interview between the questioner and the respondent was filled with an atmosphere of gentle reminiscence, allowing many viewers watching the live stream to genuinely feel a sense of peace and tranquility.

As a result, everyone was unconsciously drawn into Li Ziqi's perspective.

Honestly, if we were in each other's shoes, how many people could do what Li Ziqi did? To ease the burden on her family, she dropped out of school after junior high. To make a living, she washed dishes, slept in parks, and even taught herself DJing. Ultimately, she returned to the countryside to take care of her family. Then, inspired by fate, she entered the short video industry.

"Hey guys! Do you have any tissues? I'm about to cry."

"Sigh, what a nice girl, and yet so many people are smearing her online? Don't they have any conscience?!"

"Exactly! What's wrong with that young girl earning her own money? She didn't steal or rob anyone. Besides, she had such a hard life, what's wrong with earning some money now? It's all her due!"

"Actually, those who smear others online are just envious rats hiding in the gutter who don't want others to be doing well."

"That must be it, bro."

Under this wave of interviews, Li Ziqi's online reputation quickly turned around, with everyone expressing praise and support for her and appreciating her hard work.

The internet may seem like a virtual space for communication, but it also follows some basic rules of reality. Compared to the rules and regulations in reality, online communication places more emphasis on emotional interaction.

So when you are attacked online, if you are busy proving that you must be wrong, then you are not. In reality, netizens on the Internet don't care about right and wrong at all. Everyone just wants a place to vent their emotions.

Whether it's anger, sympathy, kindness, evil, or simply being sarcastic, emotions are all expressed in the virtual world of the internet. How can netizens maintain a facade? In such a repressive environment as Tokyo University, everyone needs an outlet for their emotions, so many people play different roles in different online communities.

There are also exaggerated examples, such as a joke king who plays 24 different personas in the same online community.

As online public opinion of Li Ziqi rapidly improved, Lin Qiaoyi, seeing the director's signal, began to move on to the next topic: "Ziqi, I've seen people online saying that you've made a lot of money through short videos. Do you have any insights or feelings you'd like to share with everyone?"

Li Ziqi immediately began to act out the script that Lü Yao had given her, as if by reflex. She first smiled and said, "I have indeed made money by making short videos. In addition to the traffic rewards from the platform itself, I have also achieved good results in physical entrepreneurship with the help of many friends."

Following Li Ziqi, they began to rattle off, as if reciting a familiar story, how many jobs her entrepreneurial projects had created, how much tax revenue they generated, and how much social value they had created.

Li Ziqi: "Compared to the money I earn, these contributions are what I am most proud of. Because now I am not only a girl who can take care of my family, but also a girl who can take care of many people."

Lin Qiaoyi looked deeply moved, saying, "Really, I didn't expect you to think this way, Ziqi. Your achievements will surely make many people proud of you."

Li Ziqi smiled shyly: "But I don't think that's enough. I was born here and grew up here. I know better than anyone how much suffering is hidden in this seemingly idyllic place. In more remote mountainous areas, there are still many people who can't afford to go to school, who are cut off from modern society, and who can't even afford electricity."

"Compared to them, I'm quite lucky. So lately I've been thinking about setting up a 'New Rural Development Support Fund' with half of the money I earn, to help improve the living standards of more people in remote areas."

Lin Qiaoyi feigned surprise, then quickly recovered and said, "This is indeed good news. I believe many people will have the opportunity to change their destiny because of what you have done."

When Li Ziqi's words spread to the internet, netizens who entered the live stream due to its increasing popularity began frantically typing on their phones or computer keyboards.

"Holy crap, what is Li Ziqi trying to do? Is she trying to become a saint?"

"There must be a mastermind behind this! This must be that bastard Lü's doing, right? Damn it, I knew that Lü could cause chaos and bloodshed wherever he went."

"It's too much of a performance! It's so fake! Hypocritical! It's disgusting!"

The first to give up are those haters who previously smeared Li Ziqi. They already had doubts about Li Ziqi's online persona, and now that she's doing this kind of thing, how could they possibly stand it?
Their dark inner selves instinctively resisted this truth, goodness, and beauty, making it impossible for them to control their dark thoughts. As a result, these thoughts were transformed into words and appeared in the live stream's chat list.

But besides these dark-hearted rats, there are also many rational and intelligent netizens online.

"Those trolls who want to smear her should save their breath. Even if Li Ziqi is fake and hypocritical, her public statements are genuine. If she actually puts real money into it later, then there's absolutely nothing wrong with her."

"Most things in the world are judged by actions, not intentions. In modern terms, what a person thinks and says is not important; what matters is what they do."

"Sigh, now that the internet is so widespread, the quality of people who go online is getting lower and lower."

Seeing the numerous comments displayed on the small screen while mingling with the production team, Lü Yao couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

Before 2010, because relatively few people could afford to access the internet, and most of them were highly capable individuals in real life, the quality of netizens on the Chinese internet was very high. You could often see many impressive figures in various fields on popular forums.

This is also why Tianya Forum was hailed as a god in its early days.

However, as the construction of domestic network hardware has rapidly expanded, the internet speed has become faster and faster, and it has become more and more convenient to access the internet. As a result, the quality of netizens has also begun to decline sharply, to the point that the internet has become a mixed bag, and even farcical events have occurred where truth has been trampled underfoot by ignorance.

However, this is also the most realistic depiction of human life.

Ignorance has always existed, but before the internet, it was scattered across the vast land, and these ignorant ideas could not be linked together; but the internet, as a carrier of strong information connections, has connected all the ignorance scattered in various places.

One characteristic of ignorant groups is their irrationality; even with flawed logic, they can still reconcile themselves, making them a natural nemesis of truth.

After discussing topics related to making money, the interview was pretty much over.

Afterwards, they discussed some details about the implementation and plans of the "New Rural Development Support Fund," reassuring Li Ziqi's fans before concluding the interview.

After the live broadcast was completely shut down, Lin Qiaoyi stood up and let out a long sigh of relief. Then, she looked at Lü Yao and asked, as if seeking praise, "So, Mr. Lü, were you satisfied with this interview?"

Lu Yao sat on the directing team's side, looking more like a director than the on-site director.

He gave Lin Qiaoyi a thumbs up: "Not bad."

Then Lü Yao looked at Li Ziqi and said, "Our CEO Li also performed very well."

Li Ziqi was clearly uncomfortable with this form of address, waving her hands repeatedly and saying, "Oh, please don't call me that."

She quickly changed the subject, saying, "Everyone has come from afar and must be tired. Let's have dinner together here before going back. I'll cook for you."

Lin Qiaoyi's eyebrows danced with excitement: "Can I order food?"

Li Ziqi said with a smile, "Sure, what would you like to eat?"

Lin Qiaoyi exclaimed excitedly, "I want to eat your beef noodles! When I watched your videos, I thought everything you made must be incredibly delicious. I never imagined I'd have the chance to eat beef noodles made by you! I'm going to post it on my social media account!"

Li Ziqi smiled, revealing two dimples: "Okay, I'll go make it for you now. Is there anything else you'd like to eat? I'll make it for everyone."

In such a rural place, the only food that Li Ziqi can offer to guests is the food she has treasured. In order to shoot short videos, Li Ziqi made a lot of preparations in her own yard and shot a lot of footage. Spring, summer, autumn and winter, cold and heat, time will also become the seasoning of her life in her lens.

After Li Ziqi's call to action, everyone at the scene started ordering food. Li Ziqi wrote it all down without missing a single one and quickly began preparing it.

Meanwhile, her younger brother had picked up a camera at some point and started taking pictures to record the scene.

Even the camera crew that came with Lin Qiaoyi picked up their cameras and started filming at the director's signal.

Despite being surrounded by so many cameras, Li Ziqi actually felt very comfortable.

She quickly began selecting and preparing vegetables, kneading and rolling dough, and pulling noodles. The large meal for nearly ten people proceeded smoothly under her planning until dusk. Warm yellow lights illuminated the courtyard, creating a striking contrast with the deep blue night sky outside.

In Li Ziqi's brother's video, the final scene shows a group of people sitting around a dining table that Li Ziqi made herself. Amidst the rising steam, they chat and laugh as they enjoy the dinner that Li Ziqi prepared.

The contrast between blue tones and warm light creates an amazing atmosphere!

By the time Lin Qiaoyi finished dinner and left Li Ziqi's house, she had completely become a super fan of Li Ziqi.

She chattered on and on like a little girl to Lü Yao: "Wow! I'm really impressed! Although I've watched Li Ziqi's videos before, I never expected her to be so capable! She managed to cook for so many people all by herself! If it were me, I probably wouldn't even have a kitchen anymore."

Lu Yao smiled and agreed, "Yes, she's very capable."

Once in the car, Lin Qiaoyi took out her phone, compiled the photos of her eating with Li Ziqi into a nine-grid layout, and posted it on her social media with the caption: "It's really hard not to love Li Ziqi!"

(End of this chapter)