Can following the rules be called rebirth?

Chapter 283, Chapter 281: The Coldest Day

Zhou Mingyuan and Li Zhi returned to the coffee shop one after the other.

Pushing open the door, the noisy construction noise enveloped the two of them once again.

Gu Caiwei was squatting in front of a newly installed display rack, taking pictures of the details with her mobile phone.

Hearing the noise, she turned around and immediately smiled.

"How is it? Did the sample match?"

She stood up, dusted off her hands, and jogged over to the two of them.

"There's no problem. Engineer Wang just explained that the color difference is within the normal range."

Zhou Mingyuan spoke as usual, meeting his gaze calmly.

"That's good!"

Gu Caiwei shrugged, glanced at Zhou Mingyuan from head to toe, and noticed that he hadn't even put on a coat. So she immediately grabbed her best friend's hand and pointed to the display shelf.

"I think this mortise and tenon joint seems a little loose, baby, look here."

Soon, she pulled Li Zhi to the other side.

Time flies by in the midst of busyness.

As the sky outside the window gradually turned orange-red, the lights in various parts of Optics Valley lit up one after another, and the huge Christmas tree became dazzling. The festive atmosphere finally reached its peak.

Construction inside the store is nearing completion, and workers are starting to pack up their tools and clean the site.

After the last worker said goodbye and left, only the three of them remained in the large space.

After a day of renovation, the store has been completely transformed. The walls that needed to be demolished have been demolished, and those that needed to be reinforced have been reinforced. Various trenches and pipes have taken initial shape. Although it still looks messy, you can already vaguely glimpse the outline of the future.

"Alright, you two bosses."

Zhou Mingyuan glanced at his watch and spoke at the opportune moment.

"Santa has already started work, shouldn't we call it a day and celebrate Christmas?"

"Let's go, let's set off!"

Gu Caiwei was immediately ignited, her eyes sparkling.

"I've already booked the locations."

"Is it the store you posted in the group a few days ago?"

Zhou Mingyuan smiled and glanced over, his gaze carrying a questioning tone.

"That's right!"

"Their Christmas set menu this year is very unique, and the ambiance is also great."

Ling Shang is a newly opened high-end Japanese restaurant in Jiangcheng, known for its kaiseki cuisine and stunning night views, and it is very difficult to get a table.

As night falls, the lights are on.

Located on the top floor of the Linjiang CBD, Ling Shang is adorned with Christmas neon lights, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.

The interior features a minimalist Japanese Zen style, with dim lighting, traditional color scheme, and a tranquil and sophisticated atmosphere.

The waiter led the three to a very private room.

Stepping into the tatami area after taking off my shoes, I was greeted by a faint scent of sandalwood in the air.

Dinner was a refined kaiseki meal.

Each dish was presented like a work of art, from appetizers and bowl dishes to roasted and fried dishes, each one meticulously prepared.

"Weiwei, you..."

Li Zhi couldn't help but chuckle as she watched Gu Caiwei arrange the plates together.

"It's always like this!"

"All dishes must be served and a photo taken before anyone can start eating."

"They just want to take more pretty photos, can't they have a little more patience?"

Gu Caiwei stuck out her tongue, lowered her head somewhat shyly, and pouted.

"But we need to fill our stomachs first! Everyone's been working hard all day, and being pretty doesn't put food on the table."

The short-haired girl scoffed.

Although they are best friends, her personality is completely different from Gu Caiwei's.

"Who says it can't be eaten?"

Zhou Mingyuan sat opposite the two sisters and interjected at the opportune moment.

"In the future, being beautiful will be enough to put food on the table."

"Whether you have a pretty face, take beautiful photos, or live a beautiful life, you can make a living on the internet."

"Really?"

Li Zhi picked up a piece of sushi, tilted her head suspiciously, and tried to find guilt on Zhou Mingyuan's face.

Are you sure this isn't just flattering Vivi?
"Taking photos is a must for pretty girls, Lychee."

Zhou Mingyuan said in a serious tone: "I can say this: out of a hundred top beauties, at most a few will be like you, who are completely indifferent to taking photos and sharing their lives."

"There will probably be even fewer in the future."

"Because the world is changing, many people are not only pursuing material income, but also needing to win in the world of spectacle in order to declare themselves completely successful."

The two women were stunned when they heard this new term.

What is the world of landscape?

Gu Caiwei rested her chin on her hand and pressed for an answer.

“The world of landscape is actually a collective mental space. This collective can be private or public. It can range from a girls’ dormitory to social media, all of which can constitute an effective collective.”

"The universal currency in the world of spectacle is attention, and the quantity and quality of attention are equally important; these constitute your social validation."

While eating slowly and deliberately, Zhou Mingyuan patiently explained the scientific principles.

"."

Gu Caiwei and Li Zhi exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion and bewilderment in each other's eyes.

In fact, for Zhou Mingyuan, who had witnessed the prosperity of later generations, these insights were gradually formed.

If you come into contact with enough internet celebrity beauties in real life, you will find a common phenomenon.

They would actually be willing to spend a lot of money to buy attention.

Because attention, like water and air, is an essential resource for online celebrities to survive.

Prolonged lack of attention can seriously affect their mental and physical health, just like how working people suffer from malnutrition due to eating poorly prepared meals every day.

In the world of the internet, there is indeed a large number of people who cannot live without attention.

In other words, in their value system, wealth and high social verification are basically equally valued.

Those who take the path of female competition cannot delay gratification like male competitors. They endure hunger, cold, and hardship during the struggle period, and after success, they should never look down on the poor youth.

Being presentable, refined, or rather, able to dress up beautifully to earn money, is a basic necessity for them.

This means that female competitors need to manage a more complex wealth cycle than male competitors.

First, obtain a sum of cash.

Then use cash to buy landscape assets—fashion, makeup, medical aesthetics, travel, photography, portraits, and vlogs.

Next, use the landscape assets to gain attention and post on social media platforms like WeChat Moments and other social media.

Finally, monetize attention into cash through business orders, product sales, tipping, and private domain marketing, guiding men to invest in social value.

Repeat this process.

In one cycle, both physical assets and landscape assets can be appreciated.

Even for those pursuing the female-centric approach, the appreciation of landscape assets, such as updating the viewpoint, is more important.

This often leads to higher social recognition and a feeling of improved social status.

The most crucial point in this cycle is how to convert attention into cash.

It is precisely the key that has completely changed the status of women in society and the dynamics of gender relations in human civilization as a whole.

In the pre-social media era, women who pursued a competitive career path had extremely limited avenues for monetizing their attention.

Basically, there are only three options: the entertainment industry, marrying into a wealthy family, and working in nightclubs. Compared to the vast number of beautiful young women in the market, these three industries can only provide a tiny fraction of the employment opportunities.

This is why institutions like the "Heavenly King's Wife Training Class" were able to charge exorbitant fees back then.

The market is too narrow; without paying this channel fee, you can't even get a ticket to participate.

Therefore, headmasters in classical times often gave earnest and heartfelt lectures.

Let the pretty girls in school stop worrying about how to dress themselves up and focus more on their studies.

Being pretty doesn't put food on the table.

In the era of social media, all the underlying logic has been overturned.

My lord, times have changed.

Being pretty can really put food on the table these days.

The emergence of social media, along with numerous channels for monetizing attention such as advertising revenue sharing, commercial orders, and live-streaming sales, has completely opened up the financial link between landscape assets and physical assets.

Diversified commercialization channels and algorithm-driven approaches have gradually replaced the push model dominated by influential figures, directly leading to an expansion of the audience for the attention economy.

Zhou Mingyuan, as a top influencer on a certain platform, has experienced the entire process of online marketing gradually transforming from KOL to KOC.

He watched as the threshold for receiving commercial orders gradually dwindled from 100,000 followers to 1000.

In addition, the rampant proliferation of borderline industries caused by the crackdown has lowered the appearance threshold for female competitors from 7 points to 5.5 points or even 5 points.

This allowed a large number of girls who were just casually posting photos to suddenly reap the benefits of the attention economy.

Their self-perception instantly shifted from ordinary working people to minor internet celebrities, guiding them to shift more of their energy from traditional hard work to a competitive path.

As a result, in just a few years, the population experienced an explosive growth due to competition among females.

Many girls who were initially in a wait-and-see state have unanimously chosen to allocate more resources to the female-competitive route, or even go all-in.

Because of the attention economy, it is indeed possible to improve the ROI of investment in landscape assets across society.

This is matched by the irrational increase in the cost of the dating market over the past five years, as well as the growth in nationwide spending on beauty services.

As the number of Venus devotees exploded, the high-end consumption brought about by the female-competitive lifestyle naturally became a daily routine for believers.

In fact, the root cause of many Chinese men's unhappy emotional lives is that they are trying to make their wives accept the same male-dominated competitive logic as they do.

This behavior is just as absurd as trying to get a cat to accept a dog's lifestyle.

Once you understand the underlying logic and operating principles of the female-female competition model, and start cultivating a close relationship with your cat in the same way you would with your cat, life will truly be much better.

"what?"

"So you're saying that more and more people will end up like Vivi in ​​the future?"

"Of course."

Zhou Mingyuan nodded: "Not everyone's core is as stable as yours."

"Thank you for the compliment."

This Christmas feast took place in a joyful atmosphere of chatting and laughing.

The delicious food and the magnificent night view seemed to have become mere background scenery.

The dessert was a special Christmas matcha mousse, adorned with adorable Santa Claus sugar figurines.

After happily taking the photos, Gu Caiwei scooped out a large spoonful and squinted her eyes contentedly.

Where do we go next?

As you emerge from the ridge, the chill of Christmas Eve mingles with the unique hustle and bustle of the city.

Gu Caiwei, arm in arm with her best friend, looked up and asked, her cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Before Zhou Mingyuan could answer, faint music and cheers came from the center of Optics Valley Square not far away.

Christmas.

This is what a lively and festive Christmas should be like.

The star atop the giant Christmas tree gleamed brightly, and a large crowd seemed to have gathered beneath it.

"There seems to be a Christmas event over there!"

Gu Caiwei was immediately intrigued: "Let's go take a look!"

A Christmas-themed open-air concert is being held on the central stage of Optics Valley Square.

A popular local band was performing, and the audience was filled with young men and women waving glow sticks to the rhythm, creating a very lively atmosphere.

The three of them squeezed to the outer edge of the crowd and joined in the fun.

After a few lively pop songs, the lead singer raised the microphone and smiled as he pointed to the audience.

Thank you everyone for your enthusiasm!

"Merry Christmas! How about we play a little interactive game next?"

"We'd like to invite a lucky audience member to come up on stage and sing a song with us! Lighting technician, please scan the room randomly!"

A spotlight immediately began to dart erratically through the crowd, eliciting screams and cheers.

"Wow~"

Gu Caiwei, in high spirits, skipped and jumped around, waving enthusiastically at the lights just like most of the audience.

The lights, like mischievous children, danced through the crowd, sweeping across expectant faces.

Suddenly, the beam of light stopped and struck a short-haired girl precisely.

Instantly, everyone's eyes were focused on it.

Li Zhi was stunned.

She never expected to be chosen.

The bright lights made it hard for her to open her eyes, and she instinctively raised her hand to shield them, making her distinct features even clearer.

She possessed a unique temperament, and standing among a group of extroverted young people, she was like a rare orchid suddenly exposed in a secluded valley, both out of place and charming.

Wow! She's a beautiful and elegant woman!

The lead singer smiled on stage and said, "Beautiful lady, is it convenient for you to come up on stage? What song would you like to sing?"

Gu Caiwei turned her head in surprise, then laughed and nudged Li Zhi: "Little Lychee! It's you! Hurry up and go!"

A small dimple bloomed in the evening breeze.

Zhou Mingyuan's gaze also fell on Li Zhi.

"Go quickly, go quickly, we're cheering you on!"

Looking at her face, slightly pale in the bright light, and her tightly pursed lips, he couldn't help but join in the teasing.

Refusing under the watchful eyes of everyone would certainly be a bit disappointing.

Li Zhi pursed her lips, thought for a few seconds, took a deep breath, nodded slightly in the direction of the lead singer, and then walked through the automatically parting crowd onto the stage.

Standing in the center of the stage, facing the sea of ​​people and flashing glow sticks below, the short-haired girl rolled up her sleeves, her palms slightly sweaty.

The feeling of being forcibly pushed into the spotlight
it's wired.

The host handed her another microphone and asked with a smile, "Welcome tonight's lucky female guest!"

"What song do you want to sing? Our band can accompany any song!"

Good-natured laughter and encouraging applause rang out from the audience.

Countless song titles flashed through Li Zhi's mind in an instant.

She lowered her eyes and looked in the direction where Zhou Mingyuan and Gu Caiwei were standing below the stage.

Zhou Mingyuan looked at her with a smile, while Gu Caiwei, standing on tiptoe, waved to her as if she were a fangirl.

"let me see"

"The Coldest Day"

Li Zhi spoke softly into the microphone, and the Guangpu dialect resonated throughout the entire Optics Valley Square through the speakers.

The audience was silent for a few seconds, then burst into applause.

The band members exchanged glances, and the lead singer reacted quickly, smiling and giving a thumbs up.

"Great! You have good taste! We've got your eye on your songs, brother! Come on, give this beauty a key!"

(End of this chapter)