Half a minute later, Huang Mang was dragged by Lao Qi to the black van.
The window rolled down slowly, revealing Liu Rulanâs face.
Seeing the awkward smile on Huang Mangâs face, Liu Rulan raised an eyebrow slightly. "Xiao He said someone was tailing us. I didnât believe it, but itâs you."
Xiao He also poked his head out of the nearby car window. "Oh, isnât 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 youâve 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 timeâs lawsuit didnât 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 didnât do this on purpose this time. I didnât expect the fans to mistake Brother Xiao for Jiang Chifei."
"Itâs mainly because Brother Xiaoâs moves are so impressive. I saw him once and couldnât forget. I kind of couldnât help but followâ but I had no ill intent!" Huang Mang didnât 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 todayâs 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 couldnât 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, itâs fine. Weâve worked with him a few times. Heâs clever," Liu Rulan said with a smile.
"Huh? Youâve worked with him before?" Xiao He was surprised.
He hadnât forgotten that Huang Mang had recently lost a lawsuit to them.
That relationship didnât look like one of collaboration.
Liu Rulan waved a hand. "Everything is just phase-based."
"True."
"Itâs best to let those paparazzi be the ones to leak this time," Liu Rulan said. "Go home and rest. Donât worry about it."
"Okay."
...
That evening, the first thing to hit the Hot Search was Jiang Chifeiâs trending topic.
[Jiang Chifei Picked Up at Airport]
[Jiang Chifeiâs 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 Chifeiâs moves, and also gushed over his dashing silhouette as he escaped.
[Wasnât 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 heâs practicing such difficult moves for filmingâmy heart aches for him. Heâs 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? Didnât we agree on civilized pickups?]
[Hehe, just asking youâif you were there, would you not chase? Sour grapes from people who canât get it.]
But the bystander netizens were not so kind.
[Jiang Chifei? Whoâs that? I donât know him.]
[What? You guys can all go crazy over an irrelevant celebrity? Iâm speechless. The entertainment industry is done for.]
[Why did he run? Werenât 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 wouldnât run from that scene?]
[Those saying they wouldnât run, go look at the overhead view. The crowd was like a zombie tide. If they didnât say it was a fan pickup, Iâd think a pandemic broke out.]
[Although I donât know Jiang Chifei, Iâll say this: be rational. If he hadnât been quick on his feet, I donât know how chaotic the airport would have been. Donât 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 didnât bring a single bodyguard. Thatâs such poor preparation. If things go wrong, itâs all a safety risk!]
[Right, I want to say, the fans are absurd, but the real problem is the starâs indulgence.]
While these people debated heatedly, some on-site witnesses awkwardly chimed in to explain:
[Stop hyping this video. Iâm embarrassed for the fans. Today Jiang Chifeiâs 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.]
[Donât spread this video. Jiang Chifeiâs 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 netizensâwho had been either snacking on the drama or praising their idolâsuddenly 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 youâd 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 starâif he didnât run and fans found out, heâd be beaten to death on the spot."
"That level of malice toward one person is unnecessary. The fans rushed forward first. He didnât know what was happening and got chased. If he didnât run, would he let the fans swallow him? I saw a few girls practically grabbing his clothes. If he didnât run, theyâd tear his clothes off."
Discussion swelled across the network. Various public opinions fermented, with more people weighing in.
Just then, Huang Mangâs new account posted a video â
[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 flightâwas that Xiao He?