Chapter 18.2: A Flood of Viral Traffic
The exposure and customer traffic she’d been prepared to spend a fortune buying were now pouring in of their own accord.
For the time being—
No.
For a very, very long time—
She wouldn’t have to worry about her remaining lifespan anymore.
Although the system’s mission to disrupt the human traffickers hadn’t been mandatory—it had explicitly told her to act within her limits—it seemed that doing good really did bring its own rewards.
Xiang Yu let out a long, heavy breath.
The enormous weight that had been pressing on her heart was finally half gone.
Watching her lifespan tick down day after day, only to suddenly trigger a guaranteed windfall of bonus days…
…was actually kind of exhilarating.
Perhaps if she had an ordinary person’s lifespan, she wouldn’t have had the courage to charge headfirst at the traffickers.
She didn’t know.
There was no point dwelling on it.
What she did know was that, right now, she could still take on ten human traffickers.
I, Xiang Yu—
The Spinning Top King.
The Dark Knight of Xihai.
The Divine Punisher of the Lightning Five-Hit Whirlwind Combo.
The Queen of Electric Scooters.
The Watchman who patrols the entrance to Hama Valley Village.
The Destroyer of Human Traffickers.
The Defender of Order at the Hot Springs.
The Lord of Hama Valley, destined to build an international glacier resort!
Her blood racing with excitement, she picked up the tea Manager Wang had poured for her and drained it in one gulp.
It tasted remarkably sweet and refreshing.
Director Ji… I’m really sorry.
But when my life was literally on the line, that emotionally charged publicity article really did save my life.
I’ll post a clarification as soon as possible.
Manager Wang had no idea what had gotten into her. Thinking he’d said something wrong, he quietly messaged Xiao Hu, asking her to come to his office.
Just then, Xiang Yu’s phone rang.
She looked at the caller ID.
As expected—it was the deputy director of the Public Security Bureau himself.
“Boss Xiang! Boss Xiang! Have you checked Weibo? You’re trending!”
The burly man who had been the first to jump out of the police car to rescue the hostages now sounded like he was on the verge of tears.
He hurriedly explained,
“Could I trouble you to open a social media account and make a statement? You definitely won’t bear any criminal liability for this! We fully support what your hot spring did…”
The deputy director—who would have willingly climbed mountains or crossed seas in the line of duty—was now so anxious he could hardly get his words out, repeatedly sighing, “Oh dear… oh dear…”
He talked nonstop without pausing for breath.
Xiang Yu couldn’t even find an opening to get a single word in.
On the other end of the line, Ji Gang swore up and down, practically calling heaven and earth to witness, insisting that there had to be some kind of misunderstanding.
He even offered to send a police car to pick Xiang Yu up so they could sit down and talk everything through in person.
Halfway through saying that, he let out another long sigh. Realizing it might sound like the police were trying to intimidate her, he quickly changed his mind.
“Forget it, forget it. We’ll just talk over the phone.”
By the time he finished, all that remained was a helpless sigh from someone who simply couldn’t explain himself.
Acting bravely.
Beating up human traffickers.
Going to jail.
Those three phrases together were pure viral gold.
The problem was that the person at the center of it was one of the good guys.
What a mess.
Xiang Yu had no desire to let innocent people be wronged, so she readily agreed.
But before the deputy director had even finished speaking, another call came in.
It wasn’t just a single ring, either.
While she was talking to Ji Gang, the other caller kept dialing over and over.
She had no choice but to promise Ji Gang that she’d create a social media account and post a clarification later. After telling him they’d talk again soon because she had something urgent to deal with, she returned the unknown call—
Only for a text message to pop up first.
Academic Advisor: Xiang, we all know what happened now. Ning Qiaoqiao is Professor Chen’s student in the Department of Media Studies. We’ve seen the video and have already confirmed with her that it’s authentic.
Academic Advisor: The police station just called us and said there’s been a misunderstanding. Is there really some kind of misunderstanding?
Academic Advisor: Having a student like you who acted so courageously is the pride of our school! You haven’t officially graduated yet. After discussing it, the department leadership has decided to award you a medal. No matter what people outside may say, we will protect our own students.
Academic Advisor: Don’t be afraid. The wife of our department secretary is Dean Wang from the School of Law. She watched the video and said that no matter how you look at it, your actions do not constitute criminal liability, and there’s no way you could be considered the principal offender! Answer her call immediately. She’s arranging a lawyer for you. Whatever anyone asks, don’t say anything. Just listen to Professor Wang.
Academic Advisor: Answer your phone! You’re driving everyone crazy with worry!
One call after another.
One message after another.
It was like rushing from one appointment to the next.
No one was giving her even a moment’s peace.
The last time her academic advisor had bombarded her with messages like this was when he was constantly urging her to find a job.
Ever since she’d become an “iron rice bowl” holder, nothing like this had happened again.
She replied with a laughing-through-tears emoji.
Teacher, I’m really fine. No one’s giving me a hard time. I’ll post a clarification right away.
The advisor immediately sent another flood of voice messages.
“What clarification are you posting? With the way the internet is nowadays, don’t go running your mouth and accidentally incriminate yourself!”
“I’m telling you, this isn’t something you can take lightly. Whatever statement you want to make, you discuss it with Professor Wang first. That’s the department secretary’s instruction. Do you know how many people would pay just to get a chance to consult Professor Wang?”
Xiang Yu’s scalp tingled.
“Teacher, I’m really okay. I just went to give a statement. I’ve already left the police station.”
“Oh, you silly child. Do you even know what you should and shouldn’t say?” Her advisor worried over her endlessly, firing off words like a machine gun.
“Have you never heard that line from American TV dramas? ‘I have the right to remain silent until my lawyer arrives.'”
“The whole university is in an uproar! It started when a girl posted a review of your hot spring on one of the campus confession walls and it got a little attention. Then today’s incident happened. Your junior students in the Law School, graduates from previous years, even your senior alumni all said they wanted to help boost support. There are even several distinguished alumni getting involved!”
“I’ll tell you something in confidence. Right now it’s admissions season, and even the Bureau of Culture and Tourism has heard about this. Both the university and the higher authorities are definitely going to do everything they can to protect you. Whatever happens, we’ve all got your back.”
Whatever interests or considerations might be involved behind the scenes, hearing those words still warmed Xiang Yu’s heart.
All she could do was thank her sincerely.
“Okay, Teacher. I understand. Thanks to all this, business at my hot spring has actually picked up. I’m looking forward to welcoming teachers and classmates from the university.”
“Good. Accept my WeChat friend request. And if anything happens, don’t try to shoulder it all by yourself.”
“You silly child… you’re so clueless. You’re going to worry us all to death.”
— —
While Xiang Yu was still wrangling with the media company, things had already started blowing up across Xihai University’s campus.
The spark was Gu Xiaoshuang’s outrageously over-the-top recommendation post, titled:
“Using the Hama Valley Glacier Hot Springs as an Example: The Effects of Surface Heat Flow, Bioelectromagnetic Storm Energy, and the Human Body.”
She began by talking about how she’d been frail and sickly since childhood, then went on to describe how, after soaking in the hot springs, she felt completely rejuvenated, as though she had become immune to every illness. She enthusiastically praised the extraordinary magnetic field of Hama Valley.
She even cited The I Ching and feng shui theories in proper APA format. Xiang Yu had only asked her to write a positive review, but what she produced was a sprawling, mystical manifesto. If she’d put this much effort into her graduation thesis, none of her professors would ever have had anything to worry about.
How this post would later be repeatedly brought up in almost legendary fashion is another story. But when it was first published a few days earlier, it was almost universally mocked.
Most of the comments were along the lines of, “You got paid for this,” or “This has to be an astroturfing account.” There were a few who didn’t ridicule it, though. Gu Xiaoshuang’s close friends simply asked, “Does your family own this hot spring or something? If we go and mention your name, can we get a discount?”
It irritated Gu Xiaoshuang to no end.
People often become even more stubborn when they’re challenged. Normally calm and detached, Gu Xiaoshuang transformed into the hot spring’s most fanatical supporter. She battled anyone who questioned Hama Valley Hot Springs in the comments section, arguing round after round without backing down.
Then the “Spinning Top King” video went viral.
It was exam season at Xihai University, and students were delighted to discover that the number one trending video on Xyin was a local clip—and that the people in it were relatively familiar faces.
The university forum exploded instantly.
[Isn’t that Xiang Yu from the Biotechnology department?]
[She even did my campus running errands for me before. Her prices were super reasonable.]
[Holy crap, that’s my senior!]
[I even spotted Liu Bo from our Management department.]
[Guys, this is the real Xiang Yu.]
(A pun: “real Xiang Yu” refers both to her name and to the famous warlord Xiang Yu, implying she’s incredibly formidable.)
[Those human traffickers really picked the wrong person to mess with. Sister Yu’s campus running service is legendary—she runs at least twenty kilometers a day. I still remember watching her sprint around the track. She could lap the PE majors by half a lap.]
[This girl’s the real deal. Even my coach—a National Second-Class Athlete coach—kept nodding after watching the video. He tried several times to persuade her to pursue sports professionally.]
[Back then, half the girls in our club had her run the 800-meter test for them. That’s the kind of reputation she has.]
[? She was that blatant about it? The teachers didn’t do anything?]
[Yep. The PE teachers absolutely adored her. Plus, she’s a financially disadvantaged student, so the school kind of turned a blind eye.]
[The students paying someone to run for them were mostly physically weak anyway. If something happened while they were running, it’d be a bigger problem. Better to let a professional do it.]
[Our university may be broke, but its weird brand of humanitarian concern is something else.]
[Forget whether they’re stingy or not—just answer this: do they care about the students?]
[Fair point. Doing odd jobs on campus was also safer than working part-time off campus. Freshman year, I once pulled an all-nighter at an internet café, and when she got off her night shift unloading packages at the courier station, we climbed over the campus wall together. She was up it in one leap, then squatted on top and literally hauled me up by hand… I’m 180 cm tall and weigh 70 kg. Anonymous because I still have some dignity.]
[No matter what, she’s a really pretty girl. You never had even the slightest crush on her?]
[Shameless. In Sister Yu’s eyes, the OP was probably just another small parcel to carry. brushes dust off hands]
[I don’t know why she ended up working at some rural hot spring and even became a little manager, but it seems easier than unloading trucks at a courier depot. I’m genuinely happy for her.]
[No, no, no. She’s clearly on the wrong career path. With her ability, she could grab a belt and go work as a bodyguard at Zhongnanhai.]
(Zhongnanhai is the central leadership compound in Beijing, so this is joking that she’s qualified to be an elite bodyguard.)
[Seriously though, I’ve watched that video seven times already. Even after reading all your explanations, I still can’t believe it. How can someone fight that well…?]
[Are we sure Sister Yu grew up in an orphanage and not at the Shaolin Temple?]
[She made it look way too easy. Sure, the guy with the cane provided good support, but honestly, I feel like even without him she could’ve taken on all eight of them—and then dragged the one still in the van out so she could beat him too.]
[I get what you mean. It’s like entering a boxing match because the referee says your opponent’s name has the character “Tai” in it. You get yourself psyched up, thinking you’re about to test yourself against Mike Tyson (泰森 / Tàisēn)… then the guy who walks into the ring is Ultraman Taro (泰罗/Tàiluó).]
[I get it too. It’s like you go to Hama Valley to kidnap a child, and a girl at the village entrance says her name is Xiang Yu (向榆)… then the fight starts and she turns into Xiang Yu (项羽 the legendary warlord famed for his overwhelming martial prowess).]
[Who’s going to Hama Valley to kidnap kids in the first place?!]
[LMAOOO. Come on, let’s go soak in the hot springs. Let’s support our senior’s workplace.]
On the university forum, quite a few people actually knew Xiang Yu. Compared with the casual jokes and speculation on the wider internet, they dug much deeper into her background. Stories about all the part-time jobs she’d worked to support herself through school became even more legendary after the viral video.
Everyone chatted away excitedly, quickly pushing the thread to the front page with a bright red “hot” tag. They even managed to hit the forum’s post limit and collapse three separate threads. One could easily imagine that ten or twenty years down the line, Xiang Yu would become one of the forum’s legendary Hall of Fame figures.
Like a fine wine, the stories only grew more embellished as people retold them. Even Gu Xiaoshuang’s earlier post about the “geothermal electromagnetic hot springs” was rediscovered and scrutinized. Quotes like “even my skin has loosened up” and “my knees are so smooth now that even flies slip when they land”—obviously exaggerated to begin with—spread even further as they were repeated from person to person.
As the only two people who had actually visited the hot springs—Gu Xiaoshuang and Li Qian—and the two who had gone there literally the day before the huge incident, they suddenly found themselves being treated like customer service representatives by their curious classmates, who had far too much free time.
“Yeah, it’s just over there from campus, maybe a little more than ten kilometers.”
“Yep, it’s across the river. Don’t worry—there’s a ferry, and it’s free.”
“Just check the listing on the group-buying app. They’ve posted the ferry schedule, so you can time your trip.”
“The prices are exactly what’s listed online. No hidden charges.”
“It’s very clean—super clean. You don’t even need to bring your own slippers. Their slippers come sealed in sterile packaging.”
“You have to get one of the packages. The volcanic mud treatment and the eggs are both amazing. The eggs are ridiculously delicious, and the volcanic mud works incredibly well.”
“If you come out about half an hour before the shuttle ferry arrives, you can sit in the lobby and eat the free roasted marshmallows while you wait…”
“Last time I even met a little girl selling peaches. They were so, so sweet, and only cost about as much as a cup of milk tea.”
“Ahhh, I don’t know! I didn’t see the really handsome guy. I was only looking at Senior Xiang! Yes, she’s tall and really pretty. Isn’t she already in the videos?”
“Whether you can come here to become her apprentice? Why don’t you call Senior Xiang and ask? Seriously, what kind of question is that?”
…
Xiang Yu knew nothing about the commotion on campus.
Ever since leaving the police station, her phone hadn’t stopped ringing. Liu Bo messaged her to say that, all of a sudden, groups of people had started arriving one after another.
There were so many cars that they had overflowed into the villagers’ fields, parking along the raised ridges between the farmland. At first he thought troublemakers had shown up, but instead everyone was shouting that they wanted to soak in the hot springs. Some people even dropped off congratulatory banners and left immediately.
The sudden influx had completely exceeded the resort’s capacity.
They couldn’t exactly send people home empty-handed, so everyone waiting for a turn was invited into the lobby, where they were given roasted sweet potatoes and roasted marshmallows to snack on.
Liu Bo sent her a video.
The lobby was packed shoulder to shoulder, as crowded as dumplings boiling in a pot. On opening day, Xiang Yu had thought the enormous lobby looked ridiculously empty and had even joked to Liu Bo that it was extravagant for just a handful of them to occupy such a huge space.
Now, not only was every seat inside filled, but people had spilled outside as well.
That lobby was as big as a football field!
There were even livestreamers filming videos for Xyin.
“Alright, guys, we’ve officially made it to the scene! As you can see, this whole line of people is here to support the boss’s business. Even though the weather isn’t exactly cool today, everyone’s enthusiasm is burning hot!”
“You can see the environment here is fantastic, and the atmosphere is great too. The hot springs are very reasonably priced, and the owners are incredibly genuine. While you’re waiting, they even give you free snacks. Look at these little charcoal grills—they’re really neat. You just roast whatever you want yourself. It’s a really fresh idea.”
Director Ji deserved enormous credit for pulling all of this together with her connections. Standing in the middle of the crowd with a loudspeaker in hand, her face flushed red with excitement, she kept making announcements.
“Friends who’ve come from afar! To ensure everyone has a good experience, we’re temporarily suspending entry to the hot springs. The wait is currently over two hours! We close at seven o’clock, so please keep an eye on the time. Thank you all so much for your support! You can always come back tomorrow—you can come back tomorrow!”
Hardly anyone was listening to what she was saying.
Someone in the crowd lifted the teapot from their little charcoal stove, raised it like a wine glass, and shouted at the top of their lungs,
“All hail the Spinning Top King!!!”
That somehow struck exactly the right chord.
Everyone immediately followed suit, raising their cups and glasses into the air.
“Three cheers for the boss!”
“Eat well! Drink well!”
The camera panned around through the lively scene before finally stopping on Liu Bo himself. He was drenched in sweat, but grinning from ear to ear as he gave the camera a thumbs-up.
“Boss! You’re awesome!”
At this point, there were actually more people outside the hot spring pools than inside them.
But seeing everyone happily gathered around their little charcoal braziers, roasting food and entertaining themselves, each busy in their own way, nobody had the heart to disturb them.
Sure, Xiang Yu’s reputation on the internet had taken a bit of a beating—but she’d gained a longer life in return, the guests got free roasted sweet potatoes, and the villagers gained customers without ever leaving home.
Now that was what you called a win-win-win.
With a satisfied smile, Hama Valley’s proprietor—Xiang “Spinning Top King” Yu—opened the system mailbox in the Hama Green app.
With this much traffic and publicity…
Surely the system was going to give her some kind of reward, right?
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