Chapter 131

The director never imagined that while he was still filming the movie, Wei Sheng had quietly brought his poverty alleviation efforts right into the set—and even attracted a swarm of media outlets eager to come for interviews!

Well, the film hadn’t even premiered yet, and the media was already knocking on their door asking for exclusive interviews. This kind of free publicity was definitely a sweet deal. But the problem was, he had just finished ripping into Xiang Lei so hard the poor kid was questioning his entire existence. He’d finally gotten Xiang Lei’s mindset to align perfectly with the shattered worldview of Nezha. And now these people were lining up to shower him with praise? What the hell was that about?

Wei Sheng hadn’t expected it either. Turns out, the director wasn’t berating Xiang Lei for being an untrained actor with subpar skills—he was trying to break him down mentally, to get him to fully embody a character whose entire belief system had been destroyed and rebuilt from scratch.

Realizing the truth, Wei Sheng silently lit a row of metaphorical candles for the director, because—

“These media folks aren’t a big deal,” he said, “but I heard from President Zhou that the F Province Department of Culture and Tourism wants to invite my junior disciple brother to be the Rural Tourism Image Ambassador for Huazhi Village. The local officials even want to come to the set and talk to him in person.”

The director: “…”

Did I desecrate your ancestors in a past life or something?

Xiang Lei himself hadn’t expected it either. All he did was help his senior brother shoot a short vlog—it hadn’t even been an hour—and now he was trending on social media and being offered an ambassador role. Don’t underestimate a mere village ambassador title—this was an official endorsement!

Normally, these kinds of local tourism ambassador roles only go to celebrities or influencers with serious clout—and a squeaky-clean reputation. Only then would they be granted access to such official resources.

So when Zhou Mingxing got the news, he didn’t hesitate for a second and accepted on Xiang Lei’s behalf.

Other commercial gigs could be declined, but something that boosted both status and official recognition? Even if Xiang Lei had broken his leg, Zhou Mingxing would’ve rented a wheelchair and pushed him there himself!

Xiang Lei was incredibly nervous.

Growing up, he’d always been the village’s cursed child, the harbinger of misfortune. Not only had he “jinxed” his grandparents and parents to death, but he’d also been labeled a burden on his sister. There were countless times when people looked at him with such hatred and disgust, like he was some kind of plague, that he’d thought about ending it all.

But he didn’t dare die. He knew that if he did, the label of “jinx” would be permanently pinned to his sister. After all, if even her little brother died, leaving the whole family wiped out, wouldn’t that make her the queen of bad luck?

He didn’t want to live, but he couldn’t die either. So Xiang Lei just kept his head down and scraped his way from elementary school to middle school. Luckily, thanks to his infamous reputation, while no one at school wanted to be friends with him, no one dared to bully him either—

Back in third grade, a senior student tried to extort him for “protection money” and took his last fifty cents. That very day after school, the guy broke his leg. Ever since then, the school bullies avoided Xiang Lei like the plague, terrified they’d be “cursed” too.

Growing up all alone like that, Xiang Lei often felt like the world had abandoned him.

Thankfully, it wasn’t long before his sister brought him to the city.

Netizens all felt sorry for him. They said it was heartbreaking that someone so young had to drop out of school and work as a mechanic’s apprentice. But what they didn’t know was—Xiang Lei actually loved working at the repair shop.

There, no one knew his past. No one cared about his background. As long as he worked hard and learned the craft from his master, everyone liked him. His master and fellow apprentices even bought him milk tea and skewers from time to time.

Back in the village, no one had ever treated him to milk tea. They were doing him a favor just by not glaring at him.

He thought this kind of life was already heavenly. But who could’ve guessed—his sister signed up for a variety show, and somehow that led to him getting signed by an entertainment company. The kind of debut opportunity that thousands of people would kill for just fell into his lap without him lifting a finger.

As a hardcore introvert with social anxiety, Xiang Lei questioned his life choices daily. He constantly wondered how long he could survive in the entertainment industry. Would someone dig up his past and expose him as a jinx? Would the internet turn on him and force him to quit?

But then again, he had a senior brother who was the ultimate extrovert.

Every time Wei Sheng saw him, he’d shower him with compliments about his looks and personality like they were going out of style. After a while, even Xiang Lei started to wonder—maybe he wasn’t as hopeless as he thought?

“Lei Lei, how could you think you’re useless? Oh my god! You were born for the entertainment industry! Don’t you have a mirror in your room? If I looked like you, I’d do nothing all day but stare at myself and feel like I owned the world!” Wei Sheng poured motivational soup into his junior brother’s soul while also giving him some practical tips—

“When the officials from the F Province Department of Culture and Tourism show up later, if you don’t understand what they’re saying or don’t know how to respond, just smile.”

“Usually, these local tourism ambassador gigs don’t require much. Just cooperate with the government to shoot a promo video, show up at local tourism festivals once a year, and help repost some promotional content on social media when needed. No big deal—you’ve got this!”

Xiang Lei opened his mouth, wanting to say he really didn’t think he had this.

But when he saw the trust in Wei Sheng’s eyes, he chickened out.

Two days later, when the officials from the tourism bureau met the white-robed youth from the viral video in person, they were beyond satisfied!

At first, they were worried. With a face like that and a background in entertainment, he was probably going to be a handful—maybe even make some outrageous demands.

But once they met him, they realized Xiang Lei was incredibly easygoing! No matter what they asked, he nodded and agreed without hesitation. He didn’t even ask about the endorsement fee… Was this kid a little slow?

Looking into Xiang Lei’s pure, innocent eyes—so sincere, like a baby deer—their hearts melted on the spot, and their tone softened instinctively.

“Our department’s promotional budget is a bit limited, so the endorsement fee won’t be much…”

Before the official could even finish speaking, Xiang Lei was already waving his hands. “It’s nothing, really! Just helping out the folks from my hometown. I don’t need to be paid. I’ve got plenty of free time anyway.”

The officials: “???”

Was this kid’s agent completely useless?

He looked so good, had such a pleasant personality, and yet he had no work?

Their expressions grew even more sympathetic.

He was, after all, the tourism ambassador for their province—even if only for a single village for now. Still, maybe during the holidays or for special events, they could find some gigs for this kid?

Meanwhile, Zhou Mingxing had missed the event entirely due to a delayed flight. By the time he arrived, the officials had already left.

Wei Sheng, acting as Xiang Lei’s temporary agent, was positively glowing with pride as he announced, “While you were stuck at the airport, F Province already decided to invite Xiang Lei to perform at this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival Gala!”

Zhou Mingxing: “…”

Great! Another case of “the flower blooming inside the wall smells better outside.” Just like a younger version of Wei Sheng!

Seeing how smug he looked, Zhou Mingxing couldn’t hold back his irritation. “Don’t just keep your eyes on your junior. Take a good look at yourself! You entered the industry later than him, and yet you’re always goofing off. He’s already landed a lead male role, and you’re still playing second fiddle. Aren’t you ashamed?”

“Second fiddle? Please, it’s clearly a dual male lead!” Wei Sheng shot back.

Zhou Mingxing sneered. “Then why is the movie called *Nezha Reborn* and not *Third Prince Reborn*?”

Wei Sheng: “…” Fine! He’d heard middle-aged men were often blindly confident and couldn’t stand being contradicted. He’d better just shut up and eat. Mmm~ The seafood here in Huazhi Village was absolutely delicious!

Thanks to a single livestream, Wei Sheng managed to sell off all of Wu Meiqiong’s blueberries for the year. Wu Meiqiong had originally intended to give him a commission—she’d seen plenty of online influencers who took a cut for helping sell products.

But how could Wei Sheng possibly take her money? She still had two daughters to raise.

Still, seeing how uneasy she looked, Wei Sheng had a sudden idea. He pointed toward the vast tidal flats outside the village—

“We don’t have the sea over in J City, so we rarely get to eat seafood this fresh. If you really want to thank me, how about treating me to a meal? Nothing fancy, just some home-style seafood.”

Wei Sheng had imagined something simple—maybe razor clams with scallion oil, stir-fried clams, braised mixed fish, or some grilled octopus balls.

He hadn’t expected Wu Meiqiong to go all out and prepare a feast. She’d originally planned to invite just him, Xiang Lei, and Xiao Bai, but when she heard that Zhou Mingxing had arrived—and that he was their boss—she invited him to join as well.

Even without a man in the house, Wu Meiqiong was incredibly capable, doing the work of two people. Her home was spotless, inside and out. The square red-lacquered table gleamed, and the dishes covered every inch of it.

There were roe-filled swimming crabs, steamed grouper, salt and pepper shrimp mushrooms, garlic oysters, steamed scallops, plum fish, boiled sea snails, oyster omelets, jellyfish jelly, boiled jumbo prawns, razor clams with scallion oil, and clam steamed egg custard… If every livestream earned him a spread like this, Wei Sheng would gladly become Wu Meiqiong’s exclusive streamer!

He’d only made the offer out of politeness, but to his surprise, the seafood in Huazhi Village really was better than anything he’d had at seafood restaurants in J City.

When it came to seafood, freshness and natural flavor were everything. Too much seasoning only masked the original sweetness and juiciness. Wei Sheng dug in with gusto, eating while placing an order with Wu Meiqiong.

He knew the locals often foraged by the sea, and it was nearly impossible to find seafood this fresh in J City. So he simply transferred her 3,000 yuan and asked her to help him buy a few boxes of local seafood to ship back home for his grandfather and the rest of the family to try.

“Three thousand? That’s way too much. We catch most of it ourselves. Just give me a thousand, and I’ll go to the dock and pick up some shrimp mushrooms, grouper, swimming crabs, that kind of thing. The rest, I’ve already got at home…” Wu Meiqiong waved her hands, trying to return the money.

Wei Sheng quickly stopped her. “Meiqiong-jie, you’d better keep it. My grandma and mom are super warmhearted. If you say you’re giving us seafood for free, trust me—they’ll send you back even more stuff. Way more than three thousand yuan’s worth…”

He wasn’t just saying that.

Grandma Hu had always believed in repaying even the smallest kindness tenfold. Back in the day, when Grandpa Hu was out collecting local specialties, Grandma Hu stayed behind to run the shop. One night, a drunk man tried to harass her, and it was only thanks to a passing taxi driver who stepped in that she was saved.

Ever since then, Grandma Hu had insisted on sending gifts and returning favors year after year. Now, their two families were closer than blood relatives. She even formally recognized the driver as her godbrother, and they visited each other like real kin during every holiday.

After hearing this, Wu Meiqiong couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.

She’d never had much luck with family. Being born a girl, her parents had never really cared for her, let alone the rest of her relatives.

When she got married, there was no father-in-law, her mother-in-law was lukewarm at best, and her husband… it was like he’d tricked her into marriage. Once she gave birth, he abandoned them completely. She couldn’t even imagine that people like Grandma Hu still existed—people so loyal and full of heart.

Everyone in the village said Xiang Lei was better looking than Wei Sheng, but to Wu Meiqiong, she found herself more drawn to Wei Sheng.

Xiang Lei was beautiful, sure, but there was something about him—an unspoken fragility, a deep-seated sensitivity, insecurity, and lack of confidence that seemed etched into his very bones. It was the kind of weight that could crush a person.

Wei Sheng, on the other hand, was like a little sun—bright, warm, and seemingly unfazed by anything. Wu Meiqiong hadn’t had much education, so she couldn’t quite put the feeling into words. She just knew that when she was around Wei Sheng, her heart didn’t feel quite so heavy.

It was more than just “no worries”~ Wei Sheng soon showed them with real action what it meant for the “King of the Hustle” to lift people out of poverty.

Zhou Mingxing wasn’t wrong—*Nezha Reborn* really was more focused on Nezha’s storyline. He could’ve negotiated with the crew to shoot all his scenes first so he could hop to the next gig and earn more money for the company.

But after discovering that Huazhi Village wasn’t the affluent coastal fishing town he’d imagined—that there were still many impoverished families scraping by on clam digging and oyster harvesting—he didn’t want to leave so quickly.

Money was endless, after all. Besides, Wei Sheng had this nagging feeling: the more gigs he took, the more enemies he seemed to make in the industry… Forget it. Let them fight over those resources. He wasn’t about to risk his life chasing money like a fool.

Truth be told, what he enjoyed even more than acting was doing business with the locals.

And just like that, led by Wu Meiqiong, the entire village of Huazhi became his new focus.

Every year, the village’s orchards pruned off loads of branches. Normally, each household would take them home to dry and use as firewood. But Wei Sheng thought that was a waste. He suggested they buy a charcoal-making machine and turn the branches into fruitwood charcoal.

“These days, a lot of people are into health teas. In winter, they love to brew tea by the hearth, roast sweet potatoes or sticky rice cakes… Smokeless charcoal like this sells really well online. If you’re worried, just focus on making the fruitwood charcoal—I’ll figure out how to sell it.”

He already had a huge consumer base for fruitwood charcoal—his fans from the Sunset Red Live Streaming Group, mostly middle-aged and elderly folks who absolutely loved the whole tea-by-the-hearth vibe.

That was just small change, though. Now that the F Province Department of Culture and Tourism had taken notice of Huazhi Village—this yet-to-be-developed little fishing village—and even assigned them a tourism ambassador with built-in popularity, what did that mean?

It meant Huazhi Village’s cultural tourism industry was about to take off!

Just think about those booming coastal villages—tourism alone was enough to support an entire city’s population! From deep-sea fishing to aquaculture investment, running hotels, homestays, farm-to-table restaurants—even local vendors and taxi drivers were making good money.

But tourism isn’t like other industries. You don’t just go viral overnight and immediately start cashing in. To develop a local tourism economy, you have to prepare in advance. For starters, shouldn’t the village clean up its appearance? Build public restrooms and a visitor center?

Once Huazhi Village gained popularity, it wouldn’t just boost offline spending—its online economy could flourish too.

Take the village’s oranges and blueberries. Instead of selling them dirt cheap to fruit vendors, why not open an online store and sell them directly?

Speaking of blueberries, Wei Sheng wasn’t exaggerating when he said Huazhi Village’s blueberries were the best he’d ever tasted! These premium open-air blueberries—at fruit shops in J City, a tiny 100g box could go for over ten yuan, meaning a full kilo could sell for seventy or eighty.

But when fruit vendors came to the village to buy, even fifteen yuan per kilo was considered a good price. During peak harvest season, if they couldn’t sell fast enough, they’d have to let them go for just a few yuan per kilo—or else they’d rot on the ground.

And the village’s oranges—Wei Sheng hadn’t tasted them yet, but he had tried the early-season summer oranges from Sister Meiqiong’s family, and they were amazing. According to her, Huazhi Village’s oranges were even better! With such top-notch quality, if the village didn’t want to sell them, he was tempted to buy them all himself and make a tidy profit through his company’s livestream channel.

If Huazhi Village became a well-known tourist destination, the blueberries and oranges grown there could be partially consumed by visiting tourists. The rest could be sold online. The village could even register its own brand and build brand recognition. That had to be better than letting fruit vendors take them for pennies.

And it wasn’t just fruit—why couldn’t Huazhi Village’s seafood be sold online too? That could be an even more lucrative and sustainable business than blueberries!

When seafood was in season, they could sell fresh fish, shrimp, and crabs online. With today’s advanced logistics, selling seafood online was nothing new.

There were also dried fish, dried shrimp, seaweed, kelp, and all sorts of processed seafood products—all of which could be sold online.

This way, e-commerce could create a wave of new jobs in the village. Logistics, packaging, seafood processing—once a complete supply chain was in place, not only could everyone in the village find work, they might even have to recruit people from outside!

Then there was the village’s food scene, lodging, transportation, sightseeing, and leisure activities… All these supporting facilities needed to be ready. Once the right opportunity came, they could ride the wave and soar to new heights!

(End of chapter)