"To increase randomness, you could offer a 'random shipment' option on e-commerce platforms. But there's no need to call it a blind box," Su Shangbai said. "Most blind boxes—what I mean is the overwhelming majority on the market today—are just modernized gambling. Whether or not national policies intervene, businesses still need to consider their societal role and take responsibility."
During the years 2019 to 2021 on Earth, blind boxes exploded in popularity. They were even dubbed one of the three inevitable fates of the universe, alongside civil service exams and live commerce.
Chu Zhi understood the commercial landscape well.
At its peak, the first publicly listed blind box company, Pop Mart, reached a market valuation of over 150 billion HKD, equivalent to five Weibo platforms.
But the reckless expansion in 2022 triggered a clampdown. Regulations were introduced across regions, and the kind of government oversight Su Shangbai mentioned certainly played a role.
That said, riding this trend could help boost Dabai Gummies to the next level. According to the A-round valuation from CITIC investment, the company was currently worth over 3 billion. Catching this wave might push it past the 10 billion mark. Both CITIC and Alibaba were eager to see the brand rise with the tide.
"What other companies do isn't under my jurisdiction, but our customer base is people born in the '90s and 2000s. I don't want to give them the impression that everything needs to be turned into a blind box," Su Shangbai said. "What do you think, brother Jiu?"
The instincts of a businessman made Chu Zhi naturally inclined to ride the wind. But now, he was a celebrity. A few extra billion in valuation would only net him a few hundred million from his 15 percent stake.
That wasn't much. Not for someone like Chu Zhi. With his current influence, he could earn that in half a year.
Was it worth risking his reputation over that? His image was the foundation of his career. And his portrayal of the Emperor Beast demanded integrity.
"I support Da Bai's view. Some lines need to be drawn, and companies must hold that line," said Chu Zhi.
Su Shangbai's mood visibly improved. "Some lines must be held. Well said, brother Jiu."
Although Su Shangbai had absolute control of Da Bai Gummies, and Chu Zhi's stance wouldn't alter the company's final direction, today's coffee meeting had been about gaining his support.
For the next half hour, Su Shangbai gave a concise overview of the company's development plans, covering marketing and expansion strategies.
By 4 PM, Chu Zhi got up to leave. He had already called ahead to Brother Qiu, and the nanny vans were ready. The vehicle sped toward the airport.
Su Shangbai stayed behind, gathered the papers he had been scribbling on, and paid the bill.
"Brother Jiu lives up to the name. So much better than those short-sighted fools," Su Shangbai murmured to himself.
At that moment, he quietly decided there was no need to offer further support to other singers.
Su Shangbai was a paradox. On one hand, his decision to forgo easy profits in favor of sticking to his principles made him seem like a lawful good type.
But on the other hand, he had crushed Thailand's sugar industry, directly or indirectly displacing 400,000 people and triggering the worst unemployment crisis since 1997.
That sort of move was pure chaotic evil.
He was a complicated man. He felt heartache seeing people lose their livelihoods, but when it came to carving up Thailand's sugar market, he struck the hardest blow.
Pudong Airport. Chu Zhi's flight was with Singapore Airlines. It was nearly rush hour, but Brother Qiu knew all the back routes and avoided any traffic.
"Boss, these past couple days, I really couldn't help it. My…" Brother Qiu looked apologetic as he spoke in the parking lot.
"No need to be so formal, Brother Qiu. Your wife's in the hospital," Chu Zhi said. "I'm waiting for that full moon banquet. Take good care of her."
"If you need the car, use it. No need to hold back," Chu Zhi added.
"Mm!" Brother Qiu nodded firmly. With a boss like this, how could he ever betray him? Paparazzi had offered him money for Chu Zhi's whereabouts, and he had refused them flat-out.
Brother Qiu's wife was pregnant with their third child. At 37, she was a high-risk mother, requiring more care than usual. Chu Zhi had given him time off, telling him not to come along to Singapore.
There was a Japanese manga titled First Birth at Seventy, later adapted into a drama. But in real life, pregnancies after thirty-five were prone to complications.
After security and boarding, of course Chu Zhi was in first class. Travel expenses, hotels, and even Singapore's MRT would be reimbursed.
The in-flight meal options on Singapore Airlines were impressive: bak kut teh, fishball kway teow, nyonya laksa, satay lamb… Chu Zhi sampled a bit of everything.
He paired the fragrant chicken with satay lamb. For mains, he casually ordered seven varieties—minced pork noodles, nyonya soup noodles, radish cakes—each one a full serving.
Even the two flight attendants were stunned.
"Is that guy in first class a Chinese celebrity?" asked the tall stewardess, not quite sure.
The shorter one lit up. "Of course! He's a national treasure-level singer from China. Super famous. Don't you remember when fans rented out our whole airline for his ads?"
"Oh right!" The taller one remembered. The entire plane had been covered in his posters back then.
"Do you think we can ask for an autograph later?" the shorter one whispered excitedly. She was a face-fan. She hadn't heard many of his songs, but his looks had instantly converted her from a die-hard K-pop fan.
They whispered in Malay. In Singapore, it was common to call someone a national treasure, just like South Korea liked using national sweetheart.
The flight from Shanghai to Singapore took about six hours. After finishing his meal around six, Chu Zhi popped a "dead pig miracle pill" and drifted off.
He had no idea what awaited him in Singapore.
The Little Fruits there were already thrilled. They had organized an over-the-top welcome ceremony.
How did they even know about their idol's itinerary?
That story began with the wife and daughter of the chairman of Singapore's MRT. The wife was the vice president of Chu Zhi's Singapore fan club. The daughter was the secretary-general.
Someone might ask, If the MRT chairman's wife is only the vice president, then who's the president?
That would be the eldest daughter of the Ge family, the hidden power behind Singapore's largest multinational, Keppel Corp. These ladies were determined to give their idol an unforgettable surprise.
Chu Zhi knew none of this. The Emperor Beast was still asleep on the plane, snoring softly.
Flight attendants passing by couldn't help but glance at him more than once, especially the Little Fruits among them. If a passenger pressed the call button, they eagerly rushed over, just to sneak another look.
"Sleeping Jiu-yé… was too good-looking."
Even Wang Yuan, who was flying with him, didn't say anything. She was staring too. His side profile and front view were equally flawless.
Stars twinkled outside that night, but above the clouds, none could be seen. The higher they flew, the less beauty there was to behold.
Time and clouds slipped by. Hours passed quietly...
At 8 PM, Mango TV aired episode two of Yearning for Life 4. By 7:30, fans and Little Fruits were already buzzing with anticipation.
"We're here, reporting in!"
"Last episode drained my tears dry. Hope this one is more relaxing."
"Jiu-yé, please get some proper rest."
"I heard Uncle Meng and Xiao Dong are guesting this week!"
"Mushroom House, take good care of Xiao Jiu!"
Comments flooded in.
After the impact of the premiere, this second episode had been hotly awaited.
Among the audience was Wu Xi. He had set up the projector, closed the windows, turned off the lights, and gathered his wife and son to watch the show together.
"Come on, it's starting!"
His wife, Xun Na, used to be a drummer in a band. Everyone knew how cool girl drummers were. Wu Xi had pursued her for ages before she finally said yes.
"You're really no different from those star-chasing fans online. Weren't you writing a song just now? Why are you out here?" Xun Na asked, exasperated. She wasn't sure whether Chu Zhi had bewitched her husband or something.
"I set an alarm. It rang, so here I am," Wu Xi replied, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Then he turned to his son, who was still dawdling, and snapped, "What are you waiting for? Get over here."
His son was Wu Dong, nicknamed Winter Melon. But with his lanky frame, he looked more like a cucumber. He was nineteen this year.
"Move, move, move," Wu Xi ordered. With that, the family of three settled down to watch Back to the Countryside 4 together.
Xun Na was speechless. In the past, nothing could interrupt her husband when he was composing—not even her in black stockings. But now? He was changing for another man? She wasn't exactly thrilled.
Wu Dong wasn't a fan of Chu Zhi either. Lately, his dad's favorite line was, "You should learn from your Uncle Chu. He never went to college, but his reading and knowledge far surpass most people."
The show opened with Lan Wuyi leading Xiao Mei and Min Jeongbae on an early morning jog.
So long as Min Jeongbae was around, laughter never ran dry. Even a light morning jog could make Xun Na chuckle.
Later that day, Chu Zhi showed up, arriving at the Mushroom House on a three-wheeled scooter.
Slow-paced reality shows weren't everyone's cup of tea. Xun Na found it decent enough, but Wu Dong was clearly uninterested. He preferred competition-style shows, so the first ten minutes left him completely disengaged.
The only thing that caught Wu Dong's attention was something Chu Zhi said.
"Being a celebrity... I think it's just a job. The real spotlight should be on stage or in film and television. It doesn't belong in front of the general public."
Whether or not it was just a nice-sounding line, it struck Wu Dong as surprisingly thoughtful."This guy talks smooth," Wu Dong thought, a little caught off guard.
Why did he call Chu Zhi "that cocky guy"? Simple. Anyone better-looking than him automatically earned that label.
The first night Zhang Xiaodong and Li Cheng joined them at the Mushroom House, their late-night chat wasn't particularly interesting. But to Xun Na, the industry gossip was surprisingly juicy.
"I heard a rumor about Li Cheng cheating. Is that true?" she asked casually.
"Not sure. No smoke without fire, but it's probably false," Wu Xi replied.
"Wait, that's how the phrase is supposed to be used?" Wu Dong nearly rolled his eyes.
Then came the second day at the Mushroom House. They worked during the day, relaxed in the afternoon, and watched the sunset together.
"What a beautiful sunset. It's been so long since I've seen a sunrise or sunset," Xun Na said, remembering the time she and Wu Xi had watched a sunrise together.
"What's the point of this staged leisure?" Wu Dong didn't get it.
Kun Yun had been planning a surprise for Chu Zhi. His tribute song "Chinese People" had won an excellence award, and Chu Zhi performed it again on the show.
"This singer can write anything," Xun Na remarked.
Not many young artists were writing tribute songs these days.
"Of course. My bro can handle any genre," Wu Xi said proudly.
"Why so smug? You didn't write the song," Wu Dong muttered in his head.
While the three chatted, the bomb of the second episode dropped — the "Mushroom Capsule" segment. Chu Zhi had written:
[I hope to eat my mother's cooking one more time.]
Was he about to go for a sob story? Wu Dong, a seasoned variety show viewer, was already suspicious.
His father had died in a fire rescue. His mother, a police officer, had been targeted and killed by a criminal syndicate. Both parents were martyrs...
"Wait, wait, wait…" Wu Xi was visibly shaken.
"What's wrong?" His wife and son were already stunned, but they didn't understand why Wu Xi was reacting so strongly.
"You guys seriously don't know?" Wu Xi stared at them, incredulous. "My bro was once slandered so badly by capital interests that he was nearly driven to suicide. But if both of his parents were martyrs… how could that happen?!"
Wu Dong, shocked, asked, "Dad, were there no reports before that Chu... uncle's parents were martyrs?"
"None. Absolutely none," Wu Xi answered firmly.
Ever since he started thinking of Chu Zhi as his half-brother from another mother, Wu Xi had caught up on all the related news.
Strange, wasn't it? With that kind of family background, he should've been untouchable in the entertainment industry. Why hide it? Wu Dong couldn't wrap his head around it.
"I saw a lot of clips and news of him helping others," Xun Na suddenly said. "He clearly cares more about others. If his parents were martyrs, and the whole internet turned on him back then, there's no way he'd mention it. He wouldn't want people to drag his parents into it."
Wu Xi thought it over. He wasn't online much, but even he had seen the smear campaigns. It must've been massive. In a case like that, even the deceased could've been insulted.
His parents had died when he was ten and eleven. During the conversation, Chu Zhi also mentioned that his grandfather, who raised him afterward, passed away two years ago — right around the time of the full-scale online attacks.
"Two years ago, when my grandpa died, I couldn't accept it. I kept denying it happened. I had worked so hard to become a star, to earn more money, so I could give him a better life. But… that became my lifelong regret."
Wow. Wu Dong had expected some sob story, but this... this was devastating.
He wasn't into celebrity culture. He followed football, not showbiz. But even he had seen plenty of Chu Zhi clips on Douyin. The guy was just that famous.
But no matter how many times he watched, he never would've guessed that Chu Zhi had only one page on his household registration booklet — meaning no living family members.
"Chu uncle always seemed so cheerful," Wu Dong murmured.
"He still is," Xun Na said, watching the projection. Chu Zhi stood quietly, saying nothing, a faint smile on his lips. But the smile never reached his eyes. It looked more like a habit than an emotion.
"No matter how the world treats Chu Zhi, he only ever responds with a gentle smile," Xun Na whispered. "What he gives the world is peace and beauty. The pain, the exhaustion, the ugliness — he keeps all that to himself."
The first episode of Back to the Countryside ran for nearly two hours. This second episode had only aired a bit over one hour. There were still more than forty minutes left, but none of it mattered anymore.
The Little Fruits fandom exploded like a barrel of oil ignited and tossed into a pile of dry wood — then buried under seven or eight tons of TNT. There was no stopping the blast.
Even regular viewers like Xun Na and Wu Dong were deeply moved.
"Why does Jiu-yé have to carry so much?"
"Wuwuwu... I'm so sorry, Jiu-yé. I had no idea."
"No wonder Jiu-yé wrote a song for firefighters. It was because of his parents. My heart hurts. He lost both parents at eleven?"
"He's lived through hell and still came out so gentle?"
Wu Xi couldn't help but pull out his phone and check the comment barrage. It didn't show up on the projector, but his screen was completely filled with comments.
If episode one caused a slow-burn explosion, then episode two ignited the entire internet mid-broadcast. Little Fruits everywhere were gutted by the emotional blow.
Ban Ke had also tuned in right on schedule. When Chu Zhi spoke about his deepest regret, her heart pounded like a wildcat trapped in her chest. She knew this wasn't heartbreak. This was heart palpitations.
After being saved and cared for by Chu Zhi in episode one, Ban Ke had already become half a Little Fruit. The more she learned about him, the more she liked him. Now, she was a hardcore fan.
Barely managing to finish the second episode, Ban Ke sipped some warm water.
"I need something to distract me," she whispered, trying to stabilize her emotions. In a bid to protect her sanity, she opened Bilibili and happened to see a new video from [Teacher Xu of Tomorrow's Blossoms].
Teacher Xu was a famous Little Fruit in the Orange Grove. Known for his editing skills, he regularly posted striking short clips of Chu Zhi across platforms and had over 500,000 followers on Bilibili.
Many Little Fruits like Ban Ke, devastated by the second episode, flocked to see some eye candy to soothe their wounded hearts. But they'd just escaped the tiger's den, only to fall into the wolf's lair.
The video had been posted twenty minutes ago. The title seemed plain:"I Discovered One of Jiu-yé's Secrets."
But the content...
It was a collection of interview clips.
At 16, a trainee at Dahua Entertainment, his personal VCR said:
"When I make money, I'm buying Grandpa the best cane. I won't let other old men have something my grandpa doesn't!"
At 17, after his first televised performance at Dahua:
"Grandpa, did you see? I'm on TV! Hello, hello!"
At 17, in a Weibo video:
"Today is Old Old Chu's birthday. Happy birthday! I'm Little Chu. My dad is Old Chu. Grandpa is Old Old Chu — no mistakes here."
At 21, before entering :
"My dream is to earn more money and make Grandpa proud."
At 21, winning Future's Star:
"Thank you to the fans, and thank you to the most important person in my life."
At 21, winning the Most Influential Artist award at Weibo Night:
"Thanks to my agent, Sister Feng. Thanks to the Little Fruits for voting. I couldn't have done it without you. And finally, thanks to my family."
The clips ended. For the first time, Teacher Xu appeared on camera. He faced the lens and said:
"We can see that before 2019, in every major moment, Xiao Jiu always mentioned his grandpa first.
That's only natural. From the age of eleven, he grew up with his grandfather. Of course they were close. Thinking of him first — that's normal."
Nobody had expected the famed Little Fruit editor [Teacher Xu of Tomorrow's Blossoms] to be a man, given how his clips evoked such a sweet, girlish vibe.
"But after June 2019, Xiao Jiu never mentioned his grandfather's name again. I believe he didn't dare to. He was too afraid…
I've said before — Xiao Jiu may look cheerful, but inside, he's full of wounds. Back then, some fans told me I was overthinking. They said, 'Can't someone with depression still smile?'
Yes, depression allows for moments of joy. But Xiao Jiu... he's not happy."
He adjusted his glasses, and only then did the audience notice his red, tear-stained eyes. Clearly, he'd cried before recording.
"When someone can't even mention the most important person in their life, how deep must that pain go? Every smile you see — he wears that for us, so we don't worry."
The video ended with no call to action. No "like, comment, or subscribe." The uploader was clearly not in a good place either.
Well damn. Ban Ke had come looking for comfort — and instead, took another emotional axe to the chest. Eyes swimming with tears, she had no way to prepare for that hit.
All of Bilibili, Weibo, Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and every major platform shook with the impact.