Chapter 146: The Blade King
Xie Ran had been closely following Grandma Li’s progress in social media and immediately noticed the critical voices. He quickly instructed the media team to produce a clarification video.
“I did use to collect trash in Pí Village,” Grandma Li admitted candidly in the video.
“To use your young folks’ terms, I got this job through an internal referral from my old friends.”
“Our boss is kind-hearted. She saw that I was good at taking care of stray cats and dogs, so she hired me specifically for that.”
“Someone suggested filming short videos, and the boss thought it was a good idea. She hired a team to shoot them. I’m not some rich old lady, just an ordinary grandma. This villa is simply a place my boss set up for stray animals.”
Grandma Li spoke calmly and smiled warmly at the camera.
Although this clarification stripped her of the “wealthy grandma” aura, it earned her a lot of praise from netizens.
“I’ve seen people pretend to be rich by borrowing money, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone live in a luxury villa and still be so honest about it.”
“The cats and dogs are well cared for, and Grandma Li seems like a kind person. I’m following!”
“You can tell she genuinely loves the animals. She treats them like her own grandchildren!”
“Even though she’s hired, you can immediately tell if someone is truly caring or not. Grandma Li really loves these little ones.”
However, the fact that a villa worth billions was being used to house stray animals stirred up some negative reactions online.
“Even stray dogs get to live in a 3,000-square-meter mansion while I’m stuck in a tiny apartment. I don’t even know who’s the human and who’s the dog anymore.”
“The pets of the rich live better than ordinary people!”
“Who owns this villa? Investigate the source of the funds! Is this corruption?”
Xie Ran didn’t ignore these remarks. He had people clarify that the villa’s owner was a legitimate businesswoman and that the money was clean. However, those who were determined to criticize simply ignored this clarification. Seeing that reasoning with them was pointless, Xie Ran decided not to bother anymore. After all, the money was entirely legal.
At first, Xu Youyou was worried that Grandma Li might feel down after reading the negative comments, but to her surprise, the old lady was completely unfazed.
“If I had the time to argue with them, I’d rather spend it stocking up on more dog food and cat food,” Grandma Li said nonchalantly.
Xu Youyou admired her mindset. After living for so many decades, the old lady had truly figured life out.
As the controversy settled, those who remained as Grandma Li’s followers were loyal ones. Apart from animal lovers, she also gained a rather peculiar and dedicated audience.
“I love watching this, but I also love eating. Do you have a purchase link? Not for me—my pet is 200 months old.”
“This cooking process looks cleaner than most restaurants. If cats and dogs can eat it, humans definitely can too!”
“Put up a purchase link! I want some! Pet food rules!”
Grandma Li was bewildered. She never expected people to compete with cats and dogs for food. She kept explaining that the food was low in oil and salt, and not suitable for humans.
But this only made the food seem more appealing.
“Low oil! Low salt! Healthy! Perfect for dieting! Put up the purchase link already!”
Despite the demand, Grandma Li had no intention of selling pet food. She barely had enough to feed the furry residents at home, let alone sell extra to outsiders.
Many pet product companies reached out for collaborations, but both Grandma Li and Xie Ran were highly selective.
They rejected most pet food brands. Only products like cat beds and dog houses were considered, and only after testing the quality first. This level of caution earned Grandma Li a reputation for credibility, unlike some influencers who rushed to make a quick buck.
Meanwhile, He Zhiting Was Also Gaining Popularity
Unlike Grandma Li, He Zhiting only had a single assistant who handled filming and editing. Despite still being a newcomer, she gained a large following in a short time with the gimmick: “Living on a daily budget of only 100,000 yuan.”
Her followers were straightforward and bold.
“Rich lady, I’m starving! Please feed me!”
“Miss, do you like girls? Soft girls are great to hug too!”
He Zhiting hadn’t expected to gain followers so quickly. She had initially assumed no one would notice her during her early days as an influencer, but her assistant’s videos had drawn a massive audience. While most people were hoping she’d do giveaway contests, her follower count skyrocketed.
Even advertisers started reaching out to her.
“Is making money really this easy? Even though I haven’t accepted any sponsorships, at least I’ve proven to my family that I can make money!” He Zhiting said proudly.
Her first sponsorship offer was from a budget skincare brand. Since she hadn’t officially entered the entertainment industry yet, she was considered more of a social media influencer, so the offer wasn’t high—just 50,000 yuan per video.
If Xie Ran hadn’t stopped her, she would’ve accepted the offer just to prove herself, even though 50,000 yuan wasn’t much compared to her daily expenses.
“Your image is that of a rich heiress. If you want to accept sponsorships, they must be luxury brands. If you start with budget brands, it’ll be hard to change your trajectory later,” Xie Ran advised.
Xu Youyou had entrusted these artists to Xie Ran, so she didn’t interfere too much.
The Search for “Blade King”
Xu Youyou had been in the capital for nearly a month. She originally planned to return to Shanghai in the morning, but when she woke up, her dog, Guai Guai, was missing.
Guai Guai had a tracker, so she saw that he was still within the villa area but in a slightly different spot.
Following the tracker, she found Guai Guai in a corner of the villa district, sitting beside a dirty, skinny black dog.
Xu Youyou’s heart sank. Could it be that Guai Guai was in heat? Had he found a mate? If so, why pick such an unattractive one?
As she got closer, she overheard their conversation and let out a sigh of relief.
“Woof woof! Blade King, you really are amazing! I’ve followed so many leaders, but you’re the only one who makes sure I eat every meal! I don’t want you to leave!” the little black dog whined.
Guai Guai’s face showed a smug expression. “Woof woof! Don’t worry! As long as you listen to me, I’ll make sure you always have meat to eat!”
Recently, they had been watching a TV show called “Blade Warrior” at home. Guai Guai had been completely engrossed in it, and now Xu Youyou was starting to think she should cut off his screen time.
“Guai Guai?” Xu Youyou called out to bring her dog back.
Guai Guai hesitated, clearly embarrassed.
The black dog tilted its head in curiosity. “Blade King, why is that human calling you Guai Guai?”
