Rong Xianning spent half the day trending on the hot search list. From his outfit to the slightest micro-expression he made during the event, everything was screenshotted, magnified, and analyzed by fans—even a strand of his hair was forced to join the discussion.
That’s the trouble with being too famous.
Among the chaos, a particular hot search topic—#TheGirlPickingUpTheBallForRongXianning—shot to the top of the rankings.
In the clipped video, a girl bent down to pick up a ping-pong ball from the ground. Though her outfit was simple, it couldn’t hide her graceful figure. She wore a white baseball cap, keeping her face obscured, yet her long neck, sharp jawline beneath the brim, and fluid contours made it abundantly clear—she was an undeniable beauty.
The hot search was flooded with people admiring her looks. A new wave of CP (couple pairing) fans for her and Rong Xianning emerged, driven by their matching couple hats and strikingly compatible appearances. People naturally love beauty—it’s almost criminal not to ship this pairing of unparalleled visuals.
Of course, while casual fans rooted for the CP, Rong Xianning’s hardcore loyal fans loathed any attempt to bind him with anyone, especially through CP hype. Big-name fans began leading efforts to clean up the public square, working diligently to minimize the impact on Rong Xianning.
With Rong Xianning’s overwhelming popularity, his hot search stirred millions of curious onlookers. No matter how devoted the loyal fans were, they were stretched thin under the weight of such massive online intrigue.
A large number of casual users became interested in the girl, rallying netizens to dig up information about her. This is the sheer terror of the modern internet.
While Rong Xianning roamed the night markets, Eternal Century’s PR department worked overtime to mitigate the hot search fallout. They balanced contacting marketing accounts to steer public opinion with reaching out to Deep Sea Group to take down the hot search.
"President Fang, Mr. Shan’s phone is unreachable."
Fang Hui frowned: "Then get in touch with his secretary."
"His secretary said Mr. Shan is on a business trip—currently on a plane."
"How convenient," Fang Hui muttered irritably. Previously, with Deep Sea, as long as the money was there, getting on or off the hot search was merely a matter of a word.
But last month, Deep Sea Group underwent sudden personnel shifts. The collaborator they’d often worked with got demoted, replaced by Shan Wei—a man who was impossible to sway, slippery as an eel.
If money could still solve the problem, it wouldn’t be that bad. But Shan Wei? He didn’t even seem interested in money.
Weibo, being the battleground of public opinion, had to remain firmly under control. Fang Hui had tried countless ways, leveraged numerous connections, yet Shan Wei remained elusive. Fortunately, the company had cultivated relationships with marketing accounts in the past, allowing them to manage negative narratives to some extent.
The trouble was today’s hot search involving Rong Xianning. The influx of casual users created CP hype with the mystery girl. If President Ding found out, he would undoubtedly explode with rage. Hence, Fang Hui needed to get this under control before things spiraled further.
Just as Fang Hui was spinning in circles, fearing imminent disaster, the hot search abruptly vanished. All photos and information related to the girl who picked up the ball simply evaporated.
"President Fang, the hot search has been taken down."
Fang Hui refreshed the hot search rankings repeatedly. While Rong Xianning still topped the list, any mention of the mystery girl alongside him had disappeared. Fans had almost unearthed the girl’s personal details, and with Rong Xianning’s prominence, it wouldn’t have been hard for her to become an overnight sensation.
But Mr. Shan couldn’t be reached, and even if he could, he wasn’t the type to intentionally intervene and pull a hot search down.
So, who on earth had removed the hot search keyword?
Fang Hui was completely baffled, without a shred of clarity.
"Did anyone manage to dig up info on the girl online?"
A staff member responded, "A notable web sleuth was just about to uncover her identity, but moments ago, their account got blocked."
Chills coursed through Fang Hui. She immediately contacted the Flying Leopard brand representative.
This girl might be the daughter of some high-ranking executive affiliated with their brand. A typical rich and beautiful woman like her would surely despise being under the spotlight, potentially spending her own money to erase the hot search.
Thinking she’d pieced together the truth, Fang Hui subtly probed the brand’s representative, yet the answers she received were airtight, leaving her utterly clueless.
Ironically, though, it reinforced her belief that the girl carried some powerful background. Since the other party had taken the initiative to scrub the hot search, it spared her considerable trouble.
All returned to a state of calm.
A black sedan cruised steadily amidst the flow of traffic.
"For heaven’s sake, Shan Wei’s notorious for being impossible to deal with—what trick did you use to make him follow orders without question?"
A boisterous voice belonging to Zhao Heng blared from the phone.
Shen You’an held the phone slightly farther away to shield himself from the verbal assault, responding coolly, "I’m a major shareholder of Deep Sea Group. Do you believe that?"
Zhao Heng snorted, "If you’re Deep Sea Group’s major shareholder, then I must be the founder of Tianlu Bank..."
"Wait—hold on, holy crap—"
Shen You’an decisively hung up the call.