Fans created a super topic for him, established primarily by girls from Huaihai University who adored him.
Only they could capture candid shots of Zhou Yi on campus and upload glimpses of his daily life.
Many photos in the super topic album were ones Zhou Yi himself hadn't seen before.
A growing number of people followed his super topic, urging him to open a TikTok account.
At the time, TikTok dominated internet traffic. Many influencers rose to fame through its vast audience base.
Zhou Yi considered opening a TikTok account to attract followers. This would boost his "heart points" faster—and there seemed to be no downside.
As he pondered heart points, he reopened the system panel to review his stats.
He was stunned by what he saw.
Name: Zhou Yi
Level: lv21 (Gold)
Wealth: $90,067,000 (Extremely Wealthy)
Appearance: 100 (Unparalleled Beauty)
Combat Power: 100 (Unstoppable Force)
Intelligence: 200 (Genius-Level Wit)
Reputation: 60 (Moderately Famous)
Attribute Points: 856,650
Mission Progress Panel:
- Xia Qiuzhi Regret Value: 60
- Chu Han Regret Value: 100
- Su Ning Regret Value: 60
- Comeback Progress: 50%
- Heart Points Earned: 456,433
- Admirers: 1 (B-tier Character: Jing Wen)
- Achievements Unlocked: Rising from Defeat
- Skills/Items Acquired: Photographic Memory, Exceptional Recall / Level 1 Medical Skills / Entertainment Star
- Current Ranking: 40,095
- System Store: Unlocked
Zhou Yi was floored by his balance.
Ninety million dollars...
Shaking off his shock, he marveled at the power of the internet.
With just his face, he'd amassed incredible popularity.
Opening a TikTok account seemed like a logical step forward.
Meanwhile, Huaihai TV received calls from entertainment agents seeking Zhou Yi's contact information.
Their goal? To sign him and mold him into a star.
From every angle, this young man showed immense potential.
They needed to act fast.
Ultimately, contacting Zhou Yi fell to Wang Lan, one of the reporters who had added him earlier.
Since she'd been the one to post the initial TikTok update, her superiors deemed her the best fit for the task.
Personally, Wang Lan hoped Zhou Yi—a clean-hearted, kind young man—wouldn't enter the corrupt entertainment industry.
She knew firsthand how toxic it could be; otherwise, she wouldn't have pursued journalism.
But for Zhou Yi, this could be an opportunity. She decided to inform him and let him decide whether to pursue signing with an agency.
That evening, Zhou Yi received Wang Lan's message.
Regarding entering the entertainment world, Zhou Yi gave a measured response: For now, he had no plans to do so.
It wasn't a flat-out rejection—he left room to reconsider in the future.
For now, he simply wanted to create a TikTok account, share some photos, gain a few fans, and earn more heart points.
Becoming a full-fledged celebrity was far more complicated, and he preferred to focus on finishing university first.
Hearing Zhou Yi's decision, Wang Lan felt a sense of inevitability.
Clearly, Zhou Yi wasn't shortsighted. He was rational.
After declining Wang Lan's offer, Zhou Yi immediately registered a TikTok account and posted his first message in the super topic.
However, he did so under the guise of an assistant rather than personally.
His TikTok ID read simply: "Assistant to Zhou Yi."
Certain things, when posted directly by the individual, came across as pretentious—whether selfies or displays of wealth.
Yet these were essential tools for attracting female fans.
Thus, he needed a third party to handle the boasting for him.
Subtle bragging, after all, is the deadliest kind.
If he was going to boast, he might as well commit fully.