Chapter 132: The Weight Loss Live Stream (Part Four)

Chapter 132: The Weight Loss Live Stream (Part Four)

This lengthy message was drowned amidst countless other messages expressing shock or fear about the diet pills' adverse effects. Even if someone saw it, the initial reaction was to vehemently reject it in the chat, seemingly not achieving the desired effect that Zhong Dao'an had anticipated.

Moreover, for some reason, this small account was quickly deactivated, possibly as a penalty for the remarks made.

Meanwhile, Li Sheng's performance was nearing its conclusion.

Under the scrutiny of numerous interstellar viewers, she muttered, "I really do feel much stronger now," while "accidentally" crushing a glass cup placed beside her with a slight pinch.

The barrage of comments surged once again.

Ever since the idealization of a skeletal thin appearance, the average person no longer possesses the strength to crush a glass cup.

At this moment, witnessing Li Sheng's squeeze, many found it unbelievable. On the spot, several asserted adamantly that her act was staged, even going as far as to suggest the glass cup was a prop based on the current lighting and surroundings.

Amidst a wave of skepticism, the live stream was abruptly shut down.

Only after ending the broadcast did Li Sheng finally take a long, relieving breath.

She wasn't a professional actress, constantly worrying about revealing her charade during the live session.

"Was that sufficient?"

Li Sheng couldn't help but inquire with Xie Fangcheng.

Currently, only Xie Fangcheng was present in her room, while Professor Zhang was browsing through videos on the Star Network in another room, serving as an internet troll and simultaneously learning about piloting spaceships and mechs.

The weight loss competition livestream was a grand event, with each contestant having their own room. Despite only half of the group remaining, the rooms were still there, unoccupied.

Zhang Daoan simply chose an empty room next door.

Li Sheng's question was something Xie Fangcheng had considered too—how much impact could a single rumor have on the entire situation?

The interstellar audience had been indoctrinated with the "thin is beautiful" ideology since childhood. Attempting to alter beliefs ingrained from a young age with a mere statement seemed like a pipe dream.

Clearly, Zhang Daoan didn't expect to immediately take down the bigwigs behind the weight-loss drug manufacturing with this move.

However, even a dam of a thousand miles may be ruined by an anthill.

His rhetoric was akin to a fine needle piercing an uninflated balloon; although no apparent change occurred upon withdrawal, appearances could be deceptive.

Now, when Li Sheng asked, even though Xie Fangcheng didn't fully understand Zhang Daoan's plan, he responded decisively, "If he says it's good, then it's good."

Before his words faded, the room door swung open and Zhang Daoan entered.

At this moment, even Xie Fangcheng couldn't help but ask, "Is everything set?"

Zhang Daoan nodded, "All set. Let it ferment on its own for a while."

The news of Li Sheng and her group "gaining weight instead of losing it after taking the weight-loss pills" swiftly proliferated to every nook and cranny of the internet. If it were just a single piece of news, it might be dismissed as a rumor, but this was broadcasted live.

Compared to the real-world live streams which maximize beautification techniques, the interstellar era favored authenticity, especially in such weight-loss competitions. Despite some viewers growing tired of the theme, they firmly believed that the live broadcast mirrored reality.

Under these circumstances, the credibility of the videos from the group was extremely high, especially when they visibly gained weight in front of a vast audience during the live stream—something that couldn't be faked by any means.

The Star Network erupted in a frenzy of debates.

Since the onset of the extreme thinness craze, in a bid to better market products and heighten body image anxieties across the starry realm, the Star Network was flooded with soft advertisements for weight-loss products, permeating every platform one laid eyes on.

Weight loss pills had become an essential item for everyone in the interstellar society, with "Lei Shou" being a widely recognized and household brand. One could imagine the uproar triggered by this sudden turn of events, especially in a society where even entertainment channels were brimming with weight loss promotions, causing a massive stir among the interstellar populace.

In the past, many believed that diet pills were entirely harmless, not only aiding in weight loss but also enhancing complexion without any side effects.

This is the first occurrence of such a scandal.

During Wang Dongsheng and his group's live stream, the viewer count wasn't high. Very few witnessed their weight gain firsthand, with just a hundred or two tuning in. The majority watched recorded versions.

Regrettably, the trio seemed unable to accept their new reality of having gained weight, hastily ending the broadcast. At that time, the first wave of viewers were just beginning to react, spreading the word exponentially until it reached hundreds of thousands. Unable to discuss the matter in the now-closed live stream room of Wang Dongsheng and his friends, they flocked to Li Sheng’s live stream instead.

It can be argued that, even though Li Sheng didn't broadcast their weight gain, their longer broadcast duration led viewers to discuss them first, making Li Sheng the hottest topic online rather than the visibly transformed Wang Dongsheng and co.

It is precisely because of this that her statements did not get entirely drowned in the rumors that "taking 'Lei Shou' diet pills will make you gain weight"—although those discussing the “better health and increased strength post-weight gain” are still a minority, these contrarian views are quite eye-catching. Coupled with Zhang Daoan's behind-the-scenes promotions, this “rumor” will soon catch the attention of many more.

As for the other “rumor” he released: extreme thinness can be detrimental to one's health.

The reason Zhang Daoan posted this message before deleting his account was to ensure this message would spread quickly too.

Despite the widespread queries online about the safety of consuming "Lei Shou", it seems the focus is still on weight loss, even though similar rumors have already begun to circulate anew.

"Those who watched the live stream couldn't resist sharing a comment, but now that comment has disappeared, along with the account that posted it. The people behind this are really quick to respond."

"That comment was clearly nonsense designed to attract attention; it deserved to be deleted, right?"

"What nonsense? My friend’s brother’s wife knows someone who works at Di Star, and some people there don't bother with dieting and are perfectly healthy! Rumor has it that the wealthier individuals don't engage in weight loss efforts at all. You guys from other star systems wouldn't understand!"

"Let me share a secret! To my knowledge, these diet pill manufacturers never use their own products. My brother's girlfriend's friend's father-in-law used to work at a diet pill factory and forbade his family from using them, citing instability and high toxicity. This might explain why the average lifespan has reduced from over a hundred years to merely forty or fifty, and it's not just due to environmental pollution."

"Damn... after hearing that, I couldn't resist looking up the life expectancy of these diet pill factory heads. Although I couldn't find videos, I discovered their lifespans are incredibly long! The oldest is from Meilei Company, currently 107 years old but still looks youthful in photos. Could it be true...?"

"I told you this secret is indeed true!"

Of course, the number of people discussing this topic remains very small.

Currently, the term "Mei Shou diet pills" fluctuates on the star network's trending list, clearly indicating a tug of war between different capital forces in the background.

Although the diet pill market is lucrative, the share for each manufacturer has become fixed in this crowded industry. If Lei Shou were to exit, their market share would be up for grabs by others.

Under these circumstances, Lei Shou naturally hopes for this inexplicable storm, which they have no insight into, to pass quickly, while other manufacturers are eager to see Lei Shou declare bankruptcy any moment now.

To the audience, the fluctuating trend list serves as compelling evidence, sparking widespread public knowledge and discussion.

Individuals who rely on diet pills are clearly adherents of the "thin equals beautiful" philosophy and are unwilling to risk the potential weight gain side effect. Currently, the number of refund requests Lei Shou receives far surpasses new orders.

How to solve this problem?

Hiring internet trolls is a known tactic, but given the universal criticism, relying solely on them seems unrealistic now.

Soon, mysterious messages began appearing in the live stream backend for Li Sheng and the other three.

"Hello, concerning the Lei Shou incident, could we perhaps discuss it with you?"

Apart from the newly arrived Jie Fangcheng, every player, including Wang Dongsheng, had an identity card and a smart computer. After ending their broadcast, they gathered in this room. As soon as the smart computer received a message, Li Sheng was the first to vocalize it.

"How should we respond?" asked Li Sheng.

How to respond?

Zhong Dao'an remained silent, simply casting a subtle glance towards the trio of Wang Dongsheng seated nearby.

Since a while ago, the trio had been staring blankly, their fingers subtly moving as if secretly replying to messages.

At this moment, under Zhong Dao'an's gaze, the trio were initially startled, feeling somewhat ashamed as they met his knowing eyes. Ultimately, after exchanging glances with each other, they seemed to find some justification for their actions.

"Ahem... we apologize, boss, but the universal dungeon is about to close soon. We need to return before the entrance closes, otherwise not participating in the universal dungeon would mean walking a path to death. So..."

Although the trio hadn't conferred with each other, they all presented the same terms to the stranger.

—Sure, but we are celebrities now and quite busy. Once we start broadcasting later, gift us ten thousand Meishou points to show your sincerity.

Initially, they thought they were being quite stealthy and were contemplating the excuses they would use to return to their rooms. However, judging by Zhong Dao'an's expression, it seemed he had anticipated this all along.

Hearing their proposal, Zhong Dao'an wasn't surprised.

He didn't utter a word, merely nodding in agreement.

"Okay."

The trio hadn't expected him to agree so readily, and their faces lit up in glee, ready to return to their rooms to initiate the livestreams.

Zhong Dao'an extended a hand, "Items worth a hundred thousand points each."

The three were stunned.

Jie Fangcheng had become quite proficient, positioning himself by the door with a golden greatsword in hand, its blade flickering with the light of the item.

The trio exchanged another glance.

It was evident that Zhong Dao'an had greater plans beyond simply clearing this dungeon. It would be wiser for them to take their leave sooner rather than later.

After rummaging through their bags for a while, they finally handed over the items, hastily exiting the room. Once back in their respective rooms, they quickly initiated their livestreams, unable to stay a moment longer.

The ten thousand Meishou points were promptly credited, and all three received notifications from the system.

After ending the livestream, a flash of white light blinked, and the three players disappeared within the dungeon.

This was beyond everyone's expectations, initially, they had hit a dead-end, but with the arrival of Zhong Dao'an and his companion in less than two hours, the three players had successfully cleared the level.

Furthermore, if Li Sheng and Yi Zennan had employed the same strategy from the beginning, they would have completed the dungeon by now as well.

But with the departure of the three players, Li Sheng didn't harbor thoughts of leaving.

She couldn't help but admire internally that young Zhong was truly a person capable of great deeds, truly worthy of being a university professor.

"How should I respond?" Li Sheng asked.

Zhong Dao'an merely shook his head, stating, "No need to respond to them. Just announce during your afternoon broadcast that the three of them have disappeared."

First, the weight loss pills were ineffective, and then, during the live-streamed competition, the three players who had taken the Lei Shou weight loss pills went missing. One can imagine the immense public scrutiny Lei Shou Company will face once this news is released.

As for the other companies...

"You must have accumulated quite a number of Meishou points by now, haven't you?" Zhong Dao'an queried.

Li Sheng nodded affirmatively.

She was immensely popular a while ago. Even if the majority of the people who came to her livestream were just curious to see the individual who gained weight despite taking the pills or wanted to discuss recent events, with such a vast audience, even a small portion of them donating would amount to more than five thousand Meishou points.

"Exchange them for weight loss pills from Mei Lei Company," Zhong Dao'an suggested.