Sweeping Through Thousands

After the match, the referee awarded Gao Wu two medals: Best of the Match and Sweeping Through Thousands.

The Best of the Match medal meant a league bonus of one thousand yuan. Sweeping Through Thousands represented defeating five opponents alone, all by Termination, and came with a special bonus of ten thousand yuan.

These were bonuses stipulated by the league, granted directly to the competitors by the league organizing committee. The referee confirmed them on the spot, with electronic receipts and other procedures. Everything was very official.

After such a major victory, the school would also give the competitor some material rewards. The specifics varied from person to person.

Gao Wu was holding the two medals and grinning happily at the camera when the tall Bai Xiang came charging over.

Gao Wu was in a fine mood and took the initiative to greet him with a smile. "Hey, Bai. Your injuries aren't too serious, are they?"

"You don't deserve to win."

Bai Xiang's eyes had never been large, and his swollen eyelids reduced them to narrow slits. Two white splints were taped across his nose bridge, making him look rather bedraggled.

Yet a ferocious gleam shone in his eyes, and his savage aura completely overshadowed his own sorry appearance.

"Oh?" Gao Wu was not angry. He asked with a sincere expression, "Why not?"

Bai Xiang pointed at Gao Wu's nose and shouted, "Martial arts are the way of life-and-death combat. You have no reverence for the martial path, no unwavering dedication. Losing to you is truly my disgrace."

He said with utter seriousness, "The next time we meet, I will defeat you!"

Without waiting for Gao Wu to respond, Bai Xiang turned and left.

Gao Wu waved at Bai Xiang's tall retreating back and called out, "Bai, make sure you get stronger! I look forward to crossing hands with you again..."

Bai Xiang's steps paused for a moment, but he did not stop. Instead, he quickened his pace and left swiftly.

"That guy is really vicious!" Shen Yue sidled over from nearby. Staring at Bai Xiang's departing figure, he muttered quietly, afraid the other man might hear him.

"Bai Xiang may be so brutal that he stops at nothing, but his dedication to martial arts and victory is rare. He's far better than plenty of riffraff."

After offering that assessment, Gao Wu added casually, "His talent is limited. He won't be able to go far down the martial path, so there's no need to care about him."

Shen Yue was a little surprised. Gao Wu's victory in this match had been somewhat lucky, yet he had not expected him to dismiss Bai Xiang so completely.

Shen Yue had not even qualified as a low-level Martial Artist, and he did not have the nerve to discuss martial arts with Gao Wu.

Changing the subject, Shen Yue said, "Your comeback against the odds today was incredibly exciting. If we turn it into a video, it'll attract another wave of traffic."

"I've got a new idea about that. Let's talk in the dorm later."

Seeing Coach Huang Hai approaching, Gao Wu told Shen Yue to wait for him in the dorm first.

Short videos could earn both merit and money; there was great potential there. He needed to treat the matter carefully, and there were some things he needed to make clear to Shen Yue.

"You performed so well today largely thanks to the Blood Dragon Agent."

Huang Hai was very direct. "At seventeen or eighteen, the body is in its final stage of development. Using the Blood Dragon Agent now produces the best effects with the fewest side effects. You have considerable talent in martial arts, but you lack explosive power and your speed is slow. Injecting the Blood Dragon Agent can greatly compensate for your weaknesses..."

"Thank you, Coach, but my family's circumstances are poor. I really don't have the money to buy Blood Dragon Agent." Gao Wu wore a troubled expression.

Huang Hai frowned slightly. "This concerns your future prospects. If you invest now, you may even have a chance of becoming a Warrior!"

No matter what Huang Hai said, Gao Wu simply shook his head.

Since he was not paying, Gao Wu's experience told him that Huang Hai, being so attentive toward him, would give it to him for free even if he did not buy it.

Imitation agents were widespread in the Middle School League. Even if he could not get Huang Hai's Blood Dragon Agent, he could buy some himself.

"As a coach, I can't stand by and watch you waste your aptitude and talent. Consider these nine doses of Blood Dragon Agent my sponsorship."

Huang Hai had never wanted Gao Wu's little bit of money. It was simply that giving him medicine for no reason would seem overly attentive, and Gao Wu was a smart person.

Giving Gao Wu the Blood Dragon Agent in this way felt much more natural.

The moment Gao Wu received the Blood Dragon Agent, he revealed two rows of neat white teeth and beamed brilliantly. "Coach, how could I possibly accept this?"

That was what he said, but he clutched the bag of injection agents tightly.

Once something entered his hands, there was no way he would return it.

He would not take things for nothing, either. He showered Huang Hai with a basketful of flattering words that cost nothing. Huang Hai grew tired of listening and, after giving a few instructions, left first.

As soon as Huang Hai left, a group of students who had been gathered nearby crowded over. Some wanted autographs, some wanted photos, and there were even several lively young girls among them.

Gao Wu showed enormous patience toward these fans, fulfilling their requests one by one.

After all, they were fellow students from the same school. He could not chill their hearts.

By the time Gao Wu returned to the dorm, it was already past five.

The moment Shen Yue saw Gao Wu, his face lit up with delight. "I just checked. Out of the sixteen matches, yours had the highest viewership. This battle has made you famous.

"I filmed your fight, along with some footage off the field. With some editing, it should turn out well. Most importantly, it can tie in with the video of you saving someone. It'll definitely have a great effect..."

"My good friend, there's something I want to discuss with you."

Gao Wu's smile vanished as he said seriously, "I want to create a personal short-video account to spread positive energy and fill the world with love and justice."

Though he and Shen Yue were close, the short-video account involved his acquisition of merit. It was a matter of great importance.

Even brothers had to settle accounts clearly.

If they built things up using Shen Yue's account, trouble might arise later. Even if Shen Yue had no issue with it, there was no guarantee his family would not have their own thoughts.

"Oh." Shen Yue roughly understood what Gao Wu meant, and he could not help feeling a little disappointed. Gao Wu clearly did not trust him...

"I want to make a personal account, so using yours isn't appropriate. I have other plans for that account."

Gao Wu did not comfort Shen Yue. They were both eighteen, both adults. It was time to learn to face the real world.

He said, "Help me film the videos and handle the editing, uploading, operations, and so on. We can split the proceeds seventy-thirty. What do you think?"

Shen Yue's eyes immediately lit up at the seventy-thirty split. It was not that he cared so much about the income, but he felt that Gao Wu was being very sincere and treating him like a true friend.

He said somewhat embarrassedly, "How could I accept that?"

"Seventy-thirty it is. The account copyright belongs to me, and my personal image and everything else belong to me as well..."

Gao Wu immediately took out two sheets of paper and wrote up a simple contract, setting out the earnings, rights, and responsibilities of both sides. Shen Yue did not even read it before signing his name, then smeared ink on his finger and left a fingerprint.

After signing the contract, Gao Wu was also very pleased. This was mainly to guard against accidents.

With memories from his past life, he knew all too well how formidable profit could be. No matter how good the friendship or how solid the relationship, it could not withstand a single blow before profit.

"I have a preliminary plan: we'll make a series of videos built around my personal image. For now, we'll call it the Hot-Blooded Youth series..."

Gao Wu briefly explained his plan. Drawing on his short-video experience from his previous life, he spoke with impressive fluency.

"The essence of short videos is that they must be short. The visuals and sound need impact, but the information density must stay low. There should be changes, but they must be simple and easy to understand. I suggest switching shots every two seconds and putting the most impactful element right at the beginning.

"According to research, seventy percent of users decide whether to stay within the first three seconds of a video.

"Take today's fight. In the first two seconds, show Bai Xiang's brutality. In the next two, show me struggling fiercely against Bai Xiang. Then spend two seconds showing my counterattack, paired with copy like 'Hot-Blooded Youth: A Desperate Comeback.'

"That opening section is like a movie trailer. The video should not exceed twenty seconds. At the end, add those lines from Hot-Blooded Youth. That will also become the signature of the series..."

Shen Yue was completely dumbfounded. User psychology, the underlying social mechanisms of short videos, the secret code of traffic distribution—he had worked on short videos for two years, yet he knew nothing about any of it.

He looked at Gao Wu with a face full of worship. "Truly, one talk with you is worth ten years of reading! Big brother, accept this little brother's bow. No, wait—godfather, accept my bow!"

Gao Wu reached out and helped up Shen Yue, who was making as if to bow. Smiling, he said, "Father and son united in heart can cut through gold."

"Damn, you really don't stand on ceremony..." Shen Yue cursed with a laugh.