In the middle of the uproar on Weibo, Master Shen's account suddenly posted a short video. There was no description or explanation—just the video, standing alone.
Countless people clicked on it at once, wanting to see what Shen Qiong had posted.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Yuan Jiancheng, otherwise known as Teacher Yuan."
The revelation sent shock waves through the crowd, and everyone who followed Shen Qiong on Weibo went wild.
The video was short and didn't use much data. Its view count shot up instantly, surpassing one hundred, two hundred, then three hundred.
In just five minutes, it had passed two thousand views. What shocked people most was the video's content.
"Oh my god! Is this really Teacher Yuan? So he means we all got it wrong?"
At that moment, no one was more excited than Shen Qiong's die-hard fans. They had worked tirelessly to defend his reputation, steadfastly believing in Master Shen, and at last their faith had been rewarded.
"Holy shit! Damn it, I was in class, but the second I heard Teacher Yuan was in the video, I ditched class to check Weibo."
"The person above must still be in high school! We browse Weibo in class all the time."
"This is insane! Can someone tell me if that's Teacher Yuan? Was I fucking played? I've been following the trolls and cursing him for so long, and it turns out I got it wrong?"
Many people were furious, especially those who had supported Shen Qiong at first, but were later egged on to doubt Master Shen and join the campaign against him.
"For fuck's sake, I told you to take it easy and think rationally. You didn't have to jump to a bunch of stupid conclusions. Well, this is hilarious, isn't it?" The neutral crowd was enjoying the show.
"So that's what the recording was about. Then I want to know who wrote that article. Was it really Teacher Yuan's wife?"
"I said from the start that Master Shen sounded disappointed in a student who wasn't living up to his potential in that recording. You idiots just wouldn't believe me."
All at once, countless people came out of the woodwork, claiming they'd known the truth all along...
"What a load of crap. I told you that theory didn't hold water. Master Shen's fortune-telling is based on real skill, you brain-dead idiots."
"I've always supported Master Shen, and I was right to do so. The truth is always in the hands of the minority."
Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes: "I'm guilty. I used to stand firmly by Master Shen, but in the end, I was talked into switching sides. I want to smash my head against a block of tofu and die."
"I vaguely remember a fan saying Master Shen was incredible. If he said you'd step in dog shit, you'd step in dog shit the moment you walked out the door. I used to scoff at that, but now I believe it. This disciple bows to Master Shen."
"Get lost, all of you. Where were you back then? Now you're crawling out of the woodwork and acting all high and mighty? When you were cursing him, you all acted like you were kings. Now you want to be his servants?"
"I'm with the person above. Call me Grandpa and I'll forgive you. As for Master Shen, you'll have to call him Great-Grandpa. Maybe he'll forgive you."
"I'm screwed, I'm screwed! I'd booked an appointment with Master Shen, but then I canceled it. I'm done for this time!" Weibo user Li Xiaoer commented.
Countless people immediately replied to Li Xiaoer.
"You're screwed. It was so hard to get an appointment, and you canceled it? You probably won't get another chance to meet Master Shen."
"Holy shit, are you stupid? You'll regret this for the rest of your life."
"You're a lost cause now."
"Enough talk. I need to book an appointment right away, while there aren't many people."
"Holy shit, wait up, person above! I figure that after this, getting an appointment with Master Shen will be even harder."
"Please, someone give me Master Shen's shop address. I'll take a cab there right now."
"Same, I'd like Master Shen's shop address too. Also, can we book online or over the phone?"
"Can I ask something? If I've cursed Master Shen, am I already on his blacklist?" Weibo user Red and White T-shirt commented.
Reply to Red and White T-shirt: "You're screwed too. Even a toe could figure out you don't stand a chance."
Reply to Red and White T-shirt: "You cursed Master Shen and you still have the nerve to book an appointment? Are you asking for trouble?"
Reply to Red and White T-shirt: "Give it a try! But I doubt you'll get anywhere. Master Shen does whatever he wants."
The most common comment by far was: "I've gone from hater to fan!"
"Gone from hater to fan!"
"Gone from hater to fan!"
"Gone from hater to fan!"
Meanwhile, Shen Qiong noticed that his Weibo followers were shooting up. In just two hours, they had surpassed ten thousand, and the number was still climbing.
Shen Qiong tapped a few words into his keyboard and posted them: "I hold grudges."
The comments erupted at once.
"It's over. Master Shen says he holds grudges. I guess I'm doomed. I've lost all hope in life."
"Yeah! Same here. Life feels black and white now."
"I heard people who offend Master Shen never have a good time. Just you wait!" someone joked.
"Ugh, I'm feeling a little dizzy. Is this karma catching up with me?"
"My legs have gone weak. I can't stand up. Master Shen, please forgive me."
Shen Qiong smiled bitterly as he watched the netizens. When you were riding high, they could praise you to the skies. But the moment you got into trouble, they could trample you until you were too ashamed to show your face.
Meanwhile, the old neighbors from West Street came by one after another to congratulate him.
The shopkeeper who had benefited most from Shen Qiong's help was naturally the owner of the grocery store next door. If Shen Qiong changed his appointment rules and stopped requiring photos, the shopkeeper would probably lose two-thirds of his income.
The grocery store owner arrived with a large box of tea and said with a smile, "Master Shen, my great-uncle brought this fine Pu'er tea all the way from Yunnan."
The neighbors knew Shen Qiong liked tea, so they knew they should give him something he'd enjoy. One after another, they came by to bring him tea.
It wasn't just the grocery store owner. The internet café owner came too, along with the fast-food shop owner...
For a while, they all showed off their own ways of making connections. They knew that after this incident, Shen Qiong would become even more famous than before, so naturally they wanted to get on his good side.
"Master Shen, this is some fine tea I brought back from Yunnan too. You have to try it!"
"Master Shen, too much Pu'er isn't good for you. Why not try something different? This is Tieguanyin from Fujian. Give it a try."
Shen Qiong accepted all of it with a smile. There was so much tea that even if he brewed a pot every hour, it would take him a long time to get through it all.
"We'll be counting on you to look after us in the future, Master Shen!"
Shen Qiong smiled. "Don't worry, we're neighbors. My rules won't change much. If you want a better chance of getting an appointment, you'll need to spend more time nearby."
At Shen Qiong's promise, the shop owners' faces immediately lit up. Plenty of customers had come because of him before, and after this, there would surely be even more.
After seeing the neighborhood shop owners off, Shen Qiong finally had a chance to take out his phone. Sure enough, a message had popped up on WeChat.
Congratulations! You leveled up!!! User: Shen Qiong Level: 3 (Initial Glimpse) Increase your Fame and Reputation to level up. Current reputation value: 12107 (Famous Far and Wide) Notice: You can unlock one of the following: 1. Athletic Skill 2. Talent Skill 3. Life Skill Potential
Shen Qiong's eyes lit up, as if he'd discovered a whole new world. He had already unlocked Life Skill, but the potential value was even more enticing. What he could see right now was a person's current ability, whereas the potential value showed what they could achieve through dedicated learning.
If someone had a Cooking Skill value of only 30 but a cooking potential of 80, then with enough effort, he could certainly become a master chef.
Shen Qiong was very conflicted. He currently had two options he was considering, and the second option, Talent Skill, was also very tempting.
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