His first livestream

The words "Gold Creator Support Program" seemed to hold a magical power, sweeping away all of Wang Xiaoliang's exhaustion from the evening.

He absorbed every point in the course with an almost greedy hunger.

The professional instructors broke down the path to becoming a successful content creator and laid it out before him.

How to define his account's niche, how to build a Personal IP, how to create an engaging "Golden Three Seconds" opening, how to choose popular background music, how to tap into the platform's traffic distribution system...

Every lesson gave him a moment of sudden understanding.

He put the techniques he learned into practice.

He stopped casually filming himself writing and began planning "scripts." He opened with a visually striking piece of finished calligraphy, paired it with popular music timed to the beat, then played the entire writing process in reverse.

He kept his videos strictly under a minute and began modeling his titles on viral videos, making them more eye-catching.

"One brush, one sheet of paper-moments of pure satisfaction for your inner perfectionist."

"They say anyone who watches this video to the end has a peaceful heart."

The results were immediate.

The growth curve for his latest video was steeper than any he had posted before.

Even more exciting, when he reached the chapter on "monetizing traffic," he discovered a new "Creator Incentive" option in his dashboard.

Following the instructor's guidance, he signed up for the platform's official monetization program without hesitation.

The next day, he found his first earnings in his account.

0.01 yuan.

It was only a single cent, but Wang Xiaoliang could already see that number skyrocketing.

It meant so much.

As his video views increased, his inbox began buzzing with private messages.

"Hey, your calligraphy is amazing. Could I pay you to write something for me?"

"Hello, we're XX Stationery. We're very interested in your content and would like to discuss a business collaboration. Could we have a chat?"

"Hi, I'm a talent scout from an MCN agency. We see real potential in you and would like to sign you as an exclusive creator."

All kinds of messages flooded in, each carrying a hint of temptation.

Wang Xiaoliang felt a rush of excitement, but forced himself to stay calm.

He decided to hold off until he understood all the rules.

When the course reached the section on "livestream selling," he encountered a practical problem.

To add product links to his livestream-the "Little Yellow Cart"-he needed a business license for an Individual Business or a company.

He immediately searched online, then worked up the nerve to call the local market regulation bureau for advice.

The answer delighted him.

Getting a license for an Individual Business was very straightforward. He only needed his ID and proof of a business address, and there were almost no fees.

The little room he was renting would do as his business address.

There was no time to waste.

The next day, Wang Xiaoliang took his ID and rental agreement straight to the administrative service center.

The whole process went more smoothly than he could have imagined.

When he accepted the business license from the clerk, its fresh ink still faintly fragrant, a strange sense that he was truly starting a business welled up inside him.

For the business name, he had entered "Youyouzi Personal Studio."

Its business scope mainly covered sales of stationery, handicrafts, and office supplies.

Everything was ready.

Following the tutorial videos, he registered a shop on the platform, uploaded his business license for verification, and carefully created his first product listing.

[Custom handwritten brush calligraphy (not printed)]

Price: 50 yuan per character.

He had considered the price carefully. It was low enough not to scare people away, but still did justice to his materials and effort.

That evening, he started his first livestream.

He did not show his face.

He secured his new phone to the easel, pointing its camera straight down at a sheet of snowy-white Xuan Paper spread across the table.

The livestream had a simple title: "Tell me what you want me to write."

"High Mountains and Flowing Water" played in the background.

When the stream began, the viewer count sat at an awkward "0."

Wang Xiaoliang did not mind. He ground his ink, picked up his brush, and began writing on his own.

He wrote memes and jokes that had recently become popular online. Rendered in his beautiful regular script, they created a strange contrast.

"Something's not right with you."

"Young people have no respect for martial honor."

"You'd better behave yourself."

Gradually, a few viewers began trickling into the livestream.

1.

5.

12.

At last, comments began appearing.

"Hey, this guy's handwriting is pretty good."

"What kind of nonsense is he writing? This is kind of fun."

Delighted, Wang Xiaoliang cleared his throat and spoke into his phone's microphone, sounding a little awkward.

"Welcome to the livestream. Is there anything you'd like me to write? You can put it in the chat."

He repeated this at regular intervals, his brush never stopping.

Whenever he finished a meme, he looked up at the comments.

There were very few responses.

Most people were just there for a look, coming and going.

Just as he began to feel uneasy, a dazzling animation suddenly burst onto the screen.

A huge hot-air balloon slowly rose, its effects filling half the screen.

["Cat Who Loves Fish" sent Lollipop ×1]

Wang Xiaoliang's heart gave a hard thump.

He had watched other livestreams and knew gifts meant money-actual cash. He did not know exactly how much this one was worth, but it gave him a real boost.

He quickly set down his brush and thanked the viewer through the microphone.

"Thank you! Thank you, 'Fish Who Loves Cats,' for the lollipop! Thank you so much!"

The viewer who had tipped him posted a comment.

"Could you write a few words for me?"

"Of course! What would you like?" Wang Xiaoliang replied immediately.

"Hang on. Wait until I say start before you write. I want to record the screen."

"Got it."

A dozen or so seconds later, another comment appeared.

"Okay, you can start. Write: Happy birthday, Zhang Yuxiang."

"Sure."

Wang Xiaoliang settled his mind, loaded his brush with thick ink, and wrote the seven characters across the Xuan Paper in one smooth flow.

His brush swept and turned, every stroke full of strength.

"Wow, you can do that?"

"That's so much classier than sending an electronic greeting card."

The viewers seemed drawn to this novel interaction, and the audience slowly began to grow.

Then another comment popped up.

"Write 'Zhao Xinman is a bastard' for me!"

Wang Xiaoliang froze for a moment.

He immediately remembered the course's warnings about prohibited livestream content. Insults and personal attacks were lines he could not cross. If the system detected them, he could receive a warning at best or have his livestream shut down outright at worst.

"Sorry, my friend, I can't write insults," he explained patiently. "I can only write blessings, encouragement, or other positive messages here."

The viewer seemed to get fired up.

"Write it! I'll send you a rocket!"

A rocket! That was one of the most expensive gifts on the platform.

The chat stirred, and quite a few viewers began egging him on.

But Wang Xiaoliang stood firm.

"I appreciate the thought, buddy, but there's really no need for a rocket. I'll write something else for you for free. Pick something nice, and I'll write it."

His tone was neither meek nor arrogant. He refused the unreasonable request without embarrassing the viewer.

That user went quiet for a while. Perhaps he realized his request had been a little out of line, and Wang Xiaoliang's pleasant attitude helped. Eventually, he posted another comment.

"All right, write something for my parents, then. 'Peace and good health.'"

"You got it."

Wang Xiaoliang readily agreed, switched to a fresh sheet, and carefully wrote the four characters filled with good wishes.

The characters were upright and well balanced, radiating a sense of peace and calm.

"That's really good," the viewer commented. "Can you mail it to my house?"

"Absolutely. Just place an order for four characters in my shop."

The little incident seemed to flip a switch.

The livestream became lively.

"Write 'I love Liu Feifei' for me! I'm going to confess my feelings!"

"Write 'Pass every exam' for me. How about a balloon?"

"I just got dumped. Write 'This love could have become a cherished memory' for me..."

"Could you write 'Ding Yongqiang is a master of romance'? I've already sent a balloon!"

That was clearly a sarcastic way of calling Ding Yongqiang a player.

The requests ran the gamut. Some people sent gifts, others wanted freebies. Some were sincere, while others were just playing pranks.

As long as they did not cross the line into abuse, Wang Xiaoliang accepted them all-even the more politely worded digs-and treated it as calligraphy practice.

The atmosphere grew livelier, and two hours flew by.

Wang Xiaoliang's wrist was beginning to ache, and his throat felt a little dry.

He checked the time and decided to end the stream.

"Thank you all for your support. That's it for today. See you tomorrow at the same time."

After ending the livestream, he let out a long breath and leaned back in his chair. This was no easy job, especially since he had been a little flustered, but his spirits were soaring.

He eagerly opened his dashboard to check the evening's results.

Gift earnings: 164 yuan.

Under the platform's fifty-fifty split, he would receive 87 yuan.

That already exceeded his expectations.

He opened his shop's dashboard.

A bright red number stood out in the order count field.

"20."

A total of 1,000 yuan!

Together, the two sources of income came to 1,087 yuan!

In just two hours, he had earned 1,087 yuan by moving his brush and saying a few words!

An overwhelming wave of joy and disbelief washed over him.

He sprang from his chair and paced back and forth in the cramped room. Finally, he could not help pumping a fist and letting out a muffled cheer.

Wasn't this unbelievably lucky!

He did not let the sudden income go to his head.

Early the next morning, he began carefully working through the orders.

He listed the five customers' requests one by one, then solemnly spread out his Xuan Paper and wrote each piece as though creating a work of art.

After finishing each one, he took a clear photo with his phone and sent it to the corresponding customer for approval.

"Does this look all right to you? Is there anything you're unhappy with?"

Most customers were delighted. Only one, who had requested "A bright future," felt that the final stroke of the character for "bright" was not sweeping enough.

Without a word of protest, Wang Xiaoliang immediately took a fresh sheet and rewrote the piece until the customer was satisfied.

Once everything was finished, he went to a nearby stationery shop and bought rigid cardboard tubes designed for packing calligraphy and paintings, along with protective bubble wrap.

He carefully rolled up each piece, slipped it into a tube, sealed it with tape, and neatly attached a shipping label to the outside.

After checking every address and contact number, he carried the bundle of tubes to the nearest courier drop-off and mailed them one by one.

When it was all done, he felt like a real small-business owner, fulfilled and satisfied.

As he hummed a tune on his way back, his phone chimed with a WeChat notification.

He picked it up and saw a message from the chubby owner of the wholesale shop.

"Kid, got a minute? Come by my shop."

Wang Xiaoliang had already planned to make a special trip in the next couple of days to thank the owner. He had not expected the owner to contact him first.

The chubby owner was, in fact, one of the people he had identified as benefactors.

He immediately replied, "Yes, absolutely! Just give me a moment, boss. I'll be right over!"

Wang Xiaoliang remembered that the chubby owner often enjoyed a drink or two in his shop.

An idea struck him. He turned toward a well-known braised-food shop nearby and bought a portion of pork head meat, along with some braised peanuts and dried tofu.

Then, carrying his purchases, he stopped at a tobacco and liquor shop and bought two glass bottles of the Fenjiu the chubby owner liked.