Chapter Twenty-One: Steering Clear of Fandom Circles, Dima Tram

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4:00 p.m., Yangcheng.

Lin Xing, Sister Dao, and Xiao Nan had barely set foot outside the airport when they were immediately surrounded by a crowd.

Countless people were holding up their phones, recording Lin Xing.

A true superstar.

Almost all of them were Lin Xing’s fans. They had known his schedule from the fan support group, and since he was coming to Yangcheng for a commercial shoot today, they had gathered early to await his arrival.

With so many people, the fans nearly encircled Lin Xing completely.

It was even more exaggerated than last time at the high-speed rail station.

“Xingxing, this is a gift I made for you, please take a look.”

“Xingxing, I love you, this is a present I bought for you.”

“Xingxing, Xingxing…”

…

At this moment, not only were the fans crowding in, but even the surrounding bystanders drew closer.

After all, everyone enjoys a spectacle.

Many bystanders didn’t even know who Lin Xing was, but they still took out their phones to snap photos, just to be part of the atmosphere.

“Let me say a few words, please?” Lin Xing raised his voice. “Listen to me, everyone take a few steps back. Please be careful and don’t step on each other.”

The fans, hearing Lin Xing speak, immediately aimed their phones at him and obediently stepped back a few paces.

“First, I’m very grateful for your support, but I won’t accept any gifts from anyone,” Lin Xing addressed the crowd of fans. “No matter what it is, I won’t accept it.”

“Xingxing, can’t you just take a look at this one? I spent so long making it…” One girl, holding a gift, tried again—her voice had been the loudest earlier.

“I’ve said it before: if you like me, just come to the airport to see me, but don’t bring gifts,” Lin Xing repeated. “And this is the airport; I hope everyone can maintain some order. Please don’t disrupt things—you wouldn’t want us to end up trending for negative reasons, would you?”

Originally, Lin Xing had planned to stand there and let the fans take a few photos, but he immediately gave up on that idea.

This was an airport, after all.

If things got out of hand, he would be scolded mercilessly.

While some bystanders enjoyed the commotion, most simply found it annoying.

It’s like when fans think promoting their idol in every comment section is a good strategy, but outsiders see it as nothing more than the nuisance of random advertisements plastered all over the neighborhood.

It’s quite off-putting.

Lin Xing had no intention of letting things evolve into a ‘Don’t worry, brother, we’ll fight the whole world for you’ type of fan circle.

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Admittedly, fan circles are useful; otherwise, why would so many celebrities take that route? Even some veteran actors have started to turn to fan circles.

But fan circles are a double-edged sword.

When the fans turn, they can drag their idol down just as quickly.

Lin Xing had already thought about this back at the high-speed rail station, and this airport pick-up only solidified his decision.

Something needed to be done.

“Thank you all, but you should disperse now. Please, everyone go home,” Lin Xing said to the crowd before getting into the car, waving goodbye.

“Xingxing, you’re right not to take the gifts,” Sister Dao said once the car had started moving. “This way, you’re protecting the fans and ourselves.”

Lin Xing replied, “Yes. Sister Dao, have the company issue a notice to disband the support group.”

“What?” Sister Dao’s expression changed. “Xingxing, are you serious? I know you’re easygoing, but the support group helps manage the fans. Now that ‘Farming With the Stars’ is gaining traction, I just checked online—the extra episode today is getting good reviews, and you’re still the standout. We’re bound to get more fans, and this is exactly when we need the support group…”

Lin Xing smiled. “It’s precisely because of that that we should disband it now. Just look at the airport today—fan leaders are already organizing pick-ups. The support group can help us, but sometimes the fan leaders just want to leech off us. They overprotect the idol, brainwash the fans, and stir up conflicts everywhere. Oh, by the way…”

Lin Xing paused. “Didn’t you see the support group for Zhang Feiye fighting with her management a few days ago?”

Sister Dao sighed. “But our support group has always been harmonious. The Big Cat and the rest are really responsible.”

“Yes, that’s only because it’s still small. But what about later?” Lin Xing shook his head slightly. “Let’s part ways while things are still good.”

Sister Dao tried to persuade him. “But Xingxing, you’re nowhere near regaining the top-tier popularity you once had. We still have a long way to go. The support group can at least help us with charts, sales, anti-black campaigns, data boosting…”

“Sister Dao,” Lin Xing interrupted her. “It’s not like I’ve never been at the top before. If I really wanted to be a top star again, why would I have waited till now?”

Well.

Sister Dao fell silent.

Lin Xing was right.

He had been at the top, so he didn’t chase fame for its own sake—just as he wouldn’t work for the sake of working.

“All right, we’ll discuss it further when we get back,” Sister Dao said, deciding the car ride wasn’t the right time. “Let’s go check out the Dima factory first and shoot some videos and photos. They have a professional filming team.”

“Sounds good,” Lin Xing nodded lightly, smiling. “I’m actually curious to see what vehicles they have.”

This was less of a commercial shoot and more of an endorsement deal. At this point, Lin Xing didn’t have any brand endorsements, and luxury brands wouldn’t consider him—those were reserved for the very top stars.

Usually, when it came to endorsements, the companies would do their due diligence—they’d been burned before.

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Take Wu Yao, for example—he lost quite a few endorsements when he fell from grace. Brands would be cautious when selecting a new spokesperson.

A background check on the artist was a given.

Sister Dao had wanted to fight for a few big brands but, to be honest, they weren’t interested in Lin Xing.

To put it bluntly, he wasn’t qualified.

But this time, the brand had come to them—it was Dima Electric Vehicles.

As it happened, Dima Electric’s previous spokesperson’s contract had just expired. The head of their planning department happened to see a video of Lin Xing deftly driving an electric tricycle, and told the marketing team to investigate him.

After a background check, they found that Lin Xing was a perfect fit for Dima.

“Welcome, Teacher Lin, welcome,” greeted General Manager Zhou at the main entrance of Dima’s factory, smiling broadly. “Let me give you a tour of our production facilities…”

“Thank you, sorry for the trouble,” Lin Xing replied politely.

“Haha, not at all. In fact, we’ll be relying on you in the days to come, Teacher Lin,” replied Manager Zhou, leading the way and introducing the company.

Dima Electric Vehicles, he explained, didn’t just produce electric bicycles, motorcycles, and mopeds, but also had a wide range of three-wheeled vehicles for home and industrial use, including cargo tricycles for farm work.

Dima was a leading company in China’s electric vehicle industry.

For two hours, Lin Xing toured the factory, filmed videos, took photos, and posed for pictures with everyone who asked, all the while wearing a gentle smile, never showing a hint of impatience.

He even posed for photos with every staff member who requested one.

He was all about cooperation.

That evening, Dima Electric Vehicles hosted Lin Xing to a high-end dinner at the Blossom Hotel.

“Have a good rest tonight, Teacher Lin. I won’t keep you any longer. Tomorrow, I’ll send a car to pick you up and we’ll shoot some footage at a few of our stores…” Manager Zhou said after dinner before leaving with his team.

Back at the hotel, Lin Xing finally had time to check what was happening online.

Huh?

Lin Xing was surprised by the feedback after the third episode of “Farming With the Stars” aired.

…