The clown image was posted, and instantly, people began to notice. Comments were furiously refreshing, with tens of thousands appearing in just a dozen seconds.
The content quickly made it to the trending searches, climbing rapidly in rank all the way to third place.
Countless people flocked to the spectacle.
Ji Xinghuo watched as the number of followers on his account skyrocketed. He should be able to break a hundred million tonight. Almost every new follower would comment under the two posts he made six years apart, increasing their engagement. But those who commented later enjoyed the schadenfreude, laughing at the clowns.
One comment under the image was pushed to the most visible spot.
"Turns out, I am the clown myself."
It was followed by an emoji of a clown with a red nose, which looked ridiculously comical, full of self-mockery.
Many influencers, celebrities, and competing mutants joined in on the fun, each leaving their comments, mostly expressing shock. Even official accounts from companies, clubs, universities, and government agencies become spectators, sharing the clown image one after another.
For a moment, mocking the clown turned into another internet frenzy.
The word "clown" also made it to the trending searches.
Of course, not all comments were so harmonious. Some people who had enjoyed the ridicule were now frantic, cursing wildly in the comments after their defenses were broken.
Ji Xinghuo watched with a smile, thoroughly amused.
The harsher these people cursed, the more losing their composure they seemed. When other amused onlookers replied with a clown emoji, they were left speechless.
A very few used filthy language, their curses extremely vile.
Ji Xinghuo unhesitatingly reported, gathered evidence, and took legal actions against them in one fell swoop, sending them to sit in jail for a few days.
Most, however, expressed well-wishes, as well as envy and jealousy!
Especially Zhao Manying’s male fans, their comments in the comments section were sarcastic, some were so sour that their teeth were nearly falling out, some were so envious they were going crazy, and many shared all kinds of knifing reaction memes. But it was all for show, a vent for their feelings, with not much malice really.
Ji Xinghuo just laughed it off.
The female fans’ thoughts were rather bizarre; they were all curious about their own looks, urging him to post a photo and then rate it, whether or not they were a match for Zhao Manying.
"Only a fool would post a photo."
In the past few days, he had been going out with Zhao Manying and had already experienced the troubles of fame. Zhao Manying had to disguise herself wherever she went, at the very least wearing sunglasses to cover her face, which was very inconvenient.
"The ’Portrait Protection Law’ is such a great piece of legislation!"
Ji Xinghuo was very grateful for this law that protected his privacy online and kept his life undisturbed.
He decided not to grant permission to anyone, nor accept any interviews.
Things were fine as they were now.
Originally, Zhao Manying going public with their relationship would have created a huge public opinion pressure on himself, with many of her fans turning neutral or even against her.
But after the wave of "clown" frenzy, everyone’s attention was diverted, and the atmosphere was filled with laughter and joy, diluting the negative impact of the exposure of his identity.
Ji Xinghuo continued to scroll on his phone, looking for amusement.
He watched as the internet was filled with content related to him, suddenly feeling a strange sensation. With just a casual post, he could sway the emotions of countless people and steer the direction of internet public opinion.
This influence was also a form of power.
It made one feel as if they could command the elements and be high above all, very easy to get intoxicated with, unconsciously letting one’s mindset drift away.
Even Ji Xinghuo, who had always been calm and collected and not easily swayed by external factors since childhood, now felt a change in his mentality, being at the center of the storm of public opinion.
"I can’t look at this any longer."
"I’ll do what I want to do, and I must not be influenced by others!"
Ji Xinghuo logged out of the social platform and put away his phone.
He closed his eyes and stayed motionless for a few seconds. When he opened them again, his eyes had regained their calm, as if everything on the outside was unrelated to him.
Zhao Manying entered the parking lot, now dressed in casual wear. Her long, straight legs were eye-catching as she walked briskly towards him, "So much happened during the opening battle. The club needs to rearrange the events, so it took a bit longer and you’ve had to wait."
"No worries." Ji Xinghuo smiled.
"You’re not mad about me going public with our relationship, are you?" Zhao Manman was a bit apprehensive since she hadn’t discussed it with Ji Xinghuo beforehand, explaining, "During the meeting, the club’s management directly asked me, and I thought, since it couldn’t be kept secret anyway, it might as well be public."
"Why would I be mad? I’m happy." Ji Xinghuo grinned, took out his phone, and flashed the clown image before her.
Zhao Manying couldn’t help but laugh; she had seen it already.
The two were ready to continue enjoying the comments when Ji Xinghuo’s amusement faded. His magnetic field senses detected several people entering the parking lot, a few of them with formidable strength, including some he had seen before, obviously the management of Emperor Star Club and mutant competitors.
Zhao Manying noticed it too and spoke softly, "Let’s get in the car."
Right next to them was an extremely cool super maglev flying car. Its pure black body was bordered with red light strips at the front and back. It had huge wheels, and the hubs glowed like Light Wheel Motorbikes. The rear was equipped with a spoiler, the car’s slender body lines were smooth and aerodynamically sound, and it was extremely aesthetically pleasing. The whole car, like a fierce beast crouched on the ground, had a very impactful visual presence.
This maglev car was from a world-renowned brand, the top-of-the-line, capable of reaching up to 600 kilometers per hour on the Superconductive Highway.