VHBF – Chapter 57 Movie King Daddy (Part 16)

The official Weibo account of Fruit Channel had previously announced that on the 18th of this month, the show would officially premiere on Banana Video’s website. Now that the editing was complete and the finished version submitted, there were only two days left until the scheduled broadcast.

By Saturday evening, a large number of netizens were already camping on Fruit Channel’s Weibo, waiting for the official account to drop the link.

Fruit Channel was an old, established variety channel, its ratings always among the nation’s top—if not first, then definitely in the top few. With a solid base of loyal viewers, its audience was massive.

Even setting aside its long-term viewers, just the fact that two variety shows were going head-to-head, with the audience deciding which one would survive and become Fruit Channel’s fixed Saturday night two-hour primetime slot, was enough of a gimmick to draw countless people in.

After all, people loved joining in on the fun. Just imagine—if the program you supported eventually became a permanent show on Fruit Channel, wouldn’t it feel great to brag while watching it later? “Back then, whether this show aired or not was up to me casting that vote!”

What’s more, the guests invited to these two shows also attracted hordes of fans.

The romance reality show had invited a lineup of the most popular rising stars and idols of the moment. Maybe their acting skills were questionable, but their fan base and traffic weren’t any weaker than those of award-winning actors.

On the other hand, for Zhang Daxi’s parent-child reality show Battle of the Super Dads, the guest lineup already announced included the newly crowned Best Actor Xie Liu, the veteran TV king Mo Qi, the famous crosstalk performer Zhao Shunyan, and the Olympic gold medalist in long-distance running—Mr. Yang Li, who had both talent and looks.

Each of these names alone could easily headline a show as a star guest, but here they were all gathered together, appearing with their children on a variety show!

As for the final guest… the program team hadn’t revealed it yet. They only hinted that it was a mysterious guest chosen by chance, but one whose fame was in no way inferior to the others…

The promotional copy Fruit Channel released for Zhang Daxi’s program was actually written by Zhang Daxi himself—flamboyant and dramatic. He described the mysterious guest like this:

“He is the moon in the sky, he is the treasure of the mortal world, destined to cross paths with us, a man granted to our program by the heavens themselves!”

Netizens: “……”

The show hadn’t even aired yet, but this promotional line alone had netizens roasting Zhang Daxi half to death, while laughing it onto the trending list.

“Emmmmmm what kind of copy is this? Moon in the sky? Treasure of the mortal world? Zhang Big Mouth, you’re too much! Pfft, I’m dying of laughter hahahahahaha!”

“A random passerby can outshine our Best Actor Xie? At worst, Mo Qi is already amazing! You’re telling me you picked up some roadside nobody and dare to brag like this? No shame?”

“Director, I’ve got my blades ready. Since you’ve blown it up this much, I’ll believe you for now. But if your ‘mystery guest’ isn’t like you described… prepare to die!”

Zhang Daxi was bombarded with page after page of mocking comments and even earned himself the nickname “Zhang Big Mouth.” But instead of being angry, he was thrilled. Beaming, he told his assistant:

“This just proves we’ve got heat!”

Assistant: “……”

“Hurry, hurry, put out the cute kid’s photos.”

“Remember when Yang Bingbing trended because he took a three-year-old kid to pick up trash?”

The assistant recalled, saying she even praised it back then—that the child was indeed very good-looking, cuter than some celebrity kids, and she wondered if the child was related to Yang Bingbing.

As they talked, her eyes suddenly widened at the video currently playing on the computer—a chubby little dumpling running hard.

“This, this—doesn’t that kid look a lot like the Best Actor’s daughter?”

Zhang Daxi snapped his fingers. “Not just look like! That is the Best Actor’s daughter!” He was smug beyond words. “The whole internet’s clueless, wondering what the Best Actor’s daughter looks like—but I’m the only one who figured it out!”

“I put in a ton of effort to bring them in, you think it was easy?”

“This proves exactly how important it is to have a good eye!”

Everyone else: “……”

Fine, just keep bragging.

Zhang Daxi, true to his word, immediately had his assistant spin the story for hype.

“Go hire some water armies or something. First, post a picture of little Yinyin from when she was recording the show—any picture will do. Then dig out all the old trending photos and videos of Yang Bingbing’s kid picking up trash, and compare them side by side. Hype it up as if it’s the same child—that Yang Bingbing’s little one and her dad are coming on our show!”

He decided to save the big reveal—that the Best Actor was bringing his daughter onto the show—for later, like a trump card. For now, he would ride the hype from Yang Bingbing’s trending story. With that kind of heat, the program could get a head start!

He was so delighted that even his walking carried a breeze, as if he could already see the show’s explosive success. Even when he ran into his competitor Director Zhao, who sneered and mocked him, Zhang Daxi didn’t get angry. A destined loser, after all—why waste energy?

That very night, the trending topic of Yang Bingbing picking up trash with a three-year-old child—just when it was finally dying down—was pushed back to the top again.

The official account of Battle of the Super Dads posted several teaser photos, including one of the mysterious passerby guest’s daughter.

The photo showed a chubby, delicate, and adorable little dumpling, about three years old, standing on a high platform with both hands raised high, as if flying.

Her little face was flushed pink from playing, her big eyes sparkling as she looked downward. The upward camera angle captured every detail of her expression—the baby fat on her cheeks made them look round and soft, practically begging to be pinched.

Many netizens were instantly smitten by the photo. For the first time, they were willing to believe, at least a little, in Zhang Big Mouth’s earlier boasting. Maybe not “the moon in the sky” or “the treasure of the mortal world,” but at the very least, the kid’s dad definitely wouldn’t be bad-looking—how else could he have such a beautiful daughter?

At first, people just praised the child for being cute and pretty. But gradually, more and more comments popped up saying, “Why does this kid look so familiar?”

Not even ten minutes after the official post, a “netizen” uploaded a comparison collage to Weibo. The uploader was a popular online influencer with over a million followers and high engagement. As soon as the post went up, it was shared like wildfire.

Zhang Daxi, hugging his tablet, grinned from ear to ear as he watched the trending index skyrocket. He hadn’t even paid to boost it! The hot search was all organic, and with hype this explosive, even if you offered money, people would happily post it for free. Just look at those repost numbers, those comments—this was genuine traffic, the kind you couldn’t buy!

#YangBingbingTrashPickingCutieVarietyShow

#BattleOfTheSuperDads

Two blazing hot searches climbed up the rankings at a speed visible to the naked eye. Many people rushed to the official Weibo of Baby Daddy Battle, which Zhang Daxi had just applied for, to ask if those two children really belonged to the same person.

“So, am I the only one curious about the identity of the kids’ father? Yang Bingbing once took a child to… pick up trash. So, Yang Bingbing and the kids’ dad know each other? Following this logic, could it be that the kids’ father is also from the entertainment circle?”

When Zhang Daxi scrolled past this comment, he grinned. Well, aren’t you sharp-eyed? That logic is spot on!

He quickly switched to his alternate account and gave it a like. Guess all you want. I won’t say a word until the show airs. By then, you’ll be blinded by the reveal!

Meanwhile, the neighboring romance variety show team was preparing their own program called Love on the 30th Day. The show invited popular young stars and idols to pair up through games and then engage in a thirty-day romance. The script was filled with melodrama—whatever was exciting, whatever was sweet, they piled it on.

This model had always been popular with viewers. Every time such a show aired, there would be countless fans squealing “so sweet” and eagerly pairing their idols. Heat and buzz were never in short supply.

This was why Director Zhao was so confident he would beat that blockhead Zhang Daxi. He was a seasoned variety show director, completely at ease with this kind of format. He could direct it with his eyes closed.

But this time, right after their official Weibo promotion went out, their show didn’t make the trending list. Instead, the blockhead’s program next door got there first!

Director Zhao was furious. After scrolling through the hot searches from start to finish, he slapped his thigh and cursed, “That bastard Zhang Daxi is too cunning! I bet he planned this from the start. That viral clip of Yang Bingbing must have been shot and posted online by his people, just waiting for this moment to use it!”

Shameless!

The assistant director cautiously approached with his phone. “Um… we also made it to the hot search…”

“Where?”

The assistant director pointed to the tail end of the hot search: #BabyDaddyBattleVSLoveOnThe30thDay#

Director Zhao: “…”

His face was cold. So, they’d only made it because they were riding on the other show’s wave?

“Go, hurry! Post some eye-catching photos on Weibo. Didn’t Wang Lei trip and get caught by Yan Tang? Post that picture. Also, pick out a few more with highlights—we absolutely cannot lose!

“Get some of the guests to repost. Buy a hot search if we have to. Move fast! The show’s about to air. Do you want the audience to all run over to the other side?”

The assistant director nodded frantically. If the audience really flocked to the other show, they’d all be out of a job!

Even before airing, the two variety teams were already duking it out. You post hot searches, I post hot searches. You release flashy clips, I release flashier ones. Neither side would yield. The gossip-hungry masses were delighted to watch the drama, which only fueled the buzz around this variety showdown. The public eagerly speculated who would come out on top once the shows officially aired.

Some marketing accounts even launched a poll, asking netizens: “Which show do you want to watch? Which one do you think will win?”

After two days of voting before the premiere, Love on the 30th Day had snagged 70% of the votes. Most Weibo users were young people—and what do young people love? Naturally, watching their idols fall in love and shower sugar!

Although Baby Daddy Battle had ridden Yang Bingbing’s hot search for buzz, when it came to actual voting, netizens still honestly picked the idol romance show.

Many comments read:

“What’s so interesting about watching a bunch of celebrity dads take care of kids? Stars are so busy—they don’t have time to raise kids. This show must be staged!”

“If I want to watch childcare, I’ll just watch my parents looking after their grandkids. Kids are noisy and annoying! Not watching, absolutely not watching!”

“Pfft, so we’re supposed to watch spoiled brats crying and whining endlessly on screen?”

In short, one word: Not watching! Maybe at some random time they’d click out of boredom, but right now? The romance show was clearly more appealing.

“Childcare isn’t fun. I just want to watch my idols fall in love! I’ve already got my popcorn ready for all the sugar!”

Director Zhao’s stern face broke into a wide grin.

See? He had said all along that that blockhead’s parent-child show was pointless. In today’s entertainment-obsessed world, if you wanted to go viral, you had to capture the audience’s desires. So what if the theme was overused? A good dish never went out of style.

But the staff of Baby Daddy Battle also saw the poll results. Their hearts were in their throats before the premiere. It’s over… most of the viewers are going to the romance show next door. What do we do?

Whether the show could take off or flop all depended on the click rate of those first two hours. If they lost at the starting line, how could they hope to win the three-day audience vote that followed?

The rival show had a huge audience base—it would crush them with ease!

On premiere night, the Baby Daddy Battle staff gathered nervously in the backstage screening hall. Their hearts were restless, but they forced themselves to stay calm. Director Zhang’s words rang in their ears: We may lose the people, but we must not lose face! We cannot let them see we’ve lost our spirit!

For days, the PK between the two shows had dominated hot searches, creating a huge buzz. Almost everyone who used Weibo knew about it. Now it was Saturday night at 7 p.m.—dinnertime. Audiences had already settled in front of their TVs, phones, or tablets waiting.

The shows premiered on Banana Video, a site under the Fruit TV network. At exactly 7 p.m., the homepage displayed links to both programs side by side.

It was fair. Viewers could freely choose which to watch.

Li Da, an unmarried programmer in his thirties, had been struggling in the city for ten years. He had just managed to scrape together a down payment for a house and was still burdened with a mortgage. He worked himself half to death every day, worrying about being laid off, with no time for dating.

He rarely paid attention to celebrity gossip, at most skimming thirty minutes of political news on the subway each morning to stay connected to the world.

This Saturday, unusually, he didn’t have to work overtime. He went home to have dinner with his parents. Before the meal, his mom turned on the TV and opened Banana Video.

The Baby Daddy Battle cover photo featured the movie emperor’s daughter in the center, zoomed in for emphasis. The other kids stood or crouched around her, like stars surrounding the moon.

Behind the kids stood the celebrity dads, all tall and handsome. But the face of one particular man behind the little dumpling had been deliberately covered with a giant meme sticker.

Older folks loved chubby, adorable kids, so without thinking, Li Da’s mom clicked in.

Li Da just absentmindedly ate, accompanying his parents as they watched.

The show opened with the kids singing a group song, interspersed with preview clips. After about a minute, it moved into the main program.

The beginning showed the guests arriving one by one. When Film Emperor Xie Liu got out of his car, he asked, “Isn’t there one more? Why haven’t they arrived?”

The director waved it off. “Maybe they live far away. Let’s wait a bit.”

The guests waited idly while staff tested props and cameras. The screen sped up with a timer, and the subtitle appeared: “Thirty minutes later…”

Some of the dads were frowning, looking a little impatient. The kids, meanwhile, were happily sharing toys and snacks.

Then the director suddenly announced: “The fifth guest can’t make it. The program team has decided to randomly select a father-and-child pair from the public to join as guests.”

The camera cut to the amusement park entrance.

The assistant director, cameraman, and crew were waiting to ambush potential participants. The video showed several passersby, but none fit the requirements for various reasons.

Li Da frowned. “This show is too reckless. Randomly picking strangers? What if it collapses? This has to be staged.”

Li’s mom snorted. “Eat your food. I bet it’s that prettiest little girl we saw earlier. Didn’t you notice among all the kids, that little girl stood out the most?”

Just then, the screen showed a plain taxi pulling up. The door opened, and out stepped a pair of long legs…

A tall man got out, wearing a black mask. His short, slightly messy hair wasn’t styled but looked clean and neat. He was strikingly handsome.

He bent down and lifted a child out of the car. The camera was too far to capture her face clearly, but she wore a pink cartoon dress and carried a small backpack.

Li’s mom exclaimed, “Yes, yes, that’s the one! That’s the little girl from earlier, the one in the middle!”

“Didn’t I say so? It’s her!”

Soon, the father and daughter walked toward the amusement park ticket booth, where the crew was waiting. The closer they got, the clearer the little girl’s doll-like face appeared on camera.

Though the man’s face was hidden by the mask, his exposed brows and eyes were sharp yet gentle—remarkably similar to the child he carried, about seven or eight parts alike.

He finally spoke: “One ticket.”