The photographer Meng Cai Wei introduced to Meng Fan was called Wu Da. It sounded like Wu 'big', but in reality, he was a combination of Wu Song and Lu Da.
Initially, he was an outdoor enthusiast, then became a photography enthusiast. The two hobbies coincidentally merged into his current profession.
He was tall and lean, probably an avid hobbyist of several outdoor activities. A few years ago, when Bear Grylls came to Hua Xia to record an entertainment show, he had been one of the cameramen. He had also attended several national outdoor reality shows, for in his lens, not a single famous guest had been lost, and none of the famous guests could outrun him.
A while ago, he had also hosted an online series about outdoor activities.
Wu Da could probably provide pragmatic and professional answers to all the questions Meng Fan had.
Also, because of Meng Fan's status as Meng Cai Wei's sister, regardless of how ignorant and otherworldly Meng Fan's questions were, he would take the initiative to help out in his best interest with unending enthusiasm and patience.
Wu Da provided very detailed responses, in addition to linking several articles from his phone, mostly consisting of professionally accurate and understandable information, so that Meng Fan could more easily understand.
During his morning class, Meng Fan gained a firm understanding of the details.
At around 11, a well-rested Meng Cai Wei gave Meng Fan a call. After realizing what he was doing, she asked, "Why are you trying to understand this? Outdoor streaming? Also, what the hell was that video of you dancing? I also heard you're streaming your art online... Meng Fan, are you actually trying to be internet famous?"
It was undeniable that Meng Cai Wei was informed about Meng Fan's doings; and very well informed at that.
As for how she found out, Meng Fan could guess with his toe that it had been Qin Jiao.
"It's not that complex. I just think it's pretty fun."
Meng Fan couldn't go into more detail with Meng Cai Wei. The more he explained, the more trouble it would bring.
"Pretty fun? That's what I thought at first too."
Meng Can Wei sounded serious. She wasn't against Meng Fan entering this industry but just reminding him to treat his decision seriously and consider it carefully.
Of course, she was thinking a bit too far ahead.
Meng Fan knew what Meng Cai Wei was trying to get at, but he really couldn't explain why he was doing what he was doing. All he could do was to say these words, "I know. If I have any thoughts or decisions, I will immediately tell you and ask for your advice."
"That's better. You must tell me first!"
Meng Cai Wei sighed in relief, laughing as she spoke, "Seeing as how you're so well behaved today, your generous sister will give you a welfare cut. A private picture of your idol."
She hung up and sent him a photo.
After clicking it open, Meng Fan once again almost gagged out blood.
It wasn't that the photo contained any hint of 'welfare', but it was funny. The 'Shan Jing Bro' in the photo had almost no more trace of goddess vibes left.
"What's wrong?"
Zhang Zhou Wei, who had been walking to dinner with Meng Fan, saw the look on his face and asked curiously.
"Oh nothing, my face just involuntarily twitches."
Meng Fan yawned. Although this private photo was great, it would be awkward to take it out and share it, mostly causing laughter and intense questioning. But Meng Fan also knew this sort of photo couldn't be spread publicly.
It was like Meng Cai Wei's posts in her WeChat moments. Meng Fan would never let other people see it nor mention it.
There was no class in the afternoon, so after lunch, Zhang Zhou Wei had compliantly left to go on a date with Wang Ya Nan; except this time was a bit different. They were going to the library to read books.
Wang Ya Nan was a straight-A student, and she had already begun preparing to apply for a master's degree.
Zhang Zhou Wei's grades were not bad either, except he hadn't considered postgraduate employment at all up to this day. So, after he got together with Ya Nan, this problem had obviously presented itself way ahead of schedule.
Chen Da Qiang was also headed to the library with the sour air of romance. As for Xing Ta Ge... He had disappeared once class ended.
Meng Fan, harboring a stomach full of bitterness, headed back to the dormitory by himself. He packed up his drawing tube and some other things and left the empty room. He didn't head for the studio but instead left the campus to go to Song Cheng.
Coincidentally, the bus he caught was the same one that had been hijacked by the thief. Even more coincidentally, aside from the bus driver uncle, there were three other passengers on board who had witnessed Meng Fan's thief crushing. All the way, there was no shortage of cheering and commemorating his heroic feat.
The timing was perfect as he arrived at the city gate. One look and the silk ball landed in his arms.
After going through the minister's procedure, Meng Fan performed his 'thumbs up' dance. This time, he gained about 280,000 likes. The +6 validation was really effective.
Meng Fan concluded his dance. At this time, the silk ball toss had been paused as well.
He didn't head for the bottom of the stairway but instead waited at the entrance. Once the minister finished his business, Meng Fan waved to him with a smile on his face.
The minister saw him and headed over to the area where the audience couldn't see them. He smiled and asked, "Young noble, do you need something?"
Yesterday, he had prepared to give Meng Fan some free tickets and had already given them to the family member actors to give Meng Fan as he went down the stairwell. Now, Meng Fan had called for him directly, which left him a bit stunned. He was afraid that Meng Fan might pitch some unreasonable demands.
"Uncle." Meng Fan saw the minster remove his beard and changed his greeting immediately. "Brother. I have a question for you."
"Let's hear it."
After hearing that it was a question, the minister relaxed a bit.
"I want to ask if it's allowed to set up an art booth in Song Cheng." Meng Fan said. "Of course, I only need a small bit of space, and I wouldn't be collecting fees or anything." He added, trying to explain himself. "I'm a student from the art academy, and one of my homework assignments is to draw for tourists for free."
As he spoke, he pulled out three drawings he had already prepared from his art tube, all cartoon caricatures of people.
"Is this me?"
The minister took it over and recognized immediately one of the drawings that had been done based on his own appearance. The other two were of Miss Wang and the grandpa family servant. He was pleasantly surprised. "This is really good. It looks just like me! There was an APP circulating a while ago that turned your face into a cartoon caricature; your drawings are even better than that APP."
Meng Fan curtly handed the drawings to the three respective people. While all three were in high spirits, he said, "My homework is to draw caricature based on tourists' torsos. I'm not trying to set up a booth to make money. Do you guys know of any spots that would be good for me to draw at? If it's a scenic spot that requires me to pay, that's fine too, as long as I can draw."
"What money? No need to pay money. We're all friends here."
The minister confirmed what Meng Fan was asking and thumped his chest to indicate he had it covered. He took off his minister robe and said, "Come, I'll take you."
"Then, thank you in advance."
"No worries."
Meng Fan followed the minister down the city wall and headed towards the Song Cheng cultural plaza. As they arrived, the staff the minister had called was already waiting. This was the manager of the cultural plaza. He was tall and skinny, and his smile looked a little sly.
The minister briefly introduced them. The guy was evidently very friendly with the minister. He was easy to talk to, and straight-up handed Meng Fan a staff member's pass, proceeding to take him to an area where he could set up a booth.
Streaming art was Meng Fan's biggest strength. He thought if he could open up his 'outdoor broadcast' to different topics, he could get more views. To be conservative, Meng Fan decided to combine the two, drawing cartoon caricatures outdoors.
The venue was specifically chosen to be in Song Cheng due to the high traffic of people passing through.
After careful experimentation, Meng Fan could confirm that the number of views not only could be gained through the stream on his channel but also from a live audience.
Watching a live stream live still counts as watching a live stream!