After reviewing the second half of Xiao Yue's paper, it became clear just how detailed his research was on Chu Zhi's positive influence over the Little Fruits. He had dug deep, unearthing even stories of fans who once considered dropping out of school to chase stardom, only to be persuaded otherwise.
[Due to gaps in policy, lagging regulations, and a chaotic environment shaped by capital-driven traffic metrics, our youth culture has been negatively affected.
Positive Examples of Idols
Keywords: Chu Zhi, Little Fruits, College Entrance Exams
Summary: The impact on Gen Z youth is analyzed through three lenses: psychological mechanisms, communication channels, and mass media.]
Using five sample groups totaling one thousand fans, Xiao Yue's findings were backed with hard data. He reached two major conclusions.
First, idols were fully capable of positively guiding their fans. And second, under Chu Zhi's influence, the rate of university admissions among his fans had increased by 14.2%.
The paper was dense—over fifty thousand words covering countless facets. At first glance, many academic professors balked at the statistics.
Fourteen-point-two percent? That kind of leap hadn't been seen since enrollment expansions. Throughout history, there had never been a method that could raise university acceptance rates this significantly.
And now a mere celebrity?
Some so-called "experts" lashed out at Xiao Yue without even reading to the end, accusing his of taking money to hype up an idol. Others, more rational and data-driven, preferred to criticize with logic.
But once those experts read the full report, all they had left was awe.
The data was solid. With permission from the interviewees, Xiao Yue even uploaded voice recordings from Little Fruits to his official blog.
Idols had always had influence. But never before had fan-following led directly to better academic outcomes.
It defied logic. It went against scientific conventions.
And yet, more and more professors and scholars joined the growing research community studying Chu Zhi and his fan phenomenon.
In the future, when Little Fruits bragged about their idol, it wouldn't be about how many music awards he had won.
It would be: How many academic journals have published studies on our idol?
Fan site admins immediately picked up the news and spread congratulations. The Little Fruits were thrilled.
"Why didn't they include the high school entrance exams? It was brother Jiu's encouragement that got me through mine."
"Chu Zhi is the best idol in the world. I'm lucky to be his fan."
"I earned five stars on Orang Home! Feeling proud, hands on hips. My next goal? A scholarship."
"I showed this article to my mom, and she said it's fake. T_T"
Naturally, social media platforms and major news portals weren't going to repost the entire fifty-thousand-word document. A large portion of Xiao Yue's paper focused on her analysis of the current state of China's entertainment industry.
In the age of fast media, only the juiciest parts make the cut. The story that caught traction was: Chu Zhi helps his fans get into college. Sensationalized versions were everywhere.
It didn't trend on platforms like Weibo or Douyin at first, mostly because a major scandal had just hit another celebrity. People are hardwired to enjoy gossip.
But on blog platforms, the spread was explosive.
"Forward this to your idol-chasing kids. If they must chase stars, make it him."
"Read this before it gets deleted. You chase idols? Read this!"
"What does college have to do with celebrities? The truth might shock you!"
"You're not truly Chinese if you don't forward this. See what experts say about idol worship!"
Parents loved forwarding these links in their family chat groups titled things like "One Big Happy Family" or "Peaceful and Harmonious Clan."
One of those parents was Chi Chi's mother. At the time, Chi Chi was traveling after getting accepted into her dream university, so many messages poured in that her phone was almost vibrating off the table.
She didn't mute the family group because she wanted to snatch red packets. But when she opened it, the first thing she saw was a message from her mom:
[Queen Mother]: Aren't you into idols? Is this your guy?
Forwarded Article: "Forward this to your idol-chasing kids. If they must chase stars, make it him."
[Queen Mother]: @MorningStarRitual, come take a look.
Naturally, "Queen Mother" was the nickname Chichi had saved for her mom. It used to be "Royal Mom." Chi Chi's blog handle was "MorningStarRitual."
If her mom had read the full paper or listened to the recordings Xiao Yue uploaded, she would have easily recognized her own daughter as the first interviewee.
But reposted versions of the article had stripped all context. Even the name of Professor Xiao Yue from Beijing Foreign Studies University had been changed.
According to the clickbait blog article, the study was conducted by "Professor Thomas Engle of Harvard Sociology," and it concluded that Chu Zhi is the only celebrity in the world with a truly positive influence on his fans.
The article wrapped up with the tired old ending: "Chu Zhi's talent and character are worth learning from. Do you know any other idols who guide fans like this? Let's talk in the comments."
Chi Chi was speechless. First they claimed he was the only one, and then asked if there were others? Marketing fluff always contradicted itself.
While Chi Chi was still reading, the family group chat was already lit with discussion.
"This Chu Zhi kid seems great."
"I heard him sing "Drunken Imperial Concubine" and thought he was a girl."
"According to the repost, he encourages kids to study. Is it true?"
"It must be. Even foreign experts say so. Plus, there's data. Lots of fans got into their dream colleges because of him."
"@MorningStarRitual, come look. This is the kind of idol worth following."
Her mom summoned her again. Chi Chi felt both proud and helpless. Proud, because her idol was finally getting recognized by a wider audience. Helpless, because she had been a Little Fruit for years already.
And her mom was just one of many.
Xiao Yue's research paper shook not just academics, but also middle-aged aunties and uncles in their fifties and sixties.
Before anyone realized it, Chu Zhi had gained a whole new wave of middle-aged fans. His reputation among the general public kept soaring, and he was now standing on such a moral high ground that nothing could touch him.
His management team closely monitored the online narrative. With positive feedback growing, their top priority was to maintain that image, ensuring nothing backfired.
Daily active users on the Orang Home App surged. A new "Study Room" feature let Little Fruits supervise each other while reviewing or reading.
Orange Orang Home App had already won "Best Rated App of the Year" on Wandoujia the previous year.
And no matter how many features they rolled out, one principle remained unchanged: No in-app purchases.
"Wow, my mom actually told me to learn from others and chase idols with a purpose."
"Haha, my dad asked if Jiu-yé had any famous works. I instantly sent him the latest EP."
"Mom, I'm not chasing stars, I'm here to study! For real."
"So many of us earned little stars. Aiming for Agricultural University next year, let's go!"
"Even grad school fans are grinding hard. Jiu-yé has already gone beyond China to the rest of Asia, and we're still dragging our feet here. Come on, people!"
With such a successful feedback loop, the atmosphere in the discussion section grew more positive. The Little Fruits who were preparing for next year's college entrance exams were brimming with motivation.
The seedling plan was bearing fruit.
Xiao Yue had worried unnecessarily. So far, there hadn't been any reports of fans spiraling after failing exams. If anything, some chose to retake the year and try again.
At this point, calling Chu Zhi "popular" was no longer accurate.
He had reached a new level: national recognition.
Thanks to Xiao Yue's unintended assist, his public appeal skyrocketed. Even celebrities from older generations didn't have his level of widespread support anymore.