What matters is not the wealth story it tells, but the time it tells.
Editor’s note: This article comes from WeChat public account “GQ report” (ID: GQREPORT) < / a>, Interview, author: Wei Shijie, span> Editor: Jin Jin, span> Photograph: Suri, span> Visual: Zhang Nan , Span> Operation Editor: Xiao Yan. Authorized release. span> p>
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The short video IP “Zhu once’s boring life” gained 8 million fans in the whole network within six months. Once the protagonist of the story, wearing a Polo shirt and Rolex, feels at the end of each episode: “The happiness of rich people is often so simple and boring.” The story uses comic and ironic methods to achieve comedic effects, depicting The contemporary workplace picture. p>
People are surprised to find that Zhu Xi, who plays Zhu once, owns 11 companies in real life, which makes it harder for everyone to distinguish between fiction and reality. But in fact, once Zhu is a fictional character, its creator is different. p>
To approach this creation, this is not a story about wealth. Consumption, satire, and deconstruction are full of plots. People look for their own shadows and get reconciliation with life. p>
blockquote>Too boring h2>
Beige linen tea mat is horizontally spread on a solid wood tea table. A whole black gold tea tray is inserted into the ashtray like a grove of cigarettes. Zhu Xi always sat in the main seat. The left hand wearing Rolex picked up the electric kettle from the side, ironed the cup, clamped it with a clamp, and offered a cup to the guests sitting around the table. p>
Guests stand up and ask for a photo. “Mr. Dan, can you show me your Rolex?” Zhu Xi answered, and stretched out the Date-Just Ref. 116233, which was worth about RMB 90,000. After shooting, the guest pointed at the image on the mobile phone and showed a satisfied expression: “Great, too boring!” P>
People call him “Dan Dan”, not “Zong Yun”. This is the name of his character. Zhu Xi, starring in “Zhu Once’s Boring Life”. A one-minute episode, most of which are similar in pattern: boring and empty rich manOnce Zhu, smiled at the busyness, embarrassment, kitsch of all sentient beings, and occasionally mischievously manipulated others’ lives. At the end of the video, once Zhu always reaches out to Rolex and monologues: The happiness of rich people is often so simple and boring. p>
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This afternoon, Brother Mo went into Zhu Xi’s office. The riot brother wasn’t called a riot brother, because he played an upstart role in “Zhu Once”, so everyone called him violently. “Mr. Zhu, I have a friend who wants to invite you to dinner. He watched Zhu once’s short video and especially liked you.” P>
“Brother, don’t say that your friend invited for dinner, I don’t have time even if you invite for dinner.” Zhu Xi expressed his regret. p>
“Oh,” Brother Fu stunned for a while, and there were still a lot of people in the office preparing to shoot. Everyone gathered around Zhu Xi, “that friend is rich.” p>
Zhu Xi waved his hand. The mob saw and went out silently. p>
On the third day after the first episode aired, Douyin ’s fans rose to over 200,000. One month later, Zhu Xi took director Zhang Ce to Chengdu to participate in the Weibo Redskins Festival-they became the fastest net celebrities in history. Before that, the fastest records were handmade Geng and Li Xueqin. p>
It was on a spring day in 2019. Zhu Rong was riding a shared bike. His subordinate Zhang Ce looked at the boss’s side and felt that the man in front of him had “a special innocence”. Zhang Ce took a short video and sent it to his wife. His wife sighed that President Zhu’s whole body cost tens of thousands. Haggis’s Polo shirt, CK jeans, a Rolex on the wrist, LV backpacks-Zhang Ce knew these brands for the first time. p>
Later, Zhang Ce often saw Zhu Xi playing on his mobile phone. Boring, he thought. Zhang Ce stared at the boss, round face, slight beer belly, behind the thin-rimmed glasses, round eyes, calm eyes, smiles and smiles, and occasionally empty. Somehow, President Zhu in a parallel space-time appeared in Zhang Ce’s imagination: rich, free, and boring. He took apart the 亘 character: once. p>
Zhu was born once this character. p>
I looked at my Rolex, not to watch the time, but to inadvertently let you know that I am a tyrant. p>
I was bored on Monday. I opened the magazine in my name, pointed to a top ten employee, and ordered the personnel manager to fire him. p>
His expressions at the time, from the circle, to the doubt, to the surprise, to the pleading, and finally to the hysterics, were particularly fun. p>
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Oh, the happiness of rich people oftenIt’s so simple and boring. (Script of “Zhu once’s boring life” episode 1) p>
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Zhu once’s boring life episode 1 p>
Photographed on a mobile phone in vertical screen, with the background of a third-tier city, the beautiful soundtrack of Chou Xingchi’s soundtrack, plus rough editing-with a voice-over in the form of a self-report. All of this makes people feel novel, or it may be poked by some expression-the plot contains a lot of irony about wealth life. p>
What makes this all the more exciting is that netizens found through search that once Zhu’s actor Zhu Xi, he really owns 11 companies in real life. p>
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After the National Day, I met Zhu Xi for the first time at a barbecue restaurant in Beijing’s Jiujie. He was wearing a suit, still wearing a Rolex and carrying an LV bag. It is rumored online that there are 11 companies in his name. Before I met, I confirmed on Tianyan Check that there are indeed 11 companies under his name, which mainly cover the four fields of advertising, trade, chemical industry and construction. strong> p>
Zhu Xi is described by the media as “Chaebol.” strong> Zhu Xi did not admit, “Not so exaggerated!” He waved his hand, saying that he was not as rich as public opinion had speculated. He has one and only one Cadillac, valued at 400,000, which has been in operation for six years. He also has one and only one Rolex, which he bought from a friend 9 years ago and wears it until now. It is more appropriate to say that he is a serial entrepreneur. Strong> Since he returned to study in New Zealand in 2005, he has started his career in many fields. p>
The second time I met in his company, Room 801, Block C, Pioneer Park, Zhangdian District, Zibo City. In 2018, Zhu Xi chose the company’s location here, and Guangye Liansheng Media is positioned as an MCN (Multi-Channel Network) agency. In fact, the success of “Zhu once” has just lifted the dilemma of this MCN organization-one year after the company was established, it has been losing money-until “Zhu Once” became popular>
At one time, Zhang Ce received a 30,000 yuan bonus from Zhu Xi. By chance, he and his wife accompanied his neighbor to the 4S shop to watch the car. Standing in front of BMW X5, Zhang Ce pointed to the side 740 worth more than one million, said to his wife, “Buy 740 directly, the same as your mother.” The wife smiled, their account deposit was only 30,000 yuan, “We only paid 30,000 yuan bonus Come here (sexual). P>
That night, this story was written by Zhang Ce as the script of “Zhu Once”: at night, once Zhu was lying in bed, he used his mobile phone to call up the monitoring of his 4S shop-the employee who received the bonus during the day knew how to buy Can’t afford a famous car, but still took his wife to choose a car with care, and finally had to find a reason to run away. Once Zhu “laughed out Zhu Zhu”. This story matches the characteristics of many scripts in Zhang Ce’s pen, and reflects the futile struggle of the little ones. p>
The 30,000 yuan bonus was spent by the wife that month. That month, Zhang Yiyi added a computer to his home. Zhang Ce had a big fight with his wife for this. “The money should be saved, and the child will use it later at school.” Zhang Ce said. Zhang Yiyi is not convinced that saving money can’t solve economic problems, she countered, “My husband can spend to earn.” P>
For a long time, Zhang Ce could not accept his wife’s consumption view, and the two always quarreled about it. Zhang Yiyi ’s parents created excellent conditions for his business, filtering out a beautiful world for his daughter. She never felt missing in her life and was therefore particularly generous. After marriage, Zhang Ce often felt that his wife’s thinking was very different from herself. The deeper difference lies in the way the world is viewed-the wife always has a sense of security in creating wealth, and she always plans for a livelihood. Zhang Ce concluded that this calmness is a characteristic of the rich. p>
“Good things cannot be consumed” span> h2>
I smiled at the miscellaneous watch on his wrist. Take off my Rolex and let him wear it for a minute. It was a long minute. He was grateful for nothing. I nodded, thinking that he would proudly tell his grandson in the future that I had worn a Rolex for a minute when I was young, and I was full and pleased. Hey, the happiness of rich people is often so simple and boring. (Script of episode 5 of “Zhu Once’s Boring Life”) p> blockquote>
Zhu once’s boring life episode 5 p>
“Taste,” Zhu Xi threw 5 bags of honey on his desk, “It’s our own