Since TikTok tends to recommend content to people nearby, my account being banned sparked discussions among the neighbors. Quite a few gathered at the auto repair shop next door, chatting about my TikTok ban.
“Zhang Xiangqian, your account got banned, right? I saw it coming. You’re just a farmer—running your mouth nonstop, spouting lofty stuff that doesn’t match your peasant status. If they didn’t ban you, who would they ban?”
“Exactly. A farmer like you should stick to talking about farm work, fixing bikes, welding, or rough labor. High-tech stuff? That’s not for you to talk about.”
“Especially since you’re going on about aliens! You can’t even handle things on Earth, and now you’re meddling with aliens?”
“It seems like Zhang Xiangqian’s TikTok account can still log in, though.”
“It’s been throttled—no new viewers get recommended. Only people who’ve seen it before can still watch. The account’s basically dead, a zombie account.”
“I think Zhang Xiangqian’s claims are too far-fetched. He says this alien global motion network can make people appear anywhere in the world in a second. If that tech became real on Earth, holy cow—the whole world would be chaos. If I were a TikTok admin, I’d ban him too. Not because I think he’s full of nonsense—plenty of people spout nonsense on TikTok without issue—but what if he’s actually telling the truth? That’d be a disaster.”
“Our township officials say Zhang Xiangqian’s got skills, a special talent, not simple at all. They even said they tipped him.”
[My total TikTok tips amount to 0.05 yuan—they probably meant they liked my posts.]
“The officials say that because they hope Tongda Township produces a celebrity. Once you’ve got a famous name, tourism takes off. Lujiang claims Zhou Yu was from there, pointing to a tomb as his; Shucheng says he’s from their Baishen Temple, claiming the tomb’s there. They argue back and forth—all for tourism, all for money.”
“So, Zhang Xiangqian’s about to get famous? We should ask for his autograph or grab something from his place. When he makes it big, those things could be worth a fortune. Einstein wrote a note for a kid in Japan—it’s worth hundreds of thousands of dollars now.”
“Right, we should get something from him. Otherwise, if he strikes it rich and his random stuff ends up worth hundreds of thousands, us neighbors get nothing? We’d lose out big and get laughed at.”
“Hahaha, you guys sound so serious. In which era has someone like him ever made it? Name one farmer in all of China who became a scientist. Go ahead—not a single one, right? Zhang Xiangqian’s a bit special? Look at him—anything remarkable about his appearance? He’s too ordinary. Him making it big? The sky would have to fall first.”
“I don’t think Master Zhang can succeed either, but he’s definitely got talent. The stuff he says is high-level—most people can’t talk like that. Even experts and professors can’t match him.”
“Talent? What a load of crap. If he’s talent, then every Tom, Dick, and Harry is talent. Who’s calling him that?”
“Not talent? Then how’d he blow up on TikTok just by talking? Try it yourself—say a few words. Can you go viral? If he can, it proves he’s got talent, some real skills. Don’t believe it? Give it a shot.”
“Forget it. He’s got that migrant worker vibe—wearing rough work clothes, rambling about flying saucers, aliens, time, space, fields, global motion networks, light-based virtual humans—all these fancy terms that clash with his status. That’s why he went viral. A while back, that homeless ‘Master Shen Wei’ blew up for the same reason.”
“But Master Shen Wei really took off. Why’d our Master Zhang get snuffed out right as he started heating up?”
“Obvious, isn’t it? You think TikTok’s admins are idiots? Master Shen Wei got famous, and it just ended up as a gimmick. Comedy skits go viral, people laugh, and that’s it—no big consequences. TikTok’s full of people babbling about aliens—none get banned because it’s clearly nonsense. But when Master Zhang talks, it’s banned. The problem is he sounds too real. They’re scared of that realism. They want a chuckle, not the real deal.
If Master Zhang really took off, think about it—what’d happen? Everyone carrying a phone, popping up anywhere in the world in a second. My gosh, imagine how terrifying that’d be. And if his tech became real—curing cancer, hypertension, diabetes in seconds; housing, electricity, food, education, travel—all free? Even better, only one in ten thousand people would need to work. You’d want to work, but without special skills, they wouldn’t let you. Life would just be about playing all day.”
“I don’t get your point. If Master Zhang’s tech became real, those are all good things—things every person, every family would kill for. My cousin just got diagnosed with late-stage cancer—he’s young, and our family’s living a nightmare. Why ban him? Tell me, what’s the logic here?”
“Hahaha, you’re so naive. If that happens, it’s a utopian world—everyone equal. You think some people would willingly let you be their equal? Since ancient times, through all the chaos and wonders of the world, it boils down to two words: human nature. Human nature, got it?”