Dong Yuhui, a 30-year-old livestreaming host for East Buy(东方甄选), found himself in an online controversy(争议) that began on Dec. 5.
East Buy, a subsidiary of the New Oriental education, said that many of the things Dong said in his livestreams were written by the East Buy team, not by himself. The then-CEO, Sun Dongxu, criticized Dong and the team, which made Dong's fans upset.
Surprisingly, this controversy made Dong even more popular. In just one week, his Douyin followers increased by over 3 million, while East Buy lost more than 2 million followers. Sun was no longer the CEO, and Dong became vice president of New Oriental's cultural and tourism business.
Despite his rising fame, Dong remains humble. " I am not good-looking or tall;I don't know why I have so many supporters, "he said.
However, Xu Hanze, an associate professor(副教授) at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronauts, believes that Dong got more attention because of his talent and intelligence, thanks to his habit of reading extensively.
In the age of consumerism, Dong does not trick consumers into buying unnecessary products, but encourages them to be rational(理智的) when shopping online. He also puts more effort into educational activities and events to help farmers.
He believes that people should not wish to be the next Dong Yuhui. " I want to tell other young livestreamers that they do not need to be me, as each story is moving in its own way. "
He went on to say that people are not products made on manufacturing lines, and that diversitv(不同) what makes people special.
