May 13, 2023
T-2: Saturday
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For the past couple of months now I thought I was going to be signing with an MCN (Multi-Channel Network) before this year's Tour started. For those of you who don't know what an MCN is—and I expect that to be most of you—you can think of it as an influencer management company.
The one that I thought I was going to sign with is easily the fifth or seventh MCN to have proactively contacted me and the first which didn't get me to immediately tell them to go fuck themselves. Whether they were primarily interested in having me act as an influencer or primarily interested in having me act as a headhunter, all the other MCNs big or small started off on the wrong foot of telling me that no one really cares about actually following the minutae of Chinese law¹.
This MCN, however, gave me bona fides that indicated they not only knew what the Rules are, but they also intended to follow them. And, over the course of four face-to-face meetings and god only knows how many WeChat conversations, I thought we were all set to sign a contract that would include—among other things—their managing my social media, their editing my videos for me², and them loaning me the DJI Mimo I was admiring for the 4k video I'd honestly rather not be taking.
Problem is... I wasn't born yesterday and I understand the difference between "percentage of total profit" and "percentage of gross earnings."
Needless to say, I won't be signing with this MCN.
Luckily—because I'm an inherently suspicious individual who doesn't trust other people to actually do what they say they're going to do—their lack of follow through (on account of not being able to take gross advantage of me) won't negatively affect my opportunities for media or government "collabs" while I'm on the Road.
After a lovely afternoon tea and cake meeting with a professional travel vlogger friend who is one of the (many) people that has agreed to help build up my "brand" in return for generous kickbacks³, I went to 570, finished the documentary subtitles, and picked up a Going Away Gift that I'm going to have to figure out how to regift before I leave because I do maybe 350 or 400 grams of coffee a month and a kilo of premium beans when I already have coffee beans is a Problem.
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The next stop was a going away dinner with friends at the newly opened Naked Bistro. Featuring the whole kitchen team from the Hainanese/French fusion place that opened the year before last and closed last year, the food was regrettably sublime in ways that I'm going to seriously miss when traveling in the deep countryside.
Not to throw shade at rural food or rural cooks but no matter how yummy it's regularly going to be, it's not going to be a Le Cordon Bleu trained chef.
The evening ended at Brew Pub 18 enjoying China's recent infatuation with microbreweries and fancy beer.
¹ As I rather like not being deported and I'm fond of having the money that comes from central government clients, I most certainly do care about following the minutae of Chinese law.
² Something that takes at least an hour per day when I'm on the Road.
³ Although monetization is a necessary part of achieving the goals I have on account of accidentally becoming an influencer, it is not the be all nor the end all of what I want.
Today's ride: 6 km (4 miles)
Total: 100 km (62 miles)
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