Chapter 212 - 210: Burning Technique

Chapter 212: Chapter 210: Burning Technique

[Is he about to teach the real Burning Technique?]

[Holy shit, Big Brother just opened my eyes!]

[For real? Is photography really that powerful?]

[I’m a wedding photographer. How come I’ve never met any rich ladies?]

"How so?" Zhang Zhe’s interest was piqued. This kind of knowledge was quite valuable for someone in the matchmaking industry.

"Just look at all those female celebrities."

"Wan Qian, the lead from *Flower of Evil*, and even Mei Ting—didn’t they all marry photographers?"

"But those photographers were already at the top of their field," Zhang Zhe countered. He knew a little about the entertainment industry. "Some people might be called photographers, but in film and television circles, they’re absolute titans."

"But we’re not trying to score a celebrity, are we?" the man retorted.

"Brother Zhang, you might not be aware, but for a rich woman to agree to marry a man, she has to feel that he provides her with the kind of emotional value a male model can’t."

"That I really don’t know," Zhang Zhe admitted with an honest nod. "Please, elaborate."

"It’s simple. Just think about the professional skills a photographer needs to have."

"To put it bluntly, you have to understand and respect your subject. Even if she’s a 220-pound behemoth, you still have to find a flattering angle and coax her into getting a good shot."

"In this world, 99% of women care about their looks. For the older, financially independent ladies, this is even more true."

"You have to be able to find her beauty, to make her feel you’re sincerely appreciating her, and to use your photos—even Photoshopped ones—to prove that everything you say comes from the heart."

"Even if the rich lady knows your intentions aren’t pure, she won’t turn you down."

"And do you know what the most important part is?" the man said mysteriously. "There’s very little ’replaceability’ in this business."

"Once a woman decides your photos look good, she’ll find fault with anyone else she hires. Even if she wasn’t interested in you at first, she might come looking for you on her own after some time has passed."

"That’s how my first marriage came about."

"She was traveling with her card-playing friends and paid me to take pictures. The moment I saw that imperial green jadeite necklace on her, I knew."

"Damn, that’s impressive." Zhang Zhe was genuinely in awe this time. "So to succeed as a kept man, you even need to know how to appraise jewelry. Otherwise, you can’t even tell imperial green jadeite from a piece of glass."

[Big Brother, just tell us where to sign up for your photography class! Can’t you just take my money?!]

[I’m hanging on every word Big Brother says. I can’t help it, I’m sick and tired of being poor.]

[It really makes sense. Rich women aren’t short on cash, they want emotional value. And freelance photographers are definitely willing to provide it.]

[The problem is, cameras are expensive too! A single lens can cost tens of thousands. The barrier to entry for photography is too high.]

"Sir, there’s a poor guy in the bullet comments asking if you have any cheaper techniques."

"He’s the type who’s broke as a joke but still wants to be a kept man. He’s definitely got no money for plastic surgery, and he can’t afford camera lenses. I’m guessing all he can manage is going for a run and working on his abs."

"For a brother like that, do you think he still has a chance?"

"He does, Brother Zhang. There are ways for guys like that, too." The man was feeling generous; he was out of the game, so he held nothing back. "There are two paths for someone like him. The first is to become a gigolo."

"Some female escorts manage to marry their clients, so it stands to reason a gigolo could too. But the chances are incredibly slim. I’ve yet to see it happen, but it’s theoretically possible."

"A lot of rich women are emotional creatures when it comes to relationships. They’ll get jealous and fight over a male model, so if one of them actually married a gigolo, I wouldn’t be surprised."

"And the other option?" Zhang Zhe didn’t need to look at the comments to know most people wouldn’t be able to stomach that path.

Besides, making a living as a gigolo was no easier than being a regular kept man. A lot of guys just didn’t have the aptitude for it.

"The only other option is gaming—become a paid game companion for rich girls. You might not find a woman who’s completely financially independent this way, but if you do it well, it’s not at all difficult to find a rich family’s daughter who’s willing to spend money on you."

"But the biggest problem with this method is that you’re highly replaceable. You have to constantly focus on making yourself unique."

[I could totally do that. I already make over ten thousand a month as a game companion in *Delta Force*. I don’t really need to be a kept man, do I?]

[I suck at video games too. Guess there’s no hope for me.]

[Girls are too terrible at games, I can’t play *with* them. The most I could do is carry them.]

[This is basically just catering to their interests. And it’s true that a lot of rich ladies are gamers these days.]

"I see. So, can I summarize it like this: the most critical thing is to provide high-quality, irreplaceable emotional value."

Zhang Zhe thought for a moment. ’To get a rich woman to agree to marriage, this really is the only thing that matters.’

’Looked at that way, most guys could never be kept men, because most of them have no idea how to provide emotional value to someone.’

"Exactly! Brother Zhang, that’s a brilliant summary."

"Actually, the whole reason I came on your stream was to say this: guys shouldn’t always be so fixated on finding a wife, especially those with poor prospects who clearly aren’t going to make much money."

"There’s no need to force yourself down the path of male competition—the rat race."

"Aren’t more and more women having their ’awakening’ these days? I’ve seen on your streams, Brother Zhang, that there are often only daughters from A8-level families who want to get married, but when you break it down, they realize their only option is to find a man who will marry into their family."

"Isn’t that our exact opportunity?"

"There aren’t that many people competing in the ’kept man’ lane. Plus, we have professional Matchmakers like Brother Zhang helping to expand the market for us. In the future, the demand from rich only daughters for men willing to marry in will only grow."

"Let me be clear, my analysis is serious. Some women genuinely have a hard time finding a man of equal social and financial standing," Zhang Zhe interjected, feeling the man’s words could be misconstrued. He rushed to clarify, not wanting the audience to think they were running some kind of supply chain.

"Right, Brother Zhang is definitely a professional," the man added, kindly backing him up. "All the guys in our group chat say you’re the real deal."

"Anyway, I actually came here today hoping you could do an analysis for me, Brother Zhang."

"You’ve seen my circumstances. I’m thirty-five, been married twice, and I’m a two-time widower."

"In terms of assets, I’m at about an A8.5."

"The money is all mine, completely free of any legal entanglements."

"Legally, I have two sons and a daughter, but they’re all about the same age as me. We don’t really interact outside of major life events."

"My problem now is that I’ve lost the ability to be in a normal relationship. When I see a beautiful woman, I don’t feel a shred of desire. My mind is just filled with thoughts of how to avoid being schemed against."

"So when I go on blind dates, I’ll finally meet someone who doesn’t mind my marital history, and I can tell with one look that she’s just a younger version of me—only in it for the money."

"There’s no way to move forward."

"So now I want to get married, but I’ve run out of opportunities..."

Zhang Zhe listened intently. What the man was describing were essentially the side effects of his life as a kept man, now manifesting in a different form on the dating market.

His situation was different from that of a typical gold digger who marries and divorces repeatedly. This man had managed to save his money; he didn’t need to marry a third time for financial security.

Gold diggers who make a living through marriage are different. They can rarely hold on to their money and have to keep finding new targets to maintain their lifestyle.

"In your situation, do you feel like you have to get married?"

"Yes." The man nodded seriously. "I’m an only son. Before my dad passed, he told me that even though I’d already brought shame upon our family, he still hoped I could carry on the Li Family line."