雷科技
On November 1, the 60-episode short drama that Fan Xiaoqin, known as Little Ma Yun, filmed in just three days premiered yesterday.
Titled God of Wealth Descends: The Doted Young Master, it’s obvious from the name that it follows the classic rags-to-riches wealthy-family wish-fulfillment plot.
Fan Xiaoqin plays the male lead, a rich young master who descends to the mortal world with the divine consciousness of the God of Wealth. He was separated from his family as a child and reunites with them at 18. The drama features kidnapping scenes, corporate battles, and moments where villains get their comeuppance. Most absurdly, he even has a kissing scene.
(Photograph source: LeiTech screenshot)
I’ve binged a few episodes, and honestly, the viewing experience is all over the place. The plot is stale and clunky, and the acting is unbelievably cringey.
Even though this short drama is shot with real actors, it uses AI-generated voiceover throughout, and some segments are entirely AI-produced.
One netizen commented that the clips were so awkward they could cringe-build an entire three-bedroom apartment. After watching, I, Xiao Lei, couldn’t agree more. No wonder viewers say it’s painful to sit through; it really is a slog.
Its shooting schedule is mind-blowing. Filming kicked off on September 10 and wrapped on September 12. All 60 episodes were shot within just 72 hours — less than 40 minutes of shooting per episode, barely longer than watching a short video clip yourself.
His cousin Huang Xinlong previously revealed during a livestream that while principal photography only took three days, post-production editing dragged on for nearly two months. None of the cast used their original voices; every line was dubbed.
Many netizens joked that the cousin, playing the villain, was perfectly cast and gave a fantastic, natural performance. Meanwhile, the lead Fan Xiaoqin appears largely in AI-generated shots.
In behind-the-scenes footage, he is seen tied to a chair for the kidnapping scene, dressed in an ill-fitting oversized suit and wearing earrings. The whole sight feels rather odd.
(Photograph source: Weibo)
As for investment, the team stated publicly that the total budget for this drama is 1.8 million yuan, and the full series is sold as a package for 59.9 yuan.
Doing the math roughly, they need 30,000 paying viewers just to break even — and that does not include platform revenue shares or promotion costs.
To support the drama’s launch, the team poured a lot of money into marketing. They brought in a roster of internet influencers including Sanda Ge, Disney Escape Princess, Huang Yinxun, Kao Sike Ma Jianping, Mi Jiayin and Young Master Zhao, each posting videos to promote it and drive traffic. It was quite a big campaign.
Even so, the pressure to break even is substantial.
What really blew this whole story up, however, was the controversy over the kissing scene. Many viewers said the clips were hard to watch — not because the plot was sad, but because it left them feeling uncomfortable.
Everyone knows Fan Xiaoqin’s situation. He has a Level 2 intellectual disability, received very little schooling, and struggles even to write his own name. Casting him as a bossy young master and arranging a kissing scene raises a tough question: is this giving him a job, or exploiting him as a freakish gimmick?
(Photograph source: LeiTech screenshot)
Xiao Lei’s Chats (ID: xiaoleibbb) thinks this is nothing like an inspirational rags-to-riches story. It is just the same old publicity stunt all over again.
Think about Fan Xiaoqin’s journey over the years. Doesn’t he pop up with some new stunt every once in a while?
As a child, he was discovered and packaged because he resembled Jack Ma. He lived in a villa and rode in fancy cars for a few glorious years, only to be sent back to the countryside once the hype faded.
When he grew up, he started livestreams, mechanically repeating “thank you, boss”. He sold his calligraphy for 50 yuan apiece, yet barely anyone bought it. Then came announcements of a romantic relationship, livestreamed kisses, and pregnancy rumors.
Wave after wave of attention — every move perfectly timed to chase trending traffic.
This short drama is no different. Shooting 60 episodes in three days makes it obvious the goal was never to make a quality production.
On set, he repeated lines after others read them. When the director told him to cry, he forced out tears; when told to smile, he bared his teeth. He acted like a puppet the whole time.
The crew is mostly people from his inner circle. His elder brother and cousin both took part, and even the boss stepped in to play a cameo role. It is fair to call this a family-style workshop out to harvest traffic.
In Xiao Lei’s opinion, the team behind him are master marketers. They deliberately leaked the kissing scene to spark controversy and lined up a bunch of influencers to boost the buzz.
(Photograph source: LeiTech screenshot)
They know full well that both praise and criticism translate to traffic. The more discussion there is, the more free exposure they get.
Whether the drama is watchable or whether the actor understands the plot becomes secondary. Short dramas are cheap to make and fast to produce anyway. They cash in on the hype while it lasts, recouping whatever they can. If all else fails, ads will prop them up.
Xiao Lei often wonders just how much more traffic this cycle of periodic stunts can squeeze out. That face resembling Jack Ma used to be their trump card, but it has long lost its novelty.
Audiences only have so much sympathy and curiosity. People may indulge it once or twice, but if it is rehashed over and over, viewers will grow tired sooner or later.
Once this wave of hype dies down and the drama stops making money, what will become of Fan Xiaoqin? He is already 18 years old, with no formal education and no marketable skills.
Xiao Lei will not venture a verdict on how much longer “Little Ma Yun” Fan Xiaoqin can stay popular or whether he will crash and burn. But one thing is certain: chasing attention through stunts might bring short-lived fame, yet it cannot sustain a lifetime.
Now a question for you: what first made you follow Fan Xiaoqin, Little Ma Yun? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
