HANGZHOU Weinian, a multi-channel network behind the stardom of vlogger Li Ziqi, said it has never controlled any accounts related to China’s most famous YouTuber in a first public response released Nov. 1 about a business dispute between both parties.

Li, who raked in more than 2.4 million views and 16 million subscribers on YouTube, held a Guinness World Record for “The most subscribers for a Chinese-language channel on YouTube” as of Aug. 21. The vlogger has captured the tranquility of life in rural China and offered viewers around the world a picturesque escape from the urban bustle.

To date, three months have passed since Li’s latest update: “Firewood, Rice, Oil, Salt, Soy Sauce, Vinegar, and Tea.” Prior to that, Li had updated her channel roughly once every month. The 31-year-old has been busy, not working in the fields, but resolving legal issues.

On Aug. 30, Li posted a photo of herself filing a report at a police station, and wrote a reply under the post: “I have asked lawyers to keep records, this is so scary! Capital indeed has its good tricks!” Her words hinted at a legal dispute between herself and the company that helped catapult her to stardom, Hangzhou Weinian.

The reply was later deleted.

On Oct. 25, Li filed a lawsuit against Hangzhou Weinian through her company Sichuan Ziqi Culture Communication.

Li and Hangzhou Weinian joined hands in 2016. Through this partnership, Li unleashed her talents through content creation, and Hangzhou Weinian helped her promote them to the world.

The two worked together yet separately, but it seems irreconcilable disagreement arose. In its official statement, Hangzhou Weinian said it has “never interfered, or thought about interfering with any accounts related to Li Ziqi,” giving insight into a dispute over what Li publishes in her creations.

Tianyancha, an enterprise search engine, shows Hangzhou Weinian owns a 51 percent share of Sichuan Ziqi Culture Communication, while Li has the remaining 49 percent stake. This led to many speculating the dispute arose from Li’s minority ownership of her own company.

Li’s decision to publicly rebuke her financial backers is an extraordinary move in China’s cyberspace, where money and influence are often intertwined. China’s other top influencers, including “king of lipstick” Li Jiaqi and “live-stream queen” Viya, have continued turning their influence into cash flows by hosting live-streaming events.

The breakup between Li and her agency, which is now acting only as Li’s partner in a separate joint venture, revealed the fragility of a business model that relies excessively on individuals. In Hangzhou, where thousands of agencies are trying to make their own stars, there is a huge pool of ambitious young people, mainly females in their 20s, vying to become online influencers.

But there is always tension between agencies and their top influencers. If a star becomes too popular, she could just leave and set up an independent operation.

“There have been similar disputes between first-tier influencers and their agents,” said Li Chengdong, chief executive of e-commerce consultancy Dolphin Think Tank.

“It’s understandable that creators want more independence and benefit after gaining popularity, but they should also attribute their success to the agencies’ expertise and resources. They need to stick to the spirit of the contract.”

Li herself has refrained from elaborating since Aug. 30, but her assistant has voiced her own opinion through her verified Sina Weibo account on several occasions.

On Aug. 26, Li’s assistant said the vlogger had “neglected many real-world problems” while devoting herself to content production, and needed some time to resolve issues. On Sept. 13, the assistant said Li was dealing with a problem involving her own company and a third-party company, without providing further details.

An hour after Hangzhou Weinian released its statement Nov. 1, Li’s assistant denied equity as the source of dispute in a Sina Weibo post.

“I really don’t understand who has been leading the public opinion on an equity dispute? Who? Who dares to take the shares of a company that has not even disclosed its contract to investors and shareholders?

“There is no point fighting a war of words, we need to fight with a lawsuit!” she added.

Although Li has not made any comments on the lawsuit, she did mention she wanted to protect her name and her content during a recent interview she gave to China Central Television.

“I don’t want to give it so-called very high commercial value. I believe it’s a double-edged sword, and I just want to protect this name.”

She also mentioned three things she hoped to do in the near future: do her part in rural revitalization, help pass on intangible cultural heritage and traditional Chinese culture, and guide youth on the right path.

“When asked ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’, I hope our children won’t answer ‘I want to be an influencer’ or ‘I want to be a celebrity.’ That’s not what I hope to see. I hope they can possess the right values, study hard, and truly become a person who is able to grasp every opportunity,” Li said. (China Daily)