105 degrees Fahrenheit, a quarter past one p. m. It was a blistering day in July.

Although O. Henry had told us not to begin a story with such a flat dry opening, in this case it was allowable since it couldn't be worse than a scorching summer afternoon. Indeed, the fervid sun parched everything in the street as if we were put in a smoldering furnace. And there was a feeling of drowsiness filled in the atmosphere beyond the occasional spiritless stir of hot wind.

At that moment I was wandering in the burning sun, seeking for a silver lining in this stifling heat. Suddenly, a convenience store came into sight. Upon arrival at the store, nothing felt unusual, at least in this age of COVID-19. After a series of routine checks such as scanning health code, I stepped into the store, streaked off towards the freezer. But I was welcomed by the sight of all sorts of known and unknown brands of frozen treats in the freezer, almost dazzling me. After a moment's hesitation, I deliberately picked out a less ostentatious popsicle. Relieved by the canny selection, I walked over to the checkout contentedly, feeling as if my body were already absorbing the pleasant coolness at every pore.

“20 yuan (almost 3 dollars), WeChat or Alipay?” said in an expressionless voice with an expressionless face, but an invisible smile just wrinkled the corners of the cashier’s eyes. Hearing the sound, my thoughts were drawn back to reality. A few seconds later I heard myself gasped, and my face looked rigid. Caught off guard by the unimposing chocolate ice lolly, a mingled feeling of being gullible and discontented surged up in my chest.

Like most people, notwithstanding the complaints over expensive brands of ice creams, we have seen a soaring rise of pricey items replacing cheap trusted brands in freezers. Consequently we call these ice creams “xuegao cike”. The term “xuegao cike”, which literally means 'ice creams assassin', is being used to describe ice cream that ambushes inconspicuously in the back of supermarket freezers, cunningly camouflaged against its less-expensive counterparts. However, when their prices are revealed at the check-out counters, they metaphorically “kill” customers' wallets.

Among many domestic players, Zhongxuegao (Chicecream) is believed to be one of the culprits. The gimmick of building a "high-end" image is the key to its success. Like all branding, however, the influencer business is a delicate one. The cult brought by its worshippers, is a "kopis", i.e., a mixed blessing for the sellers, which benefits itself or vice versa. Being a cultural icon leaves them more vulnerable to social taste, and taste can change in a trice online. Less Jupiter than Icarus, Chicecream came crash down recently for products not matching the price or having no label, which was a testament to the crisis of a premium price. On the other hand, such strategies not only boost the whole market prices, but also push out the space for regular pricing. As we know the carps threaten to upset food chains of the waterways they live in while crowding out native fish. 

However, it is not all dark clouds. The business of influencing is not frivolous. Over the years our market has witnessed so many celebrity brands sprung up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. An estimation from the National Bureau of Statistics in China showed that in 2020 the contribution of influencing business approximated to 1.4% of GDP that year. And for consumers, influencer industry with its celebrity brands is becoming magnets for young generation as more people are glued to their smartphones in spare time. But the problem is that the industry is awash with fraud and manipulation, a not unusual occurrence with any new-born thing. Perhaps it is time for them to reflect the essence in building a trusted brand in a more regulated market. 

When I walked out of the store, back in the street, I looked up to the sky at my own absent-mindedness. The white blazing fireball made my eyes ache. Soon the sweltering hotness crept over my body again, and the ice cream tasted before had evaporated with sweat through skin. I clearly knew that whether overpriced ice cream or affordable one, albeit their diversities, the coolness is the same and it never lasts forever.