Mr. Ostrich's Live Stream

"Welcome to Mr. Ostrich's live stream!"

On the screen, Mr. Ostrich, wearing a small top hat and a bright bow tie, is facing the camera making "coo-coo" sounds. Behind him is a lush green meadow, where hundreds of ostriches with glossy feathers wander leisurely, pecking at the grass, and occasionally emitting low-pitched calls.

In the live stream, "666" comments flood the screen. "What is Mr. Ostrich eating today?" "Looking forward to Mr. Ostrich's performance!" "What a spectacle, no wonder it's a celebrity ostrich!" The comment section is bustling with excitement.

Mr. Ostrich's owners, Li Wei and Zhang Li, sit in front of the computer, staring at the constantly changing numbers on the screen. They were once ordinary office workers who quit their jobs to return to their hometown and raise ostriches in order to escape the 996 grind. They had originally just wanted to live a rural life, but unexpectedly, during a chance encounter, Zhang Li had a sudden idea to have an ostrich eat grass in front of the camera, and surprisingly it became a hit.

Thus, "Mr. Ostrich" was born.

Mr. Ostrich is not a specific ostrich. They gave each ostrich a number and took turns appearing on camera. To improve the live stream's appeal, Li Wei and Zhang Li designed various performances for the ostriches, such as having them race, dance, and even learn human "emoticons."

Gradually, the audience developed a deep affection for the ostriches. They remembered each ostrich's number, gave them nicknames, and even established "fan groups" for them in the virtual world. Mr. Ostrich's live stream became increasingly popular, surpassing one million followers.

One day, Li Wei noticed that Ostrich No. 73 was acting strangely. It always stood in the corner blankly, not eating or drinking, and had no reaction to the camera. Li Wei took it to the veterinarian, who told him after examination that Ostrich No. 73 was suffering from depression.

"Depression?" Li Wei was stunned, "An ostrich, how can it get depression?"

The vet shrugged, "Who knows, maybe it's the pressure from the live stream."

Li Wei returned to the live stream and, looking at the calls for Ostrich No. 73 in the comments, he fell into deep thought. He wondered if he and Zhang Li were also repeating the fate of Ostrich No. 73. In order to please the audience, they wracked their brains every day to come up with new and novel performances, but forgot about their original dream. Like Ostrich No. 73, they were trapped in a huge live-streaming cage.

That night's live stream, Li Wei and Zhang Li decided to give the audience a surprise. They planned a "Mr. Ostrich farewell performance".

In front of the camera, the ostriches stood in a line. They were no longer their lively selves, but stood there dully, like sculptures. Li Wei and Zhang Li stood behind them, wearing formal attire, with solemn expressions.

"Dear viewers, tonight is our last live stream of Mr. Ostrich," Li Wei said to the camera, "We want to tell you a secret. Actually, our Mr. Ostriches have always been controlled by us. We used their instincts, and the audience's love, to satisfy our own desires."

The live stream was silent, the comments disappeared.

Zhang Li continued, "We were wrong. We shouldn't treat life as a performance tool, and shouldn't build our own happiness on the pain of others. The depression of Ostrich No. 73 is the best proof."

Li Wei took out a pre-prepared remote control from his pocket and pressed the button on it.

A piercing buzz sounded, and a circle of red light lit up around the necks of the ostriches. They began to spin wildly, like robots that had lost control.

The live stream was a chaotic mess, the viewers were at a loss. They tried to ask questions in the comments, but all the comments they sent disappeared into the void.

Suddenly, all the ostriches stopped, they were motionless, like they were dead.

Li Wei and Zhang Li stood frozen there. They pressed the remote control, but the screen was blank.

The live stream was shut down.

The next day, an inconspicuous piece of news appeared in the corner of social media:

"Mr. Ostrich's live stream permanently banned for violating content regulations."

No one knew what happened behind the scenes, and no one cared where the ostriches, who once brought them joy, had gone.

The city is still noisy, and life continues as usual. In some unknown corner, perhaps a new "Mr. Ostrich" will be born, and then be consumed.