The graph on Zaid’s laptop screen was a soul-crushing sight. After the high of the live stream and the genuine success with Salim, the analytics for his channel had plateaued, then nosedived. The line representing his views was less a mountain peak and more a sad, flat desert.
“We’re dying, Khamis,” Zaid groaned, slumping over his desk. “It’s over. We had one viral moment and now we’re back to being losers.”
Khamis, peering over his shoulder, clicked his tongue. “We’re not dying. We’re… slowing down. The algorithm is a tricky beast. It needs to be fed, constantly. We just don’t have any good meat to throw at it right now.”
“What about the ‘Genuine Resolve’ stuff? The heartfelt journey?” Zaid asked, though he already knew the answer.
“That’s a slow burn, Zaid. A side dish. Right now, we
