A man, driving a brand new Porsche, weaves through the city's neon lights. He is handsome and confident, having changed five girlfriends in a year. After each relationship ends, those ex-girlfriends always complain or boast to their friends: "My ex-boyfriend drives a Porsche!" Thus, the legend of this city began:
Not just these five ex-girlfriends, but all the friends, colleagues, and acquaintances who have heard this phrase also start to think: "If she can find a boyfriend who drives a Porsche, why can’t I?" The inflation of confidence spreads rapidly like economic inflation. Hence, we see scenes like this:
In a café, a few girlfriends discuss: "Do you think that man who drives a Porsche is really the ultimate destination for all women?" In the gym, a girl grits her teeth and manages to do 10 more minutes of squats, just because her friend mentioned her ex-boyfriend driving a Porsche yesterday. In the nightclub, a few girls who just bought new dresses exchange glances: "What’s tonight's goal? To find that man who drives a Porsche, or at least his friend!"
What’s even more interesting is that this man hasn’t done anything particularly special. He has merely left some simple legends in different social circles—those car keys held high, those seemingly casual selfies in the garage, and the luxurious restaurants he casually checks into on social media. Thus, he became the mysterious and attractive "top player" in the minds of women in this city.
However, this "consciousness inflation" also brought unexpected consequences:
Those men who are flaunted as "My ex-boyfriend drives a Porsche," whether they intend to take over or not, feel increased pressure. They begin to wonder if they should also get a better car? And those men who don’t have a Porsche but still hope for love start to be forced into this "illusion economy." From borrowing friends' car keys to taking virtual "luxury car photos," all sorts of operations emerge. Even more amusingly, the sales of Porsches in this city surprisingly increased a little! Even car dealers began to name this phenomenon: "Ex-boyfriend Effect."