Professionals required

Li Chengdong, an angel investor and e-commerce industry strategy analyst, said that with the combined power of e-commerce and livestreaming, an individual can set a higher daily sales record than a major retailer, such as a department store or a multinational supermarket chain outlet.

An angel investor is a person providing capital for a business startup, usually in exchange for convertible debt or equity.

But the analyst said the "brand value" of an individual is no longer the sole property of that person, and neither can it be maintained by him or her alone, as this now requires a team of professionals.

Hours before the most recent Jiaqi Fans Rewarding Day, on a Saturday afternoon, Li Jiaqi's office was packed with scores of busy employees. Some were reviewing the rundown for the event, while others were setting up the lights, camera and internet connection for the livestream broadcast. Two were even ironing silk-covered quilts to be recommended to buyers.

In addition, a team of about 15 working in the merchandise department is responsible for collecting the type of products Li recommends each day.

This team deals with hundreds of samples sent to the office by companies wanting to use Li Jiaqi's reputation to increase their sales.

The team members put food products to the test by tasting them and apply skincare goods to the face or body. Once a product passes the test, another team negotiates a price with the company.

Li Jiaqi said he has built his reputation and can sell anything, knowing that a product is of the highest quality.

One homeware company said that once its bedding is recommended by Li Jiaqi, it pays him 500,000 yuan to introduce them for five minutes during his livestream broadcasts. In addition, he takes a 20 percent commission from the revenue of all bedding sold.

"In high school, I found that I had the passion and talent to recommend good-quality items to my fellow students. If I liked a new snack and recommended it to my classmates, the next day it was likely to be sold out at the school canteen," Li Jiaqi said.