Dean Withers is part of an ecosystem of left-leaning influencers. He and a friend known online simply as Parker have more than a million followers apiece on TikTok, where they debate supporters of Mr. Trump during unpredictable livestreams that Mr. Withers compared to U.F.C. matches.
Making the impromptu five-hour ride between two Chinese cities became a craze among young people. But as their numbers swelled, the authorities shut it down.
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