Strange trait of Chinese MCs...

I don't think we read the same novel. 

And yet they make creators boatloads of money every year. Keep in mind that Chinese authors who gain a following for putting out a lot of content make money. Japanese WN’s don’t usually get paid.

Frankly most protagonists aren’t that stupid, but they aren’t geniuses either. When I read this complaint usually the person means “they aren’t doing what I would do”.

Same as so many people complaining about beta protagonists would be pussyslayers and warrior kings in the MC’s place.

I’ll say the same thing I usually do: maybe CN novels aren’t for you, just because some people like it doesn’t mean you should force yourself. 

Word counts and the fact that few people actually like reading/watching characters that are smarter than the reader themselves.

If they did every major movie and popular novel would be more similar to Sherlock Holmes. Instead you get characters like Harry Potter. 

probably also partly a cultural thing, i bet 

Many Japanese and Korean novels started as WNs too. Still, there less stupid male MCs (they kind of have tunnel vision and beta-forever syndromes on other hand).
It's very boring to read about brain dead protagonist though for long. 

Search for official publications that didn't start as web novels 

THE WORD COUNT MAN! THE FUCKING MACHINE GUN RELEASES! 月票月票!!! 

chinese webnovels are expected to update at least once or more daily, simply don't have time to write anything more complex than dumb and angsty.