As expected, the system backing Su Chen's fortune always provided a plausible source for its monetary rewards—never conjured from thin air. These funds often stemmed from dormant bank accounts or generous donations from various foundations. Much like the ten million gifted to Chu Yi earlier, which had originated from an international philanthropic organization.
So, even before Su Chen received his reward through the passage of time, Chu Yi had already been contemplating how to counter his advantage and seize the upper hand. This time, Su Chen would not walk away unscathed.
With that thought, Chu Yi dialed a number.
"Hello, Butler Wang? I need immediate traction from several major media outlets in Modu, along with trending entertainment commentary accounts on Weibo. I want them on standby, ready to move at my word."
"Money is no issue. I promise to double the red envelopes afterward."
"Yes, if more funds are needed, just ask my father directly."
The dial tone echoed as the call ended, and a faint smile spread across Chu Yi's lips. He pondered for a moment more, then dialed another number—this time, Wu Ji's.
The elite social circles in and around Modu were tightly knit. Families with assets in the billion-yuan range were acquaintances; those worth tens or hundreds of billions were another matter entirely.
The phone rang.
"Hello? Is this… Chu Yi?" Wu Ji's surprised voice came through.
He was stunned—utterly stunned. Just earlier, he'd been planning to call Chu Yi to borrow some money, yet before he could even place the call, Chu Yi had already reached out.
"Yes, it's me, Xiao Wu," Chu Yi said calmly. "You've likely guessed it was me who flooded the stream with gifts."
"I'll be blunt—are you interested in teaming up to bring down Su Chen?"
A faint glint flashed in Chu Yi's eyes. The enemy of one's enemy was often the most useful of allies. Besides, Wu Ji's family had long been entrenched in the film and entertainment industry, managing a host of celebrities. With his influence, they could tarnish Su Chen's image with far greater speed.
"Take down Su Chen?"
"You mean that pretty boy who's trying to steal your top spot?"
"That's him."
"In that case, count me in, Chu Yi," Wu Ji said with a laugh, excitement rising in his voice.
"Very well."
Chu Yi showed no surprise at Wu Ji's agreement—it was all part of his calculations. Now, all that remained was to wait for the showdown between him and Su Chen to begin.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
Time crept steadily forward.
At last, the hands of the watch aligned—it was one o'clock. The moment of reckoning had arrived.
In his bedroom, Su Chen glanced at his watch and smiled faintly. Then, he murmured under his breath:
"System, I'm signing in."
Ding! Host has signed in during Sister Zhou's livestream, triggering a fivefold critical hit. Award: Ten million shark fins.
Ding! Ten million shark fins credited to account.
Su Chen burst into triumphant laughter.
"Haha! Chu Yi, what do you have to challenge me with now?"
Gazing at the dazzling string of digits on his dashboard, he was elated. Ten million! A full ten million shark fins! What could that pretentious Chu possibly use to compete?
Elsewhere, in the tranquil confines of his own bedroom, Chu Yi sat composedly.
Just then, Da Niu barged in, barely containing his excitement.
"Great news, Young Master! Excellent news!"
He handed over a stack of printed documents, his face glowing with enthusiasm.
"Oh? Let me see."
Chu Yi accepted the papers without surprise, his eyes sweeping over the lines of text.
A faint smile curled at his lips.
"In the capital, eighty-year-old Elder Zhang passed away, leaving a will that granted his grandson, Su Chen, a deposit of ten million yuan."
…
Back on the Douyu platform, Sister Zhou's livestream experienced a sudden explosion in traffic. Users began exiting other streams in droves, pouring into her channel. Many even created new accounts just to witness the unfolding drama.
The Douyu app began to lag under the pressure.
"Manager, our servers are nearly maxed out!"
Inside the operations center, chaos reigned. Eyes were glued to the surging metrics.
"Quick—bring the backup servers online!"
"Move, now!"
The flustered manager snapped out of his daze and issued the urgent command.
"Yes, sir!"
The junior staffer jumped to action, nearly toppling a cup of tea as he dashed across the room.
…
Within the stream, the numbers surged past fifty million viewers.
Zhou Xiaofen, standing in the spotlight, was visibly uneasy. Her gaze turned anxiously toward Su Chen.
"Su Chen… maybe we should just stop here."
A flicker of worry glinted in her eyes.
"Don't worry, Sister Zhou. We're destined to win."
With a composed smile, Su Chen strode to the computer, his voice firm as he addressed the stream.
"Chu, I'm here. Where are you now?"
"Come out and face me—don't be a coward."
His brazen challenge ignited fury among the viewers.
"Su Chen, don't be so arrogant. Just earlier, you were groveling like a stray dog."
"Yeah, you agreed to fight at 4.5 million, but when Chu God arrived, you backed out. You've got no honor!"
"Seriously, I hope the money you're spending now came from selling your underwear."
"Heh."
Su Chen remained unmoved by the barrage of insults. He had ten million shark fins in hand—tangible, formidable wealth. Why should he be angered by mere online banter?
Let them see what true power looked like.
With that, he tapped the screen.
Five hundred rockets soared into the sky.
In an instant, the atmosphere of the stream shifted dramatically.