"Wow..." Deng Puyue said, "Is it the one your parents left behind?"
“Hmm. I didn’t have high hopes, but he might offer some inspiration.” Wen Zheng said, “That’s all, we didn’t talk much.”
Deng Puyue criticized him: "What a jerk! Before I met him, he was always praising her, constantly checking the rankings, and saying things like 'he's very smart.'... Now that he's got me, he 'doesn't talk to me much.'"
Deng Puyue lowered her voice and imitated a 70% accuracy, which gave Wen Zheng goosebumps. While saying this, she played another round: "If you keep messing around, I'll hang up."
"I was wrong, Dad." Deng Puyue said obediently and politely, "So Dad, can I interview you about your feelings for him?"
Wen Zheng couldn't really explain it either.
But it certainly won't be the kind of silly thing that Deng Puyue does, like making love-themed cookies for Bai Shuang.
After a few casual words, Wen Zheng got down to business.
"Xuanyuan Tianlu has accepted the challenge. The time is set for the day after tomorrow night for a 1v1 battle royale game on the arena's small map. Spectator mode will be available."
Deng Puyue said, "Okay, my Zheng-ge, keep it up, my Zheng-ge! You are now our guiding light, the idol of countless young girls in love. By the way, do you do live streaming?"
"Go ahead. It seems the spectator mode in Battle Royale doesn't have a first-person perspective."
“I’ll spread the word for you! So are you familiarizing yourself with the map right now?” Deng Puyue heard the rat-a-tat-tat of gunfire coming from Wen Zheng’s side.
"No, I'm earning points."
"Why would I need to earn points?!" Deng Puyue exclaimed in shock. "Are you going to abandon our living space, my Father of Life and Light?!"
"..."
Wen Zheng leaped from the rooftop, landing precisely between two enemies. He ducked, tripping the one on the left, and kicked the one on the right, then switched the dagger from left to right hand, unleashing two beams of white light in quick succession—efficient and effective.
“No, I’ll get a chain,” Wen Zheng said. “I’m not used to having my neck bare.”
Deng Puyue: "…………"
After hanging up the phone, he played a few more games. He efficiently secured first place several times, and Wen Zheng had already smoothly entered the Gold rank—a feat achieved at rocket speed.
Killing and bullying newbies is really boring. After playing for so long, it's not as fun as that annoying newbie at the beginning.
...No. How could I possibly find him interesting!?
Wen Zheng fiercely refuted himself in his heart, and thought of the oath he had made that day.
It must be because he couldn't kill him again that he felt regret.
That's definitely the case.
Having finally accumulated enough points and uploaded the scanned data, he touched the pendant around his neck and logged off with a slight sense of melancholy.
That night, Wen Zheng had a dream, something he hadn't had in a long time.
Right here, in the same living room, the same rooms, with similar furniture, Ms. Liu and Mr. Wen hurriedly came out of the bedroom, each carrying a large black bag.
He had just come home from school and opened the door to his house.
His gaze was low as he first scanned the dining table to see if Ms. Liu had bought any snacks. Finding none, he tossed his backpack onto the sofa and asked, bewildered, "Where are you going? What are you having for dinner?"
He hadn't even taken off his shoes when he sensed an unsettling atmosphere. He saw Ms. Liu's eyes slightly red as she bent down and gave him a hug.
Then a slightly heavy chain was hung around her neck.
“Mom and Dad have something to do, so we won’t be taking you out. We’ll order you some takeout later. Uncle Xu is coming over tonight and will stay with you for a while. He’ll also take you to school in the morning. You have to listen to him.” As Ms. Liu spoke, she tightened her grip on him, and he even felt a little pain.
Then there's Wen's father.
Wen's father simply exchanged fist bumps with Wen Zheng, a hint of sadness in his eyes, but mostly a hearty and relieved laugh.
"Xiao Zheng has grown so tall."
Confused by this unusual behavior, he chased after his parents as they left, asking in a clear voice, "Where are you going? When are you coming back? What's this necklace?...Dad?...Mom?"
"Where are you going?"
"………………"
The dream's scenes were chaotic and turbulent, fragmented and distorted.
When the devastating news of his parents' simultaneous sacrifice arrived, he cried at home until his mind went blank. They died protecting the world; they were heroes. But if he had a choice, he would have preferred to have ordinary parents.
His life collapsed overnight, and he was in a daze. It wasn't until his suicide note was brought back that a glimmer of life returned to his eyes.
It was a beautiful piece of stationery, printed by a special department.
The paper was pale purple and smelled of ink. The black characters were written stroke by stroke; the parents shared a single sheet of paper.
[Xiao Zheng, what we want to tell you is hidden in the chip necklace we gave you before we left. The chip stores three codes. The plaintext of the first code is the key to unlocking the second, and so on. The clue to the first key is hidden in your room.]
[Once you find it and solve it all, you'll know. Good luck! ^-^]
The flames licked the letter.
On the day the fire broke out at Wutong Garden, it was pouring rain outside.
He tried countless times to rush in, but was held back by the adults and held tightly, leaving him only to clutch his pendant in a blank state.
Flames roared, and even though he was standing in a safe place, he felt as if he were being set ablaze. The smell of burning was almost tangible, and a scratchy, itchy sensation came from beside his ear…
etc.
itch?
Wen Zheng sat up abruptly, his hands and feet numb, and his mind went blank for a while.
"Big Black?"
His voice was so hoarse that it startled him. Wen Zheng's heartbeat gradually slowed down. He got out of bed, poured himself a glass of water, and only after drinking it did he feel clear-headed.
The overhead light was dimly lit. Wen Zheng stood barefoot by the bed. Sure enough, Da Hei was awake and had moved to a different position.
It was right next to the ear on the side that felt itchy.
A deep dent was carved into his palm, probably from gripping the pendant too hard during a nightmare. If Big Black hadn't licked him awake, it might have bled.
"Sorry, did I scare you?" Wen Zheng squatted down, held the cat's head on both sides, and pressed it against him.
The warm, furry touch between foreheads brings a sense of calm and peace.
Their eyes met closely, and Wen Zheng smiled at the cat, saying, "Thanks."
Big Black turned its head and flicked its bushy tail.
***
After working for two days, Jin Fanrong spent the next two days finding fault.
After losing face in front of the research institute's private elevator that day, Jin Fanrong's gaze towards Wen Zheng changed.
In the past, he would just make light of colleagues who weren't very sociable, but these past two days he has clearly come to regard Wen Zheng as his mortal enemy.
...Although Wen Zheng didn't really care.
With his headphones in, the world became quiet, and nothing could stop him from dueling with Xuanyuan Tianlu.
Yes, tonight is a platform feast!
The gaming forum remains incredibly active, with Z-bkc's entire streaming history being thoroughly investigated in the past few days. Explanatory posts have generated a massive amount of discussion, enough to make history in the forum's repertoire.
Z, who entered the industry three years ago, signed a B-level contract with Aimao Live, but was relatively unknown.
Because the live stream duration was insufficient to get good recommendation slots, I didn't post photos, make witty remarks, or give out red envelopes. In the early stages, I basically just received a basic salary and entertained myself.
His first major fan base surge came with the appearance of "Measuring Ruler," an outstanding tester in the survival space, whose abilities gained initial recognition from the audience.
He then steadily progressed, gaining fame for his exceptional skills (rare in his living space), his tough and cool demeanor, and his refusal to keep cats.
Z's unique characteristics have successfully imbued his remaining fans with his personal style. They have almost no demands on the streamers, are very laid-back, and let them do whatever they want. Fans are content as long as they beg Z to say a few words each day.
Two words: Humble.
Putting it at someone else's house is simply impossible.
Therefore, Wen Zheng does not have a high status among the streamers, but his fans are extremely loyal and the chat is usually very harmonious, so he doesn't even need to spend much time managing it.
He recently got a cat, which attracted a wave of ridicule, with people saying he wasn't properly managing his public image. However, the criticism subsided after fans exclaimed, "Look at Dahei, is it an ordinary cat?"
Survival space players are quite proud that such a treasure has been unearthed.
Fans were especially happy, as their stock purchases had yielded gains. A three-year longtime fan was even moved to tears, marveling at how honest their son was, hiding such a face for so many years...
The thread on the forum got so long that people started lining up and shouting.
---20345L: So what if Z University lost? Our good looks still won! Long live the Sky Realm!
...
Hundreds of posts have been omitted due to copying and pasting.
In the evening, half an hour before the live broadcast began.
The PK match rooms with open spectator seating have been set up, and players who are interested in this exciting event are taking their seats one after another.
The stands encircled the arena, with steps leading upwards. However, the spectators' view could be easily adjusted; it was simply a setup to create an atmosphere, facilitating cheering, gossip, and rivalry among those around them.
Bei Sining lined up and entered the spectator stands.
The noise was deafening, the excited chatter making him dizzy.
After finding a seat, Bei Sining rested her chin on her hand, lazily staring at the arena with a displeased expression.
He swore he would never play this game called "Battle Royale" again, but the fragile human in his family said he wanted to PK with others.
Despite having very bad memories, Bei Sining still decided to come and see.
How could he, the mighty Demon King of Fate, have ever suffered such humiliation? Being pinned down, ridden, and having a dagger pointed at him... Even though he now knows it's just an illusion, so what?
He wasn't even this disheveled when he destroyed his demon core!
He, Bei Sining, will hold a grudge against that person for the rest of his life!
And he even blamed me for damaging his Geely car, which is ridiculous. I definitely didn't damage it!
Bei Sining grew angrier the more she thought about it, and couldn't help but grind her teeth, forcing herself to focus her attention on the field.
Humans are cunning and greedy; I hope my little idiot doesn't run into that grumpy ghost the other day.
Bei Sining gave a worried hum.
The author has something to say: Dahei is still resentful about being scolded for damaging the Jeep.