[Partner Li Ye: Just playing around; Partner Zhang: Swearing to be an expert; Final verdict: Double standards]
[Wait a minute, look at Mao Mao! He just got a Fc too!]
Li Yimao practiced again with all his might, because he was a loyal player of Rebel Lightyear and was very familiar with the chart operation. Although there was a new chart this time, he still picked it up very quickly.
As soon as he successfully completed the full count (FC), he confidently challenged Zhang Chaohe. Zhang Chaohe hadn't paid attention to his previous performance and was a little careless this time. Two of his cursors only showed excellent scores, and he still failed to achieve an all-perfect (AP) score.
Li Yimao crossed his legs, striking the same slouchy pose he usually adopted when playing games in private, and shouted, "Again!"
Zhang Chaohe didn't expect Li Yimao to get the hang of it so quickly. He grabbed a piece of paper to wipe his sweaty hands and got into a ready position!
Both players started simultaneously—this time it was still a double FC (Final Fight), and neither of them successfully achieved AP (Action).
The two exchanged a glance, both seeing provocation and defiance in each other's eyes—Let's go again!
Assistant Chen, standing some distance away, opened his mouth as if to say: "Wait a minute, we're live-streaming a product showcase, not live-streaming esports!!"
[This is hilarious! I bet Boss Zhang is scratching his head in front of the screen.]
Don't let elementary school students meet; will they even be able to decide a winner today?
If it doesn't work, send me the installation package. I'm a master-level player and offer professional boosting services (doge).
After playing five games in a row, Zhang Chaohe, with his innate advantage in skill, finally defeated Li Yimao and got AP! Amid cheers from the chat, Zhang Chaohe calmly wiped his hands and said, "So-so difficulty."
The cheering comments were gradually replaced by laughter comments. Zhang Chaohe secretly glanced at them and almost flew into a rage at the annoyance of these fans.
[Yes, yes, it's only of moderate difficulty; I mean I've practiced hard for many days. I'm going to get first place!]
[Yes, yes, it was of average difficulty, but I almost fell off the table while playing?]
[Stop talking about the previous stuff! I'll start: Little Zhang is incredibly talented, amazing, amazing (50 cents per line, delete in parentheses)]
Although it's unclear why Zhang Chaohe always manages to be hilarious for all sorts of strange reasons during his live streams, this promotion has been very effective. The backend data shows that the download volume of "Rebellious Light Year" is soaring, and if this trend continues, it might even challenge for the download champion title.
At the same time, various octopus masters also surfaced, posting challenge videos of songs of the same or even higher difficulty levels on player forums.
Zhang Chaohe's painstaking efforts to clear his name as a gaming novice have made some progress. People have finally stopped laughing at his poor gaming skills and started laughing at him as an elementary school student.
Zhang Chaohe felt he didn't quite understand netizens' thought processes—so he made a bold statement: if the music pack's revenue reached 70 million in the first month after its release, he would stream the game that received the most requests in the comments section!
You can say I'm not good at games, but you can't say I'm bad at them!!
One newbie, who has already accumulated 500 hours of playtime on a new console game account, said this.
After the live stream ended, Zhang Chaohe originally planned to take promotional photos for the collaboration outfits. However, Cheng Jixue sent a message saying that tomorrow was the last scene and hoped that Zhang Chaohe could visit the set. Zhang Chaohe immediately decided to postpone the filming schedule and personally go to the set to pick up his Consort back to H City.
After returning home, Zhang Chaohe tried to ask for leave. In addition to his elder brother's repeated dissuasion and even his promise to send his private plane to Cheng Jixue, Chairman Zhang and Ms. Zhao were very supportive.
Chairman Zhang patted Zhang Chaohe on the shoulder and said earnestly, "As a man, you must treat your partner well. All the men in the Zhang family love their wives... Ah, the eldest son doesn't have a wife yet, what are we going to do?"
Zhang Yinshan: I really can't stand staying in this house for even a day longer. Let me just go to work and spend the rest of my life with cold, hard documents and cold, hard money!
⚹
On July 26, Zhang Chaohe returned to the film crew. Although Caiye's feathers were a bit dirty from his crazy antics, he was in excellent spirits and had become the tyrant on set. It was said that he even dared to bully the dog of the actor from the next film crew and even chased it for a mile.
This was the first time Zhang Chaohe had visited the film set as the boss... This time, Assistant Chen changed the hotel for the meal, and the ice cream served with the meal was changed from Häagen-Dazs to Baskin-Robbins, which was well received by the crew.
Even if Zhang Chaohe didn't say what he was there for, everyone knew perfectly well—but no one said it outright, and some even considerately suggested that Cheng Jixue take a photo with his investor father. In front of the camera, the president in a suit and the actor in a persimmon-red long gown stood very close, both unconsciously tilting their heads slightly in each other's direction, looking very intimate.
Cheng Jixue checked out of the actors' dormitory, and Zhang Chaohe was waiting for him by the car, while also pulling Caiye, who was eager to run away. Chen Xingting saw that the young boss Zhang had a strong aura standing there, and since there was no one around, he sneaked over like a dog: "Boss Zhang, are you two together?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chaohe immediately straightened his face and retorted righteously, "Nonsense!"
He hasn't even dealt with Ji Boyang yet, how can he be with Cheng Jixue! No way!
A real man should establish his career before starting a family. He wants to wait until he is richer and takes down the main villain, Ji Er, before he can have a happy ending with the protagonist, Xiao Cheng!
Chen Xingting hesitated for a moment before continuing: "Sigh, I wish you two a long and happy marriage in advance, and then we'll try to get it released in the New Year's season. Ideally, we could even win an award or something."
Zhang Chaohe was very puzzled: "Is it that easy to win an award?"
Chen Xingting remained calm: "I feel like it's pretty easy to win awards. Anyway, it seems like all the dramas I've filmed have won awards."
Zhang Chaohe also fell silent: Alright, a top academic genius has come to Versailles, so let's destroy it if we're annoyed.
Zhang Chaohe provided attentive boyfriend-style service throughout, and Cheng Jixue watched him happily bustling around like a beautiful peacock eager to display its plumage in front of a female bird—thinking to herself that they were indeed birds, and had something in common!
The two of them didn't eat much on set, and Zhang Chaohe even secretly took Cheng Jixue to Xiangyuan to eat something delicious. Aunt Zhu hadn't seen him in a long time and said with concern that he had lost weight again. However, Cheng Jixue's heart was with Zhang Chaohe, and he only managed to sneak out to meet Aunt Zhu briefly before rushing back.
Aunt Zhu jokingly asked him when he would be able to properly bring the person over, and Cheng Jixue thought to himself, "I don't know either—it mainly depends on how many tricks the goose has left in its head..."
Zhang Chaohe randomly ordered some items, and Aunt Zhu secretly gave him an extra discount, practically breaking the bank, until he got a total of 1,200 yuan. When Zhang Chaohe signed the bill, he secretly told Cheng Jixue that he was really afraid the restaurant owner would lose everything.
Cheng Jixue: To be honest, Aunt Zhu has already kept a separate account book for you and has strictly ordered me to return the money as soon as I have the chance, and with double the return rate.
After all that commotion, it was already late at night. Zhang Chaohe drove to take Cheng Jixue home first—his neighborhood was too run-down, and Zhang Chaohe wasn't comfortable with it.
Cheng Jixue got off the bus at the entrance of the building with her suitcase. It was quiet at this time. It was too late. Even the old people who usually went for a walk and played cards had gone home. The building was empty and dark, which made it seem a bit eerie.
Zhang Chaohe stomped his foot, intending to turn on the motion-activated light in the stairwell, but the light seemed to be broken, remaining off no matter how much he coughed or stomped.
He sighed, then got into the car and adjusted the front, using the headlights to illuminate the dark entrance to the building. Cheng Jixue, carrying a suitcase, watched him from the side, her features softened and distant by the headlights, like a tranquil, hazy pond under the moonlight.
Zhang Chaohe reached out from the car window and waved: "Go on up, I'll leave after you get on."
Cheng Jixue didn't stand on ceremony with him and said softly, "Good night, Mr. Zhang."
Zhang Chaohe's voice was also low, with a metallic, husky, and pleasant quality: "Good night."
The next second: "Duan Duan".
Being cheeky won't feed you or make you rich, but you'll die if you don't have a cheeky mouth!
Cheng Jixue didn't want to get into a fight with a childish kid. He chuckled, shook his head, turned on his phone's flashlight, and went upstairs.
Zhang Chaohe watched the faint white light disappear around the corner on the first floor—he was just thinking that this dilapidated building not only had no lights but also had broken doors, making the safety situation truly worrying. He was about to reverse and turn around to go home when he suddenly heard Cheng Jixue's muffled scream from the stairwell!
Zhang Chaohe's brow twitched instinctively. Just as he was about to ask what was wrong, he heard a hurried footstep approaching—a panicked figure was running and looking back as he rushed out of the stairwell!
Zhang Chaohe could only see the other person's eyes widen suddenly when they turned their face... He stumbled and tried to squeeze through the gap between the car and the building wall, grabbing the wall for support—but in the blink of an eye! Zhang Chaohe stepped on the gas, showing no concern for his heavy Cayenne. The Cayenne roared with the tires gripping the ground, and with full power, it rammed into the wall!
They also blocked the masked man at the stairwell!
Zhang Chaohe, brimming with energy, leaped from the driver's seat, blocking the entrance between the building and the vehicle. Behind him, Cheng Jixue also rushed forward and jumped off the ramp above! Looking around, seeing that he had nowhere to go, a ruthless glint appeared in his eyes, and he pulled a tall, thin glass bottle directly from his pocket!
Cheng Jixue shouted, "He has sulfuric acid!"
This person had already unscrewed the metal cap of the bottle and raised his hand to splash the liquid inside at Zhang Chaohe!
A note from the author:
It's not that retribution won't come, it's just that the time hasn't arrived yet;
Nobody should laugh at anyone for having a childish nickname!
——
After writing 9k words, I'm completely broke. Who struggled out of the teacup to painstakingly type these words? It was me!!
The guest star list has successfully moved forward! (Proud)
Bubble bubble bubble!
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 63
In the blink of an eye, Zhang Chaohe lunged into the blind spot by the wall of the residential building, while the masked thug suddenly let out a sharp scream—it sounded like two consecutive clattering sounds, followed by heavy thuds and the sounds of a person struggling in vain.
Zhang Chaohe peeked out and saw that Cheng Jixue had already subdued the thug and pinned him against the hood of the Cayenne. He held the thug's wrists with one hand and gripped the back of his head tightly with the other, decisively controlling all his movements.
The starlight was dim here, and even the moonlight couldn't penetrate. The two headlights of the Cayenne were half-hidden, making it impossible to see anyone's expression. All that could be seen was Cheng Jixue looking up, her clear eyes as cold and intimidating as if they had been coated with snow: "Are you alright?"
Zhang Chaohe shook his head. As he took out emergency straps from the trunk to tie the person up, he asked, "Are you alright too?"
"It's alright, it was too dark for him to get hit."
If Cheng Jixue hadn't had excellent hearing and eyesight, and hadn't sensed something was wrong and pushed the suitcase out first, the sulfuric acid would have hit him squarely in the face. Moreover, the assailant, having missed the initial attack, attempted to retreat and jumped off the building, demonstrating that he had come prepared.
However, Cheng Jixue hit him from behind with a phone from a distance, almost breaking his hand bones.
This time, it was truly necessary to call the police. Sulfuric acid is a Class III controlled substance, and the perpetrator is also suspected of attempted intentional injury—it's practically a sure thing for a serious crime. Zhang Chaohe only notified Assistant Chen, and strictly ordered Assistant Chen not to tell Chairman Zhang or the others.
Assistant Chen had been hoping to get a long-awaited beauty sleep today, to help heal the fine lines around his eyes that had recently appeared due to worrying about Boss Zhang. But just as he was drifting off to sleep, Boss Zhang suddenly woke him up with a phone call. He listened intently and learned that Boss Zhang had caught someone throwing sulfuric acid on the spot, and the person was now at the police station.
Assistant Chen reached for the shirt on the bedside table: "Okay, okay, I'll be right there... What?? Mr. Zhang, are you alright?!"
Upon hearing the word "Public Security Bureau" a second ago, Assistant Chen replied: "It's okay, I'll get better with practice."
The next second, his drowsy brain suddenly picked up the keyword "sulphuric acid" from the words, which startled Assistant Chen so much that he instantly sprang out of bed—
How did things escalate to the point where it endangers personal safety?
“It’s nothing… um, don’t forget to bring a lawyer.” Zhang Chaohe said slowly, “This time we really need a lawyer to handle it.”
Upon hearing that Assistant Chen would arrive immediately, Zhang Chaohe hung up the phone. Beside him, Cheng Jixue quietly rested her hands on her knees, her fingers interlaced. Her hands were long and slender, with fair skin, possessing an ethereal elegance and serenity—Zhang Chaohe simply couldn't reconcile these hands with the same hands that had just been bulging with veins and forcefully subduing the thugs.
Cheng Jixue slightly lifted his eyelids and saw Zhang Chaohe staring at his hand with a conflicted expression, so he knew what Zhang was thinking. He subtly shifted his posture and said in a voice so soft it was like a murmur, "I was so scared when I saw him trying to reach for the bottle."
So he used his phone as a brick and slapped it, knocking the glass bottle away on the spot.
Zhang Chaohe suddenly had a startling guess—was he really unable to dodge the punch Li Ye threw at him back then?
Even in the dark, Cheng Jixue's reaction to the criminals was textbook-perfect: quick, accurate, and ruthless. She not only easily subdued them but also calmly and collectedly tied them up with a sailor's knot.
With such reaction speed and experience... would someone really be unable to dodge a punch thrown by Li Ye in a fit of rage?
On one hand, he found it outrageous, but on the other hand, he felt that the guess seemed quite reasonable. Zhang Chaohe asked jokingly, "You looked like a chivalrous knight just now."
Cheng Jixue curved her lips into a smile, her tone wistful: "Because I had a background in martial arts roles when I was young."
He looked down at his dry palms, the lines on them clear and deep. Cheng Jixue seemed to be in a daze, his voice soft: "It's very bitter."
Zhang Chaohe was instantly overwhelmed by a tide of affection—he seemed to see little Cheng Jixue wearing ugly training clothes, gritting his teeth and doing somersaults all by himself.
He extended his own hand, but Zhang Chaohe's palm lines were light and messy. He couldn't read palm lines, only knowing that the line near the thumb was the life line. However, his life line looked a bit crooked, with a small piece missing in the upper part and a large fork in the middle part.
Fortunately, this lifeline extends all the way to the wrist joint, so he can probably still live to be a hundred years old.
Zhang Chaohe rubbed his palms together and even managed to laugh out loud: "My life seems to have been quite eventful."
Cheng Jixue pinched the small bump on the upper edge of his palm below his fingertips and said in a light voice, "I've heard that people with full Five Star Hills have good lives. You will definitely have a smooth life in the future."