Chapter 21: The Final Showdown

Chapter 21: The Final Showdown

Human joys and sorrows do not intertwine; the streamer pulled out his phone to check messages, while the chat was in stitches.

"Hahahaha, Erbai, you're flustered!"

"Hahaha, this is the first time Erbai has missed his mark."

"Fruit Broadcasting, good job!"

"In 'What-a-Photo,' Erbai, you should really put some effort into it, hahaha!"

"Talking about this in front of us, the two of you really don't treat us as outsiders, do you? Hahaha"

Chen Bai didn't see the screen filled with 'hahaha' and the popular reaction; instead, he noticed a message on his phone that had popped up but he hadn't checked yet.

Indeed, there was such a matter, with the message concluding with a note expressing hope for active cooperation.

Narrowing his eyes, Chen Moubai held the phone at a distance before turning off the screen and placing it aside. Then, he returned to his keyboard, calmly and sincerely stating, "While I'd love to go, unfortunately..."

Facing the barrage of comments, his tone turned even more sincere as he said, "I've got a lame leg, right this moment."

Pink-haired had his own unique logic system.

When he said he hoped for cooperation, it meant that participation wasn't mandatory; it was optional. However, declining to cooperate couldn't be too obvious, so he had found a perfect excuse.

"..."

The fans in the live stream found it hard to fathom how the man who had just gotten up to fetch black coffee could have possibly developed a limp within such a short span of time.

"Erbai, you'll say anything to avoid taking photos, won't you?" (wide-eyed)

(Pointing and gesturing)

"Hahaha, Qingzhou is speechless."

"Erbai, you... streaming with a limp, truly inspiring perseverance despite adversity." (deadpan)

Indeed, Qingzhou found it difficult to come up with a response to such an obviously fake statement for a moment. After taking down someone who tried to ambush them, all he could manage to say was, "Is that so."

He said, "Wish you a speedy recovery."

True to form, he was playing it cool and professional.

Indeed, citing his lame leg as the reason for declining the invitation, Chen Bai continued gaming after replying to the message.

His reluctance to show his face wasn't due to any shame about his appearance; rather, from past streaming experiences, he found this method to be most convenient and hassle-free, avoiding any peculiar incidents.

The lame-legged Chen Moubai, indeed, regretfully missed out on the photo shoot. Before the semi-finals, the opening screen of Fruit Streaming transformed into a promotional poster for the event.

The figures on the poster were portrayed as stylishly handsome, and Qingzhou, blessed with good looks and being the top streamer on the platform, firmly held the center position, catching the eye with his appealing presence.

Beside this visually stunning figure was a round avatar, whereupon the image of a god of wealth holding a golden ingot stood out even more, in a certain sense.

Now everyone was aware of Chen Moubai's yearning for money and his sudden lame leg incident.

---

Streaming until two in the morning and then struggling to get up the next morning... unable to rise, Chen Bai reclined back onto his bed, eyes half-closed, fumbling around until he finally grasped his phone placed on the bedside table.

His half-open, squinting eyes clicked open the livestream app on instinct, wanting to check the timing of today’s match.

And then, right on the opening screen, he saw his own avatar.

“…”

His mind suddenly became a little clearer.

The platform had actually used this method to ensure his appearance on the promotional poster.

Beside the image of the God of Wealth was a rather handsome face, faintly familiar, but the vision was indeed blurry. Once the five seconds of the splash screen had passed, the image switched; he hadn't been able to get a good look at the person.

The person on the poster wasn't important. He rolled over, switching hands as he held his phone, tapping twice with his finger to check the time of the match.

The timing had been adjusted, starting half an hour earlier than usual.

It was a tricky time, too early for an advanced dinner, yet coinciding with the live broadcast if one dined later.

Pink-haired tossed the phone back onto the bed.

Between getting up to buy breakfast downstairs and starting his computer, he chose to close his eyes.

He closed his eyes, but not entirely. The weather was fine today, the curtains weren't drawn, and sunlight flooded into the room, making it bright.

Unable to sleep, in the stillness, the sound of knocking came from outside the door.

Two knocks, neither light nor heavy.

Pink-haired got up, couldn't find his slippers, so he stepped on the floor barefoot, with his hair in a mess, and opened the door.

It was his neighbor, his cap brim pulled low, as handsome as ever, exuding an imposing presence.

His blood pressure was low right after waking up, and he felt a bit weak in his limbs. Chen Bai leaned against the door frame and asked, "Are you heading out?"

Xu Sinian confirmed that he was, then asked, "Did you also make plans to play games with friends this afternoon?"

Chen Bai paused for a moment before nodding in agreement.

Explaining the competition would be too complicated. In these past few days, since he hadn't been able to have meals together with his neighbor, he had simply said that he was going to play games with friends.

Xu Sinian lowered his head and said, "I'm going on location for shooting; I won't be home these few days."

Pink-haired, whose eyes had been half-open, finally opened them fully, asking, "Leaving already?"

"Mm."

Xu Sinian pulled something out of his pocket, which Pink-haired reached to receive. It wasn't until he felt the cool touch that he realized it was a key.

It was the key to the neighboring door. He had borrowed it a few times when he used the other party's kitchen, so he recognized it.

Xu Sinian said, "This is for you. If you want to use the oven or anything else, feel free to do so yourself."

The house hadn't been lived in for a long time, and there wasn't much of value inside. The only truly valuable and practical items were those in the kitchen. It was better for someone to use them than let them gather dust.

Chen Bai held the key in his hand and replied with an affirmative.

He watched as his good neighbor left, leaning against the door and waving, reminding him to send more messages.

The front door closed as Xu Sinian headed to the film set.

Busy preparing for the outdoor shoot, the crew was in even more disarray than usual as they neared departure time. Objects were being shuffled around amidst a sea of chaotic figures.

Out from this crowd emerged the director, clutching a stack of scripts and storyboards. Upon seeing Xu Sinian, he paused momentarily before saying, "You're here?"

It was a superfluous remark.

Xu Sinian acknowledged it with a brief response.

The director chuckled. "I thought you were leaving this afternoon."

This outdoor shoot would last several days, with the crew split into two groups, one leaving in the morning and the other in the afternoon, specifically after dinner.

This individual had often been absent during dinner times in the past, claiming to dine with others. The director had assumed that would be the case again today, thinking that they could depart together in the afternoon.

Xu Sinian didn't elaborate, merely lifting the brim of his cap slightly and responding offhandedly.

---

Having already risen from bed and made his way to the entrance, Chen Bai decided to slip on a jacket and venture downstairs to purchase breakfast, along with an additional meal intended for dinner later that evening. Upon his return, he munched on a steamed bun while booting up his computer.

He didn't have a live stream in the morning, so he played a few rounds casually with Light Boat to find his touch.

In their previous matches, they hadn't held back and had played rather aggressively. As a result, it was highly likely that they would be targeted in the semi-finals.

Aware that he would become a target, yet lacking any other viable alternatives, he practiced during the morning session and took a break midday. Remarkably, he even managed to squeeze in two lock-picking jobs during his lunch hour, earning himself an additional 100 yuan in the process.

As the afternoon match was about to commence, he had just returned from replacing a lock for someone.

As expected, the White Porridge Squad found themselves targeted. In the early game, they were relentlessly pursued by emerging players, missing crucial opportunities for development. Consequently, they entered the late game with rudimentary gear, forced to engage in fierce melees under-equipped and at a significant disadvantage. It was through sheer tenacity and the combined efforts of two members that they managed to stage a remarkable comeback against the odds, barely securing a hard-fought victory, akin to snatching a chicken dinner at the very edge.

The chicken-dinner squad was directly promoted to the finals, securing their qualification without needing to compete further.

They won, but the fans couldn't help feeling uneasy.

This match had been tough. The duo's playstyle visibly grew more conservative as it progressed, and most alarmingly, Chen Erbai, who usually never stopped talking, remained silent this time.

When a chatterbox becomes quiet, it signals that things have taken a dire turn.

Especially worrisome was that Chen Erbai, who cherished money above all, didn't go live that night.

With more teams to be selected and the finals scheduled for three days later, Chen Moubai maintained his regular streaming schedule except on the day of the semi-finals, where he deliberately refrained from mentioning anything about the ongoing competition.

On the day of the finals, six rounds were held from morning till night, testing not only mental resilience but also physical endurance.

The finals were conducted under an accumulative points system, incorporating scores from previous matches. The Porridge Squad led the standings temporarily, with the second-place team closing in swiftly.

Maintaining their cautious strategy from the semi-finals, Chen Moubai and his teammate played defensively in the early rounds of the finals, steadily increasing their score. Meanwhile, the second-place team took bold risks, rapidly closing the gap in points.

From dawn till dusk, by the penultimate round, the Porridge Squad and the second-place team were separated by a mere two points, while the third-place team barely managed to join the top tier.

For these three leading teams, it was a battle of survival: whoever secured the last man standing would emerge victorious.

Coincidentally, the decisive final round began during dinner time. As the match commenced, viewers holding their bowls of food found themselves too engrossed to take a single bite.

Under the balanced points system, the Porridge Squad wasn't targeted for joint suppression by other teams this time, but they still played cautiously, diligently gathering equipment and avoiding direct confrontations whenever possible.

While their conservative approach allowed them to survive longer, it also meant sacrificing kill points, making their position appear precarious compared to the second-place team, who actively sought out kills.

"Oh no, the second and third place teams have each taken another kill, the prize money is looking uncertain now."

"There's nothing to be done, Erbai and Qingzhou must have been terrified by the previous targeted attacks."

"I'm so nervous, I can't even eat my meal."

"Erbai, say something, Erbai! I'm really freaking out here, buddy!"

"Never thought I'd look forward to hearing Erbai speak this much. (smokes)"

The audience in the live stream were on the edge of their seats with worry, while the scene in the stream remained silent. After evading the latest toxic zone, they entered the safe area, and the two began a new round of scavenging through houses.

The house was two-storied and hadn't been ransacked yet. Chen Bai scanned the area, then handed his newly acquired weapons to his companion, keeping only a broken sniper rifle for himself. He said, "I'll check upstairs; you keep watch and see if there's anyone nearby."

Light Boat descended and slipped alongside the wall, making his way out of the house.

From his vantage point, everything around him seemed serene, devoid of any abnormalities, and his headphones relayed no telltale sounds of footsteps.

But those in the main live streaming room could see clearly that, at a not too close but not too far distance, Squad Two was quietly circling around the rear, making use of cover along their path.

Previously, they fought fiercely with high risks yielding high rewards, leaving the squad with only one member. However, given the current score, this sole survivor need only secure one more elimination and then find a safe spot to hold out to secure the top position.

This person, appearing utterly oblivious, was none other than Light Boat.

In the depths of the forest, a dark figure silently readied their rifle.

"Light Boat, turn around!"

"I'm holding my breath in awe."

"Wait a moment, there's something eerily familiar about this scene."

"I can't bring myself to look anymore."

"Bang——"

"Bang——"

Amid the stillness, two gunshots echoed.

Both sounds originated from the window beside the second floor of the building.

The first shot felled the person in the woods, while the second was a finishing shot, ensuring there would be no escape.

A notification of a kill flashed on the screen. The person standing by the window on the second floor, meticulously exploiting the limits of their view, retracted their worn-out sniper rifle and smiled, saying, "Indeed, the bait mini-game always proves effective."