Chapter 29 PK

Chapter 29 Player Kill

"Holy hell, I'm absolutely floored!"

"Streamer is a legend! Everyone, stand up and salute!"

"A god! He must be a god!"

"Damn, that was insane! I barely saw it—he just took out all three opponents by himself?"

"I recorded it! I'll upload it later! This is definitely going viral!"

"Just these five minutes alone guarantee this streamer a permanent spot in the gaming community!"

"I never knew this game had an assassin playstyle—a path previously unimagined, pioneering a whole new meta!"

"A friend called me over, but I missed the part where the streamer solo-killed all three opponents, ahhhhhhh! To whoever recorded it, I beg you to post it ASAP! I'll send you a donation!"

This move brought out countless viewers. The gaming community's typing speed was off the charts, and the live stream was instantly flooded with a colorful barrage of comments.

Yu Xin's fan count was skyrocketing at an alarming rate, so fast that the system almost flagged it as suspicious follower purchasing.

After the victory, a results screen appeared, allowing players to fully savor their triumph.

Yu Xin walked to the window and flashed an "OK" sign to the opposite building. When Cheng Zikun saw Yu Xin's face, a huge weight lifted from his mind, and he let out a long sigh of relief.

Thank goodness his Xin-ge was a beast. Losing to someone like "Last Road's Mad Dog" would have made him wake up furious in his sleep.

Jiang Chao was in disbelief: "He... he really took out all three streamers on the other team by himself?"

"Duh, who else could it be?" Cheng Zikun shot him a smug look. "What did I tell you? I was just as stunned when he solo-killed the Wolf Spider King. Some people are just built different."

"I told you guys, but you didn't believe me. So, still think I was bullshitting? Hahahahahaha."

He felt incredibly satisfied, completely vindicated, and was practically bursting with pride. Hmph, good thing he, Young Master Cheng, had an eye for talent and didn't let Yu Xin slip away. Otherwise, who knows when this rising star of the gaming world would have emerged?

Jiang Chao remembered what he'd said to Yu Xin before the game and felt incredibly conflicted, even a little embarrassed. But more than anything, he was excited.

What gamer doesn't admire skill? Especially when Yu Xin won so decisively and stylishly—it was absolutely thrilling. He was almost jealous of Cheng Zikun and couldn't help asking, "Where did you unearth such a gem?"

He'd even made fun of Cheng Zikun for being a brown-noser? Turns out he was the clown all along!

"It's actually kind of wild. I've known Xin-ge for a while now. You have no idea what he was like before..." Cheng Zikun suddenly remembered that Yu Xin didn't want his real identity leaked and quickly cut himself off, turning away. "Xin-ge is still waiting for us downstairs. Let's go meet up with him!"

After the victory, all the bullets in their guns transformed into fireworks. Cheng Zikun circled around Yu Xin like an excited puppy, and he and Jiang Chao emptied their clips, filling the game screen with brilliant fireworks.

They were acting like a couple of overexcited kids. Yu Xin looked annoyed and immediately clicked to exit.

A huge, golden "Victory" flashed on the screen. On the results page, Yu Xin's stats were absurdly high—even an SSS rating felt inadequate for him.

First battle, first win—Yu Xin's debut stream couldn't have gone better.

And the impact of this game went far beyond just this.

The viewer who said they'd recorded it indeed posted the clip of Yu Xin solo-killing the three streamers, and it instantly shot to the front page of the platform's short video section.

"Are all newcomers this skilled nowadays??"

"Non-stop action, especially the last five minutes—my jaw dropped the whole time."

"I was sitting down watching, but before I knew it, I was kneeling in respect. What's up with that?"

"About time the old-timers in the gaming community felt some pressure, lol. If they keep slacking off, they'll get crushed by newcomers sooner or later."

"But to be fair, isn't this newcomer a bit too arrogant? No respect for the veterans. Was shoving the gun in his mouth really necessary? So disrespectful."

"Oh, look, the lapdogs are here. Think we didn't watch the video? Wasn't it your 'Dog Daddy' who said he'd shove the gun in someone's mouth first? How dare you turn around and bite back??"

"Exactly. 'Last Road's Mad Dog,' a veteran? A veteran who specializes in bullying newcomers? Respect has to be earned—is he even worth it?"

"This was pure justice. Well done, streamer!"

The gaming community had long-held grudges against "Last Road's Mad Dog" and his tyrannical fans. Finally seeing him crash and burn—especially streamers and fans who'd had past beef with him—was like celebrating a holiday. Several big fans even started hosting giveaways.

Yu Xin reposted the video on his streaming account with the caption: "Thanks for the lesson, senior."

Comments instantly flooded in, reaching hundreds in no time:

"Hahahaha, so sarcastic."

"The newcomer has attitude. Love it."

"Damn, climbing up by stepping on Brother Dog's head, huh?"

"Lol, as if 'Last Road's Mad Dog' didn't climb the ranks by backstabbing others too. At least this streamer is upfront, unlike some who only backstab."

"Do I need to repeat how 'Last Road's Mad Dog' rose to fame? This is just karma. The newcomers he forced to quit streaming still haven't returned. What goes around comes around—someone like him needs to be put in their place by a hardass like this streamer."

"Don't worry, streamer. Just for taking out this scourge in the gaming community, if the dog's fans come at you, I'll have your back!"

"Count me in!"

Cheng Zikun was over the moon. He'd thought his Xin-ge wasn't much of a talker and might struggle with comebacks, but he didn't expect him to be so lethally sharp. He immediately used his main account to show support under Yu Xin's post:

"Everyone listen up—this is my big bro. If anyone runs their mouths, watch your account."

As a somewhat famous whale in the gaming community, and with many old players knowing he had connections to the platform owner's son, his comment quickly drew responses:

"Young Master Cheng calling the streamer big bro?? Damn, what's the streamer's background? Must be well-connected."

"Background or not, his skill is plain to see. Our community is about to welcome a new Polaris!"

"Followed! If I get in early, I'll be an OG fan (dog emoji)."

"Hahahahaha, Brother Dog must be fuming at home right now. Just thinking about it feels so good."

Brother Dog was indeed fuming.

He hadn't spoken since losing the game, and his stream was dead silent for a full five minutes.

His face was stormy, a far cry from the entertaining persona he usually displayed.

"That's it for today," he finally said after a long pause, his voice grating. "Not in the mood to stream. Signing off."

Without another word, ignoring the furious comments, he shut down the stream.

Just a newcomer! And he made him lose face so badly!

After rising to fame these past few years, Brother Dog had grown accustomed to throwing his weight around in the gaming community. He'd long forgotten what it felt like to be humiliated by someone else.

No way, he absolutely couldn't swallow this insult.

He had to find a way to get even.

What Brother Dog excelled at was manipulating public opinion. No matter how skilled the opponent was, they were still just a newcomer—how much influence could they possibly have? So what if they were good at the game? If he really wanted to take them down, they'd be wrapped around his finger.

Several ways to mess with this newcomer instantly popped into his head, his eyes filled with a scheming look.

****

Yu Xin had a healthy routine. Shortly after reposting the video last night, he signed off, completely unaware of the vicious plans being hatched on the other side.

The next day, like clockwork, he went out for a run and made himself breakfast. His physical fitness had improved significantly compared to before, and running ten kilometers left him feeling great.

After eating, he finally logged in, only to find that aside from a surge in followers, he had also been tagged countless times.

He casually opened a few and discovered they were all reposts of a post by "Last Road's Mad Dog."

The post had been made late last night, long after Yu Xin had gone to sleep, so he hadn't seen it at all.

The post tagged him directly, and its content was simple: "Last Road's Mad Dog" had issued him a challenge, inviting him to a live-streamed PK. The loser would have to publicly call the winner "daddy" across the entire internet.

PK battles between streamers were common. Two streamers would go live around the same time, and the winner would be determined by engagement metrics, which were influenced by factors like viewer count, live chat messages, and likes—but the biggest factor was the amount of donations received during the stream.

However, most streamers would choose opponents with a similar follower count to avoid being mocked for overestimating themselves or bullying someone smaller.

For "Last Road's Mad Dog," a big streamer with years of experience, to challenge a total newbie like Yu Xin, who had only been streaming for less than three days, was a shameless move—he was determined to reclaim his pride.

Of course, he made it sound good, saying something about being a senior inviting a newcomer for a friendly exchange. But anyone with eyes could see how unfair it was. Unfortunately, his fans were numerous and notorious for being toxic, leaving those who disapproved no choice but to voice their anger in the comments under Yu Xin's account.

Shortly after Yu Xin came online, Cheng Zikun's call came through.

"Hello," Yu Xin answered, and Cheng Zikun's projection immediately appeared in front of him.

"Xin, you finally picked up!"

"I've been trying to call you since last night but couldn't get through—I was so worried," Cheng Zikun said urgently. "Have you seen 'Last Road's Mad Dog's' post?"

"I saw it. What about it?" Yu Xin poured himself a cup of hot milk and took a small sip as he spoke.

"He's so shameless!"

Even though it was just a projection, Cheng Zikun's indignation was clear. He was so agitated that he paced around in place.

"And he has the nerve to call it a 'friendly exchange'? Friendly, my ass! He's been a streamer for so long and has already built up a stable group of whales. His donation amounts are among the highest on the platform. You've only been streaming for a few days—how can you compete with him in that regard?"

Although Yu Xin's popularity had skyrocketed, he was still a newcomer who had only been streaming for three days. Most of his new followers were just watching for the drama—how many would actually spend money on him?

Cheng Zikun had money, but the gaming community was full of hidden talents, and most big donors weren't short on cash. Cheng Zikun alone couldn't outdonate them all.

"He's clearly bullying us! What a piece of trash!"

When had Young Master Cheng ever been treated like this? Even though the challenge wasn't directed at him, he considered Yu Xin a close friend. Attacking Xin was no different from attacking him.

Yu Xin, the person actually involved, wasn't as angry as Cheng Zikun. He raised an eyebrow.

Based on what Cheng Zikun and other people online had described yesterday, he already had a good idea of what kind of person "Last Road's Mad Dog" was—petty, vindictive, ruthless, and completely unconcerned about his reputation. Such people were truly difficult to deal with.

He had expected "Last Road's Mad Dog" to get back at him; he just hadn't thought the other would be so impatient.

Probably, he thought Yu Xin, as a newcomer, would be an easy target, which was why he was acting so brazenly—not even bothering to put more effort into his schemes.

"Xin, just ignore him this time. Everyone knows how ridiculous his challenge is. If we don't respond, it doesn't mean we're scared," Cheng Zikun said, though he hated the idea of backing down. But for the sake of Yu Xin's future career, they had to take the insult for now.

"Last Road's Mad Dog" had likely counted on them not daring to accept. But if they refused, the hype from viewers from Yu Xin's victory yesterday would diminish significantly, and people would inevitably think Yu Xin was chickening out.

Accepting and losing would be even worse. Everyone would just see it as a newcomer being arrogant, and Yu Xin would likely be ridiculed if he lost.

This move was truly vicious—they were in a no-win situation. No matter what, "Last Road's Mad Dog" comes out on top.

"Once this blows over, we'll deal with him slowly," Cheng Zikun gritted his teeth. If he didn't make "Last Road's Mad Dog" pay, he wouldn't deserve to be called the second son of the Cheng family!

"Wait, who said I was going to refuse?"

"You're going to accept?!"

"Wait," Cheng Zikun said anxiously, "Xin, don't be impulsive. Accepting won't do us any good. He's clearly bullying a newcomer..."

"But he's also personally handed me a stepping stone to climb higher," Yu Xin finished his milk, licked his lips, and said slowly, "If I don't accept, I'd be wasting his generous offer."

In his view, the other's actions yesterday had already been a huge boost, elevating him from an unknown newcomer to the talk of the town in the entire gaming community. He hadn't expected "Last Road's Mad Dog" to still not have had enough—now he wanted to offer even more.

With such a convenient shortcut handed to him, why not make the most of it?

"But we have to actually win for it to matter, and right now our chances of winning are very, very slim..." Cheng Zikun was speaking the truth, wishing he could shake Yu Xin by the shoulders to make him snap out of it.

"If we give up outright, our chances of winning are zero," Yu Xin said calmly.

"......" Cheng Zikun was speechless. He often wondered where Yu Xin got his confidence and boldness, making decisions that seemed incredibly risky to him.

But... it seemed like every time Yu Xin had made a decision that confused him—from taking down the Wolf Spider King solo to taking down three streamers alone—he had never failed?

So should he trust Yu Xin this time too??

Cheng Zikun actually found himself wavering. Yu Xin had such a strong sense of conviction. Despite his youth, he carried a rock-solid confidence—whatever he said, he would accomplish.

"It's settled then. I'll accept 'Last Road's Mad Dog's' challenge," Yu Xin said firmly.

In his dictionary, the word "retreat" didn't exist.

Yu Xin logged into his account and reposted "Last Road's Mad Dog's" challenge with a reply:

"Alright, tomorrow at 8 PM. I'll be there."

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Author's Note: Tomorrow, someone might be shelling out big money, hehehe.

Thank you all so much for your support. I will continue to work hard!