Chapter 30: Hurry to the Western Heaven to Invite the Tathagata Buddha

Anyone who mentions Jiang Chen's name again is dead to me.

In the dormitory.

Watching Li Shuirui's live stream, Zheng Jingjing munched on melon seeds, her eyes filled with suspicion.

"Hey, what did that guy Jiang Chen do to offend Shuirui?"

"Don't look at me, I don't know." Guo Ran shook her head quickly.

"I don't know either," Xu Siyi spoke up proactively before Zheng Jingjing could turn her gaze toward her. "It really is strange. Everything seemed fine over the weekend."

Zheng Jingjing found it baffling. When Shuirui returned to the dorm this afternoon, her expression had been quite grim, and she had issued a very serious and solemn "ban" to them: they were not allowed to mention Jiang Chen's name in front of her again.

This had never happened before.

"That Jiang Chen guy is quite something, actually managing to make Shuirui angry," Zheng Jingjing muttered.

Anger meant an emotional fluctuation had occurred, and emotional fluctuations proved that the other person was no longer indifferent. Therefore, sometimes, being able to make a girl angry was actually a sign of progress.

Li Shuirui remained focused, streaming as usual, chatting with the viewers in her room and occasionally singing a song. It wasn't surprising that more and more people were flocking to this industry; there truly were few jobs more relaxed than this.

*Beep, beep, beep...*

At that moment, a connection request popped up. It was another female streamer, but her fame far surpassed Li Shuirui's, with nearly a million followers.

"Wow, it's Zero Seventeen!"

Someone in the chat quickly recognized her.

Co-streaming was a common practice; it could boost each other's popularity and liven up the atmosphere. Consequently, small streamers would try every possible way to connect with big streamers, much like how minor celebrities would exhaust themselves trying to land a role with a superstar. It was a way to level up within the industry. However, it was quite rare for a big streamer to seek out a small one unless they were friends or it was a random match.

Seeing Zero Seventeen's request, Li Shuirui was also surprised, but she accepted it.

Soon, the screen split in two. A streamer appeared on the screen wearing a tube top, sporting airy bangs and makeup that made her look like a Barbie doll.

"Hi, Shuirui, long time no see," the other woman greeted Li Shuirui warmly.

This Zero Seventeen had become famous through transformation and cosplay videos. The meticulously produced videos in her feed always managed to hit men's "sweet spots"—she was both pure and seductive, a combination of an angel and a demon.

The two had connected once before, but that had been a random match.

At school, Li Shuirui was a high and mighty goddess, qualified to look down on everything, but in front of Zero Seventeen, all her advantages vanished instantly, and she even felt a wave of inexplicable nervousness.

Every industry values seniority and strength, and social media was no exception.

Li Shuirui currently had over twenty thousand viewers in her room, while Zero Seventeen had nearly a hundred thousand. There was simply no comparison.

Of course, compared to their first connection, the gap between them had undoubtedly narrowed slightly. After all, during that random match, Zero Seventeen had cut the connection in less than a minute. This time, however, she had proactively sought her out and acted quite familiar.

"Shuirui, congratulations. A hundred-year guardianship... that's truly enviable."

"Why is this Zero Seventeen talking in such a sarcastic tone?"

Zheng Jingjing and the others were also watching Li Shuirui's stream on their phones.

"I know her. Apparently, before she became famous, she had a lot of dark history—seducing rich heirs, cheating... basically, she's not a good person," Guo Ran said.

But in this world, heroes were always judged by their success. As long as you were successful, no one cared about your past. Moreover, as long as you had money, even the darkest history could be washed clean.

"Is that boss here right now?" Zero Seventeen asked, clearly having come prepared.

"No," Li Shuirui instinctively glanced at the top spot on the fan contribution leaderboard.

It wasn't just today; "Lonely Shadow of the Cold River" hadn't appeared for several days.

"What a shame," Zero Seventeen said, appearing somewhat regretful, before getting down to business. "Well then, Shuirui, let's play a game. How about whoever loses has to draw a turtle on their face?"

Playing a game. In reality, it was a PK (Player Kill/Battle).

It was a way for streamers to earn income. During a PK, streamers would play various mini-games to entice fans to send gifts. When the time ran out, the streamer who received the highest total value of gifts would be the winner. Stimulated by a sense of honor, fans would generally be eager to open their wallets to help their streamer win. Therefore, the outcome of a PK basically depended on the size of the fan base.

"This Zero Seventeen is so calculating! Isn't she doing this on purpose to crush her?!" Zheng Jingjing expressed strong indignation.

A streamer with nearly a million followers going into a PK against someone with fewer than three hundred thousand—anyone could guess the outcome.

"She must have heard that someone activated a hundred-year guardianship in Shuirui's room, so she's jealous," Guo Ran added. She hadn't expected the streaming industry to be this cutthroat.

"It's normal. A whale of a fan like that probably doesn't exist in the entire Starry Sky. Who wouldn't be jealous?" Xu Siyi watched her phone.

Having no choice, Li Shuirui agreed to the proposal. Value bars appeared on both sides of the screen; the gifts and likes sent by fans were converted into "Starlight Points" displayed on the bars.

The actual gap was indeed massive.

Whether in terms of fan count or live viewers, Zero Seventeen held a crushing advantage. Less than a minute after the PK began, various gifts started flooding the screen, and her Starlight Points took a massive lead.

On Li Shuirui's side, although heavy hitters like "Rich Young Master Who Doesn't Lack Money" led the charge, they were ultimately outnumbered. They could only watch helplessly as the gap widened, gradually feeling overwhelmed.

Zero Seventeen lived up to her status as a million-follower influencer; her call to action was immense. Many people rushed over to support her, and the live viewer count surpassed the hundred-thousand mark. Meanwhile, Li Shuirui's side had only twenty-nine thousand people.

"Thank you for the yacht, President Jiang!"

"Thank you for the plane, Brother Zhao!"

"Wow, a Carnival! Boss Sun is so generous!"

Zero Seventeen smiled like a blooming flower, blowing kisses to the camera.

The contrast between the two Starlight bars became increasingly glaring. The fans in Li Shuirui's room saw it and felt anxious. Although losing a PK didn't have much practical significance, it was a symbol of honor.

"Everyone, please stop sending gifts. Thank you all for your support."

Perhaps seeing that the defeat was inevitable, Li Shuirui actually called on her fans to stop sending gifts.

"Streamer, you can't admit defeat!"

"Yeah, if you lose, you have to draw a turtle on your face!"

"Damn, they're just bullying the small guy with their numbers. It's unfair!"

*Rich Young Master Who Doesn't Lack Money: It's still too early to surrender!*

"The Young Master is right!"

"Support the Young Master!"

"Never give up!"

Influenced by the atmosphere, many viewers who usually just watched for free began to top up.

[Boring Rice Fan] sent a [Love Bicycle]

[Limping Golden Leopard] sent a [Dream Castle]

[Wablaze] sent a bouquet of [Rainbow Roses]

...

The fans did their best, but compared to the overwhelming numbers on Zero Seventeen's side, it was merely a drop in the bucket.

"Shuirui is going to lose," Zheng Jingjing said dejectedly.

"Streamer, don't hesitate! Go to the Western Heaven to invite the Buddha!"

At that moment, a comment from a fan named "Egg Man Superman" struck like a bolt of lightning, completely jolting the entire audience in the room.

"Yes! Go to the Western Heaven to invite the Buddha!"

"Go to the Western Heaven to invite the Buddha!"

The exact same phrase began to flood Li Shuirui's chat.

"Are they crazy? Inviting the Buddha? What a bunch of idiots!"

The viewers on Zero Seventeen's side mocked them with disdain, flaunting their dominance.