Chu Chu's soft voice faded as she read the message aloud.
"But I don't know how to dance."
Her smile remained kind, yet uncertain, clearly trying her best to handle the pressure.
Then, a new message flashed across the screen.
Mr. Hen:
"Hey, I spent 30 Small Rockets on you. That's 30,000 yuan. Do you really think I can just endure being refused?"
Chu Chu's response was calm and unbothered.
"I really don't know how to dance," she said again, politely, gently.
Watching all this, Yang Kai couldn't help but chuckle.
"So that's how it is," he murmured under his breath. "Let's see what this card can do."
Beside him, Chen Zu growled, clearly upset.
"This bastard Mr. Hen is trying to force a girl to dance with money. What a creep."
Hang Chen joined in. "Yeah! Who does he think he is? Just because he's got money?"
Bon Min scoffed. "Some people think their wallet gives them power."
Yang Kai's fingers hovered over the screen. He clicked on the Small Rocket icon.
Please work...
The moment he tapped it, the screen flickered, and a soft chime rang in his ears.
---
[Ding!]
[Host has spent 1,000 yuan. Host has received 10 yuan in the original account.]
---
As soon as Yang Kai seen that, he received a text message on his mobile phone. He opened it and saw that it was the information about the arrival of a bank card.
[China Construction Bank] Your card ending in 1658 received 10 yuan on May 10 at 7:40 pm.
A small grin spread across Yang Kai's face.
It worked.
Without hesitation, he began clicking rapidly, sending rocket after rocket.
On the live stream, the chat exploded into chaos.
The viewers watched in disbelief as a new user, Xuan Yan, suddenly sent 62 Small Rockets in under a minute.
Each rocket cost 1,000 yuan.
---
[Ding!]
[Host has spent 62,000 yuan. Host has received 620 yuan in the original account.]
---
He received a text message again on his mobile phone.
[China Construction Bank] Your card ending in 1658 received 620 yuan on May 10 at 7:42 pm.
The chat room erupted.
"Who is this guy?"
"He just spent 62,000 yuan like it's nothing!"
"Is he going to demand something weird?"
"Is he a big sponsor? A hidden boss?"
Chu Chu stared at the screen, stunned by the sudden flood of fireworks and lights.
She gently set her guitar down for a moment.
"Oh… Xuan Yan, right? Thank you so much for the 62 Small Rockets," she said sweetly. "If there's anything I can do—within my abilities—please let me know."
Inside, she was confused.
Why would someone spend so much on me without asking for anything in return?
Back in the hostel room, Hang Chen sat up straight.
"What? Who the hell is this Xuan Yan guy? He just dropped 62 rockets like it's nothing!"
Bon Min blinked rapidly. "He's insane. No normal person spends like that."
Yang Kai leaned back on his bed, eyes calm.
That was only Small Rockets. The big ones are still untouched.
He tapped on the Big Rocket icon.
Each one was worth 10,000 yuan.
The stream audience was already frenzied from the small rocket storm. But now—chaos.
"Wait—he's sending Big Rockets now?!"
"What the actual hell?!"
"Big Rockets are 10k each! He's already sent 30!"
"Is he trying to marry her on stream or something?"
Yang Kai didn't stop. His finger clicked again and again. His hand began to ache, his knuckles sore.
But he kept going.
By the time he paused to breathe, he had sent 104 Big Rockets.
---
[Ding!]
[Host has spent 1,040,000 yuan. Host has received 10,400 yuan in the original account.]
---
[China Construction Bank] Your card ending in 1658 received 10,400 yuan on May 10 at 7:45 pm.
Mr. Hen's message burst onto the chat.
"Who are you, bastard?!"
Yang Kai glanced at it, rolled his eyes, and ignored it completely.
Instead, he calmly typed a message and sent it to Chu Chu.
"Miss Chu Chu, please continue your singing."
Chu Chu blinked, genuinely surprised.
He… didn't ask me to do anything? No dancing? No weird requests?
Her lips curved into a soft smile.
"All right," she said gently. "Thank you, Mr. Xuan Yan."
She picked up her guitar again and resumed singing, her voice a little lighter, a little brighter—like the sun breaking through clouds.
In his bed, Yang Kai closed his eyes and smiled.
The system had just opened the first door for him.
And the world had only just begun to notice.
Yang Kai tossed his phone aside, the glow of the screen fading into darkness. He lay back on his bed, closed his eyes, and let sleep take him.
For the first time in years, he felt a strange sense of peace.
By the time the sun rose over Jinan, the internet had already exploded.
Screenshots, videos, and rumors swept across every major social platform.
"A mysterious account named Xuan Yan spent over 1.1 million yuan on a single girl streamer last night!"
Clips from Chu Chu's live session were circulating, with hundreds of thousands of views. Her soft singing, the firework-like rain of digital gifts, and the insane number 1,103,000 yuan—all of it sparked wild speculation.
In Yang Kai's small hostel room, the usual chaos of late mornings had begun.
He stretched, yawned, and opened his eyes to see all three of his roommates huddled with their phones, eyes wide, mouths agape.
"Hey," Yang Kai muttered, rubbing his eyes. "What are you guys watching?"
Hang Chen didn't even look up. "You haven't heard?"
He held up his phone, showing a flashy thumbnail of Chu Chu's stream, where rockets still glowed on-screen.
"Someone named Xuan Yan spent over a million yuan last night on a girl streamer. People think he's some underground tycoon."
Yang Kai smiled faintly, concealing the pride bubbling inside him.
So the world's already talking...
Bon Min turned toward him with a sly grin.
"Oh yeah, didn't Sen Ren dump you yesterday?"
Yang Kai picked up his phone from the side of the bed and casually unlocked it.
"Yeah," he replied, shrugging. "But I don't care."
Bon Min laughed and gave him a thumbs-up. "That's the spirit. That's how a man should act."
Yang Kai's phone buzzed non-stop as it unlocked. Notification banners flooded the screen from Girly App.
Private messages. Follower alerts. Group invites.
His eyes narrowed.
What the hell?
He began scrolling through the chaos and noticed a message invitation to a private group chat.
The name caught his attention.
[All Big Shots]
What is this?
He tapped on it, paused for a second, then shrugged.
If it's useless, I'll just leave.
Suddenly his WeChat opened.
He joined the group.
Almost immediately, a message popped up from someone inside.
Mr. Lin:
"Oh? You joined. I'm Lin Yao. Are you the one who spent over a million on a streamer last night?"
Yang Kai hesitated for a moment, then typed his reply.
Yang Kai (Xuan Yan):
"Yeah, that was me. But… what is this group?"
He stared at the screen, waiting.
Inside, his thoughts churned.
This group is called 'All Big Shots'... Does that mean everyone here is rich?
The reply came quickly.
Mr. Lin:
"Mr. Xuan, this group is exclusive. Only powerful and extremely wealthy individuals are invited to join. It's not open to the public."
Yang Kai's eyes widened slightly.
So it's a circle for the elite… And I just walked into it.
He leaned back on his bed, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
The boy who was laughed at yesterday for being a loser had just entered the halls of the wealthy.
The morning sun poured through the half-open window as the usual sounds of footsteps and murmuring filled the hostel hallway.
Bon Min, Hang Chen, and Chen Zu had already slung their bags over their shoulders, preparing to head out for class. As they reached the door, Chen Zu turned back.
"Yang Kai, aren't you coming?" he asked.
Yang Kai, still sitting on his bed, blinked and looked up.
I totally forgot I still have university...
He jumped down in a hurry. "I'm coming. You guys go ahead. I'll catch up."
"Alright, don't be too late," Hang Chen called as the three stepped out.
Once they were gone, the room returned to silence.
Yang Kai rushed to get ready. He grabbed his bag, slipped into his sneakers, and locked the door behind him. Without wasting a second, he bolted down the staircase.
I'm late—and I haven't eaten either!
His footsteps echoed through the stairwell as he reached the ground floor, darted out of the hostel gate, and began sprinting down the sidewalk.
The university campus wasn't far, but today, even the short distance felt like a race against time.