Chapter Eleven: Better to Save the Money for Watermelon Frost Lozenges for the Goddess

"Young man, are you a streamer?" The taxi driver noticed Bai Qingming holding up his phone, occasionally speaking to the camera, and asked.

Bai Qingming nodded.

The driver continued, "You're going to Tomson Riviera—are you headed there just to stream something?"

"Do you watch my streams, sir?" Bai Qingming was a bit surprised, thinking the driver might be one of his fans.

But the driver shook his head.

"Not really. It's just that I've had several streamers like you ride with me. Young folks these days don’t care about proper jobs, just want to show off, claiming they have mansions, live at Tomson Riviera. When they get there, they film a bit at the entrance and then leave. I'll be honest with you: once we arrive, you won't even get past the gate."

Clearly, the driver didn't believe Bai Qingming was a resident there.

"Actually, sir, I'm going home," Bai Qingming explained.

"Oh, stop pretending. I won't laugh at you," the driver retorted.

"I really am going home."

"Alright, enough. If you keep pretending, just get out—I won’t drive you anymore," the driver said impatiently, clearly annoyed by young people who always try to show off.

Bai Qingming: "..."

...

Tomson Riviera.

Here, every inch of land is precious; it’s the ultimate symbol of wealth. The buildings are magnificent, grand, and exude luxury. Each residence is far beyond the reach of ordinary workers.

Bai Qingming got out of the car and walked several steps, only to look back and see the taxi still parked there.

"Sir, why aren't you leaving?"

The driver lit a cigarette, speaking calmly, "You'll be chased back by the security soon enough. You'll need a ride back to the city, so I might as well wait and earn some more."

In the livestream chat:

"Hahaha, this driver knows what's up!"

"Streamer, maybe find an excuse to turn back—if you can’t get in, it'll be awkward."

"Yeah, streamer. Failing to show off isn’t shameful, but pretending after failing is!"

Reading the barrage of comments, Bai Qingming said nothing, quietly changed the stream title to "Thirty Years East of the River, Thirty Years West, Never Mock a Young Man for Being Poor."

Soon, a security guard spotted Bai Qingming and jogged over.

"Sir, are you a resident here, or visiting someone?" To be fair, the security guard’s attitude was unusually polite, which disappointed Bai Qingming a little. Last time he came for a security job interview, he was mocked, and he’d hoped for a scene where the guard looked down on him, only for him to reveal his real status and slap them in the face. But there was no opportunity for that now.

"My name is Bai Qingming. Could you check where I live?"

Seeing the guard wasn’t giving him a chance to show off, Bai Qingming shelved his plans.

"Please wait a moment."

The guard spoke into his walkie-talkie. Soon, information came back: "Mr. Bai is a new resident, living in Building A, Unit 1601."

Instantly, Bai Qingming’s livestream chat exploded.

"Damn, the streamer really lives at Tomson Riviera?"

"No way, this has to be fake. I bet he’s colluding with the security guard."

"The streamer’s gone all out—how much did he pay for the actor?"

Comment after comment flew by, and Bai Qingming was helpless.

"Why would I lie to you? I didn’t hire any actors."

With the security guard leading the way, Bai Qingming arrived at Building A, Unit 1601.

He pressed his fingerprint to the lock, and as the door opened, Bai Qingming stood frozen.

An Italian handcrafted carpet covered more than a hundred square meters of the living room.

Above him hung a crystal chandelier used by the British royal family.

Floor-to-ceiling windows, fully transparent!

A forty-square-meter viewing platform offered a 360-degree panoramic view of the entire River City.

The entire apartment was an expansive single-level residence, about five hundred square meters—almost the size of a basketball court. Standing inside, Bai Qingming felt as if the air was fresher than outside.

Frankly, when Bai Qingming unlocked the door with his fingerprint, the viewers already believed he owned a luxury home.

But seeing it with their own eyes was still utterly shocking.

[The clown is me after all, sending a treasure map ×1]

A treasure map was sent, announced across the platform, and brought even more viewers to Bai Qingming’s stream.

"A bet’s a bet. I promised a treasure map, so I sent it. Where’s the guy who said he’d eat shit on stream? Will he keep his word?"

"Hahaha, waiting for that guy to go live."

"I’m ready to support his stream with all I’ve got."

"Come on, everyone, let’s form a team and eat shit!"

The chat was lively, but the guy who’d vowed to eat shit if Bai Qingming owned a mansion fell silent.

Of course, Bai Qingming wasn’t going to hound him. It was enough to have a bit of fun.

At that moment, seeing so many people send gifts, Bai Qingming was in high spirits.

"Everyone, that’s it for today’s stream." Bai Qingming couldn’t wait to fully enjoy his mansion. At the last moment, he remembered something and spoke again, "By the way, don’t send me any more gifts. You’ve seen it—I’m rich. To me, gifts are an insult. Better to save your money and buy some watermelon throat lozenges for your goddess."

With that, Bai Qingming ended the stream.

In an instant.

The viewers fell silent.

Goddess?

Watermelon throat lozenges?

Goodness, this guy’s driving so fast, there’s no stopping him.

[The clown is me after all, sending rocket ×10]

[Are you free this Sunday, sending treasure map ×1]

[……]

"This guy’s not acting human! Don’t stop me, today I must properly insult the streamer’s ancestors with gifts!"

"Just thinking that even rich people like the streamer need my charity makes me feel delighted. Enough talk, I’m off to buy lozenges for the goddess."

"If the watermelon lozenges are sold out, will Golden Throat do?"

...

After streaming for so long, Bai Qingming was very pleased with the results.

When his popularity reached 300,000, the system rewarded him with this apartment. At 500,000, he gained master-level fighting skills. Now, with just a bit more effort, he’d reach 700,000, and who knew what the next reward would be.

A luxury car?

Cash?

Anything was fine, he wasn’t picky.

He’d originally wanted a proper job to support himself, but it seemed there was no need. From now on, all he had to do was focus on streaming.

Who would have thought that a silly song about single dogs would bring him 300,000 popularity? He had plenty more of those ridiculous songs. Clearly, people in this parallel world loved this stuff—it was the perfect opportunity.

Just as Bai Qingming was imagining how amazing his future would be, a phone call interrupted his daydream.

The caller ID showed: Brother Wang.

As soon as he answered, Brother Wang’s excited voice came through.

"Good news, good news! Qingming, hurry back—I’ve been watching your place, and there are several murderers knocking on your door again!"