Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Way to Earn a Million a Month—Don’t Let This Slip Out

Upon hearing these words, the onlookers suddenly realized what was happening. The viewers in the stream were equally taken aback.

"Rising from my sickbed in shock, I never thought the real clown was me all along!"

"As expected, the older the ginger, the spicier it gets!"

"Younger folks lack experience—streamer, you should really learn from this old man."

Compared to Bai Qingming’s various clever tricks, what the viewers truly loved was seeing him fail. Especially every time Bai Qingming’s plans went awry, the gifts from the viewers would multiply several times over, as if money were no object. People watched the stream for entertainment, and when they were amused, they would lavishly send gifts to mock Bai Qingming, unable to stop once they started.

Truth be told, Bai Qingming had really been outperformed by the old man. He hadn’t expected that, despite seeming to be seventy or eighty, the old man could pull off such antics, rivaling the young in both bravado and thick skin. Usually, he was the one putting on a show for others, but today, he found himself the target.

“Young man, I’m heading home now. You’d better go back and practice some more,” the old man said, following up with these parting words. He quickly packed up his chessboard, left the banner inscribed with “Seeking Defeat Alone” behind, and jogged away.

The viewers were even more astonished.

“This old man can’t be young, right? Yet he’s so spry? He runs faster than I do.”

“Could it be the streamer is some miracle doctor, making seniors fit and energetic?”

“My second uncle’s had a stroke for over a decade and limps when he walks—hey streamer, can I invite you to play chess with my uncle?”

“It’s late; let me tell a story to the brothers downstairs to pass the time.”

“Little White Rabbit and Little Squirrel were good friends. One day, they helped Uncle Goat harvest a cart of carrots. To thank them, Uncle Goat offered them some carrots. Little White Rabbit happily accepted, but Little Squirrel said, ‘I don’t want carrots; could you give me some seeds instead?’ Uncle Goat smiled and said, ‘Sure, just give me your email address.’”

“137****467@, email sent. Wishing you lifelong peace and a hundred years of health.”

“Damn, are we really just switching topics like that?”

“I’m an internet police officer. My duty is to maintain a civilized and healthy online environment. I now have reason to suspect you’re conducting some illicit transactions. I advise you to send me a copy for inspection—my email is 198****874@—and I must see what I want within one minute.”

“Ahem, well, brothers, I have a friend...”

“...”

As the chat continued, the tone suddenly shifted, and soon everyone was posting their email addresses, a flood of numbers filling the screen until it was dazzling.

Amid this lively atmosphere, Bai Qingming made a snap decision to select a few lucky viewers at random for a surprise.

He opened his cloud drive on his phone, picked a few emails at random, and sent over his cherished forty gigabytes’ worth of “seeds.”

Very soon, the chat exploded again.

“What the hell, who’s the heartless one who sent me twenty gigs of the Evening News?”

“Damn, I got twenty gigs of In the Night Garden over here.”

“I already took my pants off, and this is what I get?”

“Which maniac did this? Dare to step forward—I promise I won’t come to your house with a baseball bat!”

At this moment, watching the messages from these lucky viewers, Bai Qingming felt deeply gratified. As a law-abiding citizen, he saw it as his duty to help maintain a civilized and healthy online environment.

He glanced at the follower count in his stream. Just a few hundred thousand short of eight million, Bai Qingming resolved to push a bit harder tonight and hit that milestone before logging off. Riding the wave of excitement, he decided to keep things lively.

Just then, a particular message in the chat caught his attention.

“Streamer, could you have some pity on me? I’m out of town looking for work, haven’t eaten in days—could you lend me a little money?”

Before Bai Qingming could respond, the chat lit up with reactions.

“Bro, I’ve seen you in several streams already—still haven’t borrowed that money?”

“Don’t believe him, streamer—it’s a scam.”

“That’s right, streamer, don’t fall for it. Your money doesn’t grow on trees either.”

The viewers tried to dissuade him. But Bai Qingming didn’t see it that way. The message reminded him of his own hard times. There was always genuine kindness in the world; though many scammers used such tactics, Bai Qingming decided to trust that this viewer really needed help.

With this in mind, he spoke up at once.

“To the friend asking for a loan—I believe you. Send me your situation privately, and if everything checks out, I’ll send you a hundred bucks for a meal.”

His words brought forth a new wave of messages.

“Seriously, streamer? You’d believe a scammer?”

“Big spender, huh? I want to borrow some too—oh wait, not borrow, I mean a partnership. I’ve thought up a start-up: shared telephones! You just scan a code and call—do you want to invest, streamer? Not much, just a million would do.”

“I think that idea has potential. I’m rooting for you upstairs!”

Line after line of messages appeared, and Bai Qingming’s face fell.

“A million? I could manage a hundred, but do you know how long it would take me to earn a million?”

His reaction sent the viewers into fits of laughter.

But just then, Bai Qingming snapped his fingers and began to count down slowly:

“Three, two, one—earned it!”

In that instant, the viewers were stunned.

“???”

“???”

“???”

A screen full of question marks swept by; everyone was baffled.

“As expected, if you want to see someone show off, you come to the Bachelor Godfather’s stream.”

“Streamer, you’re even better at this than that old man!”

“There are plenty of show-offs in the world, but in your presence, even I must bow my head!”

“I’m the top show-off in Northeast China, but I bow only to the Bachelor Godfather!”

...

Seizing the moment, Bai Qingming spoke again.

“Actually, I have a foolproof way to earn a million a month—anyone interested?”

His words sent the viewers into a frenzy.

“Seriously? Streamer, you’re not joking, are you?”

“Tell us, streamer! We can’t wait!”

“Hold on, let me get my notebook.”

“Don’t bother—my guess is the streamer’s method is robbing a bank. After that, you’ll be all over the news and become famous overnight.”

The viewers grew increasingly impatient.

“The method isn’t robbing a bank,” Bai Qingming shook his head.

“Actually, it’s very simple. Here’s what you do: prepare one billion first, then deposit it in Yu’e Bao. After that, you don’t have to do anything, and I guarantee you’ll earn a million a month! How’s that for a way to get rich? Completely legal and aboveboard! I’m only sharing this with you guys—anyone else, I wouldn’t have the heart to tell!”

“Oh, right!” Bai Qingming suddenly thought of something and added with a note of caution, “This method is just for your own use. Make sure you don’t tell anyone else!”