Chapter 10
As the belle of the art department, things like dancing and basic musical instruments were just fundamentals to her. She was a complete newcomer to the world of live streaming.
She figured that with her looks and beauty, she was bound to become a huge internet celebrity. Her family, once prosperous, didn't give her much money anymore, but she was determined she could support herself without relying on a man.
But reality is cruel. The internet was full of ugly ghosts, cowering and twisting about behind beauty filters and virtual backgrounds. No matter how revealing your clothes were, it was useless.
Zhao Yuxin felt it was incredibly unfair. With her qualifications and looks, how could she possibly be worse than those people?
She couldn't swallow this indignity and was determined to prove herself. She was so focused on her streaming career that she didn't even want to bother with Zhao Kai anymore. Of course, this was predicated on her clear understanding of what kind of person Zhao Kai was.
Don't be fooled by his glamorous appearance; he was just swiping his family's credit card. The money was definitely limited.
That BMW might have fooled many, but among the vast pool of hidden heirs, he wasn't the richest. The main issue was that he wasn't generous enough. Zhao Yuxin truly didn't take him seriously.
She started her stream, there were only a pitiful dozen or so viewers!!
Her younger sister, Zhao Lele, was among them, and she recognized over half of the usernames. They were all students from Guangda University.
"Zhao Yuxin is live streaming???"
Chen Jiahao, who had been making a fool of himself in the dorm and didn't feel like going out, was scrolling through short videos when a local recommendation suddenly popped up.
Zhao Yuxin didn't even need to wear traditional Chinese clothing; in modern attire, playing the guzheng, she had a particular grace. The main thing was that without any beauty filters or virtual backgrounds, she looked exceptionally natural.
A stream with 16 viewers was rather pathetic. It was even lower than those "tanks" who needed beauty filters.
This was the result for a brand-new, delicate streamer with no team, no management company, and no guild backing her.
Without spending money on promotion, it's hard to gain popularity. After all, no one knows how beautiful you are in real life.
It wasn't that no companies had approached her, but their words were laced with hints about "unspoken rules," and the contracts were practically indentured servitude agreements. Zhao Yuxin was too sharp to fall for that.
Chen Jiahao was suddenly filled with a sense of justice on her behalf. Squinting his eyes, an idea suddenly struck him.
"Ding... Esteemed user, the amount you wish to top up is too large. We have matched you with the appropriate channel."
He casually tried to top up a million, but to his surprise, it was rejected. However, a so-called VIP specialist immediately added him as a friend.
"Hello, Mr. Chen. Our platform is subject to anti-money laundering regulations and rejects any form of improper fund consumption."
"If you are a management company or a guild organization, I can transfer you to a specialized department. Everything will be contract-based."
Chen Jiahao laughed and replied directly, "Private individual. Not a management company, not a guild. Your daddy here feels like spending, and I want to sleep with an internet celebrity."
In reality, I'm timid and hesitant; online, I strike with heavy fists.
The customer service rep was stunned and replied, "Mr. Chen, that is your right, but I must confirm again that the gifts you send after topping up will not be refunded back to you in any way."
"And, your funds are from a legal source."
"Your daddy here isn't short on that bit of money. Also, if you're worried, you can monitor my account."
"Most importantly, it's just a million. What are you guys getting so worked up about? Open up the top-up channel for me."
The customer service rep cautiously replied, "Respected Mr. Chen, then how much are you planning to top up?"
"At least ten million in one go."
Hearing this, the customer service rep laughed, suspecting this guy was just a poser.
You have to understand, the wealthy are everywhere, and the sons of officials and the rich are practically a dime a dozen. But money isn't as casual as you might think.
For someone with a net worth of ten billion, coming up with a hundred million in cash isn't easy. Even a billionaire would have to consider their cash flow before taking out a million in cash.
The platform's controls were very strict, mainly to fear money laundering and the unnecessary trouble it could bring.
"Alright, Mr. Chen. We will now open the ten-million-level top-up channel for you."
As soon as she said this, Chen Jiahao's top-up page was instantly activated. Without a moment's hesitation, he topped up ten times, putting one hundred million in his account.
The customer service rep was dumbfounded: "Um, Mr. Chen, why are you topping up so much?"
In her experience, there weren't many "whales" like this. Anyone who topped up so much was either a management company or a so-called guild.
Even if it wasn't for money laundering, it was a carefully calculated move. They would usually communicate with a mid-level department, not go through a junior customer service rep like her.
"I already told you, to sleep with an internet celebrity. If you want, you could start a stream, and I'll be your number one 'big brother'."
Chen Jiahao teased her shamelessly, then grinned as he looked at the massive amount of "Douyin coins" in his account.
He quickly opened Zhao Yuxin's stream. The situation had improved a bit, with over 30 viewers now. The bullet comments were mostly filled with teasing remarks.
It seemed many of them knew Zhao Yuxin; they were probably students from Guangda.
She had so many simps, yet her stream had so few followers. It was simply pathetic to the extreme.
The moment Chen Jiahao entered the stream, Zhao Yuxin stopped playing. She said in a soft, gentle voice, "Family, according to the platform's agreement, even without PK battles, there's a set time for cross-stream collabs every night."
"Let's see if we can connect with some big internet celebrity."
The screen flickered, showing "Connecting." A moment later, Zhao Yuxin was connected to a male streamer.
"Fuck, sis, you're this pretty? What level of beauty filter are you using?"
A greasy middle-aged man started criticizing her without preamble. "You should just quit streaming. With this few followers, you can't make any money. Your PS skills are so good, I can introduce you to a media company to work for."
Zhao Yuxin immediately got angry, but to maintain her image, she kept a smile on her face and said with an air of calm indifference:
"You're joking, big brother. I don't even know how to turn on a virtual background, let alone a beauty filter."
"Oh, a talent streamer, are you?" the greasy middle-aged man said with disdain. "How about you become my assistant? Stream some games, act cute, call viewers 'brother,' and maybe someone will tip you."
"Look at you, you haven't received a single gift. Can you really make it this way?"
Chen Jiahao took a look. The greasy man on the other side was a gaming streamer, pretty good at World of Warcraft, and considered a mid-tier streamer with nearly a thousand viewers online.
While he didn't have any "whales," gifts of all sizes kept coming in, probably adding up to a few thousand for the night.
In contrast, Zhao Yuxin's side was truly pathetic. The few viewers she had dwindled even further, and not a single gift was in sight. It had the distinct feel of a completely destitute home.
Suppressing her anger, Zhao Yuxin said, "No, thanks. I'm not short of money."
Just then, Zhao Yuxin's dozen or so simps rushed to the other stream to flame him:
"Fuck, greasy man, watch your mouth. Not everyone is a cyber-beggar like you."
"Yeah, our goddess doesn't need a beauty filter. She's the campus belle, okay?"
"That's right. Fat and foul-mouthed, with that fat head and big ears."
Although there were only a few of them, the moderator on the other side banned them instantly, and their insults were drowned out in the sea of bullet comments.
But the greasy man had noticed. With a ding, he initiated a PK battle.