Chapter 17: Hater Fans?

Seeing that the other party had finally stopped sending new messages, Ji Zhi hurriedly replied: 【I didn’t ask anyone else. I only asked you.】

Top Fan No. 3 replied almost immediately—

【Top Fan No. 3: That’s great! Bro, I’m so happy! [confetti][confetti]】

【Top Fan No. 3: Sorry, bro. I got a bit anxious earlier because I thought you might be streaming with someone else~】

【Top Fan No. 3: But bro, I don’t need money as payment. I want that leg band you wore during your last stream [blush]】

Since Top Fan No. 3 had asked for other personal items of his before, Ji Zhi wasn’t too shocked by the request.

Fine, whatever. He had nowhere to put those little accessories anyway.

In the blink of an eye, the day of the stream arrived.

After Fu Huixu left, Ji Zhi got busy right away, diving into a marathon of back-to-back streams.

This gaming stream also served as promotion for the game, so Ji Zhi scheduled it for the afternoon when traffic peaked.

But before going live, he still had plenty of prep work to do. After downloading the game package from the studio, Ji Zhi contacted Top Fan No. 3 to test if they could connect smoothly.

The computer screen was now split in two. Half showed Ji Zhi’s game interface, with a corner cam displaying Ji Zhi himself wearing cat-ear headphones.

The other half was Top Fan No. 3’s game screen—no camera on, but Ji Zhi could already hear the excited yet nervous male voice coming through his headphones: “Bro, I’m a little nervous…”

Ji Zhi had heard Top Fan No. 3’s voice a few times before.

It was clear and crisp, always trailing up at the end like a spoiled whine—and this time was no different.

Ji Zhi reassured him. “It’s normal to feel nervous. I was nervous too during my first stream.”

“If you’re really that tense, maybe we could do this another time…”

Top Fan No. 3 cut in: “No, bro! It’s just… this feels like we’re going official or something.”

Ji Zhi: “…”

Wait, that was the guy’s main concern?

Still, seeing Top Fan No. 3’s reaction put Ji Zhi’s mind at ease.

He had been a bit worried that it was the guy’s first stream and he might freeze up, unable to speak. But everything sounded normal enough.

Once the equipment was set up, Ji Zhi went live.

He had built up a solid fanbase by now, so even with the unusual time slot, plenty of viewers flooded in the moment the stream started.

Ji Zhi began his intro: “Hey everyone, I’m Ji Zhi, your gaming-obsessed streamer.”

“Today’s game is an old favorite that many of you know: Tidal Echoes. Last time I played Tidal Echoes, they had just added new NPCs and side quests.”

“This time, Tidal Echoes is rolling out co-op mode. I hear this co-op feature…”

He diligently recited the ad copy from the game studio, then added, “And of course, I’m gonna give it a shot.”

“So this time, I’ve invited a friend to play along…”

Before Ji Zhi could finish, Top Fan #3 called out “Bro!” in the most affectionate tone.

The stream chat exploded.

After all, the viewers could see the extra game screen and that other player’s ID, which was all too familiar to Ji Zhi’s regulars:

—One look at that ID 【Ji Zhi Full Support—Curse Ji Zhi and Karma Hits Your Whole Fam】 and we know who it is. The hardcore solo stan actually snagged a collab with the streamer!

—Top Fan for months, after all.

—Every time he claps back at haters in chat, I wish for a ride-or-die like that.

—Did he get himself all hyped calling “bro” first?

—Quick primer for newbies: This guy’s the streamer’s ultimate solo stan. Check his profile bio—52 lines of pure obsession. But hey, he’s got some great Tidal Echoes fanart commissions and streamer highlight clips.

—I peeked. Every single line is Ji Zhi this, Ji Zhi that. Now I can’t even look at the name without stan energy.

—His profile is next-level scary. They call it the Ji Zhi Pain Den.

…

Ji Zhi glanced at the comments and realized he didn’t need to introduce Top Fan No. 3 after all. “Alright then, let’s get into the game. I’m picking Ji Zhi—he’s the original lead.”

“I hear they’ve added a few new unlockable endings this time, so let’s try for one today.”

They had already discussed character picks beforehand.

For maximum viewer draw, Ji Zhi went with the [Ji Zhi] character modeled after himself, while Top Fan No. 3 took the original protagonist.

Top Fan No. 3 had no objections.

As Ji Zhi started the game, their screens switched over. Soft, cozy music played as a beautiful 3D town materialized before them.

Even though it had been a while since his last playthrough of Tidal Echoes, Ji Zhi still remembered the gist of the plot—

Strange happenings plagued the town, so the protagonist set out to uncover the truth, embarking on an adventure. [Ji Zhi], as the protagonist’s best friend, learned of it and tagged along for the journey.

This time, with [Ji Zhi] promoted from NPC to co-lead, he appeared right from the start—complete with a bunch of new outfits.