Chapter 24
Since the peach-grabbing video went viral, it had been reposted by various accounts, bringing a steady stream of traffic to their newly created “Bi Jiang Shan Orchard” account, which now had around 7,000 followers. A small number in the vast internet landscape, but at least their first livestream wouldn’t have zero viewers.
Jiang Jie also noticed Lin Ran’s familiarity with the livestreaming equipment.
“I used it in a school club,” Lin Ran explained, unable to reveal his practice sessions in “Demon World.”
“As expected of S University. So many activities,” Jiang Jie said, completely convinced, making Lin Ran wonder if his friend’s perception of him was overly idealized. He could probably sell Jiang Jie and he would think he was being sent on a vacation.
Speaking of S University, many of the livestream viewers were his schoolmates. The viral video and the subsequent debunking of the “marketing scam” accusation by a fellow student had revealed his academic achievements.
As soon as the stream started, comments from schoolmates flooded in.
[Flying Rabbit: Will we see Senior Lin Ran? Here for moral support! Saw you on the confession wall during orientation. Hee hee.]
[817261: Oh no, he’s been discovered! He’s our department’s treasure! Don’t snatch him away! I’ll buy a box first! I’m your biggest fan, senpai!]
Lin Ran: !? He was caught off guard by the enthusiastic welcome.
[Handsome Gun: Ran!! Look here! It’s your roommate, Gang Zi! Why didn’t you tell us you were selling peaches?! We would have bought some!] Even his roommates appeared.
“Wow… Lin-zai, so many of your classmates are here!” Jiang Jie, initially nervous, was now delighted, no longer worried about an empty livestream.
[Lemon Lover: Lin-zai?! Is that his nickname? So cute! So different from his usual image at school. [Starry-eyed]] Someone picked up on Jiang Jie’s words.
“No, no, that’s not it. We’re here to sell peaches. Please check the link below…” Lin Ran quickly covered Jiang Jie’s mouth, his ears turning red as he tried to steer the conversation back on track. He hadn’t expected so many schoolmates to show up.
[Lemon Lover: Hahaha, no need for introductions~ Already placed an order!]
[Handsome Gun: Don’t worry, guys! Lin-zai brought us fruit before. It’s delicious! We’ve already ordered three boxes!] Positive comments and purchase notifications kept appearing.
Lin Ran, initially flustered, was now touched by their support. Jiang Jie, seeing his rare display of emotion, grinned and started packing peaches. He had been worried about Lin Ran being judged for his family’s background after the video went viral. Some comments had mentioned his family’s financial situation, and even some villagers had posted pictures of their house for clout. But his classmates were incredibly supportive.
The positive interaction boosted the livestream’s visibility, attracting more viewers.
[Are there really so many S University students here? Is his academic background real?][It’s not marketing! The peaches are just that good! I’m a Lu Wai student, and our cafeteria orders from them. They’re delicious!][Hee hee, I’m here because I tried them at the cafeteria and asked Manager Lei for the link.] There was even a group of Lu Wai students, referred by Mr. Lei Hong.
[Am I the only one here because my mom bought these peaches once, and my family has been craving them ever since? ] And some genuine local residents.
Within minutes, the viewer count climbed from a few dozen to several hundred, a significant number for a rural livestream. Before the first hour was over, their initial stock was sold out!
Even Grandma, who had been anxiously watching, was now in awe of the small device. “Are there really so many young people supporting our orchard?”
“Of course, Grandma! The peaches are delicious! People just didn’t know about them before!” Jiang Jie replied, emphasizing their success.
After the livestream, Lin Ran checked his dorm group chat, which was filled with messages from his roommates calling him “Lin-zai.”
[Linzai You should have told us first if you were selling peaches! We’ll buy some for good luck in our exams!][I only found out from the school forum! Almost missed it!]
Lin Ran hesitated, then typed:
[Lin Ran: I didn’t expect you guys to find out. I’ll bring a box for each of you when school starts. ^-^]
He suddenly felt that perhaps he hadn’t been unlucky all his life, but simply hadn’t tried connecting with others. And perhaps Sootball’s “blessing” had played a role?
The livestream’s success surprised even the village officials. Agricultural livestreaming was encouraged, and having a successful streamer in their village would be beneficial.
“And that young man, Lin Ran, seems quite down-to-earth. What’s the basis for those rumors about his family’s bad luck?” the village secretary, Gu Da, asked.
Everyone exchanged looks, but no one answered. If Lin Ran’s family was unlucky, then the entire village was even more so. He had sold more peaches in a day than others did in a week! If he became successful, wouldn’t the whole village be asking him for help?
“Let’s observe for a while. If he does well, we can invite the local news to report on him,” Secretary Gu decided.
Jiang Changyue, the miser who usually underpaid for Lin Ran’s peaches, seeing he had missed out this year, decided to try livestreaming himself. “It’s just livestreaming… Who doesn’t have a phone?” He didn’t consider the various factors contributing to Lin Ran’s success.
Lin Ran’s courtyard was bustling with activity as Grandma prepared a feast to celebrate. Lin Ran distributed payments to everyone who had helped, much to their surprise and delight.
Jiang Jie noticed Lin Ran constantly checking his phone, as if preoccupied with something.
Having successfully completed the peach sales, Lin Ran was indeed relieved. But he couldn’t help but miss Sootball and the new cub he was supposed to retrieve. He wondered what Sootball was doing, where the new fluffy creature was in the snowy mountains, and if Yuanbao was patrolling his territory or sleeping, whether he was shedding or injured.
He wanted to log into the game; they only existed in that virtual world. But he wondered if Sootball would be cold in the snow. Should he make a little cloak for it?
“Lin-zai, why don’t you relax and watch some TV? Still replying to messages?” Jiang Jie asked, concerned.
“Just checking some messages,” Lin Ran said, smiling. The TV was showing entertainment news: the popular child star, An Xun, had disappeared from a film set. Despite being only five years old, he had already played many famous roles.
“I saw his juice commercial. And he was so good as the little prince in that movie; it made me cry,” Jiang Jie said, worried. He had imagined hiring a spokesperson like that for their orchard if it became successful.
“I’m sure there’s a reason. It’s a safe country. Such a cute kid, he’ll be fine,” Lin Ran said, praying for the child’s safety. His parents must be frantic.
Meanwhile, Shao Zi Jue sighed, seeing the “Livestream has ended. Subscribe for the next one~” message. He had been so busy he had missed the livestream, and his chance to see his uncle, Shao Mian, who had made a rare appearance. Although he called him “uncle,” he knew Shao Mian was far older than any of their relatives. He had never seen him age. Perhaps that was a demon’s privilege.
But he wasn’t sure if he wanted to be a demon. Only those who truly belonged could understand the blessings and curses of such an existence.
As his secretary opened the door, Shao Mian looked at the easily excitable Shao Zi Jue with a hint of disdain. They were both human, of similar age, yet Shao Zi Jue was far less agreeable than that young human NPC in “Demon World.”
“Ahem, Uncle, so, any unusual activity in Lu Province?” Shao Zi Jue asked, jumping up from the sofa.
“Nothing yet. Perhaps some rogue mutated demons passing through, causing fluctuations in demonic energy,” the secretary replied.
“But it’s hard to say. There are more and more mutated humans now. They’re difficult to identify and more prone to extreme behavior, far more dangerous than ordinary demons,” an elderly demon with silver hair said, shaking his head. Those half-demons should be the human Bureau’s responsibility!
“Humans are strange creatures. They fear us, yet they rely on us when things go wrong,” a young demon complained, ignoring Shao Zi Jue, then quickly bowed and disappeared as Shao Mian glanced at him.
Shao Zi Jue, though not fully understanding, sensed something. “It seems the conflict between humans and demons is intensifying…”
Shao Mian remained silent, thinking of Lin Ran. Did “Demon World” have a purpose in introducing a human?
As the time came, Lin Ran logged into the game. Seeing Sootball asleep, he went to the sewing workshop to make some equipment.
“Cheep~” Sootball, waking up, flew over and snuggled against him.
“You’re getting bigger and clingier, huh?” Lin Ran chuckled, catching the heavier cub.
“Cheep.” Sootball just wagged its tail.
“We’re going to the snowy mountains to bring home a new little one today. Will you be cold?” he asked, stroking its short fur. The system had warned about extreme weather.
Sootball summoned its purple aura, forming a protective shield. It seemed to be saying it wouldn’t be cold. Then, it flew to his hand, and the aura enveloped him.
[Beep—Cub’s ability transfer activated.] Lin Ran felt a wave of warmth. This was perfect for the snow mountain! His Sootball was becoming so powerful.
“I guess I didn’t need to make this,” he said, taking out the newly made cloak, a cute little padded cape with fluffy trim and pom-poms on the ties.
“Cheep cheep cheep!” Sootball, its eyes shining, immediately wriggled into the cloak, wanting him to tie it.
“Won’t you be hot?” Lin Ran chuckled, thinking it was like a child insisting on wearing a princess dress in winter. But Sootball was always so enthusiastic, never wanting to disappoint him.
“Cheep!” It clearly loved the cloak and had no intention of taking it off.
“Alright, alright. Shall we go then?” He tied the cloak and prepared for their journey, packing milk, medicine, and warm clothes. He didn’t know what to expect, so it was best to be prepared.
“I wonder what kind of fluffy creature it is,” he said, watching Sootball fly around excitedly. In a way, Sootball had chosen the new cub.
Meanwhile, on a snowy peak, a grey and white snow leopard cub huddled in a small cave, its blue eyes closing, exhausted and hungry. As the blizzard subsided, it ventured out, looking at the vast snowfield. A grey demon bird landed nearby, pecking at the ground.
The cub, attempting its first hunt, cautiously stalked the bird, its long tail low to the ground.
“Mew…” But as it pounced, the bird flew away, leaving the cub face-down in the snow. It whimpered softly.
An Xun, unaware of the dangers of Demon World, didn’t know this bird, a Snow Carnivore Bird, was a dangerous, pack-hunting creature. The bird, realizing the cub was alone, called its flock, and a swarm of birds descended upon the cub.
It could handle a single bird, but now, surrounded, they pecked at it relentlessly.
“Mew! Mew!” It cried out, trying to fend them off with its paws, retreating towards the cave. A bird, finding an opening, bit its ear, making it freeze, its beautiful face stained with blood, its eyes barely open.
“What’s happening over there!?” The swarm of birds, converging on the cave, had caught Lin Ran’s attention. He had been searching for the new cub with Sootball, and he sensed something was wrong. But the snowfield was vast; even at full speed, it would take time to reach the cave. He feared what he would find. Would this mission fail?
“Cheep—” Sensing his anxiety, Sootball hesitated, then transformed its demonic energy into wing-like extensions.
Lin Ran: !?
The next moment, he was airborne, Sootball carrying him and his backpack, the snowfield shrinking below. He felt like he was dreaming.
“Sootball, can you carry this much weight?! Are your wings okay? Put me down if you can’t—” he exclaimed, worried about its still-healing wings.
“Emm!” Sootball wanted to reassure him but couldn’t speak while carrying him. It simply flew faster. It could do this. If they reached the cave within seconds, its energy would be enough.
They landed abruptly in the snow.
“Cheep!” Lin Ran immediately checked Sootball, who seemed fine, just exhausted.
“Don’t do that again! It’s too dangerous!”
“Cheep…” Sootball nuzzled his cheek, promising to obey.
“So many Snow Birds. There’s a cave over there,” Lin Ran said, shielding his eyes from the birds. His protective gear and adult size deterred them. He cautiously approached the cave, seeing more birds circling it, drawn by the scent of blood. The entrance was blocked by a small rock, but he could see fur through the cracks.
[Beep—Target cub located!] It was inside! Lin Ran reached the cave, relieved. But he had to get rid of the birds. According to the game guide, they were afraid of fire.
He gathered dry branches, doused them with alcohol from his backpack, and lit them. The flames erupted, scaring the birds away. Lin Ran covered his nose, remembering the game’s description of these birds originating from a demon race with black wings. He had initially found them cool, but now, he thought perhaps too many feathers were a bad thing. His opinion of that race had dropped slightly.
Soon, the birds were gone, leaving only a mess and the dying embers.
“I hope I’m not too late,” he said, crouching down, trying to move the rock blocking the entrance. The cub was clever to have barricaded itself. But the rock wouldn’t budge, as if someone inside was holding it in place. Was the cub still alive and holding on?
“Little one? Are you in there? It’s safe now; they’re all gone…” he said, knocking on the rock.
No response.
He couldn’t wait any longer. He looked at Sootball, who fetched his pickaxe. He would break the rock if necessary.
“Crack!” The rock shattered, and he carefully reached inside, pulling out a frightened grey and white fluffball.
“Mew—!” The cub shrieked, its paws shattering his goggles.
“Hiss…”
“Cheep!” Sootball bristled.
“It’s okay, Sootball! Don’t attack! I’m fine, just my goggles,” Lin Ran reassured Sootball, checking for injuries. It seemed like the cub’s desperate last attempt to defend itself.
“Are you scared? You’re safe now. It’s okay…” With his goggles broken, his kind, concerned eyes met the cub’s blue gaze in the vast snowfield.
“Mew…” The cub’s cry softened, and Lin Ran realized it wasn’t a bird’s chirp but the cub’s voice! It was a fluffy creature with a cute little voice.
