Chapter 16: Went Viral Online

“Bro, don’t sleep.”

He heard this in a daze, which pulled his hazy mind back.

He didn’t know when, but he had already ended up in a small motel.

The room wasn’t big. There was only a bed inside, and the furniture looked brand new and spotlessly clean.

Bustling voices came from outside the window. It faced the street and was a bit noisy.

It was far worse than the hotel he had been staying in.

Ou Yu clutched his head and crawled up from the bed with a headache.

“I just asked the front desk to help order some takeout, and the next thing I know, you’re about to pass out. Scared me half to death—get up and wash your face.”

Really, he was scared like this, yet his first thought was to protect him.

Ou Yu looked listless as he rubbed his temples. “My emotions fluctuated too much tonight. I’m exhausted. Let me nap for a bit.”

“That’s exactly why you can’t sleep. After that kind of shock, if you doze off, the last scene you saw before sleeping will burn itself into your mind crystal clear. You’ll never shake it off for the rest of your life.”

“That serious?” Ou Yu was stunned.

【What the hell just happened? The live stream chat got mosaiced. We didn’t see a thing.】

【Those screams were so tragic. Gave me chills. That casino’s like a wolf’s den. I’ve got psychological trauma now.】

【Perfect. It’ll teach those idiots online tonight who wanna give gambling a shot. Let this scene become their lifelong nightmare—shaking at the thought of gambling.】

【Some of you, quit worrying about others learning their lesson. Worry about your idols first. They got him hurt that bad. That’s intentional injury!】

【Exactly. All five million people in the live stream saw it. Just wait till Xiao Fen’s stepping on the sewing machine!】

【Fen Treasure’s live stream hit fifty million viewers? I was too worried about Fen Treasure’s safety to celebrate!】

【We’ve already pinpointed the location. Wait for my police report. Damn program crew—why mosaic the street and place names?】

【So you can’t track it.】

【That place is so remote. Hardly anyone’s been there.】

【Forgot about the delay? Fen Treasure already reported it. By the time the cops you call show up, everyone’s been nabbed.】

【Already reported to the cops. They nearly killed him—your idols can rot in jail too.】

【You black fans just can’t stand seeing Fen Treasure excel in every way, huh? Which eye saw Wu Hao get hurt because of Fen Treasure? Did he frame Wu Hao for cheating, or did Brother Zhu take orders from him? Everyone crowded around Fen Treasure and Movie Emperor Ou—who spoke up for them? They get hurt and it’s just fine?】

【When Fen Treasure got framed for cheating, you all clapped and cheered, wishing he’d lose hands and feet, get naked pics snapped. Now Wu Hao’s in trouble, and instead of going after Brother Zhu for running the casino, usury, and gang shit, you’re harassing Fen Treasure? Blind and brainless.】

【Don’t argue with these types. When they’re old, just sell ’em health supplements.】

【That Xiao guy getting his hand chopped? Deserved it! Who told him to go to a place like that? Stay away and none of this happens.】

【You don’t eat and you won’t choke to death, genius.】

【Some darkness doesn’t vanish just ’cause you don’t expose it. It just shows your ignorance and narrow worldview.】

【Those people are beyond saving. If Brother Fen’s actions wake some of ’em up, that’s the best outcome.】

【More trauma like this, please. Save the weak-willed from thinking ‘a little gambling’s harmless fun.’】

【Screen-recorded and sent to lawyers. Waiting for the pros to decide. I’m camping in this live stream. Day Xiao gets nabbed, I’ll send ten aircraft carriers!】

While Xiao Fen was unaware, he had once again topped the hot search charts. The underground casino topic sparked fierce debates among nearly ten million netizens, with the heat staying sky-high.

“Wash up, eat something, and relax properly.” Meanwhile, Xiao Fen cheerfully shoved him into the bathroom. He had already showered and changed into clean clothes.

Ou Yu turned back to look, wanting to say something.

Xiao Fen raised his hand toward him, pretending to pinch the air with a grin like he wanted to take advantage. “Or should I give you a massage?”

Ou Yu was amused and exasperated as he shut the door, casting all thoughts of the bloody scenes aside.

When he came out in a bathrobe, the motel owner had delivered the takeout.

“Eat up quick.” Most of dinner had gone down the drain thanks to Fang Si Ting. Xiao Fen opened the grilled fish container and shoveled rice from the box.

Ou Yu stared at the bright red oil slick and lost his appetite after a few bites.

“Little Fen, tell me—did Wu Hao really cheat tonight?”

“Hey, he and that woman teamed up to scam me. How come you’re not worried about me and questioning me instead?” Xiao Fen put on a aggrieved face. “Who’s your little brother, anyway?”

“What?!” Ou Yu’s eyes went wide.

【Impossible! Absolutely impossible!】

【If big sis is with that Wu guy, I’ll stand on my head, spin around, and shit!】

【Lies—all 18th-Tier Celeb’s hypocritical bullshit!】

【Ouyou, don’t believe him. He’s lying to you!】

Ou Yu eyed him suspiciously. “I saw it myself. On the way upstairs, you and Wu Hao were buddy-buddy, arm in arm. You two share Hu Juan as a mutual friend. How could he…”

Xiao Fen scoffed. “He says it and you buy it? You’re way too gullible.”

Ou Yu: “…”

Xiao Fen took a bite of fish skin and explained, “That woman was the decoy to lure in casual players. She looked like a naive newbie—plainly dressed, easy to let your guard down around.

“Wu Hao was the ringleader. He used Hu Juan’s name to cozy up to me, acting like we were on the same team. On the table, he helped ‘carry my sedan’—making it look like he was fleecing her and the others. But really, every time I’d won enough from the casuals, he’d win it back over a few hands.

“If he kept raking it in nonstop, Dark Lamp would’ve clocked him. But with me as the ‘hotheaded newbie,’ he just controlled my cards during shuffles. The money was ‘mine’ to earn, with him getting ‘lucky’ wins from me now and then. Way lower risk of getting spotted.”

Ou Yu lost what little appetite he had left and went to the bathroom to rinse his mouth.

Xiao Fen followed him in.

“So, you cheated too?”

Xiao Fen gave him a half-smile. “What do you think?”

He neither admitted nor denied it, just threw the question back.

It was something they both knew without saying.

Even someone who’d never played knew three of a kind was hard to hit—and three aces even rarer.

No one got that lucky for no reason.

It was just skill strong enough to show no flaws.

On that table, Xiao Fen called the wins and losses.

“You’ve got skills like that?”

Xiao Fen sidled up beside him. A card appeared out of thin air in his hand—the back pattern identical to the ones from the underground casino that night.

With a flash, it became three suited aces. Another flash, and it turned into a straight.

Seeing him stare in fascination, Xiao Fen scraped the card along his nose bridge and laughed. “Dumb big bro.”

“Hiss—” Ou Yu leaned back to dodge.

So cheeky.

He was a senior in the industry, after all.

Xiao Fen rubbed his fingers together, and the three cards vanished into thin air. With pointed meaning, he said, “I only know a few cheap magic tricks. Nothing else.”

He added, “Feeling better? If so, let’s go finish eating.”

————

In the TV station corridor, Bureau Chief Wu nodded and bowed obsequiously while taking a call.

After hanging up, he straightened and walked into the control room, taking a seat beside Old Master Lu.

“This Xiao Fen’s got real potential.”

Old Master Lu looked at him in surprise.

Just an hour ago, he had issued the order: blacklist Xiao Fen across the industry and start termination proceedings. As an entertainment giant, the Lu Family could’ve ensured he’d never work again.

“What do you mean, Bureau Chief Wu?”

“That casino segment alone pushed Xiao Fen’s live viewers past fifty million. Unlike the usual dry PSAs, this real-life case exposed gambling’s darkest side and sparked unprecedented discussion and reflection online. This approach to education has caught serious attention.” Bureau Chief Wu chuckled. Seeing the late hour, he stood to leave. “Old Master Lu, you’ve got a good eye this time, haha. Keep him around—it’ll do you no harm.”

Old Master Lu inwardly scorned the fickle fool but knew that if Xiao Fen earned official favor, the Lu Family would share the credit. It’d make dealing with those political bigwigs much smoother.

Looks like after the first episode wrapped, it was time to have a chat with this cash cow. A glint flashed in Old Master Lu’s downcast eyes.