Chapter 15: Deeply Satisfying
“Even his hands look so good! The streamer must be a handsome guy!”
“Handsome my ass. If he’s really good-looking, why won’t he show his face?”
The very next second, the person who posted that last comment was promptly kicked out by 005.
Two hours later, the alarm rang. Mu Lantu stopped building.
The house had only the floor and walls constructed so far. He’d torn it down and rebuilt it several times due to dissatisfaction. For now, it was clear the house took up quite a bit of space, but the rest of the structure wasn’t obvious yet.
Mu Lantu glanced at the computer screen, skimmed over the viewer count and comments, and spoke in his livestream for the first time:
“Welcome to my stream. I’ll be building all kinds of LEGO sets here. If you’re interested, feel free to follow.”
The audience perked up, and the chat was flooded with praise for his voice. His clear, mellow tone and calm, unhurried pace clashed in a pleasant way, mixed with a hint of laziness that gave it a unique charm—enough to make people’s hearts flutter.
Several viewers even sent small virtual gifts.
“Thanks for the gifts, everyone. That’s it for this morning’s stream. I’ll be back at 3 PM and end at 5.”
With that, Mu Lantu ended the stream.
005 said:
[Host, that’s not how it’s done. You should thank people by name when they send gifts—especially the one who sent the rocket. You could even stand up and bow. That’s what other streamers do.]
Mu Lantu stepped out of his study.
“Is that so? Well, your host here intends to be a streamer who stands out from the crowd.”
The black-and-white dumpling (the panda robot) rolled over to him from the living room, acting cute and cuddly.
Mu Lantu picked it up and gave it a few rubs. He looked at his hands, then the floor, and a question popped into his head.
“Dumpling, can your fur be removed and washed?”
It wasn’t visibly dirty, but it had been quite a few days. It probably wasn’t that clean anymore.
Naturally, the panda bot didn’t answer—just snorted and tried to climb onto his shoulder.
Mu Lantu, slightly grossed out, set it back on the floor and messaged Xu Huazhang.
[Xu Huazhang]: Just rinse it with warm water, then dry it with a hairdryer. Its battery lasts about a month—let me know when it needs charging.
Mu Lantu was puzzled. Not afraid of water?
He’d done research—there were robotic pets on the market, but none that came close to this level of intelligence or realism. Not for pandas or any other animal. After the panda bot went viral last time, searches for robotic pets skyrocketed, but none were available for sale.
Xu Huazhang’s identity definitely wasn’t ordinary, and Mu Lantu’s curiosity grew.
The panda bot flopped onto the couch, spread out lazily, and closed its eyes to sleep.
Mu Lantu stared blankly for a moment. If someone smuggled this into a real panda sanctuary, even the most experienced keepers might not notice it wasn’t real.
Just then, a call came in—from He Cuifang.
“Mom.”
She asked anxiously, “Lantu, did you go shopping at the supermarket?”
Mu Lantu was confused. “For what?”
“Ay! You haven’t heard? People say a new planet suddenly appeared in the sky! Some are saying there are aliens up there! It could be the end of the world! Hurry and stock up on food and water—and salt, lots of salt! Actually, I think you should just come home! Out here in the countryside, we’ve got plenty to eat!”
Mu Lantu chuckled, exasperated.
“Mom, it’s all rumors. Don’t believe them or spread them. Even if something were happening, I’m in the Capital—the capital. It’s safer here than anywhere.”
He Cuifang’s confidence wavered. “Well… just in case, buy extra food!”
“Alright, I will. You and Dad, don’t go spreading things. You could get in trouble.”
After hanging up, Mu Lantu shook his head with a helpless smile, washed his hands in the kitchen, grabbed his phone and car keys, and went out to find food.
He could cook and was pretty decent at it, but for now, he didn’t feel like making meals at home. The sheer variety of delicious food outside was too tempting—especially in the Capital, the political, economic, and cultural heart of Jasmine Country. Cuisine from all over the country gathered here; anything you could crave, you could find.
005 watched as his host calmly sat among a group of kids. The small square table was piled with spicy chicken wings, chicken wraps, popcorn chicken, fries, Orleans-style wings, ice cream, and Coke—it was impressive. 005 deeply admired his host’s thick skin.
The nearby kids looked on enviously—both at how much food he had and how much he could eat.
First: social media before eating.
After snapping a few photos and posting them to his friend circle, Mu Lantu put on food-grade disposable gloves and began eating.
Just then, his phone lit up again.
[Xu Huazhang]: Lunch and dinner recommendations—healthy, clean, and hygienic. (Photos attached)
Mu Lantu couldn’t help but laugh. Putting “healthy” first—wasn’t that a subtle jab at what he was currently eating? Quite the tactful burn.
[Mu Lantu]: But it’s tasty.
His phone buzzed again—this time it was a message in his university WeChat group. He’d been tagged.
[Wang Xuanming]: Old classmate, living the good life, huh? All I ever see in your feed is food pics. @Mu Lantu
[Miao Yuzhu]: Hahaha! Should I admit I’ve seen every single one of Mu Lantu’s recent posts? BBQ, spicy chicken stew, lamb noodles, mala hotpot… everything makes my mouth water!
[Wu Huihui]: I’m so tired of saying I’m jealous.
[Yu Kai]: Looks like @Mu Lantu is still in the Capital? Planning to stay there permanently?
[Zhou Xianlin]: A jobless loafer can only eat and laze around. Another worthless leech added to society.
That last comment made many in the group frown. Everyone knew Zhou Xianlin was talking about Mu Lantu, but he wasn’t the only one currently unemployed—most of them were. They were already anxious about job hunting. Chatting in the group was a way to vent. Zhou Xianlin’s remark was like a stick stirring a pot—instantly annoying.
[Yu Kai]: Zhou Xianlin! What’s your problem? Who asked you? You think being a class rep gives you power forever?
[Miao Yuzhu]: Exactly what I was thinking! He acts like he’s the mayor or something—so smug!
[Xiong Lele]: So what if you found a job? My family already bought me two apartments—one to live in, one to rent. I haven’t even started working yet, but I’ve already hit life goals. How am I a leech?
That one hit hard—really hard.
Not just for the unemployed. Even those who’d found jobs were feeling the sting. Everyone worked themselves to the bone just for food and shelter, but here was Xiong Lele, not even working and already set for life.
[Wang Xuanming]: Whoa—Yu Kai just told me he got kicked out of the group.
Zhou Xianlin was the group admin—no surprise there.
[Zhou Xianlin]: He cursed me, I had every right to kick him out.
[Wang Xuanming]: Idiot! We’re graduates now. You think you’re still in charge? Who’s sticking around to get booted next? I’m out.
Mu Lantu also left the group.
Soon after, he was invited to a new group, where several members were still bashing Zhou Xianlin.
He had really angered everyone this time. The reason was simple: being unemployed was a sore spot for most of them. Not everyone had rich parents like Xiong Lele. Most came from ordinary families and had to work hard just to survive. It was tough—but they kept going.
[Li Guangchao]: Since Zhou Xianlin’s not in this group, let me share something I just found out…
Everyone perked up. What news?
Mu Lantu had a hunch… Could it be—
[Li Guangchao]: Hehe! Zhou Xianlin’s about to lose his job!
The group exploded.
[Yu Kai]: Spill it, bro! What happened?
[Wang Kaiming]: Did he mess up at work? That seems unlikely. He just started—his company wouldn’t give him major responsibilities yet.
[Yu Kai]: Li bro, stop teasing—tell us already!
[Miao Yuzhu]: Hurry up!
[Li Guangchao]: Relax, I’m typing! Fine, I’ll spill it—he pissed someone off. He’ll get the news by today. Then he’ll be job hunting like the rest of us!
A moment later, Mu Lantu got a private message from Li Guangchao.
[Li Guangchao]: Did you see the chat? Lin Sen made the move. Zhou Xianlin finally got a shot to stay in the Capital—won’t be so lucky next time! Hahaha!
Mu Lantu was in great spirits.
[Mu Lantu]: Go back to the group. Get ready to snatch a red envelope.
Mu Lantu sent a 10,000-yuan random red envelope to the group.
There were over 40 people. Evenly split, that was about 200 yuan each. Everyone was thrilled. They all knew exactly why Mu Lantu was handing out money—and some guessed he might’ve found a job.
A bunch of them @’ed him, but Mu Lantu didn’t reply. He focused on his meal.
“Hey handsome, can I add you on WeChat?”
A beautiful woman nearby finally worked up the courage to ask once he put down his phone.
“Sorry, my phone’s dead.”
She blushed and walked away quickly.
Not long after, a trendy man in his late twenties approached, looking at Mu Lantu with interest.
“Hey pretty boy, interested in joining the entertainment industry?”
“Not interested.” Mu Lantu was irritated after being interrupted twice.
The man suddenly recalled the government’s recent anti-fraud campaign and looked like he had an epiphany. He handed over a business card. “I’m a talent agent. Here’s my card.”
Mu Lantu didn’t take it. “I already said, I’m not interested.”
Feng Chun was unwilling to give up. “You’ve got great potential—your looks, your aura—everything screams star material!”
Mu Lantu gave him a light smile. “I know.”
Feng Chun was stunned.
Then Mu Lantu added, “But I’m still not interested.”
