Chapter 40
In that instant, nearly 100,000 people flooded into Jian Yunlan’s live stream. The sudden surge of viewers and the explosion of bullet comments almost caused the entire Ten Thousand Realms platform to crash.
Countless viewers were asking in disbelief:
[Completed it?! What does “completed it” mean?! How did you complete it? Aaaaah!!!]
[F***, even I, who have been following Boss Jian’s stream, am shocked. Let me watch the recorded replay slowly…]
[I told you, God Jian has his plan (holy light) (smiling) sending a spaceship x1]
[Capture the rich sister Mashu!!]
[Fans of the original ‘Paranoid Possession’ rushing in (^?^) Excited!!! Will our couple, Xingzhou and Sheng, finally have their sweet and loving HE ending? I’m so excited! I’m going to watch all of this streamer Jian Yunlan’s recordings tonight!]
[……]
[Be careful, this streamer is no ordinary person. His streams are not recommended to be watched late at night.]
[What are you saying~~ Welcome to the fandom, simple and easy, blue skies, white clouds, walking together all the way (lightboard) (cheering)~~ There are handsome streamers on the line (heart) (heart) daily with thrilling, high-tension plot (heart), click on the fan club and follow, every live stream is an exciting and intense experience.]
Due to the time difference between the Multiverse and the small worlds, it was daytime in the “Paranoid Possession” world, while in the Multiverse, it was 2 AM.
And it was at 2 AM, that the explosive news of “Paranoid Possession” being completed spread across the entire Multiverse, and with it, the popularity of Jian Yunlan’s stream skyrocketed.
Although his popularity had been high to begin with, now, not only were the previous viewers tuning in, but all the book fans of “Paranoid Possession” and even casual onlookers drawn in by this news, pushed Jian Yunlan’s popularity to the top, surpassing the top challengers in the “Paranoid Possession” live streaming world!
It even overshadowed many large streamers who had been challenging for years and had a strong fan base.
Not only the original fans, but viewers following the updates, other streamers… Even Gong Siyuan, the manager of the Book World division at the Multiverse Live Streaming headquarters, was dumbfounded by the sudden completion.
How did it get completed?
“Gong Manager, are you going to stream eating ‘?##@#@%’ now?” a subordinate asked curiously, looking at Gong Siyuan.
As soon as these words were said, all the eyes in the meeting room turned expectantly toward her.
Gong Siyuan: “……”
She was sweating a little!
Gong Siyuan cleared her throat and stood up. “I’ll go greet the streamers who completed the challenge, you all talk amongst yourselves.”
As she walked toward the exclusive teleportation platform, she pressed the button.
The subordinate who realized what had just happened jumped up and stretched out his hand. “No, she’s trying to escape, catch her—”
But Gong Siyuan had already stepped into the floating elevator, and the door closed.
“Damn.”
Locked out of the elevator, the subordinates regrettably pounded the wall.
She slipped away again!
The Multiverse, as a platform gathering the top talents from all worlds, boasted the best standards in technology, culture, magic, and more, with an eclectic style.
Gong Siyuan stood in the floating elevator, which was completely transparent, speeding through the city above. Through the transparent walls, the night view outside was visible—
Giant neon signs flashed with the Multiverse Live Streaming Company advertisement, shimmering with colorful lights. Even in the deep night, the city was lit up, with endless streams of lights and many floating vehicles dragging colorful tail lights, like colorful goldfish swimming through a steel jungle.
The floating elevator crossed over most of the city and arrived at the Multiverse Transit Station in just one minute.
Gong Siyuan took a deep breath, put on a perfect smile, and stepped out of the elevator.
The Multiverse Transit Station, though called a “station,” was actually a vast platform. The platform stretched endlessly, made of white marble, with no extra decorations. Behind it was the boundless night sky.
On the platform, streamers who had been teleported back from the “Paranoid Possession” world had already begun to arrive.
Everyone’s expressions were confused.
Seeing the same bewildered expressions on the faces of other streamers, they seemed to find camaraderie and immediately began whispering to each other:
“What happened? Why did it suddenly end?!”
“I challenged the ‘Paranoid Possession’ world ten times, and half of those were stuck at 59% plot resolution. I thought ‘Paranoid Possession’ couldn’t be completed…”
“How did they complete it? The system didn’t explain, I’m so curious!”
Zhang Jinli, also one of the confused streamers, had been streaming for two or three years. He wasn’t a major streamer, but he had gradually accumulated a small fan base. His golden finger was a stroke of brilliance: maxed-out luck!
Although it was his first time challenging “Paranoid Possession,” he had prepared thoroughly. Not only did he read the original work carefully, but he also watched past recorded streams online for reference. Once in the world, he worked hard, starting by interacting with Ning Sheng on the first day.
However, just as he was making progress in the plot, he was suddenly kicked out of the world, like the other streamers!
Just before being kicked out, Zhang Jinli had been trying to save Ning Sheng. He had just reached a scene where Ning Sheng was being emotionally and physically tormented by Gu Xingzhou. Using his maxed-out luck, Zhang Jinli saved Ning Sheng and took him to safety, even offering him a bowl of hot porridge he had personally made.
But Ning Sheng’s expression was cold, with indifferent eyes. He didn’t even drink the porridge.
Ning Sheng simply whispered, “I’m tired,” and curled up in the corner with a blanket, looking like a lone wolf resisting any interaction, stubbornly putting up spikes.
No wonder Ning Sheng was the ultimate “cool beauty” in tragic melodramas, Zhang Jinli mused.
— Since they were in a world where they were all challenging the book’s plot, the streamers didn’t see other streamers’ live content or the bullet comments. Therefore, they had no idea what was happening in Jian Yunlan’s stream.
If Zhang Jinli knew that his “cool beauty” Ning Sheng was actually in Jian Yunlan’s stream, chasing after a fried rice character arc, even fighting with the protagonist… he might have had a different reaction.
As the streamers chatted, they realized their experiences were similar.
“My plot resolution was only pushed to 30%.”
“Me too. Before I got kicked out, I was still in a meeting with Gu Xingzhou. My god, the pressure from him was so terrifying, I couldn’t guess what he was going to do next. Just talking to him made me short of breath… Truly a psycho-CEO.”
“By the way, everyone’s challenges should have ended. Why haven’t we seen that newbie streamer, Jian Yunlan, who completed the challenge?”
“Did he go directly to the next world to continue challenging?!”
“So, I’m really curious, how did the newbie streamer complete it? This is the first time in thirty years someone has completed it!”
— “Curious? Just ask the characters in the book yourself.”
A calm, steady female voice came through.
Gong Siyuan, dressed in a professional outfit with red-framed glasses, smiled as she walked in. “Hello everyone, I’m Gong Siyuan, the General Manager of the Book World Division at Multiverse Live Streaming Company. Welcome to the Multiverse.”
Many of the challengers, like Jian Yunlan, were rookie streamers selected from various small worlds, and this was their first time in the Multiverse.
As they followed Gong Siyuan into the floating elevator, the rookie streamers pressed their faces against the glass walls, excitedly exclaiming:
“Oh my god, the technology here is so advanced!”
“It has a cyberpunk vibe.”
“It feels like we’ve entered the future!”
But one rookie streamer, still pondering Gong Siyuan’s last sentence, curiously asked:
“Manager Gong, what does ‘ask the characters in the book’ mean? Has the challenge already ended? Does that mean… can we talk to the characters from the book?”
They had just been kicked out of the “Paranoid Possession” world and, due to the sudden transition between worlds, many were still dizzy, stumbling as they walked.
Did they have to re-enter the book and ask the characters inside?
Upon hearing this, Gong Siyuan revealed a mysterious smile at the corner of her lips.
*
“Paranoid Possession” World.
Just a second before Jian Yunlan completed the challenge, Tan Tingting was holding a plate of fried rice, surrounded by her fan club members, happily eating the fried rice.
Suddenly, the air froze, and everything in front of her came to a standstill.
The fluttering leaves paused mid-air, and the smiles, surprise, and excitement on everyone’s faces were all frozen for a moment.
At that very instant, just like everyone else in the “Paranoid Possession” world, a clear mechanical voice rang in her mind:
“Ding dong! Streamer [Jian Yunlan] has successfully completed the challenge in your current world. This livestream’s world line will now become your world’s ‘real world line,’ and is being replaced…”
This supernatural phenomenon caused Tan Tingting’s mind to overload.
As if that wasn’t enough, after the mechanical sound, countless memories surfaced in her mind…
It turned out that the world she lived in was a book.
The timeline of the book spanned only a year, so, like everyone else, she had been trapped in this single year, reliving it countless times!
— Before Boss Jian appeared, her entire year had been spent struggling with her scumbag ex-boyfriend, both physically and emotionally drained.
And just when she finally managed to break up with her ex-boyfriend and was about to start a new life…
The protagonist couple, Ning Sheng and Gu Xingzhou, had a tragic ending.
So, the timeline was reset, and she was sent back to the very beginning, losing all memory, opening her eyes to see the hateful face of her scumbag ex, who arrogantly commanded her, “What’s the point of your graduate studies? Hurry up and drop out, come back to my hometown and marry me. Who else would want you but me?”
Tan Tingting: “…”
This life… she had repeated it over thirty times!
Tan Tingting pressed her acupoint, desperately trying to revive herself.
Equally devastated was Tong Ling, who was sitting in a high school classroom, listening to a math lesson.
— What do you mean she repeated this year over thirty times?!
She was a senior high school student!!!
Repeating senior year over thirty times—seriously, this was basically hell on earth! Ahhh!
As the memories of past timelines rushed back, Tong Ling almost fainted.
Worse than Tan Tingting was that she had spent the entire year diligently helping her family set up street stalls while also managing her studies, tirelessly practicing for exams, preparing for the college entrance examination, working non-stop. And just when she finally finished the exam, got into her dream university, and was about to start her university life…
The protagonist couple had a tragic ending, and the timeline was reset.
She was back… on the first day of senior year.
She opened her eyes to see the teacher handing out review materials: “Class, hang in there, this will be the hardest year, but if you grit your teeth and work hard, time will not let down your efforts!”
But time had indeed let down her efforts. Sob sob sob.
Heaven has betrayed me!
Tong Ling screamed in agony, gazing at the sky.
Also shocked were Bei Shi Zhang Mo, who had prepared for marriage over thirty times, Lin Tianqiu, who had worked part-time over thirty times, and Li Mingxi, who had written the same computer science assignment over thirty times…
Of course, there were also Ning Sheng and Gu Xingzhou, who, in countless worlds, had struggled and fought their way to tragic endings.
In some worlds, they were reduced to misery, their grand ambitions trampled underfoot.
In others, they died together, consumed by irreconcilable hatred.
In some worlds, one died and the other lost their memory. The one who left was fine, but the one who stayed lived on crazed, like a walking corpse…
Ning Sheng and Gu Xingzhou exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock and confusion in each other’s eyes.
But soon, the mechanical voice rang out again—
“Streamer [Jian Yunlan]’s world line upon completion has now become the real world line of the ‘Paranoid Possession’ world! Replacement successful! We wish you a pleasant life!”
“Your world has been unlocked, and you now have access to the Multiverse live streaming platform~”
“As an original resident of the ‘Paranoid Possession’ world, you now have the privilege to view all information of the original work. You can summon the floating light spot from the Multiverse platform and click the ‘Current World Details’ button to view~”
“Welcome to the Multiverse Livestream!”
With the phrase “World line replacement successful,” all the chaotic memories faded away from everyone’s mind, until they disappeared completely, as if they had never occurred.
In the high school classroom, Tong Ling snapped out of her daze.
Hmm, did something just happen? Why does she feel so angry and on the verge of a breakdown?
Tong Ling shook her head, brushing off the strange emotions, and seriously started to take notes, focusing on the blackboard.
Beside the fried rice stand, Tan Tingting’s eyes flashed with a moment of confusion. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, Ye Ming beside her asked, “Do you have any thoughts on this new merchandise?”
Tan Tingting wasn’t sure why she had spaced out for a moment. She rubbed her temples and said, “I think we should incorporate elements of Yangzhou fried rice!”
Under the big tree, Ning Sheng and Gu Xingzhou locked eyes.
The confusion in their eyes faded, replaced by a sense of bewilderment.
The next second, Gu Xingzhou stood up in panic and shouted, “Why are you so close to me? Are you in love with me?! I advise you not to. Let’s start from being enemies and work towards becoming members of the fried rice alliance, okay?”
Ning Sheng: “…”
She felt as though a large amount of information had rushed into her mind, but it quickly disappeared.
This feeling of someone invading her mind wasn’t pleasant.
…But their lives had indeed undergone earth-shattering changes.
Ning Sheng’s eyes deepened slightly as he looked at the semi-transparent light screen floating before him, which definitely didn’t look like a product of this world’s technology.
It displayed the words [Multiverse Livestream Room].
At the same time, Gu Xingzhou also saw the same light screen. His expression changed, as did those of the people around him.
“Sh*t, what is this?!”
“Did you guys see this too? I thought I was the only one seeing it! Scared me to death, are the Trisolarans invading Earth?! What is this ‘sophons’ attack?!”
“What a sci-fi scene…”
Exclamations and discussions erupted all around.
Meanwhile, the light screen displayed the following comments:
[Welcome residents of the “Paranoid Possession” world to join the Ten Thousand Realms Livestream Room (heart)(heart)~]
[Hehe, finally a new world has been unlocked, so happy!]
[Holy sh*t, “Paranoid Possession” has been unlocked?! Which godly streamer did this—ahhh Ning Baby I love you, I love you, baby come give me a kiss and die ==333]
[Gu Dog, Gu Dog, I’m your fan, Gu Dog! Xingzhou, fly bravely, bear the burden yourself~~~]
[Ning Baby! I’m such a big, beautiful, cute Ning Baby!! Just thinking that Ning Baby can see me talking is so exciting hahaha]
[Sister Gui, are you watching? Our little rose has always been supporting you QUQ]
[Heartbroken for Tong Ling who fought through the college entrance exam over thirty times]
The people from the “Paranoid Possession” world were all staring in shock at the barrage of comments flying across the screen.
What… a livestream room?
The crowd began to discuss it, in confusion.
But soon, all the exclamations and discussions were replaced by another wave of mournful and confused cries—
“Where is Boss Jian?!”
Han Lin stared in shock at the place where the tricycle had been.
Just a second ago, Boss Jian had waved the spatula and handed her the last serving of fried rice. Now, he had disappeared without a trace.
Along with him, his tricycle, his big dog Mao Mao, his pots and pans…
The scent of Boss Jian’s fried rice still lingered in the air.
Everyone stared blankly at the spot where he had been.
Tears began to fall.
“I don’t believe it, he can’t just leave us like this, sob sob sob!”
“Heartless man, heartless man… What is this Multiverse livestream platform? Bring our Boss Jian back!”
“Boss Jian!!! Come back!!!! The village is giving out gold bars!!!”
The voices of the crowd were mixed with disbelief and anguish, almost screaming in despair.
Even Ning Sheng, who was usually calm and indifferent, suddenly stood up, clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. He muttered, “Boss Jian… you really have no attachments at all?”
Gu Xingzhou went even crazier. Like a mad dog, he scanned his surroundings, angrily searching for the tricycle that had mysteriously disappeared.
He hugged his head, crying and laughing, “Boss Jian, how can I live without your fried rice!!”
In the Multiverse Livestream Room.
The world of “Paranoid Possession” had just gained access to the Multiverse Livestream Room, and the viewers were ecstatic, frantically confessing their love, sending messages, and giving gifts to the characters in the book or those appearing in the livestream.
However, they received no responses.
Until five minutes later.
The excited and nervous audience finally saw the first comment from the “Paranoid Possession” world.
The comment was:
[Ning Sheng]: Where is Boss Jian Yunlan? We need him.
The Multiverse audience: ???
Wait, this isn’t quite what they expected?
*
[World “Dark River and Bright Light” (Modern/Fantasy Pure Love/ABO/Soap Opera/Faux Incest/Tragic Love) loading…]
[Loading successful!]
A strong smell of disinfectant filled the air.
In the bed of the pheromone specialty department at A City’s Third Hospital, Jian Yunlan groggily opened his eyes and saw the familiar light screen in front of him.
“Dark River and Bright Light,” is this his second world?
…Not long ago, just as Jian Yunlan had finished cooking the last serving of fried rice, a mechanical voice suddenly rang in his ears. The voice asked if he wanted to go to the Multiverse realm for a break, to relax and enjoy the high-tech and welfare benefits of the realms.
Or if he preferred to directly go to the next world and continue the book-related tasks.
As for Jian Yunlan’s answer…
Did it even need to be considered?
Jian Yunlan quickly sat up in bed, his eyes flashing with excitement.
He was in another world again, hehe!
Seeing that the host’s adrenaline was spiking, the system popped up a reminder:
[Synopsis: “Dark River and Bright Light” is a modern ABO pseudo-incest soap opera with tragic love. He, Fu Changfeng, is a gloomy and affectionate older Alpha; he, Yu Ming, is an Omega who was fostered by the Fu family since childhood. Before they turned 18, they lived under the same roof and promised to join the military academy together and serve their country.
But, when Yu Ming turned 18, his glands were injured and accidentally transformed into an Omega, thus missing out on the military academy. Fu Changfeng’s feelings for his childhood friend Yu Ming gradually changed, becoming obsessive and pathological. In order to possess him, Fu Changfeng was willing to use any means, including forced marking…]
[Would you like to view the full details of “Dark River and Bright Light”? Yes/No]
Jian Yunlan promptly clicked “No.”
The system: “…”
Well, not surprised, though a bit frustrated.
Jian Yunlan swiftly turned off the light screen.
He didn’t care about the original plot!
—Just let him go set up a stall!
However, where was he?
At this point, Jian Yunlan finally took a moment to look around. Upon doing so, he realized he was in a hospital room, with an IV drip still hanging on his wrist.
A doctor in a white coat pushed the door open and entered, greeting him warmly, “You’re awake? The surgery was very successful!”
Jian Yunlan: “?”
A bad premonition crept into his mind. Jian Yunlan asked, “What surgery?”
“The surgery for abnormal pheromones,” the doctor flipped through the medical records and said cheerfully, “You’re the first case we’ve had here with multiple pheromones simultaneously present in one person. We successfully stabilized your fluctuating pheromones. Now, you are a perfectly normal Alpha.”
Jian Yunlan was somewhat familiar with the ABO setting.
But his assigned identity was… an Alpha? Jian Yunlan frowned in mild distress. If he had to live in an ABO world, he would have preferred to be a Beta—it would make setting up a stall much easier.
He had heard that Alphas went through an easily agitated period and were more prone to restlessness, affected by all sorts of factors.
But, well, even if he was an Alpha…
It was no big deal.
Nothing could stop him from setting up a stall, so everything else was trivial.
Anyway, the ABO world definitely had suppressants, and once he used one, even as an Alpha, he could set up a stall like crazy!
The doctor had a very meaningful expression as he looked at Jian Yunlan and continued, “Your pheromone is really quite special.”
Jian Yunlan: “What pheromone?”
“Your pheromone smells like spicy hot pot,” the doctor clicked his tongue in amazement. “I’ve never seen such a unique pheromone before. The more common ones are like grass, citrus, or rose…”
As the doctor spoke, he looked at Jian Yunlan with a hint of sympathy.
Such a “special” pheromone, combined with pheromone disorder, would definitely make it difficult for him to find a mate. This young man looked so good, but his pheromone was dragging him down. What a shame… tsk tsk tsk.
Yes, in the ABO world of Dark River and Bright Light, the most important thing in most people’s minds was finding a partner.
If you didn’t have a lover, even if your career was successful, you were considered a failure!
However, hearing that his pheromone was like spicy hot pot, Jian Yunlan not only didn’t show any signs of disappointment, but his eyes lit up with strange excitement. He muttered to himself:
“Spicy hot pot…”
This was the perfect idea for setting up a stall!
AHHH so excited for the next chapter!
Gives new meaning to smelling yummy hehe (I’d get hungry just smelling him lol)