Chapter 128: Debut Livestream

Today was the day Jiang Zheng moved out. He officially checked into a hotel.

After class, Jiang Zheng slung his computer and peripherals over his shoulder, packed his toiletries and clothes, and headed outside the university.

Everyone in the dormitory knew that Jiang Zheng would be staying elsewhere for a while, and they had agreed to cover for him.

Jiang Zheng went to the hotel he had chosen in advance and checked into a fairly decent room.

For the sake of streaming, he had specifically chosen an esports hotel.

Such hotels were not always the most comfortable places to stay, but the gaming experience was undoubtedly better than that of an ordinary hotel.

He had no intention of using the hotel’s equipment. He had brought his own, which he was more familiar with and less likely to mishandle.

After setting up his computer, Jiang Zheng went out again to collect a package. It contained the streaming equipment he had purchased.

It was not the most expensive equipment available, but it was hardly cheap either.

Once everything was assembled, Jiang Zheng made a point of testing the equipment. The results looked quite good, and the game screen was clearly visible.

Jiang Zheng did not plan to show his face during the stream.

He wanted to become a streamer known for his skill, not his appearance, so there was no need to reveal himself.

After making all the preparations, Jiang Zheng sent Lin Yu a message.

Lin Yu replied almost immediately: “Mr. Jiang, you may begin whenever you’re ready.”

After receiving the reply, Jiang Zheng started streaming.

The moment he went live, Lin Yu’s side began directing viewers toward his channel.

Thanks to the extensive promotion beforehand, together with the deliberate influx of viewers at that moment, the number of people in Jiang Zheng’s stream rose rapidly.

Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands...

For a new streamer to attract more than ten thousand viewers in his very first broadcast was extraordinarily rare.

It also proved that people had a tremendous interest in this match.

During his first stream, Jiang Zheng had no idea what he was supposed to say. The chat was moving nonstop, but he had no idea whom to respond to.

In the end, he simply chose to remain silent. That way, he would not say anything wrong and give people an opportunity to seize upon his words.

This situation did not last long. Before long, Lin Yu’s side arranged for Jiang Zheng’s opponent to join the match.

His opponent was using an account with professional certification. Anyone who saw it would know that it belonged to a professional player.

The professional player selected for this match was Dai Chen, a relatively obscure competitor.

He was considered obscure because, among professional players, his skill was near the bottom.

Even so, few ordinary players could defeat him. After all, he was still an active professional player, and his ability was certainly not poor.

It was simply that, compared with other professionals, Dai Chen ranked near the bottom.

Dai Chen also began streaming the match.

It was a new-account stream, arranged after discussions with Lin Yu’s side.

The platform helped direct viewers to Dai Chen’s stream as well.

Whether Jiang Zheng’s side or Dai Chen’s side had the larger audience, the platform would be the one making money in the end.

For Dai Chen, the main purpose of streaming was to let everyone witness the match and prevent his opponent from refusing to pay if he won.

A million yuan was an astronomical sum to Dai Chen. He had been working until now and had still never earned that much.

Dai Chen was determined to claim the million.

The two entered the game and began selecting their heroes.

...

Back in Jiang Zheng’s dormitory, Zhou Quanyi and Liu Hua were watching the match, while Wang Bing was streaming from the side.

“Boss, who do you think will win?” Liu Hua asked.

Zhou Quanyi glanced at him. “Didn’t I analyze this for you yesterday? The newcomer is definitely going to win this match.”

“Boss, if Dai Chen is going to throw the match, why is he streaming it? With so many people watching him lose, does he not even care about his reputation anymore?” Liu Hua asked.

Hearing this, Zhou Quanyi hurriedly asked, “Where did you see that he was streaming?”

“In the chat. People are saying they found Dai Chen’s stream.” Liu Hua pointed toward the scrolling comments.

Zhou Quanyi’s brow furrowed deeply. He then searched for Dai Chen’s channel.

He found it quickly and clicked in. Sure enough, it was Dai Chen’s stream.

There were only a little over a thousand viewers, far fewer than Jiang Zheng had, but for a new streamer, it was still a remarkably good result.

Clearly, the platform had directed viewers toward Dai Chen’s channel.

If that was the case, then the possibility of a fixed match had indeed become very small.

If Dai Chen had not shown his face, fixing the match would have been easier. But who would willingly start a stream just to let everyone watch him lose? That would be a terrible bargain.

His reputation would be completely ruined.

Professional players lived off their youth. Their peak lasted only for a limited period of time. Once that peak passed, their form would decline, and eventually they would enter retirement.

Professional players devoted all their time and energy to gaming, neglecting other skills in the process. Once they retired, deciding what to do next became a difficult problem.

Becoming a gaming streamer or commentator was a respectable career option.

Many retired professionals chose to develop in one of those directions.

Both professions involved becoming a public figure, and public figures valued their reputations above all else.

Would Dai Chen really be foolish enough to stream himself openly throwing a match?

“This match may not be fixed,” Zhou Quanyi said.

“Not fixed? Then do you think Dai Chen will win?” Liu Hua asked.

“No. I still stand by my original view. The newcomer is definitely going to win. His skill may even surpass that of an ordinary professional player,” Zhou Quanyi replied.

That conclusion was astonishing. How could an ordinary player possibly compare with a professional?

Yet once the impossible had been ruled out, no matter how astonishing the remaining possibility seemed, it was still the answer.

...

There were plenty of clever people watching the match, and many of them reached the same conclusion. Jiang Zheng was very likely to win.

After all, Dai Chen was hardly impressive even by professional standards.

Others were uncertain which of them would emerge victorious.

The platform even launched a prize prediction event, and a great many people placed their bets.

...

The game began, and the battle erupted at once.

Dai Chen played aggressively. From the very first level, he tried to kill Jiang Zheng alone, hoping to secure first blood and establish an early foundation for victory.

He had underestimated Jiang Zheng’s skill. His aggression instead gave Jiang Zheng an opportunity.

If Dai Chen had played cautiously and focused on farming, Jiang Zheng would have had little way to deal with him. They had both started with basic equipment, and they were both only level one.

Jiang Zheng soon discovered that Dai Chen’s skill was actually inferior to that of the opponent he had faced in the previous day’s match.

Before long, Jiang Zheng claimed first blood.

Dai Chen’s heart sank. He had actually been killed in return. His opponent was clearly formidable, and he could not afford to be careless.

He had thought the million yuan would be easy money. Now, however, it seemed things were not going to be so simple.

The comments in Jiang Zheng’s stream began to flood the screen.

“Insane! He got first blood that quickly.”

“Report the opponent for feeding kills.”

“This is way too fake. Is this really the level of a professional player? Could this match be fixed?”

“The new streamer is terrifying.”

...

Meanwhile, in Dai Chen’s stream:

“So this is the legendary professional player? He just gave away first blood?”

“I’m dying. The opponent already has first blood—why even keep playing?”

“Keep it up, Dai Chen! Ignore the haters!”

“Stay calm. There are still two kills left. Don’t panic.”

...