Chapter 131: Area-of-Effect Attack

After finishing his class, Jiang Zheng returned to his hotel. Even after going one-on-one with five players the previous night, he still felt unsatisfied. He had wanted to challenge a few more, but after streaming for so long, he was physically exhausted.

He logged in and started the stream. As soon as he went live, many people received notifications and quickly opened the app to watch. Meanwhile, Lin Yu began arranging opponents for him. The first professional player was soon online, and the two began their duel. No one thought Jiang Zheng was being arrogant by challenging pros anymore; after his five-game winning streak yesterday, everyone was eager to see him dominate the professionals again. The pro invited by the platform this time was slightly better than yesterday's, barely reaching a mid-tier level, though still not as skilled as Wang Hong, whom they had invited previously.

As the match began, Jiang Zheng quickly took the first game. Having familiarized himself with his opponent's habits, he finished the second game even faster. Once the match concluded, the second opponent was nowhere to be found. Jiang Zheng frowned as the chat began to urge him on. He sent a message to prompt Lin Yu.

"Mr. Jiang, I apologize. We have contacted the second player, but something urgent came up, so it might take a while," Lin Yu replied.

Jiang Zheng stared at the message, deep in thought. He quickly typed back, "If this one is busy, just swap him out for someone else."

Lin Yu replied promptly, "We are already contacting others, but it may take some time."

Jiang Zheng couldn't help but arch an eyebrow. He didn't believe these people hadn't anticipated such contingencies. The fact that the second person still hadn't appeared after such a long delay suggested the platform was doing this on purpose. Thinking from their perspective, he could understand their logic. If he were the platform, he wouldn't want the matches to proceed too quickly; if he played four or five pros a day, he would run out of opponents in no time. The longer it dragged out, the greater the profit. If he wanted to pursue a career as a streamer, he should cooperate, as it would be mutually beneficial.

However, Jiang Zheng’s goal was to complete his mission. He had a time limit, and if he played by the platform's rules, the deadline would pass and everything would be in vain. Jiang Zheng was well aware that his ability to defeat professional players wasn't due to his natural talent or high skill level, but rather the augmentation of his system skills. Without them, he wouldn't have this level of gameplay at all. He knew what was truly important.

Understanding the situation didn't make him any less angry. His frustration stemmed from the fact that he had explicitly stated at the beginning that he only had less than half a month for his streaming. Despite this clarity, the platform continued to act on its own accord, showing no regard for his intentions. This made him feel deeply uncomfortable. Furthermore, the platform didn't even attempt to consult him, choosing instead to hide behind excuses.

Jiang Zheng suppressed his emotions, keeping them hidden. When the second opponent finally arrived, Jiang Zheng’s playstyle became incredibly aggressive, willing to dive under towers just to secure a kill. He took the first game in record time, and the second ended just as quickly—only this time, Jiang Zheng had found it even easier. His opponent was left stunned. Before the match, he had studied videos of Jiang Zheng’s previous games. In his mind, Jiang Zheng was not this aggressive; he was always steady and methodical. Why, then, did he seem as if he had been provoked, adopting such an unusually fierce style? He didn't understand, but he felt bitter—he was, so far, the fastest professional player to be defeated. It was humiliating.

Elsewhere, Lin Yu and his colleagues were watching the stream. "Supervisor, it seems he’s expressing his dissatisfaction," Lin Yu noted. Jiang Zheng’s sudden shift in playstyle, filled with hostility, had to have a reason. They weren't fools; it wasn't hard to guess.

"It's fine. Just follow the plan," the supervisor said.

"Are we really not going to address it? What if he does something even more reckless?" Lin Yu asked, clearly concerned.

The supervisor looked confident. "It’s nothing. Don't worry about him. As long as he still wants to stream, he won't dare do anything too extreme." After a moment of silence, the supervisor added, "That's enough for today's matches. Tell him to play some ranked games instead."

Lin Yu hesitated. "Supervisor, are you sure?" The supervisor nodded. Lin Yu sighed inwardly and complied.

Back at the hotel, Jiang Zheng was waiting for his third opponent, but the player was nowhere to be seen. Lin Yu sent a message: "Mr. Jiang, the third pro we invited had an issue and won't be able to make it."

"Are you sure he really has an issue?" Jiang Zheng replied.

"Yes, it's legitimate," Lin Yu insisted.

"Fine. If this one is busy, switch him. You surely didn't just invite three people, right?"

"Mr. Jiang, I am truly sorry. We invited four, but unfortunately, they all have things to take care of," Lin Yu replied.

Jiang Zheng’s expression darkened, though no one could see it since he wasn't on camera. He understood their intent clearly now: they were determined to do things their own way. Since that was the case, he no longer felt the need to hold back. They wanted him to play ranked games? They truly thought he had the energy to waste on their games!

He spoke into the mic: "Is this the level of professional players? You are a huge disappointment! If any of you are unsatisfied, come and challenge me. The winner will receive one million."

With that, he abruptly closed the stream. The viewers watching were immediately sent into an uproar, flooding the black screen with messages.

"Damn, this streamer is fearless! He’s just declared war on everyone."
"Is he crazy for fame? He’s only beaten a few scrub-tier pros and thinks he can dominate them all?"
"Are the real pros not going to respond? He’s literally standing at their doorstep mocking them."

Jiang Zheng curled his lips into a smirk. Did they really think that by stifling the participation of pros, they could stop him? Through mockery and temptation, and as he won more matches, more pros would inevitably come to challenge him. Because no one could defeat him, he was slapping every professional player in the face. This time, he would play the role of the great dragon, attracting countless heroes to come and try to slay him.

On the other side, Lin Yu looked terrified, his heart racing, while the supervisor’s face turned grim. Jiang Zheng’s stunt had completely shattered their plan. Their goal had been to proceed step-by-step, turning Jiang Zheng into a major streamer while they lined their own pockets. But now, Jiang Zheng had made a reckless, sweeping declaration, mocking the entire professional scene. If a top-tier pro came and defeated him, Jiang Zheng would become nothing more than a clown. At that point, let alone becoming a major streamer, he would be lucky if he could continue streaming at all.