Billionaire: Literally, My Time Is Money

Chapter 22: I Want to Give It a Try

“Oh? A newbie account dares to shamelessly lecture Anthony on how to do things?”

Anthony’s loyal fans sneered in the livestream chat.

“Exactly! They didn’t even send a $0.10 gift, yet they swagged in talking about defying fate—what a joke, hahaha…”

“This little white account has a bigger ego than an emperor! Who does he think he is, some secret billionaire?”

Other viewers quickly joined in, their mockery filling the chat.

But Anthony sat there, frozen, his mind replaying the words that the mysterious Benefactor had just spoken.

“Do you want to defy fate?”

“Have you truly accepted defeat?”

Those two questions pierced straight to the depths of his soul.

Of course, he hadn’t accepted defeat!

Of course, he refused to settle for being a washed-up, bottom-tier streamer.

He was once the undisputed king of StarShow!

A superstar admired by thousands of streamers!

Last year, at the peak of his fame, his guild stabbed him in the back, leaving him betrayed and abandoned.

Since then, he has spiraled downward, falling from a first-tier celebrity to a forgotten, minor host.

Though he kept up a cheerful façade every day, who could truly understand the bitterness he carried in his heart?

If he could, he would absolutely reclaim his former glory!

The problem was, after falling out with his guild, his soon-to-expire contract would never be renewed, and they had long since washed their hands of him.

His former supporters and wealthy patrons had deserted him. Now he was drowning in debt.

But what good was his unwillingness to give up if there was no way forward?

Yet the words of that anonymous “Benefactor” had torn open his deepest wounds and reignited his fighting spirit.

Who cared if that newbie account was joking? Who cared if changing the stream title brought nothing but more ridicule?

It was just a title!

Even if it made him a laughingstock for gossip channels yet again—so what?

After all, wasn’t he already everyone’s favorite joke?

Gritting his teeth, he slammed his fingers onto the keyboard, and without another thought, changed the title of his livestream to:

“Defy Fate: I Want to Give It a Try!”

The moment the title changed, the viewers noticed.

“What the hell… Anthony, are you insane? You can’t put up a title like that—people will laugh you off the internet! Change it back right now!” his old fans pleaded anxiously.

“Wow! Is the superstar ready to rise again? That title’s badass—Defy Fate: I Want to Give It a Try!”

“If you’re trying, I’m trying too!”

“Let’s give it a try together!”

Clearly, most people were there just to watch the trainwreck, convinced the earlier messages were a prank and Anthony was overreacting.

No one expected him to take it so seriously.

It was obvious—Anthony had truly reached his breaking point…

…

After changing the title, Anthony let out a long breath, feeling a strange lightness spread through his body.

Scanning the barrage of comments on the screen, he chuckled softly and said, “Let’s try it, then. There’s no harm in trying. If others want to laugh, let them laugh. I’ve already been the butt of jokes for a long time. Alright, that’s enough for tonight. You should all get some rest. Good night, and may you have sweet dreams.”

He rose from his chair, stood straight, and bowed deeply toward the camera, expressing his heartfelt gratitude to every fan who had kept him company that evening.

There was no denying it: since his return, he had changed significantly.

He had become humbler, more grateful.

“Good night, superstar. I’m out.”

“Go to bed, Anthony. Look at you—your hair’s falling out from all these late nights!”

“Damn, Anthony, your shiny bald head just blinded me—I can’t see anymore!”

One by one, the viewers sent off playful jabs as they trickled out of the stream…

…

Sunday the 18th dawned quietly, and it was Aaron’s rare day off—his company still operated on a six-day workweek.

Saturdays were dubbed “voluntary overtime,” but anyone foolish enough to think it was truly optional would quickly find their end-of-month performance bonuses teaching them otherwise.

He indulged in a luxurious sleep-in, not rolling out of bed until nearly noon.

Times were still lean, so he settled for a burger downstairs for lunch.

Of course, it was a deluxe combo with double patties and an extra drumstick!

He’d been feeling a bit of flush lately, splurging $25 on that extravagant meal. The familiar owner of the little diner even joked that he must have struck it rich.

Spending that $25 earned his system another 25 experience points…

After lunch and a short rest, he strolled over to the nearby NYU sports complex, where he spent the entire afternoon playing basketball with a group of energetic college students.

Living next to a university had its perks—exercise was always within reach.

Watching those bright-eyed undergrads, he felt years younger himself.

Not that Aaron was old—he had only graduated from college a year ago.

Around four or five in the afternoon, drenched in sweat and thoroughly satisfied, he ambled home to his rented apartment.

He planned to shower, grab a bite, and prepare for the evening ahead.

Tonight, the real show will begin…

…

Alexis arrived at the office unusually early that day—by five in the afternoon.

Amy, their team leader, had called all the streamers in for a training session to boost morale and light a fire under everyone.

Amy was only in her early thirties, but compared to the fresh-faced, twenty-something newcomers like Alexis, she was already considered a veteran.

Back in the day, Amy was a streamer herself, though she never managed to find success.

Eventually, she joined the MCN agency as a manager, overseeing and guiding other streamers.

Their company’s reach was broad, dabbling in everything from short videos to livestreams.

They had only recently entered the Tik’Y’Tok platform, establishing a guild called “Glory Guild.”

This was the guild Alexis had joined, with Amy at the helm.

Competition was fierce across the company’s departments, with performance metrics constantly looming—Amy was under a great deal of pressure.

Every cent the company invested had to be earned back.

“As streamers—especially as female streamers—the most important thing is to capture a big spender! In the end, streaming is a business. Average viewers will only send you a few gifts, but a single whale can easily spend tens of thousands on you each month.”

Amy’s sharp gaze swept across the young women in the meeting room as she spoke with fervor.

“Where do you think we’re supposed to find these big spenders?” Anna mumbled. I’ve been streaming for over a month and haven’t seen one. The most expensive gift I’ve ever gotten was a cash cannon worth three hundred dollars.”

This was Alexis’s first time seeing Anna in person—she hadn’t met her before because Anna had already been screaming when she first arrived.

Anna looked to be in her early twenties. Though not quite as dazzling in person as she appeared under the softening glow of her beauty filter, she was still an undeniably pretty girl.

Her mouth was a bit wide, but when she smiled, it revealed a row of sparkling white teeth and an infectiously cheerful aura.