Chapter 35: Three Million
1205 Words
Aaron didn’t respond to Katherine’s message right away, as Alexis was about to end her stream.
It was already ten o’clock. Alexis glanced at the time several times before she finally said, “Thank you so much tonight, Benefactor, and thank you, Christopher, for your gifts. It’s ten o’clock now, and I really should end the stream. Otherwise, I’ll miss the last bus home.”
Sister Amy nearly exploded upon hearing this—she wanted to throttle Alexis on the spot!
How many gifts had she received tonight? How much money had she raked in?
And yet she was in such a hurry to end the stream and catch a bus?
Could she have a shred of ambition?
If she missed the bus, couldn’t she take a cab?
She was no longer some nobody streamer!
With Benefactor’s support, earning hundreds of thousands a month was effortless, and a million a month wasn’t out of reach!
Besides, with both Benefactor and Christopher watching, how could she even think of logging off?
Any seasoned streamer would’ve stayed alive no matter how exhausted they were, so long as the big spenders were still there—because as long as they were watching, they could throw gifts at any moment.
Aaron, on the other hand, didn’t mind at all. He typed,
“Then you’d better log off quickly. I’ll come back tomorrow to hear you sing. I’ll go wander around some other streams for now.”
The moment he sent this, Alexis’ chat exploded like a hornet’s nest.
Visitors drawn by news of the three-million-dollar renewal, guild managers, and moderators from all over rushed to flood the chat, desperate to catch Benefactor’s attention:
“Benefactor, please visit Benjamin’s stream! He’s practically starving!”
“Benefactor, look this way! Charlotte’s stream welcomes you—she doesn’t have many strengths, but she’s amazing at doting on her big supporters!”
“Benefactor, have you forgotten about Edward? He’s your long-lost son…”
“Room 3888 welcomes Benefactor!”
“Room 1557 welcomes Benefactor!”
Everyone was clamoring to lure Aaron into the streams they supported.
After all, everyone knew Benefactor had just topped up three million and had barely spent any of it yet.
He was, quite literally, a “walking three million.”
Meanwhile, in Anthony’s stream, his loyal viewers were starting to panic:
“Anthony, get moving! Benefactor came to your stream last night. Alexis is a girl. Fine, we won’t compete with her. But his second stop must be yours!”
“That’s right, Anthony, go for it! Send Alexis a Treasure Map so Benefactor notices you.”
“Big star, don’t be stingy—spend when you need to! Benefactor is spoiling Alexis right now; if you don’t take this chance to show yourself, you’re clueless!”
Most were urging Anthony to lure Benefactor over by sending a flashy gift—still the most direct and effective method.
But there were also fans defending Anthony:
“Stop trying to control Anthony. You might as well kill him instead of forcing him to buy a Treasure Map. "His wallet is emptier than his bald head—he’s drowning in debt he hasn’t repaid yet!”
Anthony saw this comment and let out a bitter smile.
That brother was right—his pockets were indeed emptier than his shiny head.
A Treasure Map? He couldn’t possibly afford one right now.
But everyone else was right, too: even though Benefactor had chatted in his stream last night, Anthony couldn’t just sit idly by, hoping Benefactor would return on his own. That would be foolish.
He clenched his teeth and grabbed his phone, sending a Whats’Y’App message to his good friend and fellow guild streamer, Ethan:
“Bro, lend me five thousand dollars. I need it urgently!”
They’d always had a great relationship—when Anthony returned to streaming after the New Year, down on his luck, Ethan never kicked him while he was down.
Of course, Ethan wasn’t a big streamer himself, so there wasn’t much he could do to help.
He streamed celebrity gossip in the mornings and wasn’t live right now, but Anthony knew he’d be watching streams for tomorrow’s news content.
Everything happening tonight—Benefactor’s Imperial Package, the three-million-dollar renewal—he’d definitely know all about it.
Sure enough, Ethan replied almost immediately:
“Haha, Anthony, you’re about to take off! You’re investing in Alexis, right? Of course, I’ll lend it—just don’t forget your brother when you’re rich!”
Attached to the message was a Whats’Y’App transfer: five thousand dollars, exactly.
Anthony felt a surge of warmth in his chest—Ethan truly was a loyal friend.
If he ever climbed back to the top, he’d make sure to repay Ethan’s kindness tenfold.
Back when he was riding high last year, everyone treated him well, so Ethan’s loyalty didn’t stand out.
But now, at rock bottom, he could finally see who was a real friend and who was merely a fair-weather companion.
With the money secured, Anthony quickly recharged his Tik’Y’Tok account and jumped into Alexis’ stream.
…
Alexis was in the middle of saying goodbye:
“Goodnight, Benefactor; goodnight, Christopher; goodnight, Sister Amy. Thank you all for watching my stream and for the gifts. I hope you rest well, and tomorrow…”
But before she could finish the last word, a dazzling golden chest appeared on the screen.
She’d seen so many Treasure Maps tonight that the sight was instantly familiar.
She blurted out,
“Thank you, Anthony, for the Treasure Map! Wow, which big supporter is this?”
Of course, it was Anthony who sent it, but Alexis didn’t recognize him, assuming it was yet another wealthy patron.
But the visitors did know Anthony—and knew exactly what was going on. Seeing him send such a grand gift, they erupted in playful or mocking messages:
“Wow, Anthony’s being so generous today! Weren’t you broke and living on scraps?”
“The big star’s making a bold investment—what a lavish move!”
“Anthony, you’re amazing—five grand, just like that!”
“Anthony’s clearly chasing the walking three million—could you be any more obvious?”
“Exactly—everyone wants a piece of Benefactor right now, but at least others try to be subtle. Anthony’s just shamelessly charging right in.”
Anthony ignored the teasing, sarcasm, or ridicule—his eyes were fixed on Benefactor’s reaction.
Aaron smiled faintly; it seemed Anthony had finally figured it out.
As a streamer, you can’t afford to cling to your pride, especially in front of a high-roller.
Without gifts from big spenders, what could you rely on to earn a living—your dignity? Gifts and 666s from random viewers?
Anthony had always taken pride in his education and sophistication, disdaining what he saw as demeaning tactics.
But life had finally taught him a hard lesson:
If you want to thrive in this industry, you have to learn how to please the whales.
Otherwise, why would they spend a dime on you?
Aaron tapped his screen, hopping straight into Anthony’s stream.
Alexis’ stream had only been the appetizer.
In Aaron’s script, the real battleground was with Anthony.
- Writer
