Chapter 461 - 233: Dream or Reality? (Part 2)

Chapter 461: Chapter 233: Dream or Reality? (Part 2)

Even if he used the grip dynamometer, the best he could do was match Xie Yuan’s score, and he’d have to grit his teeth to do it.

’That’s weird. He wasn’t this strong before, was he?’

Wang Yibing felt that Xie Yuan had changed, but then again, considering he had just been through a life-or-death situation, some changes were to be expected.

"Alright! Since you’ve really recovered, I’m taking you out for a big meal to celebrate!"

An exquisitely decorated fusion restaurant.

Xie Yuan frowned slightly.

"Yibing, isn’t this place a little expensive?"

"Don’t worry. Yours truly is a big-time streamer now. Money’s not an issue—it’s on me!"

Wang Yibing said magnanimously, waving his hand.

Xie Yuan shook his head.

"You’ve only been successful for a little while. Weren’t you saddled with a ton of debt from your last business venture? Your sister’s still in school, too. Besides, my mom said you gave me over seventy thousand a while back? And it was a damn specific number, down to the last digit..."

Wang Yibing paused for a moment, then waved his hand dismissively and smiled.

"My views have been picking up lately, and I’ve got sponsors. I’ll make that money back in two or three months. The future’s bright! Let’s not talk about that other stuff. We’re eating here today! We’re celebrating the fact that your ass finally woke up!"

Xie Yuan couldn’t talk him out of it, so he had no choice but to take a seat in the restaurant, where a meal cost over a thousand per person.

Exquisite dishes were brought out one after another. Although it was supposed to be Chinese food, Xie Yuan found it strangely reminiscent of Japanese cuisine.

There were many courses, each more delicate than the last, but they all came on small plates and saucers.

The presentation, however, was fantastic, and the flavors were excellent, but Xie Yuan didn’t dare eat his fill...

With every dish that arrived, Wang Yibing would "let his phone eat first," filming a short video and narrating as he did. Watching him, Xie Yuan casually asked:

"How’s your TikTok stuff going? You said it’s pretty profitable?"

"Not bad. It’s getting on track..."

Wang Yibing suddenly looked up.

"You want to give it a try?"

’As expected of my childhood friend. He got it immediately.’

Xie Yuan smiled.

"I’ve definitely been thinking about it. You know my family’s financial situation. We even had debt collectors show up at our door today. That’s why I wanted to ask for your advice."

"Debt collectors? That still happens? Are you and your mom okay?"

Wang Yibing asked with a frown.

"If something had happened, would I be here? I’d be at the police station. Even debt collectors are keeping up with the times. They’ve moved from physical confrontations to more... civilized methods."

Xie Yuan said,

"I need to make some fast cash. Is it a good time to get into it? Or have I missed the boat?"

"If you want fast cash, you could play the stock market. It’s been on a nice run lately... but forget it. It’s basically gambling. Who knows if a huge spike won’t be followed by a nosedive? Besides, you don’t have the capital for that, right?"

Wang Yibing mused,

"The gold rush for live streaming and short videos is kind of over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make it. It looks like a super competitive field because everyone wants a piece of the pie, but most of them are just part of the noise. As long as you have good, effective content, the views will come."

"But this stuff looks easy, when in reality, there’s a real barrier to entry. How about this... why don’t you just come home with me tonight and see for yourself."

Xie Yuan looked at him warily.

"What for? I perform for money, but I don’t sell my body."

Wang Yibing pretended to gag.

"I’d sooner fuck a fleshlight than you. I’m streaming tonight. You should come and watch."

"Streaming? What have you been playing lately?"

"Black Monkey! You don’t know...? Oh, right, my bad. You were covered in tubes back then, so it makes sense you wouldn’t know."

Wang Yibing was grinning from ear to ear. The apology came out of his mouth, but there wasn’t a hint of sincerity in it.

Seeing that his friend was truly okay, it was time for some merciless teasing.

’It was a shame he’d been so genuinely sad back then. He should have taken more pictures during his hospital visits...’

’Black Monkey is out already?’

’I remember being so hyped for it when I saw the first trailer.’

Xie Yuan froze. It felt like he’d been gone for a lifetime.

"Alright, let’s go check it out."

After a huge meal where Xie Yuan only ate until he was about a third full, he got into Wang Yibing’s car and they drove to his place.

Wang Yibing’s home was in a good location by a park. It was a decent size, too—one hundred and forty square meters.

His family had been well-off back in the day. His parents ran a small business and had a son and a daughter, both of whom did well in school.

Unfortunately, a car accident destroyed their family. His parents’ deaths were so sudden that nothing was in order, and gradually, the siblings lost their financial support, struggling even to make ends meet.

But no matter how hard it got, Wang Yibing gritted his teeth and persevered. He never sold the house that held all his family memories, managed to put his sister through college, and was finally starting to get back on his feet himself.

Though Xie Yuan and Yibing always joked about being each other’s dad, behind his back, Xie Yuan never failed to praise him for being a true man.

Wang Yibing’s sister was living in a dorm at school, so he had the house to himself.

Xie Yuan walked into the house as if it were his own and went to the study, which had been converted into a streaming room. He watched Wang Yibing fire up a PC case that pulsed with rainbow-colored lights and clicked his tongue.

"New lights again? Nice ambiance. You’ve really been treating yourself, haven’t you?"

"Oh, shut up. Go sit over there."

Wang Yibing turned on his equipment, started the stream, and raised his voice.

"What’s up, fam, I’m here! We are definitely beating Tiger Vanguard today! Won’t beat him in one night? How about three tries? With my skills, three tries is all I’ll need, tops!"

Seeing a few comments scroll by, all expressing disbelief, Wang Yibing’s lips curled into a smirk. He shot a smug glance to the side.

Xie Yuan just smiled and gestured for him to carry on.

"Alright, fam, today I’m gonna show you how to ’pet the kitty,’ I’ll just... This life doesn’t count."

"Just wait, I’ve got his patterns figured out completely. Pop a potion, reposition, reposition, he can’t see me, turn and burn... UGH, got greedy."

"One more try left, what’s the rush? Can’t beat him in three? Impossible. If I don’t, I’ll wash my hair while doing a handstand."

"...Fine, I’ll wash it. A streamer keeps his word."