Chapter 476 - 235: Abnormal Change_5

Chapter 476: Chapter 235: Abnormal Change_5

"Old Xie! If we keep this up for a month, you can definitely pay off the loan sharks and have some left over. Stream for three months, and you can buy back your family’s old house. Or, if you stick around for a couple more months, buying a new, thousand-plus-square-foot apartment won’t be a problem either!"

Xie Yuan didn’t look happy to hear this. Instead, he just frowned slightly.

"This doesn’t even include your cut, does it? We agreed to a fifty-fifty split."

Wang Yibing waved his hand.

"Come on, don’t talk like that. Let’s solve your big problem first! Later on, even if you stop streaming, I’ll be making a killing even if the channel’s popularity drops to a tenth or a hundredth of what it is now. I’ll get rich just off your scraps."

Xie Yuan pursed his lips. He didn’t want to shortchange his brother, but he also felt it would take too long.

He could feel that his days here were numbered.

The sound of water growing clearer around him whenever he cultivated, the azure ripples that frequently appeared in the sky—they were all signs that the dream was about to end.

’I couldn’t stay even if I wanted to.’

「That night.」

「Autumn Water Community.」

Xie Yuan had returned.

There were even more security guards patrolling the community than before, leaving almost no blind spots. Their dedication made Xie Yuan nod in silent approval.

’The only flaw with expensive things is that they’re expensive.’

This time, Xie Yuan wasted no time, scaling the building’s exterior wall all the way to the 44th floor and vaulting over the terrace railing.

Back when he practiced the Cloud Dragon Step with Situ Qin on the sheer cliffs of Sword Peak, it had felt like walking on level ground. A modern building with holds everywhere was child’s play in comparison. He felt like Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible or Jackie Chan—or maybe even better.

Upon entering the bedroom, Xie Yuan saw it was empty and froze for a moment.

’Damn, is he too scared to live here anymore? Where would he be staying now? How am I supposed to find him?’

Just as Xie Yuan frowned, his ears twitched. He walked over to the adjacent bedroom and saw Big B-Bro sleeping soundly.

’So he was just too scared to sleep in his old room... I can’t decide if he’s bold or just a coward.’

Xie Yuan walked over to Big B-Bro’s bedside, looking down upon the great influencer and big-shot boss.

With a subtle shift in his expression, the air around Big B-Bro’s face distorted. In his sleep, the man’s brow furrowed tightly.

「In the dream.」

Big B-Bro suddenly shot up in bed and saw someone standing at his bedside.

He wanted to scream, but no sound came out. He wanted to run, but he couldn’t move.

’It’s like sleep paralysis!’ he thought, terrified, as he stared at the shadowy figure before him.

The figure was dark and shadowy, its face obscured. It held an axe, which it slowly raised as it spoke in a low voice:

"This is what you get for running a monopoly and leaving no way out for others."

The axe fell. Big B-Bro let out a bloodcurdling scream and jolted awake.

’It was just a dream...’

He let out a huge sigh of relief, but then his entire body went rigid.

There really was a person standing at his bedside, holding an axe.

"W-What do you want?"

The person didn’t speak, just slowly raised the axe and swung it down with all their might.

"AHHH—"

Big B-Bro shot upright, drenched in sweat.

’Another dream?’

He instinctively glanced to the side. Seeing no one there, he let out a sigh of relief.

But before he could finish his sigh, a computer desk suddenly materialized in front of him and began to slide toward him on its own.

The hair all over his body stood on end. He tried to move aside, but another desk was approaching from his left, and another from his right.

In front of him, behind him, and even on the ceiling, computer screens materialized. They all turned on by themselves, displaying a livestream channel—

"When I’m gaming, just call me a vegetable!"

Wang Yibing’s over-the-top voice boomed from the screens. The overlapping layers of sound made Big B-Bro instinctively clamp his hands over his ears and scream:

"Turn it down! Turn it down!"

But his screams had no effect. Worse, a ring of cell phones materialized around his head, all placing calls at the same time.

"Hello? I’m not interested in a loan... Big B-Bro?"

"Can the channel be restored? We have to wait longer for the traffic push, is that right...?"

"We have to wait longer for the traffic push, is that right...?"

"We have to wait longer for the traffic push, is that right...?"

The countless voices blended into a reverberating cacophony that made Big B-Bro’s head feel like it was about to explode. He couldn’t help but scream:

"Stop! Make it stop! I’ll stop waiting! I’ll stop!"

POP! His soul felt as if it were being pulled upward. He saw his own head explode into a splash of orange juice, while his headless dog applauded beside him.

"WOOF WOOF WOOF (Congratulations, congratulations)."

Big B-Bro’s eyes flew open. He shot up in bed, panting heavily.

His terrified eyes darted everywhere, his nerves stretched to the absolute limit. He muttered,

"What is it now? Is this a dream, or is it real? Please, no more, no more..."

This time, however, there was nothing. Everything was normal.

’Looks like I’m really awake this time.’

He breathed a sigh of relief. His back was completely soaked with sweat, and when he felt the bedsheets, he realized his lower half was wet, too...

He shuddered, with no time to feel embarrassed about having pissed the bed in terror. The damp sheets became another kind of nightmare, and he didn’t even dare to lift the covers to look.

Big B-Bro shook his head, got out of bed, and decided to take a shower.

However, after taking only two steps, he froze, staring at the door in front of him. Something was wrong.

’Since when was the bedroom door open?!’

Big B-Bro swayed on his feet and collapsed right onto the floor.

「Downstairs, outside the apartment building.」

Xie Yuan looked up at the 44th floor, where every single light was now blazing. He shook his head and walked away.

[Celestial Illusion Skill: (5/1000)]

"Celestial Illusion Skill..."

Xie Yuan murmured the name, feeling a slight warmth spread through his arm. He sighed.

For the first time, something new had appeared on his status panel, and he wasn’t inclined to study it.

He slipped quietly back home and lay down in his cramped, shabby room. A sense of peace washed over Xie Yuan as he slowly closed his eyes.

「The next day.」

Xie Yuan was still in bed when a call from Wang Yibing jolted him awake.

"Oooooold Yuaaaaan!"