16

Hu Yue watched the livestream, seeing Ye Yinchuan turn the situation around. The crease in her brow relaxed slightly.

"Xiao Chuan is really getting the hang of this… But how exactly is he doing it? Back when he was in the guild, if he had this kind of skill, maybe he wouldn't have been let go…"

She was curious, but she didn't dwell on it. Instead, she silently clicked the follow button and exited the stream.

She planned to support his channel more in the future, but right now, she had her own work to do.

As Hu Yue left the livestream, another female streamer leaned over her shoulder and spoke.

"Hu Yue-jie, isn't that Xiao Chuan? After he got kicked out of the guild, he actually started his own stream? I think I just saw you send him gifts. So many guys chase after you, and you're telling me you're interested in a broke kid like him?"

"Xiao Wen, what nonsense are you talking about?"

Hu Yue turned and flicked her freshly manicured fingers against Xiao Wen's forehead.

Xiao Wen, like Hu Yue, was a contracted streamer under the guild, meaning she streamed under a company's platform—unlike Ye Yinchuan, who was a solo freelancer.

Unlike Hu Yue's mature and elegant vibe, Xiao Wen had a mischievous and playful charm, always dressed in the latest fashion trends.

"Oww! Hu Yue-jie, are you trying to silence me? If you really didn't care about him, would you have secretly sent him half a month's salary out of your own pocket when the company refused to pay?"

Xiao Wen pretended to act as if she were being strangled but was sneakily peeking at Hu Yue's reaction.

Hu Yue let go and rolled her eyes.

"Xiao Chuan, just like you, was someone I brought into the guild. The higher-ups wanted to downsize—I couldn't do anything about it. He had just graduated high school when he started streaming. I see him as a younger brother—how could I let him suffer? Besides, he…"

She initially wanted to mention that Ye Yinchuan grew up in an orphanage and had no family support, but she decided against it. It was his private matter, after all.

"Besides what? He's kinda handsome? Sweet talker? But yeah, fresh high school grads are definitely young and tender."

Xiao Wen's sly grin resembled a fox's.

Thunk!

Hu Yue flicked her forehead again, making Xiao Wen yelp and clutch her head.

"You're literally two days older than him. Who do you think you're fooling, calling him 'little brother'?"

"Wuwuwu, I don't care! Even if it's just one minute older, I'm still the elder sister!"

Xiao Wen pouted dramatically, but then her eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Doesn't matter! Your little brother is my little brother too. I've memorized his streamer name—'Kabigon Appraisal,' right? I'll drop by and 'support' him next time."

"You better not!"

Hu Yue shot her a glare, but Xiao Wen just giggled and ran off.

"Nyah nyah~! I gotta get ready for my own stream!"

Back in Ye Yinchuan's stream, the chat was still relentlessly roasting Hou Xiaotian, aka "Monkey Bro."

"Hey, guys, don't bully him too much. He's just a high schooler."

Seeing that Hou Xiaotian had completely calmed down and that his earlier frustration had disappeared, Ye Yinchuan decided to move things along. As a streamer, he had to control the atmosphere and pacing of his stream.

"Fat Bro, you good? If so, I'll close the connection now."

The chubby teen scratched his head.

"Wait… Since when did I become 'Fat Bro'? You said that so naturally…"

He muttered but didn't seem to mind.

"Yeah, no problem, streamer. I'll hit you up next time."

With that, he ended the call.

[Who wants to go next?]

[Me! Me! Me!]

[Pick me, streamer! I even sent you gifts!]

Ye Yinchuan noticed that viewer count was still climbing fast.

The reasons were simple:

Good viewer retention Steady gift donations A second stream with high engagement, which the algorithm would favor

In other words, he was passing the platform's performance test once again.

As he debated who to bring on next, a notification popped up, making his heart skip a beat.

[User "Pokémon Protection Bureau · Officer Tan" has entered your livestream!]

"...Huh?"

Ye Yinchuan froze.

Why was an official government account entering his tiny stream?

The Pokémon Protection Bureau held a high position in society. They handled security issues related to Pokémon, including law enforcement and online crimes.

"Shit… Am I in trouble?"

His stomach dropped. Did he somehow get flagged?

But he hadn't done anything illegal, right?

[User "Pokémon Protection Bureau · Officer Tan" is requesting a call with you!]

Cold sweat formed on his forehead. He quickly checked the user's profile—a certified blue-check official account.

This was the real deal.

He didn't know what they wanted, but there was no way he could refuse.

[Call connected!]

The stream camera switched, revealing a middle-aged police officer in uniform with a kind face.

[HOLY SHIT, IT'S OFFICER TAN!]

[Did the streamer commit some heinous crime to get the government involved?!]

[Officer Tan finally made it! The legendary crossover!]

[I knew it! This streamer was sus as hell!]

The chat erupted.

Ye Yinchuan put a hand on his face, pulling a classic Nicolas Cage meme smile.

Connecting with an official government account in front of thousands of viewers…

This was awkward.

But also kind of hilarious.

"Uh… Hello, Officer Tan!"

He quickly straightened up, greeting the officer with a respectful nod.

"Ah! A fine young man—so handsome too! Streaming at such a young age… Are you even legally an adult yet?"

Officer Tan spoke in a relaxed and friendly tone, completely down-to-earth.

"I am! Just turned eighteen this year!"

[Oh no, this feels ominous.]

[What's going on?!]

[Streamer, you better not be doing illegal shit.]

Ye Yinchuan answered truthfully.

"Good, good. A young man with spirit! I'll get straight to the point. We received reports that your stream is heavily scripted and may be involved in online fraud. Don't panic—I'm just here to ask some questions. No evidence means no charges."

[Translation: If they HAD evidence, you'd already be in cuffs.]

[Oh shit, he's here to investigate!]

"I'm innocent, Officer Tan!"

Ye Yinchuan immediately put on his best 'wrongfully accused' expression.

"I'm just a solo streamer, barely starting out—where would I even get the money to pay for fake scripts? I'm just trying to make a living! Do I look like I can afford to stage anything?!"

Beside him, Snorlax Jr. waddled up, tilting its head curiously at the screen.

"Fraud? That's even more ridiculous! Fraud means making money, right? Sure, I get some gifts, but that's just voluntary viewer support—I'm not selling anything!"

[Wait… the streamer owns a Snorlax Jr., but his place looks kinda shabby…]

[Damn, this is totally a jealous competitor's report!]

[Officer Tan, say something!]

[LOL, y'all don't see it? The streamer is grinning—he knows this attention is boosting his numbers!]

Ye Yinchuan had to admit…

Ever since Officer Tan joined, his viewership numbers skyrocketed.

The chat was exploding.

Everyone was either watching for drama or for the uniformed officer himself.

"Relax, don't misunderstand me. I'm just here to check. Since you're doing Pokémon appraisals, do you have any professional certification?"

Officer Tan's next question made Ye Yinchuan's smile freeze.

Because the truth was…

He didn't.