Chapter 9: Becoming a Millionaire in Five Minutes

Lu Xingzhou went to the bathroom to splash some water on his face.

The internet was flooded with streamers trying to ride the wave of his popularity; if he didn’t capitalize on his own fame, that would simply be unacceptable!

After a quick wipe of his face, Lu Xingzhou returned to his bedroom. No sooner had he turned on his live stream than a deluge of gifts rained down. The continuous stream of notifications flooded the chat, causing even his internet connection to stutter.

"What’s going on? What happened? I didn’t download any 'Tokyo Love Story,' did I?" Lu Xingzhou checked the download history on his other computer.

A few minutes later, he realized that the surge of tips was coming from the parents of the children who had been rescued. Most of these parents were part of the post-90s generation, a demographic that had grown up alongside the rapid development of the internet. By the time live streaming emerged, many of them had been college or even high school students, making them quite familiar with streaming platforms and short-form videos.

As soon as they learned through social media that Lu Xingzhou, the food delivery driver, was the one who had caught the traffickers, they swarmed his channel and began tipping frantically. In the past, official recognition only brought honor and minor local conveniences. But in the age of the internet, such recognition translated instantly into tangible financial gain.

Within five minutes, various gifts drifted across the screen like snowflakes, completely obscuring the display. The original 50,000 in tips had skyrocketed to over a million. With the system’s multiplier, that meant over 10 million!

Going from a retired athlete working three jobs a day to a multi-millionaire had taken just five minutes. It reminded Lu Xingzhou of a saying: "Do good deeds, and do not worry about the outcome."

After a brief moment of shock, Lu Xingzhou regained his composure.

"Everyone, that’s enough! If you keep tipping like this, people who don't know any better might think I kidnapped your kids and you're here in my stream to pay the ransom!"

His remark instantly turned the somewhat touching atmosphere into one of laughter.

"As you all know, I’m just a fitness streamer. I don't have many talents to show off, but since you've all been so generous, it wouldn't be right to just sit here. I’m going downstairs to put on a show for you."

With that, Lu Xingzhou grabbed his streaming drone, pulled a weighted vest out of the storage room, and headed to the pull-up bars in the residential complex. Having just recovered from his injuries, he was feeling energetic, and the outpouring of support in his stream had ignited his playful spirit.

"Look, everyone, this vest is 20 kilograms."

He strapped on the vest, performed a dragon flag on the vertical pole next to the pull-up bar, and then slowly climbed to the top.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy some street workout freestyle!"

Like a butterfly among flowers, Lu Xingzhou danced between six bars of varying heights. With twists, jumps, and movements as effortless as walking on flat ground, he looked like a sprite of the bars.

<Vampire Eating Onion (LV33): Are you sure the streamer was a free-combat fighter and not a gymnast?>
<Zhuge Kong Hei (LV43): 23 is a bit old for men's gymnastics, but damn, the streamer just won't fall off!>
<Half a Cup of Americano (LV22): Streamer, can I get your WeChat? I have money too, and I can fly anywhere in the country!>

<Licking Only Yogurt Lids (LV41): *Slurp, slurp*—don't misunderstand, I just dropped some yogurt on the screen, I'm not licking the screen!>
<Moon Goddess Mother (LV50): I don't care about the money, I'm just here because he's handsome.>
<Licking Only Yogurt Lids (LV41) sent the streamer one 'Three-Masted Ship' (worth 999).>
<Saturday’s Sweetness (LV47) sent the streamer one 'Luxury Cruise Liner' (worth 5200).>
<Moon Goddess Mother (LV50) sent the streamer one 'Interstellar Spaceship' (worth 29999).>

The renewed wave of gifts made the viewers feel like they had fallen into a vat of lemons. They weren't envious of the fact that he caught human traffickers—that was something they couldn't replicate—but how was it that he was so handsome, had such great muscles, and was getting so many tips?

A few minutes later, Lu Xingzhou landed steadily on the ground and wiped the sweat from his forehead. No big deal.

"That's it for today. As always, the top contributor gets to suggest a challenge for the streamer! Adventure, off-roading, bungee jumping—anything you haven't experienced and want to see me try, just say the word!"

He stood in front of the bar, posing for a minute, but noticed no top contributor name in the chat.

"Top contributor? Are you there? If you don't answer, the challenge will be postponed."

<Qiyan (LV31): I'm here on behalf of my sister to thank you for finding her nephew. She and my brother-in-law are very grateful. We don't need a challenge, really, we don't.>

"Hey! That’s being a stranger! Once you’re in this stream, we’re all family. Plus, the rule about the top contributor picking the next day's challenge was set from the start. We can't break the rules! Just pick something—anything you've wanted to do but haven't!"

A few minutes later:

<Qiyan (LV31): My sister says she hopes you can go to Zongyong Temple to pray for a peace amulet. Just to keep you safe is enough.>
<Never Follow (LV26): Wow, there aren't many kind-hearted people left these days.>
<Lazy Crown (LV20): I've heard Zongyong Temple is very effective. You should try it, streamer.>
<Waking Up Late (LV20): Yeah, you found human remains in the morning and caught traffickers in the afternoon. There might be something to this; it's definitely worth checking out.>

The chat was soon flooded with support for Lu Xingzhou to visit the temple.

"Alright! In that case, tomorrow's challenge will be a one-day tour of Zongyong Temple! Anything to please the fans! That's it for today's stream, see you all tomorrow! See you at Zongyong Temple!"

"Snap!" The screen went black; Lu Xingzhou logged off.

The next morning, as soon as he opened his eyes, a holographic projection visible only to him appeared.

[Yesterday's Task Settlement]
[Task: Rock climbing at Jiujia Mountain]
[100-meter climb (Completed)]
[Today's tips ×10: 1,776,742. Reward received: 17,767,420. Funds transferred to streamer's bank account.]
[Reached the summit (Completed)]
[Physical condition restored to peak (Unlocked)]
[Climbed with 10kg weight (Completed)]
[World-class muscular control (Unlocked)]

[Today's challenge task refreshed]
[Task 1: Check in at Zongyong Temple (0/1)]
[Task Reward: Low-light Vision]
[Low-light Vision: Maintain visibility in the dark equal to that in well-lit conditions.]

Lu Xingzhou jumped out of bed. "Is this for real?!"

He quickly opened his computer, logged into his bank account, and checked the balance. Sure enough, there was an extra 17.7 million!

"Incredible!"

"Bang!"

Before Lu Xingzhou could celebrate, the bedroom door was kicked open by Lu Jiangying.

"It's early in the morning! Can't you be quiet? What are you yelling about? You're disturbing the neighbors!"

Usually, Lu Xingzhou would quiet down when Lu Jiangying yelled, but he was too excited today. He rushed over to her and, in a reenactment of the classic scene from *The Lion King*, lifted her up by her underarms.

"Sis, we're rich! We can move out of this place. Let's go buy a villa so we won't have to worry about disturbing anyone!"

Lu Jiangying knew he had received over a million in tips yesterday. "Keep that money to find a wife. After taxes and platform cuts, you’ll only have about six or seven hundred thousand left—not enough to get married these days."

Lu Xingzhou was unfazed. "What does that matter? With how handsome I am, I can find a rich woman to keep me! Sis, I've got to run, I have a live stream to do!"

After freshening up, Lu Xingzhou headed toward Zongyong Temple.