8 PM.
Soundwave Live Platform.
In the livestream room of Chi Cheng, a host in the console game section, a cheerful and lively atmosphere filled the air.
The reason was simple: this game host, known for his skills, had just been consecutively defeated sixteen times by a boss in a challenging action game.
"Guys, let's give this boss a break for today."
Chi Cheng took a sip from his water cup, his tone unapologetically stubborn.
"It's not that I can't beat it, but I figured it's been standing all night and must be tired, so I'm giving it some personal space."
"Besides, there's definitely a delay in the game's underlying mechanics, my keyboard is leaking electricity, and the gravitational waves in Hangcheng are a bit off today, causing irreversible interference with my micro-controls!"
The livestream chat exploded instantly.
[Come on, Chi Bro, is it that hard to admit you're clumsy?]
[The host's excuses are tougher than my great-grandma's foot wraps!]
[Lol, the host is sparing the boss's dignity again.]
[Got it, the boss is too weak, and the host can't bear to kill it.]
[Switch games, switch games! I don't want to watch you get jailed all night, go find some fun in the new games section, I love watching Chi Bro test those domestic trash games.]
Seeing the barrage of comments, Chi Cheng went along with the flow and switched out of the game screen, skillfully opening the new games section on the Deep Blue Platform.
As a seasoned host, his favorite thing to do during the downtime before ending a stream was to prospect for gold in the new games section.
These small domestic games, lacking funds for promotion, were often filled with bizarre bugs and mind-blowing ideas, making them perfect for livestream content.
"Alright, I'm tired of fighting bosses, let's try something different."
"Let's set some ground rules: today, we'll only play games under ten bucks. I won't touch expensive trash; it affects my noble aura."
While bantering, Chi Cheng quickly scrolled through the latest listings on the Deep Blue Platform.
He spoke as he scrolled down.
The first few game titles seemed normal.
Stellar Remnants.
Wasteland Frontier.
Grandmaster Operation.
Chi Cheng glanced at them, finding nothing of interest.
The new games section was too competitive now.
Either the titles screamed "Frankenstein monster" at first glance, or the covers looked as polished as concept posters, only to reveal in-game screenshots resembling a college student's final project.
Just as he was about to scroll further, his mouse suddenly stopped.
In the middle of the screen, a game title unexpectedly caught his eye.
I Picked Up the Imperial Jade Seal!
Chi Cheng was silent for two seconds.
The livestream room followed suit, silent for two seconds.
Then, like a spark igniting a fire, the chat erupted in discussion.
[?????]
[What did I just see?]
[Imperial Jade Seal? Has the new games section gone this crazy?]
[This game title is something else.]
[Host, click on it! I want to see which Wolong made this.]
[The icon is interesting too, it's literally shaped like an Imperial Jade Seal! And it's missing a corner!]
Chi Cheng then looked at the game's description and details page.
His expression gradually became complicated.
"Guys, I've seen it all now! Are indie game developers in the new games section this ahead of their time?"
"Zhaoxi Games? Never heard of them."
The chat grew even more excited.
[Buy it! Ten bucks! The host can't lose money or get scammed!]
[Just for the name, we have to support this mental state.]
[Ten bucks for a throne, that's a steal! Quick, ascend the throne, make me the head of the harem!]
Amidst the chat's teasing, Chi Cheng swiftly paid the ten bucks.
In just a few minutes, he had the game downloaded and installed.
Chi Cheng put on his headphones again, adjusted his posture, and deliberately made his tone more solemn.
"Everyone, from now on, don't call me host."
"Call me Your Majesty!"
The chat wasn't having it.
[How dare you!]
[Guards, drag the host off to fill the Treasury!]
[We grant you five minutes to play.]
[Chi Cheng, Chi Cheng! Eat to your heart's content!]
Without further ado, he double-clicked the icon.
The screen went black.
There were no flashy CG animations, nor the deafening logo sound effects of big studios.
Instead, from the darkness, a deep drumbeat suddenly sounded.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
The drumbeat was slow, yet inexplicably oppressive.
Following that, an aged and resonant voice emerged from the darkness.
"By the mandate of heaven..."
Chi Cheng was utterly shocked.
"Damn?"
"This game is really about ascending the throne?"
Soon, in the game screen, the solemn and majestic call of an eunuch echoed, the voice even carrying an ethereal echo:
"The Emperor is on the move...!!!"
"Long live the Emperor, long live, long live...!!!"
Subsequently, lines of powerful white calligraphy, like engravings, slowly appeared.
[Summer, 2026 AD.]
[Your name is Jiang Xiaoyu, an ordinary unemployed youth just optimized out by your company, unable to pay rent, with only fifty bucks left in your pocket.]
[You once thought your life was destined to be unremarkable.]
[But last night, at a night market stall in the urban village, you spent ten bucks on a broken stone with a missing corner.]
[After washing off the dirt, six large words were revealed at the bottom of the stone: Mandated by Heaven, Longevity and Prosperity.]
[At that moment, you understood.]
[You're not a failure! You're the True Dragon Emperor, hidden among the people, a dragon in the abyss!]
[Your supreme empire will begin from this fifteen-square-meter rental room!]
After reading this opening filled with adolescent delusions, Chi Cheng burst into laughter right in front of the camera.
"Guys, I can't take it! This protagonist's mental state is way ahead!"
"What do you call this? As long as I master the spirit of Ah Q, the whole world is my empire!"
The chat was also in stitches.
[Just got optimized out by the company, and now he's awakened the emperor's soul, huh?]
[Others lose their jobs and look for work, he loses his job and looks for the world!]
[With just a few bucks, he dreams of the entire world.]
[I declare, this protagonist is three mental versions ahead of me.]
However, before Chi Cheng could finish laughing.
The screen finally lit up, and the game officially began!
There was no grand palace as imagined, no Golden Throne Hall, nor a screen full of dragon robes and ministers.
What appeared was an ordinary rental room.
The wall paint was peeling extensively, and the incandescent bulb overhead flickered.
On a wobbly plastic folding table sat a leftover instant noodle cup.
And in the center of the room stood the protagonist, wearing flip-flops, a white tank top, with hair like a bird's nest.
"Rental room?"
"Where's my empire of thirteen provinces, where's my nine continents and rivers?"
Just as Chi Cheng was lamenting, in the center of the screen, accompanied by the sound of a decree unfurling with a "swish," a luxurious task scroll edged with gold popped up.
[Ding! The Imperial Jade Seal has appeared!]
[Observing the celestial phenomena, fortune comes from the east, a True Dragon descends.]
[The people await, the court awaits establishment, the world awaits unification, it shall begin with me.]
[Imperial Jade Seal recognition in progress...]
[Recognition successful!]
"Damn!"
"Indeed! In a lifetime, you live for that one moment!"
"I'm wearing the dragon robe!"
"Screenshot! I need a screenshot!"
The game screen continued, and a mission was issued.
[The current world is fragmented, warlords are divided, the people's hearts are restless.]
[You must seize the opportunity, expand the territory, and restore the land!]
[Main Quest Issued: Establish the Foundation of the Nation!]
[Mission Description: A great empire must have its own heart and name! Please immediately establish your empire's name and determine the location of your capital!]