The garbage transport starship was fast, traveling from Planet Blue-6 to Planet Blue-1 in just two hours.
Wen Qi rested with his eyes closed throughout the journey but remained vigilant. He heard the sound of Zerg moving around him and occasionally peeked at his surroundings. Gu Nan blocked most of the prying eyes for him. Many Zerg boarded and disembarked along the way, and the stench of sweat mixed with the foul air grew stronger as the cabin became increasingly crowded.
Finally, when the mechanical chime sounded, Wen Qi opened his eyes. He blinked and scanned the area. When they had boarded, there were over thirty Zerg around them, but upon arriving at Planet Blue-1, only about ten remained.
They reached their destination. The starship landed, the hatch opened wide, and the wind blew in from outside. The fresh air mixed with the sour, foul smell of sweat. Wen Qi’s nose, which had already grown accustomed to the stench, found this neutralized odor even more revolting. The air smelled of rotting meat that had been left out for far too long, making him gag.
The sound of retching came from those nearby. Wen Qi’s face paled as he reached up to cover his nose, but a hand beat him to it, covering his mouth and nose first. The movement was swift, so fast that Wen Qi did not have time to react, yet it was incredibly gentle, carefully leaving enough space for him to breathe.
Startled at first, Wen Qi relaxed as soon as he realized who the hand belonged to. He looked at Gu Nan with a faint smile in his eyes.
“Thank you, brother,” he whispered, before blinking playfully at Gu Nan.
Gu Nan remained silent for two seconds before responding, “Little brother, it will be better in a moment.” Since the male wanted to play this game, he would cooperate. Meeting Wen Qi’s smiling gaze, Gu Nan looked away. He moved closer to Wen Qi, subtly shielding him.
“Mm.”
As Gu Nan drew near, Wen Qi caught a faint scent of medicine. He instinctively leaned closer to Gu Nan. The female’s scent was unique, a cold fragrance mixed with a subtle medicinal aroma. It felt strange at first, but after a while, he realized it was actually quite pleasant. At the very least, it was much better than the nauseating smell of the air outside.
“Brother, are you not uncomfortable?” Wen Qi naturally patted the hand covering him. Once Gu Nan let go, Wen Qi replaced it with his own hand.
“The smell here is so strong.” Pressed behind his palm, Wen Qi’s voice was muffled. His red eyes, looking as if he had just cried, gazed at Gu Nan with feigned curiosity.
In truth, filtering the air through his hand reduced the smell by at least half. Even though Wen Qi knew it was mostly a psychological trick, it managed to suppress his urge to vomit.
“The smell is strong, but it is within my tolerance,” Gu Nan replied. He glanced at Wen Qi from the corner of his eye, noting only curiosity in the male’s expression. A strange feeling rose in his heart.
In fact, his previous act of covering the male’s face had been a test. The mouth and nose were vital points for any Zerg. Although he had followed this male here, he was naturally cautious and would not easily trust any male. Even though he knew after yesterday’s interactions that the male was very indulgent toward him, he could not be entirely at ease.
Today’s test was meant to see just how far that indulgence went, and the answer he received startled even himself. If someone covered his own mouth and nose, his first reaction would be to strike back. Except for his female father, he trusted no one. If anyone dared to play such a joke on him, the encounter would end with that person having a broken bone at the very least.
But the male? He did not resist at all. It was not a calculated act; he truly did not fight back. The moment he realized the person touching him was Gu Nan, he simply relaxed his body.
This male had no guard against him. He had obtained the answer through his own test: the male trusted him.
The wariness in his heart lessened slightly. Gu Nan explained in a low voice to the curious Wen Qi, “For a female, this kind of training is basic. Few have not experienced it. Do not be surprised.”
A female’s sharp senses were their strength, but they could also be a weakness. Any female who had attended school had undergone this type of training.
Wen Qi, however, misunderstood. He simply thought his protagonist was truly impressive. What normal person goes to a garbage dump to train their endurance for fun?
He still felt he could not handle the smell, so he covered his nose with his sleeve. Seeing the Zerg outside running away as fast as they could, he said, “Let us go too.” He did not want to stay a second longer and strode toward the exit.
Leaving the dim, cramped space, the area outside was much larger, but the smell was even more concentrated. Wen Qi finally reached his limit. He grabbed Gu Nan’s hand and ran away from the landfill. As the number of Zerg on the road thinned, Wen Qi led Gu Nan away from the group and ducked into a side alley.
Once the stench vanished, Wen Qi took two deep breaths and looked at Gu Nan.
“We need to move to a different city quickly.”
Both spoke at the same time. Hearing each other’s words, they locked eyes, surprised by the coincidence.
Wen Qi looked away first and said, “We need a remote city, but one close enough to the capital for easy access to medicine.”
This city was not safe; Wen Qi knew that. He did not know how far those searching for him could go, but he had overheard many conversations between stowaways on the starship. They said that “Reading Bug” had attracted attention. They said that a group of Zerg from the Imperial Capital had come to capture him. They said…
In short, he was in danger, and Gu Nan needed a new identity as well. Both of them could be at risk at any moment.
Thinking of this, Wen Qi said to Gu Nan, “Not only that, but we must also disguise ourselves. We need to look different from how we were on Planet Blue-6.”
Seeing that Wen Qi’s thoughts mirrored his own, Gu Nan looked at him in surprise. “You knew?” Did he know there were enemies waiting for him on Planet Blue-1?
Recalling the male’s claim of being his admirer, Gu Nan decided not to ask the question aloud. He had not believed the male at first, but after seeing the male protect him at every turn with no expectation of reward, he was mostly convinced. Now, his belief was at seventy percent.
If he were not a fan, how would the male know he had offended someone on Planet Blue-1? This city was indeed not a good place for them to stay. He had once beaten the City Lord of this place. It was a minor incident that had been mentioned briefly by some marketing accounts on the Star Network. Most Zerg would not care, yet this male had noticed.
Does he really know me that well? Gu Nan’s heart was full of complex emotions. He truly believed now that this male bore him no ill will. But what was the male after? He could give the male nothing.
The more he thought about it, the more complex his feelings became. He felt an urgent need to know the male’s true purpose. But would the male tell him if he asked? Gu Nan shook his head, pushing the thought down.
“Knew what?” Wen Qi asked, puzzled by Gu Nan’s unfinished sentence. He just did not want their identities exposed. Was there something he should know? Seeing Gu Nan’s complicated gaze, Wen Qi was utterly lost.
Gu Nan assumed the male was just acting to avoid making him feel indebted. He knew how well this male could act.
“It is nothing,” Gu Nan’s voice softened. “We indeed need a good disguise. It is best if no one can recognize us. Wen Qi, thank you.”
He thanked the male for his consideration now and for his help before.
Wen Qi was silent. He seemed to have accidentally earned more favor, but what was it he was supposed to know? He himself did not understand why Gu Nan was thanking him. Facing the female’s sincere thanks, Wen Qi felt a bit guilty. “No need.”
Unused to Gu Nan’s serious gratitude, Wen Qi scanned the surroundings to change the subject. “Let us rent a transport first. It will be hard to get out of here on our own.”
Gu Nan said, “I have been to Blue-1 before.”
Wen Qi nodded. “Then I will leave it to you.”
“I know a city nearby. We will change our disguises before entering,” Gu Nan said.
Wen Qi agreed. Soon, the two went into the mountains and cleaned themselves up. When they emerged, one appeared to be a weak, fair-skinned sub-female, while the other looked like a dark, burly female. They were unrecognizable from their previous selves.
The two were very cautious. After walking for over two hours, they rented an automated transport and took another two hours to reach a different city. Dressed like refugees, they did not attract much attention. Soon after, they changed their disguises again and took a transport to a neighboring city. They stayed there for half a day before heading to a less developed city.
By nightfall, they had finally settled down. Planet Blue-1 had a large population, one of the most populated in the Seven-Colored Sequence. Most of the Zerg there lacked official identification and were constantly on the move, so no one took particular notice of others.
The two settled in cautiously, undetected. They rented a two-bedroom apartment. As soon as they were settled, Wen Qi brought up the primary reason for their journey.
“Have you chosen the medicine?”
Planet Blue-1 was the best of the Blue Sequence, offering medicinal materials unavailable elsewhere. Their purpose for coming here was Gu Nan’s bone wings. Once inside the rental, Gu Nan released his wings. They were still wounded, and he would not retract them unless he was going outside. Looking at the mangled flesh and wounds, Wen Qi still felt a jolt of horror, even after seeing them many times.
Alongside his heartache, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. If I ever find out who hurt his wings, I will make them pay.
“The Lin family’s repair fluid can be obtained on this planet. It is S+ rank and has good effects,” Gu Nan said. Even though he was dressed in rags, he carried an air of unshakeable authority. He was a natural-born king.
The silver-white bone wings drooping behind him gave him a sacred appearance, yet the streaks of crimson added a sense of danger. He looked like a fallen angel, a mix of divine presence and bloody darkness.
“The Star Credits you gave me will be considered a loan, including the ones from the auction,” Gu Nan said, looking deeply at Wen Qi. “I will pay you back. But it might take two years.”
Considering they were not related, it was natural for Gu Nan to be unwilling to accept his things for free. Wen Qi nodded. Gu Nan had always relied on himself and disliked using others’ resources.
Wen Qi added, “There is no rush. You can give it back whenever you have the credits. I am not in a hurry.”
Gu Nan replied, “I will pay you back with interest in two years.”
Knowing Gu Nan’s persistence, Wen Qi changed the topic. “Where do we go to get the medicine?”
Obtaining rare medicine was not easy. Their departure might have been discovered, and getting the medicine openly could attract attention.
Gu Nan understood this and said, “I can go get it myself. You have already helped me enough. I can handle it.”
Wen Qi thought for a moment and did not object. Gu Nan was not a child; he was an SS-rank. Wen Qi was not worried about the female’s safety. After thinking it over, Wen Qi transferred 250,000 of his remaining Star Credits to Gu Nan, keeping 50,000 for himself.
“Take this for now. If it is not enough, tell me. I have ways to get more.”
Even though Gu Nan said there was no problem, Wen Qi felt something was off. After some reflection, he realized what it was. Could an S-rank repair fluid work for an SS-rank female? He was not sure.
He suspected Gu Nan was still hiding things from him. It was understandable that Gu Nan would not fully trust him after only a few days, but he could not ignore the female’s health. He asked, “Is S-rank repair fluid really enough? Gu Nan, prioritize your health. Do not worry about the credits. Since I have followed you this far, I want you to be well. Is S-rank medicine truly sufficient?”
Wen Qi asked seriously, his mind racing. He needed to keep earning credits, but without real-name verification, no streaming platform would take him. He would give the current platform one more chance. If that failed, he would have to find another way. He could not let his Gu Nan be mistreated. Whatever others had, Gu Nan should have too.
“Or can you wait two days? I will earn more credits for you.”
Gu Nan paused for two seconds before saying, “It will work.”
It had to work. He had no other choice. There were only a few ways for a male to earn credits, and this male had already helped him enough. He could not allow the male to sell himself for his sake. That was too dangerous.
Wen Qi had no idea what Gu Nan was imagining. Looking at the female, he felt a sense of warmth and accomplishment. See how capable I am? I am almost done nursing him back to health. Once he is fully recovered, I can rest easy.
With the injury issue settled, Wen Qi recalled how stingy Gu Nan had been when they met. “Are you short on credits right now?” he asked. “How much do you need? Is there a specific amount? I will find a way to get it for you.”
Gu Nan’s expression was subtle. Wen Qi caught a hint of something and immediately said, “I have channels. I can borrow from my brother.”
Gu Nan realized his earlier assumption was wrong. He thought for a moment and said, “I am indeed short on credits. But with what you lent me, my injuries can heal. I have already troubled you enough. I can solve the rest myself.”
He spoke with a grave and serious tone, his emerald eyes looking at Wen Qi intently. “Wen Qi, I do not want to become a burden to you.”
“How could your matters be a burden? What are you thinking?” Wen Qi frowned and glanced at Gu Nan. “Gu Nan, do not overthink it. I am an adult, and I know what I am doing. I will not mistreat myself for your sake.”
Wen Qi suspected Gu Nan’s worry stemmed from the Wen family’s previous treatment of him and his current casual tone when talking about asking them for money. He softened his voice and said, “I will not put myself in danger, so you can take what I give you. Just pay me back when you have the credits. Do not feel any psychological burden. I have my ways of getting money.”
Wen Qi looked at Gu Nan seriously. “Gu Nan, I will not mistreat myself, even for you. You are a hero of our race. To me, you are somewhere between an idol and a friend, but your status in my heart will never be higher than my own.”
His gaze shifted to the window, his voice losing its usual gentleness. “Call me selfish or whatever you like, but in my eyes and heart, I am the most important person.”
Wen Qi turned to look out the window, a flash of pain in his eyes. He closed them, suppressing the ache. “Although you are different to me, you will never be the first priority in my heart. So, do not worry about me.”
He was not prepared to lose himself in this story. The System had fallen asleep too early, before he could ask certain questions. He had rushed here with a head full of heat and courage, but only after rescuing Gu Nan did he feel the fear. If I had not escaped those females when I arrived on Planet Blue-6, if I had died here. If it were now, he likely could not have acted so decisively.
A breeze blew into the room. The male’s voice was firm. Gu Nan looked at him. Despite the disguise making him look ordinary, Gu Nan could sense the male’s sadness at this moment.
The male’s stance was perfectly reasonable. For any Zerg, the most important thing was oneself and those one cared about. Perhaps the male had no one else to care for and only cared for himself, making him his own top priority. This was a male with a story, and perhaps not a happy one.
Gu Nan walked over and patted the male’s shoulder. Wen Qi turned to look at him, slightly startled, before his expression softened and his eyes filled with a smile. “I am fine.”
Seeing that smile, Gu Nan felt a sudden sense of familiarity, as if they had known each other for over a decade. The male’s smile was warm and kind, touching something deep in Gu Nan’s heart.
The night passed. Since Gu Nan said he had a plan, Wen Qi stopped worrying. Early the next morning, he said goodbye to Gu Nan and headed out. He still had 50,000 Star Credits, which was more than enough for a transport. He took several different transports, bought another temporary terminal along the way, and rented a room in a crowded, rough neighborhood.
This time, he rented for a month to create the illusion that he was living there. After settling in, he changed into clothes he had bought on the way and opened a stream using his new terminal. The name of the stream was still the simple “Reading Bug.”
Wen Qi adjusted the angle and started the stream, showing only his clean, cold-white hands. His slender fingers rested on the terminal. He first shared the news of the stream being live along with the previous trending topics, then began to read from the storybook in his slightly cold tone.
He was a bit hesitant at the start of each story, but by the second reading, he was much smoother. The “Reading Bug” topic had been dominating the forums for over a day and was still number one on the trending list.
His post included the trending tag. Everyone knew the “Reading Bug” account was popular, so it was normal for others to try to ride the coattails of that fame. Those who clicked in initially were indifferent, but upon hearing the familiar voice, they were stunned.
The hype around “Reading Bug” had been massive over the last two days. Initially, netizens were skeptical of this strange trending topic, but within ten minutes of listening, they were hooked. Many tried to mimic the success of “Reading Bug,” and some even tried to have the trending topics removed. However, the forum administrator was an artificial intelligence, the Mainframe with the most powerful computing capability. Its program was complex and prioritized fairness and justice. It was a product of the Research Institute, so removing a trending topic required a unanimous vote from the Institute. Thus, Wen Qi’s topic remained at the top.
Wen Qi’s timing was not great. Most Zerg were training or working at this hour, yet many still saw the post. With mixed emotions, they entered the stream.
“It is really Mr. Reading Bug. It is him.”
“Is it just me, or did he change accounts?”
“I heard many Zerg went looking for Mr. Reading Bug. Is he… is he okay?”
“He looks fine for now. He is the hope for us commoner females. I hope he is safe.”
Of course, there were trolls as well.
“The effect is not as good as they say. You must be drunk to hype it this much!”
“Just someone seeking fame. If he really wanted to benefit the whole race, he should not take credits for his streams!”
“I think he is not as good as so-and-so on the other channel.”
As soon as these negative comments appeared, they were immediately attacked by others. The comments flew by, but Wen Qi ignored them all.
Soon, he finished five short stories. He glanced at the viewer count and was shocked to see thirty million Zerg in his stream. Although this number was small compared to the total Zerg population of six trillion, it was a clear validation of his work. In just an hour, without prior notice and on a different terminal, he still had over thirty million viewers. No, the number was still rising. As he watched, it climbed to forty million.
“Are there really this many people watching me?” Wen Qi spoke, the first time he had said something unrelated to the stories. “Thank you for your support.”
Hearing his gentle voice, the fans in the room defended him even more fiercely. Wen Qi thought for a moment and said, “I am sorry. I have indeed been short on Star Credits lately, which is why I started the stream.”
The comments surged.
“No need to thank us.”
“No need to apologize. We get what we need. We would be ashamed to listen for free without tipping.”
“Streamer, have pity on us! We have not heard enough! One more!”
“Not enough!”
“Today I Ride Ants tipped 30,000 Star Credits. One more, streamer!”
“Pear Flower Presses Begonia tipped 10,000 Star Credits. One more!”
“Star tipped 100,000 Star Credits. One more!”
Dazzling special effects filled the screen as tips poured in. Wen Qi looked at the influx and said, “Alright then, I will read one more story. After this, I will end the stream. Let us start in three minutes. I need a short break.”
The tipping grew even more intense. Wen Qi did not hypocritically close the tipping function. He needed the credits, and he needed a lot of them. He had a selfish reason for giving the viewers three minutes. During that time, the viewer count skyrocketed as people who had not yet informed their friends and family took the chance to do so. Soon, the count reached seventy million.
When three minutes were up, Wen Qi chose a longer story. His cold voice echoed in the ears of seventy million viewers once more.
Time passed slowly. Wen Qi’s gaze remained fixed on the book. When he finally looked up, the screen was black. He was familiar with this. It meant the stream had been banned again.
Wen Qi unhurriedly finished reading the story, then closed the stream. He took the recording from his other terminal, shared the video to his streaming account, and posted it to his forum account as well.
Checking the backend, Wen Qi was surprised to find he had earned over ten million Star Credits from this single stream. This was after the platform took half, and he had not even finished the session. He stared at the terminal, his eyes narrowing. If he had finished, he likely would have doubled that amount.
And this platform…
The revenue split was fifty-fifty. This platform had taken nearly twenty million credits from him over the last few few days, yet they banned him at a moment’s notice. It was too much.
Wen Qi tried to withdraw the credits, but as he had suspected, he could not. His expression darkened. “This platform has gone too far.”
They took half his earnings, banned his account, and now they were freezing his money. Furthermore, they had offered no explanation for the two bans. This was intolerable!
He had intended to give the platform a graceful way out, as he truly could not find a better one. But it seemed they had no intention of taking it. Wen Qi searched for information on the platform. He had chosen it because it was one of the top streaming sites in the Zerg race and allowed users in the Seven-Colored Sequence to stream without real-name registration. It was good for both streamers and viewers who wanted to stay anonymous, but it also meant the place was a mixed bag of people doing all sorts of things. Even so, the platform usually only increased the number of moderators rather than restricting unverified terminals.
The biggest selling point was the lack of restrictions on unverified users. If it were not for the forum’s own limit on withdrawing large amounts of credits without verification, he would not have been in this position.
Wen Qi could judge the size of his fanbase from today’s viewer count. Although they were fans joined by a mutual exchange of interests, such fans were often the most formidable. They had a stake in this. They needed him. If he stopped streaming, these fans would find it hard to find a male willing to soothe them, even if they had the money. They would rather spend their credits on him for peace of mind. If something went wrong with him, these fans would surely riot.
For those fans who could not afford to pay and relied on the free streams for mental comfort, they would be equally enraged if the streams stopped. Now that the news had spread and his fame was established, he could not stop streaming even if he wanted to. If he did, he might be attacked online even if his male identity was revealed. His existence touched too many interests. But now, if he directed the anger toward the platform, they would have to bear the consequences.
Wen Qi struck the platform from his list. He refreshed the forum and saw the video he had just posted already had ten million views. He left a comment under the video and pinned it.
“I am sorry, everyone. Because the platform has banned all my permissions, I will no longer be streaming there. You all know I am in the Blue Sequence, and you know how dangerous it is. Real-name terminals have tracking systems, and I cannot take that risk. As you have said, I indeed need to earn Star Credits. The forum has a limit on withdrawals, so I cannot update videos daily. Although the timing will be irregular, I will post several stories for everyone each month. Please do not worry.”
“For those who tipped me today, please apply for a full refund from the platform. The credits have been frozen by the platform, and I cannot withdraw them. I do not want to let the platform benefit for nothing. You can find the refund instructions in their rules.”
“Finally, thank you all for your support.”
After posting, Wen Qi disabled his private messages. He was waiting for the situation to boil over.
Ten minutes later, Wen Qi turned off the tipping function on the forum and withdrew what he could, returning the rest to the senders. He then changed his clothes, put on a disguise, locked his terminal in the room, and left.
He ignored the fans who, having realized he turned off tips, were now launching a furious online crusade against the streaming company.