The scavengers all tacitly found NPCs they got along with to form teams. This wasn't because it was safer, but primarily because they currently knew nothing about the background and had to split up to explore it.
If all twenty people were completely clueless about the situation, it would look very suspicious.
Nan Yue's group of five also split up, and she was relieved to see Jiang Siyan take the initiative to seek out information.
A healer shouldn't just be good at healing, after all.
Nan Yue continued to follow the girl she had spoken to earlier. Along the way, she learned that the girl's name was Bai Qing, a pretty and somewhat shy young woman.
"Actually, I don't watch streams much, and I don't know anything about Entertainment to death... but he likes it. He loves these adventurous things."
"He even donated a lot of money. He said this platform is very popular and that streaming here can earn you a lot of money and fame."
Nan Yue bit her tongue but eventually couldn't help saying, "But shouldn't love be built on an equal relationship? He's making you participate in this stream as a test. That's a condescending attitude, making you please him."
"Putting aside whether the stream is risky or not, making you show your face to earn money and fame just to satisfy his vanity isn't a healthy relationship."
The girl's eyes turned red. It wasn't that she didn't understand the logic; she wasn't a fool.
It was just... she just couldn't let it go.
She glanced at Nan Yue, then at Jiang Siyan, who had already returned to her side.
"Then how did you two get together?"
Nan Yue realized Bai Qing had misunderstood, and just as she was about to explain, Jiang Siyan interjected naturally.
"Because she's exceptional. Being with her is my honor."
Bai Qing looked at Nan Yue with a hint of envy. "You're so beautiful and have such a great aura. I really envy you."
Jiang Siyan shook his head. "The excellence I'm talking about isn't those things. I appreciate her from the bottom of my heart."
"Someone who truly loves you won't care if your appearance is ordinary or stunning. He can see the real you and loves the real you. Not some version of you that achieved a goal or was packaged in a certain way."
Bai Qing fell into thought and didn't continue the discussion.
Nan Yue glanced at Jiang Siyan, somewhat surprised that he was willing to say so much.
To others, Jiang Siyan seemed like a gentle gentleman, but she knew all too well that this man was cold and indifferent, not even caring about himself, let alone others.
Jiang Siyan smiled faintly. "Perhaps being with you all for so long has given me a bit of humanity."
"Entertainment to death is an adventure-themed streaming platform, mainly focusing on paranormal exploration."
"In my view, it's just doing suicidal things to increase traffic and exposure."
Jiang Siyan sneered. "See, this is the absurdity of the polluted world. We have to survive among ghosts just to stay alive, yet they live in such happiness and peace but choose to seek out death."
Nan Yue remained silent. She noticed that Jiang Siyan had an unusual hatred for the pollution.
Although he controlled it well, Nan Yue could still feel how agitated he became every time the subject was mentioned.
"Boss, a guy just let me watch two previous streams. They seem to find a place with a paranormal legend every time and then arrange for forty or fifty people to stream there together."
"Those who aren't popular during the stream slowly lose screen time. The one who remains at the end gets to sign the next contract with the platform."
"The earnings from a single stream are very high."
Gu Xiang Kai walked over with a cigarette in his mouth, stubbing it out in a nearby trash can.
He added, "Some are fans, but many people are here for the high rewards."
This fit the situation. Nan Yue increasingly found that the logic in the polluted world was very rigorous; except for the horrific events, everything else was no different from the real world.
Zhu Xi Ning brought back news similar to Gu Xiang Kai's. Many people weren't actually familiar with streaming or this platform, but as long as they participated, they received a handsome reward. They didn't seem to care much about whether they could become the final remaining streamer.
The last to return was Wen Xiang Yuan. Her looks and charisma made it easy for her to attract favor from both the same and opposite sex.
It could be said that as long as she was willing, she could always dig up more information.
"I heard that generally, everyone is only assigned thirty minutes at the start, and then it's adjusted based on the situation."
Nan Yue frowned slightly. "So we need to rely on our performance during that half-hour stream to win more time."
The objective was to get 4,444 yuan in tips. Although they didn't know yet if the platform's audience was generous, the longer the duration, the better.
"But there's one thing..."
Wen Xiang Yuan felt something was off. "I just heard them say that a few previous streamers even faked their deaths for ratings, but they ended their own streaming careers because of it."
"But I don't think it was an act."
Those kids had said they saw a stream where several people died in front of the camera, but the blood looked too fake and the acting too forced, clearly done to promote the platform.
After all, the death of a real streamer would surely draw public attention.
"But this is a polluted world. Could they have actually died?"
Wen Xiang Yuan kept thinking of those three staff members wearing human-face masks. She had a very bad feeling.
Moreover, while streaming could cover anything and paranormal streams were popular, when death was involved, it might not be fake, but..."
They might really die.
As if knowing what Wen Xiang Yuan was thinking, Zhu Xi Ning suddenly spoke. "Those three people from earlier—I don't know if they're human, but they're extremely dangerous."
"They gave me a very bad feeling. They are existences that threaten our lives."
With Zhu Xi Ning's words, it was basically certain that this platform was extremely dangerous, not only for the scavengers but for the NPCs as well.
"Let's see how it goes first."
Nan Yue felt that this mission wasn't very friendly because there was a certain level of competition among them.
"We only need to focus on the tips. We don't need to care about getting the final spot."
But for the NPCs, they were all competitors, and they also needed to be wary of those around them.
It was around seven or eight in the evening, but there were no lights nearby. Everyone put on their streaming equipment and turned on their built-in light sources.
"When we were notified to come for the meeting, I noticed that the dilapidated building was just a residential house not far from the Zhou Family Compound. It was likely an old bank back then."
"After the incident at the Zhou Family Compound, this whole area was abandoned. Many buildings collapsed, and only the old bank, which was built sturdily, was preserved."
"The Zhou Family Compound is a ten-minute walk from there."
Everyone turned around at those words. The one speaking in the middle of the crowd was a yellow-haired boy. He had a somewhat smug expression, clearly very familiar with this place.
Rate on N.U.
