Time ticked away, second by second.
The PK between the two streams was down to its final minute.
Fredy, surrounded by the deafening music in his livestream, relentlessly sent over 500 dragon gifts in a row.
It wasn't until he clicked the gift button again and was greeted by a white "Please Recharge" popup that he finally stopped.
His bloodshot eyes fixated on the score displayed above the stream.
The opponent's absurd 112.5 million soundwaves stood unmoving, a total conversion into real cash that seemed to mock him.
Meanwhile, his sideâdespite rallying his friends for reinforcementsâhad only managed 19 million soundwaves.
Everyone knew better; nobody was foolish enough to throw real money around just to "make friends."
Throwing $5,000 or $10,000 was fine to save face, but going all-in? Out of the question.
Now, in the final minute, Fredy was out of money.
The gap was insurmountable.
From start to finish, he had been thoroughly crushed, given no chance to breathe.
Fredy had no choice but to accept his defeat.
The guy on the other side had thrown over $300,000 for some dumb girl, completely obliterating Fredy's wallet.
Even the savings Fredy had accumulated over years of red envelope money weren't enough to secure a win.
This time, he admitted defeat.
A gamble is a gamble.
Fredy opened the opposing streamer's "Lucky Bunny" livestream and typed in the public chat:
63-LovesCilantro: "I've already told her to turn off the beauty filter. Just wait."
At this moment, the Lucky Bunny's stream was packed.
In just two hours, over 1,000 Carnivals had been thrown, rocketing the stream to the #1 spot on TikTok's global leaderboard.
The online viewer count had surpassed one million.
New viewers kept flooding in.
Most of the audience, seeing a millionaire frantically throwing Carnivals, were typing all sorts of flattering and provocative comments, hoping to catch the big spender's attention.
A smaller portion of the viewers were drawn to Shirley Taylor's natural beauty.
After seeing countless overly-edited "fairy-like" streamers, this sweet, down-to-earth girl was like a breath of fresh air.
The viewers eagerly typed thirsty comments, fantasizing about Shirley Taylor's figure.
The chaotic activity quickly drowned out Fredy's message.
Frustrated, Fredy typed his comment again. And again.
James, who was chatting with his audience, noticed Fredy's message the first time.
After all, the flashy Level 63 icon next to Fredy's name was hard to miss.
64-PublicEnemyofLove: "Looking forward to your performance."
James's rank was even higher, and his comment carried more weight.
He told Shirley Taylor to unmute the opposing stream so they could enjoy the show.
He was genuinely curiousâwhen Cilantro saw that the girl he had poured nearly $200,000 into was actually an old woman, what would his reaction be?
Sure, crushing the other streamer's livelihood might be a little unethical, but was it ethical for that woman to use beauty filters to scam gifts?
And, after all, she'd made $200,000 in "consolation fees," which was more than enough to start a different business, right?
Livestreaming should be left for young girls in need, not older women stealing opportunities from them.
James comforted his conscience with all sorts of justifications.
It wasn't long before the opposing "Meimei" streamer received a call.
When she returned, her expression was unusually grim.
Cilantro Daddy, please don't do this. Anything else is fine, but I can't turn off the beauty filter.
As soon as Meimei returned, she began to wail.
She had just been called by her streaming agency, who ordered her to comply with the PK punishment.
Apparently, the boss on the other side had pulled some serious strings, and if she didn't cooperate, it could cause trouble for the entire agency.
"Boss, how about I risk getting banned and dance a striptease for you instead?"
"Please don't make things difficult for me, small streamers have it so hard."
"Our beauty filters are like our second faces. If you rip this away, I'll never be able to show myself again..."
Meimei's sobbing and pleas were so dramatic that even Shirley Taylor started to feel a bit uneasy.
"Enemy Brother, um... could you..." Shirley Taylor hesitated, wanting to plead on Meimei's behalf.
But she knew this bet had nothing to do with her, and she had no right to interfere.
After all, James had spent so much money to win. Interjecting now would only make her seem out of line.
Shirley Taylor's heart softened, but she remained quiet, knowing better.
James picked up on Shirley Taylor's intention and marveled at how pure this girl still was.
If she wanted him to let it go, being magnanimous might even earn him some affection points.
PublicEnemyofLove: "For my wife's sake, I'll let this one slide. You two can leave now."
Shirley Taylor, unconsciously used to James calling her his wife, was relieved when he agreed. She quickly reminded the opposing streamer:
"Meimei-sister, you don't need to go bare-faced anymore, don't cry."
Unfortunately, Meimei had muted Shirley Taylor's stream and didn't hear her.
She continued sobbing, wiping her tears.
63-LovesCilantro: "No. A loss is a loss. I can handle it."
Fredy didn't find the idea of seeing Meimei bare-faced confessing to him embarrassing at all.
After all, they had video chatted before. She had claimed that she avoided traveling to his city due to "climate incompatibility," asking him to visit her instead.
When the Great Sage had suggested this punishment, Fredy had been confused.
Now, seeing Meimei desperately stalling, he grew more suspicious.
He insisted on seeing her without the filter.
Fredy picked up his phone and urged her agency to follow through.
At this point, nearly a million viewers were packed into the two streams.
The comments scrolled so quickly they were impossible to read.
"You shouldn't agree to a PK if you can't handle the punishment. Stop trying to have it both ways."
"Judging by her reaction, I'm calling it nowâanother filter princess."
"I can already see the ending. Rip to the boss's 400 dragons."
"You people are horrible. Meimei, don't be scared. Even bare-faced, you'll still have my support. I've already closed my eyes for you."
"23333."
"This is the moment of truth."
Suddenly, two men in black entered Meimei's stream.
Without a word, one went to disable the beauty filter while the other blocked Meimei from escaping.
They were clearly experienced, dividing their tasks efficiently.
As soon as the face-slimming, skin-smoothing, bust-enhancing, and leg-lengthening filters were turned off...
The monster appeared.
!!!
Her head looked noticeably larger, with makeup so thick it resembled paint.
Even that couldn't hide her rough pores and wrinkles.
Her puffy, swollen eyes were small, her nose flat like a pancake, and her cheeks sagged with noticeable jowls.
For ugly people, looking too closely is an act of cruelty.
If this woman scored a 50 from the system, James really wanted to ask how the grading worked.
Fredy, staring at his phone, vomited on the spot.