"Damn, a big shot! Live stream status -999"
"Suddenly realized I'm a bit brainless... it must be because the big shot's aura is too strong!"
Watching the big shot's analysis, the academically challenged viewers exclaimed 666.
Envious, and envious.
A brain is truly a good thing.
...
At Xiao Lin's Restaurant—
Another table of customers finished their meal and left. The waitress stepped forward to clear the dishes. Before taking them to the back kitchen, she glanced at the situation at other tables.
Today was the weekend, and there weren't many customers in the shop.
With no work to do, everyone ate at a more leisurely pace.
Ordering a couple of small dishes, having some wine, chatting with friends.
Shen Jie's table was similar. Although they weren't drinking, the two of them were watching the live stream together.
For convenience, they had switched from sitting opposite each other to sitting side-by-side.
Because they were sitting close, Shen Jie could smell a faint fragrance emanating from the person next to him.
It was like jasmine, but not as strong.
It would have been a beautiful moment, but as the live stream footage delved deeper into Xingfu Community, Shen Jie's expression kept changing.
Now, seeing that long barrage of comments from the netizens' analysis, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
It seemed... something was indeed wrong.
Was Xingfu Community entirely affected?
Even the ghost messengers were not exempt, let alone... people?
Besides the visible emotional changes, what other changes were there in the affected people that they hadn't noticed yet?
Shen Jie's gaze fell on Zuo Yuanyuan beside him. She seemed to sense it and looked up, smiling at him.
"This analysis is quite interesting," Zuo Yuanyuan said with a smile.
Her expression, the curve of her lips, was as if she were talking about someone else's affairs.
She seemed completely unaware of being affected herself.
Shen Jie's face turned pale, and he felt that smile was filled with an eerie strangeness.
Gradually, it overlapped with the Qiu Yue from his memory.
[In the cinema, that smile stretching to her ears.]
[Under the dormitory building, the message she sent: — I will always be watching you.]
Goosebumps slowly crawled up Shen Jie's arms, and his disappeared gynophobia returned.
The previous ease and joy seemed to be just a fleeting illusion.
Easily shattered.
Bang!
Shen Jie suddenly stood up, ignoring the strange looks from the people in the restaurant, and walked out with his phone.
His body was stiff, and his hands and feet felt the same.
"Hey, where are you going?" Zuo Yuanyuan was still somewhat bewildered.
Shen Jie paused and stammered, "I, I have an urgent matter and need to leave."
"You'll pick me up next time, right?"
Zuo Yuanyuan blinked her eyes, looking innocent and guileless.
"Let's see... I'll see then..."
Shen Jie mumbled, not knowing what he was saying at all.
He fled the restaurant as if escaping.
He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he felt a gaze following him from behind.
Like a thorn in his back...
"Ring ring ring—! Ring ring ring—!"
The phone ringing startled Shen Jie, and he snapped back to reality.
He glanced at the caller ID: — Mom.
Unknowingly, he had been sitting on the living room sofa for half an hour.
As soon as the call was connected, his mother eagerly asked, "How is it, how is it? Is the young lady nice?"
Shen Jie's mind was still in a daze.
The moment his mother mentioned Zuo Yuanyuan, goosebumps reappeared all over his body.
His mother continued to ask about the progress, chattering about Zuo Yuanyuan's family background.
Shen Jie opened his mouth, his heart pounding.
At one moment, he thought: It's over, it's over, the Shen family will have no heirs.
At another moment, he wondered if he should call that spiritual investigation agency from last time.
As soon as the thought arose, he remembered that the streamer was already dealing with this matter.
He briefly responded to his mother on the phone, hung up, and dazedly opened the live stream.
The moment he saw the streamer's figure, he felt as if he had found a calming anchor.
"The streamer is here... the streamer is here..."
He murmured blankly, and the goosebumps on his body gradually receded.
He thought about it, then found the lion figurine he had treasured and almost never used, holding it tightly.
As if this could grant him more protection.
Was he afraid of ghosts?
He was just... afraid of the strangeness that appeared around him. The unknown that was too vast.
...
In the live stream footage—
After observing several cases in Xingfu Community up close, Jiang Lin had some guesses.
This [Spirit]'s method of creating happiness seemed to be by amplifying people's desires.
And these desires were often those that people had accumulated, suppressed, and dared not easily release in their daily lives.
The role of the [Spirit] was to guide and strengthen them.
Skipping certain processes directly, achieving results through shortcuts.
For example—
People would obtain diplomas through studying to find jobs.
To some, the process of studying was painful, but finding a job with a diploma was the desired good outcome.
At this point, the [Spirit] would come out and say: You can find a job without a diploma.
Since that's the case, why spend so much time delaying gratification?
What you want, you can have now.
Another example—
Some people worked overtime diligently just to earn more money.
In their tedious work, it was inevitable that they would anticipate some pleasant times.
— Sleeping in on weekends, having a big meal, leisurely watching dramas, taking a bath.
And no more miscellaneous work-related matters.
At this time, the [Spirit] would quietly emerge and ask you:
Why wait until the weekend? These things you want, you can clearly have them now.
Why deliberately create suffering for yourself?
Happiness is something you pursue yourself.
Put aside all your worries and boldly pursue the life you want!
...
In terms of the pursued outcome, it seemed to have no problems.
However, the process involved greatly deviated from people's original thinking and the original meaning they wanted to pursue.
It was simply pursuing momentary pleasure.
"Directly acting on thoughts... like mental pollution?"
Jiang Lin pondered.
If it were put in human terms... it would probably be like a creepy uncle luring a child with a lollipop.
Gently saying, "I'll give you candy, and you listen to uncle, okay?"
Once the candy was accepted, one would be led by the nose.
Silently infecting the mind.
...