Chapter 1

I was ready to end the stream once I hit my 700 dollars goal, but the Knight at the top of the leaderboard started freaking out.

Emily Lowell kicked off her livestream with a simple mission: earn 700 dollars a day by mimicking Chloe Jennings, the streamer with millions of fans.

At first, the top fans weren't buying Emily at all.

[Look like Chloe? Please. You think you can even compare to her? Don't you own a mirror? Or maybe check your reflection in a puddle?]

[She won't dare to actually stream. Seen this a million times: just some photoshopped pics trying to leech off the hype. Bet she looks like a total troll in real life!]

*****

On her phone screen, a barrage of harsh comments rolled by nonstop.

Emily stared at them with a blank face, then swiped to change her stream title to a few simple words: [Earn 700 dollars, then log off].

It was such a strange title: so chill, almost lazy, totally out of place in this hyper-competitive streaming world.

She ignored the nasty comments, adjusted her cheap ring light, and the glow hit her face. She looked almost exactly like the top streamer Chloe, a near-perfect match.

But compared to Chloe's flawless, sculpted beauty, Emily's face had a bit more warmth and a down-to-earth vibe. Her eyes were calm, but there was a stubbornness in them that wouldn't budge.

"Today, I'm going to try Chloe's Heart's Canvas Dance," Emily said.

Her voice was quiet and a little chilly. After that, she stood up and moved into the tiny spot in front of the camera.

There was no fancy backdrop, but just a faded white wall.

The music started playing.

Emily started moving to the beat.

Chloe's Heart's Canvas Dance was famous for its graceful moves and that broken vibe. Every step was carefully choreographed to highlight a kind of vulnerable beauty. When Chloe danced, she was like a porcelain doll you wanted to protect.

But when Emily started dancing, it was a completely different feeling.

Her moves were flawless, even more powerful than Chloe's. Her flexible waist curved into stunning arcs, and every pause, every spin, burned with relentless vitality. There was no fragility, but only pure, blazing determination.

The stream fell silent for a moment.

[Whoa, she's got some real talent.]

[Her moves are even more on point than Chloe's… Am I imagining things?]

[Nope, you're not imagining things. Chloe always skips or waters down the hardest moves when she streams, but this girl pulled off every single one.]

[Ha, no matter how close she gets, she's still a cheap knockoff. Trying way too hard.]

A flashy gold comment slid across the screen from "Chloe's Guardian Knight," the second-biggest spender in Chloe's stream.

Right after, a 35 dollars "Beer" gift icon popped up.

Chloe's Guardian Knight: [Here's 35 dollars. Stop already. You're messing up Chloe's dance.]

Emily saw the comment, but she didn't pause for a second. She kept going until the last note faded, finally stopping with sweat glistening on her forehead and her breathing steady but a bit heavy.

She walked back to the camera, grabbed her cup, took a sip, and glanced at the balance in the top right corner: 40 dollars.

"Thanks for the beer, Knight," Emily said, her tone flat and unreadable. "Still 620 dollars to go before I end the stream."

She was like a cold, emotionless counter, just rattling off numbers.

Emily's flat response left Chloe's Guardian Knight totally stumped. He'd been all set to roast her, but now his words got stuck. It felt like swinging hard and hitting nothing but air.

He wasn't having it, so he sent over a flashy "Sports Car" gift.

Chloe's Guardian Knight: [Here's 350 bucks. Turn off the stream. Right now. Immediately.]

The balance in the top right corner shot up, jumping to 380 dollars.

Emily's eyes sparkled. She was honestly thrilled to see her progress bar leap forward.

"Thanks for the Sports Car, Knight," she said again, and this time, even a bit of real gratitude slipped into her voice. "300 dollars left before I log off."

Chloe's Guardian Knight was left totally speechless.

The chat exploded.

[Hahaha, I've never seen a streamer this honest!]

[Goal-oriented streamer, I love it. Knight, drop another gift and let her end the stream!]

[This streamer's got some personality. Not too humble, not too cocky. I'm hitting follow just for that attitude.]

Emily paid no mind to the chat's excitement. She straightened up and said, "Next, I'll sing Crystal Dream by Chloe Jennings."

No music, just her voice.

Her singing poured out, pure and clear, carrying a force that struck a chord deep inside.

Chloe was notorious for always singing with heavy auto-tune. She never performed live without some tech magic. Fans liked to call it her signature "sci-fi vibe."

But now, Emily sang it stripped-down, just her voice, no effects. She brought out the real soul of the song: a haunting beauty born from broken dreams, not some hollow digital fantasy behind a cold screen.

When she finished, gifts started trickling in.

One-dollar "hearts," ten-dollar "coffees," and one- or two-dollar "glow sticks."

Small stuff, but it all added up.

The number in the top right corner of the screen crept steadily upward.

450...

500...

600...

When the number jumped to 650, Emily stared at it, ignoring the chat entirely.

[Only fifty more. Come on, ladies! Let's help her finish up!]

[This is the first time I've seen viewers urging a streamer to log off. I'm dying.]

[Please, sing one more! Your voice is incredible!]

Emily shook her head. "No, I'm about to hit my goal."

Just then, a golden "rocket" gift animation exploded right in the middle of the screen. Worth 350 bucks.

The sender's ID was "Simon."

A simple name, but everyone on the platform knew exactly who he was.

He was the god of Chloe's stream, and number one on the all-time leaderboard, leaving second place in the dust by tens of millions. Rumor had it he was the man behind Chloe, a true big shot.

He almost never showed up in other streams.

His arrival made the whole chat go wild.

Simon: [Who are you?]

Just three icy words, delivered with a commanding, almost superior tone.

Emily glanced at the earnings number, which had already jumped to 1,000 dollars, and her brow furrowed ever so slightly. She'd gone over her target.