Chapter 23 Chapter 23: Becoming a Phenomenon
Lucas was a third-year student at S University of Electronic Technology, and he is twenty-two year old. He often wandered into gaming livestreams to watch people play, sometimes checking out the girls dancing. It was fun, but after seeing so much, it got boring.
Today, he decided to find something new in freshly opened livestreams, and he happened upon one that was so basic it couldn’t get any more basic.
“What on earth is 'The One Who Returned from Heaven'? The cover image has those tacky embossed letters. This stream is definitely going to flop hard.”
Even as he thought that, his hand still clicked to enter, expecting the streamer to do some attention-seeking antics with no real talent.
"You’re no longer my muse, and I’m no longer the dreamer composer..."
As soon as Lucas clicked in, a clear, pure voice filled his ears. It was like holy water from heaven, washing away his heavy mood, sweeping away all the stress from school, work, and family, leaving his soul floating high on cloud nine.
"So beautiful… truly the voice of someone who’s returned from heaven, my angel."
"User Alexander Lucas has just gifted x1 anchor."
“User Alexander Lucas has just gifted x1 dolphin.”
“User Alexander Lucas has just gifted x1 dolphin.”
“User Alexander Lucas has just gifted x1 dolphin.”
On the Kola platform, a dolphin is worth ten thousand dollars. Lucas’s support of three dolphins instantly propelled Selena's room into the top ten of the new donors' chart and number one on the rising stars' chart. This stirred curiosity, prompting a few viewers to drop in and see what this streamer was doing to earn such support.
"Who's this? Spending money on themselves just to get on the rankings?"
"Still hiding your face? Come on, we’re here, show yourself."
"Lower that shirt so I can see your chest, girl."
"Nice neck and shoulders. Bet your face isn’t too bad either, show it, and I’ll send gifts."
"Probably too ugly for filters to save, that's why she's hiding. No wonder she's donating to herself."
"Get lost! If you're not gonna show skin, then scream!"
Lucas, engrossed in listening to the female streamer sing, hadn’t noticed the number of viewers climbing into the tens and the comments section getting rowdy. When he finally realized, he was furious and typed: "If you're not here to listen to the music, get out. Don't ruin my vibe."
\[User “Alexander Lucas” has just gifted x1 dolphin.\]
Seeing Lucas gift another premium present, the comment section erupted again.
"So, this streamer is a singer? How do we know she’s not lip-syncing behind that hidden face?"
"You really think anyone sings live these days? It’s all auto-tuned."
"Got too much money? Give some to me; I’d make better use of it than these no-talent hacks."
At that moment, Selena had just finished a song. She glanced at the comments and saw the turmoil. One comment, accusing her of lip-syncing and using auto-tune, caught her eye. So, she calmly responded:
“I don’t lip-sync, and on the platform interface, you can check if the streamer is using auto-tune.”
"Wow... such a sweet voice. I was too busy reading the trash talk to hear what she sang. If her speaking voice is this sweet, I bet her singing is just as good."
"I checked; she’s not using auto-tune. But with her face hidden, how can we know it’s really her singing?"
Seeing some reason in the comment, Selena adjusted her camera upward slightly, revealing her soft, rosy lips.
“This is my first stream, so I’m a bit awkward. From now on, I’ll sing requests. What song would you like to hear?”
With his constant gifting, Lucas had earned the top fan spot, his account now adorned with a gold frame and various perks, including having his comments appear larger than others’.
"Sing ‘For You,’ your voice would be perfect for that song."
Graciously, Selena agreed. After a few seconds of intro music, she began: “From that faraway place, do you still think of me...”
Her voice floated like a gentle autumn breeze, sweet and pure as a summer stream, soothing the listeners. The entire comment section went silent, save for a few greetings from newcomers. Everyone else was completely absorbed in what sounded like an angel descending to Earth.
A few minutes later, after finishing the song, Selena said:
“That’s it for today’s stream. I have things to do. See you tomorrow at the same time, bye-bye.”
Without a second thought, Selena ignored the pleas from the comments begging her to stay and closed the stream. She left the room and headed to the kitchen to start cooking.
Not knowing the man’s preferences, she cooked to her own taste. If he didn’t eat, she’d happily finish it herself.
While Selena was busy cooking, unaware of the commotion on the Kola platform, both users and admins were in a frenzy. They were sending frantic messages to her, all in vain, as she had truly left the platform.
"Seriously? The goddess really left? We barely got to hear her."
"Did anyone record it? Please, I need it. I’ve been an insomniac for years, and just when I was finally drifting off, she logged off."
"I only got the last song. I missed the first one because I was too busy bantering."
"Wasn’t Alexander Lucas the top fan? He definitely has the first song recorded. Message him; I’ll pay anything for it."
"Are you guys crazy? You didn’t support her earlier, and now you’re willing to pay to make someone else rich?"
Meanwhile, Lucas was still stunned by Selena’s abrupt departure. Once he snapped out of it and saw the comments calling for him, he replied:
"Even if I had it, I wouldn’t give it to you guys. The goddess probably saw your rude comments and left early because of them!"
He then shut down the platform and played the song Selena had just sung, a satisfied smile curling on his lips. Listening to her sing, his chronic neck pain seemed to vanish. It was miraculous.
As for the viewers Lucas had scolded, they were filled with regret. To make amends, they banded together to boost Selena’s stream into the top ten of the popular charts, hoping she’d return and sing more for them soon.
At the same time, the recording of Selena singing “For You” quickly spread across social media, becoming a sensation. Her voice was simply captivating, leaving listeners craving more, completely entranced by the song. It could be said that she had elevated the song to a new level.