Conquering the Stars and My Haters’ Hearts - Chapter 18

To be honest, Xie Anning wasn’t feeling particularly confident. Luck is an abstract concept, after all; who knew what kind of practical effect the potion would actually have?

Then, he witnessed firsthand exactly what the Water of Misfortune could do.

Jin Xinheng’s mech, which had been charging forward with murderous intent, suddenly lost its balance and face-planted onto the ground.

Xie Anning: “…”

The spectators were stunned. “My God! What just happened? I didn’t even see a move!”

“Is ‘Call Me Daddy’s’ attack speed so fast that the naked eye can’t track it?”

“Terrifying, we saw nothing, yet Master Jin went down just like that. I didn’t expect this rookie streamer to possess such hidden depth.”

Even the sharp-eyed observers among the crowd didn’t dare voice their true suspicions. The thought was too absurd to be real. How could a mech pilot of Jin Xinheng’s caliber simply trip? On flat ground?

Jin Xinheng himself was mortified. How is this possible? He considered himself a genius; if word got out that he had tripped on level terrain, how could he ever show his face again?

He scrambled to his feet, desperate to cover up the blunder. He let out a forced, cold laugh. “I didn’t expect you to have such tricks up your sleeve. To think you could push me to this point.”

Xie Anning: “…”

In the eyes of the audience, Xie Anning’s image instantly grew much more formidable. They figured that if an obscure streamer had been hand-picked as an opponent by Jin Xinheng, he must indeed be a hidden master.

Jin Xinheng lunged toward Xie Anning’s flank again, this time exercising rare caution regarding his maneuvers and the terrain. He refused to let another “flat-ground trip” happen. He thrust his weapon toward the nearby Xie Anning only to strike thin air.

Just as Jin Xinheng began to doubt his own piloting skills, he watched as his mech’s weapon suddenly snapped, falling to the ground and dissolving into a string of data.

“I see! It’s because ‘Call Me Daddy’ damaged the weapon during their earlier exchange!” a knowledgeable spectator shouted in realization. “The damage didn’t manifest then, but it gave way the moment it was put under pressure!”

The others nodded fervently. So that’s it! This truly was a battle between high-level experts.

Xie Anning’s reputation in the eyes of the public climbed even higher. Even his own fans were dazed. Is the person we’re following actually this incredible? Their cheers grew significantly more deafening.

Xie Anning was breaking into a cold sweat. The effect of the Water of Misfortune was far more violent than he had anticipated. It seemed the effect would last for quite a while; he suspected Jin Xinheng was utterly doomed.

Jin Xinheng was reeling. He felt as though from the moment he intended to use underhanded tactics, absolutely nothing had gone his way.

“The previous rounds don’t count! This time, I’ll definitely—”

Gritting his teeth, Jin Xinheng clashed with Xie Anning once more.

What the audience saw next was a Jin Xinheng who, despite his aggressive posture, was plagued by constant errors. Not only did he fail to land a single hit on Xie Anning, but he was struck several times in return. His once-stylish mech now looked battered and pathetic.

In this game, mechs simulated reality; repairs required points, which served as a major revenue stream for the developers.

As one humiliating failure followed another, the opponent he should have crushed instantly was still dragging the fight out well past the ten-minute mark. Losing his temper, Jin Xinheng slammed his fist against his console in frustration and accidentally hit the communications button, sending a pre-prepared command to a specific target.

That command was intended to trigger a massive publicity blitz. Jin Xinheng had prepared several high-traffic livestream channels to broadcast his victory to show how he had humiliated Xie Anning. With one order, the battle would be broadcasted to hundreds of millions across the galaxy.

He had wanted the entire world to know that the man who defeated Ferdinand was nothing more than his stepping stone.

Of course, he hadn’t launched the broadcast at the start because he wanted to ensure he could finish the fight with style. Once he realized Xie Anning was as resilient as a cockroach, he had planned to scrap the idea. But now, under the influence of the Water of Misfortune, he had accidentally sent it out and he didn’t even realize it.

In another location, Jin Xinheng’s subordinates received the message. They were shocked. Does the boss really want to broadcast this? Why would he want the world to see him looking so miserable?

“What are you standing around for? You want Young Master Jin to get angry?” one of them barked, standing up.

“But this doesn’t feel right. If we air this.”

“You don’t get it. Young Master Jin must be ‘selling his misery’ to garner sympathy and solidify his fanbase! It’s a strategy!”

“That makes sense!”

Since the command had come directly from Jin Xinheng, they contacted the major platforms. Suddenly, the battle between Jin Xinheng and Xie Anning appeared on every front page. People looking to kill time suddenly noticed the high-profile match.

They were stunned. Isn’t that the legendary Jin Xinheng? Why does he look so wretched?

The new broadcast attracted a massive wave of viewers. Even Jin Xinheng’s classmates and high-society acquaintances happened upon the stream and clicked in out of curiosity.

Inside the arena, the participants were still oblivious to the outside world. All eyes were fixed on the increasingly chaotic fight.

Jin Xinheng’s patience had evaporated. His face was a mask of ice; he felt he had already lost all dignity. If he didn’t finish “Call Me Daddy” now, he would be a laughingstock for the rest of his life.

“I didn’t want to use this, but you forced my hand.” With a venomous glare, Jin Xinheng steered his mech directly into Xie Anning’s. Hidden from view, arcs of electricity began to dance across his mech’s hull, poised to leap onto Xie Anning.

This was a truly malevolent weapon. Once it latched onto an enemy mech, it would corrode the interior and, if it reached the pilot, cause a total mental collapse.

Unexpectedly, Xie Anning raised his weapon at that exact moment and fired a basic laser cannon—the most standard, low-tier weapon available, usually incapable of piercing even basic armor.

The spectators felt a twinge of disappointment. Such a rare opening, and he used such a mundane weapon?

However, in its electrified state, Jin Xinheng’s mech was far more fragile than usual. The laser blast struck a critical weak point. In an instant, the electricity backfired. The mech was enveloped in a brilliant flash, looking as though it had been struck by a bolt of lightning. When the light faded, the mech was charred black, sinking to its knees in exhaustion. Its former glory was gone.

[System: Pilot Jin Xinheng’s mech is immobilized.]

[System: ‘Call Me Daddy’ defeats Jin Xinheng. Victory goes to the challenger!]

As the voice lines echoed through the arena, a profound silence fell over the crowd.

Wait. Did they hear that right? Jin Xinheng actually lost?

Xie Anning had used a basic laser cannon! How could it have such a devastating effect? Was the mech modified?

As they looked at Xie Anning’s clunky, yellow mech again, it no longer looked cheap. It possessed the aura of a mysterious, high-level master.

Xie Anning’s livestream chat froze for a second before exploding. Tips flooded in, and viewers began professing their undying loyalty, declaring themselves “Daddy’s” obedient children. Only a channel with a name like Xie Anning’s could foster such a bizarre fan culture.

To lose in such a fashion, Jin Xinheng felt like he was about to spit out a mouthful of blood from pure rage.

Jin Xinheng was reeling. He had used a lethal hidden trick against a “country bumpkin,” and not only had it failed, but it had somehow backfired on him? What was wrong with the world today? He felt as if the entire universe had conspired against him. Even if this were some kind of divine retribution, it was arriving far too late!

The only remaining silver lining was that he hadn’t instructed his subordinates to broadcast the fight. Otherwise, this humiliation would have been witnessed by hundreds of millions. If that had happened, how could he ever show his face in society again?

“This match, I lost.” Those few words were incredibly difficult for Jin Xinheng to choke out. Gritting his teeth, he continued, “What do you want from me? As long as it is within my power, name your price.”

Of course, once he left this arena, he had no intention of letting this fellow off easy! He would make the brat understand the true meaning of regret.

[Congratulations, Host. The current livestream viewership has reached one million. Completing the mission should no longer be an issue. However, if you provide a little more ‘stimulation’ now, you could squeeze out even more Popularity Points. Would you like to try?]

Xie Anning: “…” ‘Squeeze out’? What kind of phrasing is that? Though he understood exactly what the System was getting at.

He was actually quite surprised that Jin Xinheng was being so honorable about fulfilling the pre-match agreement. It was unexpected.

After a moment’s thought, Xie Anning said, “It’s a very simple request. If you don’t want to do it, you can refuse.” He was, at the very least, offering the man an out.

“If I said I’d do it, I’ll do it. Cut the chatter.” Nothing irritated Jin Xinheng more than having his capability questioned. Did this person really think a man of his status would go back on his word?

“Very well.” Xie Anning nodded. His voice, enhanced by the vocal potion he had consumed earlier, sounded incredibly pleasant—like a gentle breeze brushing against one’s ear.

“Since you insist, what I want you to do isn’t difficult at all, I just need you to recite the last word of my ID.”