God is Being Pampered by the Group - Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Conflict Rises Again

As the dark shadow fully emerged from the sewer, the dim yellow streetlights illuminated his features: a face with a pointed mouth and sunken cheeks like a monkey, and a pair of bloodshot, hazy, and ruthless eyes beneath a mass of twisted black hair.

He was the same rat that had appeared before Qi Yue moments ago, originating from the same source as the rat demon Qi Yue.

Clearly, the two demons knew each other and had for a long time—since the moment Qi Yue first gained sentience as an ordinary rat.

Back then, he had awakened his self-awareness even earlier and discovered Qi Yue, a member of his own kind. He felt they were different, and used his blurry, burgeoning intellect to become the leader of the rat pack.

However, the rat known as Qi Yue was very unusual. He didn’t like to act with other rats, preferring to go his own way. When asked where he went, Qi Yue would only sneer and offer no response.

Indeed, from very early on, Qi Yue displayed a flamboyant and overbearing personality. He lived in the same territory as the other rats who had developed thought.

When the rat became capable of thinking like a human, he gave himself a name: Ye Xiao, meaning a “Ghost of the Night.”

Ye Xiao urged Qi Yue to choose one as well. Perhaps annoyed by the constant nagging, Qi Yue casually tossed out the name “Qi Yue,” which Ye Xiao mocked for a long time, thinking it lacked presence.

However, Qi Yue didn’t care and continued to do as he pleased.

At some point, Ye Xiao discovered he could no longer defeat Qi Yue. When Qi Yue shed his demonic skin and transformed into a human form indistinguishable from a real person, Ye Xiao still retained his rat body.

More importantly, Ye Xiao noticed the rat pack beginning to waver between him and Qi Yue, gradually leaning toward Qi Yue and bowing their heads to him—even though he was the leader!

Fortunately, Qi Yue remained as he was before—uninterested in leading the pack and still preferring solitude.

But… What if?

Ye Xiao didn’t consciously realize this thought; he just felt a sudden sense of urgency. However, reality gave him little time to think before the rat pack was attacked.

It was humans. Humans had launched an extermination campaign.

No, wait there were also their own kind, other demons they had never seen before.

Ye Xiao huddled deep in the sewers, trembling, feeling an extremely dangerous aura pressing down on him. As the leader of the pack, he actually recoiled… while Qi Yue went out to face those of their kind.

A day later, Ye Xiao lost the pack.

At the same time, Qi Yue vanished.

When he saw Qi Yue again, the other hadn’t died as expected; instead, he held a glamorous identity among humans.

Perhaps due to the fear of that day, Ye Xiao’s transformation was imperfect. His human form still carried some demonic features, though they weren’t particularly jarring.

Fearing being found again by those of his kind, Ye Xiao hid cautiously in human society after transforming until he discovered the internet. Online, he could do as he pleased, unrestrained it felt as if he had regained his status as a pack leader.

Ye Xiao quickly became addicted to the web and found a group of “like-minded” people. Gradually, his online account began to accumulate followers.

However, all of that vanished in a single day.

His account was banned.

Just a newcomer host… how dare he

The ban was a blow to Ye Xiao no less than that original extermination campaign.

His eyes turned red as he stared fixedly at the newcomer host. He grew determined to teach the other a lesson. As the host’s photos from Xigua were leaked, the fan base grew, and the momentum became more unstoppable.

On one hand, jealousy took root; on the other, Ye Xiao’s desire to teach him a lesson only intensified.

He couldn’t do anything against those powerful demons, but would he really be afraid of a mere human?

However, when Ye Xiao prepared to take action, he discovered that there was a cat demon hidden beside this newcomer host.

Since time immemorial, cats have been the natural enemies of rats. Ye Xiao instinctively felt dread. At that moment, he suddenly remembered Qi Yue, who was thriving among humans.

From long ago, Qi Yue had been an outlier in the pack, but given their past history, he shouldn’t refuse a request for help.

And so, for the first time since the extermination campaign, Ye Xiao sought out Qi Yue.

Ye Xiao knew Qi Yue still remembered him. The facts proved him right; that flamboyant, cold, and no-nonsense personality was exactly the same. Everything was going smoothly.

However, just when Ye Xiao thought the matter was certain, he never expected Qi Yue to suddenly turn on him!

The moment he sensed danger, Ye Xiao fled without hesitation. But Qi Yue’s power was far greater than his it was true back then, and it was even truer now.

But Ye Xiao hadn’t shown up there unprepared. Even though he escaped from Qi Yue’s hands, he didn’t expect the others to actually give chase.

Ultimately, relying on the hiding skills he had honed over the years, he successfully shook Qi Yue off. However, there was no need to describe how pathetic his escape was. Ye Xiao could not fathom what had caused the sudden turn in attitude.

Under the dark night, Ye Xiao’s face twisted, his eyes webbed with blood vessels, looking eerie and terrifying.

After a long while, he suddenly turned to look in a certain direction and vanished like a puff of black smoke.

…

A short while later.

Qi Yue’s figure appeared in the alley. He glanced at the uncovered manhole, then turned his gaze toward the direction where Ye Xiao had fled again. Sensing a loathsome aura, he frowned slightly.

That direction was the territory of the Wolf Demon.

…

This night of unrest for others did not affect Bai Yan and Guan Zhou in their small one-bedroom apartment—nor, perhaps, the extraordinary black cat.

However, at this moment, Guan Zhou’s mood was not particularly wonderful.

The cause was a report from the media.

Let’s talk about this media outlet first: it’s called “Three Apples.” While other media outlets diligently collect the latest news, they take a different path, having built their fortune on a notorious reputation.

Yes, this outlet specializes in digging up the privacy of celebrities and public figures, magnifying their unsightly sides and exposing them to the public eye. Their sharp language and tricky questions allow netizens to enjoy the “tea” while simultaneously complaining that this outlet is truly infamous. They have brought down many famous figures; almost every celebrity attacked by “Three Apples” has seen their reputation collapse.

And now, Bai Yan has appeared like a powerful dark horse. Although he wasn’t a major star or famous figure, the fact that he was being fought over by the three major entertainment companies and had rejected them all was a first.

Why did he refuse? What gave him the right? Were the three major companies not good enough for him? Was he arrogant? Pretentious? Haughty?

That evening, just as everyone had finished washing up and was preparing for bed, “Three Apples” suddenly released its latest report. The content concerned the newcomer host on Noel Culture’s livestreaming platform who had recently risen to fame online.

With their usual sharp and tricky rhetoric, they analyzed why this host, “Silver Sun and Moon,” rejected the recruitment of the three major entertainment companies. Perhaps… Was there the support of a capitalist behind him?

Oh~ No wonder he is so dismissive. Perhaps the current traffic in the livestream room is all bought with money?

Of course, the description in the report wasn’t that blunt, but the meaning was roughly the same. Seeing it made Guan Zhou’s blood boil.

The black cat glanced at it from the side and immediately shared the indignation.

Only Bai Yan remained his usual indifferent and vast self, as if the person being spoken about was someone else entirely. He felt no internal fluctuation.

As for “Three Apples,” they have persisted to this day despite their offensive reporting and history of toppling careers, largely due to the formidable power behind them.

It was unknown exactly which faction was operating them, but the fact that they remained unscathed despite being so notorious made it clear they were not to be trifled with.

Regarding this, netizens were full of theories. Some said it might be one of the three major film companies supporting them behind the scenes to take down competitors (the other two companies).

Others said it might be a disciple of some great faction in the Capital experiencing life.

Still others suggested a foreign power might be involved; after all, with China’s current strength, various forms of wariness or pressure were inevitable.

And so on, along with all sorts of wild guesses.

In short, “Three Apples” was always a controversial topic, but they basically ignored it and went their own way.

Regardless, many people followed them; after all, netizens love the drama. Some hated them, some enjoyed them, so when they released their latest report, it became an instant hit.

“Silver Sun and Moon? A host? Which big host? Never heard of him.”

“Upstairs is out of touch. This is a newcomer who just appeared on the Noel Culture platform. Seems pretty popular, but I haven’t paid much attention.”

“You’re also out of touch. That’s a dark horse that ran out of the newcomer zone. He’s a gaming host, but his skills are trash. I really don’t understand how he got famous.”

“Didn’t the report say? The traffic was bought.”

“Damn, isn’t that a violation? Why hasn’t Noel Culture done anything? How has this host not been banned yet?! That’s ridiculous!!”

“Everyone, read the report carefully. I’m actually more curious why he refused the recruitment of the three major film companies. How could he bear it? If it were me, I’d have exploded with excitement on the spot.”

“Is there really some capitalist operation behind this? Damn this evil capitalism!”

Of course, some of Bai Yan’s fans saw the report and posted their opinions in the comments.

However, their voices were few and far between. Their arguments were quickly swallowed by a sea of accusations and condemnations.

Furthermore, after a night of fermenting, the report showed signs of intensifying.

When Bai Yan started his broadcast as usual, a large number of new viewers flooded in. Before his fans even had time to feel joy, negative comments began to pop up in the chat.

“I heard the traffic in this room is bought?”

“Setting aside the other two companies, since the host rejected Noel Culture’s recruitment, how does he have the face to stay here?”

“Is the host really that arrogant?”

“Stupid host, get off this platform!”

“…”

Witnessing this, the fans were stunned.