Volume One, Chapter 57: The Top Patron’s Power of Money

"Miss, now that you mention it, something does come to mind. When we first purchased this fountain, the agreed price was a hundred thousand, but the manufacturer ran into some issues and delivered it two weeks late. Yet the price ended up being slashed by half." He had found it odd, but since the other party was sincere and he had personally checked the fountain’s material and workmanship to make sure there were no problems, he went ahead with the purchase.

Qin Yu nodded and asked Lin Jian’an for the manufacturer’s address and contact information.

A hundred thousand reduced to fifty thousand was no small matter.

If a merchant is willing to lose out, there’s bound to be something fishy.

After making a round outside, Qin Yu returned to her room.

Worried she might get sleepy in the evening, she even made herself a cup of coffee.

The bitter fragrance of coffee drifted through the room, clearing her mind.

Once everything was in place, Qin Yu reopened her livestream.

Elsewhere.

In a livestream called “Master Ye Puming the Divine”—

A middle-aged man in a gray-and-white Daoist robe, wearing a tall black hat, was sitting and sipping tea. His face was long, adorned with a goatee shaped like the character eight, and his eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses. From time to time he stroked his beard, which hung down to his chest, giving off an air of mysterious profundity.

At that moment, as he called out to viewers, he shook the bamboo tube in his hand, filled with fortune-telling sticks.

“Fate has led you here, dear viewers. If we are destined to meet, let me divine for you. Just 299 per reading, 299—never a loss, 299—never a scam!”

Yet, after all his hawking, not a single order came in.

That shouldn’t be. Although online fortune-telling wasn’t exactly booming, he usually managed a few orders every night.

Tonight, though, there were barely double-digit viewers—a first.

“Is everyone having such smooth sailing tonight? No one needs the old Daoist’s guidance?”

“Save your breath, Master. Master Qiu Dian next door just went live. You won’t get any business tonight. If her readings weren’t so hard to book, I wouldn’t be here at all.”

The man’s thick brows furrowed deeply.

The name “Qiu Dian” was well-known in the metaphysics streaming world. Not only was she renowned for her looks, but she also genuinely had skill.

Recently, she’d taken a short break from streaming, giving the rest of them a chance to snatch a little business.

He’d heard of her before, but she’d never affected him much.

He usually streamed at night; Qiu Dian streamed in the afternoon.

With their schedules not overlapping, there had never been a real conflict of interest, so he hadn’t paid her much mind.

But now she was cutting into his income—how could he sit idly by?

—

Qin Yu had barely started her stream when she received her first order.

“Master, I don’t really want a reading. I just wanted to chat with you. I watch your stream every day. I really like you!”

The speaker was a man in his thirties, not very tall, a little plump, dressed head-to-toe in designer brands and watches. Around his neck hung an exaggerated gold chain, and when he spoke, a gold tooth flashed in the light.

Qin Yu maintained her professional smile. “Thank you for your affection, but I prefer to give readings. If you don’t need one, please let someone else have a turn…”

Brother LiuLiuLiu sent a hot air balloon ×1.

Qin Yu’s hand hovered over the kick button.

“Master Qiu Dian, I really just want to chat with you.”

Qin Yu thought: Trying to win her over with money?

“Brother Liu, there are still others behind you…”

Brother LiuLiuLiu sent lollipop ×99.

Brother LiuLiuLiu sent yacht ×99.

Brother LiuLiuLiu sent carousel ×99.

Qin Yu didn’t dare move a muscle.

“With money, you really can do anything!!!”

“Absolute financial power!!!”

“The top spot was overtaken in an instant!”

“All these special effects are making my eyes spin!”

“How much money is that, anyone care to calculate?”

“9×99 + 699×99 + 1999×99 ≈ 260,000.”

Seeing the viewers enthusiastically crunching the numbers, Qin Yu was even more hesitant to remove him.

She couldn’t afford to offend someone like that.

“Brother Liu, how about this? I’ll give you a reading, anything you wish.”

Hearing this, Brother Liu’s frown eased, the lines on his brow smoothing out. “Master, anything you like!”

“Haha, this Brother Liu looks like me when I finally get to meet my idol—so honest, it’s almost cute.”

“You’re not wrong, he really does.”

“So that’s the key—if you want to support your idol, you need financial power. Sigh, I’m just not worthy.”

“Hey, you there, you really know how to focus on the important points. Maybe next time, don’t.”

Since Brother Liu had spent so much, Qin Yu didn’t want to deal perfunctorily with him; she wanted to give him a reading truly worth the price.

Her long lashes lowered slightly, the warm glow falling across her brow, casting butterfly-like shadows on her face—long and graceful.

Her fingers on her knee moved nimbly as she calculated and divined.

The stream was utterly silent, a stark contrast to the noisy, frantic scenes in shopping or talent streams.

Simply watching this serene scene, viewers found their restless hearts settling into peace.

Finally, Qin Yu’s thumb paused at her pinky. Her eyes brightened. “You and your wife have been hoping for a child, haven’t you?”

Brother Liu’s eyes lit up, but the spark faded quickly. “My wife and I have been married for ten years, but we’ve never had children. We’ve had all the medical tests—everything’s normal—but we just can’t conceive. We’ve tried every remedy, but nothing works.

“If you’re not certain, Master, you don’t need to worry about this for us. I don’t want my wife to experience hope turning into disappointment again.

“I’ve accepted it. I don’t want her to go through all that anymore.”

“I thought he was just a big spender sneaking gifts behind his wife’s back, but now I realize he really loves her.”

“Love? Please, don’t be so naive. If he really loved his wife, why is he giving so much to another streamer?”

“But does that have to be a conflict? Who says loving your wife means you can’t send gifts to someone else? Plus, I think his gaze is very pure.”

“Ha, as if you know. The world of the wealthy is never pure—always some dirty secret lurking.”

“My husband would never harbor such thoughts about Master Qiu Dian.”

A small but resolute voice came from behind the man.

He hurried to help his wife, his movements full of care, his voice impossibly gentle. “Darling, why did you come out?”