BXBX NOVEL Chapter 1
“The game is too scary. It’s terrible. It scared me to death! I’m going to have have glass of 82 year old Sprite to steady my nerves! The broadcast is finished!”
(TL: 82 year old Sprite: comes from two things. The grapes from the 1982 Lafite vineyard are considered the best quality and are very expensive. This is where the 82 comes from. Secondly, in the past, Chinese people learnt to drink red wine but felt the taste wasn’t good and added Sprite to the red wine. I got this information from Baidu so might not be completely accurate)
“Tomorrow? There is no live broadcast tomorrow. You pigeons are to blame. Who originally recommended this game to me? I’m so scared that I’m a minute away from death! Do you want me to be the first anchor in history who is scared to death by my live broadcast game? This is a work injury! Work injury! I have to take a day off tomorrow!”
City A.
In front of the computer scream, a young man screamed in a frightened tone before exiting his live broadcast room with a blank expression.
Xiao Tangqiu, male, 25 years old, a well-known main anchor and horror game live broadcast host for the famous video website H Station. He had many fans and his popularity was high. His famous technique was the ‘100% create a flag’... also known as the crow’s mouth.
Xiao Tangqiu withdrew from the live broadcast room and opened his backstage area to check the income for this month. The live broadcast earnings from today and his savings were enough to make up a house down payment.
Most anchors earned a lot of money these days. He might not compared to the ‘first brother’ or ‘first sister’ but his monthly income was still quite impressive. During a time when his peers were struggling for each month’s rent, he had already saved up the down payment of a house.
He really liked his current career. He preferred to be alone rather than dealing with a crowd. Not to mention, he was a high school kid without a good diploma and couldn’t find a better job than this. The only thing he wasn’t accustomed to was that compared to his calm personality, his fans preferred for him to scream.
When he first started to be an anchor, he often screamed with fear at his own live broadcast of the horror game. As a result, it was cut into a video and uploaded to H Station. He became popular and gained countless fans. The fans that commented when giving him gifts stated that they liked his screams and pants.
In response, Xiao Tangqiu said, “...I understand the screaming but what is with the pants?” Throw a table!
Later, Xiao Tangqiu played more and more horror games and became accustomed to the images. His mental state was quite calm and his spirit was numb. He became stronger and didn’t pant, let alone scream. The result was that fans said that an anchor who didn’t pant or scream wasn’t interesting. The wind blew and they scattered.
In order to keep his fans, he learned to scream with fear while being expressionless. His mouth was going ‘ahhhhhh!’ but there no waves in his heart.
...Why did fans like to watch anchors scream? Was it like shouting from the interior of a taxicab where the sound wasn’t great or pinching a chicken in the supermarket? Xiao Tangqiu cursed like crazy in his heart but for an anchor, the audience were the gold masters. For five buckets of rice, he could only bend his waist and bow his head like a lowly dog.
Xiao Tangqiu, the anchor who ‘screamed with no expression’ automatically considered himself an ‘actor.’
At this time, Xiao Tangqiu’s instant message suddenly lit up. Someone had messaged him and that person was a good friend who was also a game anchor of H Station.
Cotton Candy: Little Candy Ball, a fan has recommended a horror game to me. It doesn’t look bad and there is a multiplayer mode. Do you want to play it live with me tomorrow?
(TL: Little candy ball is also Xiao Tangqui but spelt with different characters)
Little Candy Ball: I have something to do tomorrow.
Cotton Candy: This game setting is a bit interesting. You really don’t want to play with me?
Little Candy Ball: I really have something to do. If you are afraid then look for a place where there is a lot of people to do your live broadcast. Isn’t there a McDonald’s downstairs from where you live?
Cotton Candy: ...I’ll be treated as a psychopath!
Little Candy Ball: Then don’t scream. I played live with you last time and my neighbour came over and knocked on my door three times in the middle of the night. He threatened to hang me from my door.
Cotton Candy: ...I’m scared and can’t hold it QAQ
This Cotton Candy was an anchor of horror games like Xiao Tangqiu. He showed a variety of pants and screams during the live broadcast but he was different from Xiao Tangqiu. He really was scared. No matter how many times he had played horror games, he still returned to the rookie who first played a horror game.
The strange thing was that this person was obviously timid but he had a special liking for horror games. In order to be courageous, he often pulled Xiao Tangqiu into is live broadcasts. He spent the whole time crying but he wasn’t willing to stop. Xiao Tangqiu thought that this was perhaps the legendary ‘m.’
Little Candy Ball: If you can’t hold it then go to the toilet. Be careful with your kidneys.
Cotton Candy: You really won’t accompany me?
Little Candy Ball: Tomorrow is the Qixi Festival.
Cotton Candy: You’re going to leave me alone because of the Qixi Festival? You heartless bastard! What did you say in bed last night? You said that I’m the only one!
Little Candy Ball: It is the death anniversary of a friend.
The opposite Cotton Candy was silent for a while before carefully typing: Ah! I’m sorry! Don’t be sad! QAQ
Little Candy Ball: It’s fine. He has been gone for seven years.
Cotton Candy: ...How come I’ve never heard you mention him before?
Little Candy Ball: I go sweep his grave every year. Tomorrow might be the last time. People can’t indulge in the past forever and I want to put some things down.
Xiao Tangqiu sat in front of the computer screen and lit a cigarette. In the ethereal smoke, he recalled his childhood.
He remembered the teenage Meng Xinghe, his beautiful peace blossom eyes and the bright smile that made him have the taste of sunlight. Those youthful feelings...
Of course, Xiao Tangqui grew up while his best friend’s life was fixed in the most beautiful years, forever staying on the day of his 18th birthday.
The next evening, Xiao Tangqiu came to the cemetery on the outskirts of City A. Before entering the cemetery, he bought a bunch of small daisies at the nearby flower store.
The old lady who was the florist asked as she wrapped the bouquet, “Are you sweeping the grave so late?”
Xiao Tangqiu smiled lightly, “Yes, he liked daisies the most.”
The flower shop owner said, “It is the first time I’ve seen a guest like you.”
Xiao Tangqiu smiled and took the flowers from the old woman.
“After you finish sweeping the grave, go back early. It isn’t safe at night recently in City A. I heard there have been more than a dozen disappearance cases this week.” The boss hesitated before whispering to Xiao Tangqiu, “And... they all seem to be around here.”
“Missing?” Xiao Tangqiu was shocked because he usually didn’t pay much attention to the news.
“Yes, so be careful. Go home early after sweeping the grave.”
Xiao Tangqiu nodded. He took the bouquet of flowers, exited the flower store and walked into the cemetery.
It was getting late and there were few people in the cemetery. He walked heavily to one of the tombstones where there was a photo of Meng Xinghe smiling brightly. Even the tear mole in the corner of his left eye seemed tainted with a smile.
Xiao Tangqui put down the flowers and stood quietly in front of the tombstone for a while. He waited before opening his mouth to say a few words to Meng Xinghe. However, at this moment, there was the heavy sound of footsteps not far away.