Chapter Two: The Man Who Torments Himself!

"You really have to listen to me," Junlin pleaded earnestly. "These days, just telling your fans what they should or shouldn't do isn't enough. You need a distinctive edge—something risqué, you get it? Think about it. Is there a single popular streamer now who doesn't carry the reputation of being a little dirty? You really ought to give this some thought."

After watching quite a few of the videos produced by Luo Chen, Junlin understood why, after three years, Luo Chen had only managed to attract a handful of followers. He was simply too rigid. While his game commentary videos were thorough—carefully covering every difficult point, technique, and collectible—he wasn't the only one doing that kind of content. Compared to others who were witty, funny, and sprinkled in the occasional off-color joke, it was only natural that Luo Chen's painstaking efforts had resulted in so little.

"Is it too late to change now?" Luo Chen asked, troubled. "Most people already know me as friendly, serious, and pure. Are you sure this won't be a problem?" He wasn't stupid; he knew well enough what would boost his popularity.

But the thought of being branded a "dirty streamer" after building a reputation as the paragon of innocence gave Luo Chen pause.

"Come on, it's just these twenty or so people. What does it matter, really?" Seeing Luo Chen waver, Junlin grew more animated. "And besides, isn't this the perfect opportunity? The contrast will catch everyone's eye. I'll help you promote, and I guarantee you'll be the next big sensation."

Junlin's mind was already running wild with the prospect—imagine one morning, everyone discovers the 'Beacon of Purity' has been thoroughly tainted. What a spectacle that would be. The platform had been far too quiet lately, lacking any real news.

"Doesn't that mean I'll never be able to shake off the label of the innocent little virgin?" Luo Chen now bitterly regretted having chosen such a ridiculous username.

"No, no, no, you can just pick a new nickname. As long as enough people recognize it, that's all that matters."

"Wait a second, why don't you tell me exactly what you have in mind first. I don't want to be saddled with some random label out of nowhere." Luo Chen eyed Junlin suspiciously; the last nickname had nearly ruined him.

"If you're going to be dirty, you might as well go all the way—how about 'King of Filth'? Isn't that bold?" Junlin looked at Luo Chen expectantly.

"Bold? That's just stealing Fei Yuwu's title, isn't it?" The idea of being called the 'King of Filth' when he'd styled himself as the angelic innocent was just absurd.

"Then just be filthier than he is. Take the title by force! I'm ready to rally all the fans to support you," Junlin said with a sly grin.

If Junlin really went through with this, Luo Chen's new title would be known everywhere in just a few days. Everyone would be talking about how the purest streamer on the platform had turned into the King of Filth.

"Let me think this over," Luo Chen replied. He knew that if he made this change, there’d be a huge surge of people coming to watch the spectacle—just to see if it was real. Whether he could keep them would depend on his skills. Still, as a modern, principled young man, he was woefully unprepared for this kind of thing.

"Stop thinking!" Junlin saw his hesitation and knew it was time for tough love. "Let me ask you one question."

"Which matters more—integrity, or money?"

Luo Chen hesitated, recalling his miserable experiences over the past three years. He gritted his teeth and forced out a single word: "Money!"

"Exactly! So what's so bad about being a little dirty? Why pretend to be the pure, innocent boy anymore? Am I right? Hahahaha!" Junlin couldn't keep a straight face any longer, and a lecherous grin spread across his face.

"Fine. Let me think it over. We'll talk tomorrow." Having just been criticized and ridiculed, Luo Chen didn't want to see Junlin's gloating face a moment longer—even if he had resolved to sell out his noble soul for money. He ended the video call, not wanting to give Junlin the satisfaction.

Luo Chen could only sigh. Who would have thought that after years of upholding a pure, earnest image as a streamer, it would all come to an end like this? But times were tough.

Luo Chen was never a perfectly virtuous person—he'd simply seen too much injustice and hardship and decided to be a better man. No filth, only positive energy! At least, that's how he wanted to present himself as a streamer: offering his best side to his viewers, and hoping to pass that belief on to everyone who watched his videos.

That was why Luo Chen didn't have many fans, and few watched his rather dry videos. But his reputation was solid. He was the Beacon of Purity—the embodiment of positive energy!

Yet, lofty ideals could never outweigh the harshness of reality. Luo Chen took a deep breath, but there was nothing he could do. His reputation had already been thoroughly ruined by Junlin, who still acted as if he were doing him a favor. Luo Chen could only bottle up his frustration.

With no way out after being cornered by Junlin, if he was going to change, he might as well go all in. Quickly, Luo Chen opened the "Collection" folder on his desktop, which contained all the videos he had painstakingly made over the years.

Now that he had made up his mind, Luo Chen didn't hesitate. He launched his editing software and began cutting together the best segments from his past videos.

He had to admit, he had a knack for video editing. In no time, he had a clear concept for his new direction: making parodies of himself!

What could be more entertaining than a streamer roasting himself? Especially when that streamer was a minor celebrity known as the Beacon of Purity.

Luo Chen could already imagine the commotion his channel would cause tomorrow, with himself at the center of all the gossip.

After hours of editing, arranging, and splicing, it was already 1 a.m. Luo Chen glanced at the now-dark sky outside. He uploaded the video he’d worked so hard to finish, then leaned back in his chair to rest.

1254599. The progress bar on the screen climbed steadily, but strangely, it froze at 99% and didn't budge. Luo Chen, exhausted and unaware of this odd occurrence, soon drifted off to sleep in his chair.

100. Who knows how much time passed before the progress bar finally jumped forward, the screen flashed with a blinding light, and then gradually calmed.

Nothing in the room seemed to have changed, yet Luo Chen, slumped in his chair, had long since lost consciousness.