In Happy Residential Community, high above where the residents couldn't see, a fierce chase was underway.
A single point of light fled while a pack of black mist pursued. They darted from the east side of the community to the west, then plunged underground, racing from the south to the west.
The viewers in the live stream room followed suit, their gazes shifting from left to right, then from top to bottom. Don't mistake their attention for sight; they were merely moving their eyeballs with the camera. Up, down, left, right – all they could perceive was a blur of black, streaking like the wind, leaving only afterimages on their retinas.
"Confirmed our gazes, it's a battle I can't keep up with."
"I want to buy a pair of glasses that can show the battle footage."
"Same here. If you have a link, please share."
Fortunately, the pursuit in the live stream didn't drag on. Jiang Lin, manipulating his ghostly energy, formed a net. As the small light point, in its panicked flight, lost its way, it crashed directly into the net. The net instantly tightened, trapping it within. The more it struggled, the tighter the net constricted, until only a palm-sized space remained.
With a gesture, Jiang Lin summoned the net into his palm. With the target captured, the ghostly hands, boxes, and nets used for the pursuit halted, reverting to their original forms and returning to Jiang Lin's body. His mental energy returned with them.
Things like "spirits" had no physical form. It was difficult to contain them with just ghostly or Yin energy. Only by attaching mental energy could they be temporarily restrained.
"It's such a tiny thing." Jiang Lin, holding the net, brought it closer to examine it carefully. The trapped light point inside was shrinking, becoming almost imperceptible if one wasn't paying close attention. The little thing bumped around inside, searching for an escape route, like a headless fly. Gradually, perhaps realizing escape was impossible, it stopped struggling and floated quietly within the net.
At the same time, Jiang Lin noticed that the power blanketing the entire community was gradually dissipating. It rippled outwards like water waves, then vanished. It seemed he had found the right thing. He could go back to complete the mission. With the little fellow gone, it was only a matter of time before the community returned to normal.
Jiang Lin put away the net and flew towards the outside of Happy Residential Community. Xu Nan and the robotic sphere were waiting to receive him. The thought of completing the mission soon reminded him of the generous rewards listed for it. Money was just the basic part; the substantial performance points were the most valuable.
But… he now had a house, strength, and a bulging wallet. His past dream was to have a stable, decent place to live, to stop wandering. Now, all of that had been realized. What was he still rushing for? Why was he so eager to take on missions and cultivate so diligently? He already had everything he wanted.
"Why did the streamer stop?"
In the live stream, the viewers, seeing the streamer fly towards the exit of the community, guessed that the mission was almost complete. However, halfway out, they noticed the streamer's movements gradually slowing down until he came to a complete stop in mid-air. He seemed to be deep in thought, his brow furrowed.
"Did he forget to do something else?"
"I guess the streamer suddenly remembered he hasn't returned that student's homework. (¬‿¬)"
As the viewers speculated, an observant viewer suddenly exclaimed, eyes wide: "Light! Light! Light!"
A tiny light point, almost invisible, floated leisurely out of the streamer's sleeve. It quietly circled behind the streamer, boldly stretching itself, the light cluster returning to its thumb-sized form. It appeared quite pleased.
From the moment Jiang Lin approached Happy Residential Community, it had been locked onto him. Mental energy could indeed restrain it, but contaminated mental energy could not. What a naive little ghost… Capturing it directly with mental energy was like offering itself up to be contaminated. Now, it was its turn to act. After stretching, the small light cluster leaped directly into Jiang Lin's head.
"Holy crap, holy crap, what's going on?!"
"How did it get out? Wasn't it caught? Does it have clones?!"
Witnessing this, the viewers in the live stream shot up from their seats, adopting a ready stance. The situation seemed to be taking a turn for the worse! And the streamer appeared completely oblivious. What was happening?!
The viewers began bombarding the chat with messages, trying to get the streamer's attention. But for some reason, the streamer remained with a furrowed brow, as if pondering something, unable to figure it out.
"What's wrong with the streamer?"
"Wait, wait… this is too disadvantageous for the streamer. Let me think carefully."
The viewers' minds raced, replaying the entire sequence of events, gathering all known information.
"Earlier, it was mentioned that the power affecting Happy Residential Community could make people feel happy. Combined with the previous analysis from the big shots, Hong Ya and the residents would exclude unpleasant things and pursue their preferred lives… So, this little thing is likely a dangerous entity that can invade minds and alter thoughts! Streamer… could he have been affected too?"
As this comment appeared, the entire screen of comments fell silent for a moment. Some viewers wanted to retort – the streamer was a Ghost Messenger, after all. But then they remembered Hong Ya. Hong Ya was also a Ghost Messenger, yet she seemed to have been affected. Otherwise, given Hong Ya's usual lazy disposition, she would never dare to neglect her work so openly to binge-watch dramas, let alone argue with the streamer and threaten to resign.
Based on years of watching live streams, the viewers knew that becoming a qualified Ghost Messenger was not easy. To become a full-fledged one required a century of internship. A century… the thought was suffocating. To work so hard to become a Ghost Messenger, to freely traverse the realms of Yin and Yang. For Hong Ya, who was enthusiastic about watching dramas in the mortal world, how could she possibly resign so casually?
"It seems Hong Ya being affected is confirmed."
"Is there any way to wake the streamer up?"
"I'm near Happy Residential Community. How about… I go take a look?" Shen Jie tentatively typed this message. His home was near Happy Residential Community. It wouldn't take long to get there. But… the thought of Happy Residential Community, that strange power, and his blind date named Zuo Yuan Yuan… Should he still go? Yes! Not only should he go, but he should go immediately! Shen Jie gritted his teeth, grabbed his keys, and ran towards the door. The streamer must not be in trouble! Even if he was outside the community, shouting into a loudspeaker would be something!
At this moment, Shen Jie was not the only one who suddenly stood up. In the Public Security Bureau, in various residential communities, office buildings, shopping malls, the suburbs… countless people felt their hearts clench. The streamer was very powerful, but even the most powerful individuals eventually encounter their match. Of course, it would be best if the streamer was unharmed!
Some people who lived nearby either bid farewell to their companions or, like Shen Jie, grabbed their keys and ran out. They rushed towards Happy Residential Community without looking back. The streamer must not be in trouble! This was not just because they were fans, but because they knew how important the streamer was to the mortal world. They knew how important the live stream was to society today! Having received so much help from the streamer, they had to try, even if it was just a little bit!