Chapter 24: Crashing the Stream into Darkness

"Don't be impatient, everyone, it will be ready in just a moment!" With a quick flip, Hua Yun scooped the meat out of the pan.

The fried pork-beast meat was a vibrant golden color, and Hua Yun immediately sprinkled it with her homemade seasoning.

"This is one of the ways to prepare crucian pork-beast meat. It’s quite simple and tastes excellent, though it shouldn't be eaten in large quantities." As she spoke, Hua Yun plated the fish chunks and placed them in front of the live stream camera. It was a pity she hadn't yet found a substitute for green onions; a garnish would have made it look even better.

--The color looks so beautiful. I can’t believe this is crucian pork-beast meat!
--I can't take it anymore, it smells too good! I need to experience this!

"You all can try it out first; I’m going to go make a vegetable soup." The viewers in the live stream weren't truly eating, just experiencing the taste, so it was fine for them, but she actually had to eat to satisfy her own hunger.

Having a vegetable dish was better; green was healthier, after all!

Making soup was simple, so Hua Yun could keep an eye on the live stream.

--I tried it, it’s truly delicious! Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. When you bite through the crispy crust, you can even taste a bit of juice. It’s... I can’t even describe it. I can't imagine what it would feel like to actually eat it for real!
--Don't be so dramatic, upstairs!

Night Wanderer gifted an Interstellar Battleship!
Night Wanderer gifted an Interstellar Battleship!
...
The same notification flashed ten times, and the entire live stream was filled with special effects!

--Not gonna lie, the first time I entered this stream was because of this big shot!

Night Wanderer: I’m taking the crucian pork-beast meat you fried today!

The domineering golden font floated across the screen, leaving everyone stunned. Before anyone could react, luxurious special effects appeared again, causing the entire live stream to shake!

JustConfident gifted ten Interstellar Battleships!
JustConfident gifted ten Interstellar Spaceships!
JustConfident: Give it to me!

Night Wanderer: Where did you crawl out from? Trying to snatch things from me?
JustConfident: Don't you dislike these things? You even refused the streamer's offer to send you dishes last time!
Night Wanderer: What’s so good about vegetables? This is pork-beast meat!

Just kidding—it smelled so fragrant, and even the taste shared through the stream was so good. Imagine the sensation of actually eating it! Night Wanderer refused to back down.

Night Wanderer gifted ten Interstellar Spaceships!
Night Wanderer gifted ten Interstellar Battleships!
Night Wanderer: Remember to mail it to me!

--Wow! Two big spenders are fighting!

Meanwhile, the StarNet was in an uproar.
[Shock! Two Tycoons Spend Millions in Tips for Pork-Beast Meat!]
[Pork-Beast Meat! It’s actually edible!]
[What to do when you've been conquered by pork-beast meat?]
[A college student developing a wasteland planet, but the star is the crucian pork-beast!]

Various trending topics took off, and a massive influx of viewers poured into the live stream. Before Hua Yun could react, the screen suddenly went black with a "pop"!

Hua Yun: !!!
No, this...

Hua Yun quickly dished out her soup and scrambled onto the StarNet to see what was happening. A video call request popped up; it was from Chen Jiaojiao.

"Yunyun, you’ve exploded in popularity!" 'Popular' didn't even begin to describe it! Looking at the bright red "Trending" tag on the StarNet, Chen Jiaojiao was completely bewildered. She had just finished class and was preparing to go support her friend, but before she could even enter, she found the live stream had gone black!

"I guessed as much!" Hua Yun twitched her lips. The stream was gone; today's broadcast had been forced to an early end.

"Yunyun, I just finished class and already arranged a ship to come over. Is there anything you need me to bring?" Chen Jiaojiao asked, blinking her eyes.

"Right now?" Hua Yun asked, puzzled.

"Yes!" Chen Jiaojiao clapped her hands. "I’ve been wanting to come over for a long time, and I just finished my classes today!"

She had shared some of her dried meat with her family, and now she didn't have much left! Besides, she had just seen the pictures on the StarNet—that color! It looked delicious at first glance!

"You're staying on a wasteland planet all by yourself; I'm worried about your safety!" Chen Jiaojiao declared righteously. She was definitely not doing it for the food; she was going to protect her best friend!

"I have protection robots," Hua Yun said.

"Robots don't have consciousness; they can't provide you with emotional support, nor can they provide you with...!" Chen Jiaojiao said, "Can a robot be better than me?"

"Yes, yes, yes~ How could any robot be better than my Jiaojiao!" Hua Yun looked at Chen Jiaojiao's small face. "By the way, the top two viewers on my leaderboard sent me messages asking for the food I made today. I agreed."

"Ah? What... you gave it to them? You agreed?" Chen Jiaojiao froze. Did that mean she wouldn't have anything to eat?

"Yes, after all, they tipped me so much." In truth, many other viewers had tipped, but the stream went black before it could scale up. The netizens were too enthusiastic, and she still needed to make some preparations. However, she did intend to give what she made today to those two. How to put it? She might have a bit of a "fledgling" attachment; they were the first to enter her stream, and even though they were skeptical at first, they had supported her ever since. If fans wanted a gift, why not?

"Who are these two?" Chen Jiaojiao gritted her teeth. It was one thing for them to steal her top spot while she was away, but now they were stealing her food too?

"Just netizens, Jiaojiao, what's wrong?" Chen Jiaojiao's expression was too easy to read; it would be a disservice to such a cute friend if she didn't tease her a little.

"Nothing!"

"Are you still coming, then?" Hua Yun raised an eyebrow. "I'm a bit tired today, so I'll probably just make do with a bottle of nutrient paste later."

"Yunyun, then what's that in front of you?" A whole plate of food and a bowl of soup—did she think she was blind?

"This is my lunch. If I eat it, there won't be any left for tonight, so I'll have to drink nutrient paste," Hua Yun said.

"..." Chen Jiaojiao puffed out her cheeks, then suddenly caught the hint of a smile in Hua Yun's eyes. "Fine! Yunyun! You're so mean!"

"I'm not friends with you anymore!" It was clear she knew exactly what she wanted and was teasing her on purpose.

"Oh? You're not being friends with me anymore? I was going to say, if my favorite friend came over, I wouldn't mind putting in some effort, but it seems... I was mistaken after all." Hua Yun lowered her gaze, feigning sadness.

Chen Jiaojiao: ...What should I do now that my best friend has learned to be so devious?

"Alright, hurry up and come over. I won't let you down," Hua Yun reminded her. If they kept talking, it would be dark soon.

"Hmph!" Chen Jiaojiao snorted haughtily.

Hua Yun opened her StarNet account and found that many people had sent her messages—people she knew and strangers alike! Even under the videos on her main page, many netizens had left comments.

Hua Yun replied to a few that she could, then discovered that Dean Huiyuan of the Culinary Academy had also sent her a message. She stated that the Culinary Academy had watched her stream and was very interested in the food she made; they were preparing to come over soon and hoped she would be mentally prepared.

The Culinary Academy? Hua Yun recalled the elective courses she once took. At the Alliance First Academy, the Culinary Academy was considered a costly, troublesome, and unpopular department. It was costly and troublesome because ingredients were hard to come by, and it was unpopular because very few students majored in it; most students chose it as an elective rather than a requirement!