IBFAIBPMSH Chapter 31

Bai Gaoxing enters the live streaming room. 

For some reason, people start joining the stream very quickly today. Normally, viewers trickle in a few minutes or even ten minutes after he starts, but today, the moment he opens the interface, the number of people instantly jumps to two digits. In the next second, it refreshes to three digits.

Was it a bug?

Bai Gaoxing starts to suspect that something might be wrong with Firefly Live’s backend again. 

Even the bullet screen seems to have a bug—everything typed turns into the same character.

【? ? ? 】

【? ? ? ? ? ? 】

【? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 】

Yes, the entire screen fills with question marks. 

Bai Gaoxing squints and stares at the bullet screen for a moment, then closes his eyes, feeling uncomfortable. 

No, he feels a little dizzy.

He steps back a bit, letting his whole body enter the camera frame, and then stretches his claws toward the mini microphone to pull it closer to himself.

"Hello everyone~"

He speaks. Since it isn’t his first live stream, Bai Gaoxing is already very familiar with the controls. Plus, having learned from his previous experience, he doesn't deliberately pause or repeat himself this time.

Glancing at the ever-increasing viewer count in the top left corner, he is surprised. "There are so many people this time. Is it because it’s the weekend?" He smiles, "Looks like I'll get to chat with a lot of people today."

But the question marks keep appearing. A whole wall of question marks, neatly filling the chat box like little blocks of tofu, looks almost like garbled text.

Bai Gaoxing thinks for a moment, then kicks the camera to face the wall and goes backstage to report the error to the admin.

He taps the keyboard one key at a time, the crisp sound getting picked up by the microphone, confusing the audience even more, prompting them to flood the screen with another wave of question marks.

Fortunately, as the number of viewers keeps increasing, some of them gradually catch on, and when Bai Gaoxing looks up again, the question marks in the chat are finally replaced by other messages.

However, he still can’t quite make sense of it.

【What the hell? What the hell! What the hell! Is this for real?】

【I just dug my eyes out, washed them, put them back in, and yep, it’s real.】

【Oh my god, CEO Xinghuo is blessed with luck.】

【I was just talking about this earlier today, and here it is!!!】

【In my lifetime—Grandma! I’ll burn your computer right now!】

Bai Gaoxing tilts his head. Even if he speaks fluently, there’s no need for the audience to be this excited, right?

However, they are probably reacting to the viral short video from before. After all, it’s rare to see a parrot that speaks so clearly.

Bai Gaoxing coughs a few times and addresses the flood of confusing comments: "This is not my first live stream. My dear relatives, remember to hit that follow button!"

He has never asked for followers like this in his previous live streams, but recently, after discovering that Li Pu Company doesn’t care, he practices letting himself go to the extreme.

The comments grow even more excited:

【What? It’s not his first time???】

【He’s calling me ‘relative’? Rounding up, I’m already married (peacefully).】

【Ahhhhhh I love you!!! I could kiss you all over!】

【Let’s not talk about anything else, just get married! Please】

【This is brilliant; the timing is just perfect for attracting followers!】

【Who’s live streaming? Oh, it’s my husband!】

A series of sincere and passionate confessions makes Bai Gaoxing's scalp tingle. It is overwhelming—too much for both humans and parrots!

He stretches his wings and nods, saying, "Let's chat!"

The barrage erupts: 【What should we chat about?】

Bai Gaoxing thinks for a moment and says, "My owner thinks my jokes aren’t funny. Do you all want to hear them?"

【Oh—owner! I get it.】

【I get it too.】

【Wait, there’s actually this kind of livestreaming method?】

【Did you learn it from empress Ying? I remember she raised a little duck.】

Bai Gaoxing feels dazzled. The comments come in too quickly; he remembers they had responded slowly before, but this time they fly by so fast that he can’t even catch a single keyword. 

Still, the viewers cooperate with him: 【Listen, listen, listen!】

Bai Gaoxing feels satisfied and decides to share a joke he told Li Pu earlier, intending to let the audience judge: "I told him, what does a butterfly with patterns on its body become when it gets fat?"

【What will it become?】

【Hey, I haven't heard this joke before.】

【I have heard it before! But I won't tell you.】

【Seriously, what is it: a fat butterfly?】

Bai Gaoxing grins and says, "A fat butterfly."

Barrage: 【…………】

Bai Gaoxing continues, "I also told him, 'Why is the sea blue? Because fish can spit bubbles, blue, blue, blue.'"

Barrage: 【…………】

The comments turn into a sea of ellipses, piling up neatly.

【Honestly, that was so cold.】

【Me too; please give me a down jacket.】

【Thank you, I suddenly feel very warm while in the Arctic.】

【The IP above is real... By the way, this parrot can say so many sentences; it's pretty awesome.】 

The topic shifts.

【English pronunciation is super standard; I'm an English teacher XD.】

【Parrots imitate others, but this is probably the parrot with the clearest pronunciation I've ever seen.】

Bai Gaoxing looks at the barrage of comments mocking how cold his jokes are and feels a heavy blow. 

How could this be!? Are his jokes really that bad?

But the guys at school laughed happily when they heard them!

Bai Gaoxing recalls those times and decides to assume that these viewers simply don’t get the essence of his humor.

It doesn’t matter. He cheers up again, holding his head high. In his live streaming room, chatting and communicating are the themes, and he believes the atmosphere will warm up soon!

Bai Gaoxing spreads his snow-white wings to show off, stretching out his powerful claws to press down on the microphone.

He adjusts his voice to make it low and a little sweet, then, with the characteristics of a parrot, announces the interesting gameplay he has seen from other anchors: "Let's play a game!"

【! ! ! ! ! !】

【What game?!】

【Alright! Please have your way with me (what the hell is this doing here?!)】

【Star Entertainment knows how to have fun!!! Good reviews!】

"Let’s draw numbers! I’ll pick ten people; each one gets one minute to connect to the microphone!" Bai Gaoxing manipulates the mouse with his claws, pulling up a lottery program built into the livestream room.

...

At this moment, countless people watch in disbelief at the message Xinghuo pushed not long ago.

When they see this prompt, fans can’t believe it.

But unlike the usual rumors of "the wolf is coming," the mobile prompt is official. As soon as Li Pu’s account starts live streaming, the news is definitely true!

They calm down and click into the live streaming room with trembling fingers, praying that there won't be any bugs in Xinghuo.

At the same time, those who miss the text message and browse Xinghuo's short video as usual also see the hottest live streaming pushed by Xinghuo's High-speed Hot List.

The High-speed Hot List, as the name suggests, features the content with the highest popularity growth rate in a set timeframe. 

Xinghuo often employs such gimmicks, but the news it promotes is indeed worth reading, so most people are happy to click in to see what’s happening instead of sneering like they would at other news software.

So who is dominating the hot list today—WTF!?

Li Pu!?!

Is it that Li Pu?

Is it really that Li Pu?!?

Everyone rubs their eyes, some checking today’s almanac, some going to Weibo to gather news, and others simply looking at the sun outside: it’s hanging up in the sky, no problem at all.

So, is this really the—who, despite being in the industry for years, has never gone live, has set a record for never live streaming in the entertainment circle, and has ignored over thirty thousand pleas from fans in private messages to do a livestream—Emperor Li?!

Everyone clicks in with excitement, their faces frozen in disbelief.

Wait a minute, where is Li Pu?

Looking at the account, it’s definitely Li Pu’s, so what is this parrot?

"Okay, let’s have dinner together then."

"Don't laugh!"

"Isn't my song nice? I just learned it."

"You said..."

On the screen, a big parrot with a sleek and shiny face, fluffy crest, and round eyes grabs the microphone and chats with the audience, flapping its wings and talking playfully!

It’s so eye-catching.

Everyone can’t help but stare at the parrot on the screen. Its feathers are snow-white and look as soft as cotton; its black eyes are plump and moist like black pearls. The furry crest on its head opens and closes, scratching their hearts like a palm leaf fan. After confirming the look in their eyes, they see it’s a truly cute creature.

Putting aside Li Pu’s name, just seeing this parrot would be enough to warrant a follow.

Most importantly—this parrot speaks so fluently!!

There is no interruption between sentences, its enunciation is clear, and the pronunciation is standard, with a somewhat cute, mechanical quality; its tongue seems ten times more agile than that of other parrots!

Everyone is mesmerized, their breathing becoming lighter and lighter.

"Okay, one minute is over! I will draw another one." The parrot on the screen scratches the fluff on its head with its claws, squints its eyes, yawns, then moves closer to the microphone and utters clear words.

If it weren’t for its silly and cute behavior, they might think this parrot is possessed!

Everyone holds their breath to continue watching. They see the white parrot raise its claw and press down on the keyboard, and a lottery interface gradually comes to a stop.

The audience sees Bai Gaoxing's skilled movements and can't help but exclaim: 【Well trained!】

【I feel like this parrot can definitely skateboard and flip coins!】

【Give the trainer more money! It must be trained by its owner, right?】

“Alright, then let’s go with this person.” Bai Gaoxing glances at the barrage, already used to it.

No one in this world thinks he is real! 

While being able to fly freely, he’s also disappointed that no one understands him...

Ah, such are the pros and cons of the Internet.

The new fan discovers that he’s the winner and, surprised, gets on the microphone to ask: "Is this Mr. Li’s account?"

In an instant, the rolling barrage falls silent. 

That’s right!

The original audience, who enters the room, suddenly realizes they’ve been led by a parrot. Isn’t this the question they should have asked from the beginning?

Everyone seems to have a telepathic connection, their hands leaving the keyboard as they hold their breath and wait for the answer. 

Perhaps they will soon see that cold and handsome face appear on camera, explaining the current situation to them.

Bai Gaoxing’s breath catches in his throat.

Although he realizes that someone will definitely recognize this alt account, he doesn't expect to be asked so directly… It is sad; he thought he had really become popular.

But it is okay; he can admit to it, and it could even be said that it isn't a problem at all! 

He grits his teeth and pretends to be confused, “Mr. Li? Who’s that?”

The winning fan is very patient: "Li Pu, the actor Li. Is he next to you?"

Bai Gaoxing wants to give it one more shot and responds with something nonsensical: “I’m not fat!”

The barrage erupts with laughter:

【Stop acting, Li Pu!】

【You still won’t admit it at this point? Tut, tut, tut! You’re so dedicated!】

【As expected of the Emperor, what a performer! Ah, even the bird he raises can act so well.】

【How can such a cute little bird be called fat! Li Pu, don’t teach it bad habits x】

Seeing the chaotic barrage mentioning Li Pu, Bai Gaoxing attempts to assert his ownership: “This livestream room is mine, okay!”

But the winning fan delivers a fatal blow: "Then who is your owner?"

Bai Gaoxing chokes. 

It seems that this Firefly account can’t be hidden from Li Pu’s fans. 

He had worked hard to dig out this little account from the corner!!

But refusing to admit it shouldn't be a problem, right?

ai Gaoxing stares at the barrage, ready to be stubborn like a dead duck when suddenly, the barrage surges: 【Ah ah ah ah ah, I see a silhouette behind!】

What the hell? Seeing things? 

Bai Gaoxing looks back in shock and finds that the so-called "figure" is just a shadow of the curtains blown by the wind.

But he has already let it slip: "Li Pu, listen to me—!" 

He calls out those two words so well that it’s clear he learned them long ago.

A stifled scream comes from the speakers, followed by extremely excited breathing: “Dabai, your owner is Li Pu, right?!”

He can’t keep it secret anymore. 

Bai Gaoxing looks up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, feeling hopeless, and says, “Owner, Li Pu, yes.”

Once the words come out, the barrage window obviously lags for a moment and then—goes completely crazy!!!

【Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!!!】

【Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!!!!】

【Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!!!!】

Outside the livestream room, two trending topics have already surged up with unstoppable momentum.

#LiPuLivestream#

#FireflyWishComeTrue#

On this day off, many people haven’t had the chance to check their phones, so after the first wave of news spreads, the subsequent heat quickly follows. 

Some are the first to see the trending topics, so they click in to take a look.

Countless fans of Li Pu swipe entries in the super chat, their excitement so intense that they can refresh several pages in one second, making people dizzy. The crowd in the live streaming room keeps pouring in, with the number of viewers in the upper left corner increasing from a few hundred at the beginning to a few thousand later. Now, after nearly 30 minutes, it has reached tens of thousands and continues to climb.

Bai Gaoxing is a bit dumbfounded. 

What’s going on? This is only his third livestream. It’s one thing to be exposed as Li Pu’s fake account, but this level of popularity?

Bai Gaoxing quickly regains his composure and analyzes the overwhelming information.

First, there’s Li Pu and his company. Li Pu doesn’t currently know about his livestream, and the company hasn’t contacted him. This news isn’t coming from them.

Second, the fans. He feels that the people in the livestream room last time are cautious. Occasionally, there are subtle probes, but they don’t directly dissect anything. It’s impossible for them to spread this information so easily, let alone create such a huge impact in such a short time.

Finally, there’s the Xinghuo platform—he has seen those interviews and news reports on TV, which indicate that Xinghuo is looking for a boost in popularity and might want to capitalize on Li Pu’s fame. However, unless Xinghuo acts unethically by revealing the real account owner, how could there be so many people? But a publicly traded company wouldn’t do something so immoral…

So why is this happening?

While Bai Gaoxing is deep in thought, Li Pu’s fans are also quickly analyzing in private, brainstorming together.

【Where did this parrot come from? I’ve never seen it in any other wall albums.】

【I found it! This kind of parrot is called the Wutong Parrot! Several are quite rare!】

【Hiss, is it a pet raised by Li Pu? How can a workaholic like him have time to raise a pet?】

【Isn’t he on vacation? It’s normal to raise a pet.】

【But why is he suddenly live streaming? Doesn’t he never live stream?】

【I guess it’s related to Xinghuo platform? I heard many celebrities are responding to the call, and the higher-ups are also focusing on Xinghuo going international, so it’s kind of a boost?】

【Let me deduce—Li Pu doesn’t like livestreaming, but it would be bad not to participate, so balabala.】

【I think what you said makes sense...】

After a lot of back-and-forth, Li Pu's fans finally reach a conclusion:

It's definitely the actor's beloved pet! He must be doing this to take care of his fans by having his pet help him with promotions!

He loves us so much! We’re crying!

Author’s note:

Fans: So touched, I’m crying QAQ

Li Pu, who doesn’t know the truth: ??

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