Tonight, Even the Audience Lost Signal

Su Lai walked out from the stairwell, carrying the metal lock he had ripped off the door.
The old janitor, who had been about to pick up his thermos, abruptly retracted his hand and immediately covered his withered eyes with his palm.
“What the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve over!”

A ghost seeing him was like a person seeing a ghost.

Su Lai: “…”
He didn’t think he’d done anything excessive to make the seasoned janitor this wary.

The berserk residents were still clamoring outside the hotel, loud enough to wake the dead.

Su Lai sent a message to the unknown number.
“How do I use this legendary S-rank item, the symbol of honor in Spring Breeze: the banner.”

The phone was silent for a good while. Just as Su Lai was about to give up, a text message came through.
[S-rank item usage conditions are quite harsh. They rely on the user’s personal charm. (Note: Especially for skills with such profound influence and appeal.)]

Su Lai’s heart sank. He was a delivery guy, out in all weathers. Every month, he only cared about his order count, the rent and utilities he had to pay, and the cat food, cans, and meat his cat needed. Although he never skimped on himself—even when strapped for cash, he’d go to his usual barber for a haircut, occasionally get a perm or dye, and buy a nice T-shirt or pair of jeans—he’d never once thought about “personal charm.”

The system’s answer was also full of nonsense, saying nothing at all.

Whatever. Su Lai decided to just use it and see what happened.
He’d already talked big. Now he had two choices——

Either kill this all-night revelry.
Or be killed by it, thoroughly and completely.

Either do or be done. Either way, he was getting it done.

Su Lai turned on the e-bike’s high beam. He had modified the light himself. It was powerful enough to exorcise ghosts directly. Bathed in such bright light, people could become calm and sacred.

Standing in front of his little e-bike, Su Lai felt like his back was about to burst into flames. He held the community banner in one hand and the old janitor’s megaphone in the other.
“Good evening, berserk neighbors and friends!”

“——Right now, don’t you all have energy to burn? Feel all pent up?”

The excessively bright light created an illusion on the retina. The headlight behind him stretched Su Lai’s shadow infinitely.
His shadow, holding the banner, was magnified, enveloping the residents gathered outside the hotel.

The dust stirred up around them became countless glowing particles under the strong light, swirling and scattering, illuminating this chaotic night.

For a moment, the vast, dark crowd of berserk residents fell silent.
Their murky eyes stopped rolling, their gazes involuntarily fixed on the tall figure in the strong light and the banner in his hand.

The visual contamination caused by the strong light added an extra layer of captivating sacredness to the absurdity of the moment.

“——Don’t you just hate that you can’t tear those few bad guys upstairs into shreds? Because of their report, they stirred up your stagnant lives, turning them from still water into muddy water. Now it’s a stinking mess. You can’t live in this muddy water anymore.”

“——Don’t you want to chop them into mincemeat and stuff them into wontons, then use their bones to boil a fragrant pot of bone broth wontons?”

“Sounds pretty satisfying, doesn’t it?”

The clamor gave way to absolute silence. Not a deathly stillness, but everyone listening with rapt attention.
In Su Lai’s vivid description, the sound of swallowing saliva even emerged from the crowd.

They were hungry. Now, many of them suddenly wanted to go to Wang Chunying’s wonton shop for a hot bowl of late-night wontons.
Many of them hadn’t even had time for dinner before being consumed by berserk emotions and taking to the streets.

Upstairs, the players, of course, also heard Su Lai’s speech loud and clear.
Everyone’s expressions were complex. They remained silent. Bei Yao frowned.
“… What is Xiao Si doing? Betraying us?”

Bai Ke: “I believe my cousin won’t flip. He probably wants to channel the original residents’ berserk impulse into appetite and, incidentally, advertise his mom’s wonton shop.”

Bei Yao was even more speechless.
“Excuse me, is Wang Chunying really his mom?”

Bai Ke shrugged.
“When false is taken for true, truth becomes false. A kid with a mom is a treasure.”

Downstairs, Su Lai, standing in front of the high beam, continued.
“But I can tell you an even more satisfying way.”

Su Lai deliberately paused, creating suspense.

Under the gaze of thousands, in the deafening silence, Su Lai said:
“It’s not just you who are peeping. Even if you locked everyone up in the isolation zone, the peeping wouldn’t stop.”
“Peeping has already permeated this place. They are everywhere, watching us, amusing themselves with our fear and despair.”

Su Lai directly appropriated Huo Lang’s lines. These confusing words from a social phobe, under specific circumstances, actually had an irresistible appeal.

The filter of the strong light added a layer of sacred metaphor to Su Lai’s ambiguous description.

“The most satisfying way is to smash them all! The TV screens, the antennas coiled over the streets, anywhere electricity flows, all the hidden live broadcast cameras.”
“Smash them all!”
“Might as well blow up this broken world too!”

“Use this night of revelry to do it! Why should we be entertained to death? Let Their entertainment die!”

“But remember: safety first! civilized destruction!”

Whether it was the S-rank item in Su Lai’s hand taking effect, or the filter of the strong light, to the berserk residents, the person standing in the powerful light, holding the banner, seemed like a prophet or an idol. Their gazes were fixed unblinkingly on the person holding the banner, as if looking at a role model.

Finally, the berserk residents shifted their attack targets to the TV screens that made them uncomfortable, the red lights of cameras hidden in the tangled wires… and everywhere that could potentially be an entrance for peeping.

The moment they found and removed all the hidden cameras, the berserk residents erupted with even more amazing combat power than before, and they were more united than ever.

The players upstairs watched, dumbfounded.

“Damn? The berserk residents are dealt with just like that?” Bai Ke couldn’t believe it. His thumb unconsciously went up for Su Lai downstairs.
“Was the S-rank item the system mentioned earlier that banner in my cousin’s hand?”

Qi Mu: “Please remove the question mark. The answer is already very clear.”

Bei Yao’s expression was complex.
“Destroying all the cameras themselves—to the audience, isn’t that also a kind of all-night revelry? Crazy enough, exciting enough. It just pushed tonight to a climax.”

“But will this really work?”
Although Qi Mu’s tone was calm, she turned her head from the window, hiding the emotion in her eyes.
“These so-called surveillance devices are just toys to make the players feel more immersed. The pollutants don’t need equipment to watch the live broadcast. They are higher-dimensional beings with more control.”

All the visible surveillance lenses in the instance were set up to make the players feel more immersed.
In reality, this live broadcast that let the pollutants entertain themselves didn’t require any physical live broadcast equipment.

So Su Lai’s rousing 「Kill the Entertainment」 was just part of their own revelry. It had no effect on the higher-dimensional pollutants. It would only make them find it novel and wonderful, also part of the entertainment.

In the end, they were destined to be killed by the entertainment.

All the players fell silent. Bai Ke watched Lai-ge ride off on his little e-bike and muttered quietly:
“What if?”

“If it’s Lai-ge, there might be a ‘what if,’ right…?”

Countless flames rose behind him with a rumble.
The streets, like a zombie apocalypse, were bustling. “Fireworks” could explode anywhere.

This was way more stimulating than the Gatling gun he’d fantasized about earlier.

Su Lai weaved through the streets again, finally parking his little e-bike at Wang Chunying’s doorstep.
Same as usual, but amidst the protests of the berserk residents fighting back against 「Entertain to Death,」 everything seemed a little less ordinary.

Hearing the familiar sound, Wang Chunying immediately came out. Disbelief appeared on her always expressionless face.
“Little Four?!”

Su Lai put down his helmet as usual.
“Mom, just finished up. Later than expected.”

Wang Chunying looked at her weary “son” in confusion. Although she couldn’t believe it, she didn’t hide the surprise in her eyes.

She was about to say something when the phone in the living room rang. Wang Chunying answered and then looked at Su Lai.
“Little Four, it’s for you.”
“Your cousin, Xiao’er.”

Su Lai also found it strange. How did Bai Ke still have items that could make calls?
“Hello? What’s up, cousin?”

“Phew, glad you’re okay.” Bai Ke on the other end breathed a sigh of relief.
“I was afraid you’d go out making a scene and we’d lose contact. I spent some survival coins to buy a communication item from Qi Mu. I guessed you’d be back at Auntie’s, so I wanted to check on you.”

As a player, he didn’t dare leave the Tianlong Hotel rashly. Even though he knew the berserk residents had shifted targets and were now focused on smashing potential peeping screens and pulling down antennas, it was still chaotic outside. He was afraid of getting hurt by accident. He could only hide in the isolation zone and wait and see.

He believed that being cautious kept you safe. Cautious people lived longer. You had to be alive to spend money.

“Qi Mu and them all said the pollutants watch our live broadcast through a higher dimension. The cameras are just to make us feel more immersed. Even if we smash them all, it probably won’t affect the live broadcast. I thought I should warn you…”
Bai Ke had called not just to confirm Su Lai’s safety, but more importantly, to tell him what he’d learned.

“Cousin, thanks.” Su Lai rarely used such a sincere tone.
“It’s a night of revelry, after all. Going a little crazy is fine.”
“I can take it.”

There was a silence on the other end, then Bai Ke breathed a sigh of relief.
“True. Lai-ge, you always have a way.”
“What if you get lucky and succeed?” He repeated it like a protective charm.

He hung up. Wang Chunying stood behind Su Lai.
“Little Four, you shouldn’t have come back. It’s dangerous.”

With the whole urban village in chaos, the electricity was very unstable. The lights in the house flickered, casting dim shadows.

Wang Chunying stood in the half-light, still holding her two knives as usual, but the blades were no longer pointed at Su Lai.

Their TV screen had long been smashed. The living room floor was covered in fragments, crunching underfoot.

After hanging up, Su Lai walked straight to the kitchen and expertly put on an apron.
“I said I’d make you and Uncle Wang a late-night snack.”

He meant what he said. He wouldn’t go back on his word.

Wang Chunying: “There’s no meat or rice left in the house.”

Su Lai opened the fridge. There was only a small head of cabbage, a couple of eggs, some ham, and in the storage box, a dusty old package of instant noodles.

Since everyone was dead anyway, and dead people were inherently “expired,” they probably weren’t afraid of eating expired food.

“It’s okay. I’ll fry you some noodles.” Su Lai rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

The power supply was unstable, affecting the kitchen lighting. But outside the window, smashing and explosions lit up the sky with flames, the bang bang bang of the street street smashing louder than usual. It was actually brighter than the everyday lights.

In the midst of such a chaotic night, Su Lai showed no sign of urgency. He had used the S-rank item 「Banner」 to rally the berserk residents to dismantle cameras and smash screens. He had done what he could. What happened next was up to them. He could just relax and do his own thing.

Since he had nothing better to do, Su Lai never forgot to keep his promises.

By the light of the fires outside, Su Lai cracked eggs into a bowl. He even added a bit of beer to the egg mixture for flavor and to make the scrambled eggs fluffier.

He washed the cabbage carefully, chopped the green onions and garlic meticulously, preparing all the seasonings with care.

Su Lai had learned to cook from a very young age. He never slacked off in the kitchen. Even when he was busy with work, he never ate hastily. As long as conditions allowed, he cooked every meal for himself with care.

Just like he regularly went to the barber for haircuts, browsed the night market for a nice vintage floral shirt or leather jacket, and spray-painted his battered little e-bike with colorful lights. Life was hard, but you still had to take care of yourself.

Hot wok, cold oil. The noodles, eggs, and ham tumbled in the large wok. Su Lai had strong wrists; he tossed the wok, ensuring the ingredients were evenly heated over the high flame. The fragrant, fragrant smell filled the air.

Uncle Wang, who had been boredly cutting watermelon, followed the scent. Even the berserk residents outside madly flared their nostrils.

Two plates of steaming, fried noodles were served. Bright in color, full of that wok hei. Wang Chunying and Uncle Wang devoured them with relish. Apart from compliments, they had nothing else to say.

Indeed, food cooked quickly over a high flame made people happy. Even dead people were no exception.

With the plates empty, Su Lai washed the dishes.
The water rushed. Suddenly, a loud rumble came from outside. The densely tangled wires above the urban village collapsed. Most areas lost power. Only flames flickered in the streets and alleys, the blue-green fire like the ghost fire of burning bones.

Standing by the sink, Su Lai suddenly felt a sense of doomsday.
The most interesting part was that, at the midnight hour of doomsday, he was frying noodles and washing dishes like usual, as if the sun would rise as normal.

And a simple woman, with no blood relation to him, stood peacefully beside him, watching it all.

“Little Four, I saw what you did tonight.” Wang Chunying’s face held a hint of pride. She seemed proud of her son’s actions in stirring up the neighbors to street smashing.

Her child had grown up. He had his own ideas, and the courage and ability to achieve them. What could make her happier than that?

Su Lai smiled.
“Just treat it like New Year’s Eve. Playing with fireworks.”

Uncle Wang, still savoring the fried noodles, chimed in.
“New Year’s is good! New Year’s is lively! Too bad the TV is smashed. No Spring Festival Gala to watch!”

Wang Chunying glared at him.
“Isn’t the street smashing fireworks Little Four arranged better than the Spring Festival Gala?”

Uncle Wang nodded repeatedly.
“Yes, yes! Our Little Four’s street smashing fireworks are the best!”

“Mom, actually, there’s something I want to confess.” Such a peaceful atmosphere made people want to be honest.

“Shh!” Wang Chunying suddenly pressed her finger to her lips. If the light were brighter, they would have seen that corpse spots had also crawled onto her fingers. Her time seemed short.

Wang Chunying: “Mom knows what you want to say. Don’t say it. You are Mom’s Little Four.”

In the era she lived in, once a child was taken by traffickers, the chance of finding them again was minuscule. Many parents went their whole lives without ever seeing their child again.
But Wang Chunying was different. She had found her child. Regardless of the truth, this was the truth she wanted.

That was enough.

“Little Four, do you still have the protective charm Mom gave you?” Wang Chunying changed the subject.

Su Lai nodded.
“In my pocket.”

Wang Chunying: “Keep it safe. Don’t lose it. From now on, wherever you go, even after you leave this damn place of an urban village, my thoughts will be with you. It will always protect you.”

Su Lai’s phone suddenly vibrated. A message from an unknown number.

[Congratulations to non-player character Wang Xiaosi. The system detects that you have forcibly activated a personal skill: Wang Chunying’s Protective Charm.]

‘Forcibly’ again. Su Lai once again reflected just how forceful his actions really were.

[「Wang Chunying’s Protective Charm」 Skill Description: A kid with a mom is a treasure. Mom is your guardian angel! When facing a crisis or special situation, you can use the charm to summon the character Wang Chunying as a combatant.]

[A mother’s love is selfless. This skill consumes no survival coins when used.]
[Because a mother wants to see her son every day, the system has assessed that the cooldown for this skill is: 24h.]

[This character skill has unlimited potential. The user can upgrade it based on the real-time situation and personal conditions!]

“Thanks, Mom.” Su Lai turned off his phone screen and continued washing the dishes.

Wang Chunying: “You said Mom is best suited to holding cleavers.”

Su Lai: “Mom, you look good whether you’re holding cleavers or not.”

Wang Chunying: “Did I look good hanging from the roof beam?”

Su Lai: “Don’t do that anymore. It’s bad for your neck.”

Hanging oneself wasn’t a suitable form of exercise for a family member.

The berserk residents had inexhaustible energy. They made a commotion until nearly three in the morning. By then, almost all the screens were smashed, all the wires pulled down. But this crazy night showed no signs of ending.

Perhaps Qi Mu was right. The viewers were higher-dimensional pollutants. The destructive power of ants was negligible. Even his resistance had become the most interesting part of tonight’s revelry.

Just as Su Lai was bracing for the worst, preparing to find another way to kill the live broadcast, a sudden, earth-shattering BOOM echoed. The entire Spring Breeze Community was plunged into pitch-black darkness.

All sound vanished in an instant.

Backend Livestream Room.

“Damn, am I a masochist? This Wang Xiaosi cursed us all out, and my skin itches. It felt so good being scolded by him!”
“That line ‘Let the ones using us for entertainment die instead’ was so damn cool. I’d die on the spot for him.”
“Haven’t seen such a thrilling scene in a long time. Entertain to death! Long live the revelry!”

“Hey, aren’t your comments a bit too doggish?”
(This comment has been reported by live broadcast viewers and is under review.)

“This Wang Xiaosi might just be an NPC, but he’s more real and vivid than any player.”
“Your interpretation of ‘real and vivid’ is quite unique.”

“Am I wrong? Sure, he’s crazy, but he’s also so gentle, sniff sniff. This is the first time I’ve cried in a instance because of mother-son affection.”
“True. This model of Wang Xiaosi has a kind of absurd romance.”
“The system only said he’s a non-player. It didn’t say he’s an NPC, right?”

“But who set off those fireworks just now?”
“I didn’t see any firework item in any player’s live broadcast…”
“Could it be an effect the audience bought? A hidden gift?”
“What? There’s this function? Then I’m willing to buy a bunch in one go!”
“I’m willing to use fireworks to take over the screen tonight! Add fuel to this revelry!”
…

Suddenly, all the live broadcast rooms went black without warning. The heated discussion barrage instantly vanished from the screens.

“What’s going on?”
The pollutants’ typed words were covered by blackness. This lasted for five or six seconds. Suddenly, countless colorful static exploded on the blacked-out screens, like a TV with signal problems, or like pixelated fireworks.

Fireworks took over the night. They also covered the screens the pollutants used to peep into the urban village.

Crackle, crackle.
The system emitted the sound of an unstable signal——

[Due to an unknown malfunction occurring…]
[We regret to inform you——]

[The 「Spring Breeze Community」 instance live broadcast has been interrupted!]