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Staring at the half a million virtual coins in his account, Quinlan couldn't shake the feeling that he was in a dream. How could it all seem so surreal? He gave himself a couple of light slaps on the cheek.

Ouch... That stung... It had to be real!

"System, system?" Quinlan's thoughts stirred slightly.

"Host, there's no need for doubt. All of this is real."

The voice echoed in Quinlan's mind, confirming his suspicions. Everything was indeed real!

Was this the beginning of his journey to becoming an illustrious tycoon?

But... But he wasn't ready yet! Quinlan was playing coy even though he'd just hit the jackpot!

Truth be told, Quinlan was beside himself with excitement. He could already envision the adoration he'd receive as a celebrated magnate, sought after by the masses.

He was itching to squander money on some of his favorite live streamers right then and there, and just wait for their fawning gratitude.

"Haha..."

"Travis, what's got you chuckling? Did that bump on the head knock some sense into you?" the fat man inquired, puzzled.

"What do you mean, Fatty? My wits are sharper than ever," Quinlan replied with a chuckle.

Fatty gave Quinlan another once-over, seeing no cause for concern.

Quinlan's only lament was that he couldn't cash out. Alas... He definitely needed to devise a plan to liquidate that money!

"Oh, by the way, Everleigh and the others have already left," Fatty mentioned.

Quinlan paused, then let out a resigned sigh, gesturing dismissively, "Let it go... Just let it go..."

Fatty was taken aback by Quinlan's sudden shift from anger to indifference.

"What's the matter? You're letting it go?"

"What can I do? It's done. She's made her choice, and I'll respect that," Quinlan said, inhaling deeply.

The sight of them kissing downstairs had been too much for him initially, but after some time, his emotions had settled. He had come to terms with it. A forced melon isn't sweet, after all. Since she had made her choice, he would honor it. He just hoped that one day, she wouldn't regret the decision she made today.

"Alright, Travis, take a break. My girlfriend's waiting for me; I've got to go see her," Fatty told Quinlan.

"Sure, go ahead," Quinlan gestured dismissively.

With that, Fatty left the dorm room.

The four roommates got along well, but Quinlan was closest to Fatty, whose name was Mihailo. Mihailo was a genuine, good-hearted guy without a mean bone in his body. His family was the most well-off in the dorm, with both parents working as civil servants. He was also incredibly devoted to his girlfriend and had a friendly demeanor that made him popular in class.

Quinlan came from a modest background, with his parents running a fruit shop. They managed a decent standard of living. At school, Quinlan held a minor role as the student representative in charge of sanitary affairs, a position that didn't offer much prestige, but he enjoyed it nonetheless.

Once Mihailo had gone, Quinlan climbed into bed. The past fifteen days since his breakup with Everleigh had been rough, his life resembling that of a zombie, filled with drinking to drown his sorrows and venting his frustrations - hardly the right way to cope.

Settling into bed, Quinlan flicked on his phone. It was his routine to watch live streams or comedy sketches before sleeping, and tonight was no different. He was even hopeful, amusing himself with the thought of some beautiful streamer's attention.

Finding none of his usual follows online, he checked out the nearby live streams and spotted one just over five kilometers away. The cover photo featured a woman in a snug tank top and tight black shorts, boasting an impressive figure and looks.

That's the one!

With that thought, Quinlan tapped into the stream. The girl who appeared was indeed striking, playfully tossing her hair and showing off her sensual long legs and slender waist.

Quinlan quickly glanced at the streamer's profile:

[Name: Smiling Rachel. Fans: 150,000.]

[Profile: The Seductive Queen...]

That's all it said.

Yet, the live stream's popularity wasn't soaring—merely five hundred viewers, with just a smattering of comments and ordinary gift icons like flowers and beer drifting across the screen. Hardly any valuable gifts like crowns to speak of.

Quinlan surmised that this must be a newbie streamer. An established one would have drummed up at least a thousand viewers and a shower of crowns by now.

"Any generous soul willing to gift a crown? I'll dance for you!" the streamer chuckled with infectious cheer.

The chat started to buzz.

"Who's up for gifting a crown... let's get that dance party rolling!"

"Any rich tycoon in the audience?"

...

"Does the number of crowns determine how many dances the streamer performs?"

Someone in the chat inquired.

"That's right! However many crowns you gift, that's how many dances there will be," the streamer declared with gusto. Streamers like this one never turned down a gift.

Energized by the scene, Quinlan felt his spirits lift. Crowns were no issue for him. He opened the gift panel and with a few swipes, he unleashed a barrage of graffiti across the screen—a hundred in total, worth a hefty 1880 dollars. That was quite the sum, especially for a small-time streamer.

The host's heart leapt with joy at the sight of the gift graffiti, and she quickly called out.

"Immense thanks to Mr. Finnian for the royal shower of graffiti crowns!"

As a rookie, she hadn't encountered such generosity before and struggled to contain her excitement while expressing her gratitude.

"Finnian" was Quinlan's nickname for the live streaming APP.

The chat exploded with activity.

"Finnian is a legend..."

"Finnian rules..."

...

Quinlan had tapped into the audience's eagerness for the dance party, and they were all aboard with their support.

Basking in the chat's praises of "Finnian being the KING," Quinlan swelled with pride. He had never been on the receiving end of such adoration before. The thrill of playing the magnate was truly exhilarating—once merely a bystander who hardly spent a dime, he now reveled in the VIP treatment.

"Let's get the party started..."

"Get that dance going, quick..."

...

The initial rush of excitement quickly gave way to panic in the host's mind. She had just mentioned the idea of performing one dance for each Royal Crown gift, and now this Mr. Finnian had gone and dropped a hundred Royal Crowns. Did this mean she had to dance one hundred times?

"Based on what you said earlier, you're supposed to give a hundred dances tonight, right?"

Quinlan's message appeared on the public chat.

The host immediately noticed the message.

"Oh, Finnian, you can't be this mean to me!" the host pleaded with a flirtatious tone, looking at the screen, "Performing a hundred dances would just wreck me. How will I ever be able to stream for you again, Finnian?"