Chapter 24: A Viral Sensation, Skyrocketing Popularity, and a Mysterious Guest Icon!

Chen Yan had gone viral.

Following his victory over OMG, short clips of Chen Yan were frantically edited and shared by countless self-media accounts. In these clips, iCOn was reduced to a mere prop, ruthlessly dismantled by Chen Yan in lane. Chen Yan’s highlight plays—a four-man flash-ult on Cassiopeia, a one-versus-five Lucian play, and a brilliant flank during a dragon fight—had sent a massive shockwave through the esports community.

"Who is this mid-laner?"
"Holy cow, he’s too aggressive!"
"It doesn't look like he's playing against professionals; it looks like he's playing against bots."

Netizens were in a frenzy. But this was only the beginning of Chen Yan's surge in popularity. Before long, his post-match interview video also began to circulate widely. In an instant, his quote, "Courage is a hero's seventh item," was hailed as gospel. Compared to this "sacred teaching," Chen Yan's previous insults directed at OMG and iCOn seemed trivial. After all, esports is about strength; if you get stepped on and don't try to win it back, but instead seek sympathy from netizens, you'll find no pity—only people ready to kick you while you're down.

All of this was within Chen Yan’s expectations. Everyone tacitly agrees that professional play is "higher level" than streaming. Therefore, no matter how well Chen Yan performed on stream, it couldn't compare to the traffic generated by proving himself in a professional match. Take his latest Weibo post, for example—the comments were already approaching ten thousand. What did that mean? Previously, his posts would get a few hundred comments at most. His popularity was skyrocketing tenfold, even a hundredfold. While most of this was superficial hype, even if only ten percent of that massive base stuck around, it would still elevate his streaming career to a new level.

***

The evening after the match, Chen Yan went live as promised. Unlike usual, countless people were already waiting for him before the stream even started. The moment he went live, his viewership count exploded. The platform was taken aback by the sudden influx of traffic, but they reacted quickly, immediately prioritizing Chen Yan on their recommendation list. On the front page of the Gouya streaming platform, Chen Yan’s professional headshot was featured prominently.

However, due to the sheer volume of users, Chen Yan’s stream crashed into a black screen.

"Trash platform, can you even do your job?"
"The internet cafe down my street has better connection than you."
"Can't even watch a stream without it lagging, what are you good for?"

Netizens in the chat were furious. The executives at Gouya were also panicking; they messaged Chen Yan, asking him to placate the audience, while simultaneously putting pressure on their network maintenance department.

"Fix it now!"
"What are you all getting paid for? If the network isn't fixed in ten minutes, you're all fired!"

***

To seize this windfall, the entire platform began to revolve around Chen Yan. He felt a profound sense of realization—in this world, you have to be valuable. Would the platform have cared this much about him before? He had to admit, being the center of attention felt pretty good.

With the platform’s full support, the network was restored in just five minutes. Chen Yan immediately updated his title: "Connecting with a Mystery Guest, Reviewing the OMG vs. EDG Match."

"Winning isn't enough, you have to whip the corpse too!"
"OMG, come over and drop some gifts, otherwise 'Dog Chen' is going to roast you to death."
"I'm more curious about who this mystery guest is."

The chat was a flurry of activity, with everyone speculating about the mystery guest. Chen Yan didn't reveal the answer immediately; instead, he played some music.

*BGM: Longing for Glory.*
*My world is a journey full of unknown changes.*
*I don't fear the wind and rain, I look forward to the laughter and pain...*

As the stirring music played, the audience felt their blood pumping.

"Alright, all my fans—type 'Chen's Army' in the chat!"

The chat was flooded with "Chen's Army." Newcomers, caught up in the atmosphere, joined in as well. Chen Yan’s low, steady voice then cut through the music.

"Before we officially start, I want to say a few words. I am a professional player, but when I was at my lowest, it was the instant noodle money from you guys in this stream that helped me afford a big house and improved my life. I have nothing to repay you with, so all I can do is prove that you didn't pick the wrong person. The streamer you watch is the best! Whether it's streaming or on the professional stage, I will not be second to anyone! This victory over OMG is the report card I’ve prepared for everyone in Chen's Army."

These words brought tears to the eyes of many fans.

"Dog Chen, I won't bash you today."
"Today, you are God Chen!"
"As a hater, I have nothing to say. Watching you bully OMG was a thrill."

However, the sentiment didn't last long. Chen Yan’s expression suddenly shifted, and he said with a cheeky grin, "The match is over, and OMG has been bullied, so you guys can finally spend the money you’ve been saving up. You have no idea how bad the food at EDG is—it's like pig slop. I’ve spent a fortune on takeout. Hurry up and send some gifts to help me recover my funds. A hundred is not too much, and a penny is not too little..."

*Damn!*

The fans who had been tearing up swallowed their emotions and started spamming the chat.

"Dog Chen!"

***

"I knew it, a dog can't change its habit of eating dung."
"You're actually human? I was about to shed a tear, and you're trying to pick my pocket?"
"No gifts for you, but do you want some poop instead?"

The tone of the chat shifted, and the atmosphere turned from sentimental to joyful. Chen Yan smiled slightly. He did this on purpose. If you want to make money as a streamer, you have to be able to control the rhythm and the audience's emotions. Everyone is here to be entertained. You can be sentimental, but you can't be like that all the time, or it becomes pretentious. Therefore, Chen Yan always steered the mood back to the main theme of fun whenever everyone was getting too emotional.

The effect was clear. The stream's popularity continued to grow without any signs of dropping, proving that even new viewers enjoyed this vibe and were willing to stay.

After the atmosphere cooled down slightly, Chen Yan teased, "I remember someone saying before the match that if I played, he would eat his screen. I even took a screenshot."

"You can eat it now, buddy."

As he spoke, Chen Yan tagged an ID. Of course, he didn't actually expect the guy to eat it; he was just doing it for the show. Seeing the person playing dead, Chen Yan chuckled, "Fine, I'll put it on your tab. You can eat it with Old Lu later."

Everyone burst into laughter. But they hadn't forgotten the day's main focus: the mystery guest Chen Yan had been building up for so long.

"You guys definitely won't guess who my mystery guest is."

The more Chen Yan said this, the more curious everyone became. However, they didn't want him to reveal the answer yet; instead, they wanted to try guessing.

"Alright, I'll give you a hint." Chen Yan thought for a moment, then said, "This mystery guest... his head doesn't work so well."

Chen Yan pointed at his own brain. "Okay, that's all the hints you're getting. Any more and I might as well just tell you."

The netizens went wild in the chat. Some guessed the jungler Amie, others guessed Old Lu, Dian Gun, Da Sima... they were guessing everyone. But when Chen Yan saw that quite a few people were guessing UZi, he couldn't help but lose his composure.

"Fine, fine, none of you got it right. Stop guessing, I'll just connect him."

Not long after, another person appeared on the screen. The moment the connection went through, Chen Yan heard iCOn roaring, "Who are you calling brainless?!"

At the same time, the viewers in the stream were stunned to see the mystery guest was actually iCOn.

*Wait, can someone tell me what the hell is going on?!*