Chapter 25: A Stunning Performance, Bringing Down the House!

In the iCOn livestream, the chat was scrolling at a breakneck pace, but iCOn’s expression was far from pleasant. Most of the comments were mocking him, with the nickname "Cold Dish" appearing with particularly stinging frequency. Having just been reduced to a mere prop in Chen Yan's highlight reel during their match, he now found himself forced to collaborate on Chen Yan's stream. Even without the audience’s input, he found this stark contrast difficult to swallow. Yet, there was no choice; one thought of Chen Yan’s imposing, mountain-like pressure was enough to force his compromise. He didn't have a Chris to shut the door on this situation for him.

Chen Yan wasn't surprised by iCOn’s silence. Professional players on stream were all like this nowadays; they either just logged in for the minimum hours or sat through a match without saying a word, which was incredibly dull. But even if iCOn remained silent, Chen Yan’s goal for inviting him had already been met. Just having iCOn there to review the OMG match was enough to maximize the entertainment value, even if he didn't utter a sound.

"Hey, why do you look so nervous? We're about to start the VOD review—are you not ready?"

iCOn gave a stiff nod. The review began. Everyone had assumed Chen Yan was just doing this for the show, but as he delved into the analysis, even iCOn couldn't help but show a flicker of interest. He realized that Chen Yan’s review wasn't just about mocking players for laughs; he was offering genuinely profound insights. What was most impressive was that Chen Yan’s analysis was strictly objective. He didn't play favorites based on a player's status—if someone made a mistake, he called it out.

"The bot lane had issues here. Jhin and Malzahar had already shoved the wave, but they didn't apply pressure or rotate to support—they just lingered in the lane."

"Top lane, Xiyang is hilarious. He couldn't even keep up with Mouse in laning phase. How do you get out-farmed as a tank against a tank? Maybe you should consider a side hustle?"

"And Five, do you know why I was able to flank with Lucian? Because he doesn't ward. He’s single-threaded—he only wards one side. Once he clears the dragon pit, he completely ignores the flank."

"As for the mid lane... let's not comment. I can only say it wasn't human."

When Chen Yan reached the mid-lane analysis, iCOn’s face turned sour. Seeing this, the entire audience burst into laughter.

"LMAO, the streamer is really trying to break his spirit."
"Public execution in real-time."
"Cold Dish, blink twice if you're being held hostage."

iCOn looked at the chat, his expression as miserable as if he’d eaten something foul. But the more miserable he looked, the more the entertainment value soared, and the chat became even more relentless. Chen Yan didn't drag out the review for too long; there wasn't much more to say. OMG was a team that relied on their two carries; once either of them was suppressed, winning became an uphill battle. No matter how he reviewed it, iCOn, as the primary culprit, couldn't escape the blame.

Seeing Chen Yan finally wrap up the review, iCOn let out a sigh of relief. However, his heart immediately skipped a beat when Chen Yan spoke again.

"Young Master Cold, let's do a PK. Whoever loses has to follow the winner’s punishment."

iCOn knew that PKs were just a way for streamers to rake in cash, and he had no desire to participate. It was a joke—Chen Yan had been streaming much longer, and the odds were heavily stacked against him.

"Not interested. I can't beat you."

"Double points, how about that?" Chen Yan laughed. "Don't say I'm bullying you. I'll count your gifts as double. If you have more points than me, I'll count it as my loss."

iCOn was tempted but still hesitated. Seeing this, Chen Yan used a taunt: "You don't dare even with that? Are you scared? You couldn't beat me in the game, and you're even more cowardly in real life. Even with double points, you're still afraid. Even if you lose, it's not like I'm going to make you jump off a building."

The chat joined in the heckling, with some viewers expressing their dislike for Chen Yan’s arrogance and vowing to gift iCOn to help him win. Cornered and impulsive by nature, iCOn succumbed to the pressure and agreed. "Who's scared of who? Let's go!"

"Then you set the penalty. If I lose, what's the punishment?"

iCOn thought for a moment and gave a cold smile. "If you lose, you have to call Coach Ah-Bu and tell him that my 'urological issues' have finally been cured."

"Holy cow!" Everyone was shocked by the audacity of the penalty.

"Wow, iCOn’s brain isn't half bad."
"That’s a brutal one."
"Accept it! You have to accept it!"
"Honestly, I really want to see the streamer get punished."

Even Chen Yan was taken aback by the severity of the request, his expression shifting slightly. Seeing Chen Yan hesitate, iCOn felt a surge of satisfaction. He had been suppressed by Chen Yan for so long that he’d nearly fallen into depression, and finally, he had a chance to strike back.

"Don't tell me you're too scared?"

"Are you sure you want to go that far?"

"Just say if you're taking the bet or not."

"I'll take it!" Chen Yan gritted his teeth and agreed, then added, "But since you're playing dirty, don't blame me for being ruthless. If you lose, go to the Anti-LOL Forum, find the threads about you, and read them out loud on stream."

"Fine! Start it."

With the stakes set, the PK bar appeared. "Army of Chen, help me out! I don't want to call Ah-Bu..." Chen Yan scrambled for votes, and iCOn wasn't far behind. To win the PK, he threw his pride out the window, almost begging the viewers. While iCOn wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, he possessed that rare, accidental charisma that made for a natural streamer.

The competition on the PK bar was fierce, and Chen Yan felt a twinge of nervousness, unsure if he could pull off the win. Then, in the final second, an account named "Dream of Adventure" suddenly dropped dozens of Treasure Maps.

The chat exploded. One Treasure Map was worth five thousand yuan, meaning this user had just dropped hundreds of thousands in a single go.

"The boss is generous!"
"Is that money? It’s just digital paper to them."
"The world of the rich is truly unimaginable."

Chen Yan quickly thanked the benefactor. Based on the chat, this "Dream of Adventure" was likely a whale from the variety streaming section. He had heard rumors of a major benefactor there who dropped millions at a time, and many streamers had benefited from his gifts—he just hadn't expected to be one of them. The generous viewer didn't say much, leaving only a brief "play games when you have time" before disappearing.

What was the motive behind such a massive donation? Chen Yan was puzzled; he didn't believe in selfless acts, but he kept his cool, smiling at iCOn. iCOn looked as if he were attending his own funeral. The chat was eager for the show.

"Quick, open the Anti-LOL Forum and see how everyone is rating you."

With a sullen face, iCOn complied. The forum had rating sections and player commentary threads. iCOn found his page, and his mouth began to twitch after a single glance.

"Read it out loud! What are you waiting for?!"

iCOn gritted his teeth and began to read. "iCOn rating: 0. User XXX says: 'Cold Dish doesn't play like a human being!'"

"User XXX says: 'Scatter some rice on the keyboard, and a chicken could play better than Cold Dish.'"

"User XXX says: 'Cold Dish got his pants played off by a rookie, yet he still walks around acting like he’s the best. Who are you putting on a show for? Fake rich kid.'"

"User XXX says..."

As he reached the last one, iCOn paused. Chen Yan took a look and couldn't hold it in either. The post read: "Cold Dish's cerebellum doesn't seem fully developed, yet he’s out here trying to play Ekko and Jayce. Bah! Rift-deficient."

The livestream erupted in laughter, filling the air with a festive, joyous atmosphere.