Chapter 56: The Semi-Finals End part 1
The ninth day of the semi-finals was the day Yun Yingzhi consumed the most source materials.
It was also on this day that he successfully manufactured a Level 7 main control source weapon that truly satisfied him.
Starting from the tenth day of the semi-finals, Yun Yingzhi began manufacturing auxiliary source weapons in an assembly-line fashion.
The little egg cub, who had originally been quite enthusiastic about helping, now looked for any opportunity to pretend he was a salted fish egg. On several occasions, he would even obediently crawl into the hated incubator himself, pretending to be fast asleep.
However, once the little egg cub realized that Yun Yingzhi hadn’t come to snatch him up for child labor and was instead focused intently on manufacturing source weapons, he would sneak out of the incubator again. He and the rabbit cub would lie side-by-side on their sofa chairs, wearing sunglasses and basking in the artificial sunlight, looking exactly like a pair of unprofessional employee-eggs slacking off behind their boss’s back.
By the twelfth day of the semi-finals, the number of auxiliary source weapons Yun Yingzhi had produced reached seventy.
Many people did not understand exactly what kind of source weapons Yun Yingzhi was making. Why were they all identical, from their external appearance to their carved inscriptions?
Some people even went back to check the replays, specifically to evaluate all the source weapons Yun Yingzhi had produced recently. One individual, claiming to be a high-level source weapon manufacturer, stated that based on these ten-plus days of live streaming, it was certain that Yun Yingzhi had suffered heavy losses during this period.
Even if the competition organizers provided materials at a loss-leading price, Yun Yingzhi’s personal losses were undoubtedly severe.
Of course, compared to Yun Yingzhi, the most pitiful party was the competition organizers themselves.
In all the time the Star Glory Competition had been running, almost every participant had allowed the organizers to earn a fortune. The only participant in history to ever put the organizers in a deficit was likely this one individual.
On the thirteenth day of the semi-finals, when Yun Yingzhi planned to settle the bill for a new batch of source materials, he discovered a terrifying reality.
Looking at the empty balance in his account, Yun Yingzhi’s pupils shook with shock. Unable to withstand the blow, his body swayed, and he nearly collapsed.
The rabbit cub and egg cub, who had been enthusiastically building sandcastles on a small sand tray, noticed Yun Yingzhi’s condition. The two little cubs immediately rushed to his side, trying to use their small, thin bodies to prop him up.
This scene left many viewers in the livestream room deeply worried. They didn’t know what had happened to Yun Yingzhi for him to suddenly react this way.
Some in the livestream even speculated that Yun Yingzhi might be suffering from an incurable disease.
Master Tang and Master Ted rushed over quickly, asking Yun Yingzhi if he needed any help.
The rabbit cub grabbed onto Yun Yingzhi’s leg and began to climb up, while the egg cub used a spatial jump to nuzzle against his cheek before rolling onto his shoulder.
Tears fell from the rabbit cub’s eyes in large droplets, his fuzzy little face full of concern for Yun Yingzhi. Standing on Yun Yingzhi’s shoulder, his little paws grabbed at the elastic ear-loop of the man’s mask, trying to pull it off so he could lick his face.
Shaken out of his daze, Yun Yingzhi’s soul nearly leaped out of his body at the rabbit cub’s actions. He immediately caught the little bunny and hooked the ear-loop back into place.
His heart thudded violently against his ribs. He had been just a hair’s breadth away from his “vest” falling off.
Yun Yingzhi was still reeling from the fright.
Meanwhile, the livestream chat exploded.
[Ahhh! He was so close! His vest almost fell off!]
[Wait, what exactly is he hiding? I want to know who he is so badly!]
[Baby bunny, quick! Do it again! Rip off your Big Tough Daddy’s mask! Uncle will give you a tip!]
[But seriously, does the Big Tough Guy really have some major illness? Otherwise, why would the two cubs be so worried?]
Perhaps influenced by the comments and the worry that these two young cubs might lose a father, everyone was suddenly filled with concern for Yun Yingzhi.
The rabbit cub blinked his large eyes, tears still falling as he looked at his unreliable father with a face full of worry.
Yun Yingzhi wiped away the rabbit cub’s tears.
Thinking about it, he realized that since the rabbit cub was so worried, the egg cub likely was too.
Yun Yingzhi grabbed one cub in each hand and said, “Jiaojiao, Taotao, don’t worry. Daddy is… f—fine… it’s nothing…” He forced the words out.
However, anyone with eyes could see that Yun Yingzhi was not “fine.” He was very much not fine.
Because of his reaction, those in the livestream who had previously thought the “Big Tough Guy” looked so strong that he couldn’t possibly have a hidden ailment suddenly became unsure.
[Now that you mention it, a normal person doesn’t usually get dizzy and nearly fall over for no reason.]
[The baby bunny is crying so hard, it’s breaking my heart.]
Master Tang and Master Ted looked at Yun Yingzhi with concern.
Any talented individual was a precious treasure of the Empire. Without a doubt, judging by the source weapons Yun Yingzhi had produced in the previous two rounds, he possessed staggering creativity in this field.
Master Tang frowned and said, “Participant A13167, if you feel unwell, perhaps you should rest for a day or two.”
Master Ted added, “There are still a few days left before the competition ends.”
The two suppressed their words, barely managing to swallow the advice: “You are still young. The Star Glory Competition happens every year. There’s no rush to pluck the organizers’ wool all at once. You must think of the long term; a healthy body is the capital required to keep plucking wool.”
However, while they held back their advice, the livestream chat was already flooded with similar sentiments. Many people were saying that he wasn’t alone; he had the two cutest cubs in the Empire to think about. Even if he didn’t care for himself, he had to consider the children.
Yun Yingzhi shook his head and said, “I’m really okay.” After a pause, he added, “Master Tang, Master Ted, may I make an audacious request?”
The two masters looked at each other. Master Tang softened his voice and said, “Go ahead.”
Yun Yingzhi hesitated, feeling a bit ashamed, but in this situation, he truly had no other choice. He stammered, his face thick with embarrassment as he forced the words out: “…It’s like this. My account balance… it’s empty…”
Master Tang: “…”
Master Ted: “…”
Not only the two masters, but many others on the field who were full of concern for Yun Yingzhi felt a lump in their throats upon hearing this. They were utterly speechless.
At the same time, the entire livestream chat was filled with rows of ellipses.
Yun Yingzhi coughed lightly. Every inch of exposed skin on his cheeks and neck turned bright red, and a faint steam of embarrassment seemed to rise from his head. He continued, “I’ve received quite a lot of tips during the semi-finals, but I can only withdraw them after the round ends. So, can I… use that money in advance?” His voice was full of anticipation.
The already quiet venue grew even more silent. Simultaneously, the number of ellipses in the livestream chat doubled.
The rabbit cub and egg cub, who understood nothing, also sensed the eerie atmosphere. The two cubs reacted in unison.
Believing that the safest place in the world was their father’s collar, they nimbly scrambled into Yun Yingzhi’s shirt. At the same time, the egg cub snuggled into the rabbit cub’s embrace.
The rabbit cub hugged the egg cub and patted the eggshell.
The small movements of the two cubs were exceptionally eye-catching.
Seeing that the two masters hadn’t replied, Yun Yingzhi added, “Also, the source weapons I manufactured this time…” He had two sets. The set with the Level 6 main control and twelve auxiliaries could be handed in. As for the set with the Level 7 main control and numerous auxiliaries, he planned to mail those directly to Shaluo Star. “They can be sent to the auction house. I think the price should be decent?”
The two masters instinctively looked at the dense pile of finished source weapons on Yun Yingzhi’s workbench and swallowed hard.
During the preliminaries and semi-finals, Yun Yingzhi had amazed them repeatedly. Now, although they couldn’t understand what kind of source weapons he intended to make this time, even if they were just ordinary ones, the quantity was so high that the selling price wouldn’t be low, right?
The two masters even thought that since Yun Yingzhi was so poor now, he must be selling all these weapons just to get enough money to continue plucking wool in the next round of the competition.
Wait, no!
Master Tang realized he had missed the main point. With an extremely complex expression, he looked at Yun Yingzhi and said, “So, the reason you looked so devastated just now was actually just because your account was empty?”
Yun Yingzhi instantly recalled the tips he had received during the preliminaries and semi-finals, the source weapons he had auctioned, the rewards Yun Yinghui said were from His Majesty Arlyn, and even the deposit Wei Yuanqing had given him for a Level 8 source weapon…
All gone.
It was all gone.
He had completely emptied his account in just a few days.
Yun Yingzhi’s body swayed again, and he had to steady himself against the workbench.
Everyone present: “…”
Everyone thought to themselves: As expected, this person is suffering a massive life blow simply because he is too poor.
But when they thought about it, it seemed normal. After all, this was a person who could mass-produce source weapons just to fleece the competition and even drag an unhatched cub into child labor. It seemed perfectly in character for him to be devastated by sudden poverty.
After rows of ellipses in the livestream, someone finally commented.
[Even the Big Tough Guy cannot withstand the pain of poverty.]
[If—and I mean if—if the Big Tough Guy lets me pet the baby bunny, I’m willing to pay!]
[Ah! I want to apply to touch the little eggshell! I’ll pay whatever it takes!]
Instantly, the livestream chat was flooded.
Under everyone’s complicated gazes, Yun Yingzhi snapped out of it. He suppressed his heartache, shook his head, and said, “No, I wasn’t hit that hard. Money can be earned back, it’s… it’s fine…”
He needed money for the two cubs’ formula, diapers, and once they could transform, he’d have to buy them clothes…
If the two cubs didn’t do well in school, he’d have to earn even more to send them to tutoring.
He was so poor.
Master Tang looked at Yun Yingzhi with a complicated gaze and said, “…Fine.”
Yun Yingzhi: “Huh?”
📖 Advance Access: Complete Novel
- Option 1: Note your email on PayPal/Ko-fi.
- Option 2: Email proof to beezzzreads@gmail.com.
- Option 3: Comment below.
Recommended Reads
