Chapter 49 (Outstanding Debt 11)

Ling Zhizhi wore a speechless expression, truly unable to control her facial features.
What kind of proper system knew nothing and only knew how to threaten its host?
When the time for the live stream was about to begin, it had actually managed to forget to connect the streaming channel.
She blamed herself; she truly blamed herself for being too naive.

[Host, if we need an emergency live stream, we need to...]
Ling Tuanzi was so anxious it was on the verge of tears, unable to articulate its words properly.
Helplessly, Ling Zhizhi poked it. "Take your time. What is needed for an emergency stream?"
[An emergency live stream requires fan points, but we don't have any...]
Ling Tuanzi felt deeply guilty. They were already poor to begin with, and it was all its own fault for being so careless.

Since Tuanzi put it that way, it proved there was room to maneuver.
Ling Zhizhi breathed a sigh of relief and offered comfort, "Don't panic, we'll just do the emergency stream. We'll owe the fan points for now, and they can be deducted after the stream starts."
She couldn't really blame it for panicking; after watching her penny-pinching antics, no one could claim to be generous.
Yet, just a few days ago, she had been spending money like water.
The past was truly too painful to look back on.

After waiting for a short while, the human and the system received the notification that the live stream had successfully connected.
Although she had learned about their streaming format from Ling Tuanzi beforehand, Ling Zhizhi still gained a profound understanding upon witnessing the scene before her eyes.
With just a few bounces from Ling Tuanzi, a light-blue transparent giant screen appeared right in front of her.
Because she had given instructions in advance, her face was not exposed.
Occupying the center of the screen was her desk.

[Host, we can begin now!]
Ling Zhizhi nodded, following the streaming process she had seen in the calendar before.
First, she gave a tour of the tools she would be using.
Then, she explained the purpose of each tool, followed by an introduction to all the materials required.
"To the viewers watching the stream right now, don't worry if you didn't catch everything. Once the stream ends, a recorded video will be uploaded to my personal account, and the streamer herself is very much looking forward to seeing what kind of homework you all submit!"
"In a moment, I will explain the specific purpose of each step in detail so that you can acquire deeper knowledge."
"Since this is our first live stream, we'll start by making a simple hairpin."
...
Ling Zhizhi maintained her own pace, bringing the live stream to a calm and unhurried close.
As soon as the broadcast ended, Ling Tuanzi hopped onto the desk, wild with joy.

[Host, you were simply amazing! You performed so well on your very first live stream, and this knowledge is simply too precious! I think I'm really falling in love with you!]
During the learning process, Ling Tuanzi had experienced the wonders of the Huaxia Village network, and in a very short time, it had mastered the flowery language of the internet.
Its level of flattery skyrocketed.

After talking continuously for an hour and a half, Ling Zhizhi reached out, pinched it, and carried it downstairs to get a drink of water.
"Tuanzi, check the viewership stats for the stream. By the way, edit the video and post it to my personal account."
All the preparations made before the live stream could finally come in useful.
She just wondered if the people from the Flourishing Constellation had any interest in these things.
If they weren't interested, she would have to find another way and change her approach.

[Host, nobody watched the live stream just now...]
Ling Zhizhi's hand holding the water cup paused. So she had just been entertaining herself for all that time?
Oh, and there was also a bouncing ball.
"Is this what you called a very good streaming performance?"
Ling Zhizhi tossed the ball away casually, and Ling Tuanzi consciously muted itself.
It genuinely thought the host had performed wonderfully! Who could have known that absolutely nobody was watching?
Should they find someone to ask for advice?
"Tuanzi, is the video edited yet?"
It didn't matter if nobody watched the live stream; after all, a new streamer had no fan base, and the initial popularity was naturally low.
[All done, I'll play it for the host.]

After watching the video, Ling Zhizhi felt something was lacking.
A slow-paced, science-popularization video—if watched by someone who didn't understand the subject, they wouldn't even make it to the end.
It lacked sufficient appeal.
"Tuanzi, use our final finished product as the cover image. Then come up with an attractive title."
In the end, a title titled 'Why Doesn't Your Wife Have This Hairpin Yet in This Video?' was born.
[Host, is a title like this really okay?]
Ling Zhizhi flashed a mysterious and unfathomable smile.

From what she gathered through Ling Tuanzi, wars had caused a sharp decline in the female population within the Flourishing Constellation. Having a partner was considered an extreme source of pride in their world.
Consequently, most resources were tilted toward females, which was why she had chosen velvet flowers as the content for her first live stream in the first place.
After all, velvet flowers had once served as tribute items in ancient Huaxia and remained immensely popular even in modern times, with various velvet flower products emerging endlessly.
The people of the Flourishing Constellation, severely lacking in cultural heritage, would definitely be filled with curiosity upon seeing such items.

Once they had curiosity, would she have to worry about them not coming to watch the stream?
Unseen aliens, prepare to be impacted by Huaxia culture.

It was too early to tell the video's impact yet. Remembering that she hadn't reported to Shiling yet today, she left Ling Tuanzi at home and went out.
It was strange; it seemed she had never seen any other neighbors.
"Shiling! Shiling!"
After shouting for a long time without seeing anyone come out, Ling Zhizhi turned back toward her house in puzzlement.
Could it be that she had come over too early today?
She could take Tuanzi out for a stroll in the afternoon. Sneaking over with her luggage earlier meant she definitely hadn't had the heart to observe her surroundings.

[Host, this place is so lively. I've never seen so many people!]
Certain that others couldn't see it, Ling Zhizhi simply tied her hair into a ponytail and let the system nestle on top of her head.
At that moment, she asked it in her mind, "Were there very few people where you're from?"
[Of course there were plenty, but I was dispatched the moment I was born. I've never seen the scenery of any planet in the Flourishing Constellation; I've only ever seen it in data files.]
Ling Zhizhi inexplicably felt a bit of pity for this furry ball.
"Then you can come out and stroll around often from now on. We'll be coming out to set up our stall every day. Look over there! That spot is our permanent seat."

Following Ling Zhizhi's gaze, Ling Tuanzi saw a small cart decorated with fairy lights at the end of the street, alongside several other identical carts.
[Such a small space. Can the host's things even fit?]
"We just need to bring a little less each time. This little cart cost me quite a bit of money, so I'd better make it all back tomorrow."
[You definitely will. The things the host makes are so pretty. If I weren't a ball, I'd definitely buy them.]

There were far fewer stalls during the day, mostly dominated by food items. The pedestrian traffic seemed quite decent; she just wondered what it was like at night.
Ling Zhizhi decided to come back for another trip in the evening.
She penny-pinched as she selected some food, and the human-system duo hopped on their cart and left.
[Host, if you had no money, why do you have so many materials?]
Bringing up a sore subject—
"Then guess how I ended up in this state?"
Wasn't it all because of these things?
Yet without these things, Maqiu wouldn't have existed either.
After two or three days of getting along, Ling Zhizhi had gradually grown accustomed to this occasionally glitchy system.