Xie Sen clicked on a trending thread, which was all about contracted beast livestreams. The poster had posted numerous screenshots, lavishly praising the contracted beasts like a devoted fan.
"Oh my god, what kind of magical livestream is this? What's the room number?"
The first comment practically flooded the screen with this question, and instantly, a flurry of "Hurry up!" urging the poster to share the room number. The poster was quick, posting the link on a lower level.
But soon, someone who had posted later replied, bewildered: "Are you kidding? This channel isn't live streaming!"
"Are these pictures photoshopped from photos of contracted beasts at the edge of the forest a few days ago? I was wondering how high-level contracted beasts could be so obedient and livestream together, like pets?" "
Don't tell me, they're photoshopped quite well. Whoever did it, please leave their contact information. I'll put myself in there too. It'll fulfill my dream of getting up close and personal with an A-level contracted beast."
After a series of questions, the poster appeared: "I'm not kidding. These are all screenshots. I'm pissed! The streamer's livestream data is so good, they mistakenly thought he was faking it and got blocked. What a rubbish assistant! I'm so angry!" He followed his reply with a video.
Xie Sen clicked on it. It was a recording of his livestream, not a complete one, from the giant elephant beast's water-spraying performance to the sudden shutdown of the livestream.
"Ahhh, this is so cute!"
"So adorable! Giant Lionmon and Giant Wolfmon can actually clap, so smart!"
"Hahaha, their reaction after hearing the reminder to give gifts is so funny! Listen carefully, I can even hear the host gasping in fright."
"I listened to it again, and it's true, it's so funny!"
Xie Sen was watching when he heard a chuckle. Xie Sen amplified the sound and listened again, pointing at the screen and saying confidently: "It's not that I'm timid, it's just that they spoke too suddenly!"
Maine chuckled and said, "Well, you're not timid... Can you talk to them?"
Xie Sen didn't hide it: "Yes, I can only communicate with them when I come into contact with them, but they can understand what we say directly."
Maine said, "You're amazing."
Xie Sen smiled: "It has something to do with the things we found in the forest before. It was a kind of energy, and they were all affected. Now that energy is in me, we can communicate."
Maine asked: "Are the other things we need to find also energy?"
"Yes," Xie Sen replied, swiping down the screen to continue reading the post.
"Ahhh, I'm curious about what the next show is?"
"Curious plus one, there's something wrong with the Douyin assistant. It's normal for a newbie to get a lot of attention with this kind of livestream! I really want to know when it starts!"
"Save it and wait for the livestream!"
"Isn't anyone curious about the host's identity? Someone who can get a high-level contracted beast to perform must be something special!"
"Could it be someone from the Contracted Beast Research Institute? The voice isn't Dean Mu's, so Dean Mu is ruled out."
Netizens began speculating about the host's identity, bringing up the possibility of someone from the Contracted Beast Research Institute one by one.
Xie Sen thought for a moment, saved the post, and decided to announce the livestream here to attract attention.
In the Douyin headquarters office, a middle-aged man in a suit was also browsing the web after lunch. He leaned back in his chair, a casual pose, and clicked on the top trending post.
A moment later, he suddenly leaned forward, his fingers swiping rapidly across the screen. Upon seeing the news about the contracted beast livestream and learning it was on Douyin, his eyes lit up with excitement, and his hands trembled slightly.
Their company is about to release another super-popular streamer!
He didn't read any further, but immediately checked the profile of the streamer named "Contract Beast" through the management backend. Less than 24 hours after becoming a streamer, Contract Beast already had nearly 300,000 followers!
He was so excited that he glanced over and saw the status of "Contract Beast": "Applying for termination."
What's going on? Do you think the treatment is bad?
He opened the communication and contacted 808, the live broadcast assistant of 'Contracted Beast' directly. Before the greeting was finished, he opened his mouth excitedly: "Why did the anchor of 'Contracted Beast' that you are responsible for apply for termination of the contract?"
808 was shocked and his voice became nervous: "I, I don't know."
"Don't know? Do you know what he broadcasts live? This kind of anchor is rare in a hundred years, if not a thousand years. Can't you coax him well? I don't care what method you use, you must not let him terminate the contract!"
808 thought of Xie Sen's affirmative refusal to reply, and whispered: "Manager, I have found him and asked him to think about it carefully, but his attitude is very firm."
The manager supported his hands on the table: "Did he suddenly not want to be an anchor? But his total live broadcast time is only ten minutes. Even if it is just for fun, it is too wrong."
808 became more nervous. He racked his brains but couldn't figure out how to make things go away. He also saw the hot post. Lying is too easy to be found out, which is simply a crime.
"I'm sorry, it's my fault!" After thinking about it, he decided that the best way was to admit his mistake honestly. "His data yesterday was too good, I thought he was a cheater, so I blocked his live broadcast room."
"What? Are you a fool? Didn't you go to his live broadcast room to take a look?" the manager roared.
808: "I'm in Yueyi's live broadcast room. He's very popular, so I help him deal with some things. At the same time, I use the assistant background to check the real-time data of various anchors. His popularity has increased abnormally, and I..."
"Shut up!" The manager gasped angrily, "You only know how to brush, you don't even go to see what he broadcasts. This is a huge mistake at work. You actually blocked his live broadcast room. I tell you, if he really terminates the contract, you should get out of the company!"
"Manager," 808 said quickly, "I'm sorry, I will be more cautious next time."
"Go and talk to the 'Contracted Beast'. By the way, if he has any requests, as long as they are not too excessive, agree to them all. As long as I see the news of his termination of the contract, I will also see the news of your resignation!"
808 looked at the hung up call and regretted it. He never thought that a new anchor would be so powerful. He just wanted to unblock and warn the brush, but he didn't expect to lose his job.
After Xie Sen finished browsing the forums, he lay down in the back seat of the shuttle, preparing for a nap, when he received a message from 808: "I'm so sorry, it's all my fault. Please forgive me. Don't terminate the contract. Feel free to ask for anything. We can even negotiate the salary split."
Xie Sen glanced at it and said, "No requests. I've already decided to terminate the contract." After replying, he immediately added 808 to his blacklist to avoid the barrage of messages.
Maine held him in his arms. The back seat wasn't spacious, and the two of them were squeezed almost flat against each other. Xie Sen patted Maine's hand and said, "How about I move to the front seat? You're not comfortable this way."
Maine nuzzled the side of his neck, resting her foot on his, wrapping herself around him. "No, this is perfect. The bed in the bedroom is too big."
Xie Sen was speechless. The bed wasn't small, but it was no different from a small one. Maine slept next to him every day, leaving most of the bed empty.
He shifted uncomfortably, trying to find a comfortable position. Maine's breathing suddenly became rapid, and the air around his ear became hot.
Xie Sen immediately stopped moving, feeling helpless and amused: "You have too much energy!"
Maine nibbled gently on his ear, and Xie Sen's body trembled uncontrollably. He leaned forward, covering his ear, and breathed unsteadily, "Stop it. I need to rest. I have to go to an orphanage this afternoon."
Maine tightened her grip on his waist slightly, burying her head in the side of his neck. Suppressing her impulse,
she spoke in a hoarse voice, "Why are you going to the orphanage?" Xie Sen thought of a more appropriate explanation and pointed to his right shoulder. "It likes the gratitude it receives after helping others. It strengthens its abilities. The stronger its abilities, the faster it can find the remaining energy I need."
At this point, he couldn't help but hold Maine's hand. Since they had established a relationship, Maine had given him seven energy points every day, a rare achievement for someone with a full energy point of 10.
It was precisely because of this that he never doubted Maine's feelings for him.
Maine pondered, "Helping others? It's easier to do that in impoverished areas."
Xie Sen shook his head. "Not necessarily. I've delivered food to slums, but the results were average. Not everyone is grateful. Many people think I'm stupid, seeking a sense of superiority because I have so much money. Don't worry, we'll know where the next energy comes from in a few days."
The two of them took a nap and visited an orphanage. They returned to the apartment around dinnertime. After dinner, they each went to their bedrooms to attend to their own affairs.
Maine sat on a stool, expressionlessly taking out a palm-sized metal listening device, plugging in headphones, and leaning back against the chair.
Soria's voice reached out, asking about Rui Luo's condition and scolding the servants, followed by the soft clinking of bowls and spoons.
"Baby, I heard you didn't eat dinner. I brought you some soup. Come on, eat." The sound of a door opening and closing was followed by Soria's worried voice.
"Dad," Rui Luo's voice was angry and anxious, "I heard that father brought a young man in today. Who is it?"
Soria's voice turned cold: "It's Kumer."
"The Kumer that my second grandfather talks about all day long?" Rui Luo's voice suddenly raised, and there was panic, "What does father mean by this? Is he going to give up on me and prepare to train other people to take over the Kes family?"
"Don't be excited," Soria advised, "You are your father's son, he will not give up on you."
"Liar! Dad, I have to make a contract quickly. Only when I become stronger, my father will not really give up on me."
Soria said: "Well, I have asked someone to investigate. A giant lion beast appeared in the eastern part of the forest recently. I will ask someone to bring it back as soon as I find it."
"I remember Kumer is also the owner of the giant lion beast. If I bring it back and my father knows about it, will Kumer make a contract with it?" Rui Luo couldn't help but worry, "No, I have to go out and make a contract with it, and I can't let my father know."
Soria said: "That's fine, but there will be no chance to attack Xie Sen. Without him, even if you find the giant lion beast, you can't make a contract for the time being."
"No, Dad," Rui Luo said, "Did you forget you still have medicine?"
"No!" Soria retorted immediately. "Last time, you backfired and scared me to death. I can't let you do that again."
"Last time, I didn't have enough medicine, so I got backfired. Dad, let's prepare for both situations. Mainly, find the Giant Lion Beast and be ready to attack Xie Sen and capture him at any time. If we find the Giant Lion Beast and can't catch him, then use the medicine."
Soria pondered for a moment. "Okay."
Main stared at the receiver with an icy expression, his eyes slightly red, his hands clenched into fists.
He would not let anyone who tried to attack Arsen go!
Xie Sen finished training the plants and showered. As soon as he emerged from the bathroom, Maine, his hair still damp, lifted him up and laid him on the bed. He was startled, and before he could say anything, he was greeted by a storm of kisses. He tilted his neck slightly, twirled Maine's blond hair with his fingers, and kissed back.
Both of them were young and full of vigor, and their kiss was even a little fierce. The air between them soon became hot and strong. Xie Sen's hand slid down from Maine's head and he hugged Maine back.
Maine's grip on his waist tightened, and Xie Sen couldn't breathe and hummed softly. Maine pulled back slightly, looking at him intently and passionately. Xie Sen panted, his fingers sliding along his hair to his delicate face, and he smiled, "What's wrong? Did you hold it in at noon?"
Maine licked the corner of his lips, "You are mine."
Xie Sen raised an eyebrow. Why did this man keep saying this over and over again?
Maine spoke, his kiss moving downwards. "You said you'd stay with me forever, nothing can happen to you."
Xie Sen realized something was wrong, reached out and grasped his chin, staring into his eyes. "What happened?"
A cold glint flashed across Maine's eyes. "Nothing."
Xie Sen frowned. "Someone wants to touch me?"
Maine's face darkened, his voice tinged with murder. "No one can touch you!"
Xie Sen placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him sideways. They switched positions, lying on top of him, staring into his eyes. "I told you I can protect myself. Don't worry."
He lowered his head and bit Maine's jaw. "So insecure?"
Maine's eyes darkened. He raised his hand, pressed his head down, and kissed him hard.
He couldn't control his worry. The closer he got to Xie Sen, the more he feared losing him. The slightest bit of ill will towards Xie Sen would stir up murderous intent in him.
He feared that such malicious intent would harm Xie Sen when he wasn't paying attention. This was the treasure he had worked so hard to obtain, the only light in his life, the person he owned. He couldn't bear the consequences of losing him.
He kept reminding himself that he was prepared and safe, but he couldn't help but worry.
Xie Sen was fully cooperative with Maine's explorations, and he was very open to consensual activities. After their playful flirtation, though physically exhausted, he felt refreshed. He had no previous experience, but these past few days had become somewhat of a taster.
He lay sprawled on the bed, Maine draped over him, hugging him and nudging him. He had grown accustomed to Maine's behavior, and as long as Maine wasn't disturbing him during sleep, he let Maine do what she wanted.
Maine kissed Xie Sen intently, while Xie Sen played with his fingers, his mind mulling over the contracted beast livestream. Tomorrow morning, his contract with Vibrato would be terminated, meaning he could livestream on Maine's company, Sanmu.
He wasn't familiar with livestreaming, but felt that the performances he had come up with were a bit limited. If he wanted to livestream daily, he needed to diversify his content.
He had a number of ideas in mind, but he wasn't sure if they would work, so he decided to try them out with his contracted beasts sometime.
Maine nibbled his way up to his shoulder, then kissed the side of his cheek, his gaze fixed on his face, a look of hesitation.
Xie Sen looked at him: "What's wrong?"
Maine lowered his eyes and took out a red rope from his space backpack. A silver metal ball was hanging on the red rope.
"Are you giving it to me?" Xie Sen reached out and picked it up. Immediately, a crisp bell sounded in his ears. The sound was very small. If the room was not too quiet at night, it would be almost inaudible.
He turned the metal ball and found that it was hollow. He shook it and the banging sound came again. He smiled and said, "How clever. Such a small ball is actually hollow inside. It seems that there is another ball inside."
Maine pursed his lips: "There is a locator inside, and the outer layer is for waterproofing." He hugged Xie Sen tightly, "This is an anklet. Wear it, okay? I want to know where you are at any time."
His voice was dry due to nervousness: "I don't want to monitor you, I'm just worried, really worried. Even if you don't want to, don't hate me for it, okay?"
Xie Sen was stunned. Maine's state was so different from usual.
He suddenly thought of Maine's expression when he learned that he was being monitored by Sokto. Perhaps it was because of Sokto that Maine was more sensitive to the idea of surveillance, and he was even more worried that he would be disgusted.
He thought about it and realized that even if he wore it, it would only let Maine know his real-time location. There was no need to hide it.
He smiled: "I don't mind, I'll wear it." He saw the tension in Maine's eyes, rubbed the top of his head with some heartache, and pushed his shoulders. "Get up, I'll wear it now."
"I'll help you." Maine's eyes lit up, and he hugged him hard. He stood up with the anklet in hand and carefully put the anklet on Xie Sen's left foot.
Xie Sen looked at the energy 1 prompt in front of him and couldn't help but smile. It seemed that Maine really wanted him to wear it. Today, Maine had already given him eight energy.
After Maine put the strap on, he lifted Xie Sen's foot and kissed the top of his foot. Xie Sen subconsciously curled his toes and wiggled his ankle. "Will the red string break?"
"No," Maine said, hugging him, his expression much more relaxed than before. "It's made of a special material, very resilient."
The next morning, as soon as Xie Sen finished breakfast, he received a reply requesting termination. Since all the necessary documents were in place, the contract was automatically terminated within 24 hours. He immediately opened the contract Maine had sent him the previous day, signed his fingerprint, and turned to Maine with a smile. "Boss, I'll be happy to help you in the future!"
Maine chuckled. "What time are you planning to livestream? Do you want an assistant?"
Xie Sen shook his head. "I need to discuss the livestream schedule with my contracted beasts. I won't need an assistant for now. I'll talk to you when I need one."
The two finished breakfast, bought some children's toys, and then went to the orphanage together, playing with the children until noon.
Before lunch, Xie Sen opened a previously saved post and replied to a comment, using the pseudonym 'Contracted Beast'. "I'm the livestreamer, Contracted Beast. Due to the incident with my last livestream, I've switched to Sanmu Live. It starts at 2 PM sharp today. Thank you for your support."
Xie Sen didn't read the comments. After replying, he turned off his wristband and went to take a nap.
After lunch, Maine escorted him to Gold Zone 4 or 5. At the entrance, he said, "I'm going to take care of some things. I'll pick you up tonight."
With a group of high-level Contracted Beasts here, Xie Sen's safety was a reassurance.
Xie Sen nodded. Sanmu had just been established and would surely be busy. "Okay, if I don't have time, I can go back on my own. My shuttle is still in the parking lot!"
"No," Maine insisted. "I'll pick you up. You wait here. Don't go out."
Xie Sen knew he was still reeling from the incident at Rui Luo's hands. He didn't want him to worry. Spending time with the Contracted Beasts was a good idea, so he nodded. "Okay. Let me know if anything."
Maine hugged him, kissed him on the lips, and then left.
The security guard standing at the door quipped, "Asen, you and your boyfriend are so close."
Xie Sen blushed slightly, smiled, and greeted him, then walked into Area 45.
The contracted beasts immediately became excited at the sight of him, all running towards him, the ground shaking with their movements.
Xie Sen watched the contracted beasts rushing towards him, feeling a sense of dread. If he hadn't been so familiar with them, he would have fainted on the spot.
Paws, tails, and noses rubbed against him, and a variety of voices filled his mind.
"Asen, can we continue the live broadcast?"
"Asen, you're finally here."
"Asen, start the live broadcast! Start the live broadcast!"
Xie Sen smiled and reassured them. "We can start the live broadcast, but we've changed the company. We'll still do the same show as yesterday, and the giant elephants will repeat their show."
The two giant elephants shouted excitedly, "Happy! I can do it a hundred times!"
Xie Sen laughed. What a professionalism!
He brought them in front of the camera, had them lie down in the same formation as yesterday, and explained the gift system in Sanmu Live.
"There are five kinds of gifts: small watermelon, watermelon, large watermelon, super watermelon, and a watermelon rain, priced at 1, 10, 100, 1,000, and 10,000 star coins respectively."
He couldn't help but laugh at this. Maine really did love watermelon!
After making sure they understood, Xie Sen filled the giant elephant's bucket with water. The giant elephant rolled up the buckets and placed them on either side, then lay back down.
Xie Sen checked the time. It was almost two o'clock. He opened his personal bracelet and clicked on his livestream. He was shocked to see over 1.6 million views. Sanmu's popularity was also 1 to 10, meaning 160,000 people were watching.
He began to wonder if Maine had bought him a brush!
He couldn't help but feel a little nervous. He leaned against the wall, thinking it was a good thing he didn't have to be on camera, otherwise he would have been even more nervous. This was his first time seeing so many people in such a large crowd.
He looked at the contracted beasts, their eyes wide open and their tails wagging with impatience, and sighed: "Ignorance and fearlessness."
He split the virtual screen in front of him. The left side was the audience's perspective for watching the live broadcast, and the right side was the host's operating interface and barrage assistant.
At two o'clock, he turned on the live broadcast. The figures of the contracted beasts appeared on the left screen. The barrage slid across the top of the screen like a phantom, and the words were next to each other and could not be seen clearly.
He looked at the barrage assistant on the operating interface. The barrage scrolled very fast, and many of them were repeated. He began to read the opening remarks: "Welcome everyone to the live broadcast room. Now I will introduce to you the protagonists of the live broadcast room, the giant tiger beasts."
"Roar~~~~" The giant tiger beast raised its big head and roared very imposingly.
While it roared, Xie Sen set the barrage mode and chose smart sorting to avoid repeating. This way, he could finally see clearly.
Xie Sen shook his head: Comments are indeed dominated by copycats.
"Oh my god, it's real! I thought they were joking. I've never heard of this Sanmu Live broadcast."
"Wow! Oh my god, I really saw the high-level contracted beasts. They're so perfect! Look at those muscles, look at those physiques, look at those gleaming claws. The combination of strength and beauty is heart-warming!"
Xie Sen continued to introduce the contracted beasts, each one responding intelligently to the audience, letting them know them.
During the introductions, many people gave small watermelons, and the gift assistant kept announcing the gifts. The contracted beasts, having experienced yesterday, were excited but managed to contain themselves, their tails wagging with increasing joy.
When the two giant elephant beasts performed, more people gave gifts. When the first large watermelon was announced, the spotted giant leopard beast couldn't help but roar with excitement and rolled over.
Then, as if realizing what he had done, thinking he had made a mistake, he stood up confusedly and gave a soft cry to Xie Sen, lowering his head as if he was being scolded.
Xie Sen had no choice but to say, "It's okay, just keep lying there."
The spotted giant leopard beast wagged its tail happily, looked up at Xie Sen and gave another soft cry, then lay down next to the black giant leopard beast, burying its head in its neck, its front paws raised to cover the exposed side of its face.
"So cute!"
"Oh my god, so smart! He actually understood everything. I wonder if the host made some gestures to him."
"Oh my god, I want a big leopard. Can I raise it without forming a bond? It's so well-behaved, I can raise it, right?"
When Gigantomon finished his performance, Gigantomon and Gigantowolfmon were incredibly enthusiastic, bellowing excitedly and applauding profusely.
Gift-giving reached a peak, with comments like "Smart! Cute! Adorable!" flooding the screen with comments like "Clever! Cute!" Many people were expressing their admiration for Gigantowolfmon.
Xie Sen chuckled. Humans are truly visual creatures. Gigantowolfmon's massive size, muscular build, and exceptionally handsome appearance made it a universally attractive sight.
"'Send' a watermelon rain to the streamer."
The gift notification echoed with a special effect of watermelon rain appearing on the livestream interface, along with a platform-wide announcement.
"Roar~~~"
"Aw~~~"
"Moo~~~"
"Woo~~~"
"..."
The contracted beasts sprawled on the ground instantly lost all patience and roared with excitement. Xie Sen, listening to the duet between the livestream and the real-life version, felt his head nearly spinning.
He subconsciously raised his hand to turn off the live broadcast on the left, but when he turned it off, the right anchor's operating interface automatically became full screen. He accidentally turned off the live broadcast room...
He rubbed his forehead. Is the feng shui of his live broadcast room bad? Something happens every ten minutes!