chapter 2 Live broadcast goddess

Dusk descended, and the setting sun painted the sky with hues of crimson.
A high-speed train departed from Yanjing City, racing towards the East China Sea under the waning sunlight. The passing scenery on both sides of the train windows blurred into an indistinct blur.
In the business-class carriage, Tyrone Qin sat by the window, gazing sidelong at the passing landscape. Yesterday, following his discharge from the military, he had promptly contacted Steven Chen's family. Learning that Steven Chen's sister had taken a bus to Donghai University to enroll, he had set out on a southbound journey to Donghai to find Mabel Chen.
He chose to deliver his farewell letter and pension to Mabel Chen because he wished to fulfill his "final mission" deep within his heart.
Skyscrapers, hills, stretches of greenery...
The landscape beyond the window continued to change, yet Tyrone Qin's eyes remained fixed, his thoughts immersed in every detail of his eight years in the military camp.
His expression was as versatile as a chameleon, shifting from sorrow to smiles, from anger to contemplation. He was like an oasis in the desert, so out of place amidst the surroundings that fellow passengers would occasionally cast curious glances his way.
"That guy's been staring out the window since he boarded. It's been over five hours since we left Yanjing City, and he's still gazing at the East China Sea. What in the world is he looking at?"
Seated behind Tyrone Qin, a young woman rested her cheek on her hand, blinking her captivating, oversized eyes, which sparkled with curiosity.
The young woman was a classic beauty.
With her perfectly oval face, delicately arched eyebrows, large, bright eyes, straight nose, small, cherry-red lips, and fair, flawless complexion, her natural beauty eclipsed even those internet celebrities who had undergone extensive plastic surgery. Some top female celebrities often considered her a rival.
Aside from her stunning natural looks, she boasted an enviable figure – high, shapely breasts, a slender waist, a well-defined derrière, long, toned legs, and dainty, porcelain-like feet that looked as if they were sculpted from precious jade. Her crystal-clear sandals added to her allure.
She was Diana Zhang, a renowned anchor on a popular domestic live-streaming platform. She enjoyed immense online popularity and had been dubbed "the internet's number one female anchor" and "the ultimate internet sensation."
Intrigued by Tyrone Qin's peculiar behavior, she had pulled out her smartphone and selfie stick about half an hour ago. She pointed the camera at Tyrone Qin and initiated a live broadcast, hoping to engage her fans and find answers.
"Seems like he's pretending to be profound, hoping to catch the goddess's attention!"
This was the response she received after interacting with her fans.
It was also the only response she received.
But she didn't quite believe it.
Because...
Despite her belief that her looks and figure rivaled those of famous female celebrities, Tyrone Qin had only cast one fleeting glance in her direction when she had boarded the train. Moreover, she could distinctly sense that his gaze had been different from the usual longing stares she received from other men; it was calm and devoid of the usual desire.
"The goddess is knitting, and she keeps letting us watch the vicissitudes of life!"
"Alright, cut it out. I'm going to admire the view in a more civilized manner!"
"If you're not interested, you can leave. What's so great about those flashy and immodest types flaunting their flesh?"
"Fans of flashiness look better than old guys!"
"I strongly believe the goddess will switch the camera!"
Before Diana Zhang could comprehend the reason, her live broadcast screen was inundated, and millions of fans erupted into chaos!
They had come to the live broadcast platform to watch Diana Zhang, but Diana Zhang had made them watch Tyrone Qin for half an hour, and they were naturally unhappy about it.
Just when the fans were grumbling, the train pulled into Sushan, the previous stop in the East China Sea. As the train entered the station, Tyrone Qin, who had been lost in thought, stirred and glanced sideways at Diana Zhang.
In truth, he had noticed Diana Zhang's actions long before, but because he had been preoccupied with thoughts about the organization daring to risk expulsion to target Dragon Corp, he had ignored it.
Ding!
It's unclear whether it was because Tyrone Qin suddenly turned his attention away or because Diana Zhang was caught secretly live streaming, but Diana Zhang suddenly felt flustered. However, she played it off as if nothing had happened and pretended to pick up her phone, feigning taking selfies.
Pouting, making peace signs...
Diana Zhang struck various poses for photos, sneakily casting sidelong glances at Tyrone Qin. With a sly smile lingering on her lips, she seemed secretly pleased with her adaptability.
Uh-huh!
Uh-huh!
At the same time, the two men in black sitting across from the young woman stared at Tyrone Qin with intense, dagger-like gazes. Their entire bodies were tense, and their expressions betrayed a hint of nervousness.
As Diana Zhang's bodyguards, they had noticed from the beginning that Tyrone Qin's arms were longer than those of an average person, his palms were wide and thick, his finger joints were smooth, and his temples slightly bulged.
All these signs indicated to them that Tyrone Qin was a practitioner, and a highly skilled one at that!
What astonished them even more was the presence of thick calluses on Tyrone Qin's index finger.
Those... were a telltale sign of frequent firearm use!
During peacetime, it's often harder to find a skilled practitioner who frequently handles firearms than to find a virgin in a nightclub!
They were aware of all this, so from the moment they boarded the train, they had been closely shadowing the young woman and keeping a vigilant watch on Tyrone Qin.
Previously, when Tyrone Qin had been engrossed in staring out of the window, although they were puzzled, they assumed that Tyrone Qin wasn't interested in Diana Zhang because he hadn't paid her any attention.
However...
At this moment, when Tyrone Qin shifted his focus to Zhang Xin, they couldn't help but feel a surge of nervousness!
"Miss, quit pretending. You've been pointing your phone at me for half an hour."
Tyrone Qin spoke up, cutting through Diana Zhang's surreptitious activities.
"Were you... peeping at me just now?"
Diana Zhang didn't feel embarrassed when her charade was exposed, but she was a bit taken aback.
"If you point your phone camera at me for half an hour, even a pig would notice, right?" Tyrone Qin retorted, sounding somewhat irked.
"It seems the cat's out of the bag. This old man pretended to be deep in thought to catch the goddess's attention!"
"I've been following the goddess for years, and I've never seen her face. But this old man got the goddess to start a conversation. It's really embarrassing!"
Fans in the live broadcast chat room went wild upon hearing Diana Zhang's words.
"I was a bit curious about why you were staring out the window for so long, but I couldn't figure it out. So, I decided to livestream it, hoping my fans could help me make sense of it..."
Diana Zhang explained awkwardly, covering her face with her hand while sneakily peeking at Tyrone Qin's reaction through the gaps between her fingers.
"Live streaming?"
Tyrone Qin arched an eyebrow and looked at the phone screen with skepticism.
"From this distance, he shouldn't be able to see it, right?"
Diana Zhang caught a glimpse of the comments from her fans in her peripheral vision. She hesitated on whether to end the live stream but reckoned that Tyrone Qin couldn't see the content on the live stream screen, so she held her ground.
"Miss, you allowed millions of people to watch me without my consent. Doesn't that seem a little inappropriate?" Tyrone Qin observed the online viewership at a glance. As he spoke, he casually stretched his neck and shifted in his seat.
"He... he saw the comments on the screen?"
Diana Zhang's face twisted in shock. Her eyes widened as she gazed at Tyrone Qin in disbelief.
Uh-huh!
Uh-huh!
Simultaneously, the two black-clad men seated across from Diana Zhang acted almost instinctively.
One of them positioned himself in front of Diana Zhang, while the other took two steps forward, creating a barrier to prevent Tyrone Qin from getting closer.
"Hit him, fishballs coming up!"
"Every punch is like a rocket, doing as promised!"
"Desperately begging the goddess' bodyguard to take action and beat up the old man!"
In the live broadcast room, the fans were already furious. When they saw Diana Zhang's bodyguards getting up, they all felt as if they had been beaten to death. They wanted to replace the two men in black and step forward to confront Tyrone Qin.
"What are you doing?"
Diana Zhang stood up quickly. She knew that the two bodyguards her father had hired were legendary super bodyguards. Their annual employment fee could buy a house in the East China Sea, where every inch of land was like gold. They were highly skilled. If they attacked Tyrone Qin indiscriminately without distinguishing between friend and foe, Tyrone Qin would probably end up in the hospital.
"Lady, don't you realize he's dangerous?"
The two men in black muttered secretly to themselves but didn't voice their concerns. They simply fixed a cold stare on Tyrone Qin, attempting to communicate their warning through their eyes.
"I should never have livestreamed you without your permission, and I apologize."
After speaking out to halt her bodyguards, Diana Zhang looked apologetically at Tyrone Qin and voluntarily offered her apology.
Upon hearing this, Tyrone Qin turned his head and ignored the live broadcast.
From start to finish, he never acknowledged the presence of the two black-clad bodyguards.
"Hey, mister, I've already apologized. You can't be too uptight!"
Seeing that Tyrone Qin was ignoring her and recalling his odd behavior earlier, Diana Zhang, driven by curiosity, stood up instinctively and moved closer to him.
"Miss, you can't..."
The two bodyguards in black interjected, not wanting to witness Diana Zhang inadvertently put herself in harm's way.
"Stand aside!"
Diana Zhang frowned slightly and spoke with an air of authority, making it clear that she wouldn't entertain any opposition.
The two bodyguards in black remained steadfast.
As bodyguards, their primary duty is to ensure Diana Zhang's safety, so they couldn't allow her to expose herself to danger.
"If he intended to harm or kidnap me, do you think he would draw attention to himself like this? Would he wait for such an opportunity?"
Diana Zhang placed her hands on her hips and admonished angrily, almost implying that the two bodyguards were simple-minded and overly muscle-bound.
"Well…"
The two black-clad bodyguards hesitated at her words, thinking that Diana Zhang had a point. Her logic didn't seem to add up.
Diana Zhang proceeded to walk directly toward Tyrone Qin.
The two bodyguards in black hesitated momentarily but ultimately didn't impede her progress.
"Sir, are you really that uptight?"
Diana Zhang seated herself directly next to Tyrone Qin and asked with an air of righteousness, as if she were the wronged party.
"So, what do you suggest I do?"
Tyrone Qin inquired, with their proximity allowing him to discern the distinct fragrance of Diana Zhang's perfume.
"Well... at the very least, acknowledge my presence."
Perhaps she didn't expect Tyrone Qin to ask such a question, but Diana Zhang was momentarily at a loss for words.
"Alright, miss, I'll pretend that nothing happened earlier. But I don't appreciate being watched. Next time, please refrain from pointing the camera at me."
Tyrone Qin shook his head. Diana Zhang, in his view, was clearly a pampered rich girl who was accustomed to receiving attention and expected responses even to her apologies.
"Sir, the camera is facing me now."
Diana Zhang regarded Tyrone Qin curiously. In the past, men would go to great lengths to strike up a conversation with her, but today she had initiated a conversation with Tyrone Qin, who seemed unwilling to engage with her.
This... made her feel somewhat uncomfortable.
"Miss, the camera may be focused on you, but I'm also part of the livestream, and your fans are berating me," Tyrone Qin pointed out, gesturing towards the mobile phone nearby.
"Calling you names is just the tip of the iceberg. Believe me, they'd go even further!"
"If you have the guts to visit Hanghu Jiuxi Rose Garden, I promise not to beat you within an inch of your life!"
Fans in the livestream room erupted in outrage at Tyrone Qin's words.
"Miss, let me ask you this. If I were to hold you in my arms, do you think your fans would form an angry mob to take me down?"
With a playful expression, Tyrone Qin posed this question to Diana Zhang.
"Jerk, do you dare?"
Diana Zhang's fans went wild.
"Young man, you'd better think twice…"
One of the black-clad bodyguards shouted a cautionary warning.
However, before he could finish his sentence...
"Ahh!"
A scream pierced the air.
Diana Zhang, known as the number one online live broadcast goddess, had been embraced by Tyrone Qin.