Chapter 107

Zhou Qiang still felt uneasy after boarding the helicopter, but she didn’t show it.0

She simply leaned against the cabin door with her cat, both looking down below.0

As the helicopter slowly ascended above the mountain peak, Chu Tingwu’s figure grew smaller and smaller. Zhou Qiang, gazing into the distance, could see several ski trails etched into the snow-covered slopes.0

Chu Tingwu had never attempted these trails before—they were traces left by those who had skied there before.0

As a city nestled at the foot of the snowy mountains, Chewan naturally fostered a community of avid skiers who frequented the slopes. This particular spot, ideal for speed skiing, was recommended by locals.0

So, while no one was currently at the summit, on the opposite mountainside, tourists could be seen holding binoculars, and hikers taking a break. Spotting Chu Tingwu and the helicopter from afar, someone remarked, “Is she going to do a speed run?”0

At that moment, Chu Tingwu launched herself down the slope.0

Like a silver seagull taking flight, she soared.0

The sun bathed her shoulders as snow sprayed around her. Chu Tingwu let out a joyful cheer from deep in her throat. Between the slopes, she almost seemed to float in the air, executing two full rotations before landing back on the snow.0n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

She was clearly exhilarated, while her fans, watching her first-person live stream, leaned back in their seats, fists clenched, a mix of tension and anticipation as they continued to watch.0

As she descended, Chu Tingwu’s mind was also racing.0

She had only completed this route once before, in a dream-like training session.0

If she practiced repeatedly, memorizing every angle of the route to achieve perfection, her live stream would no longer be a speed run but a performance.0

Though her audience wouldn’t realize she had practiced extensively, and would instead marvel at her flawless execution, Chu Tingwu knew the truth—and so did her system.0

“But that would take all the fun out of it!”0

As she soared into the air again, she shifted her stance mid-air, changing direction before landing low to avoid a steep slope ahead.0

Even so, snow cascaded down the slope behind her like a heavy white fog, scattering in the wind.0

The icy wind swept through Chu Tingwu’s hair, carrying the crisp scent of snow and vegetation, invigorating her senses.0

Ahead, the slope grew steeper. Chu Tingwu thought, “Here we go… another flight!”0

Maintaining her balance, she adjusted her posture instinctively, and then, with her snowboard, she shot out of the “track.”0

Mid-air, she turned around:0

In that moment, both she and her audience caught a glimpse of the snowy landscape behind her.0

Beyond this slope was a sheer drop of about twenty meters, with exposed rocks below. The snow she had disturbed tumbled down like an avalanche, as if a brief snowstorm had erupted.0

It lasted only for the second she was in the air, as she flipped, adjusted her stance, and braced against the wind pressure before plunging into the snow below.0

Chu Tingwu felt a slight tremor in her legs.0

Ahead lay a pine forest.0

The seagull-shaped drone had already flown ahead, casting a shadow on the snow. Chu Tingwu raised her hand and waved—she wasn’t sure what she was waving at—perhaps greeting her viewers through the camera, her smile saying:0

“I’m having so much fun. How about you?”0

Her snowboard entered the pine forest.0

-0

Cheng Mi could feel his heart pounding.0

His ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‍hands rested on his legs, opening and closing. His thighs still had sensation, so he guessed the slight tremor he felt might just be the knee pads vibrating slightly in response to the movements of the streamer.0

But he couldn’t bring himself to take them off.0

The illusion felt so real, like a beautiful dream he could safely lose himself in.0

His phone vibrated—maybe a group chat notification—but Cheng Mi didn’t check it. He was almost greedily wearing the VR headset, his hands restless, occasionally tapping his legs or grabbing at the air—0

Why hadn’t they produced elbow pads too?0

Was it because they hadn’t planned to make them from the start?0

While experiencing this “VR reality,” Cheng Mi also critiqued it:0

The equipment was definitely more portable than a full VR pod, but it was also more rudimentary, so the experience wasn’t as perfect as he had imagined. Cheng Mi was sure he wasn’t getting the full experience—he could only feel the leg movements and see and hear part of Chu Tingwu’s live stream. But even that was enough to thrill him.0

Then Chu Tingwu began her speed run.0

Cheng Mi’s restless hands finally gripped the armrests of his wheelchair. He let out a short “Ah!” followed by an excited “Wow!” and then clung to the armrests, his expression dazed as he endured the first few seconds.0

The sensation of weightlessness felt so real!0

Even though he was still in his wheelchair, he felt as if he were flying alongside Chu Tingwu—no, not just as if!0

Chu Tingwu really was flying, though without wings, and she would land eventually.0

Ordinary viewers only saw her mid-air flips through her first-person perspective, some even feeling dizzy, but Cheng Mi truly “experienced” it. The VR headset couldn’t replicate wind resistance, so the realism was diminished, but it was still enough to make him feel a sense of panic in his solitary room.0

After about ten seconds of panic, he calmed down—0

Not because he stopped feeling nervous, but because he got used to it.0

So what if it felt like flying? He wasn’t actually flying. It was thrilling but without any danger—pure gain.0

By the latter part of the run, he began to look forward to every rise, fall, and flip, every change in stance or shift in weight, even the simple decelerations and turns… Each movement excited him, to the point where he barely noticed the mechanical bird-like drone overhead. Maybe it was just a VR effect, he thought.0

Chu Tingwu shot out of the pine forest and continued downward. The ski tracks around her multiplied as the altitude dropped, and more skiers became visible. Everyone was fully geared up, occasionally glancing up at the helicopter. Chu Tingwu passed by them, no words exchanged, as some chose to accelerate, kicking up a spray of snow as they passed her.0

The helicopter landed on the platform at the finish line. Chu Tingwu arrived at the campsite a moment later, but as soon as she appeared on the slope, the campers noticed her. When she successfully completed her final deceleration, they cheered enthusiastically.0

—Even if they didn’t know she had skied down from the side peak, seeing her natural and skilled descent was enough to warrant celebration.0

At that moment, Cheng Mi leaned back in his wheelchair.0

He felt as if Chu Tingwu had taken off her snow boots, stretching as she walked toward her friends. The mechanical bird landed beside her, circling her before finally perching on her outstretched arm. She seemed to read a comment:0

“Hmm? It’s not a toy, but you can treat it like one. Yes, it’s what you’re thinking—it’s a new drone.”0

She chuckled softly.0

Only then did Cheng Mi realize that the VR headset didn’t display real-time comments or allow him to send any, which had kept him fully immersed. He raised his hand to remove the headset but hesitated.0

Chu Tingwu waved at the camera, the girl clearly a bit tired, and, as usual, ended the stream.0

“Don’t…”0

Cheng Mi almost said it aloud, but as an audience member outside the screen, he could only watch and listen—his voice couldn’t reach the streamer.0

He waited for a while, or perhaps just savored the moment, before finally taking off the headset.0

At this moment, he glanced at the barrage again and was somewhat surprised to find that the comments were in a heated argument—0

[I’m definitely not a shill! Anyone who clicked in here is either a fan or at least interested, why would I need to act as a shill in the livestream? The knee pads really let you experience the VR livestream effect! Sure, it’s a bit of a stripped-down version, but it’s legit!]0

The fans were half-convinced, half-skeptical.0

But soon, their skepticism turned into frustration:0

[Alright, alright, no need to keep explaining or proving it! Do you think I don’t want to believe it? I just didn’t manage to buy one!]0

[I bought one, but… I checked, and it’s estimated to take thirty days to reach me. Are you guys starting from weaving the fabric or something?]0

[Mine’s still on the way, and I’m so jealous of those who got the first batch! Ugh, unless you send me one!]0

Cheng Mi then checked the group chat and found that everyone was obviously discussing this topic as well—0

A few people in the group had already received their knee pads and tried them out, confidently confirming that the VR effect was real and eagerly looking forward to the day they could buy elbow pads.0

This time, the impact was even more convincing than when it first trended on social media. Back then, only a few insiders could participate in the testing, but now, the product had quietly gone on sale. Some people had initially thought it was too expensive and didn’t bother to rush to buy it, only to realize that it wasn’t just a knee pad but also a device for watching VR livestreams. They were shocked:0

“@System! How did you help Chu Tingwu sell these things?! I didn’t buy the knee pads because I was saving up for an experience pod! And now you’re telling me the thing I deliberately didn’t rush to buy is exactly what I wanted?”0

What’s going on with your company? Do you really want to make money? Even the VR glasses aren’t cheap, and if you take away the VR glasses, the knee pads are practically free. So how are you even making a profit?0

Just open the link now and take their money! They’re easy to fool, give it a try!0

The system remained silent.0

Even with production running at full capacity, the current efficiency couldn’t possibly make this simplified VR livestream viewing device available to everyone. So, considering the preferences of the fans, it naturally prioritized them.0

On the shopping page, there was a notice: the higher your fan value, the higher your ranking during the same purchase window, and the greater your chance of successfully buying the product.0

The system was currently juggling multiple tasks: monitoring the public opinion about the VR livestream knee pads, keeping an eye on production efficiency, booking a restaurant for dinner for Chu Tingwu and her team, and handling a flood of private messages… As for the demands of the fan group? Sorry, you’ll have to wait.0

Chu Tingwu, on the other hand, asked a couple of questions and seemed thoughtful: “Then I’ll go live again tonight.”0

The system suddenly understood: “You’re going to explain the situation to them personally, right?”0

That made sense. Having the UP herself, who was also the actual boss, speak up would help calm the fans better.0

Chu Tingwu was looking at the menu and looked up: “Huh?”0

Explain the situation? At most, she could apologize for not being able to produce enough, but as for the experience pod being an upgraded version of the VR knee pads, only Chewan had it for now. Other collaboration details were covered by contracts and tied to promotional plans, so she couldn’t disclose anything… In that case, it was better not to explain.0

Chu Tingwu: “Tonight, of course, I’ll be live-streaming wild snowboarding.”0

The system: “==”0

The midday livestream was just an appetizer. Now that she was in Chewan, where there happened to be a snowy mountain, and she happened to have new livestreaming equipment… If she didn’t take the opportunity to do something rare, she’d feel regretful too—0

That’s when Chu Tingwu thought of her unique ability.0

Her night vision wasn’t the same as night-vision goggles, and Chu Tingwu realized there was a skiing theme that most people hadn’t livestreamed before: nighttime snowboarding speed descent on a snowy mountain.0

She thought of it as a gift to those viewers who had just gotten their devices.0

Besides, she had already set the stage with her daytime snowboarding speed descent. Sure, tonight’s would be even more extreme… but the viewers probably wouldn’t call the police again, right?0

Cheng Mi, who had just gotten her device: “…”0

I want to call the police.0