Li Zhen's week of stress had shifted into high gear.
The media coverage was relentless. News anchors debated him on evening broadcasts. Financial influencers speculated on whether the "Live Wild" system was legal or supernatural. Everyone wanted answers, but Li Zhen had none to give publicly.
System Notice:
"Status: In Regulatory Freeze. Cashback functions remain locked.
Host's Influence Level: Holding steady.
Risk Rating: Medium. Shadow Surveillance Detected."
He frowned at the last line.
"Shadow surveillance?"
Definition: Host is being monitored by an unregistered third party outside of official channels. Suspected hostile intent.
Li Zhen's eyes narrowed. "Fang Wei… you're making your move."
Elsewhere, at WeiCorp's Private Intelligence Division
Chen Hao stood in front of a digital projection of Li Zhen's face. Lines connected him to key people: Liu Man, Su Qian, several startup founders, and the Black Card Club.
Behind Chen stood Zhao Yun, a private investigator infamous for corporate takedowns.
"Zhao," Chen said, "you've hacked stronger systems than this. Tell me you can break into Live Wild Club's backend."
Zhao grinned. "Already working on it. One bug upload, and I'll clone their entire customer list and crash their servers."
Chen Hao's eyes gleamed. "Perfect. If we can't bring him down legally, we'll break his credibility."
Meanwhile, at Skyview Penthouse
Li Zhen stared at his laptop. His security dashboard—custom built by Wen Xiaoming—flashed red alerts.
"Someone's trying to breach the Live Wild servers," Wen said over a secure video call. "This isn't amateur-level hacking. This is pro-grade sabotage."
"Can you stop it?"
"I've already deployed counter-AI to lock them out, but they'll try again."
Li Zhen clenched his fists. "They're coming from the shadows now. They know the legal route isn't enough."
System Alert: Host is in active threat zone.
Suggestion: Engage 'Wild Countermeasure' Protocol. Unlocking defensive perks.
Do you wish to activate: Yes / No?
Li Zhen tapped Yes.
Activated: 'Wild Firewall' + 'Public Support Shield'
Effect: Improved system encryption.
Viral content automatically triggered to protect public image.
Seconds later, a new post auto-uploaded from his account:
📸 "Power doesn't corrupt. It exposes. And some people can't handle watching others rise."
Caption: #LiveWild #RiseAbove #WatchThemTry
Comments flooded in.
🗨️ "This guy speaks in quotes 🔥"
🗨️ "He's being attacked again, isn't he?"
🗨️ "Keep living wild, king. We got your back."
Within hours, Li Zhen's image was trending again, this time as the underdog fighting powerful corporate corruption.
At Yuncheng University
Su Qian caught up with Li Zhen as he exited the Computer Science building.
"You've got enemies everywhere now," she said, falling into step beside him.
"I know."
"You sure you want to keep going? You could lay low, let it blow over."
He glanced at her, expression unreadable. "I didn't come this far to crawl back into a hole."
Su Qian sighed. "Then be careful. Some of these people don't play fair. They play dirty. And they'll smile while they do it."
He gave her a small smile. "Let them come. I've got the storm on my side."
Later That Night — Black Card Club Lounge
Liu Man listened silently as Li Zhen detailed the cyber attack and the growing pressure.
She poured them both a glass of wine.
"You're at war now," she said. "You need to think like a general."
He nodded. "I need to send a message. Something that says, 'If you move against me, I'll crush you.'"
She leaned forward. "Then let's launch an expansion. You have the name. The audience. The fire. Go national. Make them realize—this isn't just a student with luck. This is a brand too big to kill."
System Notification: New Quest Unlocked — "National Wildfire"
Objective: Expand Live Wild Club to 3 major cities.
Time Limit: 10 Days
Reward: Cashback Mode Reactivation + x10 Multiplier Bonus + Global Tier Access
Li Zhen smiled coldly. "Let's make them watch me go global."