Chapter 157: Do You Have a Trauma?

Unfortunately, the archers on the opposing side fell far short of Lu Kuan in both accuracy and firing frequency.

In the darkness, Lu Kuan’s speed never faltered. Almost every second, the muffled groans of players being struck by arrows echoed through the night, while their own rangers could only shoot aimlessly into the void, leaving everyone with a deep sense of helplessness.

This feeling became even more pronounced once the magical glow on Lu Kuan’s arrows faded.

Initially, the men from Blue Spear had lit torches, hoping to use their numbers to surround Lu Kuan, but they quickly realized how impractical that idea was. The opposing human ranger ran like a startled rabbit, blazing fast—even the team's rogues couldn't catch him despite activating their speed-boosting skills.

Worse still, the torches turned into glaring targets in the pitch black. The moment anyone lit one, a volley of feathered arrows would immediately follow, each one aimed straight for a player's head.

With no other choice, the Blue Spear members extinguished their torches and plunged back into a blind game of hide-and-seek in the dark.

For a moment, the scene fell silent once again. Everyone tried their best to make not a single sound, terrified of becoming a target for the rogue and the ranger.

At that moment, Lu Kuan was crouching behind a small earthen mound, carefully listening to the movements across the field. However, under the current circumstances, relying solely on hearing made it nearly impossible to pinpoint the enemy's exact location.

Lu Kuan ordered Demi to stay quiet and lead him away from the encirclement first. As long as they weren't cornered, he had plenty of time to play with them slowly.

Five minutes later, the cooldown for their mind-link ended. Lu Kuan straightened up, nocked an arrow once more, and aimed at a mage player who was standing less than ten meters away.

"Ah!"

A sudden, miserable scream pierced the wilderness. The Blue Spear members were startled out of their wits, and before they even figured out what was happening, another teammate's agonizing cry rang out.

"He can see—ah..."

In the blink of an eye, two more lives were lost. Driven to the edge, the Blue Spear captain hardened his heart and roared, "Mages and warlocks, cast Light on potion flasks and throw them up!"

The rest immediately caught on. Pulling glass vials of health potions from their bags, they activated the Light spell upon them, turning the bottles into makeshift lightbulbs. At once, at least seven or eight glowing flasks were tossed high into the air.

"Over there!"

Sharp-eyed players instantly spotted Lu Kuan's silhouette, and a barrage of various skills flew wildly through the air. Fortunately, Lu Kuan reacted quickly, turning and bolting immediately.

"Boom!"

Whichever brainless mage decided to cast a fireball at such close range, the violent explosion not only clipped Lu Kuan but also sent the Blue Spear members tumbling over each other in disarray.

"What the hell..."

"Who did that? Are you out of your mind?!"

"Hurry over and see if that brat got blown to pieces!"

Chaos engulfed the area as people scrambled back to their feet, still fixated on getting rid of Lu Kuan. But by the time they rushed over, there was no trace of him left.

"Thwip!"

Right on cue, another cold arrow materialized from the darkness, striking a mage squarely in the neck.

"-330!"

Instant kill!

The Blue Spear members erupted into a panic, swarming the area in a chaotic rush, yet they couldn't even catch a glimpse of a shadow. When it came to speed, who on the field could possibly outrun Lu Kuan?

With 16 agility and a permanent 30% movement speed bonus, if anyone managed to catch him, he’d gladly admit defeat!

Of course, the people from Blue Spear had no idea yet that this was merely the prelude to a nightmarish evening.

...

In reality, by the next morning, Lu Kuan took a taxi to a hotel in downtown Donghai City and met Du Zhifeng in the first-floor lobby.

Just last week—the day after Lu Kuan left Baishui Village in the game—Du Zhifeng finally completed Lu Kuan’s task and successfully purchased the software program.

"Next, you'll have to put in some more effort and get in touch with those companies I mentioned," Lu Kuan said cheerfully, in high spirits. "They already have established streaming platforms with all the necessary hardware and capital. Our advantage lies in our technology. Try them out and see which one shows more sincerity."

Du Zhifeng listened attentively. Although his expression remained calm, inwardly, he was consumed with curiosity about this young boss of his.

He had already learned the purpose of the software from Lu Kuan himself. Without exaggeration, the tiny USB drive currently in Lu Kuan's possession held the terrifying power to revolutionize the existing live-streaming industry!

Put simply, as long as this young man before him wasn't out of his mind, an unimaginably bright future awaited him. At the very least, living the life of a leisurely, wealthy gentleman would be a walk in the park.

No wonder the young man had made him sign a nondisclosure agreement right away when they bought the software.

After listening to Lu Kuan, Du Zhifeng pondered for a moment and said earnestly, "Among the existing streaming platforms, the largest is undoubtedly Turbulence. However, their reputation in the industry has never been great—they're overbearing and autocratic. Negotiating a tech-for-equity partnership with them won't be smooth."

"Right, we don't necessarily have to go for the biggest; what we need is the most suitable one," Lu Kuan nodded, sharing a similar view. "If we want to maximize the value of our technology in the future, choosing the right partner is crucial. I'll have to trouble you with the legwork ahead."

"You're too polite, Young Master Lu," Du Zhifeng smiled.

No matter how he used to address Lu Kuan, Du Zhifeng had always found it awkward, eventually settling on this title. Lu Kuan actually rather enjoyed this spoiled-young-master vibe, so he hadn't refused.

Lu Kuan retrieved a list from his bag and handed it to Du Zhifeng.

"Things are going to get much busier from here on out. I've found a few helpers for you; you'll have to track down their specific contact details yourself. I believe they'll be of great assistance. If you know any suitable candidates of your own, feel free to recommend them to me."

Du Zhifeng took the list and glanced over it briefly. There were about a dozen names. According to the notes, they were all locals from Donghai City, and two of them were fresh college graduates.

Without asking too many questions, Du Zhifeng agreed readily, "No problem. Besides, I still know quite a few brilliant young professionals from my former company. If Young Master Lu approves, I can poach a few of them."

"They have a good relationship with you? Then they must be pretty miserable staying in a state-owned enterprise right now," Lu Kuan remarked.

Du Zhifeng nodded, a trace of sorrow flashing across his face, clearly reminded of his past glory days at the company and the subsequent twists of fate.

Seeing this, Lu Kuan laughed heartily. "Then let's do that. Pull over whatever talent you can find, but make sure to warn them in advance—the compensation here will be much worse than at a big corporation."

Du Zhifeng agreed with a smile. After chatting a little longer, Lu Kuan left him some operational funds and took a taxi back home.

The people on the list were all individuals Lu Kuan had heard of or known in his past life, making them relatively trustworthy. Partnering with a major streaming website next was his top priority. Capable as Du Zhifeng was, he didn't have three heads and six arms; gathering a reliable team was essential.