Perfect Superstar.

9:45 PM, 'Whale TV', Lu Fei's live streaming room. Online viewers: 936,224.

Lu Chen's live stream continued, but the PK Theme Show's time limit had ended. Now, he only needed to wait for the final rankings to be released along with nearly a million live viewers.

The tension was stifling.

"I am suddenly feeling so nervous, this is like waiting for my own final grades."

"Grades report +1!"

"What do you guys think? Where do you think our Lu Fei will rank?"

"Of course, Lu Fei will be No.1—no doubt about it!"

"First place might be a stretch. As long as he makes the Top 5, it's a win."

"I think he'll be fourth or fifth."

"If he's not in the Top 5, I'll eat my keyboard live!"

"I guess third."

The comments were filled with predictions and jokes about the rankings.

Meanwhile, Lu Chen was completely relaxed.

In his 90-minute live show, he'd performed eight original songs, giving it his all.

Despite some hiccups along the way, he felt that he'd captured the theme of "Graduation Season" beautifully.

He believed the judging panel would appreciate his interpretation.

As for the other metrics, Lu Chen had broken all his previous records, especially with the collaboration with Baby Qing'er, which significantly boosted his popularity. If he didn't make the Top 5, it would almost seem like 'Whale TV' was rigging the results.

Calmly, he thanked the generous fans and supporters who sent gifts, letting his slightly hoarse voice rest.

Even if he didn't make the Top 5, tonight had been a huge win. Besides the spike in followers and popularity, he had also earned over 170,000 Fish Balls, with 110,000 being withdrawable.

Earning 110,000 in just an hour and a half of streaming!

Lu Chen had nothing to complain about. A few years ago, he'd barely scraped by with two jobs. Now, he understood the value of contentment, and keeping a peaceful state of mind.

Just then, a bright system message appeared on the screen.

''System Message:'' 'The PK Theme Show rankings are final! The Top 5 winners will be announced shortly!'

The streaming room erupted in excitement.

"It's here! The Top 5 rankings are finally coming out!"

"Stayed up all night for this! Go, Lu Fei!"

"So nervous! So nervous! So nervous!"

"Stay calm— our streamer will definitely be in the Top 5."

"If he's not, I'll eat my keyboard live!"

"I'll eat my mouse."

Though Lu Chen remained relaxed, the excitement in the streaming room began to get to him.

He instinctively straightened his posture.

A second later, the screen lit up with a giant "5," dazzling in golden sparkles.

''System Message:'' 'Congratulations to streamer Princess Yu for ranking No. 5 with the theme "Rainy Day" and a PK score of 5575!'

Princess Yu, a popular lifestyle streamer on 'Whale TV', took fifth place.

The anticipation heightened since each new entry meant one less available spot.

No one knew if Lu Chen would appear in the rankings.

The higher the ranking, the slimmer the chance.

''No. 4:'' 'Streamer SUN, theme "Afternoon Sunshine," PK score 6210!'

SUN, another top lifestyle streamer, had a style quite similar to Lu Chen's. Handsome and talented in guitar, piano, and violin, he was also an impressive dancer, often showing off his moves at local events.

In this PK Theme Show, SUN was arguably Lu Chen's strongest competitor.

Though not a direct one-on-one face-off, SUN's fourth-place finish raised the stakes for Lu Chen.

Only three spots remained!

The comments fell silent, with only a few appearing in the chat.

''No. 3:'' 'Streamer Little Gu, theme "Wrath of Thunder," PK score 9750!'

Little Gu was a game streamer and a top-10 strategy expert in the popular online game 'Planet Overlord'. His competitive streams often attracted millions of fans, so his popularity was sky-high.

With Little Gu in third place, only the champion and runner-up spots were left!

It was almost certain that the champion spot would go to Baby Qing'er— the No. 1 female streamer on 'Whale TV'.

Seeing that Lu Chen still hadn't appeared, pessimistic voices began to emerge in the chat.

"It's over. If Little Gu's only third, our streamer might not…"

"It's looking slim."

"It's alright— even if we don't make the Top 5, we still gave it our all together!"

"Come on, don't be so pessimistic. Who knows, maybe he got second place?"

"Keep it up, keep it up, Lu Fei!"

"Whatever the result, I'll support him no matter what!"

"Supporting +1"

Lu Chen thought for a moment and spoke into the microphone: "No matter the outcome, thank you all for your support!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a large golden "2" appeared on the screen.

Second place revealed!

''System Message:'' 'Congratulations to streamer Lu Fei, theme "Graduation Season," for ranking NO.2 with a PK score of 9790!'

Second place? Runner-up? Lu Fei?

Many couldn't believe their eyes!

"Yes!" Lu Chen was the first to react, pumping his fist and letting out a cheer.

A huge wave of joy washed over him.

He'd thought he could handle either victory or defeat calmly, but seeing "runner-up" next to his name filled him with excitement and thrill.

A week's hard work and preparation hadn't been in vain!

And even better, he had won by a mere 40 points over Little Gu.

The champion prize for the PK Theme Show was 300,000, plus three main page promotions. The runner-up prize was 200,000 plus two main page promotions, and third place got 100,000 with one promotion. Fourth and fifth places each received 50,000.

A 40-point lead meant Lu Chen was taking home double the reward!

The chat room exploded!

"Victory!"

"Hahaha, I'm so happy!"

"Congrats, Lu Fei! Our runner-up in the PK Theme Show!"

"Second place! I knew he'd be in the Top 3!"

"I guessed second place!"

"Can't believe he made it to the Top 3; it's incredible!"

"He totally deserves it— our streamer has the talent!"

"Talent +1!"

"The Lu Family fan group is giving out red packets—everyone, go grab some!"

"What's the group number?"

"Copper balls, tons of them."

Although it wasn't the champion's crown, to Lu Chen's hundreds of thousands of fans, this runner-up title was just as significant, worth celebrating like a victory.

Remember, before the PK Theme Show began, Lu Chen's stats were the lowest among all 24 streamers.

Throughout the stream, he fought hard, climbed steadily, and faced waves of negativity, yet he still came out on top.

Everyone saw and heard Lu Chen's dedication and talent.

His runner-up title was well-deserved!

As for the champion title, it was unsurprisingly claimed by Baby Qing'er, with a PK score of 15,200!

But the viewers in Lu Fei's chat room didn't care about the champion. They were celebrating Lu Chen's achievement with comments and Fish Balls as if it were their own victory.

Today was a victory day!

Lu Family's fan group was also buzzing, with big spender Li Bai handing out red packets in full force.

Lu Chen's top fan felt even happier than Lu Chen himself; not only did Lu Chen win second place, but Li Bai also won a bet with a rival fan, securing both pride and satisfaction.

Li Bai handed out thousands of red packets, showing off his loyalty! 

Taking advantage of the moment, he also created and shared 10 new superfan groups in the chat, drawing in countless new fans eager to grab some of the celebratory red packets.

Though many new fans weren't yet committed followers, over time, some would stay and continue supporting Lu Chen's streaming career.

Picking up his guitar once more, Lu Chen played "Thank You," dedicating it to all his fans.

This was his victory day, and he believed that tomorrow would bring even more success.

…

At 10 PM, Lu Chen ended the live stream.

Just then, he received a call, and the number showed it was from Shenhai City.

Seeing the area code on his screen, the first thought in Lu Chen's mind was:

''The money's on its way!''

— 

(End Of The Chapter)

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