Deep Schemes

Chen Xu estimated that the dartboard was about fifty centimeters in diameter. The area he had to hit was less than one percent of its size, probably even smaller than a beverage bottle cap.

After a brief aim, he sent the dart flying from his hand.

Dai Zixin, who was filming with her phone, felt her heart leap into her throat. When she saw the dart with its red tail firmly embedded in the triple-twenty section, she cried out excitedly, "He hit it! He hit it—"

After shouting a few times, she remembered she was livestreaming and turned the camera toward herself. "Did you see that? He hit it."

"The streamer shook the camera so much my eyes are spinning. I didn't see anything."

"Doesn't count, doesn't count."

"Yeah, we didn't see it. Who knows whether you stuck it in there by hand while we weren't looking? Throw again."

A flood of comments soon appeared: "Throw again..."

Dai Zixin argued her case. "He clearly hit it. I saw it with my own eyes."

Chen Xu went over and persuaded her, "Forget it. If they want a redo, we'll redo it. Secure the stand properly."

As soon as he finished speaking, he caught someone posting on the phone screen, "Bouncy Ball Bro is such a good sport..." His eyelid twitched. Why were people still bringing up that unlucky nickname?

Today, I'll definitely leave you with a lasting impression. He gritted his teeth, determined to shake off that nickname as soon as possible.

"He clearly hit it..." Dai Zixin kept muttering as she set the phone back on the stand and adjusted the filming angle.

"Starting now." Chen Xu picked up another dart and threw it.

From three meters away, hitting a target the size of a bottle cap was effortless for him. If it had been a bouncy ball, he would not even have needed to aim—

Pah. Why was he thinking about that cursed bouncy ball again? The dart landed steadily in the exact spot where the previous one had been.

"He hit it again!" Dai Zixin jumped excitedly and went over to the phone. "Did you see that? Did you see that? You can't deny it this time, right?"

Someone immediately sent another gift. "Triple-two section."

Chen Xu retrieved a dart, aimed, and threw in one smooth motion.

"He hit it!" Dai Zixin cheered.

After that, several more people sent gifts. Chen Xu hit every requested target, without missing a single dart.

Before long, Dai Zixin noticed that no one was sending gifts anymore. Instead, the screen was filled with exclamation marks.

"What's going on?" she asked, a little confused.

"The city is indeed full of deep schemes."

"Hello, 110? Someone here is pretending to be weak while actually being strong, scamming people out of gifts. This is utterly shameless."

"Bouncy Ball Bro's darts are average, but I have to admit, this acting is impressive."

"And the streamer too. That double act was fucking professional."

"Especially that indignant questioning earlier—it was absolutely convincing. Streamer, going live here is wasting your talent. You should switch careers and become an actress."

The comments were all teasing them.

Dai Zixin was a little dumbfounded. Did they mean she and Chen Xu had been putting on an act for them? Had that happened? Just then, Chen Xu leaned over, read the comments for a while, and said, "It seems everyone doesn't think much of my dart skills. How about I raise the difficulty?"

"Everyone, sit tight. Bouncy Ball Bro is about to start showing off again."

"Waiting to see Bouncy Ball Bro show off his acting skills."

"True, darts aren't much to watch. You should keep honing your acting."

Chen Xu caught sight of several comments like that and did not even have the strength to complain. He felt that he really was not suited to being a streamer. These people would drive him to death.

He went over and asked the waitress from earlier, "Do you have an Eye Mask here? Or a clean strip of cloth?"

The waitress said, "Yes. I'll get one for you."

Before long, she brought over a black Eye Mask with cartoon eyes printed on it. "This is one I use myself."

"Thanks."

Chen Xu took the Eye Mask and tried it over his eyes. Then he walked over to the phone, held it over the camera lens, and said, "This Eye Mask is completely lightproof. You can take a look."

A few seconds later, he removed the Eye Mask and said, "I'll cover my eyes with this and stand in the same spot as before. Call out a target. If I hit it, you send gifts. If I miss—"

At that point, he glanced at Dai Zixin beside him and said, "I'll reveal Zixin's WeChat. I guarantee every friend who sends a gift will be able to add her. How about it?"

"That's not right."

Dai Zixin was the first to object. "Why should you reveal my WeChat if you miss?"

Chen Xu shrugged. "You said it yourself earlier. This is your livestream."

Dai Zixin was left speechless.

"666, I have to admit, this scheme is impressive."

"This gift-scamming scheme is pretty original. I approve."

"You can do that?"

Another wave of teasing comments filled the screen. Clearly, no one believed Chen Xu could hit a dart target while blindfolded. They thought he was merely using it as a pretext. In reality, he was using the streamer's WeChat to lure people into sending gifts.

No matter what, Dai Zixin was undeniably a beauty. Either way, they would not lose out.

After one viewer pointed this out, the others caught on as well, and another massive wave of comments appeared.

Chen Xu returned to the spot where he had thrown from before and said, "I'll only throw three times. The chances are limited, so hurry and call out your targets if you want one."

Dai Zixin quickly read out the targets from the first three people who had sent gifts. "Triple-nineteen, triple-one, and the twenty-five section."

Chen Xu quickly located the first two positions, but where was twenty-five? Before he could ask, the waitress beside him said, "It's the green ring just outside the red bullseye in the center."

"Oh, thanks."

Chen Xu firmly memorized those three positions, put on the Eye Mask, and picked up a dart.

The commotion had drawn quite a few customers over. Especially when they saw Chen Xu putting on the Eye Mask, they could not help but grow curious and gather around.

Chen Xu held the dart between three fingers and aimed in his mind based on memory. Everyone around him was infected by the tense atmosphere and became nervous. No one made a sound.

"First one, triple-nineteen." Chen Xu announced the target, and the dart flew from his hand.

"Whoa."

The watching customers all gasped in unison.

"He hit it!" Dai Zixin's voice trembled with overwhelming excitement.

Chen Xu picked up another dart. In an instant, everyone around him fell silent again.

"Triple-one." He called out the target and threw again.

"Whoa—"

This time, the cries of surprise were far louder than before.

Not only were the customers stunned, even the girls from earlier were dumbfounded.

Dai Zixin covered her mouth, her eyes stretched wide to their limit.

But Chen Xu was not done. He picked up another dart and shouted, "Twenty-five section!" Before his voice had faded, the dart in his hand became a streak of lightning and embedded itself firmly in the green ring outside the center.

Clap clap clap...

Everyone around them applauded vigorously for his brilliant performance.

On the phone, the livestream room had somehow gone completely quiet, without a single comment.

A few seconds later, countless comments surged forth at once, more than at any previous moment.