"Then I got hooked on gaming."
Wang Xiaoliang and Zhou Qiang said nothing, listening quietly.
"Especially the bloody ones where you could kill people. Killing people in games felt... felt like I could vent that anger inside me."
"But I sucked. I really sucked. Anyone could kill me."
"So I started watching streams to learn how to play. Then... I found her."
"A female streamer. She was... pretty good-looking, with a nice voice. Most importantly, she really understood how guys like us thought."
"When I failed to kill someone, she'd say, 'Don't be mad, baby. We'll get them next time.' When someone insulted me, she'd turn on her mic and trade insults with them, standing up for me. She made you feel like she was always there beside me, supporting me, understanding me."
"She was only average at the game, a small-time streamer with just a few dozen viewers."
"I started sending her virtual gifts."
"Before long, I became her top donor."
"After I'd spent a hundred thousand, we added each other on WeChat."
"After I'd spent two hundred thousand, she sent me 'good morning' every morning and 'good night' every night, reminding me to eat and sleep."
"After I'd spent five hundred thousand, we made our relationship official on WeChat. In the game and on WeChat, she called me her husband."
"After I'd spent a million... she booked a hotel room and waited for me."
She was scamming you, bro, Wang Xiaoliang thought.
Zhou Qiang frowned too. Clearly, the same thought had occurred to him.
"Then what?" Wang Xiaoliang asked cautiously.
Luo Bisheng ignored him and went on talking.
"Then my dad found out."
"He asked me, 'Were you the one who spent all this money?'"
"I felt completely justified. I said, 'Yeah, I spent it. So what?'"
"My