As the three continued their conversation, the golden-haired youth, who had been curled up on the ground clutching his stomach, gradually recovered.
In an instant, his figure became hazy. Centered around him, five identical, shirtless figures materialized and darted past the startled trio before they could react, speeding off in five different directions.
"Catch me? Not so easy!"
The ability's effect was simple: it created several illusory clones without physical substance to confuse opponents. Whether used for offense or escape, it proved remarkably effective.
"Now let's see you try to catch me!"
-
Meanwhile, inside the stadium, just minutes before the concert's official start, Robin stood backstage, stealing a peek at the audience. Every seat was filled.
One hundred thousand people! she thought. It was no exaggeration to say that the total number of people she had seen in her entire life, across two lifetimes, probably didn't even amount to a tenth of this crowd.
"Nervous?" Cheng Hui asked, standing beside her.
"It's my first time performing on stage," Robin sighed. "Even after countless rehearsals and meticulous preparations, nerves still creep in when the moment arrives..."
"Lucky you. If it were me, I'd probably faint from the anxiety!" Cheng Hui pouted.
"How could it be that bad?" Robin asked.
"How could it not be?!" Cheng Hui retorted. "One hundred thousand pairs of eyes! Just imagining standing before that many people makes me want to faint right now!"
"Well, I guess that's just like you," Cheng Hui said. "This is one of the largest concert venues in the world, the ultimate stage that countless singers and celebrities dream of, and you're reaching this level with your very first concert!"
"Well, I should have expected nothing less from you," Cheng Hui said. "This concert is on a scale that rivals the biggest in the industry—the ultimate stage countless singers and stars dream of. And you're achieving this level with your very first show!"
"Aren't you a content creator with millions of followers too?" Robin replied. "A hundred thousand viewers is barely a tenth of your fanbase." Cheng Hui's Kuaishou follower count had naturally skyrocketed thanks to Robin's influence.
"It's different online versus in real life!" Cheng Hui insisted.
"But when you watch a live stream or see someone in person, you're still using your eyes, right? What's the difference?"
"With over a hundred million fans across all your platforms, your live streams must draw far larger crowds than this. A hundred thousand should be a piece of cake for you!" Cheng Hui suddenly chuckled, smoothly changing the subject. "Anyway, it's almost time. Good luck!"
"..." Robin finally realized Cheng Hui had struck up this conversation to ease her pre-show jitters. To her surprise, it had actually worked a little. Robin smiled faintly. "Thank you..."
As the concert's opening time approached, the venue lights dimmed, focusing all attention on the center of the stage. A girl as radiant as a celestial star and as beautiful as an angel slowly emerged from behind the curtain, revealing herself to the crowd.
Her meticulously crafted makeup and breathtakingly opulent attire perfectly accentuated Robin's inherent charm.
With each step she took, a lighthearted and cheerful background melody began to play—a brand-new original song that no one had ever heard before, making its debut on this very stage.
[Here she comes! It's finally starting!]
[Oh my god, Robin is absolutely stunning!]
[I'm stuck outside the concert venue, watching the live stream on my phone. Brothers, I'm tearing up!]
[Holy shit, am I seeing this right? Three hundred million viewers?! What kind of insane popularity is this?! I'm blown away! Is this Robin's true power?!]
It's worth noting that although the concert was originally announced as a free live stream, Kuaishou secretly contacted Robin shortly after the announcement and secured exclusive streaming rights for an absurdly high price.
In other words, while the live stream was free, viewers had to use Kuaishou to watch it.
Two hours before the concert began, countless people flooded into the live stream. Many foreigners were even forced to use the unfamiliar Dragon Nation website. It was no exaggeration to say that at least 30% of the scrolling bullet comments were in languages other than Chinese.
The live stream's popularity skyrocketed to an absurd 300 million views the moment the concert started. Of course, this wasn't the actual number of viewers; only Kuaishou likely knew the true figure, but it was undoubtedly massive.
[So good! So good! So good! So good!]
[Crap! I'm secretly watching Robin's live stream during evening study hall, and I accidentally laughed out loud. What if the teacher catches me?]
[Ugh, I thought I could sneak behind the lectern and watch Robin's live stream during evening study hall, but then I caught a student slacking off and watching the stream too! Do I have to waste time scolding him? But I don't want to miss the concert...]
[You two... huh???]
While the viewers in the live stream were thoroughly enjoying the show, it simply couldn't compare to being there in person.
What's the difference between listening to a song at a concert and hearing it through your phone? It's all about the atmosphere.
At a live concert, you see your favorite artist standing right in the center of the stage. You look around and realize you're surrounded by kindred spirits, all sharing the same passion.
Everyone cheers in unison, swept up in the rhythm, their colorful light sticks swaying wildly. How could anyone not be thrilled by the energy?
And let's not forget that Robin's songs themselves possess an extraordinary ability to captivate and create an immersive atmosphere. Even snippets of her music streamed online can move listeners profoundly—imagine the impact of experiencing her performance live!
As the first song built to its climax, everyone's emotions seemed to converge in a moment of shared resonance. Even Robin herself wasn't immune. The pre-performance jitters that had plagued her before taking the stage vanished completely the moment she began singing, replaced by total immersion in the song.
Each note seemed imbued with life, leaping and dancing to weave a vibrant tapestry of sound.
As the first song concluded, a tsunami of cheers erupted from the crowd. The Kuaishou live stream chat was already flooded with countless "Beautiful!" messages, filling every pixel of the screen.
"This is amazing... I wish I could be there..." Lü Heng lamented, his face drooping with disappointment. He was the guy squatting outside the concert venue, watching the live stream. Just as he sighed, a shirtless foreigner with only one pant leg intact darted past him at full speed.
"???" Lü Heng blinked in disbelief, rubbing his eyes. "What the hell was that?"
Moments later, three more figures, each dressed in wildly different attire but running just as fast, raced after the bizarre streaker.