Afternoon.
A delivery from Devon Corporation's logistics company arrived at Lu Ye's residence, containing a meticulously packaged Dawn Stone.
The wooden box was crafted from luxurious rosewood, engraved with exquisite patterns, and inlaid with a blood-red agate gem on the lid.
Lu Ye, who hadn't seen much of the world, was instantly reminded of the old tale of "buying the box and returning the pearl."
"Steven's collection... is truly something else," Lu Ye sighed.
This stone, certified as high-quality by Steven the stone fanatic, wasn't just premium—it was legendary-level.
"No wonder it's so expensive," Lu Ye muttered, exhaling deeply.
"So a gold miner's months of income is just enough to buy one of these rocks, huh?"
Lu Ye's breeding methods were learned from Brock, his training techniques came from Sabrina, and his resources were endorsed by Steven himself.
Come to think of it, it'd be more of a miracle if he ever cleared his debts.
Given the situation, all he could do was work hard to barely make ends meet.
With Eevee perched on his shoulder, Lu Ye started his livestream and updated the title to: "Streamer Off-Topic Series: Gold Miner".
Like his previous "Plants vs. Zombies" stream, today's stream was all about casual mini-games.
Though less popular, many viewers tuned in just to see Eevee.
"Eevee-chan! Uncle's here to see you!"
"Finally, Eevee's live again! 🥹"
"Streamer, why are you slacking off again?"
Clearing his throat, Lu Ye explained, "This stream is about showcasing the second game I've developed. For those in the know, I'll now demonstrate some live gameplay..."
Even in a casual mining game, Lu Ye managed to entertain.
"Are you predicting the rock's movement with your hook?"
"Blind streamer spotted. Followed!"
Blushing slightly, Lu Ye explained, "This technique? Oh, it's about calculating the hook's lead time!"
"Respect! You even make Gold Miner entertaining!"
"Streamer, let Eevee play instead!"
Inspired, Lu Ye patted Eevee's head and asked, "Eevee, want to try pressing this arrow key?"
"Vee~"
Eevee yawned dismissively, then lazily swatted at the keyboard with its paw.
The hook shot out and flawlessly snagged a gem in the most difficult spot imaginable.
"Ohhhhhhh!"
"Confirmed! Eevee is the real streamer!"
Lu Ye felt awkward. "My bad, sorry for interrupting the real streamer!"
Suddenly, the livestream lagged for a moment.
A flurry of question marks filled the chat, and Lu Ye scratched his head.
"Am I lagging?"
The chat was flooded with: "Thanks, Boss!", "Boss is awesome!", "Boss is going wild!"
Lu Ye froze briefly before glancing at the gift interface. His spirits lifted.
"Thanks to 'I'm First Again' for sending ten Super Rockets! Big thanks, Boss!"
Despite his relaxed streaming style, Lu Ye was still a popular creator.
The previous top supporter, Red, was in a league of his own, with no challengers in sight.
But this new big spender? Ten Super Rockets right off the bat?!
Lu Ye was just mining rocks, not streaming a Pokémon battle!
What kind of odd hobby does this guy have, enjoying rock mining so much?
Moments later, another wave of effects swept across the screen. In under a minute, Steven sent another ten Super Rockets.
Lu Ye stammered his thanks, grinning so wide his cheeks hurt.
"Boss, this isn't necessary! Everyone, type 'Rational Spending' in the chat! There's no need for this!"
"Stop sending gifts! Please, Boss, spend rationally!"
Viewers sighed in dismay.
"Boss, what are you doing?!"
"Uh oh, after pocketing this money, Teacher Lu will definitely go MIA again!"
"Jumped to Rank 1! Boss, are you into Teacher Lu or what?"
---
In Lu Ye's fan group chat:
[Blue: This username... could it be Devon Corporation's Vice President?]
Red nodded thoughtfully.
[Red: It's probably Steven. Didn't think he'd watch Teacher Lu's streams.]
"Your top spot just got snatched," Blue said, elbowing Red.
"Why not try to reclaim it?"
"Heh." Red shot Blue a glance. "Do I look stupid? Competing with Steven in gift-giving?"
Blue chuckled awkwardly.
Still... if even Steven watches Lu Ye's streams...
Blue rubbed his chin in thought.
Could Lu Ye have some tactical insight that even Steven respects?
Steven, the quintessential rich kid, always strived to be first in everything—even gift-giving.
---
By the end of the afternoon, Lu Ye's pockets were full.
But as he basked in his success, a troubling thought struck him.
Wait a minute...
Isn't this just Steven using the money I paid for the Dawn Stone to gift me back?!
Lu Ye's feelings were complicated, to say the least.
After ending the stream, he made Steven a moderator and invited him to the fan group chat.
[Steven: What's this?]
Steven asked.
[Lu Ye: A discussion group. Everyone here's a fan of gaming]
Lu Ye replied.
Although... it's also likely just Red's personal harem group...
[Steven: I see.]
Steven nodded thoughtfully.
[Steven: But I rarely use social apps. Is that okay?]
[Lu Ye: No problem. The more, the merrier!] Lu Ye grinned.
[Steven: 'The more, the merrier?']
[Lu Ye: Ah... nothing!]
Lu Ye coughed nervously.
Shoot, did I just say my true thoughts out loud?!
---
[Member 'I'm First Again' joined the group.]
[Wattson: What the—! Isn't this the guy always competing with me for leaderboard points?!]
[Gold: Old man, even with hacks, you couldn't beat him. Have some shame!]
Blue frowned, typing coldly:
[Blue: That's the former Hoenn Champion. Show some respect!]
Gold stroked his chin, nodding.
[Gold: True... Steven transferred his Champion title, but Blue got defeated by Red!]
[Admin 'Blue' retracted a member message.]
[Admin 'Blue' muted 'Gold' for 24 hours.]
Lu Ye's heart pounded.
Gold, you just said what I've always wanted to say!
---
[Lance: Welcome, @Steven.]
Steven and Lance had clashed during the World Master Championship, though Steven, distracted by mining, hadn't performed at his peak.
After all, his crowning achievement was holding his ground against Primal Kyogre using a Mega Metagross—a feat leagues above some "unnamed actress."
Steven glanced at the chat and froze.
Lance... is also a fan of this gaming group?
Another misunderstanding added to the pile!
---
The group exploded with welcomes like "Welcome, Big Boss!" and "Group Status -1."
But Steven, unfamiliar with social apps, quickly went quiet.
Lu Ye closed the chat window and carried Eevee to the couch. Placing the Dawn Stone and the Meditate TM next to each other, he said,
"Alright, here's the training method. Let me know if you don't get it!"
Eevee's eyes were full of disdain.
This training is so basic. Are you insulting my intelligence?
Haunter nudged Lu Ye toward the kitchen, laughing heartily as it patted his shoulder.
"Haunter!"
Don't worry about training—leave it to me!
Lu Ye opened his mouth but couldn't find an argument.
In the end, he sighed humbly.
Turns out, it's not that I don't want to train...
It's just that my Pokémon think I'm too weak!