The trending list—
Changed.
Ethan Cole's name—
Disappeared from number one.
Replaced by an entertainment headline.
As if nothing had ever happened.
The comments started stirring.
"Where did he go??"
"Wasn't he just #1?"
"Got suppressed??"
"Told you he wouldn't last"
"I knew it, people like him don't stay"
The tone shifted.
From shock—
To doubt.
Then—
To mockery.
In the office.
Zhou Cheng sat in his chair.
Watching the backend data.
His fingers tapped the table.
Slow.
Steady.
"He's dropping."
The assistant said quietly.
"After we bought out the placements, his traffic was cut."
Zhou Cheng nodded.
Expression calm.
"People like him—"
"Think money is enough to play the game."
He let out a faint smile.
"Too bad."
"He doesn't even know the threshold."
He looked at the screen.
"Give it thirty minutes."
"When the heat fades—"
"He'll be nothing."
Skyview Residence.
The living room was silent.
City lights moved outside the window.
Ethan stood there.
Phone in hand.
The data was changing.
Heat dropping.
Exposure shrinking.
Comments turning sour.
He watched for a moment.
Then—
Smiled.
"Now this feels real."
Not anger.
Not pressure.
But—
Excitement.
The system activated.
[Ding!]
[High-level capital suppression detected]
A new prompt appeared.
[Activate advanced influence conversion?]
Ethan didn't hesitate.
"Activate."
The interface shifted.
A new option appeared.
[Direct Resource Access: Platform Executives]
Below it—
A number.
Label:
Vice President (Operations)
Ethan stared at it.
This wasn't buying traffic.
This was—
Changing the rules.
He dialed.
The call connected.
The voice on the other end was impatient.
"Who is this?"
Ethan didn't introduce himself.
He said one sentence.
"I can make your platform fifty million tonight."
Silence.
Two seconds.
Three.
The tone changed.
"…Who are you?"
Ethan leaned back on the sofa.
"Ethan Cole."
Another pause.
The other side was thinking.
Weighing.
Calculating.
Then asked—
"What do you want?"
Ethan answered directly.
"Homepage number one."
"Full-site promotion."
"Now."
Simple.
Clean.
No extra words.
The breathing on the other side grew heavier.
"What's your guarantee?"
Ethan smiled.
"I go live now."
"You watch the revenue."
That line—
Was everything.
Traffic can be faked.
Revenue cannot.
Three seconds later—
The answer came.
"You've got it."
The call ended.
Ethan looked at his phone.
And smiled slightly.
"Rules?"
"They're just—"
"A price that hasn't been met."
The next second—
The platform refreshed.
Homepage placements—
Unlocked.
Trending number one—
Replaced.
Title:
"Ethan Cole Live: You can ban accounts, not me."
Traffic—
Exploded back.
The stream started.
Viewers:
10K.
30K.
80K.
150K.
300K.
Within minutes—
Top of the entire platform.
The chat went insane.
"He's back!!!"
"What?? He's #1 again???"
"How did he do that???"
"The platform is boosting him???"
Ethan sat in front of the camera.
Calm.
He glanced at the numbers.
Then spoke.
"Just now—"
"Someone taught me what rules are."
He paused.
Then smiled.
"Now—"
"I'll teach you—"
"What resources are."
The chat exploded.
Meanwhile—
In the office.
Zhou Cheng's screen refreshed.
Number one—
Ethan again.
And this time—
Full-site promotion.
The assistant's face turned pale.
"Mr. Zhou… something's wrong!"
"The platform just gave him full access!"
Zhou Cheng slowly lifted his head.
His expression—
Changed for the first time.
"Who approved it?"
"…The Vice President."
The room went silent.
Zhou Cheng stood up.
Walked to the window.
Looked at the city below.
His hand tightened slightly.
"He's not just spending money."
He said quietly.
"He's—"
"Buying the rules."
The scene froze.
Meanwhile—
Ethan sat in his livestream.
Watching the numbers surge.
His eyes—
Calm.
He was no longer someone bound by rules.
He was someone—
Who rewrote them.