Fate's Choice: Livestream at the Start Summoning Billions of Ravens

The next day, early in the morning.

Sunlight streamed through the old windows, casting dappled patterns on the living room floor.

After dinner, Jiang Lijun and Zhang Huilan sat on the sofa, their brows furrowed, discussing their move in hushed tones.

"How about we go check out that new residential area in the south of the city? It's nice and quiet," Zhang Huilan suggested softly.

Jiang Lijun smoked a cigarette and shook his head.

"It's too far; it's inconvenient for you to even buy groceries."

Just then, a piercing telephone ring shattered the tranquility of the room.

It's the landline at home.

Zhang Huilan stiffened, exchanged a glance with her husband, and both saw obvious resistance in each other's eyes.

During this period, this phone call was the source of all my troubles.

The bell rang persistently.

Zhang Huilan sighed, got up and walked over, picking up the receiver.

"Hello, who is this?"

An overly enthusiastic female voice immediately came from the other end of the phone.

"Oh, Huilan! It's me, your sister!"

She is Jiang Ming's aunt, Zhang Huifang.

Zhang Huilan's expression became somewhat unnatural.

"Sis, is something the matter?"

"What are you saying? Can't you call your own sister for no reason?" Zhang Huifang's voice was loud and carried an unyielding warmth.

"It's mainly about Xiaoming! Our Xiaoming is incredibly lucky to have survived such a terrible plane crash. This is such a joyous occasion! Your brother-in-law and I have discussed it, and we definitely need to celebrate properly to get rid of any bad luck for the child!"

Zhang Huilan gripped the telephone cord, a bad feeling welling up inside her.

"Sister, the child just got back, I want him to rest more..."

"What rest?!" Zhang Huifang interrupted her directly.

"I've arranged everything! Tonight at 7 PM, Tianyue Mansion, the largest Imperial Pavilion private room! Let's have a good family get-together! You absolutely have to bring Xiaoming along!"

Tianyue Mansion is the most upscale hotel in Yuzhang City, with an average cost of four figures per person starting at four figures.

Zhang Huilan looked embarrassed and was trying to find an excuse to refuse.

"Sis, you really don't need to spend so much money..."

The enthusiasm on the other end of the phone instantly cooled, replaced by a sharp, aggrieved tone.

"Huilan, what do you mean by this? Now that Xiaoming has become successful and a nationally renowned figure, he looks down on us poor relatives, right? As his aunt, I can't even see my nephew?"

This accusation left Zhang Huilan unsure how to respond.

Emotional blackmail is always the most difficult weapon for an honest person like her to deal with.

Just as Zhang Huilan was caught in a dilemma, Jiang Ming came out of his room.

He glanced at his mother and spoke calmly.

"Mom, say yes to her."

"Let's go."

Zhang Huilan was stunned.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Li stubbed out his cigarette and furrowed his brows.

He pulled Jiang Ming to the balcony, lowered his voice, and spoke with concern.

"Son, are you out of your mind? This is clearly a trap! Don't you know what kind of people your relatives are?"

Jiang Ming looked at his father's anxious face, but his expression remained unchanged.

"Dad, some things you can't avoid."

"Solve it once and for all, and then it'll be peaceful again."

After saying that, Jiang Ming turned and went back to his room, leaving Jiang Lijun alone on the balcony, staring blankly at his son's back.

In the room, Jiang Ming took out the black encrypted phone and sent a message to Chen Jianguo.

The message was very brief.

"Tonight at 7 PM, Tianyue Mansion. We'll be handling family matters. No need to interfere. Please prepare detailed information on my aunt Zhang Huifang, uncle Li Jian, and cousin Li Hao's family, including their financial situation and recent social activities."

The moment the message is sent, the screen immediately displays "The other party is typing".

A few seconds later, Chen Jianguo's reply popped up.

"The information will be sent to your phone in half an hour."

Chen Jianguo sat in his office at the Ninth Bureau, staring at the text on the screen, lost in thought for a moment.

He understood what Jiang Ming meant by "no need to interfere"—he didn't want the Ninth Bureau's influence to directly intervene in his family affairs.

But he still picked up another phone and dialed the head of the Yuzhang branch.

"Send a team in plainclothes to stand by outside Tianyue Mansion. Remember, observe only, do not make contact unless you receive my direct orders."

Half an hour later, an encrypted file appeared on Jiang Ming's phone right on time.

Jiang Ming opened the file, and the information inside was so detailed it was alarming.

My aunt Zhang Huifang and uncle Li Jian recently participated in a private fundraising scheme, but the platform collapsed, causing them to lose more than 800,000 yuan and still owe the bank 300,000 yuan in loans.

My cousin Li Hao has a girlfriend, but her family demands that they buy a house in the city center outright, otherwise they won't get married. They can't even afford the down payment.

The document was accompanied by several photos, which were video records of the aunt's family frequently visiting various microloan companies and card rooms recently.

Jiang Ming read through all the documents expressionlessly, then casually deleted them completely.

It's 6:30 in the evening.

Jiang Ming's family changed into ordinary clothes.

Jiang Lijun wore a worn-out jacket, while Zhang Huilan wore a dark coat. Both of them had undisguised worry and unease on their faces.

"Dad, Mom."

Jiang Ming walked up to them and straightened his father's collar.

"Tonight, you don't need to say anything or do anything."

"Just watch the show."

Jiang Lijun and Zhang Huilan exchanged a glance, and the tension in their hearts inexplicably dissipated a little.

A family of three walked out of the residential compound.

Downstairs, the bustling crowd had long since vanished, leaving only a few Ninth Bureau personnel disguised as sanitation workers and security guards standing watch in the distance.

A black Volkswagen sedan with ordinary local license plates was parked quietly at the entrance of the building.

Upon seeing them, the driver immediately got out of the car and opened the back door.

The vehicle started smoothly, merging into the city's evening rush hour traffic, and headed towards the brightly lit Tianyue Mansion.

Tianyue Mansion, "Emperor's Pavilion" private room.

Under the luxurious crystal chandelier, a huge round table that could seat twenty people was already bustling with activity.

Aunt Zhang Huifang was wearing a brand-new mink coat and a thick gold necklace around her neck, while Uncle Li Jian, with his beer belly, was beaming.

My cousin Li Hao and his fiancée, dressed to the nines, were surrounded by a group of relatives, their faces beaming with pride.

At the same table were more than a dozen distant relatives of Jiang Ming, whose names he could hardly recall. They were all dressed in gold and silver, trying their best to appear as members of high society.

When the door to the private room was pushed open, Jiang Ming and his family of three walked in.

The entire private room fell silent for a second, before erupting into an even louder uproar.

"Oh! Xiao Ming's here! Quick, quick, please take a seat!"

Zhang Huifang was the first to rush forward, enthusiastically grabbing Jiang Ming's hand and pulling him towards the head seat.

"My dear nephew, I've been waiting for you! Let your aunt take a good look at you. You've lost weight; you must have been terrified on the plane!"

"Xiao Ming is now the greatest pride of our Jiang and Zhang families!"

"That's right, that's right, a living god! Our family's guardian deity!"

A group of relatives immediately surrounded him, showering him with concern and flattery.

Jiang Lijun and Zhang Huilan were at a loss for what to do and could only smile awkwardly.

Jiang Ming let them perform, and Zhang Huifang pressed him into the main seat, his face revealing neither joy nor anger.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

The atmosphere in the private room became increasingly lively under the influence of alcohol.

Aunt Zhang Huifang felt the time was right. She put down her wine glass, her smile vanished, and her eyes instantly reddened.

She began by tearfully recounting how difficult her business had been over the past two years, how much money she had been cheated out of, and how tough her life had become.

After some build-up, she abruptly changed the subject, wiping away non-existent tears with a handkerchief and staring intently at Jiang Ming.

"Xiaoming, you're the most capable and promising member of our family now. You have to give your aunt a hand!"

Uncle Li Jianli immediately chimed in, raising his wine glass to Jiang Ming with a fawning smile.

"Xiaoming, and your cousin too, look at him, he's not young anymore. He finally found someone, but she only has one requirement: she wants a house bought outright. We parents aren't capable of that, and... we're still short 500,000 yuan. Do you think we could... help us out?"

My cousin Li Hao's fiancée, with her fingers painted red nail polish, spoke in a sarcastic tone.

"Oh, Uncle, you can't say that. Xiaoming is now the famous Crow God. It's said online that he can easily earn tens of millions in a single live stream. For him, 500,000 is just a piece of cake."

As soon as she finished speaking, the other distant relatives at the table also found a breakthrough.

"Yes, Xiaoming, your second great-uncle's grandson wants to go to school in Jiangcheng. Do you think you could help arrange a good school for him?"

"And me, Xiaoming, your third aunt is a little short on cash lately. Could you lend me a hundred or twenty thousand to tide me over?"

"My son graduated from university but hasn't found a job yet. Is your company still hiring?"

Greedy faces were laid bare under the glamorous lights.

They didn't seem to be asking for anything, but rather demanding it with a sense of entitlement, dividing up their spoils.

Jiang Lijun's face was so dark it looked like it could drip water, and his fists under the table were clenched tightly.

Zhang Huilan's face turned even paler, her lips trembled, and she looked at her sister and the group of relatives with eyes full of disappointment and embarrassment.

She was about to say something on behalf of her son.

"Xiao Ming, he..."

Jiang Ming gave him a look, calm but with an unquestionable air.

Zhang Huilan swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

In the entire private room, only Jiang Ming was still slowly and methodically eating his food.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, he picked up the last piece of sweet and sour pork, put it in his mouth, chewed it carefully, and then swallowed it.

Then, he picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth.

Finally, he put down his chopsticks.

The chopsticks collided with the plate, making a crisp, light sound.

The sound wasn't loud, but it instantly silenced the entire private room.

All the noisy demands came to an abrupt halt.

All eyes were on Jiang Ming.

Jiang Ming didn't look at anyone.

He simply leaned back in his chair, looked around, and then asked a question in an extremely calm tone.

"Are you done talking?"