My abstract plant was exposed by my sister.

Lin Xiao Kui is in a bad mood today.

To be precise, her live stream data was very poor; as a small-time streamer, she had fewer than a thousand viewers in her live stream.

Since last week, the number has dropped to just over 200, with sparse comments and almost no donations.

Her team kept telling her, "Xiao Kui, you need to come up with something new. Audiences are more discerning now; just chatting isn't enough."

Looking for something new?

Where is she going to find new work? She can't exactly go out on the street and randomly interview passersby asking, "Are you constipated today?"

She squatted at the entrance of the school's laboratory building, scrolling through her phone, staring blankly at the title of her live stream, "Xiao Kui's Daily Chat," for a long time.

"Nobody watches my casual chats, but everyone watches my crazy antics," she muttered to herself. "But I can't actually go and do something stupid..."

Just as she was worrying, she suddenly remembered something.

Her brother, Lin Muyang, is a graduate student at the university next door. He's been spending all his time in the lab lately, saying that his amazing graduation project is about to enter a crucial stage.

The last time she brought him food, she saw him staring blankly at an empty bottle through the window, looking as if he had been abandoned by the whole world.

"There's definitely something to film in the lab," Xiao Kui's eyes lit up. "The daily life of a research student—very few people do that kind of subject!"

She slung her small bag over her shoulder, bought a bag of oranges and two cups of milk tea, and strode confidently toward the laboratory building.

When Xiao Kui pushed open the laboratory door, Lin Muyang was squatting on the windowsill, talking to the cactus.

"What exactly do you want? I changed the soil and added nutrient solution, and you're still standing up?"

The cactus is pointing its middle finger.

"I didn't sleep a wink last night just to write your observation log, and you still want to give me a thumbs up?"

The cactus changed its angle and continued to stand upright.

"If you keep doing this, I'll throw you away."

All the cactus's fingers turned towards him in unison, standing upright in perfect unison.

Lin Muyang: "..."

I'm tired, I'm beyond saving, let's just destroy it, hurry up and do it.

Xiao Kui stood at the door, almost dropping the milk tea in her hand.

"Brother, are you arguing with the cactus?"

Lin Muyang turned his head abruptly, a hint of panic flashing across his face: "Xiao Kui? What brings you here?"

"I'm bringing you some warmth." Xiao Kui held up her milk tea, but her gaze was fixed on the cactus on the windowsill: "What's that?"

Lin Muyang stubbornly retorted, "What what? It's just a regular cactus."

"A normal cactus will give the middle finger?" Xiao Kui rushed to the windowsill, bent down, and stared wide-eyed.

The cactus gave her the middle finger.

Xiao Kui gasped.

She moved a little closer. The cactus stood up again.

She reached out to touch it, but Lin Muyang grabbed her hand and said, "Don't touch it! It'll prick you—no, it'll flick you."

This is a feature he just discovered last night.

"Flick me?" Xiao Kui didn't believe it and reached out to poke the spike.

The cactus thorn that had turned into a finger suddenly flicked, hitting her index finger with a "smack".

"Ouch!" Xiao Kui pulled her hand back, her fingertips gradually turning red.

The cactus changed direction, gave her a "V" sign, and then quickly switched back to the middle finger.

Xiao Kui stared at it for five seconds, then slowly turned her head to look at Lin Muyang.

"Brother, tell me honestly, have you secretly come up with something incredible?"

Lin Muyang opened his mouth, but before he could think of a way to explain, Xiao Kui took out her phone and looked at him expectantly: "Brother, can I do a live stream?"

"Uh, okay." Lin Muyang already knew about Lin Xiaokui's live stream, and he also knew that there were very few viewers in her live stream room.

"Thanks, bro!" Lin Xiaokui cheered. "I only have two hundred people in my live stream right now. If I pat this cactus, I'll have met my KPI for tonight!"

"Welcome to Xiao Kui's live stream!" Xiao Kui had already started her broadcast, flashing the standard streamer smile at the camera:

"Family, I'm not outdoors today, I'm in my brother's lab! Guess what I found?"

Lin Muyang glanced at it, shook his head, sat back down in front of the computer, and continued to organize the experimental data.

In the live stream, a few scattered comments drifted in:

"Xiao Kui, you look so beautiful today."

"In the lab again? Is your brother a scientist?"

"Can you please stop livestreaming indoors? It's boring."

Xiao Kui pointed her phone camera at the cactus on the windowsill: "Family, look what this is!"

Bullet comments:

"A cactus."

What's so interesting about a regular cactus?

"Wait, why do those thorns look like fingers?"

Xiao Kui leaned closer to the camera and lowered her voice: "This isn't an ordinary cactus. Look closely, each of its spines is a miniature finger, and..."

She waved her hand in front of the cactus.

All the fingers of the cactus stood up in unison.

The live stream was silent for 0.5 seconds.

Then the comments section exploded.

"Holy crap???"

"Is it giving the middle finger???"

"Is this fake? Is it a plastic model?"

Am I seeing things?

"Xiao Kui, where did you buy these prank props?"

The number of online users jumped from two hundred to three hundred, and then to eight hundred.

Xiao Kui couldn't suppress her smile; this was already her best result in the past few days.

"Family members, you don't believe it either, right? I didn't believe it at first either! I thought it was some kind of prank toy my brother played."

She turned to Lin Muyang and asked, "Brother, is this cactus real?"

Lin Muyang replied expressionlessly, "Yes."

Why did it give the middle finger?

"Accident."

"What kind of accident could have damaged a cactus like this?"

Lin Muyang opened his mouth, unsure how to explain.

You can't exactly say, "My evolution inducer was spilled by a cat, so a few drops splashed on it," can you? That sounds too far-fetched.

Before he could answer, Xiao Kui pointed the camera at the cactus again.

"Family members, you're still wondering if it's a prop, right? Let me verify it."

She took a ballpoint pen from the table, carefully approached the cactus, and gently poked the thorn with the pen tip.

The cactus finger snapped, striking the pen with a sharp "snap".

Bullet comments:

"I heard a sound!"

"It's true!"

"It's not a prop! Props don't bounce people off!"

"This cactus has such a bad temper, hahaha!"

The number of online users has exceeded 10,000.

Xiao Kui was so excited her hands were shaking. Her live stream had never had so many viewers before.

"Family members, you want to see how it gives the middle finger, right? Come on, zoom in a little—"

She held her phone less than ten centimeters away from the cactus.

"Mr. Cactus, what are your thoughts on today's live stream?"

The cactus remained silent for a second.

Then it turned all the spikes—all the tiny fingers—towards the camera, standing them up neatly and unambiguously.

The scene, how should I put it?

Like a square formation, they all gave the world the most uncivilized salute in unison: to hell with the world.

The comments section went crazy.

Hahahahahaha

"This cactus is the most unique plant I've ever seen."

"It understood! It understood what Xiao Kui said!"

"I suggest sending them to participate in a variety show."

"My mom asked me why I was kneeling while looking at my phone."

The number of online users has indeed exceeded 30,000.

Xiao Kui almost laughed until tears streamed down her face. She glanced back at Lin Muyang and saw her brother covering his face with an expression that said, "I don't want to live anymore."

"Brother, don't worry, I won't say you planted it," Xiao Kui said in a low voice.

"You've already said that," Lin Muyang said expressionlessly.

Did I say that?

You mentioned "my brother's lab".

"Oh." Xiao Kui thought for a moment, "That's alright, you've always been my brother."

The chat immediately erupted in laughter:

"Where is Xiaokui's brother?"

"Let my brother make an appearance on camera!"

"I want to see who can grow this kind of cactus."

Xiao Kui turned her phone towards Lin Muyang, who waved at the camera expressionlessly.

"My brother is so handsome!"

"Brother, do you need a sister-in-law?"

"Brother, how did you grow this?"

"Brother, say something!"

Lin Muyang didn't say a word, turned around and walked out of the laboratory.

Xiao Kui shouted at his retreating figure, "Brother, don't go! You haven't greeted the audience yet!"

Lin Muyang ignored him and simply closed the door.

Xiao Kui shrugged at the camera: "My brother is socially awkward. Ignore him. Let's continue looking at the cactus."

She turned back and found that the cactus had changed its middle finger from a raised one to a "V" sign, making a V with two fingers.

"Oh, you even know how to change hand gestures?" Xiao Kui chuckled. "So what do you want to say now? 'Yeah' or 'two'?"

The cactus held the "V" sign for three seconds, then all its fingers stood up in unison.

It's saying: I've chosen the first finger.

I love the personality of this cactus.

"Xiao Kui, could you please have it say something to the camera?"

"It can't speak, but it understands everything."

Xiao Kui glanced at the donation list and was stunned.

Someone sent ten "Carnival" messages, a full ten!

One "Carnival" costs 3,000 yuan, so ten would be 30,000 yuan. That's more than he earned in the past six months.

Xiao Kui's voice changed: "Thank you so much, 'Cactus Fan Club President,' for the ten carnivals! You're too kind, President!"

"Wow, even the cactus fan club has joined in!"

"I want to join the fan club too."

"This cactus is redder than my idol."

Xiao Kui took a deep breath, pointed the camera at the cactus, and said earnestly, "Mr. Cactus, you're the most popular plant on the internet right now. Is there anything you'd like to say to everyone?"

The cactus remained silent for three seconds.

Then, it pointed all its thorns, all its tiny fingers, at the lens, standing them up neatly.

At that moment, the number of viewers in the live stream exceeded 100,000.

The comments were so numerous they were almost unreadable, the screen was filled with "hahaha" and "middle finger".

Xiao Kui laughed so hard she squatted on the ground, tears streaming down her face.

On the windowsill, the cactus remained motionless, its middle finger raised, like a silent, stubborn, rebellious teenager giving the middle finger to the whole world.

The setting sun shone on its thorns, coating each finger with a golden light.

For some reason, the scene felt somewhat solemn.

Xiao Kui wiped away her tears and said to the camera, "Family members, that's all for today's live stream. Thank you all for watching my brother's cactus. We'll continue chatting with the cactus tomorrow at the same time. Will it change its gestures? Will it learn to swear? Stay tuned!"

She turned off the live stream, leaned against the control panel, and let out a long sigh.

Peak number of online users: 120,000.

Total donations: 47,000.

New followers: 30,000.

Xiao Kui looked at her phone screen, then at the cactus on the windowsill still giving her the middle finger, and muttered to herself, "Brother, now you're rich, and so am I. We're both rich."

The lab door opened, and Lin Muyang walked in carrying a glass of water, saying expressionlessly, "You've turned my graduation project into an internet sensation."

"Your graduation project became famous on its own," Xiao Kui said with a grin. "I was just a copycat."

Lin Muyang glanced at her, then at the cactus, and sighed.

The cactus gave him the middle finger.

Lin Muyang: "...Whose side are you on?"

The cactus turned to Xiao Kui and made a heart shape with its fingers, bending a few fingers into a heart shape. Although it was crooked, it was still barely recognizable.

Xiao Kui screamed, "It's making a heart shape with its hands! It's making a heart shape with its hands for me! Bro, did you see that?!"

Lin Muyang took a sip of water expressionlessly: "I saw it."

He put the cup on the table and picked up his notebook to take notes:

"Plant Induced Evolution Log Supplement No. 001"

"New discovery: Cactus can recognize different people and react with different gestures depending on the person it interacts with."

"To myself: give the middle finger."

To my younger sister: Sending you a heart shape with my hands.

"Speculation: It may actually have its own 'preferences'."