Xingtie: My silly online friend is actually a raccoon!

Changkong City, a residential garden community.

The entryway door was gently closed.

Mizuno Wataru did not turn on the lights.

He stood with his back against the door for two seconds before slowly straightening up and placing the bunch of keys in his hand on the shoe cabinet.

The key fell very softly.

The refrigerator hummed in the corner of the kitchen, a sound that was usually inaudible but became particularly clear when the house was completely empty.

He took off his coat, which was covered in a layer of dust, with shiny cuffs, and still smelled of hospital disinfectant.

He casually draped his coat over the back of the chair.

Then he slumped down in front of the dining table.

The chair groaned under the weight.

The reason he was in such a sorry state was because of his daughter, Mizuno Shio.

I was diagnosed with Honkai disease three months ago.

My daughter is only seven years old, she has a bright future ahead of her, why would she get this disease at such a young age?

Didn't the experts say that this disease only affects elderly people with weakened immune systems?

Why was it her daughter who got sick instead of herself?

When the doctor uttered the name of the disease, Mizuno Wataru was struck dumb, as if by a bolt from the blue, and his entire life turned gray.

Then came the treatment costs, hospitalization costs, imported drug costs, and costs for special drugs.

A series of economic pressures weighed heavily on this ordinary family.

Mizuno Wataru spent all his savings, cards, and everything he could convert into cash on medical expenses.

He also owes his relatives a lot of money.

But there is still no possibility of a cure.

Even if there is not the slightest hope.

They are now so poor that they can't afford a caregiver, and he and his wife Meiqing can only take turns caring for their immobile daughter day and night.

The two people were like two spinning tops being whipped, going back and forth between home and the hospital, until even their dreams were filled with white corridors and dripping IV tubes.

But her daughter's health continued to deteriorate day by day.

He went to the hospital yesterday, and his daughter's hand had become even thinner.

When that hand emerged from under the covers, he almost didn't recognize it.

The nails are gray, and bluish-purple lines can be seen under the skin, creeping from the fingertips all the way to the wrist.

He held that hand for a long time.

tide smiled at him and said, "Dad, did you not shave again today? It's prickly."

……

Mizuno Wataru buried his face in his palms.

He huddled in the chair, his shoulders trembling, without making a sound.

The refrigerator was still humming.

He walked back today.

It's more than ten kilometers from the municipal hospital to here. The bus fare is two yuan, four yuan round trip.

He wouldn't even spend those four yuan.

A year ago, this would have cost the price of a bottle of soda.

But now, four yuan can make him walk more than ten kilometers, walking on his own two legs until blisters form on the soles of his feet, until the muscles in his calves tremble with every step he takes.

The thought of selling the house had lingered in his mind countless times.

But the house was sold...

Where will they live in the future?

Where will tide stay after being discharged from the hospital?

When Miharu returned from the hospital at night, there wasn't even a place where she could lie down and rest.

……

After an unknown amount of time, Mizuno Wataru looked up.

He took out his phone.

The screen lit up, and the light was so bright it hurt my eyes.

He narrowed his eyes, and his finger unconsciously tapped on that familiar video website—YouTube.

Before, after get off work, he always liked to browse around here, watching people cook, watching cats, looking at the scenery in the distance, and looking at things that had nothing to do with him.

That was the only time of day he could clear his mind.

He needs moments like this now too.

The homepage loads.

The first item pinned to the top is a popular video.

But the title suddenly stung his eyes.

Honkai Impact is not incurable; here's a three-minute guide to curing it.

In an instant, anger surged up to Mizuno Wataru's head.

This kind of thing.

These sensational videos exploit the suffering of patients and their families, treating human lives as mere clickbait for online traffic.

Although he had seen it before, he just laughed it off, treating it as a farce, and swiped it away.

At that time, he would find such clumsy deception laughable.

But now, that playful tone is completely gone.

Because the disaster truly befell his daughter and his family.

The anger in his chest almost burst out of his throat.

An absurd idea popped into my head.

I wish I were a Saiyan.

That way he can transform directly and then punch the liar behind the screen into dust.

He suppressed his anger and clicked on the blogger's homepage.

The ID name is: Father and daughter who reveal the world's underlying code.

The profile picture is a group photo.

A man in his twenties was laughing heartlessly; next to him stood a small girl with green hair, expressionless, arms crossed, with a look of disgust on her face.

Mizuno Wataru stared at that ID for two seconds.

He gave a cold laugh.

He is ready.

He wanted to post a critical comment and then report it.

He had already thought of the reasons for reporting him: false advertising, fraud, and exploiting patients.

But when he clicked into the comments section and saw the pinned first comment, he was stunned.

"Thank you so much, content creator. My mother is in her third trimester, and after following your method, all her symptoms have dropped this week. I'm extremely grateful."

"I didn't believe it at first, but I figured I'd give it a shot, and it actually worked. I've stopped taking the medication and am observing the situation. The doctor says I'm recovering very well."

"My younger brother. It's been five years. Now he can get out of bed and walk on his own. I don't know how to repay you."

"Buy online trolls."

Mizuno Wataru squeezed out three words through gritted teeth.

"This is blatant hiring of online trolls!"

"Can your consciences stand it?"

"My daughter is still lying in the hospital bed."

"I want to report this so your account will be banned."

He typed each word carefully.

Halfway through the knocking.

He stopped.

But what if?

It was as if a voice suddenly appeared in his mind.

Without warning, and without reason.

It was like a needle piercing the deepest part of his heart, making him shudder.

When people are at their most desperate, even if they know it's just a straw to grasp, they can't help but reach out and grab it.

Mizuno Wataru's reason screamed: This is a scam. This is absolutely a scam.

But when he thought of his daughter lying in the hospital bed, and of that little hand with purple markings sticking out from under the covers…

That lingering hope was impossible to suppress.

The mouse moved over uncontrollably.

It was moved to the play button.

The cursor hovered there, flashing.

I don't believe him.

Mizuno Wataru said to himself.

I just want to watch the whole video.

That way I'll have a reason to refute him.

I will point out his flaws one by one; I will prove that he is a fraud.

Correct.

That's it.

That's right...

Click.