Surviving the Game as a Zombie - Chapter 75

The sudden appearance of the zombie trio not only confused Tang Yu and the others but also surprised the viewers in the live stream room.

Xiao Zhao displayed the contents of the forum, broadcasting it for everyone to see.

Besides the initial call for help, there were other new posts from players wandering near the Zone 2 Restricted Area. Driven by curiosity, they had ventured into the restricted area for a look. They hadn’t even reached the main research building before spotting the so-called zombie trio on the large lawn.

Some posts looked fake, using vague, grandiose words without any specific details, clearly fabricated on the spot to mislead people. But there were some genuine ones that provided detailed accounts of discovering the zombie trio and engaging them in a firefight.

The live stream viewers perked up and began discussing the issue of the imposter group. They had been watching farming for days, and after getting used to the slow pace, this sudden shot of adrenaline was like a jolt. They instantly shot back to life and started a flurry of comments.

Someone mentioned: “I feel like the first post is fake. It seems designed to lure players and Tang Yu into the restricted area.”

“Seconded. The original poster only replied to the first comment and then disappeared. They’re clearly focusing all the attention on the trio. The intention couldn’t be more obvious.”

“But, is it possible the poster is already dead and that’s why they can’t reply?”

“That’s true. In such a chaotic place, they probably wouldn’t survive a day. Even someone like Song Lengzhu would have to tread carefully in the restricted area.”

“Has anyone checked other streamers? Can anyone determine if this is real or fake?”

“Yes, I happen to be subscribed to another streamer. They’re stationed near the Zone 2 Restricted Area, and their team members mentioned to the streamer that the area has been restless lately. They weren’t talking about it on the forums, but in a private conversation. That can’t be a trap, right?”

For a moment, the credibility of the matter on the forums increased.

A fact-checker immediately stepped up: “Wait for me, I’ll go wander around some other live streams and scrape together some info to bring back for everyone.”

Xiao Zhao nervously watched everyone’s discussion, afraid that some inappropriate comments might appear.

The reason she was so nervous was that her supervisor had called her in for a talk.

Two months after starting the broadcast, Xiao Zhao had not only successfully passed two month-end evaluations but had also maintained a good level of activity in her live stream room thanks to frequently introducing new operational events like quizzes and lotteries. User stickiness was also very high, with most being long-term, active subscribers.

Viewers came and went, but the number had now stabilized at around 500,000. Among the many streams with millions of viewers, it wasn’t conspicuous, but it was considered a new stream with plenty of potential.

However, the intern Xiao Zhao got a little carried away by her initial success. She took her month-end evaluation results and applied for the company’s “Streaming Star” title. The title was awarded monthly to three streams, which would receive additional promotion and support from the company. The streamer’s salary would also increase. Xiao Zhao felt she could get lucky, just like Tang Jie.

Unfortunately, the title never came. Instead, her supervisor summoned her for “a cup of tea.”

The supervisor was a stern-faced, middle-aged man. He told Xiao Zhao bluntly, “If you’re handling the stream of a criminal, just do the most basic work. Don’t try to stand out. And applying for Streaming Star? Is that something an intern from an outer planet like you should be applying for?”

Xiao Zhao silently rolled her eyes. Then why even have a criminal’s stream?

The supervisor could tell what she was thinking from her expression and said sternly, “The criminal’s stream is for the entertainment of the viewers and players, not for your streamer to cause trouble for other players. If that streamer of yours becomes too conspicuous, there will be consequences for her. Manage your stream room and your viewers properly. Don’t let them say reckless things and stir up trouble, just making more work for me.”

Xiao Zhao felt indignant but still nodded in agreement. She had no choice; she really needed this job.

The streaming company she worked for didn’t actually need such low-level streamers. On the Main Star, most labor had already been replaced by artificial intelligence. All that was needed were humans to operate and supervise the AI, which required a high level of technical skill—something a worker like Xiao Zhao, recruited from a fringe planet, couldn’t do.

The reason Xiao Zhao was able to come to the Main Star was due to the company’s support policy for fringe planets. In other words, they exchanged a few dozen salaries for a good reputation or for the qualifications to conduct other business.

Even so, these low-level worker positions were extremely rare. If Xiao Zhao hadn’t met a benefactor who gave her the opportunity to further her education, she would have spent her entire life on a fringe planet like her old hoodlum friends.

The grander her farewell had been, the more stifled she felt now. She had fought desperately to squeeze her way onto the Main Star, only to be frequently met with disdain. Her peers from the Main Star were nice enough to her, quite amicable, but her supervisor made no effort to hide his sense of superiority as a Main Star native, even going out of his way to emphasize her status and tell her she wasn’t worthy.

Xiao Zhao hung her head, ready to leave the supervisor’s office. She had been thinking of climbing the ladder using Tang Jie as her cash cow, but the supervisor’s words had completely blocked her path.

Just as Xiao Zhao lifted her foot to leave, the supervisor called out to her again, reminding her sternly, “One more important thing. All company equipment is under surveillance. Don’t use it to pry into matters you shouldn’t be prying into.”

Xiao Zhao froze, realizing what the supervisor was referring to. She had once searched for information on Song Lengzhu. Her supervisor hadn’t spoken to her back then, probably because he hadn’t noticed. Now, with the two incidents combined, she had truly become the nail that sticks out.

Xiao Zhao couldn’t even tell which incident was the main reason for the talk; the supervisor hadn’t even mentioned Song Lengzhu’s name directly.

After stepping out the door, Xiao Zhao stood silently for a moment, then clenched her fists to cheer herself on and regained her spirits. On the bright side, I didn’t get my pay docked. As long as my pay isn’t docked, it’s fine. A little scolding is nothing.

It was just that for the time being, she would have to pay close attention to the content of the live stream.

Words like insults would be automatically filtered by the AI. The AI in this world was already capable of recognizing tone and context, and it would filter out malicious guidance for the streamer to review.

Xiao Zhao’s live stream room, likely influenced by the “A Close and Loving Family” camp, was relatively friendly. There were some discordant voices, but as long as the discussions were within normal bounds, Xiao Zhao wouldn’t interfere, even if the tone was a bit aggressive.

However, the supervisor’s talk served as a wake-up call for Xiao Zhao: her stream was being watched, and she needed to keep a low profile for a while. Would Tang Jie be targeted too? A criminal player who built a camp through her own efforts in the game and obtained such good weapons and supplies—would the system intervene?

Xiao Zhao had no idea. After all, she knew very little about Star Research Games, and whatever they decided to do, they wouldn’t inform her.

The fact-checker from before reappeared half a day later. While watching Tang Yu catch wild rabbits, the crowd discussed the matter of the restricted area.

The fact-checker started a main thread directly in the comments section: “Found a streamer who’s currently in the Zone 2 Restricted Area. Dropping a portal here for everyone to check out. They did indeed encounter a suspicious figure, but it was just one person, not followed by any so-called zombies. It’s unclear if it was another player or the human from the imposter zombie trio. From what we can see, Zone 2 is definitely experiencing some abnormalities.”

“So it seems to be true. Do you guys think Tang Yu will go check it out?”

“I hope she doesn’t go. The restricted area is really dangerous. When I was still in the game, I heard it’s like a ‘gu’ pot in there.”

“She probably will. When has she ever not joined in on the action? Her health bar is so fragile, yet she loves to rush in.”

“It’s fine. She’s gotten stronger after her training in Ghost Valley. She has several abilities now.”

“I don’t think so. Her current physical fitness is still at a lower level among players. The players who go to the restricted area are no small fry. A single scrape from them could be fatal.”

“Why not team up with Song Lengzhu? Like in Ghost Valley, they’d even have time to get close.”

“Person above, it’s you again. Get out.”

“Hmph, hmph. One day you’ll all understand the joy of shipping a CP.”

At some point, the thread went off-topic. In the end, this comment thread turned into a prayer thread, with people “performing rituals online to pray for Tang Jie’s safety.”