Chapter 2

“Seraphina! Are you insane! You actually sold the house?!”

On the other end of the phone, my sister Maya’s voice was sharp with panic.

“That was the only thing you and your husband had left! What about Leo? Where will you live?!”

I listened calmly to my sister’s incomprehensible shouts.

Watching Chad on the screen, mechanically unboxing cards like a numb robot, I couldn’t help but smile.

“Seraphina, don’t smile like that, it’s creepy! Have you been scammed? I’m calling the police right now!”

Maya’s voice was tearful.

“Maya, don’t worry about me. I know what I’m doing.”

“You know what you’re doing? By selling your house?!”

I hung up the phone.

I knew she meant well.

In my previous life, after my death, she tried to get justice for me, but Chad’s company slandered her, accusing her of extortion. She eventually succumbed to depression.

This time, I wouldn’t let anyone I care about get hurt.

Soon, another 100 packs were unboxed by Chad.

Still no Golden Ox.

Seeing that I hadn't placed another order, the chat rhythm shifted.

“Where’d she go? Why isn’t the rich lady talking? Out of money?”

“LOL, 990,000 down the drain. She’s probably getting ready to jump off a bridge now.”

Tiffany feigned concern.

“EmpressGale, are you still there? Don’t scare us. Card unboxing is just for fun, please don’t do anything drastic.”

Chad sighed dramatically.

“Sigh, I told everyone to spend rationally. This lady just wouldn’t listen. Tiffany, maybe we should call the police? If something serious happens, we can’t take responsibility.”

They instantly distanced themselves.

The livestream chat erupted with praises for their “conscience.”

I topped up another million credits and placed another order.

“Chad… EmpressGale just ordered another ten thousand one hundred packs of ‘Baby Bull Collector’s Edition’!”

Tiffany’s voice, next to him, was trembling slightly.

The screen immediately filled with question marks and “OMG!” messages.

Chad’s smile froze.

He never imagined someone would actually drop another million just for a card.

Chad’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He gulped down a large drink of water to steady himself.

“Cough, cough… EmpressGale, what are you doing? You must be joking, right? I suggest you don’t pursue this. I’ll have my assistant cancel the order for you right away.”

His voice was now laced with an almost imperceptible tremor.

Seeing his panic, I raised my hand and initiated a paid call-in, an exclusive VIP privilege that streamers on this platform are obligated to accept.

“Chad, don’t panic. If I remember correctly, your livestream’s rule is: if someone spends a million credits and doesn't pull a Golden Ox, you’ll pay a hundred-times refund on the unboxing fee, right?”

My voice echoed through the livestream.

The chat, which had been mocking me moments ago, froze.

Everyone was stunned.

Chad and Tiffany’s faces turned instantly ashen.

“Sis… you… you can’t be serious, that was just for stream effect, to add some fun…”

Chad started stammering, his composure completely gone.

“Stream effect, you say?”

I pressed on.

“Your livestream’s background wall clearly displays, in bold red letters: ‘Spend a Million, No Card? Get a Hundred-Times Refund!’ Are you now telling me that was just for effect?”

Chad seemed to remember something. He spun around, and the eight bold words on the background wall made cold sweat bead on his forehead.

The livestream audience finally caught on.

“Holy crap! There really is such a rule! I always thought it was just hot air!”

“I remember too! Chad kept talking about it, saying he welcomed big spenders to challenge him!”

“A hundred times a million… that’s a hundred million?!”

“My God! This is going to be epic!”

“The streamer isn’t going to back out, is he? This is going to be good!”

Public opinion flipped.

Chad looked at the chat, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

He looked desperately at Tiffany, who nervously lowered her head.

Just then, my son, Leo, burst through the door.

He had clearly been watching the stream, his small face flushed.

“Mom! Is that you on Chad’s stream! Are you crazy! Where do we get all that money! Stop it! Cancel the order now!”