This Streamer Has a Conscience, But Not Much!

Using the turmoil in Syria as an excuse was doomed to fail.

Cao Shengming figured that while the girl was undoubtedly pretty, she probably hadn't traded her beauty for brains. Even she wouldn't fall for such an absurd and unreliable excuse.

But hey, no harm in trying, right?

So, with a dead-serious expression, he looked at Lu Xiaoqi and declared, "I was reading the news last night, and the situation in Syria is escalating. If this keeps up, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Lu Xiaoqi opened the car door, glanced back, and raised an eyebrow. "And? What's that got to do with you? Even if it triggers a world war, you can't do anything about it."

Cao Shengming took a deep breath. "I'm going to fix it myself."

Lu Xiaoqi: "…"Photographer: "…"

[Comment Section Explodes]

— […I don't even know how to respond to this anti-war statement.]— [(covers face) I suddenly feel embarrassed to be his fan…]— [The people of syria have collectively gone silent.]— [Is it possible that Contestant No. 10 is actually a hidden expert? Like, a retired God of War making his grand return? No, I can't even type this with a straight face.]— [(crying emoji) HELP—what is going on in his brain?!]— [Other people have heads. He has a… tumor? Because no normal brain works like this.]— [(laughs) So, what's his plan? Because with his 60-point English skills, translation might be a real challenge.]

In reality, all Cao Shengming wanted was to grab breakfast at the hotel's buffet.

But Lu Xiaoqi clearly wasn't having it—there was a meeting at 9:30, and the company needed time to prepare.

So, without further delay, she dragged him into the car, hit the accelerator, and sped off.

As he stared out the window, Cao Shengming suddenly realized that the city looked quite beautiful in the morning.

If only he weren't about to face the equivalent of meeting the in-laws as an ugly son-in-law, he might've actually enjoyed it.

They pulled up to the five-star Linhai Ximen Hotel right on time—8:30 AM sharp.

Jingxi Network Technology clearly took this meeting seriously, having booked an enormous conference hall for the occasion.

Inside, the place was packed.

Beyond the Jingxi staff, Cao Shengming spotted a fair number of foreigners—blond hair, blue eyes, some of them quite tall. Among them were several stunning women.

"Tsk, tsk… why are foreign girls always built differently?" Cao Shengming muttered, shaking his head in admiration. "Curves in all the right places, and they look so… agile. If I wasn't socially anxious, I'd totally go say hi."

Meanwhile, the photographer—already helping himself to the free drinks and pastries—nearly choked on his coffee. Rolling his eyes, he scoffed, "Bro, you have social anxiety? If guys like you have social anxiety, most people wouldn't even leave their houses."

"I'm serious!" Cao Shengming insisted. "Look, if I see a gorgeous girl on the street, I don't dare kiss her. If that's not social anxiety, what is?!"

Photographer: "…"

[Comment Section: Pure Chaos]

— [(facepalm) Damn it, when he puts it like that, it actually makes sense?!]— [(crying emoji) So I've been single for over 20 years… not just because I'm broke, but also because of social anxiety?!]— [(covers mouth) Bro… are you sure that's the real reason you don't go kissing random women?]— [Ah, this… I have no words for this logic.]— [Police department: Keep an eye on this guy. He's single-handedly keeping our business thriving.]

As the clock ticked closer to the meeting's start, Lu Xiaoqi approached and handed Cao Shengming a speech.

"This is the boss's script. Read it over beforehand," she instructed.

"Got it."

A quick glance at the document revealed that it included an English translation. This immediately put Cao Shengming at ease.

His English was… let's say, not the best.

But with this script, he could at least phonetically mark the pronunciations in advance. It wouldn't be perfect, but it would get the job done.

"With this, today's translation will be a piece of cake!" Cao Shengming declared confidently. "You guys are really thorough."

Lu Xiaoqi gave a small nod, her gaze sweeping across the conference hall. "Yeah… but just so you know, our boss almost never sticks to the script."

"???"

Cao Shengming's eye twitched. "Then WHY did you give me this speech?!"

Lu Xiaoqi pondered for a moment, then shrugged. "Good question. You could always… throw it in the trash?"

"…."

As Lu Xiaoqi walked away, Cao Shengming's instincts kicked in—he grabbed the photographer's arm, ready to make a run for it.

But it was too late.

The banquet hall doors had already begun to close.

Then, from the podium, a voice rang out:

"Ladies and gentlemen, our exchange meeting is about to begin! Please take your seats, and let's give a warm welcome to the President of Jingxi Network Technology, Mr. Lu Wan!"

The photographer's face turned pale. "We're dead. We're so dead."

Cao Shengming took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and squared his shoulders.

"Don't panic. As the ancients said—where there's a mountain, there's a road. Where there's a river, there's a bridge. The cold wind howls, the water runs deep, and a true warrior never returns."

The photographer shuddered. "Wait, never returns?!"

Cao Shengming's gaze was filled with tragic resolve.

"If I never return… then so be it."