Ning Fei opened the host dashboard in his live stream account and checked his stats. The results were quite impressive, as his popularity was steadily rising.
His private messages were flooded—some viewers wanted to add him as a friend, a few wealthy women sent playful invitations, and several live-streaming platforms reached out with contract offers.
Amidst this, Ning Fei received a phone call.
"Hello, is this the Taoist Master of Qingfeng Temple?" a man's voice came through the line.
"Yes, that's me. Who's calling?" Ning Fei responded calmly.
"This is Li He, an agent from the Tianjun Guild. We noticed your growing popularity and wondered if you have any plans to join our guild. We represent hundreds of top-tier outdoor streamers. If you join, we can significantly boost your exposure."
"I'm not interested," Ning Fei replied without hesitation and prepared to hang up.
"You might want to reconsider. Guilds like ours help streamers grow rapidly. It's tough to make it on your own," Li He insisted, his tone turning firm.
Ning Fei hung up without another word.
On the other side, Li He's face darkened as he stared at the phone. Tianjun Guild prided itself on managing some of the top outdoor streamers, and Li He had seen potential in Ning Fei. He assumed Ning Fei, like many new streamers, would eventually come back begging.
"Newbies like him don't understand how brutal this industry can be. He'll regret this," Li He muttered disdainfully.
But Ning Fei wasn't just any newbie. Major platforms were already courting him with exclusive contracts. He didn't need the guild's assistance to thrive.
---
Later that day, Ning Fei was out shopping for supplies for his next adventure. Back at Qingfeng Temple, he prepared food for his pet falcon, Xiao Falcon.
The little bird chirped hungrily from its cardboard box. Ning Fei mixed cod liver oil, minced meat, and soybean powder into worm-like shapes, then held the food slightly above the bird to encourage it to stretch and reach for its meal.
Xiao Falcon was growing quickly, with a thin layer of fluff already forming on its body. Ning Fei estimated it to be about 8–10 days old.
Falcons, like other birds of prey, develop rapidly. In the wild, mother eagles would push their young off high cliffs to teach them to fly, forcing them to build strength through struggle.
Aware of the unique needs of birds of prey, Ning Fei bought a birdcage from the village. He modified it by removing the flat base and installing a swaying perch, ensuring Xiao Falcon could practice balancing and develop strong claws.
---
Meanwhile, at the Douniao Live platform's tech department, Lin Long, the head of the team, was astonished by Ning Fei's stats.
"A two-day-old channel with over 200,000 peak viewers, 5,000 fans, 80% audience retention, and 30% engagement rate? This can't be real!" he exclaimed.
After verifying the data, Lin Long realized Ning Fei's channel was an unprecedented success.
"This kind of retention rate is unheard of for a new streamer," he said. "Why hasn't management signed him yet?"
"They did offer him a contract," a colleague explained, "but it was a B-level contract, and he turned it down."
Lin Long was livid. "A B-level contract? With stats like this? If another platform sees these numbers, they'll poach him immediately. I'm taking this up with management!"
---
That evening, Ning Fei received another call, this time from Xu Sheng, an official representative of Douniao Live.
"Hello, Mr. Ning. I'm Xu Sheng, a manager from Douniao Live. I wanted to discuss your contract."
"Go ahead," Ning Fei replied, already anticipating the topic.
"Management is offering you an upgraded A-level contract. The terms include a 1.2 million annual salary, a 65–35 revenue split, and a five-year duration."
Ning Fei frowned. "Five years is too long. That's not acceptable."
"Mr. Ning, this is one of the best contracts we've offered a newcomer. It's just below S-level terms," Xu Sheng explained.
"I understand, but I'd prefer a one-year term. I'm willing to accept a lower salary and revenue split for that flexibility," Ning Fei said firmly.
Xu Sheng hesitated before responding, "Alright, I'll discuss this with my superiors and get back to you."
After the call, Ning Fei sighed. He disliked dealing with such negotiations but knew it was crucial to secure his future on his own terms.
---
The next morning, Ning Fei prepared for his live stream. At precisely 9:00 a.m., he went live, and viewers flooded the chat.
"First one here!"
"Good morning, Master Ning!"
"Finally! Why didn't you stream yesterday?"
"What's with the outfit, Master?"
Ning Fei was dressed for an outdoor expedition, carrying a large mountaineering bag equipped with tools like a small hammer, an axe, and fishing lines.
"Good morning, everyone," he greeted his audience. "Today, we're heading into the mountains for a new adventure and to earn some extra money!"