167: Contrast

“You didn’t think of it?”

“Then why don’t we just make them think of it?”

Thinking of this, Steven looked at the signal that had finally appeared and opened his live stream.

He wouldn’t stream anything else, just the two of them drinking.

This extremely simple scene was the epitome of the happy life that people in the city envied.

Soon, the scene of the two of them drinking spread through the signal to infinitely distant places.

It was just a pity that very few people could see them drinking.

Because in this mutated world, even electricity had become a scarce resource.

Although it was enough for ordinary people to live, it was definitely not enough for them to be so extravagant as to watch a live stream.

What’s more, at this time, ordinary people were either fighting for their lives or had already rested, trying to conserve their physical strength.

They simply wouldn’t have time to watch a live stream.

In the city, in a high-rise building that was almost completely intact, most households here didn’t have their lights on; some only had flickering candlelight.

Although there were no electricity restrictions here, electricity was very expensive.

It was so expensive that Barioss felt it was unnecessary, and it was better to use more primitive tools like candles.

Who would have thought that people living in this era would one day be unable to afford electricity?

Under the dim candlelight, Barioss, with a pained heart, poured out a cup of mixed liquor and drank it carefully.

Mixed liquor, mixed liquor.

Something with such a name would naturally not be good liquor.

As its name suggested, it was full of impurities.

It was made from the residue left over after fermentation and filtration of pure liquor during the brewing process.

Not only did it have many impurities, but it also had only a faint taste of alcohol.

But it was precisely this mixed liquor, which looked like even dogs wouldn’t drink it, that was a nectar that most people couldn’t even imagine.

Only people who were at least middle class could barely afford some mixed liquor as a drink for happy occasions.

After all, the entire Golden Mountain City was only so big, and every inch of land was worth as much as gold.

Not to mention that brewing also required a lot of grain, so the price was naturally extremely high.

Even someone like Barioss, who could own his own room, was already considered to be doing very well.

Taking a sip, chewing on the impurities in the mixed liquor, Barioss smiled and said, “This liquor is really delicious.”

“Especially the granular texture, which pure liquor cannot provide at all.”

“Pure liquor? Without the taste of ‘liquor gold,’ it must be very difficult to drink, right?”

Liquor gold?

This was what liquor enthusiasts called the impurities in mixed liquor.

This was also their last fig leaf.

Feeling the impurities contained in the mixed liquor and the rough sensation of it constantly rubbing against his tongue and mouth, Barioss still endured it.

He completely sucked dry every trace of flavor from it before finally swallowing it.

For an Awakened, digesting rougher food like liquor gold was no problem at all.

It was just that drinking mixed liquor like that was too boring.

Without food to accompany the drink, drinking wouldn’t be very interesting.

After a moment of hesitation, Barioss took out his phone.

This was one of his few entertainments.

Judging from the thick dust on the box containing the phone, Barioss didn’t use this phone often.

With a familiar boot-up sound, Barioss clicked on the app he had been looking forward to.

This was a live streaming app.

It was one of the few free forms of entertainment.

In an era where even eating was a problem, even entertainment had become a luxury.

Quickly scrolling through his phone, it wasn’t long before Barioss found a live stream he was interested in.

A bright and spacious room.

Incandescent lights shone brightly as if they didn’t consume any electricity.

Crystal clear beer bottles contained pure beer without any impurities.

And on the dining table were peanuts and slices of meat.

Every single item made Barioss drool.

Damn it.

Who was playing a recording from before again?

Aren’t they afraid of making people starve to death?

Such a luxurious setup was almost impossible in this mutated world.

It only appeared when the world first began its second mutation, when many people hadn’t yet realized the seriousness of the situation.

Only then would there be such extravagant eating habits.

However, Barioss couldn’t bear to leave the live stream.

He closed his eyes.

He imagined himself as the person in the picture, reaching out with non-existent chopsticks into the void.

It seemed a slice of meat was picked up by him, then slowly put into his mouth and chewed.

The meat of the Awakened Beast was incredibly delicious and surprisingly tender.

That magical taste and texture immediately sent Barioss soaring into the sky, reaching the shore of happiness.

After eating a few more peanuts, Barioss felt even happier.

Even the bitter and hard-to-swallow mixed liquor in his mouth became sweet.

This was why he used his phone even when he didn’t want to turn on the lights.

The beautiful life in the picture was the Mental Food that supported him to continue living.

Judging from the number of people who entered the live stream, countless people, like Barioss, were eagerly devouring this delicious Mental Food.

The drinking session lasted a long time.

So long that Barioss almost forgot the time.

It wasn’t until the two people in the picture changed that he realized this wonderful live stream might be coming to an end.

Greedily drinking the last sip of beer, Eric said with great satisfaction, “Steven, thank you for your hospitality.”

“Next time I have work points, I will definitely invite you back.”

Facing Eric’s empty promise, Steven said indifferently, “You should keep your empty promises for yourself.”

“An Esper like you, who is a power type, has the most terrifying appetite.”

“You should save your work points to exchange for meat for yourself.”

“One bottle of beer for one work point can be exchanged for a full five catties of Awakened Sheep meat.”

Work points?

What work points?

Why could they exchange for so many things?

Barioss’s mind was full of questions.

He suddenly had a strange thought.

Could it be that the scene before him wasn’t a recording?

Then he immediately dismissed this ridiculous idea.

Looking at the clothes the two people in the live stream were wearing, they were just ordinary.

How could they afford such delicious liquor and food in this mutated world?

No city could offer such treatment.

What’s more, the man on the left was the cheapest type of Esper, a power type.

Although stronger than an Awakened without abilities, due to the commonness of his ability type, he wasn’t much stronger.

He definitely couldn’t afford such a delicious feast.

Editing!

This was definitely editing and post-production voice-over!

The purpose was to attract everyone’s curiosity and make them follow the live stream.

And thus gain huge traffic.

Or it was a scam to earn work points, trying to achieve their ulterior motives.

After a moment of hesitation, Barioss unfollowed the live stream.

His meager wallet couldn’t withstand such a drain.

Just then, Eric in the picture said somewhat awkwardly, “This is also unavoidable.”

“After all, compared to drinking, filling one’s stomach is more important.”

“If I don’t eat my fill, how can I have the strength to work?”

“You know, I have to work eight full hours a day to earn one work point.”

“Unlike you, who only needs to take care of flowers and plants to get three to five work points.”

“This is simply infuriating, comparing people!”

Eight hours?

Were work points really so cheap?

This was indeed a ridiculous scam group, to be able to tell such a clumsy lie.

Barioss, who worked sixteen hours a day, could only exchange for enough food for himself for five days.

Not to mention his other needs and daily expenses, he basically didn’t have much money left.

It must be said that Awakening was indeed a kind of human evolution.

It allowed Barioss to work sixteen hours a day without feeling any fatigue.

This was also why he could still hold on.

Facing Eric’s complaint, Steven said with a laugh, “What do you mean by taking care of flowers and plants?”

“I need to concentrate fully and continuously use my ability to catalyze the growth of those delicate flowers and plants.”

“Alright, stop complaining, at least we don’t have to worry about food and drink.”

“Oh, I have something good for you.”

With that, Steven walked directly into the room, carried out a wooden barrel from the inner chamber, and said to Eric:

“I’m not as rich as you imagine.”

“In fact, the reason I can drink every day is entirely because I have mastered the brewing technique.”

“There’s still some left in this barrel of liquor, so I’ll give it to you.”

Eric’s eyes lit up, and he immediately took the barrel, shouting, “Life skills are indeed popular!”

“Steven, you are simply my angel!”

However, as soon as he shook the wine barrel, Eric instantly deflated and said, "How is there only this much left?"

Steven rolled his eyes and said, "If there was a lot left, would I still be able to give it to you?"

"You really are shameless."

Eric thought about it, and it seemed to make sense, so he immediately said sullenly, "Steven, my good brother, my angel."

"I was wrong."

"But with only this much wine left, there's really no need for me to carry a whole barrel back."

Thinking of this, Eric directly used brute force to open the lid of the wine barrel, revealing the true appearance of the wine inside to the livestream.

It was a small amount of pure wine, surrounded by countless golden wine sediments.

Crystal clear.

Under the light, it shimmered with an enticing golden-yellow glow.

Just looking at it made Barioss's mouth water.

Under Barioss's gaze, Eric directly poured the remaining wine into the lunchbox he had brought.

Not too much, not too little.

It just perfectly filled one lunchbox.

Dotted with specks of oil, it looked more like a pot of delicious chicken soup.

Seemingly finding the residue in the wine barrel a bit bothersome, Eric waved his hand and said, "Steven, should I help you take out the trash?"

Steven said indifferently, "Then I'll trouble you."

"After you dump it, rinse it with water and clean the barrel for me."

Trash?

What do you mean, trash?

Barioss looked at the mixed wine in his hand and suddenly felt it was no longer appealing.

Something he treasured and couldn't bear to drink was considered trash by others.

It was a truly disheartening fact.

Immediately, Barioss perked up again.

He thought to himself, "An illusion, this is definitely an illusion."

"Even if those scammers are rich, they wouldn't be willing to throw away such a large barrel of mixed wine."

"If they dilute it with water, they could make at least thirty bottles of mixed wine."

"How could they possibly be willing to throw it away?"

And so, as Barioss waited for them to be proven wrong, he witnessed an incredibly unbelievable operation.

Eric directly added water to the wine barrel, rinsed it, and then flushed all the wine sediments along with the wine down the drain.

Within half a minute, not a single speck of residue was left in the barrel.

Such an incredible scene made Barioss exclaim that it was fake, absolutely fake.

Perhaps what looked like a drain was actually a wine collector.

Considering the water just added, the ratio was about the same as that of mixed wine.

Barioss's excited heart instantly calmed down.

As if he held the key to everything, he watched the two in the livestream perform their act with amusement.

Just then, Steven unhesitatingly took the rag he had just used to wipe the table.

The rag, covered in grease and trash, was rinsed under the water.

Immediately, various types of trash flowed down with the water, all rushing into what Barioss believed to be a wine collector—the drain.

Such an incredible scene made Barioss's eyes widen.

That was precious mixed wine; how could it be mixed with rag water?

Isn't this a bit too much?

Barioss only felt that the mixed wine in his hand had become incredibly ironic.

For a moment, its delicious taste made it difficult for him to swallow.

Barioss instantly broke down, screaming loudly:

Stop!

Stop it now!

Don't do that!

If you really don't want that mixed wine, please give it to me!

Barioss even felt a sense of despair in his heart.

It was the heartache of seeing something he cherished immensely being wantonly trampled upon.

It was like someone defiling your beloved goddess right in front of you.

It was utterly despair-inducing.

With the drinking concluded, the livestream was announced to be coming to an end.

Steven habitually picked up his phone, stood up to see Eric off, and escorted him to the door.

He forgot that he was still conducting a mischievous livestream.

Following the phone's oddly angled perspective, Barioss saw an even more shocking scene.

This was a spacious and comfortable land.

Everywhere were exquisite small houses.

What was most excessive was that these small houses mostly had only one floor, which was simply a waste of land and resources.

They were completely incomparable to Barioss's twenty-story mansion.

Bright and dazzling lights shone from the windows of these small houses.

Clearly, electricity was not a scarce resource here.

Looking down the brightly lit street.

Barioss only managed to catch a glimpse of an enormous tiger sculpture before Steven closed the livestream.

His phone completely plunged into darkness.

He stared blankly at the dark phone screen.

Barioss was somewhat lost in thought.

His rationality told him that such a wonderful place could not exist in the world.

But his intuition told him that such a place did indeed exist in some corner of the Blue Star.

No.

It existed on the land of America.

Barioss wasn't blind; he recognized that the buildings there were definitely American-style.

Where was this place?

How could he get there?

Countless questions arose in Barioss's mind.

He eagerly opened his phone and quickly searched.

However, based on the effective information obtained after the information blockade.

He didn't find any place that matched everything he saw in the livestream.

Could it really have been a scam?

Such a realistic scam?

A scam that made him believe it implicitly.

Barioss felt a sense of loss.

Perhaps this was the cunning of scammers.

To break down people's mental defenses and create a world that people immensely envied and yearned for.

Perhaps a world that could be called paradise.

A sense of despair filled his heart.

Barioss was unwilling to believe that paradise was so far away from him.

So utterly out of reach.

A flash of inspiration.

Suddenly, he remembered the massive sculpture he had seen at the end of the livestream.

That majestic tiger sculpture, just one glance of which was enough to inspire fear.

Such a distinctive landmark could not be completely untraceable online.

Thinking of this, Barioss used Lin Tianwei's sculpture as an anchor point and began searching for new information.

However, after a moment, he rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

He had indeed found information related to that massive sculpture.

But the information he obtained was completely contrary to what he had just seen.

In the online description, it was a farm called Tiger King Farm.

It was inhabited by a demon named Tiger King.

He enslaved countless humans, using them as tools for his brutal rule.

They had to work twenty-two hours a day.

They could barely subsist on watery porridge as food.

If he was in a bad mood, the passing Tiger King might even devour them whole as food.

This was completely a hellish place.

It was completely different from the paradise in Barioss's heart.

Barioss instantly fell into deep self-doubt.

Could this be like some kind of fraud base?

Livestreaming online was meant to deceive unsuspecting humans into going there.

To become tools enslaved by the Tiger King.

A chill.

A biting chill permeated Barioss's body, making him tremble uncontrollably.

Almost.

Just a little more.

He would have been lured to the fraud base and become an enslaved tool.

Fortunately, he was clever and had searched for relevant information online beforehand.

Thinking of this, Barioss breathed a sigh of relief.

Indeed, there was no paradise in this world!

Thinking of this.

He directly drank the remaining mixed wine.

Then he lay on the bed, preparing to rest for the day.

Only this time, he couldn't fall asleep no matter what.

Steven and Eric's relaxed and carefree demeanor.

And the deep-seated ease could not be faked.

Perhaps that place was not what he imagined.

A glimmer of understanding flashed in Barioss's mind.

But then, he instantly felt a sense of loss again.

Whether the scene in Tiger King Farm was real or fake, it actually had nothing to do with him.

He was just an extremely ordinary Awakened with no Esper ability.

By what right could he, in this perilous world, rely on his own strength to reach the infinitely distant Tiger King Farm?

If only.

If only he had the Esper ability of teleportation.

Perhaps he could leave this real hell.

And go to the paradise in his heart.

Thinking this, Barioss drifted off to sleep.

But he didn't realize that his body had already undergone a silent change!