Pay-to-Win Immortal: My Gacha AI Waifu

"Huh?"

Chen Huaian was completely stunned.

Wait, it actually arrived?

Do indie game studios go this far?

Also, this game must be the work of hackers, right? This is solid proof! They've literally doxxed him!

Most people's first reaction to something like this would be fear.

But Chen Huaian wasn't afraid. He was already living on borrowed time, so what was there to fear?

"Hey! You're definitely hiding in the stairwell, aren't you? Come out and talk! Your game is way too pay-to-win—can't you change that? I really don't have much money!" He shouted into the dark stairwell, his voice echoing down the empty corridor. No one responded.

"Fine, don't come out." Chen Huaian shrugged and slammed the door shut.

He knew the hackers wouldn't show themselves. He'd just said those things to test the waters.

"Let's see what this is all about." He sat down on the sofa and started opening the box, still feeling a bit curious. Since the other party had gone to the trouble of custom-making and delivering an item from the game, it showed they were truly dedicated to this project. So, the quality of this gift must be pretty high, right?

Inside the box was a square-shaped sachet.

The craftsmanship was exquisite, but when Chen Huaian turned it over, he couldn't help but twitch his mouth.

On the sachet were three traditional Chinese characters written vertically—Chen Huaian.

Below that was a line of smaller text: "Safe and sound."

Clearly, this was a protective talisman, but the handwriting…

Chen Huaian wanted to say that even his handwriting in elementary school was better than this.

It looked like it had been scrawled by a dog, all crooked and messy. The craftsmanship had seemed refined at first glance, but the handwriting instantly ruined its appeal.

"But what's inside this thing?"

He tried to open the pouch, but the material was sturdier than he'd expected—it wouldn't tear. So, to get an idea of what was inside, he leaned in and sniffed it.

And that's when it hit him.

A faint, delicate fragrance rushed into his nostrils.

It wasn't sweet or cloying, but rather elegant and understated, with no sense of intrusion. It was like a girl quietly expressing her longing.

He couldn't quite place the scent, but the image of Li Qingran naturally appeared in his mind.

He even had the illusion that this was Li Qingran's scent!

"What the…!"

Chen Huaian was shocked. What kind of game could go this far?

He'd heard of games that sent gifts, like the ones where you could receive "original scent" stockings from female characters. His college roommate had gotten something like that, and it had a fragrance too, but it was just a cheap perfume that didn't evoke any associations. This protective talisman was completely different.

He tried sniffing it from different angles, but his mind kept returning to Li Qingran.

Even when he opened his phone to look at his favorite teacher's profile and then sniffed the talisman again, his thoughts were still filled with Li Qingran.

"This is incredible!" Chen Huaian slapped his thigh.

Seriously, with this kind of technology, why are you wasting it on a pay-to-win game?

You could promote the game for free, then start a perfume brand and make a fortune!

In the end, Chen Huaian decided to carry the talisman with him.

Why? Simply because it genuinely felt like Li Qingran had made it herself!

…

By mid-morning, Chen Huaian had taken care of everything.

He went to a random shop near the hospital and shaved his head, posted his cancer diagnosis on his livestream account, asked a doctor to help film an inspirational vlog, and gritted his teeth to spend 1,000 yuan on promotion.

At noon, he ate a bowl of dry noodles at a noodle shop.

In the afternoon, he boarded a plane to Mount Tai.

His livestream account's homepage was bold and a bit cringey.

[Youth has no price, life only happens once. My name is Chen Huaian. I've been diagnosed with terminal cancer. In the time I have left, I will defy fate, mock death, and challenge my physical limits to make my life shine as brightly as possible. Today's challenge: Climb Mount Tai in five hours!]

By the time he arrived at the foot of Mount Tai, it was already 7 p.m.

His goal was to start climbing at midnight.

That way, he'd reach the summit just in time to see the sunrise.

It would be a small dream fulfilled.

As for how much money he could make, he wasn't sure yet, but the gimmick of a terminal cancer patient climbing Mount Tai wasn't common. Besides, his legs were in real pain—his ankles were completely swollen, making it hard to even put on shoes. In this condition, climbing a mountain was out of the question; even walking a little was excruciating.

He found a bench at the foot of Mount Tai and lay down for three hours.

A little past 10 p.m., Chen Huaian, now rested, took out his phone again.

First, he opened the game to check on Li Qingran.

The girl was already up, sitting cross-legged on the bed in meditation. On the table were clean plates and a basket of fruit, of which she'd only eaten a little.

These were all things he'd given her today.

What a hardworking girl.

Well, he had to do his best too.

The nervousness he'd been feeling instantly calmed down the moment he saw Li Qingran.

Taking a deep breath, Chen Huaian smiled slightly and opened his livestream account.

After half a day of exposure, his vlog had already caught the attention of many people.

Even tonight's livestream had over a hundred reservations.

While this number paled in comparison to regular outdoor streamers, he was already very satisfied.

As the saying goes, the first step is always the hardest.

[Streamer, how can you prove you're really a terminal cancer patient? Are you just fishing for sympathy and donations?]

[Climbing Mount Tai with terminal cancer is one thing, but you're saying you'll reach the summit in five hours? Didn't you say you have bone cancer, dude? Even scams need to make sense.]

[Hahaha, this is so fake!]

…

Just as Chen Huaian had expected.

Shortly after opening the livestream, a flood of skepticism poured in. He didn't respond, patiently waiting and even investing in another round of promotion.

When the viewer count reached a few hundred, he finally spoke:

"Hello everyone, my name is Chen Huaian. As a terminal cancer patient, I will climb Mount Tai in five hours, live-streaming the entire process without any edits. My profile has my diagnosis, payment records, and medical reports. If you think my diagnosis is fake, you can request verification from the relevant hospital. I welcome any scrutiny!"

With that, he flipped the camera to show his legs.

He rolled up his pants, took off his shoes and socks, and revealed his swollen ankles, covered in burn-like lumps. He pulled his pants up further, showing that the lumps on his right leg had spread to his knee.

"As you can see, my physical condition is terrible. Every step I take brings immense pain to my nerves and a heavy burden to my body."

Chen Huaian turned the camera back to himself, rubbed his shaved head, and gave a carefree smile. "But I will prove myself. I will step on the head of my illness, mock the futility of fate, and flip off death. At that moment, when the sun rises, I will share that triumph with all of you watching behind your screens!"

The complete medical records,

the mottled lumps on his legs,

the striking shaved head,

and Chen Huaian's carefree smile…

All four weapons were deployed.

The entire livestream fell silent.

…

…