Gloomy CEO X Holographic Male God (9): Misunderstand

In order not to be abandoned by Si Qi, Chu Feng had been diligently training his shooting skills during this period to ensure he could always team up with Si Qi.

But unexpectedly, just having high shooting skills wasn’t enough; Si Qi actually brought him to do field training. Originally, he could never have managed to lie on the ground, but he overcame that. However, the young man lying next to him left him utterly helpless.

If this continued, he might really be abandoned by the young man out of disappointment.

Chu Feng, both reluctant and conflicted, said, “I’m used to shooting alone.”

Si Qi was taken aback by his words, put down the binoculars, and slowly got up from the ground. His expression was very hurt as he looked at him: “……Are you rejecting me?”

Chu Feng’s heart tightened, and he quickly explained, “How could that be possible!”

Si Qi frowned: “Then why are you unwilling to let me get close to you?”

“There’s no unwillingness, I…”

Halfway through his sentence, Chu Feng suddenly froze, his keen senses picking up on something. His eyes widened in disbelief, and his voice tensed as he asked, “You know I’m a real person?”

If he really thought of him as an NPC, how could Si Qi possibly say such a thing?

Si Qi was puzzled: “What are you talking about? Of course I know.”

Chu Feng was dumbfounded.

His mind kept replaying the words and actions of Si Qi over the past few days. Holding hands, hugging, going on dates to see the night view together, smiling at him.

All of this was not Si Qi interacting with an NPC, but was actually being done to him, a real person!

His head was buzzing, his lips moving up and down, and after a long pause, he said with difficulty, “Since when…”

Si Qi smiled, “Of course, it was from the very beginning. Otherwise, why would I have taken the initiative to seek you out?”

Seeing Chu Feng’s expression completely frozen, Si Qi curiously said, “I thought you already realized that I was interested in you. After all, you always agree to let me hold your hand and take you everywhere.”

As soon as those words fell, Chu Feng’s mind went blank with a bang, blood surged rapidly, his heart raced, and for a few seconds, he almost didn’t know anything.

He looked at the young man sitting next to him, and realized that their distance was less than three or four centimeters. 

The young man seemed to be saying something, but he didn’t catch any of it. His mind was racing with various thoughts, like why Si Qi would like him, or how they had only known each other online for less than a week. His current appearance was even virtual; everything about him was a lie. The real him was cold and gloomy, having lost count of how many times he had exploded in anger over a single hair on the floor or the people around him. No one could stand him, not even himself, as he loathed the body that would suffocate if it couldn’t smell the scent of disinfectant.

He didn’t dare to reveal all this to the young man, fearing that the young man would be like those relatives, who, just because they were fed up with having to wash their hands, change their shoes, and change their clothes every time they came home, and because they were always disgusted by him, would scream in horror if he touched them with his bacteria-ridden body, would drive him out of the house alone when he was a child and make him survive on his own outside.

What about Si Qi? Would Si Qi also be unable to handle such a troublesome person? Now that Si Qi had suddenly shown him some affection, what should he do? He didn’t want to refuse, but he also didn’t have the courage to shamelessly accept and reveal his true self to Si Qi.

He racked his brains, thinking rapidly about all this, not knowing how to explain. Seeing Chu Feng looking completely absent-minded, Si Qi was somewhat displeased: “You don’t want to talk to me? Fine, I’ll leave and give you enough time to digest…”

Si Qi deliberately stood up slowly, and Chu Feng finally snapped out of his daydreaming. He knew Si Qi was about to leave, and his heart ached with urgency.

His palms were sweaty, and the sticky feeling drove him crazy. Invisible mud suffocated him, making it hard to breathe. Just as the other person was about to stand up, he stretched out his hand with all his might, as if grasping at a last straw, pulling the young man back.

Si Qi didn’t expect Chu Feng to suddenly do this, and was caught off guard as he was pulled in front of him. Noticing Chu Feng’s disheveled appearance and hidden pain, he knew he couldn’t be touched by others, and immediately tried to dodge, maintaining his body balance, unwilling to collide with him.

Unbeknownst to him, his actions were seen by Chu Feng as resisting his touch. Chu Feng’s heart ached more and more; he didn’t know how to keep Si Qi, who was about to leave, from leaving. His palms were sweaty, his body was in agony, and he couldn’t continue to hold on. But at least his lips were dry.

So he suddenly stood up and kissed Si Qi, who was stabilizing himself, without a second thought.

Si Qi was truly startled by his lover, his eyes widening in panic, his hands grabbing his shoulders, seemingly trying to instinctively break free.

But Chu Feng held him tightly, deepening the kiss, as if drawing that one precious tenderness from the depths of hell.

Si Qi’s eyelashes, as black as crow feathers, trembled a few times before finally relaxing slowly.

After a long while, the breathless Chu Feng seemed to have passed his condition onto Si Qi. Si Qi’s cheeks were slightly flushed, his breathing rapid. Watching his lover slowly leave his body, he murmured, “You scared me…”

Chu Feng’s face was also red, his lips moving slightly, “I…”

Just as he spoke a word, the system could no longer tolerate his deteriorating condition and forcefully ejected him from the game, opening the holographic pod that was flashing red warning lights.

The assistant received the alert immediately and quickly opened the video communication. Seeing Chu Feng’s pale face on the screen, he loudly asked what was happening, whether Chu Feng was still conscious, and rushed towards the top floor of the company.

Chu Feng, exhausted, fell out of the holographic chamber seat and knelt on the ground, his body trembling continuously, but his eyes shone as if they had light, showing no signs of discomfort.

The assistant took the elevator to the outside of Chu Feng’s office, skillfully washed their hands, disinfected, changed clothes, and put on a mask, anxiously saying, “I’ll contact a doctor for you right away!!”

Chu Feng gasped a few times and said, “I’m fine.”

The assistant frowned, “At least let me give you a check-up. You’ve been pushing yourself too hard lately.”

He had been by Chu Feng’s side for so many years, and he knew better than anyone how serious Chu Feng’s obsessive-compulsive disorder was. Just seeing dust on the windowsill could make him have difficulty breathing, and if his fingers were touched, he would tremble all over and his face would turn pale.

Many people didn’t understand and thought Chu Feng was being pretentious, but only those who had truly witnessed Chu Feng’s condition could know how difficult life was for him because of this illness.

At this moment, an alarm suddenly went off, and the assistant was so scared that he hurriedly called the doctor and rushed to Chu Feng’s office and residence.

Chu Feng was drenched in sweat. As soon as he got out of the holographic pod, he felt weak and started tearing off his sweat-soaked clothes while walking, then rushed to the bathroom to take a shower.

By the time he came out, his clothes had already been picked up and placed in a box that he couldn’t see, to avoid making him uncomfortable.

The holographic chamber was also spotless, even the marble floor was so clean it reflected light.

His special assistant was indeed a very excellent aide.

However, Chu Feng didn’t have time to pay attention to these matters. His mind was preoccupied with the words he hadn’t had the chance to finish with Si Qi earlier, and he couldn’t wait to return to the game to continue the conversation with Si Qi.

The assistant stopped him, looking troubled.

Chu Feng impatiently said, “I’ll go see the doctor later. Don’t waste my time now; I’m in a hurry.”

The assistant quickly explained, “That’s exactly what I’m saying. Are you going to see Mr. Si Qi?”

Chu Feng looked at the middle-aged man fully wrapped in a medical protective suit. The fogged-up visor from the heat of laboring must have made it quite uncomfortable for him. So, enduring his impatience, he got straight to the point, “What’s going on?”

The aide hesitated for a moment but eventually confessed, “You asked me to investigate the movements of the Chu family to see who might have been bought off by them… I found out that just forty minutes ago, Mr. Si reached an agreement with them and even provided them with his bank account.”

Chu Feng’s body trembled in the chair, and his face turned very pale.

He gripped the leather seat tightly, making a harsh scratching sound, staring at the assistant with an expression full of resistance.

The assistant tactfully said, “At first, Mr. Si locked onto you at a glance and kept making physical contact with you, which was already very strange. After all, the virtual image you use is everywhere; how could he treat you so specially… I don’t know where he got the information, but perhaps he has a computer expert by his side who revealed your whereabouts to him…”

Chu Feng immediately thought of that elusive “Xiu Xiu” that he could never find, his breathing becoming heavier. Without saying a word, he closed the holographic pod under his assistant’s anxious gaze, sealing off his body, or perhaps also sealing off his heart.

He reappeared at the place where he was forcibly logged off, and the young man was still waiting for him there. Seeing him appear, joy lit up his eyes, and his crescent-shaped eyes sparkled with a smile, as if telling a thousand words.

Chu Feng couldn’t bear such a gaze, so he lowered his head, his hands tightly clasped at his sides.

Si Qi asked with concern, “Are you okay?”

Chu Feng paused for a moment and nodded.

“That’s good,” Si Qi said with a smile, “You really scared me just now. After you left, I was very worried about you and wanted to talk to you, but besides the internet, I had no way to contact you. Can you tell me where you are? I want to see you.”

Chu Fen looked at him with a complicated expression, and after a long while, said with difficulty, “You don’t know anything about me, why would you like me?”

Si Qi felt a bit sweet inside, “Is there any need for a reason? I just like you. I liked you the first time I saw you.”

Chu Fen self-deprecatingly said, “With my plain and unremarkable appearance, you can’t find any features to like?”

Si Qi shook his head, “I don’t care what you look like. I know you are you, and that’s enough.”

To Chu Feng, this sentence seemed to have another meaning.

—I don’t care what virtual image you use. I know you are the eldest son of the Chu family, and that’s enough.

Chu Feng lived in the Chu family. His parents were killed by their brothers due to power struggles. Chu Feng hated those adults, and his illness made his personality even more violent and gloomy, making it difficult for him to interact normally with others.

He always thought he would grow old alone, rejecting all humanity, but he never expected to feel an impulse to get close to someone for the first time, to hear someone say they liked him and for him to accept that feeling for the first time. Yet, before long, he had to face such an unbearable situation.

He felt a sense of self-destruction, experiencing a feeling close to humiliation, and said to Si Qi, “I am Chu Feng, the boss of your company.”

Si Qi raised an eyebrow in surprise and then smiled, saying, “Oh, that explains why you can enter this game freely.”

Chu Feng fell silent.

Even a primary school student could tell that Si Qi was lying. The other party had long known his identity, and perhaps even his illness and situation.

This person came here solely for the holographic technology. He knew how charming he was. Someone like Chu Feng, who was reclusive and eccentric, and whom no one would like, would be easily manipulated with just a little coaxing.

In the eyes of the other party, he was such a ridiculous existence.

Chu Feng said to Si Qi, “You won’t leave me, right?”

Before obtaining the holographic technology, Si Qi was always willing to interact with a lunatic like himself, willing to endure the disgust of being touched by a man of the same sex just to meet him, and even wouldn’t run away after having a kiss stolen.

Chu Feng knew that his actions were despicable and that his emotions were twisted, but he could only use this method to keep the person in front of him. Besides money and technology, he had nothing that could attract someone he liked.

He said to Si Qi, “I’m on the top floor of the company. Just go to the elevator, and I’ll grant you access.”

Si Qi’s eyes curved into crescents: “That’s great. After I finish my live stream later, I want to meet you.”

Meeting him after the live stream at midnight, and it was their first offline meeting—this wasn’t a healthy way to make friends.

Chu Feng didn’t know whether to smile wryly or what to do. Under Si Qi’s gaze, he weakly nodded, then logged out of the game without saying a word.

Si Qi was dumbfounded, watching his lover disappear without a trace. He muttered, […Did I get neglected after he caught me?]

Xiu Xiu also found it strange and, following the network surveillance, took a look at Chu Feng’s situation, explaining, [No, Master, the Lord god’s doctor came over. His condition was too bad just now, and he was ejected from the game pod by the system. His aide was worried about his health, so they called the doctor.]

Si Qi was taken aback: [So that’s how it is. I should take a good look at it… I don’t even know how this illness can be cured.]

If it were a physical illness, it would be fine. Si Qi was skilled in medicine; whether it was a special medicine or a delicate surgery, he could handle it. But when it came to psychological issues, even Si Qi found it difficult to help cure them in a short time.

At six-thirty, Si Qi started the livestream. This time, without Chu Feng’s company, Xiu Xiu fabricated an NPC identity for himself and happily played the game with Si Qi.

Xiu Xiu found out that Zhou Qi and another streamer had teamed up to take a bodyguard mission, so he reminded Si Qi that it would be “a coincidence” for him to take the opposing assassination mission at the mission hall, to eliminate the target at a certain bar.

They unexpectedly ran into Zhou Qi and the other streamer.

Si Qi was quite surprised that someone was willing to team up with Zhou Qi.

In a situation where everyone knew about the grudge between 47 and zq, and no one wanted to have anything to do with the despicable zq, it was surprising that someone would still be willing to team up with zq. One could only imagine what kind of mindset this person had.

Si Qi was busy with his own matters every day and wasn’t very interested in such bystanders, but his vast number of fans were quite familiar with this person. As Si Qi’s number one fan, Xiu Xiu quickly explained the whole story to Si Qi.

The matter can be summed up quite simply in four words: A tall tree attracts the wind.

As the top dog, Si Qi naturally had fans, but he also had his share of jealousy. This cynical guy who teamed up with Zhou Qi had been a lukewarm streamer for over half a year. He believed his personal charm was no less than that of 47, and he was very dissatisfied with why 47 was so popular while he, being more talented, was not. So, he often made sarcastic remarks and frequently implied in the live stream that 47 had been using underhanded tactics to get to where he was today.

He always said that 47’s so-called technical skills and god-like operations were nothing but hacks, which a pro like him could see through at a glance. The fans were all amateurs, so they were easily fooled by 47.

This kind of nitpicking behavior had already appeared back when they were keyboard warriors during live streams. Now, as 47 attracted more and more attention with his “charm,” riding the wave of the holographic online game, this streamer’s jealousy had become increasingly intense. He firmly believed that the video Zhou Qi provided back then was real, and all the accusations made were facts. Now, 47 had undergone surgery at a cosmetic hospital to look like this. A person who could casually alter the body given by their parents, what else couldn’t they do?

Si Qi found it a bit strange: “You said he’s a mediocre little streamer, how could he have the qualifications for the internal test?”

Xiu Xiu: “He’s a rich second generation, he has money.”

Si Qi: “Oh.”

No wonder.

This person spent a lot of money to get an internal test qualification. After entering the game, he teamed up with the “like-minded” zq without hesitation. The two of them often criticized and insulted 47 in the live stream, which, to some extent, attracted a lot of viewers by riding on 47’s fame—though most of them were 47’s haters and people who came to insult him.

This was the first time for Si Qi to have such close contact with him.

The audience in the live stream clearly recognized the identities of the two, understood the grievances between them from the barrage pool, and quickly became heated.

The streamer on the opposite side watched as the number of bullet comments in the live stream suddenly increased by more than ten times. A cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he picked up a glass of wine and walked over to Si Qi, saying, “We’re all in the same industry, let me buy you a drink. You wouldn’t refuse, would you?”

47 had always been known for his gentle and refined demeanor, making him very easy to get along with.

The streamer, confident that 47 wouldn’t refuse due to face, walked over with full confidence, intending to give Si Qi a hard time.

This drink was spiked with an electronic fluid used by the streamer for pranks. After drinking it, the reaction would be similar to eating mustard, and even drinking water or eating food won’t alleviate the pain. The person would have a twisted expression, tears streaming down their face, and look utterly ridiculous.

He said to Si Qi, “Where’s that bodyguard who usually follows you around and solves your problems? Oh, I get it, he’s not around, so you don’t want to go out into the wild anymore, huh? Afraid of exposing your true strength?”

Si Qi glanced at him, and before he could speak, the man immediately shrugged and said, “Why are you staring at me like that? Can’t I make a joke? You big streamers really know how to use your power to suppress others. You got zq into that state before, and now you’re going to start cyberbullying me next?”

He seemed to deliberately want to provoke a public argument with Si Qi. After all, for someone who had always presented himself in this way, the fans’ insults posed no real threat. Instead, the title of “the only one treated as a rival by 47” could instantly give him a label and make him known to more people.

Bad publicity was still publicity, wasn’t it?

Si Qi glanced into the distance. Over there, Xiu Xiu had already reached the target. The streamer instinctively followed his gaze, and then Si Qi raised his glass and clinked it with the streamer’s glass. “Cheers.”

The host gave a mocking smile, watching as Si Qi raised his cup and drank, then followed suit.

Who would have thought that the next second, it would feel like a thousand ants exploded out of his throat, constantly wriggling in his soft windpipe. An invisible airflow rushed into his nostrils, causing his face to instantly turn red, and he desperately opened his mouth, letting out a broken scream.

Tears streamed uncontrollably down his face, and he immediately realized he had been pranked. Angrily glaring at Si Qi, he let out a roar and, without a second thought, tried to pull out his gun to shoot Si Qi. However, the so-called easygoing guy stared at him with cold eyes, pressing the large-caliber gun barrel against his forehead, and then unhesitatingly pulled the trigger.

Damn—!!

The screen instantly turned black and white. From a ghost’s perspective, he cursed Si Qi for framing him, all because he had mocked him a few times before being shot.

But the bullet screen in the live broadcast was full of laughter, with many people jokingly saying, “Did you see that? God 7 instantly switched drinks.”

“Picking up a stone to hit his own foot, and this guy still has the face to retaliate, it’s really hilarious.”

“A clown should remain a clown until the end, not worth our God 7 getting angry.”

But there were also haters taking this opportunity to stir up trouble, as if they had found a rare piece of dirt, excitedly saying, “47 gets mocked a bit and immediately resorts to violence! Truly used to being arrogant and overbearing! You fans really have a warped sense of values, can you praise this?”

Fans who had been watching from Si Qi’s perspective, and thus knew the whole story, giggled as they ran to this livestream room to explain: “God 7 took a mission to come to the bar to kill the target and his bodyguard. Who cares if the enemy over there is a streamer or an NPC? It’s hilarious.”

“Exactly, from 7’s perspective, this guy is a target to be eliminated. We came here specifically to kill him, okay? And this guy, as a bodyguard, not only doesn’t take the target and hide, but he even comes over with a drink looking for trouble. If we don’t kill him, who should we kill?”

“This guy was saying before that if he encountered 7, he could easily defeat him, right? And now this? Just this? It’s really laughable!”

“I bet 7 doesn’t even know who this guy is. He probably thinks the provocation just now was part of the system’s built-in dialogue. Maybe he’s still wondering why this NPC is so stupid this time!”

“If you want to mess with God 7, you need to see if they can see you first!”

Si Qi took out Bodyguard One with a single shot, while Xiu Xiu successfully eliminated the target. zq, true to being the Child of the World, was quite lucky and managed to escape under Xiu Xiu’s strangulation.

The bar patrons around lived in this city, having experienced many storms and hardships. When they saw a gunfight happening right in front of them, they remained particularly calm, each finding a place to hide for themselves, so that Si Qi and the others could deal with the trouble before continuing to drink.

The bartenders didn’t take this incident seriously either; instead, their focus was entirely on catching those customers who tried to skip out on their tabs amidst the chaos.

Zhou Qi managed to evade the relentless pursuit of Xiu Xiu, but he couldn’t escape the bartender’s system-enforced tracking. Si Qi followed the bartender and found Zhou Qi sneaking out the back door, then shot him in the leg.

Zhou Qi lay on the ground, furious, and said, “Si Qi! Are you done yet? How long are you going to force me into a corner?”

Si Qi put away his gun, drew the lightsaber from his waist, and with one slash, severed Zhou Qi’s head. Coldly, he said, “Force you? You’re not even worthy.”

The fans were all applauding and celebrating, marveling at how the perpetrators these days were getting bolder and bolder, with their skill in turning the tables reaching an almost masterful level.

It took Zhou Qi and the others quite a while to figure out from the live stream comments why Si Qi had appeared and killed them. They were at a loss whether to be angry about being killed without any chance to fight back, or to be angry that 47 didn’t even consider them worth his time, only bothering them as a side task.

At the same time, Chu Feng sat on the sofa, watching Si Qi, who was projected in the center of the living room using holographic technology, smiling as if he were a real person. With a complex expression, he tried to reach out and touch Si Qi’s face, but after a long pause, he retracted his hand and let out a low sigh.