Chapter 33: The Collapsing Venti

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Under Lin Feng's persuasion, Jean accepted his sponsorship of smartphones for the Knights of Favonius.

Now, each knight could work from anywhere at any time. As Lin Feng highlighted, Jean could also make video calls to supervise their tasks remotely—an enticing feature indeed.

Kaeya stared momentarily at the smartphone in his hand, reminiscing about Long-Distance Communication Devices that Khaenri'ah once had... But no matter, the past is gone; Mondstadt has its own advancements now.

Lisa received a smartphone as well, despite being just a librarian. However, she was considered an auxiliary member of the Knight Regiment.

"Fascinating, so many features! Oh, Jean, what's your phone number? You can give me a video call when I'm taking a bath tonight!" Before Jean could explain how to use it, Lisa swiped through the device with enthusiasm and playfully asked for her number.

Jean wasn't surprised but felt slightly flustered by Lisa's suggestive remark.

"Ha! You don't actually believe that, do you? Are you eager to experience those tingling sensations?" Lisa teased with a grin.

"Well, I'll leave you to organize these books!" Feeling slightly overwhelmed, Jean bid farewell and quickly departed.

She decided she needed to brush up on witty banter; always being at a loss for words against Lisa was not ideal. Immediately, she opened her phone and found a book titled "The Art of Comedy: An Introduction to Stand-Up," determined never again to lose an argument!

Lisa chuckled as she watched Jean leave, then turned her attention to exploring the smartphone's features.

"Sigh, this is truly boring, but might as well pass some time!" With that, Lisa launched Tetris. To her, the blocks seemed to move incredibly slowly. As soon as they appeared, she swiftly slid them down.

Had anyone witnessed this moment, they would undoubtedly exclaim in awe, thinking it divine intervention. Lisa's fingers blurred into a trail, ensuring the block pile never exceeded half its maximum height.

***

Venti, Teyvat's top gaming streamer, was currently helping a fan climb the leaderboard as a favor. In return, the fan had promised to cover her alcohol expenses for a month.

"Heh heh, everyone pay close attention now; I'll only teach this once!" Venti chuckled gleefully, her face beaming at the continuous flow of virtual gifts.

If smartphones had been available earlier, with her diverse talents, she wouldn't have needed to busk for a living. She truly owed thanks to the Anemo Archon, blessing the citizens of Mondstadt indeed.

Watching the slow-moving blocks, Venti explained to her fans, "The key to mastering this game is strategic planning. Placing each block precisely where it fits best will lead to higher scores."

Although Venti didn't share any specific techniques, her fans' enthusiasm remained undiminished.

"That makes so much sense! Subscribed!"

"Wow, the broadcaster seems incredibly insightful and profound. Your words resonate deeply..."

"As expected from the top gaming streamer, such rich experience and exceptional skills!"

Context: Currently, Venti is the only gaming streamer...

Smiling at the compliments from her fans, Venti cheerfully said, "Don't forget to hit that subscribe button, folks! Stay tuned and never miss a broadcast."

Venti noticed she was just a few points shy of first place and beamed with delight. A month's worth of wine was within reach. Unable to suppress her excitement, she swallowed hard and increased her speed, swiftly sliding down several more times.

"Ha ha, look at that, everyone! With patience, reaching first is quite easy!" Venti gleefully announced to the screen, as those watching nearby displayed expressions of admiration.

"Awesome broadcaster!"

"Broadcaster 666!"

"Broadcaster's voice is so captivating; I want to marry you!"

"Calm down, folks—it's a male broadcaster!"

"So what if they're male, heh heh, such a cute voice..."

Venti planned to seize this opportunity to intentionally lose, ensuring future attempts at securing first place wouldn't seem too effortless. However, just as she prepared to throw the game, someone surpassed her score, and their tally continued relentlessly climbing.

For every one point she earned, the new leader gained ten. Feeling overwhelmed, Venti nearly broke down.

"Haha, there was a slight mishap just now!" She laughed awkwardly and slowed down further, fearing she might accidentally block herself completely.

"Woah, who's on top of the leaderboard? Is he even thinking while sliding at that speed?"

"Which extraordinary master is this with such incredible skills? Why aren't they streaming live? If they did, I'd definitely be their top supporter!"

"Could it be that they're cheating? How could any human achieve such prowess?"

"Exactly, what if they're not even human?"

Venti maintained steady gameplay, but the score gap continued to widen—the first-place player's points were now double his own.

Internally cursing, Venti wondered which sneaky player lacked sportsmanship. Couldn't they have waited just one minute before overtaking him? Regardless of their final score, he had been so close to securing a month's worth of wine.

"Broadcaster, keep going! Here's a follow for encouragement."

"Gifting you sunglasses worth 100 Mora—don't give up, hang in there!"

"You're the best, Broadcaster! Keep fighting!"

On the verge of giving up, Venti was moved by the fans' support, tears welling in his eyes as he exclaimed, "Fear not, everyone! I won't abandon this challenge. Until I reach the top spot today, Venti will not end this stream."

At the library, Lisa surveyed the empty screen after clearing all blocks and put down her phone. Stretching her neck, she murmured slowly:

"Eh, how boring! Time to organize books again; otherwise, Jean would accuse me of slacking off."

On the table, without Lisa's control, the Tetris blocks began piling up rapidly. Finally, four words appeared: "Game Over."

Venti sighed with relief as the fluctuating numbers ceased moving. The score was merely five times his current points; although it seemed she had won, there was still a chance for him to catch up.

Fully focused, Venti increased the speed at which the blocks descended. Having skipped meals, he noticed his phone heating up from prolonged use.

Mid-game, the battery level dropped dangerously low. With his eyes fixed on the screen, he headed towards the nearest Teleport Waypoint. Alongside him, several people filmed the spectacle, given Venti's modest online fame.

As the game progressed, the pace quickened, causing beads of sweat to form on Venti's forehead. He started regretting his impulsive boastfulness.

Finally, through relentless effort, Venti's score gradually approached that daunting number.

Two hundred, one hundred, ninety, eighty...twenty, one hundred twenty, two hundred twenty...

Inside the library, after organizing books, Lisa saw the "Game Over" message on her phone. She immediately shook her head and started a new game.

Just as Venti prepared himself for defeat, the cursed score began to move again. On the verge of breaking down, he muttered under his breath, "Which sneaky player is messing with me? If I find out, their clothes better watch out—it'll be windy!"