Chapter 2 Transformers
In Liang Xiaoyu’s field of vision, a massive figure loomed.
It was nearly ten meters long, with a triangular head, and its grayish-brown skin was as rugged as rock. Though this was her first time encountering such a creature in real life, she recognized it instantly: towering above her, staring down, was none other than a dinosaur.
No matter how worldly Liang Xiaoyu claimed to be, she was utterly terrified in that moment.
She screamed.
She even forgot to run.
...
Under the lens of the livestream, the colossal, fearsome beast let out a roar as well. The sound was thunderous, leaving Liang Xiaoyu’s ears ringing and nearly deafened.
The dinosaur lunged toward her.
A powerful gust swept over her, sending grass and leaves flying. Liang Xiaoyu could barely keep her eyes open, only catching a glimpse of that gaping maw filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth.
“It’s over, I’m really about to die in a dinosaur’s mouth!”
...
The livestream chat was exploding, the screen crawling with frantic messages. Countless viewers shouted things like “Run!” and “Why are you just standing there?” Aside from a few sarcastic troublemakers, the vast majority believed what they were seeing was real—especially Liang Xiaoyu’s longtime fans. They knew her character; she would never joke about something like this. Besides, the effects were more realistic than any Hollywood blockbuster. The roar alone sent chills down their spines, even through the screen.
Just as the dinosaur was about to pounce, a yellow blur appeared in the background, accompanied by the roar of an engine.
The dinosaur was less than five meters from Liang Xiaoyu.
The car in the distance finally drew near.
It swerved and crashed into a large tree at an angle, the entire vehicle bouncing into the air.
“What is going on?” Many people were utterly bewildered.
Why on earth was there a car here?
Was the dinosaur someone’s pet? A secret government research project? Had the authorities sent rescue staff after seeing someone was in danger? But if so, that driver was a disaster—did they buy their license?
Liang Xiaoyu stared in despair, eyes wide. Even as her whole body trembled, her insatiable curiosity drove her to get a good look at this legendary creature.
“Will I end up as its dung?” The thought sprang into her mind.
But then she caught sight of the yellow car flying high through the air.
She hadn’t paid much attention at first, but to her shock, the car twisted and shifted mid-flight with a series of metallic clacks, and in an instant, it became a...
Transformer!
The miraculous sight momentarily swept away all her fear.
Her eyes nearly popped out of her head.
The livestream seemed frozen for a second, as if someone had pressed pause.
Only when the Transformer—resembling Bumblebee—landed a punch that sent the dinosaur flying did the chat explode back to life.
[Transformer?]
[I saw Bumblebee!]
[Is the streamer really not on a movie set?]
[Can someone explain what’s happening? Dinosaurs and Transformers—are they filming?]
[This has to be a green screen, right?]
[Officer, we have aliens here.]
...
Liang Xiaoyu stood rooted to the spot.
Dirt and debris rained around her. She could still hear the booming clashes and dinosaur roars nearby.
She snapped back to her senses and immediately looked toward the battlefield.
The Transformer—almost certainly Bumblebee—was locked in combat with the dinosaur, the two tumbling farther and farther away.
Gritting her teeth, not even glancing at the chat, she sprinted after them.
A living dinosaur, extinct for over a hundred million years, and a Transformer! She never dreamed she’d encounter both in a single day.
Could it be that the movies weren’t lying—Transformers really did exist on Earth?
Liang Xiaoyu was in excellent shape, having run several full marathons, always finishing in the top twenty. But compared to those two titans, her legs were far too short. Before long, both the Transformer and the dinosaur had disappeared from sight.
Bent over, hands on her knees, she stood gasping for breath, her throat burning as if scorched. Frustration welled up in her heart. How could she lose track of two gigantic beings like that?
She pounded her flat chest in vexation and plopped down on the ground. Looking up at the towering trees around her, she realized just how ridiculously large they were. She’d crashed through the undergrowth like a wild dog, yet the selfie stick strapped to her body had miraculously stayed in place.
Now she finally had a moment to check the livestream chat.
[Streamer, drop your coordinates—I want to see the dinosaur too!]
[That dinosaur is huge, let me go give it a snack.]
[Bumblebee is so cool!]
[Professional Transformer seller—contact on QQ for details...]
[Are you alright, Xiaoyu?]
[Can someone explain why this stream is suddenly blowing up?]
...
Staring at the flood of messages, Liang Xiaoyu felt a headache coming on. She recognized a few familiar user IDs.
“I’m fine, really, nothing happened to me,” she assured the camera. “Just a shame I lost track of them.”
“I’m up here on Yunling Mountain right now, but honestly, I wouldn’t suggest anyone try to get here the way I did. Without that vine, I would’ve fallen to my death for sure.”
“Ah, Mom, I’m just teasing them, I’m fine.” When she saw the top supporter, a user named “Sweetie, Be Careful,” ask after her, she quickly explained. That was her own mother, who had even bought the streaming company just to keep an eye on her.
[Haha, the streamer is adorable.]
[Which one is the mother-in-law? Can someone point her out?]
[I’m here for the dinosaur—take us to find it, streamer!]
[I want the Transformer!]
[Xiaoyu, get out of there—it’s too dangerous!]
[Xiaoyu, check your WeChat—send me your location!]
[Is this for real? There are actually dinosaurs and Transformers?]
Liang Xiaoyu looked at the comments, torn between laughter and tears.
Her personal phone rang again.
This time she obediently answered—it was her father calling.
Didn’t he say he’d cut ties with her?
She moved the camera away, muted the microphone, and spoke with her father for a few moments. After hanging up, she let out a sigh. She’d assumed her father would be interested in the dinosaur and Transformer—after all, he’d always been a money-minded old capitalist in her mind. But he just wanted her to find a safe place to hide, saying he’d already arranged for someone to come rescue her.
Liang Xiaoyu had wanted to keep searching for traces of the dinosaur and Transformer, but between her parents’ worries and her longtime fans’ pleas, she decided to heed their advice and find a safe place to hide.
Calming down, she realized that acting recklessly really was courting death. She loved adventure, but she wasn’t suicidal.
...
The trees were immense, their dense foliage blocking out almost all the sky. Only a faint glimmer of light filtered through the leaves.
Liang Xiaoyu had no idea which direction to go.
Fortunately, she was well prepared. She pulled a compass from her backpack, intending to get her bearings—only to find the needle spinning wildly, as if it were a mad dog tethered to the earth.
Was there something wrong with the magnetic field here?
Frowning, Liang Xiaoyu decided to use her ace in the hole. She took out her private phone, opened WeChat, and tried to send her location to a friend.
On the map, the indicator was stuck on the capital, spinning in circles.
A sense of foreboding crept over her.
She opened another map app—same result.
She switched to her streaming phone—again, no luck.
Sinking to the ground, she addressed the livestream: “Guys, I’m in big trouble!”