The Spirit Binder's Eroding Mark

At 2:17 a.m., Zhang Jiahao ended his livestream.

“Thanks to the thirty thousand friends who joined me tonight to explore this abandoned factory!” He made a clasped-fist gesture toward the now-black screen, even though he knew the stream had ended. It was his habit to thank his viewers personally after every broadcast, even if they couldn’t see him.

The glow from the monitor fell across his sweat-damp face, accentuating his sharp features. Twenty-seven-year-old Zhang Jiahao was a moderately popular urban exploration streamer on the Mouyu platform, going by the handle “Brother Hao Isn’t Afraid.” He wasn’t a top-tier star, but his steady five-figure audience was enough to make a living from streaming.