The System Mistook Me for a Cat-Chapter 185

To promote the game "Flying Birds," Fenghua Network went all out, organizing a video contest themed around "Flying Birds." The prizes and bonuses were naturally sponsored by Wu Voice Group, but Fenghua Network also put in a lot of effort.

At the very least, the website took the lead in contacting many gaming live streamers and content creators (UPs) to help expand the game's reach.

Of course, it would have been possible for Wu Voice Group to directly contact the UPs for business deals, but the system required the promotion to build momentum within a week. For UPs, who are known to sometimes flake on deadlines, this meant urgent orders. Therefore, everyone eventually agreed to use live streaming and meme-style short videos.

Who could blame them when the timeframe was so tight?

Some UPs would combine live streaming with gathering footage, and then stay up late to edit the video after the stream—a common practice.

However, since this was a promotional order, everyone initially thought they wouldn't be able to complete the game, to maintain the mystery for the client's game.

Unexpectedly, the client suggested they aim to complete the game, even in different ways and routes—

The "Flying Birds Game Video Contest" even included a "Most Special Completion Method Award," where players could upload their gameplay recordings, which the organizers would then edit into 5 to 15 minute highlight reels.

Of course, not every video would be edited... Within the same completion method, only the first uploader would earn the privilege of having their gameplay turned into a highlights reel. Subsequent uploads, if of the same method, would still be included in the videos as appendices featuring their impressive moments.

The requirements were a bit strict, but this was enough to make ordinary players excited.

Although modern video software has made it easier for even clumsy hands to operate, some people genuinely feel they just don't have the skills.

Now, even if you can't edit videos yourself, your gameplay recordings could be turned into highlight reels by professionals, posted under your account with a "collaborative effort" label.

Fang Lian was quite tempted.

She had been a casual fan of Chu Tingwu. After trying VR skiing, she saved up for some time and bought a VR live streaming viewing setup, becoming a regular in various VR live stream rooms.

Only Chu Tingwu's streams, whether in VR or regular view, did she record every session. So, along with other fans who had followed from the start, she knew all about Chu Tingwu's journey of returning "Dian Dian" to its flock.

What went viral on the New Plum app were only snippets, but those who followed the stream knew the challenges of the journey. Most of the time, they were amazed by Chu Tingwu—

"How can she fall asleep instantly? Please, I want to learn that too and wake up fully refreshed."

Fang Lian's roommate accompanied her through the stream and recordings, eventually printing a photo of Chu Tingwu sleeping in the passenger seat. In the photo, the girl was peacefully asleep, barely visible under a cloak.

She put the photo on her bedside, feeling that her sleep quality had improved due to the placebo effect.

Fang Lian: "=="

Fang Lian herself envied Chu Tingwu's appetite. The UP's live stream schedule was always random, with only a few themed videos. Most of the time, it was an unpolished daily life—only this time that they got a glimpse of Chu Tingwu's real "daily life."

And then Fang Lian realized: Chu Tingwu would actually make a great mukbang host!

Watching her eat was so satisfying, one could almost finish two big bowls of noodles themselves.

Following Chu Tingwu, witnessing her track down the red falcon's path, tame the baby bird, and travel between different cities... If it weren't for the fact that the game was made by Wu Voice Group, Fang Lian might have been unhappy.

That experience was both joyful and exhausting. Without Chu Tingwu, others might have given up early on. It was thanks to her that what seemed impossible became possible, supported by her resources, abilities, and spirit—if the game's protagonist could easily achieve this in-game, wouldn't that trivialize real-life experiences?

So, while watching other UPs' live streams and recordings during this period, Fang Lian booked the game and checked the reservation website three times a day, browsing the uploaded contest videos, until the game finally went live—

"Flying Birds! Here I come!"

Her slow computer was making her impatient!

Her roommate, seeing her struggle, simply opened her own computer, clicked "Start Game," and then—of course—started playing with the cats!

Who could resist controlling a cat? Especially a cat that could be made to meow in different tones? Moreover, the game had 47 named, characterized NPC cats discovered by the UPs. Each reacted differently when interacting with the feline protagonist, and her roommate had long been itching to try it out for herself.

She wasn't aiming to complete the main story; what did the main plot have to do with her? She just wanted to chat with each cat!

As her roommate controlled her little cat trying to snuggle up to a calico on the screen, Fang Lian finally entered the game. She sighed in relief, chose the female photographer, and declared:

"I'm going on a pilgrimage!"

Her roommate: "Huh?"

"A cyber pilgrimage! I want to retrace all the routes Chu Tingwu took in the game, and do as much as I can of what she did!"

Her roommate: "All of it?"

Fang Lian: "Well, as much as possible…"

She still wanted to complete the game, just not to the point of obsession.

Thinking of this, Fang Lian glanced at the contest schedule online, noticing that UPs who accepted the promotion had another track, allowing them to directly submit their edited videos. Since the game records the playtime, those who uploaded earlier would be automatically sorted out even if they submitted to the wrong track.

Some ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‍were too lazy to edit their own videos; not everyone had a team like the bigger UPs. Fang Lian curiously scanned the list and found that the most popular video so far was titled "Bird Watching Scam? No, It's a Money-Making Guide," and the likes were steadily rising—

Fang Lian: "Releasing video snippets in advance might reduce the contest video's popularity. To maintain the unique game recordings, a special completion method is needed…"

She paused, suddenly feeling that this situation mirrored the game's plot.

She decided to watch that video after completing the game.

With that in mind, she rubbed her hands together… and began controlling her character to climb walls.

According to the story, the protagonist of "Flying Birds" only started chasing the migratory birds after capturing the right shot and being encouraged by netizens. There were definitely some unrealistic elements, like the protagonist always managing to get the perfect train tickets—but Fang Lian played the game with high immersion, feeling:

"Hehe, I'm controlling Chu Tingwu."

Since it was a single-player game, she could choose any name, so she named the female photographer "Ah Chu 355," as using the big UP's ID directly felt a bit shameful… and what if her uploaded gameplay got selected? It would be embarrassing in front of all the netizens!

So, even though there was no "Dian Dian," she constantly compared the game's protagonist's position with the real-world map, recalling details from back then, finally plotting out a route to chase the red falcon baby bird out of the pasture.

But the awkward thing was, to 100% replicate it, there were too many obstacles on this route—

To save time, Chu Tingwu took a straight path back then, since the bird above also flew in a straight line.

Players can control the protagonist to perform a variety of actions, from simple tasks like running, jumping, and climbing, to using backpack tools for special moves. However, it's clear that the data for the female photographer in the game is normal, and some complex actions require a higher level of player skill—you can connect simple actions together, but that demands quick reflexes and mastery of the controls.

Fang Lian spent an afternoon confirming that not only was she not good at operating the game, but she also didn't have the hand-eye coordination for it.

But her roommate encouraged her: "It's okay, you didn't waste your time recording the screen. At least you can submit it to the funny-fails category."

Fang Lian: "..." Damn it!

But she really couldn't bring herself to delete the footage, and she was a bit curious... If she submitted it, would anyone else try a "cyber pilgrimage" to the in-game landmarks? Of course, she would continue to work on her skills.

With a bit of luck in mind, she uploaded her submission, then reached for her VR headset and realized she had spent the whole day gaming and forgotten to watch VR live broadcasts. What's more—

"I haven't finished today's 'study' session, and my daily check-in streak is about to break! Ahhh, I'm going out for a walk first!"

After her walk, she returned and watched the "Birdwatching Scam" video with her roommate. She wanted to see just how much of a scam it was.

-

Yue Si was browsing through competition videos, searching for inspiration.

She was well-known for her FPS gaming skills, with top-notch gameplay and frequent live-streaming sessions where she guided fans. But since the advent of VR live-streaming and AR games, while she was fine, her team had started to worry.

—FPS games still had a large user base, but it was clear that their heyday was over. Her studio urged her to explore other game genres, even if she didn't need to switch professions immediately, it would be good to be prepared.

Yue Si and Qiao Lulu were gaming friends, so when Qiao Lulu received interesting gaming endorsements, she would occasionally pull Yue Si in for a few rounds.

But *Flybirds* was genuinely fascinating. Beyond its basis in a true story, the game's high degree of freedom was a major draw.

Especially during the promotion period, when Yue Si interacted with fans in the group chat, she noticed that they could try many different ways to complete the game, just as there are many paths in real life.

She had completed the game twice and then tried another method based on group chat videos and shared strategies... and found that some methods, even with a guide, were tricky to pull off. This only sparked her competitive spirit.

Was there any other special, interesting way to complete the game?

"I even regret not following A Chu's live stream earlier," Yue Si complained to her assistant. "After all, this is a game based on real events. There might be some hidden Easter eggs related to the live stream content."

She barely paid attention to the news, as her daily routine was just gaming. She only knew about the migration of the red-footed falcon because of the game.

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freewebnσvel.cøm.

—A few years ago, people outside the birdwatching community wouldn't have known when these birds migrated, not even for a national first-class protected species. After all, it didn't concern them.

Her cursor paused on a video.

A pilgrimage to the sacred sites?

Replaying Chu Tingwu's original route in the game?

That sounded challenging.

After a moment of contemplation, she sent a message to her assistant, asking them to contact her FPS gaming friends. Some wanted to transition to other genres, some were just free, and some saw it as an opportunity to ride the hype. Yue Si's invitation came at just the right time—

Yue Si: "Then, I'll start a pilgrimage challenge chain?"

With their skills and fanbase, *Flybirds* and Chu Tingwu's story had plenty of buzz. She would post the first video today, and with her friends' reactions and feedback from the voice channel, they could grab the initial wave of traffic!

-

The system: "Hmm..."

Chu Tingwu tried to sit up but only rolled over on the sailboat. She asked lazily, "What's up?"

On the other end of the sailboat, Zhou Qiang, thinking the question was directed at her, casually replied, "I'm looking at that social news story from before."

Juvenile delinquency, national first-class protected animals, smuggling... Plus, Chu Tingwu was live-streaming at the time, making the news explode across the internet. Everyone had firsthand information, but now, most of the content under that keyword has been replaced by the new game.

Now, Chu Tingwu was capitalizing on her own popularity, and the timely news coverage had settled the matter, so debates over the ages and severity of the crime quickly subsided.

—Why fight over it when you can buy *Flybirds*? The promoters claim that all secrets and doubts can be found in the game, which is 100% based on real experiences... Why not play? Is it because you haven't bought it, or are you just not curious about what the "truth" looks like?

Zhou Qiang knew those two juveniles would end up in jail, but she was still annoyed. Her expression was calm, but Chu Tingwu could sense her irritation from her tone.

Chu Tingwu: "Don't worry. By the time they get out of jail, they'll realize the world hasn't forgotten them..."

Zhou Qiang: "?"

Chu Tingwu: "At least *Flybirds (Part Two)* hasn't forgotten them."

Although the sequel hadn't been released yet, she already knew the general plot from the system.

But who said you can't enter combat mode without attacking others in the game?

The players still thought it was a strategy game...

The streamer had already told them, even a week before the game's release, during a live broadcast:

That's not how it works!