Rain still poured, but Lin Yi no longer felt the cold.
He stood motionless behind the library, eyes fixed on the golden panel floating in front of him. The system interface hovered steadily, unaffected by the wind or rain.
[Mission Active: Collect 10 Plastic Bottles – Reward: ¥50,000]
[Time Limit: None]
Ten bottles. That was all it took? Just ten?
He reached into the sack tied to his bike. Most of the bottles inside were already counted and sold earlier today. But there were still a few scattered in the corner. He grabbed them with slightly trembling fingers.
[+1 Plastic Bottle – Progress: 1/10]
[+1 Plastic Bottle – Progress: 2/10]
Each time he picked one up, a satisfying ding chimed in his head. Lin Yi stared in disbelief.
This wasn't just some hallucination. The system responded—real time, precise, and only visible to him.
In ten minutes, he scoured the entire back area of the campus. Near the trash bins, under benches, beside the bike rack. He wasn't ashamed. Not anymore. Every bottle now held potential.
[+1 Plastic Bottle – Progress: 10/10]
[Mission Complete!]
[Reward: ¥50,000 deposited into system wallet]
His knees almost buckled.
Fifty thousand yuan. In just twenty minutes.
His chest tightened, not from fear this time, but from a wave of emotions crashing over him. How many days had he skipped meals to stretch his budget? How many nights had he worked until 2 AM just to make a few dozen yuan?
Now, fifty thousand was just… there.
[Bonus Unlocked: Beginner Store Access Granted]
[Items Now Available: Basic Nutrition Packs, Clean Clothing Sets, Dorm Upgrade, Electric Bike, Fitness Boost (1 Day)]
Lin Yi's eyes widened.
There was even a store?
He tapped mentally into the system, and a new interface appeared. A clean, organized grid of purchasable items glowed in front of him. Most were surprisingly affordable.
He selected Clean Clothing Set – ¥200 and Nutrition Pack – ¥100. Instantly, the items appeared in a glowing briefcase-like projection before him, which silently faded into a small bag now resting by his feet.
He opened it.
Inside was a full, neatly folded outfit: a fresh white T-shirt, dark jeans, and a simple but elegant black hoodie—far better than the thin, secondhand clothes he wore. The nutrition pack was a sealed bar with a faint glow—like something from a sci-fi movie.
He hesitated only briefly before changing into the new clothes behind a nearby maintenance shed.
When he stepped out, he felt different. Not just cleaner—but sharper. His reflection in the glass window showed a boy who looked more alert, more focused, more alive.
He took a bite of the nutrition bar. It was warm, savory, and instantly satisfying—like eating a full-course meal compressed into one bite.
For the first time in weeks, he didn't feel the pang of hunger.
[Host Status Updated]
Energy: Normal → High
Appearance: Slightly Improved
Mental Focus: Boosted (Temporary)
"Unreal," Lin Yi whispered.
A group of students passed by, laughing. One of them paused briefly and glanced at Lin Yi.
"Hey, isn't that the guy who collects trash near the library?" a girl whispered.
"No way, look at his clothes. He looks different now."
Lin Yi smiled faintly and turned away, uninterested in their speculation. He mounted his old, creaking bicycle, the sack of bottles still hanging from the side.
But now he pedaled not with desperation, but with quiet determination.
He headed straight for the nearest convenience store, parked, and walked inside with his head held high.
The cashier, a middle-aged man who'd seen him pay in coins before, raised an eyebrow.
"Lin Yi? You… came to buy something today?"
Lin Yi smiled. "Yeah. I'll take a bottle of mineral water and a phone card."
He pulled out his phone, tapped his system wallet, and scanned the code.
¥78 Paid.
"Paid by QR?" the man muttered, blinking. "You got a new job or something?"
"Something like that," Lin Yi replied calmly.
As he walked out into the fading rain, he glanced up at the sky.
His heart wasn't full of vengeance yet. But something had changed.
For now, he would remain quiet.
No flashy watches. No Lamborghini. No sudden flex.
Let them laugh. Let Zhao Qing and her new boyfriend enjoy their mockery. Let his classmates whisper.
Because soon…
Very soon…
He would rise.
Not loudly.
But like a storm gathering behind calm clouds.