"Daddy, are we really going to fly kites tomorrow?" That evening, after her bath, Amy, who was sitting obediently while Mai Ge dried her hair, looked up at him expectantly and asked.
"Yes, the restaurant isn't open tomorrow, and Little Amy doesn't have to go to class, so I can take you to fly kites." Mai Ge smiled and nodded, his fingers gently running through Amy's soft hair, making sure it was completely dry before turning off the hairdryer.
"Great! Little Amy loves kites and really wants to fly one!" Amy leaned back, rolled around on the bed, then jumped up and bounced around happily for a couple of seconds. But she quickly stopped, looking a little worried. "But... we don't have any kites at home. How are we going to fly one tomorrow?"
"Don't worry about that. You'll see the kite when you wake up tomorrow morning, Little Amy. What kind of kite do you want, Little Amy?" Mai Ge sat on the edge of the bed, gently ruffling Amy's hair, looking at her with doting eyes and smiling.
"I want a… a super, super, super big kite, and it has to be purple, a big flying bird, super pretty." Amy tilted her head back, thinking earnestly. With each request, her little face lit up with anticipation and a smile, as if she could already see a giant purple kite soaring into the sky.
"Okay, okay, then we'll fly a kite like that tomorrow." Mai Ge readily agreed with a smile. The little one said whatever came to mind, and her requests were certainly numerous, but with the system, none of this was a problem.
"Really? Daddy, you're so good!" Amy happily hugged Mai Ge's cheek and kissed him, then continued bouncing on the soft bed, humming happily, "Big kite, fly up to the sky, big kite, my big kite…"
"Meow meow~" The Ugly Duckling hopped around on the floor, but the bed was still a bit too high for it, so it could only watch helplessly from below.
"System…" Mai Ge looked at the lively little one, his eyes full of smiles, and thought to himself.
"Not for sale!" Before Mai Ge could finish speaking, the system's resolute voice rang out.
"…" Mai Ge raised an eyebrow. This system was getting more and more cheeky.
"System, I haven't even said what I want to buy yet, and you're already not selling it. When you're selling something, can't you be a little more direct?" Mai Ge couldn't help but complain.
"Host, please watch your words. Although this system sells things, but it's different from the so-called prostitutes. Through its learning, this system has discovered that the word 'sell' in Chinese has many meanings, carrying different connotations in different contexts." the system said seriously.
"Then what do you think I meant by 'sell' just now?" Mai Ge raised an eyebrow, the system's learning was becoming increasingly insightful.
"Judging from your expression, tone, and context, it likely carries a discriminatory connotation towards women." the system said earnestly.
"Who said I discriminated against them? Earning money through their own abilities, it's a consensual matter, why would I discriminate against them? They're certainly better than those able-bodied people who crawl on the ground with a broken bowl, begging everywhere." Mai Ge said equally seriously.
"That's not the crux of the matter. From your answer, it seems you're conflating this system with them." the system said seriously.
"System, that's your subjective assumption, I refuse to acknowledge it." Mai Ge calmly replied, then scoffed, "Alright, enough nonsense, just tell me how much it costs to customize a kite like this? Sales have skyrocketed these two days, I've got plenty of money."
The system fell silent.
"100 copper coins?"
The system remained silent...
"200?"
...
"300? That's the most I can go. I could have commissioned a high-end kite from an old craftsman for that price." Mai Ge was still not in a hurry at all.
"Add a little more?" the system, which had been silent for a long time, tentatively asked.
"310 copper coins." Mai Ge said after a moment's thought.
"The kites produced by this system use lightweight, high-hardness carbon fiber poles, ultra-light carbon fiber canopy, and high-grade sandalwood reels. The kite line uses ultra-high-strength fiber rope, capable of withstanding level 10 winds, making them the top choice for holiday kite flying. Customization services are also available. Host, you can make your requests, and the design will continue until you are satisfied!" The system's voice carried a hint of ingratiation.
"So?" Mai Ge asked with a smile.
"The price of 310 copper coins isn't even enough to cover the cost of materials. Host, don't you want your kite to win at the starting line? Don't you want to casually fly your kite and make it far surpass everyone else flying kites in the square, making a grand entrance like a king, enjoying the envy of others and the admiring gaze of your daughter? If you want that, 998 is not for you, 888 is not for you, only 598, and you can take home a super high-level kite!" The system's excited voice rang out, and the slogan was incredibly loud.
"Let me check out the goods first." Mai Ge said calmly. To be honest, he was a little tempted by the system's slogan, especially the phrase "daughter's admiring gaze," which almost made him want to place an order immediately.
"Alright!" the system replied, and immediately a series of kite images appeared in Mai Ge's mind, from ordinary models to all sorts of bizarrely shaped humanoid kites, like Nami, Kallen, Hancock... and so on.
"System, shut-ins don't usually come out to fly kites, so what kind of things are you randomly inserting?" Mai Ge pouted, feeling a bit out of sync with the system's train of thought.
"Host, all you want to do is fly a kite, don't you?" the system retorted.
"Tch, whether in my past life or this one, I could never be a shut-in, okay? Have you ever seen a shut-in who's always flying around looking for delicious food?" Mai Ge said dismissively.
"But you've checked the 'shut-in' option in your Weibo customization settings, which proves that deep down, you do acknowledge that you are a shut-in." the system retorted.
"I just randomly picked that option." Mai Ge himself didn't even remember picking such an option, but he was too lazy to argue with the system about it. Since he couldn't find a kite that met Amy's requirements from top to bottom, he said directly, "System, just customize one for me according to Amy's requirements. Something domineering, something that can intimidate everyone as soon as it appears, the kind that can soar into the sky as soon as it's released."
"Ding! System customization in progress. Rendering will be available in one minute. Please wait!" the system's voice announced.
Mai Ge was already used to the system's incredible efficiency, how could one farm in the Wind Forest without some skill?
The little one jumped around on the bed for a while, then, feeling sleepy, lay down and fell asleep on her own.
Mai Ge got up and carried Amy to her crib, then picked up the Ugly Duckling and put it on the bed as well. He covered the two little ones with the blankets and looked at the smile on Amy's face. Mai Ge also smiled, it seemed that the little one was really looking forward to flying kites tomorrow.
"Ding! Ten renderings have been generated. Please choose one, host!" the system's voice announced.
"Holy crap! System, isn't this supposed to be a purple-striped griffin???" Mai Ge glanced at it, his expression immediately turning strange.