Chapter 496: Tang Kun Awakens a System, a Cadillac as a Starting Reward!
[Ding! Detected Destined Heroine Zhou Luyao's favorability +10, plundered +30,000 destiny value!]
[Ding! Detected Destined Heroine Zhou Luyao's favorability +1, plundered +3,000 destiny value!]
[Ding! Detected Destined Heroine Zhou Luyao's favorability +1, plundered +3,000 destiny value!]
[Ding! Detected Destined Heroine Zhou Luyao's favorability +1, plundered +3,000 destiny value!]
…
In most cases, girls find it very difficult to refuse beautiful jewelry, luxury bags, dresses, shoes, perfumes, and the like. It's a fundamental truth. Even without a cent to their name, they could spend an entire afternoon window-shopping, lost in a world of desire. So, to be in the company of Shen Anyu, whose black card seemed to have no limit, buying whatever caught her eye without even a cursory glance at the price tag, was an experience that dismantled reality itself.
Zhou Luyao, who had been maintaining a veneer of aloofness, a strategic act of 'playing hard to get,' felt that carefully constructed facade crumble into dust. She was no longer a guarded princess but had completely transformed into a joyful nightingale, flitting from one luxury boutique to another with a glee that was impossible to suppress. The hushed, reverent atmosphere of the high-end stores, the fawning attention of the staff who treated Shen Anyu like a visiting monarch—it was all a heady, intoxicating drug.
Everywhere they went, a wake of envious and jealous gazes followed them. Other women, shopping with their own partners, would watch with naked longing as Shen Anyu casually approved one purchase after another for Zhou Luyao. They saw the limited-edition handbag she held, the shimmering diamond bracelet he fastened around her wrist, the couture dress the store manager personally packaged. Those looks of bitter envy were like a potent fuel poured directly onto the fire of Zhou Luyao's vanity. It exploded, burning brighter and hotter than ever before, and with each surge of pride, her favorability towards the man making it all happen soared.
An entire afternoon spent adrift in a sea of unrestrained consumerism left Zhou Luyao bubbling with a dizzying, effervescent happiness she had never known.
'Is this what it feels like to be rich? Is this the world these people live in every single day?'
She stood before a glass case, her eyes wide with disbelief. Inside, nestled on a bed of black velvet, was a necklace of breathtaking beauty—a cascade of diamonds and sapphires. She recognized it instantly from a magazine. It was an identical piece to one famously worn by the Heavenly Queen, the superstar Zhong Lingyin. Its price tag was not in the thousands or hundreds of thousands, but several million yuan. Zhou Luyao had only allowed her gaze to linger on it for a moment, a fleeting, wistful sigh escaping her lips, before Shen Anyu signaled the manager. Without a word, without a moment's hesitation, he had it taken down, paid for, and boxed in exquisite packaging.
Zhou Luyao's heart was a storm of shock, awe, and something akin to fear. It wasn't just the necklace. There was the thirty million yuan that had appeared in her bank account earlier, a sum that had already seemed like a fantasy. Now, added to that, was an afternoon shopping spree that had effortlessly devoured over ten million more. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic, thunderous rhythm that sent a hot flush crawling up her neck and across her cheeks. She felt as if she were walking on clouds, each step unsteady, her head light and dizzy from the sheer unreality of it all.
"Yaoyao, it's your turn to pay the price now."
Just as she was trying to get her bearings, Shen Anyu's voice, a deep and magnetic murmur, sounded right beside her ear. His warm breath ghosted against her skin, sending an electric jolt through her entire body.
Zhou Luyao looked up, her dazed eyes slowly focusing. The scent of luxury goods and crisp new money was gone, replaced by the opulent, perfumed air of a different kind of establishment. Polished marble floors reflected the light of a colossal crystal chandelier above. They were standing in the grand lobby of a five-star hotel.
A spike of panic, sharp and cold, shot through her. She understood immediately. Her mind, previously clouded by euphoria, was now terrifyingly clear.
But Shen Anyu showed no politeness, no patience for her hesitation. He moved with the fluid grace of a predator that knew its prey was already caught. His hand, warm and firm, closed around her slender, fair one. The contrast of his touch against her skin was stark, a brand of ownership. He began to lead her forward, a blush of deep crimson spreading across her face as he pulled her straight towards the elevators.
Zhou Luyao struggled, but it was a feeble, token gesture. Her muscles tensed for a moment, a half-hearted attempt to pull back, but the resistance melted away almost as soon as it began. His grip was too certain, his stride too confident. She gave up. As the silent, gold-trimmed elevator doors slid shut, sealing them in an intimate capsule, only one thought echoed in her mind, a mantra of resigned finality:
'It's over. I'm going to be completely devoured tonight.'
The realization hit her with the force of a physical blow. Her body, untouched for twenty years, a vessel of purity and pride she had so carefully guarded, was about to be utterly ruined. The thought should have terrified her, should have made her fight and scream.
However.
Zhou Luyao's gaze fell to the dozens of shopping bags clutched in both of her hands, their designer logos a proof of the day's madness. Her thoughts drifted to the balance displayed on her banking app, a staggering figure slightly over thirty million yuan. A deep, shuddering sigh escaped her. She lowered her head, her hair falling like a silken curtain to hide her burning cheeks. What could she do? What other choice did she have? She could only yield.
There was no other way; Shen Anyu had simply given too much. The sheer, overwhelming weight of his generosity had crushed all her defenses.
It wasn't that she didn't want to continue playing hard to get. It was an innate instinct, a game she was skilled at. She had tried, she had attempted to maintain that distance, to keep him at arm's length. But in the face of Shen Anyu's relentless barrage of sugar-coated bullets, each one a multi-million-yuan assault on her principles, she had helplessly, completely, and utterly lost.
A red plum, thus bloomed in the quiet luxury of the hotel suite.
[Ding! Child of Destiny Tang Kun's main emotional storyline has completely collapsed, plundered +200,000 destiny value!]
…
"Yaoyao!"
A panicked, desperate shout tore through the silence. Tang Kun's eyes snapped open, his body lurching upright as he gasped for air. His forehead was slick with a dense layer of cold sweat, each bead as large as a pea. His eyes, wide with terror, darted around the room, trying to reconcile the sterile white walls with the dark, suffocating dread of his nightmare.
He had just had the most vivid, horrifying dream. In it, his goddess, his everything, Zhou Luyao, was walking into a hotel room with another man. He was chasing them, his legs feeling like they were mired in concrete, his hand outstretched in a vain, desperate attempt to hold her back. But just as he reached the door, the man had turned. Though his features were a blur, Tang Kun would never forget the mysterious, mocking smile on his face as he wrapped an arm around Zhou Luyao's waist, pulled her inside, and closed the door with a final, echoing click.
Tang Kun was drenched in terror, his heart still hammering against his ribs.
"Good, good, it was just a dream," he panted, forcing the words out. "Just a dream. Yaoyao is so pure, she would never go to a hotel room with some random man…"
'The man's face was blurry,' he reasoned with himself, trying to calm the frantic beating of his heart. 'It must be fake. Yaoyao… she's such a pure, beautiful girl. She would never, ever do something like that.'
Just then, a young nurse bustled over, her expression a mask of displeasure. "What's all the noise? This is a hospital. Other patients need to rest."
"Sorry, sorry, I'll be quiet now," Tang Kun stammered, nodding his head repeatedly in apology. Only then did he fully take in his surroundings. He was in a hospital ward, filled with the low hum of medical equipment and the smell of antiseptic. Other patients, doctors, and nurses were looking at him with expressions of curiosity and annoyance.
"Oh, right, I remember now," he muttered, a hand going to his head. "I was in a car accident… got thrown off my scooter. I wasn't wearing a helmet."
He cautiously patted himself down, touching his arms, his legs, his chest. "I'm… actually mostly fine?"
He found that apart from a thick bandage wrapped around his head, he seemed to have no other significant injuries. A profound wave of relief washed over him. If he were seriously injured, he wouldn't be able to deliver takeout. And if he couldn't deliver takeout, how could he possibly save up enough money to buy the latest model of fruit phone for his goddess, Zhou Luyao? It was his grand plan to win her back after she had broken up with him.
"Ah…!"
Just then, Tang Kun let out a sudden, sharp cry.
"Nurse! Nurse, why am I seeing things? There's something floating in front of my eyes!"
The nurse, who was already annoyed by Tang Kun's earlier outburst, sighed heavily. Hearing his new complaint, she said dismissively, "Perhaps you injured your eyes in the car accident and developed floaters. Go get it checked out later."
"No, no need." Tang Kun's response was immediate and surprisingly firm. A look of wild, suppressed joy flashed in his eyes as he waved his hands repeatedly, indicating that everything was fine.
The young nurse shot him an impatient glare. "Patient, please be quiet. You're disturbing the other patients in the ward."
"Okay, okay, no problem," Tang Kun readily agreed, his voice barely a whisper.
The moment the nurse turned away, Tang Kun had to bite his lip to keep from shouting with glee. He was practically vibrating with excitement, overjoyed to the absolute extreme. Before his very eyes, several lines of shimmering, semi-transparent text had appeared. From the complete lack of reaction from the nurse and the other patients, Tang Kun knew with absolute certainty that he was the only one who could see them.
[Ding! Takeout Tycoon System detected a suitable host. System binding in progress… Binding progress 10%… 30%… 70%… 99%… 100%. Binding complete!]
'Takeout Tycoon System!'
Tang Kun's heart felt like it was going to explode. In this day and age, who hadn't read webnovels? Who didn't know about Systems? With a System, even the most ordinary, down-on-his-luck delivery boy could soar into the heavens like a dragon. He could marry a rich and beautiful woman, stand at the very pinnacle of life!
During his short breaks between takeout deliveries, Tang Kun would often scroll through novels on his phone, devouring 'feel-good' stories and envying the protagonists who were blessed with Systems. He had fantasized countless times about such incredible fortune falling upon him, but he never, ever expected it to actually happen.
The next second, a translucent panel, like something out of a video game, materialized before his eyes.
[Name: Tang Kun]
[Age: 23]
[Personal Assets: 427.35]
…
'Wait, do I really have over four hundred yuan in my card? Did it count my clothes and shoes as assets?' Tang Kun wondered for a brief moment, before dismissing the thought. It didn't matter. He had a System now. He was destined to reach the pinnacle of life.
Suppressing the ecstatic joy that threatened to burst from his chest, Tang Kun thought silently, his voice filled with reverence: 'System Daddy, what functions do you have? Please introduce them!'
[Takeout Tycoon System: You can get generous rewards by delivering takeout!]
"Ah?"
Tang Kun was dumbfounded. His face fell. He was already delivering takeout before he got the System. Now that he had it, he was… still delivering takeout? Wouldn't that make this the most useless System in history?
[Takeout Tycoon System: Shall I leave then?]
'No, no, no!' Tang Kun panicked. 'How could System Daddy be that simple? I must have missed something. Let's try delivering one takeout order first.'
Without a second thought, Tang Kun ignored the faint shouts of the little nurse behind him. He scrambled out of the hospital bed, yanked on his original, slightly grimy yellowish-brown takeout uniform, and bolted out of the hospital. He grabbed his scooter and began his first takeout delivery as a System Host.
The order was simple: a serving of pig trotters over rice.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for completing one takeout order! Reward: one latest model Cadillac CELESTIQ. Do you wish to extract it now?]
"Wait."
Tang Kun, for all his excitement, still had some common sense left from all the novels he'd read. He first drove his scooter to a secluded, unpopulated corner of a nearby park. After looking left and right multiple times to ensure no one was watching, he took a deep breath and chose to extract the Cadillac.
With a brilliant flash of white light, a vehicle of impossible luxury appeared out of thin air before him. It was long, sleek, and brimming with a futuristic, sporty flair that made his beat-up scooter look like a prehistoric relic.
As he looked at the latest model Cadillac CELESTIQ, a masterpiece of automotive engineering worth over two million yuan, Tang Kun's mouth finally couldn't help but spread into a wide, manic grin that stretched from ear to ear:
"Hahaha, hahaha, I've turned my life around! I, Tang Kun, have finally turned my life around! Yaoyao, you used to ignore me, but now you'll regret it! You'll be chasing your husband all the way to the crematorium…"
At this moment, Tang Kun recalled Shen Anyu's instigating words at the breakup scene: a single word, 'break up,' and he would meet someone better, making Zhou Luyao regret it.
"Hehe, I didn't expect that pretty boy to be quite accurate. I really did turn my life around and stood up."
"I'll promote him to be a little brother later…"
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