This night, Ren Yuanhao lay tossing and turning on his bed, not due to the back of his head, but because his mind was still replaying the worldview instilled by the system.
"Beep beep, kid, you're something else, scoring 25 million in just a few hours."
"But I'm still short by 5 million. Can't you give me a 50% discount?"
"Don't you still have one spin on the Wheel of Fortune left? Not going to try your luck? What if a super big gift package drops, tsk tsk."
"Hearing you say that makes me remember. I'll give it a spin then!"
Ren Yuanhao reappeared as dot matrix data before the Wheel of Fortune in his mind. This time, the wheel was no different from the previous ones, with various mysterious cultivation manuals and points evenly distributed. His heart filled with excitement, and he pushed forward. The wheel spun rapidly with a light, crisp sound, and after a few seconds, it slowly came to a halt.
"What is this thing?"
"Your luck isn't bad, kid. This is a new treasure map from the system. You can find its location and then embark on an exploration and excavation. Generally, there will be some considerable wealth or item materials inside."
"Points are still more reliable. I'm really short on money right now!"
"Of course, you can choose to sell the treasure map for points."
The system's voice turned sly, clearly setting a trap and waiting for Ren Yuanhao to fall into it.
"Hey, System Great, is it fair for you to screw me over like this? Does torturing me to your satisfaction bring you pleasure?"
"Not pleasure, exactly. As a mature system, allowing you to experience unimaginable 'blessings of the empress,' naturally requires some commensurate reward for the difficulty. It's reasonable and logical."
Ren Yuanhao gritted his teeth, about to open the treasure map when the system spoke again.
"Before you open it, I must remind you that once opened, the treasure map will be bound and cannot be exchanged for points. Please confirm."
"Why do I smell a sense of forced buying and selling? Forget it, I won't gamble. Let's estimate how many points this treasure map can be exchanged for."
After a brief silence, the system finally replied.
"After system evaluation, it can be exchanged for 1000 points."
"So little?"
"It's not little. Are you going to exchange it?"
Ren Yuanhao thought for a moment and decided to exchange it. After all, with the exchange, he would only be short by 2.5 million, requiring only 5 more orders to complete. Normally, that would only take five days, and he still had at least two days before Wang Xin's life-or-death deadline.
This night was destined to be sleepless.
Meanwhile, in a rental apartment in Love God City, a network streamer's nightlife was just beginning.
"Hello everyone, this is Lan Jie'er's Night Talk. If you like the streamer, you can click the follow button in the upper left corner. The live stream room will randomly distribute benefits, including computer hosts, signed photos of the streamer, anime merchandise, jerseys, and sneakers."
Lan Jie'er was wearing a relatively conservative pink fairy dress with a strapless design. Her face was covered with a thick layer of makeup to hide her prominent dark circles.
To be honest, she had been live-streaming from 6 PM to 11 PM. She was already quite exhausted, but to live a life of luxury, she had to push herself.
Unfortunately, her live-streaming content wasn't exciting enough, and the attention and gifts she received were completely disproportionate to her efforts.
There was a widely spread golden saying in the streaming world: "Your lower limit determines your upper limit."
Lan Jie'er felt that her upper limit was probably the ceiling itself, visible at a glance, and quite dilapidated at that.
"Next up is the song request segment. I wonder what songs my dear viewers like?"
"Little Yellow Song" - Sha Zi.
"Waist" - Da Ni on horseback.
"To Be Your Man" - Gong Zi Shao Hao.
Dozens of bullet comments floated by. The only one that seemed remotely normal was the song requested by her die-hard fan, 'Gong Zi Shao Hao.'
She didn't hesitate. As the tune of "To Be Your Man" began to play, more than a dozen viewers unfollowed and left the stream.
A flicker of disappointment crossed her face, but the show had to go on. She had to pretend to be energetic and adjusted her microphone.
Just then, an anonymous message popped up.
"Miss Lan Jie'er, I admire your beauty and am willing to pay one hundred thousand to meet you."
One hundred thousand? This was not a small sum for her, but was it really just for a meeting?
She wasn't ignorant of the unwritten rules of this industry, but for the sake of her beloved bags, clothes, and diamond rings, should she perhaps loosen up a little?
Lan Jie'er didn't dismiss the message. Amidst her bewilderment and hesitation, the stream continued until the designated break time.
For her, 2 AM in Love God City was all too familiar. Outside, it seemed like there was always mist that never ceased. Towering unfinished buildings stood like giant beasts piercing the sky, their cranes and steel frames forming their limbs and skeletons. Neon lights crawled across the dark night, blurring the prosperity of the floating world, yet all of it seemed unrelated to the romantic name of this city.
She had learned to smoke, but she never did in front of her young fans. Her natural appearance had high potential, but her reservedness destined her for mediocrity.
"If only I had a rich and handsome boyfriend."
Thinking of this, Lan Jie'er unconsciously walked back to her computer, her gaze fixed on the words 'one hundred thousand.'
"What if the other party genuinely just wants to meet? If their family background is good and they have a clean upbringing, further development wouldn't be bad."
She quickly typed on her keyboard and replied to the message. She hadn't expected an immediate response, but the other party seemed to be anxiously waiting for her, replying almost instantly.
"Instant replies are the best." Lan Jie'er stared excitedly at the screen. The other party sent a gentlemanly emoji and attached their phone number.
For someone who had only experienced one tentative, innocent relationship, she felt a sliver of expectation for this man she had never met. After much thought, she couldn't resist the temptation and dialed the number.
"Goddess, I never expected you to actually call me. It's a great honor."
The man's voice sounded robust, with a hint of magnetism. His conversation was neither disrespectful nor frivolous, immediately making Lan Jie'er's heart race like a startled deer.
"You jest. May I ask, who are you?"
"Oh, I'm a small fan of yours, captivated by your elegant demeanor and speech."
The man was unhurried and did not make any unreasonable requests.
"Oh, then where are you from?"
"Love God City, the same place as you."
The man still hadn't asked to meet, which, surprisingly, made Lan Jie'er anxious.
"You mentioned earlier that you wanted to meet me..."
"That's right. Although using the lowly trick of money to win your favor seems a bit base, I also understand the hardships of being a streamer."
Lan Jie'er's heartstrings seemed to be tugged by such a thoughtful gesture. After a brief pause of five to six seconds, she finally agreed to meet him over the phone, setting a time and place for the next day.