Chapter 171: Quick Transmigration Raider [4]
Su Yu finally realized that something was off when she encountered the twin brothers from the Ye family. She had always thought that the high ratings given to the Gong family's three brothers, Ling Tianche, and others by the system were due to its assessment based on normal aesthetic standards. People who were extremely handsome in her eyes were considered extremely ugly in this world's standards. After all, she had personally verified this.
However, what she didn't expect was that when she met the twin brothers from the Ye family, the system's ratings were both 97 points, which belonged to what she considered top-tier level of handsomeness. According to this world's standards, they should have been considered extremely ugly, even hideous. But to her astonishment, before she could even formulate a strategy, she heard passing girls excitedly discussing while stealing glances at them:
"Ah! They're so handsome!"
"No wonder they're ranked second among the top ten school heartthrobs!"
"But I still like Ling Tianche the most! In my eyes, he's the most handsome in the universe!"
"The three brothers of the Gong family are quite good too! Their looks are all so stunning, really pleasing to the eyes!"
"I prefer the refined and elegant type like Teacher Rong, so charming!"
...
Su Yu was left dumbfounded. Wait, what happened to the reversal of beauty and ugliness? Their opinions were no different from hers!
A sense of unease crept into Su Yu's heart. When she had previously encountered the Gong family brothers, Ling Tianche, and Rong Yi, there happened to be no local residents around, and she didn't have a chance to hear their opinions. That led her to naturally assume that the Gong family's three brothers and others were considered extremely ugly by the locals, because she had personally experimented with this world's inverted beauty standards...
But now, she heard what? The Ye family's twin brothers were very handsome! The Gong family brothers were also handsome! Ling Tianche and Rong Yi were equally handsome!
Su Yu's mind snapped, like a string breaking. She took a swift step forward, intercepting the group of girls. Anxious, she asked, "What did you just say?"
The girls were startled by her sudden appearance. When they saw her demeanor, the timid ones instinctively huddled together. Su Yu grabbed one of the girls by the shoulder and shook her forcefully. "I'm asking you a question! Speak up!"
At this moment, Su Yu had forgotten everything else. She just desperately wanted to know the truth.
The girl was trembling in fear of Su Yu's fierce expression. Her voice quivered as she said, "The three brothers of the Gong family are very good-looking..." She was the one who had praised the Gong family brothers just a moment ago.
Su Yu's expression turned somewhat ferocious. "And?"
"Ling Tianche is the most handsome in the universe..." Seeing that Su Yu kept asking, the girl thought her answer wasn't satisfactory and quickly changed her words.
Su Yu's expression grew even more ferocious. "And?"
The girl was on the verge of tears. Big sister, whose fan are you? Can you just say it? I can exaggerate his looks like a flower!
"Ye family brothers are the campus idols..."
Su Yu finally released her grip on the girl. The girl dared not even catch her breath and quickly dragged her friends away. Once they reached what they thought was a safe distance, they began discussing:
"Oh my god, she scared the life out of me. I thought she was going to eat me!"
"I've never seen anyone look so ugly before!"
"So frighteningly ugly! I'm sure I'll have nightmares tonight!"
…
Su Yu had excellent hearing, so she caught every word without missing a beat. Her complexion turned terrifyingly dark, her hands clenched tightly, and her nails were almost digging into her flesh, yet she couldn't feel any pain.
The system's weak voice sounded,
[Um, it seems like we messed up...]
Wen Qing got to witness Su Yu's expression after learning the truth and couldn't help but chuckle unkindly. She couldn't believe that the protagonist who had traveled through so many worlds would make such a basic mistake, but considering everything, it didn't come as a surprise either.
Su Yu was never someone with a calm temperament to begin with. After traversing through so many worlds, experiencing and gaining much, she had developed a somewhat inflated self-esteem and a more restless state of mind. Her refusal to heed the system's advice was a glimpse into that mindset. Additionally, since she could entirely manipulate her appearance, she didn't value it as much. So what if she became ugly? She could change back in a minute, just like going out without makeup one day. Therefore, she easily changed her face.
Wen Qing had nothing left to do but observe how Su Yu would navigate finding true love with her current appearance. If she succeeded, Wen Qing would offer her blessings.
For Wen Qing, there was no next life. Her quick transmigration journey was coming to an end.
After knowing the truth, Su Yu was nearly about to explode with rage. If she were fooled again without realizing it, then what had she lived through all these lifetimes for? But who exactly was playing her like this? What was their intention? Did they want something from her? Su Yu had no clue, and even the self-proclaimed all-knowing system couldn't make sense of it.
[Perhaps... it's because when we first arrived, our magnetic field didn't align with this world's, causing the malfunction?]
"Heh," Su Yu sneered coldly. "It's precisely because of your baseless speculations that I've ended up in this situation! Aren't you a system? Aren't you all-powerful? Quickly figure out what we should do now! With this monstrous face, who do you expect me to seduce?"
Su Yu had lost her rationality, shouting at the system. The system was also quite helpless; it was merely a system, not a god. Even it was bound by rules. It couldn't do much about the situation. It couldn't identify the person behind this scheme, and this world had already changed their appearance once; there was no chance for a second alteration. Moreover, looking so ugly, even if it wanted to advise Su Yu to pursue heartfelt seductions, it couldn't do it!
However, without completing the seduction tasks, they wouldn't be able to leave. Without leaving, they couldn't revert to their original appearances. Without the original appearances, they couldn't complete the seductions... They were trapped in a catch-22 situation with no solution.
When Su Yu finally emerged from her agitated state, nearly a month had passed. She felt waiting passively wasn't a solution. She decided to take the initiative and try to seduce at least two men. After that, she could quickly leave this world.
Two men—this wasn't her greed; it was a hard rule set by the system. In each world, she had to seduce at least two high-quality men with a system rating of above 90 points. No subpar candidates, let alone average men, would do.
Su Yu felt the rule for seduction was absolutely twisted, incredibly twisted!
But she had no choice; she had to muster the courage to go through with it!
And so, with an appearance that even she found eye-searing, Su Yu embarked on her journey to find true love.
By the time Wen Qing finished a semester, Su Yu was in the midst of her seduction.
When Wen Qing graduated high school, Su Yu was still in the midst of her seduction.
As Wen Qing graduated from university, Su Yu was still in the midst of her seduction.
When Wen Qing succeeded in her career and her family began urging her to marry, Su Yu was still in the midst of her seduction.
Wen Qing was moved by Su Yu's relentless determination, well, moved only in a manner of speaking.
The tragedies of the Gong family and several other families were all caused by Su Yu's seductions. Now, with Su Yu's absence, Ling Tianche and the others didn't have their minds clouded by infatuation for the same woman, didn't forsake everything to possess her together, and weren't driven mad by her disappearance. Everyone lived peacefully, going to school, working, getting married, having children, leading ordinary yet stable lives.
This was for the best.
Wen Qing's engagement with Ling Tianche was peacefully dissolved because they realized they weren't each other's preferred type. The Gong family didn't need her to pursue an alliance for the family. If it weren't for the arranged engagement from the older generation, the Gong parents wouldn't have rushed to settle their daughter's marriage so early.
Gong Wenqing's parents and her three brothers doted on her immensely. Even when she declared her intention to stay single for life, they compromised. With three capable brothers to handle the family's affairs, she didn't need to worry about the family business. Thus, she lived a life of leisure, indulging in food and drink, while also observing Su Yu's path of true love from the sidelines.
Chapter 172: Golden Fingers Big Bang [1]
"Wen Qing, wake up. Class is almost over."
When Wen Qing opened her eyes once again, she found herself in a classroom. A middle-aged man with a beer belly was passionately lecturing at the podium, spittle flying as he spoke. She was seated at the back row, her view obstructed by rows of dark heads in front of her. On her desk, a messy pile of books was scattered, and the writing on those books seemed strangely familiar. Her desk mate was a round-faced girl who, upon seeing her awake, covered her mouth with her hand and whispered, "Hurry and get ready. As soon as the bell rings, we'll dash out..."
Wen Qing felt a moment of confusion. Everything before her was both familiar and strange, as if she had experienced it before.
Recalling what happened before, after returning from the mission world to the endless void, she had sent Gong Wenqing into the reincarnation pool and absorbed the power of merit. Then, without waiting for the next client, she had been transported to this place.
No clients, huh?
Having traversed countless worlds, Wen Qing had long honed her skills at disguising herself as the original host without causing any suspicion. She had also become accustomed to dealing with various unexpected situations. She opened her textbook in front of her, flipped to the first page, and read the words clearly written there—
Class 2, Grade 3, Wen Qing.
In an instant, memories that seemed locked away surged forth like a tide.
Yes, Wen Qing remembered now. This was the world she was in before entering the endless void. It was her own world.
Her parents had passed away in a car accident when she was three years old, and she had been raised by her uncle's family. In her final year of high school, without any warning, Wen Qing had entered the endless void. No one had told her why, or what she should do. When the first client had come knocking, she had instinctively known what to do.
Complete tasks for clients, then claim the protagonist's golden finger, and earn merit... During her missions, she had relied on her own exploration and learning to figure things out. The initial worlds were a bit challenging, but as her experience grew, she became more adept at handling them. Apart from what the phoenix had told her about becoming a god through merit, she had no idea about the purpose of her continuous missions. She only knew to keep going as if fulfilling a duty. And just as she finally understood and had a direction to strive towards, she had suddenly returned—back to her original world, frozen at the moment she left.
It felt as if she had just taken a nap, and had a dream. But Wen Qing was well aware that what she had experienced was far from a dream!
Just as she didn't know why she had entered the endless void, she didn't know why she had returned suddenly. Wen Qing tried to communicate with the endless void through her consciousness and found it still there, unchanged. Even the little phoenix was there, napping in a tree. All those golden fingers from the endless void were still there, intact.
Feeling relieved, Wen Qing let go of her worries. Regardless of the reason for her return, when the time came, she'd know.
All these thoughts raced through her mind in an instant. When she snapped back to reality, she noticed her desk mate already reaching into the desk's opening, grabbing her lunchbox. She began a countdown with her mouth, "Ten, nine, eight..."
Wen Qing discreetly glanced at her own notebook and then "recalled" that her desk mate was called Su Xiaoman. It seemed they used to dash to the cafeteria as soon as the bell rang back in those days.
It wasn't because they were longing to eat, but rather because their school had many students, and the cafeteria was not spacious enough. Arriving late meant having to wait in long lines. For high school seniors, every second counted. But if they went too late, even though the crowd was smaller, the food would have cooled down, and there was a risk of getting an upset stomach, which was something they couldn't afford.
As she reminisced about these details, Wen Qing's memories in her mind suddenly became vivid, as if these events had happened just yesterday. Wen Qing couldn't help but marvel at how, as an old monster who had lived for who knew how many years, she still had these youthful memories.
Ding-ding-ding...
The school bell rang punctually. Before the teacher could finish saying "class dismissed," several students in the class swiftly rushed out, including Wen Qing's desk mate, Su Xiaoman.
"Xiaoman, wait..."
Watching Su Xiaoman disappear with a blink of an eye, Wen Qing silently swallowed her words. It had been so long since she had used this skill that her reaction was slow.
Forget it, she wasn't hungry anyway. Wen Qing waited until all the students in the class had left before getting up and heading outside to reacquaint herself with the campus.
Just as she stepped out of the classroom, she collided with a hurriedly passing girl. The girl muttered an apology and quickly walked away.
Wen Qing was momentarily stunned because she saw three large crimson characters hovering above the girl's head—
Reborn.
It was like players in a video game displaying their usernames. Those three words were stably suspended above her, moving with her every step. The students around her seemed to completely ignore it, as if only Wen Qing could see it...
All of this wasn't the main point. What surprised Wen Qing was that there was actually a reborn at her school?! Wen Qing was astonished because she had never expected to encounter a rebirth in the real world. Despite traversing countless worlds and meeting various individuals with a golden finger, she had always thought that such things were exclusive to the world of novels. Even though those worlds were also real, they were somehow different.
However, she quickly reasoned that it was normal. After all, which world didn't have its protagonists? She just wondered what this reborn girl was planning to do. Subconsciously, Wen Qing followed in her footsteps.
But then, at the corner of a staircase, she bumped into a male student with three large crimson characters above his head—
Transmigrator.
Wen Qing was taken aback. one reborn and one transmigrator? Were golden finger users becoming so common now? In less than a minute, she encountered two individuals with golden fingers. Wasn't this probability a bit too high?
The male student appeared bewildered, as if he had no idea what had just happened. When he saw Wen Qing, he grabbed her and asked, "Hey, classmate, where is this place?"
As they got closer, Wen Qing noticed something odd. Beneath the three large characters "Transmigrator" on the boy's head, there was a blank space that was displaying live comments—
["What the heck! Didn't I go out drinking with friends last night? How did I end up here?"]
["Those damn guys wouldn't be playing a prank on me, would they?"]
["They really went all out, transporting me from the snowy north to the south overnight!"]
["Oh, this girl looks pretty nice! Maybe I can get her WeChat and chat with her!"]
…
Wen Qing realized that this might be the other person's inner thoughts, but she didn't understand why they were displayed in the form of bullet comments. She stared at the comments and replied, "Earth, China, Zhejiang Province, Z City No. 1 Middle School."
Normally, when someone asked for directions, they wouldn't answer like Wen Qing did. However, this time, the transmigrator seemed eager for a more detailed response, so he didn't find anything unusual about her answer. In fact, after hearing her response, he seemed quite excited—
["Not Z Country of Mercury, right? Wow! I've transmigrated!"]
["Thirty years of misery, and I've finally become the protagonist!"]
["Looks like it's a parallel world, and I've gotten younger too. This is a familiar setup: either plagiarize songs and books to become the entertainment king or develop technology to dominate the world! Of course, I can't forget about the girls!"]
…
Wen Qing: "..." He's a transmigrating harem protagonist.
After confirming that the bullet comments above the transmigrator's head did indeed reflect his thoughts, Wen Qing intended to leave. She needed to go back and process the information from today's events. It was quite overwhelming, and she needed time to digest it.
"Hey, sis, don't go. Add me on WeChat!"
—
["Such a beautiful girl; maybe she'll be my number one consort. Hehehe..."]
Wen Qing looked at him expressionlessly and said, "Heh." Then, she turned and walked away.
She couldn't understand why these sleazy harem protagonists were favored by fate and given a golden finger. How many girls had to suffer because of people like him? Wen Qing really wanted to castrate these kinds of individuals, but until she figured things out, she didn't dare to act recklessly...
Oh, she couldn't stand it anymore! Why keep such scum alive?
Wen Qing walked a few steps and then turned back. The transmigrator thought she had changed her mind and hurriedly said, "I knew it, sis, you—"
But his words abruptly stopped because the girl simply ignored him and walked right past him.
The transmigrator looked a bit embarrassed.
[Well, there are plenty of girls in the future. Right now, the most important thing is to figure out where I've transmigrated to and what advantages I have.]
What he didn't know was that, as Wen Qing passed by him, she had given him a "little gift".
Having dealt with one potential problem, Wen Qing's mood improved slightly. At this point, she wasn't in a hurry to find the reborn girl. Instead, she decided to go to the teacher and request leave, planning to return home.
As Wen Qing headed to the guard with her leave request, she saw the reborn girl negotiating with the guard uncle.
"Uncle, please let me go out for a while. I have something urgent to do. I'll be back in ten minutes!"
"No, it's not possible! Nobody can go out without a leave request!"
The guard uncle was adamant, and despite the reborn girl's efforts to persuade him, he remained unmoved. She was getting impatient. When Wen Qing passed by, she saw that the reborn girl had bullet comments above her head too—
["Ah! This is so infuriating! I forgot that I can't go out without a leave request!"]
["My five-million jackpot! Please don't let someone else buy it!"]
Wen Qing smirked. It seemed that buying lottery tickets was a must for reborn individuals, a common trope. She couldn't understand how someone who had never bought a lottery ticket before could remember the numbers so clearly.
After submitting her leave request, Wen Qing finally left the school gate. As she reached the bus stop, she saw a private car speeding by, with three familiar crimson characters hovering above it—
Mind Reader.
Another encounter with a golden finger user!
Of course, it wasn't the car that had the mind-reading ability but the person inside it.
Half a minute later, a taxi with "Cultivator" written on it drove by. Wen Qing had become somewhat numb to it all. She felt that even if she encountered characters like "Quick Transmigrator," "Raider," "WeChat Red Envelope Group," or "Interdimensional Trader," she wouldn't be surprised anymore.
This was truly a world where the golden fingers had gone wild!
In the blink of an eye, Wen Qing suddenly understood her mission upon returning—damn it, she had to maintain social stability! Because there were too many golden finger users in the real world now! Wen Qing couldn't help but wonder what kind of chemical reaction would occur when so many golden finger users gathered in one place.
Perhaps the reason she had been sent on missions to plunder so many golden fingers was for this very purpose!
Chapter 173: Golden Fingers Big Bang [2]
After Wen Qing finished high school, she moved out of her uncle's house. Her uncle and aunt treated her well and didn't covet her parents' inheritance as some relatives do in novels. Instead, her uncle would give her pocket money on holidays, and her aunt often bought her clothes. However, despite the kindness, living with them still gave her a sense of being a guest, so after graduating from high school, Wen Qing found a reason to move out.
Once back at her own home, the first thing she did after closing the doors and windows was to enter the infinite space. She needed to check if her golden fingers were still functional and how many of them she could use.
Phoenix, upon seeing her, immediately approached with excitement. "Sis, did you find the opportunity to perfect your merits?"
"Probably," Wen Qing replied, not entirely certain. She had a vague feeling that this might be the opportunity she had been seeking, but she wasn't entirely confident.
Phoenix, however, sounded sure of himself. "Definitely. I have a premonition because we have a contract between us. I can sense my own destiny, including a part of yours."
With his words, Wen Qing felt more assured. "I'll take your good wishes then." After a moment's thought, she asked him, "Do you want to go out for a while? If you do, you'll need to stay close to me in your reduced form, and I may need your help when necessary."
In this world, facing various individuals with their own golden fingers, she was concerned that she might not be able to handle everything alone. She trusted Phoenix's formidable strength.
"No problem!" Phoenix eagerly agreed. He had been itching to get out of the space for a while.
Wen Qing instructed him further, "Once you're out, follow my orders and don't cause trouble."
"I got it, sis. You're quite the talkative one!" Phoenix wasn't clueless about prioritizing matters, especially during such a crucial time when he wouldn't want to hinder her.
Wen Qing assessed the golden fingers she had reclaimed in the endless space and selected a few that she might need:
The Terror Black Package could be useful as she could gather all the golden finger holders into a group and manage them collectively, provided they were willing to follow her.
She must have the Cultivation Space because she had already encountered cultivators on her way back. Among all the power systems, the cultivation system was undoubtedly the strongest. To suppress cultivators, she needed to start from here.
The Interdimensional trader was also worth considering since when she had retrieved it, Jiang Xiaoman had already opened seven different dimensions, including cultivation and magic ones. It could serve as an additional resource when necessary.
As for other abilities like time travel, rebirth, red envelope groups, palace intrigue systems, Taobao systems, X-ray vision, yin and yang eyes, apocalyptic spaces, planting spaces, and so on, most of these functions were already covered by the three golden fingers she had selected. There was no need to bring all of them along.
Wen Qing attempted to bring these three golden fingers out at the same time, and to her surprise, it worked. In the past, there had been restrictions, allowing her to carry only one type at a time. Perhaps it was related to the number of golden finger holders in the world she was in. In her previous world, there had been only one person with a golden finger, so she could only carry one. This world had many golden finger holders, and the corresponding restrictions on her had loosened. This would make her actions much more convenient.
Wen Qing first cultivated in the Cultivation Space until she reached the Nascent Soul stage and gained enough self-defense abilities before emerging from it. Due to the time difference between the space and the outside world, she had practiced many times, becoming quite proficient. Thus, she managed to reach the Nascent Soul stage in just half a day of external time.
As night fell, Wen Qing activated her invisibility technique and rode her sword out. She wanted to see how many golden finger carriers there were in this world.
Well, as soon as she stepped out, she encountered one, and he happened to live in the same residential area as her. Four bright red characters floated above his head - "Spendthrift System". It was as visible as a spotlight from afar. Wen Qing approached on her sword and immediately saw the barrage of text above his head:
[System, are you serious? You're really giving me 100 million? No one can find out?]
[Spending it all in a week? Easy! Making money is hard, but spending it? Piece of cake!]
[If I can't spend it all, I have to die? Don't worry, it's just 100 million. I can buy a few houses casually, right?]
...
Wen Qing placed a mark on the Spendthrift System guy using her spiritual energy and then left.
She flew her sword over Z City, circling above it a few times, and found another girl with the "Actress System". Together with the four she had encountered this morning, and the Spendthrift System guy, she discovered six golden finger carriers in Z City. This probability was already quite high. Six in one city, how many would there be in one province? Or a whole country?
Fortunately, these golden finger carriers were not affected by any physical obstructions. Even when Wen Qing flew in mid-air, she could spot them through buildings. Otherwise, it would have taken her forever to find them one by one.
After circling a few more times to confirm that there were only these six golden finger carriers in Z City, Wen Qing returned home. Seeing that it was almost dawn, she decided not to continue her cultivation but instead analyzed the information she had gathered on these individuals.
Dealing with a reborn woman and a transmigrating man was relatively straightforward; their golden fingers were mainly related to memories from their past lives, so sealing that part of their memories would suffice. Without these overpowered memories, what would make them different from ordinary people? After all, transmigrators and reborn individuals didn't come with an increase in intelligence.
Handling those with various system-related golden fingers was also not difficult. She just needed to separate the systems from them. It was the cultivator, Chen Hong, and the mind reader that posed a bit of a challenge.
Chen Hong, the cultivator, had bought a keychain for two yuan at a street market, and after dripping blood on it, he unexpectedly opened a cave for cultivation. This led him onto the path of cultivation. He started late, had no guidance, and the spiritual energy in his cave was insufficient. After years of stumbling along, he had only reached the seventh level of Qi cultivation. Although that level was unimpressive in the world of cultivation, it still placed him above ordinary people. To deal with him, Wen Qing needed to take away his cultivation cave and seal his cultivation base. When necessary, she might also need to seal his memories related to cultivation, but that wouldn't be too troublesome.
As for the mind reader, that was a bit tricky. Such an ability was mysterious and couldn't be sealed like cultivation or separated like a system. Wen Qing would need to carefully consider how to resolve this issue.
After breakfast, Wen Qing went to school as usual, planning to inform her teachers that she needed an extended leave. With so many unpredictable factors and potential explosions around, who knew when and where something might go wrong? If she stayed at school all the time, she wouldn't be able to respond in time if an emergency occurred, so she preferred to keep a close watch.
When she went to request a leave, she happened to run into the reborn girl doing the same. The girl was in the class next door, and their homeroom teacher's offices were conveniently adjacent. So, when Wen Qing walked over, she could clearly see the text floating above the girl's head:
["The land in the north of the city is about to be developed. I must convince my parents to buy several houses there. After demolition, even with just compensation, we can live comfortably for a lifetime."]
["If my parents don't believe it, I'll secretly use the five million I won yesterday to buy it! May Buddha bless me, please don't let me down! I must win, I must win..."]
Whether Buddha would bless her or not was hard to say, but Wen Qing certainly didn't want to see her succeed so easily. Did she think she could claim all the good things in her reborn life? Taking the five million jackpot for herself and then claiming the compensation for the demolished houses as well – what about the people who were supposed to benefit from that in their previous lives? It was originally their opportunity, and now she was trying to snatch it away?
Greed knows no bounds. Wen Qing hadn't planned to meddle in the girl's lottery ticket purchase in the first place, mainly because those who bought lottery tickets were mostly gamblers. So, she didn't care who would eventually get the prize. However, when it came to trying to earn that compensation money, Wen Qing strongly disagreed.
Therefore, after requesting her leave, Wen Qing followed behind the girl and enveloped the lottery ticket in her pocket with spiritual energy before crushing it into pieces.
Being reborn was already a significant stroke of luck. Studying diligently and becoming strong was the way to go. Wasn't becoming stronger than anything else the best approach? Always seeking shortcuts without considering the consequences could jeopardize one's blessings.
Chapter 174: Golden Fingers Big Bang [3]
Wen Qing had been cultivating in her spatial realm for several days, all the way until she reached the Nascent Divinity stage before emerging. Everything outside was calm, and there was no commotion from the golden finger holders. Wen Qing finally relaxed.
At night, she once again rode her flying sword to search for the bearers of the golden fingers, this time extending her gaze to the entire province. Due to her increased cultivation, she could use her divine sense to scan the entire province directly, significantly speeding up her search. In one night, she managed to locate three more bearers of the golden fingers.
One was a curse user, with a certain probability of words spoken by him coming true.
Another was a clairvoyant, originally a street fortune teller who unexpectedly awakened the Divine Eye, allowing him to see the future of others.
The last one possessed a culinary system. With the system's assistance, she became a generation's cooking god. The dishes she prepared were incredibly delicious, but their prices were quite high.
The latter two were fine since fortune-telling and selling food were purely matters of personal choice. If customers didn't want their services, who could force them? It was the first one that posed a bit of a problem. Tang Xiaofei, the curser, was just a junior high school student. Moreover, he was a problematic youth. Just yesterday, after his homeroom teacher reported his less than ideal grades to his parents, Tang Xiaofei was scolded by them and harbored ill feelings towards the teacher, saying, "That old witch will get hit by a car sooner or later!"
Then, today, the homeroom teacher had a car accident on her way to school and couldn't be saved, succumbing to her injuries.
This sent chills down Wen Qing's spine. If Tang Xiaofei had merely said it thoughtlessly, just venting frustration, Wen Qing could attribute it to coincidence. However, it wasn't the case. Tang Xiaofei was already aware of his ability. Although it was inconsistent, he knew that the things he said might come true. In this situation, his words clearly revealed a deep-seated desire for the teacher's death.
This was what truly unsettled Wen Qing. Adolescents hadn't yet developed mature and rational moral values, and when given an ability that surpassed ordinary people, who knew what unimaginable things they might do? While leaving a mark on him, Wen Qing temporarily put Tang Xiaofei to sleep. Until she found a way to deal with his ability, she didn't dare to let him utter any irreparable words.
After completing these tasks, Wen Qing felt a heavy heart. In truth, she hadn't figured out how to handle these carriers of the golden fingers. Obtaining the golden fingers was their chance, and she couldn't stop them from using their advantages to seize opportunities from others. Otherwise, what would differentiate her from those people?
However, with so many golden finger bearers gathered together, chaos was inevitable. Today's example with Tang Xiaofei was just one instance. Not everyone could control their malicious thoughts and refrain from harming others.
Feeling restless, Wen Qing returned to her home. Just as she closed the window, she suddenly sensed a few unusual auras. She discreetly extended her divine sense and quickly identified the source of the abnormal energy from the house across the street.
There were several men in black in the room, all of them well-built and exuding a calm and steady aura, clearly not ordinary individuals. Near the window was a telescope, and one of the men in black was using it to look outside.
After observing for a while, he stood up and asked the others in the room, "Ling Qi, tell me about this person."
Only now did Wen Qing "see" the man. He had an extraordinarily handsome face, sharp as a knife, with brows like swords and eyes like abysses, radiating a sense of calm and composure.
After he asked, a man on his left immediately replied, "Cheng Feng, male, 26 years old, Han ethnicity. After graduating, he couldn't find a job and has been living off his parents. Five days ago, a huge sum of money suddenly appeared in his account, exactly 100 million yuan, which he spent in just three days. Two days ago, another 1 billion yuan appeared in his account from an unknown source, and he hasn't spent it all yet. During this period, we haven't found any records of his interactions with anyone. Apart from spending money, there's no apparent danger for now."
It turned out to be the spendthrift man.
The man by the window furrowed his brows slightly. "Just spending money? No other unusual behavior?"
"Not yet discovered. Oh, by the way, does pretending at the class reunion this morning count?" Ling Qi, the one who spoke, twitched at the corner of his mouth. He had never seen someone so good at pretending. At the class reunion, the man intentionally spoke vaguely, making people think he was a loser with no job, no savings, and no girlfriend. But when he left, he flaunted his luxury car, leaving everyone embarrassed.
After Ling Qi finished speaking, the others who had been tracking laughed quietly. The man by the window glanced at Ling Qi, who immediately corrected himself, saying, "Boss, should we take action and grab him for questioning?"
"Don't be impulsive," the man referred to as "Boss" stopped him with a stern look. "Observe a little longer. Don't become the next..."
He didn't finish his sentence aloud, but Wen Qing could sense that the people in the room seemed to think of something, falling silent for a moment, with some even welling up with tears.
Ling Qi, as if trying to change the subject, asked, "Boss, how's the situation in the south? Did we catch the fire-spewing guy?" He was referring to the esper who had set fire to and killed an entire family a few days ago, someone capable of controlling flames and quite dangerous.
The Boss shook his head, his brows furrowing deeper. "No, he escaped. He knew we wouldn't want to disturb the public, so he intentionally hid among the crowd. We couldn't catch him this time, and it'll be even harder in the future."
Ling Qi sighed, "Ah, what a mess this is. I don't know what's been going on these past few years. It's nothing but strange occurrences and extraordinary people. And up top, they won't let us alert the public. But these people are unpredictable; they're not even afraid of bullets. How can we possibly catch them with our hands tied?"
Someone chimed in, "That's right. They possess abilities that go beyond the scope of science. We can't even scratch the surface of their capabilities. If we knew about their abilities and took precautions, we wouldn't have sacrificed so many lives."
"Sacrificing lives isn't the scary part. What's scary is that even if we sacrifice lives, we still can't deal with these super-powered individuals. That would be a disaster for ordinary people."
...
Wen Qing now understood that these were government agents. It seemed the higher-ups had already discovered the existence of these bearers of golden fingers in society. It made sense because not all golden finger bearers would be cautious; many, like Cheng Feng, would flaunt their newfound powers.
She hadn't yet figured out the government's stance on these golden finger bearers, but she could be certain that those deemed dangerous would be captured, just like the fire-controlling esper. Individuals like Cheng Feng, who seriously disrupted the market economy, probably wouldn't be spared either. Her thoughts aligned with this; those without harmful intent or those not disrupting societal stability could be left alone, but those with harmful intent needed to be monitored. Allowing such individuals to have power over ordinary people would undoubtedly bring disaster.
After observing for a few more days and confirming that these individuals were upright and dedicated to serving the people, Wen Qing decided to cooperate with them.
Wen Qing stealthily entered the room through the window of the house across the street, completely silent. When she entered, the room was discussing another matter.
"What's the latest from Chen Hong's side?"
"He's been meditating all along, no unusual activity."
"How are the victims doing?"
"Their organs are experiencing varying degrees of failure. Doctors say they've lost at least ten years of their functions."
"Damn it! Request authorization again at all costs to apprehend Chen Hong!"
"Yes! But he should already know we're monitoring him, and yet he hasn't reacted in any way. It seems he doesn't take us seriously."
...
Wen Qing was taken aback. Chen Hong? Wasn't he the cultivator? Could there be something she didn't know about? From their conversation, it seemed Chen Hong was also a dangerous individual, with victims already. It wasn't entirely impossible. Wen Qing had only encountered him a few days ago, and as a cultivator, he meditated without distractions, making it impossible for her to read his thoughts. She didn't know what he had done before. Additionally, because he had been peaceful these past few days, she had nearly overlooked him.
"Who?" While Wen Qing was pondering, a sharp gaze suddenly shot in her direction. The man referred to as "Boss" gazed solemnly toward her direction, and Ling Qi and the others immediately went on high alert.
Wen Qing was sure they couldn't see her; they could sense her presence, probably relying on their long-honed intuition. The vast gap in levels between mortals and cultivators was not something easily bridged. She wasn't proud of her status as a cultivator; instead, she worried for these people, imagining they had encountered difficulties dealing with individuals like Chen Hong.
Wen Qing took out a piece of paper from her spatial realm and placed it on the table in the room. Ling Qi and the others were startled to see a piece of paper materialize out of thin air. However, the man referred to as "Boss" remained calm.
He took a pair of white gloves from his pocket and put them on his slender, elegant hands. Then, he stepped forward to pick up the piece of paper. On it was written:
"Cheng Feng, possesses the Prodigal System, which dispenses money. Spending within a specified time frame yields different rewards, such as advanced modern weapons, fortifying elixirs, martial arts..."
Wen Qing clearly informed them about everything regarding Cheng Feng's golden finger, leaving it to them to decide how to proceed.
After reading it, the man's expression finally changed slightly. He looked in Wen Qing's direction with caution and asked, "Who are you? Why are you helping us?"
Wen Qing didn't reply, and the air fell silent for a moment. The man spoke again with a refined tone, "I apologize for my abruptness. If you don't wish to reveal yourself, then I won't press further. If the contents on this paper are true, we are grateful for your great kindness."
His words were refined and polite, almost making Wen Qing chuckle. She handed over another piece of paper that read, "Feel free to ask for anything you need. I can help with anything."
She emphasized this repeatedly to ensure that they wouldn't underestimate her and would be willing to seek her assistance, especially in dangerous situations.
Xiao Lin remained silent for a moment before saying, "Then, we would trouble you to help us capture Cheng Feng."
Though he framed it as a favor, it felt more like a test. Wen Qing understood they couldn't immediately trust her at this point, which she didn't mind. She turned and left to find Cheng Feng.
The room fell silent for a long time. No more pieces of paper appeared, and only then did Ling Qi ask in a hushed voice, "Boss, did he leave?"
Xiao Lin looked in the direction where Wen Qing had disappeared with a mysterious expression. "He left."
Only then did the others relax. "Boss, what did he write on the paper?"
Xiao Lin handed the white paper to him, letting him read it himself. Ling Qi quickly put on the white gloves and took it.
"The Prodigal System? I never expected such a thing to exist!" Ling Qi read through it quickly, surprised.
Xiao Lin nodded slightly. "It didn't mention the origin of the system."
"Perhaps he doesn't know. Who is this person? His abilities are quite impressive!"
"Regardless of who he is, the fact that he's on our side is a good thing."
"That's true."
Chapter 175: Golden Fingers Big Bang [4]
In just a moment, Wen Qing returned with the unconscious Cheng Feng, throwing him on the ground. Simultaneously, she took out a piece of paper with the words, "The system has been sealed; this is the ultra-modern weapon as his first mission completion reward."
While Wen Qing spoke, she placed the item on the ground.
Xiao Lin concealed his astonishment and nodded, signaling to Ling Qi to put away the item. He addressed Wen Qing, "Thank you. If there are similar situations in the future, can we ask for your help again?"
A white paper materialized, and it read: "I am obliged by duty."
Ling Qi and his group immediately felt relieved. They weren't trying to shirk their responsibilities or pass their duties to someone else. It was just that some tasks were beyond their capabilities. Having someone with extraordinary abilities assist them might make things much easier, even though they hadn't yet fully understood this person's background.
On the same day, Xiao Lin reported Wen Qing's assistance to his superiors. As expected, their thoughts aligned with his. Regardless of this person's motivations for helping them, as long as they stood by their side, they couldn't and had no reason to refuse.
As for the ultra-modern weapon, it was handed over to the relevant authorities for research, and there was no news about it as of yet.
On the day Wen Qing learned of the higher-ups' stance, she provided Xiao Lin with information on all 81 individuals who possessed the golden fingers, including dangerous ones like Tang Xiaofei and wealth accumulators like the reborn woman. Regardless of whether they currently posed a threat, Wen Qing believed it was necessary for the country to remain vigilant. Who could predict if the reborn woman might undertake something earth-shattering that could impact the nation's development trajectory?
One could imagine the shockwaves this information caused. Emergency meetings were convened at the highest level, and the matter was discussed for several days.
Wen Qing wasn't involved in these discussions and thus didn't know the exact process. However, she knew the final result: Xiao Lin presented a list and earnestly implored her, "Please, you must help us eliminate the people on this list at any cost! If you have any requirements, just let us know. Our only request is to eradicate these individuals!"
Wen Qing accepted the list and casually glanced at it. She realized that the individuals they had selected were similar to her speculations, all posing significant dangers to society. However, individuals like the reborn woman, and ones with the Actress System, and the Culinary God System were not on the list. Still, she suspected there was likely covert surveillance on them.
She handed a piece of paper to Xiao Lin, saying, "I don't kill, but I can help seal their abilities and erase their memories. How to proceed afterward is up to you."
Xiao Lin nodded in agreement, "That's more than enough."
Following the order on the list, Wen Qing dealt with these dangerous individuals one by one. Her responsibility was only to neutralize their threats, leaving the rest to others. She noticed that after confirming these individuals would no longer pose a danger to society, they were released to return to ordinary life.
Only individuals like Chen Hong, who had committed numerous crimes and posed a significant societal threat, were dealt with according to the law.
Wen Qing thought this approach was quite good. The country displayed a humane side by not condemning everyone with a single stroke, yet it didn't let any wrongdoers go unpunished. It aimed to protect the rights of the majority to the fullest extent.
After more than a month of work, Wen Qing had dealt with all 54 individuals on the list. Xiao Lin and his team expressed their heartfelt gratitude.
Ling Qi, a tall man of seven feet, even had tears in his eyes. "Thank you so much. You'll never know how much you've helped us. If we had met you earlier, if we had met you sooner, we wouldn't have lost so many comrades. Just one Chen Wensheng caused us to sacrifice more than 700 people, and he still managed to escape in the end..."
He mentioned Chen Wensheng, whom Wen Qing was aware of. He was a soul who had traveled from the future and had previously been the leader of interstellar pirates, a formidable figure who possessed extensive knowledge of future weapons. He planned to dominate once again in the modern era.
But how could the country allow such a figure to exist? This led to a breakdown in negotiations between the two sides. Chen Wensheng, relying on the powerful weapons at his disposal, inflicted a significant loss on the country. Many of Ling Qi's comrades had also sacrificed their lives. Chen Wensheng had managed to escape unscathed to the Middle East, where he continued to expand his dominance.
Later, he even cooperated with the United States, selling advanced weapons to them simply because the offers from the Z side were not as lucrative...
Ling Qi and his team had not known that he was a foreign soul without any sense of patriotism. They tried to persuade him with appeals to national integrity, but he rejected them with disdain. He was merely a pirate leader; wherever there was profit, he would go. Nation and patriotism? Non-existent for him.
Because of this, the country believed he was "one of their own," and they thought they could negotiate with him easily. But they never expected that their leniency would be taken advantage of, leading to the deaths of so many people, and Chen Wensheng's escape.
Wen Qing had previously located his hideout, seized it, and handed over the ongoing weapon projects to Xiao Lin's team. As for the memory-less Chen Wensheng, she hadn't paid much attention to how he was handled.
With these unstable elements now removed, there was no need for her.
So, Wen Qing didn't say anything and simply bid farewell to Xiao Lin and the others before disappearing. She didn't seek recognition or rewards, and Xiao Lin and his team didn't even know whether she was male or female, tall or short.
"Most likely, individuals of great talent are like this," Ling Qi remarked.
Accomplish a task and leave, hiding one's achievements and name.
Wen Qing didn't completely let go, though; she gathered the remaining 27 relatively harmless golden finger bearers into a chat group.
Yu Wenjing had been busy pursuing her path to wealth since her rebirth. After experiencing betrayal from scummy men and women in her previous life, she had learned a lesson: making money was more important than love. No matter how good a man was, money could provide her with a greater sense of security. Wealthy eighty-year-old women could find young lovers, while boyfriends of eight years could still cheat. Therefore, since her rebirth, she had been pondering ways to get rich.
In her previous life, her academic performance had been poor, and she had only entered a second-tier undergraduate program. After graduating, she worked as an office clerk in a small company. Every day, apart from work, she calculated how to squeeze money for clothes, bags, and cosmetics out of her meager monthly salary of 3,000 yuan. Finance and economics were distant from her, and she didn't believe she had the capability to become the richest person. She simply wanted to make some small wealth, live a comfortable life, and enjoy some leisure. Her biggest lesson from her previous life was to buy real estate early. Investing in property was a sure way to profit!
So, her first thought after rebirth was to buy as many as ten or eight houses and wait for the value to rise. And she actually did it. Knowing that her parents wouldn't believe her, a young child spouting nonsense, she wracked her brain to recall a lottery number from her previous life and decisively bought a ticket.
The result was just like in her previous life: she unexpectedly won a five-million jackpot. However, what made her mournful was that she had actually lost the lottery ticket! What do you call a mixture of joy and sorrow? This was it!
Later, she carefully considered whether rebirth prevented one from seizing opportunities from others. Was that why she missed out on the lottery jackpot?
With this thought in mind, she restrained herself and no longer entertained the idea of demolishing houses for profit. Instead, she persistently persuaded her parents, convincing them to invest all their savings in real estate. It was in a newly developed residential complex that was currently unwanted, but in a few years, with government support, it would become the center of a new city. Property prices would skyrocket, increasing more than thirtyfold! Her parents' modest savings could now fully purchase two or three houses, but ten years later, they wouldn't even be able to afford the down payment for a toilet!
With these properties as a solid foundation, Yu Wenjing finally felt a bit at ease. In this life, she wouldn't be cheated on just because she didn't own a house, right? How ridiculous it was! In her previous life, her boyfriend of eight years had dumped her for her friend who had a bridal suite. She had truly been blind and misjudged those two scoundrels!
It was at this moment that Yu Wenjing was added to a chat group, titled "How to Properly Use the Golden Fingers?"
There were a total of 28 people in the group, and the group owner was named "Death God". Without any apparent reason, she had been added to the group. Yu Wenjing decided to observe first before speaking. Presumably, others had the same idea, so the group remained quiet.
However, at this moment, the group owner, Death God, became active.
[Death God]: Group rules - Prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony, freedom, equality, justice, rule of law, patriotism, dedication, integrity, and friendliness.
[Death God]: Group announcement - Keep a low profile in life, use cheats cautiously.
[Death God]: Your real information will not be exposed in the group; use your cheats as nicknames.
All the group members, including Yu Wenjing, were taken aback. They quickly checked their nicknames.
When Yu Wenjing opened hers, her heart nearly stopped. What did she see? Reborn! Her nickname in the group was "Reborn"!
She swore she hadn't told anyone about her rebirth, but someone actually knew she was a reborn person! Who was this person? What were their intentions? Yu Wenjing's mind went blank, and her fear of someone discovering her rebirth secret occupied her thoughts. She unconsciously clicked on the list of all members. After seeing the contents inside and a brief moment of confusion, Yu Wenjing suddenly felt calm.
Mind Reading, Yin-Yang Eyes, Culinary system, WeChat Fortune Telling, Actress System, Clairvoyant, Game Red Envelope group... various types of golden fingers. There was nothing she couldn't think of and nothing she couldn't see. Compared to them, her reborn status was considered ordinary!
Yu Wenjing breathed a sigh of relief. When she first found out that her rebirth secret had been discovered, her initial reaction was whether she would be taken and dissected for research. But now, seeing so many like-minded individuals, she inexplicably felt more at ease. After all, there's safety in numbers!
Many in the group shared her way of thinking. After all, with something as extraordinary as golden fingers, normal people would keep it to themselves and not tell anyone. So, when someone suddenly found out, the first reaction was panic, thinking that something beyond their control had happened.
And as everyone calmed down, most of them felt a subtle disappointment. Initially, they had thought of themselves as unique "protagonists", but now they realized they weren't. There were many others with cheats, and some even had bigger ones than theirs.
From fear to disappointment, it took just a few minutes. After accepting reality, the group finally became lively.
[Clairvoyant]: WeChat Fortune Telling, how do you do your fortune-telling? Let's exchange ideas when you have time!
[WeChat Fortune Telling]: Sure, sure! I've been experimenting on my own since I gained this ability, and I haven't met any professionals yet!
[Clairvoyant]: Haha, you've come to the right place! Fortune-telling is our family's ancestral skill, and I don't share it with just anyone!
[Culinary System]: Mind Reading, can you help me out? I have someone pursuing me recently, and I have a good impression of him. Can you help me check if he genuinely likes me or just my cooking?
[Mind Reading]: I can do that.
...
Yu Wenjing was also eager to participate and sent a message:
[Reborn]: Actress System, is that you? It must be you! In my previous life, you were sweeping up all the major awards just like a cheat. Even if you didn't write your name, I knew it had to be you!
[Actress System]: Oh? Really? Thank you for your encouragement. I'll do my best!
...
As it turned out, all the conspiracies and concerns that Wen Qing initially had about the group did not materialize. Surprisingly, the group was harmonious, and they even mentioned finding a sense of belonging in the group! Thanks to the group owner for providing such a platform!
Wen Qing: ...As long as you're happy.
Later, Wen Qing added Xiao Lin to the group since he had been responsible for monitoring these people. This addition didn't seem out of place, and the group's dynamics shifted again.
[Xiao Lin]: Just caught a serial killer, and he's refusing to reveal the location of the victims' bodies. Who can help?
[Mind Reading]: I can help.
[Xiao Lin]: Little ** has been dishonest lately. Who can predict what they're planning next?
[Clairvoyant]: I'll do it, I'll do it. WeChat Fortune Telling, take a break. I'll handle this rough task!
[Xiao Lin]: X Lao, who has dedicated his life to scientific research and made significant contributions to our country's research, doesn't have much time left. He wants to have a bowl of the childhood-flavored noodles before passing away. Culinary System, can you help?
[Culinary System]: I'll give it a try.
...
Wen Qing felt that everything was fine now. The group had implemented the rules of prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony, freedom, equality, justice, the rule of law, patriotism, dedication, integrity, and friendliness exceptionally well. They had taken their golden fingers to a new level, exploring new heights and realms!
Wen Qing believed that even if she left, there wouldn't be any chaos. However, she chose to stay. She had destroyed the deeply harmful golden fingers, and as a result, the people saved by her actions continuously channeled their merit into her. Her body was overflowing with merit.
It wasn't until the last golden finger bearer departed from this world that the world finally returned to its original state, and Wen Qing uncontrollably left this world.
Translator's Note:
This concludes the translation of the novel. I had the privilege of stepping in as the translator for this novel after the previous translator's departure. It has been a rewarding journey to bring this story to a wonderful audience. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the patrons and supporters who have made this translation possible. I hope you enjoyed this novel as much as I did translating it. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to reach out. Thank you for reading!
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