Luo Chuan glanced at the information panel, his lips curling into a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
The numbers before him had changed drastically since the day he first bonded with the system.
Compared to back then—
The progress was undeniable.
But as his eyes drifted lower, his smile faltered.
Evaluation:
"Barely acceptable. The host still has much to improve."
Luo Chuan's expression darkened.
"System, I feel like you're getting a bit too bold."
His voice was flat, devoid of emotion.
The system, as always, remained silent in the face of his complaints.
But Luo Chuan didn't dwell on it for long.
Something else had just come to mind.
"System, when will my star rating increase?"
A moment later, the system's voice echoed in his mind.
"When the host completes the exclusive star-rank mission designated by the system, the rating may increase based on mission performance."
Luo Chuan nodded.
He already knew this.
That wasn't what he was really curious about.
---
"Then when will the advancement mission be released?"
The system replied, as cryptic as ever:
"Missions are automatically issued when the system determines that the conditions are met."
Luo Chuan: …
What a completely useless answer.
After a moment of silence, he sighed.
Typical system behavior.
He'd learned by now that pressing for more information would only get him vague, noncommittal responses.
With nothing else to ask, he closed the panel and lay back, drifting into sleep.
Time passed in the blink of an eye.
Another three days had come and gone.
---
As the sun dipped beyond the horizon, Luo Chuan stretched lazily on his recliner, letting out a long yawn.
Finally.
After days of effort—
The main task was complete.
Which meant…
It was time for a lottery draw.
Luo Chuan felt a twinge of excitement at the thought.
Who knew what kind of rewards awaited him this time?
---
At that moment, Yao Ziyan stepped out of the Origin Mall, her gaze sweeping over the now-empty store.
"Boss, there are no more customers."
Luo Chuan nodded.
But before he could say anything, he noticed something off about her expression.
She was hesitant.
Worried.
Something was on her mind.
Luo Chuan saw it immediately.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Yao Ziyan blinked, momentarily caught off guard.
"Huh?"
She had been so deep in thought that she hadn't expected him to notice.
For a brief moment, she hesitated again.
Then, taking a deep breath, she finally spoke.
"Boss, I'd like to take a few days off."
---
Luo Chuan froze.
Leave?
If she left, then…
Who was going to cook for him?!
His mind immediately jumped to his own meals.
His palate had long since been spoiled by Yao Ziyan's cooking.
Could he even go back to eating normal food at this point?
His first instinct was to refuse outright—but before he could, Yao Ziyan continued.
"I've been away for a long time. I want to visit my clan."
---
Luo Chuan's expression softened slightly.
So that was it.
She was homesick.
Without hesitation, he nodded.
"Alright."
A gentle smile spread across Yao Ziyan's face.
Just as she was about to turn away, Luo Chuan suddenly remembered something.
"Wait."
She paused, looking back at him in confusion.
"As a clerk of Origin Mall, you have certain privileges."****"
Luo Chuan's voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable seriousness in his tone.
"If you ever run into danger—call me immediately."
---
As a staff member of Origin Mall, Yao Ziyan had certain… 'benefits.'
One of them was the ability to summon the boss himself in times of need.
And considering that Luo Chuan was essentially an invincible existence—
That made him, effectively, her personal bodyguard.
For a moment, Luo Chuan felt a little strange about that realization.
Wait.
Wasn't he the boss?
How did he end up acting like the clerk's protector instead?
---
But after thinking about it, he let it go.
"Eh. Doesn't matter."
At the end of the day, it was still a pretty good perk for his employee.
So, he could accept it.