"Alright, you two help me with something. In return, I'll first tell you all the serial numbers after 50," Officer Huang said as he picked up a perfectly blanched spinach leaf with his chopsticks. "Not only that, I'll also answer one question for you—for free. Any question you want to ask, as long as I know the answer."
"What do you want us to do?" Qing Ling asked.
"You have to agree first," Officer Huang smiled. "It's absolutely not dangerous. I guarantee no risk to your lives."
Qing Ling remained silent.
Gao Yang said nothing either. In fact, he wasn't in a position to bargain with Officer Huang, so he figured it was best to play the "deep and mysterious" card.
"You already know the one-in-ten-thousand ratio. You should understand how dire your situation is," Officer Huang sighed deeply. "We are all orphans of this world, abandoned by the gods long ago."
Qing Ling hesitated, silent.
Gao Yang kept quiet.
Officer Huang coaxed gently, "To survive in this foggy world, I believe that besides powerful talents, one must grasp as many rules as possible."
His eyes were distant, but his tone was firm. "I assure you, the information I hold is worth its weight in gold. This deal is absolutely worth it."
"Deal." Gao Yang blurted out. His thinking was simple: since the offer was already laid out, might as well agree now—if it didn't work out, he could always back out later.
Qing Ling shot Gao Yang a glare but didn't object.
"Smart kids." Officer Huang was pleased. He pulled out a small notepad and pen from his uniform pocket and scribbled on three slips of paper. "Don't blame your uncle for being stingy—I still can't fully trust you yet. In this hellish world, we can only struggle to survive."
He folded the notes and handed them to Qing Ling.
As Qing Ling reached for them, the officer quickly pulled them back. "Remember: open the first note after evening self-study tomorrow. Complete the task before opening the second one. After finishing both, read the third. Strictly follow the order."
Qing Ling took the notes and tucked them into the inner pocket of her school uniform. "After it's done, I want to ask two questions."
"Alright. Once the job's done, I'll reach out." Officer Huang stood up and pulled out his phone. "Uncle Liu, check please."
…
Late at night, when Gao Yang returned home, his mindset had undergone a major shift.
After learning about the one-in-ten-thousand human-beast ratio, he could no longer view his once warm and loving family the same way.
From what happened to the original host at age six, Gao Yang was nearly certain: Grandpa had to be a "beast," though he wasn't sure which kind.
Grandma shared a room with Grandpa, so she was likely a beast too.
As for his father, mother, and little sister...
Gao Yang didn't want to think about it. Deep down, he desperately hoped his family members were all human—even if the odds were as slim as winning the lottery. After all, they had loved and cared for him every day for twelve years.
If he hadn't been hit by that "lunatic" on his eighteenth birthday... If he had remained ignorant and lived out his days peacefully—grown up, married, had kids, and died of old age—maybe that would've been true happiness.
It's not sad to live in lies, as long as you never wake up.
But there were no "ifs"—Gao Yang had awakened, and the peace of his past life was gone.
Now, hell is other people.
From here on, every step must be cautious. A single misstep could lead to ruin.
At 3 a.m., his family was long asleep. Tomorrow morning, he'd surely be scolded by his parents, but at least for tonight, he didn't have to face them. He still had time to adjust his mindset and prepare to face his family.
Exhausted, Gao Yang lay in the bathtub, hoping for a comforting soak. Looking up, he noticed the faint glow of the hexagram above. This time, he didn't touch it. Instead, he closed his eyes and mentally commanded: Enter System.
[Beep—]
[System Entered]
[You've earned 27 new Luck Points, total: 30. Use now?]
—Yes.
[Opening Attribute Panel]
[Stamina: 12 Endurance: 12]
[Strength: 11 Agility: 11]
[Spirit: 10 Charm: 10]
[Luck: 0]
Gao Yang noticed that some base stats had slightly improved.
—Do attributes grow automatically?
[Attributes can fluctuate slightly based on your physical state and condition.]
[Today, you lived a full day. You've become just a little stronger than yesterday.]
—If I do 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and run 10km every day for three years until I go bald, can I become the strongest man alive?
[In theory, your body will grow stronger. But you may also face muscle strains, knee damage, and other injuries.]
—So how do I get stronger?
[Use Luck Points to permanently enhance attributes.]
[Also, different talents grant permanent attribute bonuses.]
—Is Qing Ling's Swordmaster talent strong?
[Talent: Swordmaster. Serial No: 32. Rune Type: Damage.]
[Max-Level Swordmaster: Blade Proficiency, Blade Damage ×3, Physical Armor Penetration: 91.4%]
[Permanent Stat Boost: Stamina +400, Strength +800, Agility +1000, Charm +400]
—What about the Gunmaster talent?
[Talent: Gunmaster. Serial No: 41. Rune Type: Damage.]
[Max-Level Gunmaster: Firearm Proficiency, 97.3% Hit Rate, Firing Speed: 12 rounds/sec]
[Permanent Stat Boost: Stamina +300, Strength +700, Agility +800, Charm +300]
—Damn.
[A type of plant?]
—Lousy system!
[Luck can't save trash, and spending won't change fate.]
[You've also discovered a new talent—Metal. Want to see details?]
—No! My heart can't take it.
[Do you want to allocate your Luck Points?]
—Only 30 points? What's the point? Just dump them all into Luck. I want to see how lucky I can get.
[Once allocated, Luck Points cannot be retracted. Confirm?]
—Confirm. Do it fast!
[Congrats! Your Luck has surpassed 30. All attributes receive +6 permanent increase.]
[Stamina: 18 Endurance: 18]
[Strength: 17 Agility: 17]
[Spirit: 17 Charm: 16]
[Luck: 30]
—Only +6? Could you be any stingier?
—Wait, all six attributes got +6? That's 36 points total. Not bad.
[You've also triggered a hidden panel. Unlock it?]
—Unlock! Hurry!
[Sorry, not enough Luck.]
—Then what's the point of saying anything!?
[Session Ended. System Hidden.]
[Beep—]
…
Early the next morning, Gao Yang got up and, as expected, was scolded by his mother: He had stayed out late just before the college entrance exam, didn't reply to messages, didn't answer calls—completely irresponsible.
Gao Yang lied and said it was Wang Zikai's birthday, and they went out singing until midnight.
His mother got even more upset: "Wang Zikai? Didn't he drop out of school? Don't hang around with him, or you'll pick up his bad habits."
At the breakfast table, his father, happily munching on a fried dough stick, had a different take: "Xiao Kai? His dad is loaded. Son, that's a friend worth having."
"Don't listen to your dad's nonsense. You become like the people you surround yourself with!" his mom snapped.
"Dear, times have changed."
"Changed how?"
"These days, ability comes second. What matters most is connections. Friends like Xiao Kai, from a high social tier—our son might really need him one day." His dad defended himself.
"That's such a warped view of the world!" His mom was angry.
"Darling, I didn't mean anything bad. Just saying the more friends, the better. I trust our son has good judgment and won't go astray." His father looked at Gao Yang meaningfully. "Right, son?"
"Dad, Mom, I'm done eating."
Gao Yang's mood was complicated. He didn't know how to face his "family." He forced down a few bites, grabbed his schoolbag, and left.
Even knowing his family members were very likely beasts, for a fleeting moment, Gao Yang still wavered: his parents raised him, loved him dearly, how could they be monsters? But then again, wasn't Li Weiwei his childhood sweetheart? Such a sweet girl—until she turned into a demon in a blink.
What are beasts, really?
What do they want?
What's the truth behind this parallel world?
Gao Yang had no answers. Just like he had no answers for why he transmigrated at six years old, or why he got stuck with this stupid system.
…
Gao Yang arrived at school and had a normal day.
All day long, he didn't speak to Qing Ling. They didn't even exchange a glance. After evening self-study, Gao Yang went to a small alley near the school without surveillance cameras.
Soon, Qing Ling arrived. She pulled out two thin black hoodies, two baseball caps, and face masks from her big backpack. "Put these on."
"This?"
"What, you need a changing room too?" Qing Ling stripped her uniform without hesitation—like a snake shedding its skin. In seconds, her white neck and sexy collarbone were exposed. Gao Yang quickly turned around and awkwardly undressed.
Three minutes later, both were dressed in black hoodies, caps pulled low, and masks on.
Before setting off, Qing Ling pulled out the first note from her pocket and opened it.