"Damn, damn, damn!"
"Old Yu, you've really gone crazy this time!"
"You actually want to take Senior Sister Yin to pick up trash!"
Even after leaving the lecture hall, Tang Yunxuan was still muttering nonstop in Yu Jin's ear.
"Simp!"
Yu Jin tossed out his evaluation, then ignored him.
Tang Yunxuan's face turned red with anger!
And just a few meters behind them, Yin Yao in her white dress quietly followed.
She gazed at the not-far-off back in front, tall yet a little thin and frail, her eyes filled with a bit of curiosity.
Actually...
The reason she wanted to join the Environmental Protection Club and get close to Yu Jin wasn't just to "hug the big thigh."
Even though she was the favored daughter of heaven and had been beaten hard by reality in the Wasteland World, the pride she'd held all these years was hard to erase overnight.
Compared to humbling herself to "hug the big thigh," what she wanted more was to figure out—
In that Alien Wasteland World where everyone struggles to survive, just how did Yu Jin become so powerful, so over-the-top strong that it blew everyone's mind, like a cheat code?
"Today is September 2, only seven days until the game 'Wasteland' invades reality, which is also the time the first closed beta opens."
"Last lifetime, I didn't take this so-called 'Wasteland' game seriously at all."
"It wasn't until later that I found out that after descending into the Wasteland, the initial closed beta players could keep their save files."
"In other words."
"These seven days of closed beta will make my starting point in the Wasteland far higher than everyone else's."
"The reason Yu Jin got so absurdly strong has to be because he got some unimaginable, precious resource during the beta!"
As the thoughts spun in Yin Yao's mind, her steps didn't slow at all, closely following Yu Jin up ahead.
...
...
Not long after.
Yu Jin led Tang Yunxuan and Yin Yao out of Buxue Building.
Even though it was already evening, the waves of hot summer wind still rushed over them.
"Go to the club room and get the equipment."
Yu Jin exercised his club president power, issuing orders to the vice president, Tang Yunxuan.
Tang Yunxuan was a little unwilling, wanting more to stay here with Yin Yao, but in the end, rank is rank, and he didn't want to seem lazy in front of her either. He muttered under his breath, then reluctantly left.
On the tree-shaded path outside Buxue Building, only Yu Jin and Yin Yao were left standing side by side.
Lone guy and gal, but the atmosphere wasn't even a little romantic.
Yu Jin stared at the illusory panel in front of him that only he could see—
[Wasteland Points: 800]
[Hint——]
[Accumulate 10,000 Wasteland Points to unlock the Points Mall!]
"Personal panel?"
Yu Jin silently thought the words to himself.
Swoosh——
The text in front of him really did change.
[Name: Yu Jin]
[Tier: Unawakened]
[Identity: None]
[Items: None]
[Ability: None]
...
[Points: 800]
[Evaluation: Right now, you're as weak as an ant, unable to survive in the crisis-ridden Wasteland World. Go all out, try your best to get stronger!]
Yu Jin glanced at it—aside from "800 points," the entire panel was full of "none."
Totally a "triple none" panel.
But Yu Jin wasn't discouraged at all.
On the contrary, he picked up quite a bit of useful info from it.
For example, this "tier" and "unawakened" stuff—that alone makes you wonder if you're "not eating beef" or what...
"Superman?"
"Cautious Superhero?"
"Happy Hero?"
Yu Jin thought about it, and the more he looked, the more he liked this system's vibe.
Meanwhile.
The reason he suggested bringing Yin Yao for a trash-picking test wasn't just because he was bored.
Based on his earlier experience with feeding wandering tricolor cats, which the system misjudged as "converting a Tier Three Mutated Beast King,"
Yu Jin figured—
This trash-picking gig, even if it seems basic and ordinary, might trigger some surprise from the system.
And even if not, he could feed a few wandering cats while picking trash anyway, scrounging some more Wasteland Points.
"Yu Jin?"
A sudden voice yanked Yu Jin out of his thoughts.
"Senior Sister Yin?"
Yu Jin turned and realized the one calling him was none other than Yin Yao.
Yu Jin was a bit surprised—he didn't expect this well-connected senior to actually know his name.
"Do you know about Wasteland?"
Yin Yao fired off a random question, then stared right into Yu Jin's eyes.
"Wasteland?"
Yu Jin put on a perfectly confused look, then fell into thought.
"Wasteland, generally that's the kind of world after the apocalypse, where order has collapsed and everything needs rebuilding, right?"
"Like in the movie 'Mad Max,' where everything's all rundown and wild."
Hearing his answer, Yin Yao pressed her lips together, not giving anything away.
"I mean the game, the sci-fi game 'Wasteland,' which is launching globally in seven days! You don't know?"
Yu Jin was baffled for real this time.
"No idea."
He barely knew anything about games; in the last two years, the only one he played was that one Chinese game with the black monkey.
At his reply, Yin Yao frowned ever so slightly.
The closed beta for 'Wasteland' opens tonight, and Yu Jin doesn't even know it exists?
So, is the reason for his future strength not that he got precious resources early during the beta?
Woosh——
Yin Yao let out a quiet breath, her chest rising and falling.
Whatever the answer, either way, drawing closer to Yu Jin and building this relationship was definitely the right decision.
"Brother Yu, I'm back!"
Soon enough, Tang Yunxuan came back with the "equipment."
So-called equipment was just three woven sacks, plus three trash-picking tongs.
Tang Yunxuan—who knows where he got it—brought Yin Yao a special pink sack too, which left Yu Jin dumbfounded. All he could think was, "Damn, this guy is pro."
"Alright."
"Tools acquired, so here are the tasks."
"As long as you fill half a sack with trash before night, you pass the test."
Yu Jin handed Yin Yao one of the tongs.
"No problem, President!"
Yin Yao replied, voice strong and confident.
Off to the side, Tang Yunxuan's heart was thumping, his breath coming faster,
"Shit, picking up trash is intense?"
Soon.
The three split up, each taking their assigned area, carrying their sacks and tongs, and started their environmental crusade.
And just two minutes later.
Right after Yu Jin picked up an empty water bottle from the roadside and dropped it in his sack, his hand paused mid-air.
"No way, really?"
Yu Jin couldn't hide the delight on his face.
At that moment—
A few crisp new messages popped up on his translucent panel—
[You are mighty as hell! As a mere mortal, you've purified the "Tier Three Contamination Core—Spring of Calamity." Wasteland Points +800!]
[First time purifying a pollution source—achievement unlocked: "Wasteland Purifier"!]
[Ability acquired: "Purifying Light"!]