Li Younan looked at the virtual interface in front of him, feeling a bit dazed.
He could confirm that this interface should be visible only to himself. With a thought, it appeared, and with another, it vanished. It was truly fascinating.
He'd read online novels before and had come across similar comics in short videos, so he knew what the system was about.
This thing was like opening a 24/7 cheat code convenience store for the protagonist, transforming what should have been a tumultuous path of growth into a brainless fast-track game you could win effortlessly.
But when this thing fell upon him, it hit precisely at his fantasies of an ideal life.
Li Younan's somewhat depressed mood suddenly brightened.
He began to study this system with great interest and eventually confirmed that his check-in point was centered on this long bench, with a radius of 5 meters.
This meant that according to the system's check-in requirements, if he stayed here for a full 6 hours, he could complete the check-in and receive the so-called reward.
Li Younan changed his posture and lay down on the bench.
Changed posture to continue daydreaming.
Staying for 6 hours was not very difficult for Li Younan at this moment.
He cracked a smile.
He had broken up with his girlfriend and was fired by his company. If life's valleys could get any worse, how bad could it really get?
It's just a matter of staying here for 6 hours.
He sat up again. He didn't have to stay on this bench the entire time; he had a 5-meter active range.
The night deepened, and Li Younan sat quietly on the bench, pondering some things.
Moonlight poured down.
He had grown up in a single-parent family; his father passed away in an accident when he was very young, and his mother worked at a public institution in a small county, supporting him as he grew.
At this moment, Li Younan really wanted to hear his mother's voice.
Li Younan took out his phone and called his mother.
He shouldn't disturb his mother's rest at this time, but soon enough, the call was picked up.
His mother's gentle voice came through the phone: "What's wrong, Nannan?"
Li Younan smiled and said, "It's nothing, mom. I just miss you."
His mother was delighted and didn't scold him for interrupting her sleep so late. She cheerfully said, "I miss you too, my son."
Li Younan calmly said, "Mom, I quit my job and broke up with Yang Ting. I want to take a break and go out for a bit."
His mother over the phone was clearly stunned for a moment.
After a while, there was no scolding, only a gentle voice saying, "Oh, it's okay. If work gets too exhausting, come back home, and if the relationship isn't working, that's fine. You'll meet someone better."
Just like what Li Younan told Yang Ting, these are all small matters.
This was a phrase his mom often said.
Li Younan softly replied, "Mhm."
He talked with his mother for a long time.
When the call ended, it was extremely quiet around him, and moonlight continued to pour down silently.
Li Younan was quiet for a while, with a smile on his lips as tears silently streamed down his face.
Actually, it's not that touching, really. His mother had always been like this with him.
That's why, countless times when he lost faith in Yang Ting, he believed there was someone worth loving in this world.
But, why did he feel like crying?
He didn't fall asleep, after all, because there were a lot of mosquitoes here, and the park bench was very uncomfortable to lie on.
More importantly, no one could fall asleep when such a system awakening was occurring.
Li Younan quickly sorted out his emotions, watching the check-in time tick away slowly and anticipating the first reward upon completion.
Eventually, he fell asleep.
Later, he was awoken by the ringing of a phone call.
He sat up groggily, and his first reaction wasn't to look at his phone but to open up the system interface, only to be somewhat disappointed. Despite waiting so long, there was still an hour left until the check-in time ended.
It was already the latter half of the night, the surroundings eerily silent, the moon no longer visible in the sky, with the city's silhouette looking as if it had been smeared with ink, just a glow outside the outlines.
His ringtone was "Sunny Rainbow Little White Horse," repeating over and over with "Sunny Rainbow Little White Horse, di-di da di-di da," in this dark and silent environment, it seemed particularly eerie.
Li Younan amusingly thought, if someone accidentally barged in here at this time, they'd probably get startled.
He picked up his phone and saw it was Yang Ting calling.
Li Younan hesitated for a moment before choosing to hang up.
He thought, Yang Ting wasn't a bad girl, she just couldn't be loved anymore.
Being together doesn't necessarily need to be an exceptional event in life, and breaking up doesn't need to be unforgivable—this is the normal status of life.
After hanging up this call, Yang Ting didn't call back.
It was quiet once again.
The last hour was especially hard to endure, and Li Younan practically watched the countdown tick away second by second.
Finally, as his eyes turned red, the check-in time reached zero.
In the next moment, his heart raced with excitement, as the pleasant system prompt sounded: [Congratulations to the host for completing the check-in and receiving a random reward: Auto repair skill +1.]
Soon after, a massive influx of knowledge about cars surged into Li Younan's mind: engine models, various car chassis, transmissions, structures, gears, and so on.
He was somewhat dumbfounded as he absorbed this knowledge.
This process didn't last long, maybe several tens of seconds, and this knowledge merged into him as naturally as reciting a poem.
The experience of knowledge and abilities becoming part of your body was indeed beautiful.
Li Younan sat on the bench, bowed his head, and thought for a long time, confirming this knowledge genuinely belonged to him. Meanwhile, a plan he'd long envisioned emerged irresistibly in his mind.
Li Younan stood up and stretched leisurely.
It was still early morning, several hours before daylight. He was incredibly tired, and now he could finally sleep.
He took out his phone to call a ride, taking him to a five-star hotel in the city center.
Li Younan decided to treat himself well today.
The hotel front desk girl, operating around the clock, was not only pretty but also looked vibrant, even late at night, brightly welcoming: "Welcome."
Li Younan checked in, closed himself in his hotel room, drew the curtains, set his phone to "Do Not Disturb," allowing only his mother's calls to go through, then slept soundly in this quiet environment.
When Li Younan woke up again, he had no idea how much time had passed.
He picked up his phone and saw two missed calls from Yang Ting and six from his manager.
He ignored them, put down the phone, and then rose to walk to the window.
He opened the curtains, and bright, warm sunlight streamed in.
Li Younan exhaled deeply. The weather is great today, he thought. Such a good day, perfect for turning a new chapter in his life.