System Update

"Go ahead, don't hold back~"

Yaya blinked with a smile. "I wouldn’t dream of holding back with you~"

As they ate and chatted, Su Yang picked up a slice of sashimi, dipped it in wasabi, and asked, "So, have you decided where we’re going later?"

"Hmm... How about we drop by your place?" Yaya thought for two seconds before flashing a flirtatious smile.

‘Foreign girls sure are straightforward—skipping all the unnecessary steps and cutting right to the chase. Works for me.’

Su Yang kept his expression neutral as he replied, "Sure, I’ve got plenty of wine at home. We can have a few drinks later."

"Sounds good~"

"Alright, let’s finish eating first."

They exchanged a glance and continued enjoying their meal.

Mid-bite, Su Yang suddenly heard the system’s voice in his mind.

[Ding! System update complete. New features unlocked. Host may check at any time.]

Hearing this, Su Yang’s hand, holding an oyster, froze for a second.

But he quickly regained his composure and responded mentally.

—What’s going on? Another update?

[Yes. The system periodically updates with new features.]

—So, what’s new this time?

[Added an active mission function. The host may voluntarily select a task to complete. Mission difficulty varies, and so do the rewards. Once a mission is chosen, it cannot be changed.]

—No way! Just when I was bored and thinking about taking on some tasks, you add this feature. Talk about perfect timing. Open the mission panel—let’s take a look.

[Panel opened.]

As soon as the system’s voice faded, a virtual screen appeared before Su Yang’s eyes, displaying three simple mission options.

Mission 1: Spend 50 million via normal commercial channels within half a day.

Reward: 60 million. Penalty for failure: Deduct 80 million.

Mission 2: Within 10 days, raise the affection level of three bound targets from below 100 to 100.

Reward: 50 million. Penalty for failure: Deduct 70 million.

Mission 3: Within 45 days, personally fund the construction of a countryside cottage. Requirements: Scenic location, built from scratch.

Reward: 100 million. Penalty for failure: Deduct 80 million. Construction funds are unrestricted—the less you spend, the more you profit.

Su Yang skimmed through the three missions. With Yaya sitting across from him, he suppressed his excitement.

"Yaya, go ahead and eat. My stomach’s acting up—I need to hit the restroom."

"Stomachache all of a sudden? You okay?"

Su Yang shook his head with a smile. "It’s nothing. Just a quick trip."

"Alright~ Hurry back."

"Will do." Su Yang stood and left the table.

After asking a waiter for directions, he briskly made his way to the restroom and locked himself in a stall.

With the door shut, he reopened the virtual screen and scrutinized the missions again.

The first two didn’t seem cost-effective.

The first mission—spending 50 million in half a day—only netted a 10 million profit if completed. Plus, failure meant losing 30 million. Su Yang immediately dismissed this uninspiring option.

The second mission appeared to require no upfront investment, but raising three people’s affection to 100 would normally cost way more than 50 million. It was a pointless grind—something to pick only if he had absolutely nothing better to do.

That left the third mission as the clear winner. How much could building a countryside cottage possibly cost? Especially with no location restrictions. Even if he splurged 10 million, completing the mission would still net him 90 million in profit.

The only catch was the tight deadline—45 days.

Today was already August 7th. In a couple of days, he’d have to attend a friend’s wedding, leaving him with roughly 40 days. The time constraint made things slightly tricky.

—System, about Mission 3—do I have to be hands-on with the construction, or…?

[No. Just get it built.]

—Good. Still, 45 days feels a bit tight.

—What happens if I don’t pick any mission?

[You’ll be bored.]

—I’ll…

Su Yang was momentarily stunned by the system’s blunt reply.

Two seconds later, he smirked.

—Alright, alright. One last question—can I wait a few days before choosing?

[No. The system refreshes missions daily at midnight. If the host wishes to see new missions, they may choose not to accept any. However, once a mission is accepted, no new missions will appear until completion.]

After hearing the explanation, Su Yang hesitated briefly.

—If the new missions turn out worse than these, it’d be a waste. Might as well stop overthinking and go with the third one.

[Confirm selection of Mission 3?]

—Yes.

[Ding. Mission accepted. Current progress: 0%. Time remaining: 45 days.]

—That’s settled, then.

With his choice made, Su Yang washed his hands and returned to the table.

About an hour later, they finished their meal.

‘I’ll worry about the mission tomorrow~’

Pushing the task to the back of his mind, Su Yang smiled at Yaya. "Let’s head out."

"Sure~"

They grabbed their things and left the restaurant.

......

Half an hour later, Su Yang drove Yaya back to Senhai Manor.

As they stepped inside, the entryway and living room lights automatically turned on.

After changing into slippers, Su Yang tossed his bag onto the table and glanced at Yaya. "Make yourself at home."

"Thanks~ Your place is huge. How many square meters?"

"300."

"I’d love to buy a place like this, but it’s so expensive."

"Well, if you’re looking in Shanghai, of course it’s pricey. In Haicheng, it’s much cheaper."

Yaya sighed. "I want to buy in Shanghai. I love that city."

Su Yang teased, "What’s wrong with Haicheng?"

Yaya settled onto the sofa. "Haicheng’s nice, but it doesn’t compare to Shanghai."

"So you prefer big cities, huh?"

"Mm-hmm. Bigger cities mean more opportunities. The moment I set foot in Shanghai, I swore I’d make it my home—buy a place, a car, settle down. That’s my dream."

Su Yang thought to himself, ‘Foreigners really are upfront—no beating around the bush.’

"That’s a great goal. How long have you been in Shanghai?" He handed her a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Over two years. But when I first came to China as a kid, I lived in Chengdu."

"Oh? So you know the local dialect?"

Yaya grinned. "A little~"

"Nice. Well, I hope you achieve your dream soon."

"Thanks~"

After some small talk, Yaya walked over to the wine cabinet by the bar and examined the bottles.

"You’ve got so much wine here~"

"Yep. Want red, beer, or something stronger?"

"Got any whiskey?"

Su Yang paused, scratching his head. "Actually, I don’t have any."

"Oh well~ Let’s just have red wine, then."

"Sure. But you’ve reminded me—I should stock up on whiskey and other spirits sometime."