Opening loot boxes.
Opening loot boxes...
While waiting for their food order, Cao Cheng returned to his room, locked the door, and began opening loot boxes.
This was exactly why Cao Cheng didn’t like having outsiders at home.
If it weren’t for this "Fourth Sister" Ren Yuege, Cao Cheng would have lit incense, taken a purifying bath, and even lit three cigarettes—going all out for the ritualistic vibe.
But now, he had to sneak around like a thief just to open his rewards.
The ten-draw began.
In the void, countless loot boxes spun, their colors shifting endlessly—iron, bronze, silver, gold...
Occasionally, a dazzling diamond chest flashed by, vanishing almost instantly, barely visible to the naked eye—proof of its absurdly low drop rate.
[Ding~]
[Congratulations, Host! You obtained an Iron Chest: +1 Strength]
[Congratulations, Host! You obtained an Iron Chest: +1 Agility]
[Congratulations, Host! You obtained an Iron Chest: +1 Constitution]
[Congratulations, Host! You obtained an Iron Chest: +1 Strength]
[Congratulations, Host! You obtained an Iron Chest: +1 Strength]
[Congratulations… Iron…]
(▼ヘ▼#)
Cao Cheng’s veins bulged in frustration.
Aside from the pain from the sudden strength boost, what really stung was the sheer disappointment.
What kind of garbage was this?
Sure,
stat boosts were useful for Cao Cheng.
They’d refine his combat skills, pushing his personal power to new heights.
But still,
this was just too damn unfair.
An entire month’s worth of saved-up emotional points—
and this was all he got?
The grind had been brutal.
Sure, he was raking in points now, but at the start, he barely scraped 10 a day, maxing out at 16.
Do you have any idea how many people he’d pissed off this past month?
Could the system at least throw him a bone here?
[Congratulations, Host! You obtained a Silver Chest: Mastery of the Eight Great Cuisines]
[Congratulations, Host! You obtained a Silver Chest: One Jin of Fragrant Serenity Tea]
[Congratulations, Host! You obtained an Iron Chest: +1 Agility]
[Ding~]
[Congratulations, Host! You obtained a Gold Chest: Grandmaster Piano Skills]
Whew—
Thank god!
At least he got one gold and two silvers in the end.
Cao Cheng let out a relieved sigh.
At least his month-long effort—and all the people he’d offended—hadn’t been for nothing.
Thanks, Aunt Wang.
Even though
piano skills weren’t particularly useful, a grandmaster-level skill was still great for showing off.
Who knew when it might come in handy to blind someone with sheer talent?
After all, skills—no matter how niche—were never a burden.
As for the master-level cooking skills…
He’d ignore those for now.
Cao Cheng hated cooking.
It was terrible for his skin, okay?
Besides,
the real gem of this ten-draw was the [Fragrant Serenity Tea].
According to the description, it was a mid-grade immortal tea from a cultivation realm, used by cultivators to calm their minds and deepen their enlightenment during meditation.
For ordinary people, the effects were even more miraculous—
eradicating illnesses and extending lifespan.
Most importantly, the appearance of immortal tea hinted that future draws might even yield…
Cultivation Techniques.
…
Afterward,
Cao Cheng checked his physical changes.
The +3 Strength boost had visibly bulked up his muscles.
His six-pack abs were now faintly visible.
The average adult male’s strength stat was below 10, and while Cao Cheng had been training, progress had been slow.
But this sudden +3 was a massive leap.
If before,
his body could only bring out 10% of his grandmaster combat skills, now he could likely push past 20%.
A few more draws, and his physique would reach terrifying levels.
The future looked bright!
…
Soon,
the hotel’s food arrived.
Seven or eight servers brought in dish after dish, covering the entire table—
chicken, duck, fish, meat!
The aroma was overwhelming.
A lavish feast.
But the moment Cao Cheng took a bite…
He instantly understood.
The [Mastery of the Eight Great Cuisines] he’d drawn was at least one or two tiers above even a five-star hotel’s head chef.
In his eyes now, these dishes were nothing more than pretty plating—the flavors were mediocre at best.
His heightened taste buds could dissect every ingredient and flaw in an instant.
“What, not to your liking?”
Ren Yuege noticed his expression and took a bite herself before nodding. “Seems fine to me.”
Cao Cheng’s lips twitched. “You just haven’t eaten anything good.”
Ren Yuege raised a brow. “And you have?”
Cao Cheng shook his head.
He couldn’t admit he had.
Nor could he admit he could cook.
Otherwise, she’d definitely make him cook for her.
Not worth the effort.
Even if he did, all he’d get was her praise and a measly trickle of "positive emotions."
Whatever.
He’d force it down.
It wasn’t terrible, at least.
…
Ren Yuege had the appetite of a bird.
She ate with refined elegance, setting down her chopsticks after just a few bites. “I’m full. Take your time, little brother.”
Cao Cheng stared at the table full of dishes. “Two bites? Are you serious?”
She wasn’t even overweight—why eat like this?
Ren Yuege shrugged. “I don’t eat much. You go ahead.”
“There’s no way I can finish all this. If you knew you’d eat like a sparrow, why order so much?”
“I was worried you’d still be hungry. Ungrateful brat.”
“So I should thank you?”
“No need. That’s what big sisters are for.”
“Tch—can’t take a hint, huh?”
Cao Cheng glared at the mountain of food, exasperated.
“You wanted five-star food, so no leftovers allowed, little brother.”
Ren Yuege grinned. “By the way, do you have plans this afternoon?”
Cao Cheng grunted. “Nope. Free as a bird.”
“Perfect. You’re coming with me.”
“…”
Ren Yuege giggled. “I’ll go buy some gifts first. I’m visiting my teacher later. Be a good boy and clean up after yourself—wash the dishes too.”
“!”
Bang.
The door shut behind her.
Cao Cheng sighed at the feast before him.
The portions weren’t huge, but with so many dishes—especially the heavy ones—it was still a challenge.
Not that he couldn’t finish it.
His appetite was decent, and after the stat boosts, he was ravenous enough to devour half a cow.
His body needed the fuel.
But with his refined palate, some dishes were borderline inedible.
Might as well reheat them.
He got up, carried a few dishes to the kitchen, and adjusted the seasoning for a quick fix.
Soon,
the reheated dishes returned to the table.
The home stove’s heat was gentler, so the presentation wasn’t as pristine, but the flavors had improved by at least a tier.
Mastery of the Eight Great Cuisines meant even an amateur could run a thriving restaurant.
At the proficient level, you could be a head chef at a high-end hotel.
At mastery? You were a culinary legend, sweeping cooking competitions with ease.
As for grandmaster…
To establish one's own culinary school means creating a unique style beyond the existing major cuisines, mastering signature dishes, and even taking on disciples.
Thus,
With the system's (Master-level) culinary skills, the flavors of the cooked meal instantly burst on the taste buds, making one narrow their eyes in delight.
Yet, a concern arises.
Will I ever be able to enjoy meals from outside restaurants again?
Cooking for myself every day sounds exhausting.
Please, don’t let it be like this.
System.
Can I exchange this reward?
I don’t want culinary skills anymore.
I’ll even take a loss—how about swapping it for a… Master-level Cultivation Technique instead?
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
