The next morning, as soon as Luo Wei entered the living room, he spotted Ophelia curled up on the sofa, yawning incessantly.
"You haven't slept at all?" Luo Wei walked over and, upon closer inspection, noticed she had developed the same dark circles as the witch lady.
"Don't even ask..." Ophelia shot a glance at Eleya, who was tied to a chair in the middle of the living room. "She kept that sour expression all night, refusing to respond no matter what we asked."
Tilis also approached Luo Wei, shrugging helplessly. "No progress at all."
"Just as I expected." Luo Wei looked at them. "You two should get some rest. If you collapse before getting any answers, she’ll have won."
"Like I could sleep now..." Ophelia muttered. "Father is attending the exhibition in three days..."
Growing increasingly agitated, she clenched her fists. "No, I have to talk to him. Even if he scolds me, it doesn’t matter. I can’t let that woman succeed!"
Luo Wei nodded. "He won’t scold you. You’re looking out for him, and from what I know, he values his life dearly."
Tilis turned her gaze to Eleya. "So what now? What do we do with her?"
Luo Wei also looked at Eleya, who stared back at him with hollow eyes.
"Give me time," Luo Wei said quietly. "She’ll slip up eventually."
As the three conversed, Helena stumbled out of her room, rubbing her eyes drowsily.
"Morning, brother..."
She greeted Luo Wei as if sleepwalking before drifting toward the kitchen.
"I’ll make breakfast. What should we have today..."
"Don’t bother, Helena," Luo Wei called out.
"Huh?" Helena stopped, blinking in confusion.
"Today, your brother’s taking you out for something delicious." Luo Wei grinned.
Helena froze for a second before breaking into a delighted smile. "Yay!!"
Luo Wei walked over to Eleya and began untying her. "You’re coming with us. Oh, and Ophelia, Tilis—you two stay behind."
Eleya watched Luo Wei expressionlessly, not moving an inch even as the ropes loosened.
Ophelia and Tilis exchanged glances.
"Well, I’ll catch up on sleep then..." Ophelia yawned. "And maybe head back to the palace for a bit."
Tilis nodded. "I’ll go to the backyard and keep working on that machine. Oh, Luo Wei, take this."
She handed him an enchanted rope that could turn invisible, just in case Eleya tried to escape.
After a few more instructions, Luo Wei, Helena, and Eleya left the old house.
Once their figures disappeared, Ophelia and Tilis shared another look.
Moving in perfect sync, they stealthily trailed after Luo Wei.
...
Half an hour later, Luo Wei led the two to a lively street food stall in the West District.
Settling at an outdoor table, they were soon served steaming black coffee, fried fish, and freshly baked bread.
Helena, unfazed by the fried fish Luo Wei had grown tired of, eagerly took a big bite out of its crispy head. Smacking her lips, she followed it up with a chunk of bread, savoring every bite with pure joy.
Watching Helena’s enthusiastic "eating show" always made Luo Wei feel like she was devouring the most exquisite delicacies, suddenly whetting his own appetite.
"Helena eats so happily," Eleya remarked, smiling softly as she watched. "Just like before—she enjoys every bite, no matter what it is. It’s making me hungry too..."
"Yeah," Luo Wei agreed, taking a couple of bites of his own fried fish before passing a portion to Eleya. "She went hungry a lot as a kid, always on the run with no warm meals. Now she’s making up for it."
"I understand her," Eleya nodded. Her childhood hadn’t been easy either.
She, too, had known displacement, though her life improved after being taken in by the church—far better than Helena’s had been.
As a non-human, she’d expected rejection, but the kind-hearted nun never once considered casting her out. That woman shaped her character and instilled in her a deep faith.
Lost in thought, Eleya turned to Helena and asked, "Helena, you really like your life now, don’t you?"
"Mm-hmm." Helena looked up. "I love it. I get to be with brother every day and eat delicious food. It’s perfect."
"But what if I told you it won’t last?" Eleya countered. "Because one day, you’ll lose your brother. You’ll lose everything."
Helena tensed immediately. "Why?"
Eleya’s tone turned grave. "The ancient seals are weakening. The day will come when They awaken one by one. When They descend upon this world, it will be the end."
"No!" Helena clutched Luo Wei’s arm, shaking her head fiercely. "I’ll get stronger! I’ll protect brother!"
Eleya sighed. "You’re so naive. They’re beings beyond your strength. You’ll die. Your brother will die."
Watching Helena’s frightened expression, Eleya felt a flicker of satisfaction. She pressed on, "Only light can dispel the darkness. So, you and your brother should support me. That’s the only thing you can do."
"Oh..." Helena blinked at her, then turned to Luo Wei. "Brother, is that true?"
Luo Wei stuffed another piece of fried fish into her hand. "Keep eating. Ignore her."
But the fish no longer tasted as good to Helena. She chewed thoughtfully, convinced she needed to act...
Noticing Helena’s troubled expression, Luo Wei shot Eleya a look. "What’s the point of manipulating her? She can’t change my mind. Save your preaching for me."
"It’s not manipulation. I’m right," Eleya insisted. "You should help me bring about that bright future, not stand in my way. If you keep being an obstacle, how are you any different from the claws of the evil gods?"
Luo Wei rolled his eyes. Everyone claimed to be "right"—he was sick of hearing it.
Though, technically speaking, he was somewhat of a "claw of the evil gods," wasn’t he?
He studied Eleya. The light she sought represented "order." If she ever learned his power came from "chaos," he wondered what face she’d make...
Returning to their debate, Luo Wei seized the initiative.
"The future..." He mulled over the word before smiling faintly. "The future you envision is the same one I desire."
"Oh? Really?" Eleya sounded skeptical.
Luo Wei knew she wouldn’t believe him, so he told her about his promise with the witch.
"A beautiful... new world?"
Eleya froze for a moment before breaking into a delighted smile. "That's wonderful! Luo Wei, does this mean you're willing to help me?"
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…
e school belle recognized by the whole school, a genius girl from the kendo club. She also has a hidden identity, the youngest legendary demon hunter. Chen Shuo just transmigrated and found himself turned into a weak, helpless little vampire. He was caught by Su Xiyen and taken home at the very beginning. Since then, Chen Shuo's life creed only had two items. "First, classmate Su Xiyen is always right." "Second, if classmate Su Xiyen is wrong, please refer back to item one." Many years later, Chen Shuo, who had turned back into a human, led a pair of twins to appear in front of all the vampires to share the secret of how he turned back into a human. "It's simple, I tricked a female demon hunter into becoming my wife!"
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
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.”
