Chapter 2: World 1 [2]

Jing Ke?

Upon hearing what sounded like a person’s name, many thoughts surfaced in Shang Siyu’s mind, but she quickly suppressed them.

“If I form a contract with you, what do I have to give in return?” Shang Siyu asked cautiously. She hadn’t missed the word ‘trade’ Jing Ke had mentioned earlier.

Since it was a trading system, gaining something meant she would inevitably lose something else.

【It’s simple. You only need a part of what you have on you.】

“What exactly on me?” Shang Siyu pressed.

【In your human terms, it’s something like fortune. To you, it’s a very intangible existence.】

【But rest assured, before I take your fortune, I will first help you create it.】

【In the end, I’ll only take two-thirds of your fortune. As long as you are capable enough, the remaining third will be more than enough for you to live an enviable life.】

【So, are you willing to form a contract with me now? It’s a very good deal~】

Shang Siyu pursed her lips. First, help her acquire this so-called fortune, and then take it from her.

Was she being treated like a petri dish? Cultivating the desired product before harvesting it all at once. Could such a so-called System really be trusted?

【If you want to understand it that way, it’s not impossible. But I won’t discard you after you’ve outlived your usefulness.】

【Nor will I drain the pond to catch the fish.】 Jing Ke added.

Hearing the voice in her head, Shang Siyu’s pupils constricted. “You know what I’m thinking?”

【If your emotional fluctuations are strong, I can roughly sense your thoughts.】 Jing Ke gave an honest answer.

“Since this is a trade, then we should be equals, right?” Shang Siyu asked, lowering her voice.

【You’re right, we should be equals.】

“Then you can read my thoughts, but I can’t know what you’re thinking.” Shang Siyu stated. “Doesn’t that seem… unfair?”

【But you haven’t yet formed a contract with me, and we haven’t really started trading, have we?】

Shang Siyu couldn’t find a point to refute. After pondering for a moment, she continued, “If I form a contract with you, can you promise not to pry into my thoughts?”

【I can. I greatly respect the privacy of my trading partners.】

“Okay, I’ll form a contract with you then,” Shang Siyu said.

As someone studying neuroscience, Shang Siyu was well aware that, based on the current level of technology, absolutely no product could communicate with her out of thin air, much less read her mind.

So, ruling out the impossible, being targeted by some suspected extraterrestrial technology named Jing Ke was probably the absurd truth.

【Contract signed successfully. Pleased to know you better, my Trader, or rather, my Host.】

Jing Ke’s voice carried obvious delight. At the same time, she shared some information with Shang Siyu, who was now bound to her by contract.

For instance, Shang Siyu could communicate with her directly through consciousness, without needing to speak aloud.

Naturally, Jing Ke would honor their previous agreement and not casually read Shang Siyu’s thoughts. She would only perceive them when the other party actively initiated communication.

—

【That’s right. You just need to choose the numbers based on your own feelings. Wait until the winning numbers are announced tonight, and you can verify if what I said is true or false.】

Jing Ke’s calm voice echoed in Shang Siyu’s mind. There was no urgency, as if it were merely a simple suggestion.

Right after their contract was finalized, Shang Siyu had started asking about news related to her advisor. However, Jing Ke didn’t answer immediately, explaining that Shang Siyu’s current fortune wasn’t enough to pay the price for that information.

【Getting news about your advisor is simple: free yourself from your current predicament first. At the very least, don’t let yourself be controlled by others. Otherwise, even if you know the inside story, you’d still be powerless to change anything.】

These were Jing Ke’s exact words. To prove that she, this System, truly had the ability, Jing Ke directed Shang Siyu to stand in front of a lottery shop after leaving the laboratory.

“Alright, I understand.” Shang Siyu stepped inside.

The lottery shop was bustling. Many people were selecting their numbers, and someone was even testing their luck with a whole booklet of scratch-off lottery tickets. Expressions of regret and surprise flickered across their faces.

Shang Siyu’s gaze swept quickly through the shop before finally landing on the beaming Boss.

“Boss, one lottery ticket,” Shang Siyu said, pulling out two coins she had prepared earlier from her pocket.

“Coming right up! What numbers would you like, Miss?” The Boss accepted the coins with a smile.

Recalling Jing Ke’s words, Shang Siyu directly split her own phone number into seven digits and rattled them off.

The Boss moved fast. Immediately, a fresh lottery ticket with the specified numbers was printed.

“Miss, the drawing is at 9:15 PM tonight. You can check it then,” the Boss kindly reminded her as he handed over the ticket.

Shang Siyu politely thanked him. Her gaze fell on the ticket she clutched tightly, and an inexplicable sense of absurdity rose in her heart.

Could numbers she just randomly thought of really win? Was this so-called System that powerful? Could it directly manipulate the winning numbers?

Logically, shouldn’t an extraterrestrial artifact possess precognition and just tell her the winning numbers directly?

With these questions, Shang Siyu walked back to the small room she rented near the laboratory.

After cleaning her room and taking a shower, it was almost time for the lottery drawing.

Just as Shang Siyu was about to watch the live draw, a call came in first, the caller ID displaying ‘Mom’.

“Hello, Mom.” Shang Siyu answered without hesitation, setting the lottery drawing aside for the moment.

Shang Siyu: “Everything’s fine here. My advisor’s matter is pretty much resolved. All that stuff online is just rumors spreading like wildfire. My advisor is innocent.”

“Mom, don’t worry. Everything really is fine. I’m doing experiments every day. My Senior Sisters and Senior Brothers are all here too. If we’re lucky, we’ll have results by the end of the year. Don’t worry about me.”

Shang Siyu patiently answered her mother’s questions, then turned the conversation to ask about her mother’s health.

Shang Siyu’s father died in the line of duty when she was six. For nearly twenty years after, she and her mother had depended on each other. The bond between mother and daughter was extremely strong.

If it weren’t for the pressing experiment schedule, Shang Siyu would go home at least twice a month.

Only after reassuring her mother repeatedly that she was fine, her money was sufficient, and her studies and research faced no problems, was Shang Siyu able to end the call smoothly.

【The lottery has been drawn. You can prepare to claim your prize now.】

“I won?” Shang Siyu froze for a moment before pulling herself out of the previous phone conversation.

【Mhm. If you’re unsure, you can check. It should be around fifteen million. After deducting taxes and the portion for donation, you’ll get at least ten million.】

Hearing Jing Ke’s words, Shang Siyu’s breathing unconsciously deepened. She quickly opened a web search for the current winning numbers, then clutched the two-yuan ticket and carefully matched the numbers one by one.

Only after checking three full times did Shang Siyu dare believe the fact that she had won the Grand Prize.

“How did you do it? Can you control the people drawing the balls?” Shang Siyu asked.

【I can’t directly control them. I simply completed a transaction with an existence you don’t know about.】

Jing Ke was telling the truth. Although she was a top-tier creation of the System Rules, she was temporarily unable to directly influence reality.

Otherwise, Jing Ke wouldn’t have needed Shang Siyu to buy a lottery ticket. She could have just turned her five-figure bank balance into an eight-figure one, finishing the matter.

Shang Siyu pursed her lips, glanced down at the ticket in her hand, and decided to ignore the unscientific parts.

She didn’t know how Jing Ke had operated, but she was certain the ticket in her hand was real, and the winning numbers were correct.

Delay could lead to trouble. After carefully putting the ticket away, Shang Siyu planned to claim the prize overnight to avoid any accidents.

【A reminder: You won the first prize. The amount is large; you need to claim it at a designated location.】

Jing Ke’s voice popped up just as Shang Siyu was putting on her coat to go out, offering a friendly reminder.

【What you need to do now is first request a day off, then look up where your province’s Prize Redemption Center is, and what its working hours are. Use that to plan tomorrow’s schedule.】

“Are you reading my thoughts?” Shang Siyu’s steps halted, her tone sounding displeased. “Just now, I had no intention of communicating with you.”

【No. You were about to go out. Is it hard to guess you wanted to claim the prize overnight?】 Jing Ke countered.

Jing Ke wouldn’t read her Host’s thoughts without her consent, but she could observe Shang Siyu’s every move.

Shang Siyu was at a loss for words. She lowered her eyes and spoke, “Sorry, I misunderstood you.”

【I accept your apology.】

【Another reminder: Your prize amount is relatively large. When you go to claim it, consider wearing a disguise.】

“Okay, thank you.” Shang Siyu slowly exhaled and took off the coat she had draped over her shoulders.

After staring for a while at the lottery ticket that had jumped from a two-yuan face value to over ten million, Shang Siyu carefully tucked it into her wallet and began preparing her leave request and looking up the prize redemption process.

—

The next day, Shang Siyu, who had barely fallen asleep past midnight, was woken by her 8 AM alarm.

Thinking about claiming the prize today, her sleepiness instantly vanished. After checking the ticket inside her wallet, she swiftly began washing up and changing clothes.

Remembering Jing Ke’s earlier reminder, when leaving, Shang Siyu geared up with the trio of a bucket hat, sunglasses, and a black mask. She even chose a newly bought outfit she hadn’t worn yet, minimizing the chance of being recognized by acquaintances.

The overly concealed appearance caused the driver to covertly observe her for a long time when she got into the ride-hailing car. Only after repeatedly confirming Shang Siyu wasn’t planning an attack did the driver refrain from calling the police.

At 9:35 AM, Shang Siyu appeared at the entrance of the Prize Redemption Center.

After checking the winning lottery ticket one more time, she walked in with a trace of nervousness.

“Hello, I’m here to claim a prize.” Shang Siyu took out her lottery ticket and her ID Card, handing them together to the staff member at the prize redemption counter.