"Here's the deal. You two help me with something, and in return, I'll tell you all the sequence numbers after 50," Officer Huang said, using his left hand to pick up a perfectly cooked spinach leaf with his chopsticks. "Not only that, but I'll also answer one question for free—anything you want to know that I happen to know."

"What do you need us to do?" Qing Ling asked.

"First, you have to consent," Officer Huang grinned. "It's absolutely not difficult, and I guarantee there's no life-threatening danger."

Qing Ling remained silent.

Gao Yang also stayed quiet, thinking he wasn't in a position to negotiate with Officer Huang and decided to adopt a "mysterious" persona instead.

"You already know the one-in-ten-thousand ratio, so you should understand how dire your situation is." Officer Huang sighed deeply. "We're all orphans of this world, abandoned by the gods."

Qing Ling was still contemplating.

Gao Yang said nothing.

Officer Huang softly encouraged, "I believe that to survive in this foggy world, besides having powerful abilities, you need to master as many rules as possible."

His tone was stern, but his eyes were placid. "I promise that the knowledge I have is valuable beyond measure. This is a very worthwhile deal."

Gao Yang yelled out, "Deal." His logic was straightforward: he might as well accept now and deal with the implications later, given that the other side had already spoken so much.

Qing Ling glared at Gao Yang but didn't object.

"Smart choice." Officer Huang was pleased. He took out a notepad and pen from his uniform pocket and quickly wrote on three pieces of paper. "Don't blame me for being stingy; after all, I can't fully trust you yet. Being reborn in this hell, I can only do my best to survive."

He folded the notes and handed them to Qing Ling.

Qing Ling reached for them, but Officer Huang quickly retracted the notes. "Remember, open the first note after your evening classes tomorrow. Complete one task, then open the second. Complete two tasks, and then read the third. Follow the rules strictly."

Qing Ling took the notes and put them in her school uniform's front pocket. "After it's done, I want to ask two questions."

"Alright, if you complete the tasks, I'll contact you." Officer Huang stood up and took out his phone. "Old Liu, the bill, please."

...

Late at night, Gao Yang returned home with a drastically changed mindset.

Knowing the one-in-ten-thousand human-to-beast ratio, he could no longer see his once warm and happy five-member family the same way.

Based on his experiences from when he was four years old, Gao Yang was almost certain: Grandpa must be a "beast," though he wasn't sure which kind.

If Grandpa shared a room with Grandma, she must be a beast too.

As for Dad, Mom, and his sister...

Gao Yang was unwilling to consider it. Deep down, he wished his family were all human, even though the odds were as slim as winning the lottery. He couldn't help but hold on to a sliver of hope—they were, after all, the family he'd lived with for twelve years.

If that night on his 18th birthday, Gao Yang hadn't been bumped into by that "lunatic," if he had continued living in ignorance, growing up, getting married, having children, and dying of old age, it might have been a kind of happiness.

As long as one never awakens, it's not terrible to live a life of deception and falsehoods.

Still, there were no "ifs." Now that Gao Yang had woken up, his tranquil life was gone.

He now thought life was terrible!

He needed to walk with extreme caution from now on, as any mistake may send him plummeting into a chasm.

His family was long asleep by three in the morning. Gao Yang knew that his parents would chastise him in the morning, but at least he wouldn't have to deal with them this evening. He still had time to change his perspective and figure out how to handle his family.

Gao Yang was so tired that all he wanted to do was bathe in the hot water as he laid in the bathtub. He noticed a faint glow coming from the six-pointed star when he looked up. This time, he tried to control it with his thoughts instead of touching it by closing his eyes and saying, "Enter the system."

[Beep—]

[Entering system]

[You have gained 27 new luck points, for a total of 30. Would you like to use them?]

—Yes.

[Opening attribute panel for you]

[Stamina: 12  Endurance: 12]

[Strength: 11  Agility: 11]

[Spirit: 10  Charm: 10]

[Fortune: 0]

Gao Yang immediately noticed some base attributes had increased, albeit very slightly.

—Do attribute values grow automatically?

[Attribute values fluctuate based on your physical condition and state]

[Today you had a fulfilling day and are slightly stronger than yesterday]

—So if I do 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and run 10 kilometers every day for three years until my hair falls out, will I become the strongest on earth?

[Theoretically, your body will become stronger, but you might also face injuries like muscle strains and knee wear]

—So how do I get stronger?

[Use luck points to permanently enhance attribute values]

[Additionally, different talents provide permanent bonuses to different attributes]

—Is Qing Ling's Blade God talent powerful?

[Talent: Blade God. Sequence number: 32. Rune type: Damage]

[Max level Blade God: Blade proficiency, 3x blade damage, 91.4% physical armor penetration]

[Max level Blade God permanent attribute bonuses: Stamina +400, Strength +800, Agility +1000, Charm +400]

—What about the Gun God talent?

[Talent: Gun God. Sequence number: 41. Rune type: Damage]

[Max level Gun God: Gun proficiency, 97.3% gun accuracy, 12 shots per second]

[Max level Gun God permanent attribute bonuses: Stamina +300, Strength +700, Agility +800, Charm +300]

—Damn.

[A kind of plant?]

—Damn system!

[Luck cannot save you from misfortune, and money cannot change fate]

[Today, you also discovered the Metal talent. Would you like to know the details?]

—No, I can't handle it.

[Would you like to allocate your points?]

—With only 30 luck points, what's there to allocate? Put them all into Fortune! Let's see just how lucky I can get.

[Luck points, once allocated, cannot be changed. Confirm?]

—Confirm. Hurry up!

[Congratulations! Your Fortune has exceeded 30, and all attribute values have gained a permanent 6-point bonus]

[Stamina: 18  Endurance: 18]

[Strength: 17  Agility: 17]

[Spirit: 17  Charm: 16]

[Fortune: 30]

—6 points? Can you be any stingier?

—Wait, that's 6 points for 6 attributes, a total of 36 points. Not bad after all.

[You have also triggered a hidden panel. Would you like to unlock it?]

—Unlock it! Hurry up!

[Sorry, not enough Fortune]

—Then what's the point of saying it?

[Access ended, system hidden]

[Beep—]

...

When Gao Yang woke up early in the morning, his mother reprimanded him as expected: two nights before the college entrance exam, he hadn't returned home, hadn't returned calls, and hadn't responded to messages, which had everyone concerned.

Lying that it was Wang Zikai's birthday, Gao Yang took them to karaoke, where they stayed until late.

His mother became even more enraged upon hearing this. "Zikai Wang? Did he not leave school? You ought not to associate with him; do not emulate his poor behavior."

At the breakfast table, his father was happily munching on a fried dough stick and had a different view. "Zikai? His dad is rich. Son, this is a friend worth having."

"Don't listen to your dad. Birds of a feather flock together!" His mother glared at his father.

"Wife, times have changed."

"In what way?"

"Skills hold less importance in today's culture. It all comes down to resources and contacts. Our youngster could benefit much from having a companion like Zikai in the future."His father argued.

"What kind of twisted values are those?" His mother got even angrier.

"Wife, I didn't mean it like that. I just want our son to have more friends and more paths to take. I trust Yangyang's judgment, he won't really follow bad examples." His father, feeling wronged, looked at Gao Yang for support. "Right, son?"

"Dad, Mom, I'm full."

Feeling conflicted, Gao Yang couldn't bring himself to face his "family." He ate a few bites haphazardly and left for school with his backpack.

Knowing his family was likely beasts, Gao Yang still had a moment of doubt: His parents raised him, they were with him every day, cared for him. How could they be beasts? But then, wasn't Li Weiwei his childhood sweetheart? Such a beautiful girl turned into a monster in an instant.

What kind of creatures are these beasts?

What do they want?

What is this parallel world?

Gao Yang had no answers, just like he had no answers for why he traveled to this world at the age of six or why he got a crappy system.

...

Gao Yang went to school and had a normal day.

The whole day, he didn't talk to Qing Ling or even exchange a glance. After evening classes, Gao Yang went to a small alley near the school with no cameras.

Soon, Qing Ling showed up. She took out two thin black hoodies, two caps, and masks from her big bag. "Put these on."

"Here?"

"Why not? Do you need a dressing room?" Qing Ling said, quickly taking off her uniform. She stripped so fast, like a snake shedding its skin. In a few seconds, she had removed her top, revealing her fair neck and sexy collarbones. Gao Yang quickly turned his back and shyly started changing his clothes.

Three minutes later, they were both in black hoodies, with the hoods up, caps on, and masks covering their faces.

Before setting off, Qing Ling took out the first note from her pocket and opened it.