Chapter 2: Who Doesn’t Have a Childhood Friend?

After the second semester of junior year, perhaps because they had grown up, their relationship eased somewhat. Now, in the blink of an eye, they were seniors, yet still not quite getting along.

"Are you out of your mind, Jiang Nian?" The girl stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at him furiously. "Knocking on doors in broad daylight—I'm going to tell Aunt Li and have her give you a beating!"

Jiang Nian stared at Xu Qianqian; more precisely, he was staring at the pale blue, semi-transparent panel in front of him.

So, after all, only he could see it.

[Reconnect with your estranged childhood fiancée Xu Qianqian. Reward: 300 RMB (Completed).]

Did the money arrive?

Xu Qianqian scolded Jiang Nian with flushed cheeks, then suddenly noticed he seemed lost in thought as he looked at her. Her hair stood on end; she covered her ample chest and took a wary step back.

"Wh-why are you looking at me like that?"

Then she saw Jiang Nian, oblivious, take out his phone from his pocket and glance at it. Instantly, his whole demeanor transformed; he tossed out a gleeful "Ha!" and darted away.

Watching Jiang Nian retreat to the apartment across the hall, Xu Qianqian pursed her lips.

"Nutcase..."

In the living room.

Jiang Nian stared at his phone, overjoyed. His account had indeed increased by three hundred yuan out of nowhere; the balance had jumped from 305.23 to 605.23, with the transfer noted as "Game Tester Compensation."

The panel appeared again.

[At thirty-eight, you are financially strained: unemployed, divorced, nearly all your assets gone, surviving only with your parents' help.

Mission: Urgent Need.

Having received your first reward, pay off the overdue utilities for your rented apartment. Reward: 500 RMB.]

He thought this must be a starter quest and opened the app to pay the bills. He didn’t rent an apartment, but surely paying for his own family’s utilities would count as completing the task.

He couldn’t help but sigh—was his future really so bleak?

Buzz! Five hundred yuan credited.

So far, the system tasks were simple; Jiang Nian checked his bank card balance. After paying about 170 yuan in bills, the total now stood at 935.45.

He was a pragmatic man. After the five hundred arrived, he calmed down. Two payments of five hundred were negligible; as long as the daily sum stayed under five thousand, no one would care. But if it ever exceeded that, things could get troublesome.

Not only could his bank card be frozen, but large transfers might trigger an investigation.

The sender showed up as Tianguang Games Ltd.; Jiang Nian looked the company up and found it existed, even publicly listed, with only one "Game Tester" on record.

Of course, Jiang Nian wasn’t foolish enough to believe this “rabbit hole” was real. Besides, technology wasn't advanced enough for a portable panel like this. He wasn’t some chief tester; the system was simply patching reality’s bugs.

In other words, the source was reasonable and legitimate.

Fantastic.

He had just finished his research when the panel appeared again, bringing another starter quest.

[When children wish to provide for their parents, but time waits for no one—at thirty-eight, you realize your parents have grown old. As you reflect on the passing years, you resolutely embark on your journey home, yet find yourself daunted by the nearness.

Mission: Prepare a sumptuous dinner for your parents.

Reward: 800 RMB.]

Reading the task, Jiang Nian stroked his chin. It was afternoon; he had time to prepare dinner, otherwise he’d have to wait until tomorrow. The school anniversary meant a holiday, but he’d have to return for evening study tomorrow.

Cooking wasn’t an issue; the Jiang family had no one who couldn’t cook. His grandfather had worked as a chef in a restaurant when young, and his father and uncles all knew a few dishes.

Jiang Nian was no exception. Every summer, he stayed at his grandfather’s house, learning dishes here and there. Though far from an expert, his cooking was passable.

Since it had to be sumptuous, the ingredients needed to be fresh.

That afternoon, Jiang Nian went to the market, only to return disappointed. There were no fresh vegetables, and the vendors, seeing he was young, tried to pass off inferior goods, raising and lowering prices.

Truly, businessmen were all the same. No wonder young people preferred supermarkets—these market folks only served the shrewd, and deserved their slow sales.

After gathering the ingredients, he returned home at four.

On the quartz counter in the kitchen lay deboned, sliced Yangshan chicken. At forty yuan per jin, a six- or seven-jin bird cost nearly three hundred—a pricey affair.

He planned to make steamed chicken with lotus leaf, a dish both tender and expensive—surely sumptuous enough. The rest would be simpler: a plate of stir-fried vegetables, a dish of sautéed beef, smashed cucumbers, peanuts, and a pot of pork rib soup.

The costs soared; the meal alone cost nearly four hundred yuan.

Ordinarily, three people couldn’t finish all that, but Jiang Nian remembered Xu Qianqian next door. In a sense, they were childhood friends.

Xu Qianqian lived in a single-parent household; her mother had passed away several years ago.

Her father, Director Xu, was a renowned specialist in the county hospital’s male reproductive department—a man who had performed both castrations and impotence cures. He wore rimless glasses and always greeted everyone with a gentle smile.

Since his wife’s death, he had never truly recovered, burying himself in work daily.

In recent years, the Jiang family had fallen on hard times, and Old Xu had helped them discreetly; the families were close.

So, even though Jiang Nian’s parents were busy with work and repaying debts, whenever there was good food at home, Xu Qianqian would always be invited—she’d get the sweetest slice of melon.

Jiang Nian was used to it, instinctively counting portions for Old Xu and Xu Qianqian. Five people was just right—sumptuous, and nothing wasted.

In the afternoon, Li Hongmei hurried home from work, quickly tying on her apron and rushing to the kitchen.

"Dinner will be ready soon. Go read for a while, stop playing on your phone. You're almost a senior now—let me tell you, the college entrance exam is a thousand troops crossing a single log bridge."

Jiang Nian was sprawled on the sofa, popsicle in mouth, playing on his phone, not even lifting his brows.

"Yeah, got it, Mom."

"You child..." Li Hongmei wiped her hands on her apron, but stopped short when she entered the kitchen, seeing the warm dishes. She turned to glance at Jiang Nian.

"Who cooked these?"

"Since you asked so sincerely, I..." Seeing his mother Li Hongmei wielding a feather duster, Jiang Nian instantly cowered and changed his tune.

"I did. What do you think?"

Hearing this, Li Hongmei's expression turned colorful. Not that she doubted his cooking—his grandfather cherished his grandson, eager to pass on every bit of his skill.

"Where did you get the money? This meal... Yangshan chicken and beef, must have cost several hundred at least?"

"Well, I... made money playing games," Jiang Nian replied, sheepishly rubbing his face, holding his breath as he watched his mother.

Li Hongmei frowned, and the kitchen atmosphere instantly froze.

It was a blatant lie—but it was only a few hundred yuan.

Standing aside, Jiang Nian's heart pounded like a drum. He was tense, instinctively holding his breath, gambling that the system had patched the bug.