Lin Chen: “Tell me, now that things have turned out like this, how will you take responsibility? How will you remedy this? What more can you do now?”

The system reacted blankly: “Responsibility? Remedy? …Huh, wait, Host, where are you now? …!!! H-H-How did you return to the original world?!”

The system was extremely shocked.

Lin Chen looked at it with a sneer: “It seems you really did nothing after waking up. Now, take a good look at this environment, take a good look at your system log, and see what happened after you went dormant!”

The system tremblingly and fearfully checked the system log.

With a “Woo!”, the system died right there, its heart dead as ash.

The system’s voice trembled, extremely panicked: “H-Host, listen to my explanation! The sys-system just…”

Lin Chen interrupted with a sneer: “Enough, stop explaining. Just tell me what you can do now—can the transmission channel still be opened? What are the conditions for opening it? Can you sense the situation in the novel world now? Can you connect to my phone and WeChat account over there?”

The system cheered up: “Speaking of this, the system remembers it being mentioned in the system manual! Host, please wait a moment while the system checks—”

“Wow, it’s really there! The system manual says that for advanced hosts who have completed tasks, the system can open the channel for the host an unlimited number of times during the binding period at the cost of 30,000 energy points per time! However, this transmission channel is limited to transporting the host and the clothes on their body, and cannot transport other items that may destroy the balance between the two worlds!”

“Then there are rules for the system to connect across worlds to another plane’s information network… Wow, Host, for just 50,000 energy points, the system can permanently open the cross-plane information network function for one plane!”

Lin Chen: “Very good. Now please tell me, what is the concept of 30,000 energy points… How many energy points do you have left?”

The system squirmed: “The system currently, currently has no energy points left. But Host, don’t worry, the system can get a reward of 2,000 energy points every month. It will only take fifteen months to save up 30,000 energy points!”

Lin Chen: “…???”

Lin Chen was shocked: “The real monthly salary of two thousand is right beside me?!”

Lin Chen: “…No wonder one would starve to death following you; turns out you are about to starve to death yourself.”

Lin Chen was speechless for a while, then said calmly: “There are electronic versions of the system manual and system training materials, right? Are they confidential? Please put them all into my brain.”

The system didn’t know what the host wanted to do, but responded ignorantly: “Okay, Host!”

A system manual as large as 257.8M, along with dozens of system training materials, poured into the system library in Lin Chen’s brain all at once.

Looking at the amount of materials, Lin Chen couldn’t help but doubt whether AC9999 had really learned them thoroughly.

So, on the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth days of returning to his home plane, Lin Chen studied system knowledge from 7 AM to midnight.

Finally, all system knowledge roughly entered Lin Chen’s mind.

Lin Chen sighed: “So, you are basically a novice system just starting out!”

“So you haven’t even passed the assessment for a junior system!”

“So the total rewards for a storyline maintenance task add up to at least a million energy points… So, you are basically a system that spends every penny it earns!!”

The system was blank, the system squirmed, and the system whispered: “But, but Host, every time the system does makeup or adjusts physiological values for you, it all uses energy…”

Lin Chen gave a sharp look and scolded in a low voice with a sneer: “Spending everything is spending everything, still making excuses for yourself?!”

The system was extremely pitiful: “QxQ Woo… Host…”

Lin Chen: “…”

Forget it, why bother arguing with an infant system earning two thousand a month when I’m a human with a guaranteed annual salary of thirty million?

Lin Chen regained his calm in a second.

Lin Chen: “Alright, don’t cry. I’ve arranged it for you. Your next salary payout time is 4 PM three days from now. As long as you can successfully advance to a junior system before the salary payout, your salary this month can be issued according to the junior system standard of 5,000/month. Plus the novice system graduation reward of 25,000 energy points, it will be exactly enough for us to open a transmission channel once.”

“So, now, go work according to the work schedule I made for you! Finish writing the work report for the novice system period and the application for junior system within today. Hand them to me for review after writing, and strive to submit the promotion application before midnight tonight to avoid problems in the subsequent review process that might require re-application. Any problems?”

The system trembled: “N-No, Host…”

Lin Chen said gently: “Don’t be nervous. By the way, from now on, you must apply to me before using every single energy point. I’m doing this for your own good, to help you accumulate energy and prevent spending everything. Any problems?”

Hearing the host soften and consider for it, the system’s mood brightened in a second: “No, Host! You are so good to me, Host!”

System: “…Eh, Host, what are you doing now?”

Lin Chen: “Oh, I’m ordering a sandbag.”

The system was puzzled: “What are you buying a sandbag for, Host?”

Lin Chen said gently: “There’s actually a monthly host connection rent of 3,000 in the system salary. This energy will automatically be deducted for rent. In other words, if you don’t live in my brain, you can get the remaining 100 energy rent every day. A sandbag is a good thing, large living volume, 0 rent, very suitable for you to live in temporarily, and you can save some brain-residing rent. I think this will be a good practice, what do you think?”

The system agreed naively: “Host, what you said makes so much sense, the system thinks so too!”

Lin Chen smiled: “Very good, nice attitude. Don’t worry, listen to me and do well, I will help you reach the standard for applying for intermediate and advanced systems as soon as possible. So go do it, I’m waiting for your work report and application. Don’t disappoint me, okay?”

The system was extremely excited and answered loudly: “Host, rest assured! AC9999 guarantees not to disappoint you!”

…

The system spent a whole day writing seven versions of the work report and promotion application, but none satisfied the host!

The system was extremely sad.

Seeing this, the host sighed and simply asked it to export the report and application to the computer, personally helping him revise these two documents.

The system nestled in the host’s head, watching eagerly as the host expressionlessly and seriously revised the report for him.

The report revised by the host looked as good as something written by a top-tier system!

The system thought, the host is really good to himself.

It nestled happily while chatting with the host curiously and puzzledly: “Host, the system heard that many hosts choose to unbind the system directly and return completely to their original plane after completing the task.”

“Only in this way can you get the full set of rewards after completing the task. Not only can you bring all the assets earned in the novel plane back to the original plane, but you can also choose any reward from the system store, such as an elixir that can cure any disease, top talent in a certain field, or simply doubling the maximum lifespan… Other hosts care very much about these rewards. Don’t you want them, Host?”

The system had just remembered this too.

The list of rewards after the host completes the task was clearly written on the first page of the system manual, and the system knew the host must have seen it just now.

But the prerequisite for obtaining rewards is: the host must choose to completely submit the task and dissolve the host-system binding within thirty days of completing the task. If the host wants to run between both worlds, then he cannot unbind it, which naturally means giving up these rewards voluntarily.

The host’s fingers typing on the document paused slightly.

The host raised his eyelids; the system knew the host was “looking” at it.

The host asked: “Why ask about this suddenly?”

The system squirmed shyly: “The system thought Host would dislike the system for lying in your brain uselessly every day and want to unbind with the system sooner.”

The host said lightly: “Oh, no, you are quite useful. I don’t dislike you.”

The system was overjoyed, but then drooped again: “Hehe, the system knows Host is just coaxing the system. How could Host keep the system just for the sake of keeping the system? …Is it for Cheng Huanzhen? Host, after all, you agreed to be lovers with him.”

The host was quiet for a moment, lowered his eyes, continued typing, and said: “Yes, and no.”

The system was extremely confused: “So is it yes or no?”

Facing its persistent questioning, the host seemed a little distressed, sighed softly, and said: “I lived there for five years.”

The system was puzzled: “So what? …Could the value generated in five years of living be more valuable to you than the rewards for submitting the task and unbinding the system?”

The host’s fingers paused again.

The host said slowly: “Five years, connected with many people, and changed many people’s lives… Being able to change a person’s life is actually a very lucky thing.”

The system became even more puzzled: “A lucky thing? …Then, having been lucky, can’t you leave with the luck?”

The host raised his eyes, looking at the void—but the system knew he was looking at it—and smiled: “But this is luck, and also responsibility. Now there are still two people’s responsibilities unfulfilled. Since I pulled them out of the quagmire back then, I certainly can’t do something like pushing them back into the quagmire.”

The host was rarely so patient with it.

The system half-understood, and relying on the host’s patience, asked curiously: “Host, it sounds like you know a lot about this. In your plane, have you done similar things? Saving a person, completely changing a person’s life?”

The host was surprised and smiled: “Of course?”

The system’s eyes lit up, also surprised: “Wow, Host is so amazing! Who is it? Is he also very amazing now?”

The host smiled with curved eyes and said: “Me.”

…

The system waking up and finalizing the return date made Lin Chen heave a huge sigh of relief.

If he couldn’t return, if the story just stopped abruptly like that.

If he could only listen to that sad and broken calling from morning to night here, yet unable to do anything, what kind of mood would he be in?

…Probably just like the past few days, unable to sleep peacefully at all.

The return date couldn’t be advanced, so Lin Chen used this time to handle some matters in his home plane.

The busiest one among them was to report his safety to his client friends.

This matter took up his entire day.

Finally having some free time in the evening, a client approached him saying they planned to adopt a child and wanted him to help contact an orphanage.

Lin Chen knew this client’s family situation clearly. The couple was open-minded and had a harmonious relationship; they should be good parents.

It happened that he was going to the orphanage the next day anyway, so he agreed.

So early the next morning, Lin Chen drove to the Guangchen Orphanage in the suburbs.