Chapter 14: Stealing the Scumbag’s Benefactor

Su Nianzhi happily swaggered into the state-owned department store, waving a fat stack of cash—ten thousand yuan worth of “Big Unity” notes.

She was in an exceptionally good mood!

Others had to work for their missions, but she got to piggyback off someone else, reaping rewards with no effort at all. Was there anything more satisfying?

Absolutely not!

Could this mean she’d gained a free human ATM from now on?

For a moment, she actually felt reluctant to eliminate Lu Jiajia!

After today, she was completely certain: this system was no match for her mental powers.

Stripping it of control was only a matter of time.

Her psychic ability could control, invade, alter, and disguise all kinds of people and objects—it was exhilarating!

Once she snatched away the female lead’s golden finger, she would erase the system’s consciousness entirely.

Then she’d take full control of the system and rewrite the store functions to make everything free.

Wouldn’t that be the same as owning a free warehouse and shop?

It would be just like those OP space abilities in feel-good web novels!

The thought alone made her laugh out loud, hands on her hips.

People in the store couldn’t quite see her face, but they could definitely hear her strange giggles echoing through the aisles.

That laugh… it didn’t sound very normal.

“Has that girl gone crazy?” someone muttered.

Worse still, she kept coughing on and off—clearly not just crazy, but sick too.

Just like that, a bunch of people instinctively backed two steps away from her.

Getting entangled with a sick, possibly delusional person? No thanks!

Su Nianzhi entered the state-run store. Now that the 80s had just begun, these stores weren’t much different from the old supply cooperatives—just with a fancier signboard.

Inside, it was a colorful mess of goods.

There were sewing machines, bolts of cloth, tobacco and liquor, household supplies neatly arranged on rear shelves.

In front, small glass counters sparkled from a recent polish, displaying all sorts of trinkets.

To one side was the meat and eggs section, selling basic food items.

Each station had an old-fashioned army-green scale at the front.

People buying eggs carefully placed them into baskets and even covered them with cotton cloth for protection.

On the meat side, vendors wrapped cuts in old newspaper and tossed them straight into the customer’s basket.

The atmosphere was thick with the scent of daily life.

This was something Su Nianzhi had never seen in her previous life.

She was instantly fascinated.

But… why had that damn system tried to stop Lu Jiajia from letting her enter this place?

She looked around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Annoying!

She wanted to buy things!

But if Su Zhewu showed up soon, how would she explain it? Her second brother wasn’t as easy to fool as the eldest. He wouldn’t fall for her nonsense so easily.

Having too many smart people at home was a pain.

And having money she couldn’t spend? That was even more frustrating!

Unlike most heroines, she didn’t have a private space to stash purchases either.

Ugh. Frustrating. Mushroom-level frustrating. (T/N: “Mushroom” sounds like “sulking” in Chinese internet slang.)

After some thought, she decided to go wait for Second Brother at the entrance.

She could release her shopping cravings afterward.

In the apocalypse, everything had to be looted by force. It had been a long time since she’d felt the simple joy of shopping.

Just as she was about to head toward the door—

A sharp shriek rang out from ahead.

“Oh my god, he’s having a seizure!”

More and more people gathered around. Su Nianzhi frowned. At first, she hadn’t wanted to meddle.

But then she remembered the system trying to stop her from coming in.

So she pushed her way into the crowd out of curiosity.

She saw a man in a green uniform, a messenger bag slung across his body, lying on the ground. His mouth was foaming, eyes rolled back, jaw clenched tight.

“That guy works at the post office up front! I saw him when I went to mail a letter!”

“Someone take him to the hospital!” This was the 80s—people were passionate and quick to help.

Su Nianzhi frowned. The symptoms were classic epilepsy.

It was a chronic brain disorder that caused abnormal discharges from neurons. When those discharges spiked, they triggered seizures and muscle spasms.

It wasn’t that she knew medicine—it was just that in the apocalypse, she’d often read up on books about brain function and mental powers when she had time.

She’d once seen someone with unstable psychic ability go completely insane.

So she’d always paid close attention to such conditions.

And epilepsy, being a neurological condition, was something her psychic power could help with.

This was one of the rare medical applications of her ability.

Only for neurological illnesses like this could she act as a “doctor.”

Su Nianzhi slowly extended a strand of mental energy into the man’s brain, sensing the abnormal electrical surges.

As long as she suppressed those with her psychic power, he could recover.

She was still hesitating when a man rushed up in panic.

“Pan Qingsheng? Pan Qingsheng?!”

Pan Qingsheng?

Su Nianzhi’s eyes lit up. Wasn’t this the scumbag male lead’s first benefactor?

She remembered a brief line from the drama where Zhang Wenliang had bragged:

“Big Brother Pan Qingsheng is an expert in antique collecting! I saved his life, and thanks to the exam questions he found for me in Beijing, getting into Beijing University was a sure thing.”

So… the system didn’t want her to meet Pan Qingsheng?

Su Nianzhi’s lips curved into a wide grin.

Wonderful. Since he’s delivered himself to my doorstep, I won’t hold back.

She took a bold step forward and said to the man, “I know a little bit of medicine. Let me try.”

Everyone turned to look at her.

Skinny as a twig, coughing nonstop—and she dared to say that?

“You?”

“Young lady, don’t mess around. I’ll take him to the hospital.”

But Su Nianzhi didn’t flinch at all. Instead, she met everyone’s doubtful stares head-on.

“I’m confident I can help him. I’ve seen this kind of illness before—it’s a brain condition.”

The man looked at her resolute face and hesitated.

For some reason, he felt he could trust her.

“All right. Try it.”

Su Nianzhi squatted down. “Can I get a silver needle?”

“Miss, would a sewing needle do?”

“Then give me a bit of white liquor too.”

She wasn’t actually going to use it—this was just for show.

If she said she could heal someone just by touching them, people would think she was a fraud.

So she asked for a needle.

While pretending to poke acupuncture points, her mental energy infiltrated the man’s brain.

She used her power to neutralize the abnormal discharges and, while she was at it, even helped smooth out his psychic energy.

He probably wouldn’t have any more episodes after this.

She poked a few spots with the needle for show.

And sure enough, the man’s convulsions gradually stopped.

“It’s working! Look, he’s not twitching anymore!”

“Who would’ve thought! That girl really knows what she’s doing!”

Su Nianzhi watched as the man slowly opened his eyes.

She asked gently, her voice soft as cotton, “Are you feeling better?”

Pan Qingsheng blinked, looking into her bright, sparkling eyes.

“I… I had another seizure, didn’t I?”

Su Nianzhi’s eyes crinkled with a smile. “It’s fine now. You won’t have any more episodes. I’ve already healed you.”

“What? Healed?”