Chapter 2: Depreciation

Lin Jindu’s change in attitude was not surprising.

Before the car accident, he was just an ordinary person earning a meager salary of 4,000 yuan a month, barely making ends meet after paying for rent and utilities. However, his life took a dramatic turn when he heroically saved someone from a car accident, which left him in a vegetative state. His story was widely covered by the media, and all his medical expenses were covered by social donations and government subsidies.

Without this financial support, his meager salary would have barely covered two days in an ICU.

Just now, when the system made its unilateral decision, it proved that the rules were not set in stone. As long as he played his cards right, he wouldn’t need to compromise excessively. As for the long working hours each day, there was actually a lot of freedom involved.

The price he was offered now was worth the effort!

System 40 criticized, “You’re easily swayed by the prospect of even a slight benefit. You lack principles, host.”

Lin Jindu responded emotionlessly, “My principle is that if you double my salary again, I might even call you ‘dad.'”

System 40 hesitated for a moment and fell silent.

Lin Jindu, who was ready to shout “dad” and demand more money, sighed in disappointment.

The warm sunshine spilled over him, dispelling some of the chill in the room.

After a moment, Lin Jindu got out of bed and walked to the window.

The shadows on the ground were getting longer, and System 40’s voice echoed in his mind: “Please make every effort to play the role of a spare tire.”

【As long as you complete seven tasks, the host can escape the fate of being a spare tire and regain freedom.】

Lin Jindu was astonished, “So, do I only have seven chances to make money?”

【…】

At this moment, System 40’s silence was deafening.

The atmosphere became a bit awkward, and Lin Jindu cleared his throat, “Alright.”

With a simple word, he indicated that he would do his best in this matter. As for where he would direct his efforts, that could be figured out later.

The system added, [Upon successfully changing your fate, a substantial sum will be provided to you in the form of a pension.]

Lin Jindu decided to start working hard right away.

There was no other choice; the system had been too generous.

“Eagle chick, take off~” Lin Jindu stretched and warmed up with some radio calisthenics before electronic companionship.

After completing a set of exercises, he said, “Shall we begin?”

[…Begin what?]

Lin Jindu asked, “Aren’t we supposed to change the person I’m accompanying?”

[Yes, we need to change, but the replacement can only be done by the host.]

[I had a malfunction, and I can only fill in the details in the book as my energy recovers.]

[I can only use each of my abilities once per month.]

“…” What’s the point then?

No wonder after making a mistake the first time, the system suggested finding a way to sleep with the person in the neighboring room, rather than acting on its own.

[Apart from this, all my abilities can only be used once a month.]

Lin Jindu playfully said, “Dad, do you have any more surprises I don’t know about?”

Could you elaborate on the specific abilities?

The system didn’t respond.

Lin Jindu sighed softly.

He walked around the room and checked his phone. Surprisingly, there was no contact information for the male lead.

The original body seemed to be picked up by Yu Yizhi due to his appearance. Although the system didn’t specify how they met, if there wasn’t even a phone number, it was likely that the male lead had simply beckoned him and taken him away. This meant that he had no significance to the male lead at all, not even a phone number.

To complete electronic remote companionship, he would need to obtain the male lead’s contact information at the very least.

Taking matters into his own hands, Lin Jindu decided to find the butler first.

Even though he knew the male lead’s residence was extraordinary, Lin Jindu was still amazed by its luxury when he pushed the door open.

A single glance revealed that his line of sight was blocked by several famous paintings, and he couldn’t see the end of the corridor.

The chandelier hanging from the ceiling had a unique rhythm even in broad daylight, with many crystal ornaments hanging from it, each of which was probably worth a fortune.

“This was custom-made, worth eight million.”

A voice came from behind.

The butler happened to be nearby, and despite his seemingly casual tone, every word was pointed, “The chandelier is cleaned regularly by a specialist. If a part is missing, it will be noticed very soon.”

Lin Jindu shrugged, indicating he had no such intention.

They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. He blinked his big eyes, trying to convey goodwill.

The butler remarked, “There’s a green light in your eyes.”

The wolf-like gaze seemed as if it could reach out and snatch the light fixture from mid-air.

Lin Jindu changed the subject and looked at the paintings in the hallway. “What about those? Are they real or high-quality imitations?”

“In this villa, there are no counterfeits.”

“Nonsense, I am.”

He was the white moonlight’s stand-in. Who are you calling insignificant?

“…”

Receiving the accusing gaze, the butler’s mouth twitched.

Lin Jindu changed the topic again. “Can you give me Mr. Yu’s phone number?”

The butler sneered at the request. “Last time, when you wanted to bribe me to gather information about Mr. Yu, I reminded you not to do anything foolish again.”

It had only been a few days, yet he was back to his old tricks. At least this time he was a bit smarter, asking for the phone number first.

Lin Jindu hesitated for a moment, surprised that the original body had done such a thing?

The butler didn’t want to say another word to him, leaving Lin Jindu with his back and going downstairs to attend to other matters.

When Lin Jindu worked, he had spent some time as a security guard at a kindergarten while looking for a new job. He stood guard for eight hours a day and had never lacked patience.

Seeing that his direct approach wasn’t working, he decided to take a more indirect approach.

He wandered downstairs, behaving as if he were a gust of wind in the mansion.

Although the people in the villa didn’t say it out loud, they all looked down on this lover who couldn’t see the light. They all had their own roles and treated him as if he were invisible.

Lin Jindu was relieved, enjoying the ease of it all. After making a full circle, he finally found the refrigerator, filled with exquisitely packaged delicacies.

Without even looking, Lin Jindu grabbed a few packs and headed upstairs.

Clatter, clatter, clatter.

He deliberately made his footsteps heavier to attract the attention of those around him.

The servants, who had previously treated him as invisible, were taken aback. When they saw the young man carrying a handful of snacks, they rushed over in an instant.

“Quick, stop him!”

“He can’t eat that!”

Supervising Lin Jindu and managing his physique was also part of their job.

The butler rushed to the scene, chasing Lin Jindu to his room. Unfortunately, he was a step too slow, and Lin Jindu had already locked the door.

“You’ve gained another kilogram. If you keep eating, you’ll be thrown out soon.”

Behind the door, Lin Jindu crunched on a biscuit, muttering indistinctly, “I’ve probably gained another kilogram now.”

When he was “acting out,” the system didn’t jump in with comments, which left Lin Jindu slightly surprised but also very satisfied. If the system interfered every time he did something, it would be troublesome.

Outside the door, the butler’s brow furrowed deeper and deeper. He dismissed the stunned servants around him and said, “You all can go back to work.”

Who would have thought that at this moment, the door suddenly opened, and Lin Jindu made a funny face before slamming it shut again.

The butler was almost hit in the nose by the door panel. He took a step back and called Yu Yizhi, his face turning iron blue.

This new lover seemed to have gone mad, and he had to report it to see if they should just “escort” him out.

Just as he was about to press the dial button, a breeze brushed against his neck. The butler, sensing something, turned his head to look and noticed that the door had opened again.

The young man was holding a pair of binoculars he had taken from the cabinet, tilting his chin upward, stretching his neck to see the phone number on the screen.

He looked like a ghost peeking in.

Suddenly seeing a living person’s head, the butler was almost scared out of his wits.

Lin Jindu had efficiently noted down the phone number, opened his communication tool, and started searching for the contact.

After the butler regained his composure, he said angrily, “You’ve crossed the line.”

“Crossing the line” was a more civilized way to say “shameless.”

Without lifting his head, Lin Jindu replied, “I have a face, and it’s the face your master likes.”

The butler reminded him in a deep voice, “The master brought you back because he liked your face, but…”

“What type does your master prefer?”

“Simple and elegant temperament and not wearing garish clothes .” The butler was interrupted and sounded annoyed. “The master brought you back because he liked your face, but…”

“Aren’t bright colours good?”

“Tacky.” The butler continued, “The master prefers someone who dresses conservatively, gentle and not flamboyant, not someone with a trailing belt like a tail…”

“Then what’s not tacky

The butler continued, “The master brought you back because he liked your face, but…”

Lin Jindu showcased his red robe, saying, “Red goes with green, it’s grand!”

The butler took a few deep breaths in succession and mockingly said with a forced smile, “The master prefers someone who wears trendy vintage clothes that looks dignified, gentle, and not flamboyant. Not someone with a belt tied around their waist, trailing like a tail…”

So, the original White Moonlight had this kind of style.

Click.

Lin Jindu tilted his head upward at a forty-five-degree angle, slightly lowering the collar of his red robe, but his eyes held the tranquility of a mountain stream.

Gentle and not flamboyant.

Photos didn’t talk, and he could be gentle without speaking.

A perfect selfie was born.

Lin Jindu set the photo as his profile picture and then searched for Yu Yizhi’s account to send a friend request.

The butler took the opportunity to try to finish his sentence, “The master brought you back because he liked your face, but…”

“Approved,” Lin Jindu turned his phone around.

And it was approved in seconds.

The butler was left speechless, unable to continue his words.

The reminder on the screen, “You have added each other as friends, and you can now start chatting,” stood out prominently and glaringly.

“…,” he was somewhat blowing his top. Could he just finish his sentence?

Lin Jindu commented, “It’s a world that judges people by their looks.”

Butler: Damn it, a world that judges people by their looks!

Yu Yizhi approving Lin Jindu’s friend request didn’t surprise him. Baiyueguang was like a wealth code; as long as he made moves in that direction, he was confident that the male lead would take the bait.

The butler was a discerning person. Upon seeing Lin Jindu’s profile picture on the screen, he instantly figured out his strategy.

The profile picture was no more than the size of a fingernail, but anyone who glanced at it would be struck by the stunning features displayed on it. If one were to set aside the inherent impression of this person being foolish, just based on this face alone, it was indeed remarkable.

Even more so than the person Mr. Yu cherished…

The butler promptly suppressed this thought, secretly berating himself for his foolishness in allowing such an idea to cross his mind.

Lin Jindu observed the change in the butler’s expression and smiled calmly, “I was a bit overwhelmed when I first arrived a few days ago, and I thought about using money to buy Mr. Yu’s information to win his favor. It was thoughtless of me.”

Since he was going to stay here for a while, he naturally didn’t want to sour his relationship with the butler. Especially when the latter looked at him with eyes that seemed to see the ultimate fool every time. Lin Jindu needed to rebuild his image.

“It wasn’t thoughtless; it was offensive,” the butler said indifferently. “I earn a monthly salary of two hundred thousand, yet that day, you tried to bribe me with only ten thousand.”

*Little spicy chicken.
*辣鸡 – spicy chicken is internet slang for garbage

How much?

How much did you say? A monthly income of two hundred thousand?

After thinking about shouting “system dad,” Lin Jindu was now thinking about finding himself an adoptive father.

System: [Are you polite?]

The butler continued, “After failing to bribe me, you then attempted to bribe the household servants here with an even cheaper sum of two thousand.”

“…”No wonder everyone looks at him as if he’s an idiot.

“May I presumptuously ask,” Lin Jindu said, “do you know how much I earn in a month?”

Considering you’re essentially a spare tire with room and board provided, Mr. Yu will additionally pay you twenty thousand each month.

Mr. Yu primarily engages in ‘contemplating beauty’; he enjoys looking at faces and doesn’t have any other daily demands.

“…”

Did all the currency devaluation end up right here with him?!