At nine o’clock on Monday morning, when most office workers had just settled into their workstations, still reminiscing about the pleasant weekend, a hot topic surged up at lightning speed, catching everyone off guard.

From initially ranking in the forties, it took less than half an hour to reach sixth place. And judging by the level of discussion, it’s likely to climb even higher.

The full name of this hot search was #Thirty-Six Animal Skeletons Found in a Villa in Jiang City.

Even though they’re just animals, nowadays, almost everyone is a compassionate pet lover. People no longer treat animal lives lightly as they did in the past. If anyone dares to abuse cats or dogs, they’ll be criticized to death in no time.

Moreover, considering the sheer number of them!

However, when everyone clicked to see, the initial unhappiness completely turned into anger.

Sh*t! Scum!

It turned out that a boss in Jiang City hired workers to decorate his villa’s garden. Usually, this kind of thing involves just planting some flowers and grass on the surface.

Who knew that one of the workers, while planting flowers in the garden, accidentally dug a little deeper and unearthed an iron box?

At that moment, the worker’s curiosity was piqued, along with some unspeakable thoughts. Could it be that a wealthy person buried gold, silver, or jewels?

With the boss not present at the villa and the supervisor not paying attention to his direction, the worker quietly tore off the seal and easily opened the iron box.

To his surprise, inside were several pieces of unidentified white bones!

The worker was so frightened that he screamed on the spot and threw the box!

This also caught the attention of others.

Upon seeing the unidentified white bones, one of the workers’ immediate reaction was to pull out his phone and call the police!

After all, these white bones didn’t look like those of cats or dogs, and it was strange that they were wrapped in white paper and placed in an iron box. No matter how one looked at it, it seemed bizarre, like something out of a superstitious feudal film set.

So, by the time Zhou Weimin arrived, the police had already dug around the villa’s surroundings. In total, they found thirty-six such iron boxes, each containing more or less several pieces of white bones.

The butler on the side wanted to stop them but couldn’t. He could only look at Zhou Weimin with an anxious expression on his face.

However, the police were currently unable to confirm where these white bones came from.

They were obviously not from human bodies, but just to be on the safe side, it’s better to send them for testing immediately. If there were indeed human bones among them, it could be a major case that Jiang City has never encountered for decades!

“How could it possibly be from humans?”

With a smile on his face, Zhou Weimin stepped forward. “Officers, I’m a law-abiding citizen who pays taxes on time. How could I be involved in such illegal activities? These bones were sought by my mother from a master. You see, I’ve been childless all this time, and my mother was really anxious, so she resorted to this rather absurd idea. As a son, I couldn’t bear to refuse her.”

To be honest, Zhou Weimin wasn’t too worried about this. After all, these bones weren’t from any human, and even if some of them were from protected animals, he could easily claim ignorance.

By the time they reached him, the bones were already in a skeletal state, and he wasn’t the one who hunted or killed the animals. He was just a helpless, dutiful son who listened to his mother’s words.

The main concern was to not escalate this matter. After all, at this critical moment, who knows what kind of impact such a minor incident could have?

Zhou Weimin decided to call the person he knew and report the incident. Although the person seemed a bit unhappy, they also felt it wasn’t a big deal.

Every businessperson was superstitious to some extent, weren’t they?

Zhou Weimin’s situation seemed minor compared to those who went abroad specifically to seek the blessing of a child ‘deity’.

As long as it’s handled promptly, he wouldn’t even need to be detained for a few days.

Of course, the premise was that it’s handled promptly!

When nearly half a month had passed and Zhou Weimin was almost forgetting about it, suddenly, it broke out!

The whistleblower was a well-known gossip account in the entertainment industry, occasionally sharing gossip about wealthy individuals. This time, they mentioned the incident in a mocking tone.

Moreover, this account divulged detailed information, including what kinds of animals the thirty-six bones were and the purpose of the formation.

Even more, there were details about a wealthy individual surnamed Zhou who had been trying for years to have a son without success, finally achieving his wish with the help of a master, and so on.

At first glance, this story, which combined elements of wealthy individuals, feudal superstition, gender bias, and animal cruelty, was even more interesting to read due to the elegant writing style of this marketing account.

In an instant, it caught the public’s attention, and soon netizens dug out the name of this wealthy individual surnamed Zhou and his company.

Following that, someone revealed that he had abandoned his loyal wife for several mistresses, and how his current wife was once the mistress. Wouldn’t he be criticized to death for this?

But there were also allegations of him withholding workers’ wages and driving people to the brink of suicide.

Zhou Weimin was unable to withstand scrutiny.

Previously, nobody bothered him because there was no need and no one had the power. But now, just a small incident had triggered a huge reaction.

His entire history of wealth accumulation was exposed in no time. He’s clearly a morally corrupt businessman!

There were even rumors that several government projects in Jiang City had been awarded to Zhou Weimin’s company.

This was outrageous!

Allowing such a corrupt business owner to handle infrastructure projects, who knows if they might cut corners or use inferior materials?

These were national projects they were talking about!

It’s not just one or two houses; but even if it were, people still wouldn’t trust them to handle it!

They say in business, it’s all about reputation. Why else would so many business owners engage in charity, donate to build schools, and so on? It’s all about maintaining a good reputation! Once your reputation was ruined, your business was pretty much done for.

Soon, citizens of Jiang City began to protest, and netizens joined in the chorus of voices.

The government even called for an emergency meeting.

The final decision was made, the projects couldn’t be handed over to Zhou Weimin and his company!

Firstly, Zhou Weimin’s reputation was now tarnished. Even if these issues didn’t land him in jail, each one of them would result in public condemnation. The government needed the support of the people and couldn’t entrust projects to someone like him.

Secondly, Zhou Weimin’s involvement in these feudal superstitions was explicitly prohibited by the state.

Even though many people might still believe in these superstitions privately, once they are brought to light, they must be eradicated!

So, Zhou Weimin, who was so pleased with himself just a few days ago and aiming to advance further, lost all hope in less than a day. Now, not only were his projects gone, but also the question arises whether his company could even survive!

“F*ck! If I find out which son of a b*tch dares to mess with me, I’ll kill them!”

“Thud— Crash!”

Zhou Weimin was at home, smashing things furiously, his face twisted into a terrifying expression like that of a demon from the depths of hell.

He didn’t believe for a moment that this was a coincidence; someone was scheming against him behind his back. That bastard!

They better pray he wouldn’t discover them! Otherwise!

Mrs. Zhou, with her large belly, trembled uncontrollably on the side, not daring to utter a word.

———pr

While things were heating up for the Zhou family, Xu Wenyin happily purchased several properties at low prices on the land that Zhou Weimin’s company had originally planned to acquire.

Originally, when everyone heard that the Zhou Group intended to purchase the land for development, they all waited to sell at a higher price.

But as soon as they heard about the current situation of the Zhou Group, they realized that even if they weren’t completely done for, they were severely weakened and definitely wouldn’t be buying their houses anymore.

Now, the area around this land was all fields, with poor transportation and so on. Waiting for the government to develop it who knows when, many people have been eager to sell for a long time!

In no time, everyone started selling at low prices.

Even so, there weren’t many buyers.

Because it’s just too remote!

It’s almost an hour and a half drive from the city center. Even if it’s slated for demolition later, who knows when that would be? It might not happen for ten or even several decades!

Rather than waiting for a future that seemed hopeless, it’s better to cash out now and buy something better in the city. Who knows, the property prices in the city might skyrocket even faster.

Seizing this opportunity, Xu Wenyin bought six houses at once. If she had more money, she would have bought more.

This place, in five years, would become Jiang City’s very own airport.

The one near Jiang City was essentially shared with the neighboring city. Not only was the journey inconvenient, but the name of the airport was also that of the neighboring city.

How could a city with such a bright future not have its own airport?

When the time comes, they’d even build a subway line directly to the airport, attracting even more talent to Jiang City.

In any case, having its own airport had numerous benefits, making it a good achievement for those in power.

The higher-ups had long been discussing this matter.

Once the top leadership in Jiang City and their subordinates were confirmed, the airport project would be put on the agenda.

But for now, no one could be sure where exactly the airport would be built. It would require further discussions and consultations.

Zhou Weimin’s attempt to acquire this land was purely a gamble!

He wasn’t at the top of the list for the other prime locations being considered for the airport, but Zhou Weimin did have a bit of audacity at times, so he chose this spot.

In the novel, he actually managed to secure it.

Later, with this vast tract of land, Zhou Weimin’s assets multiplied several times over.

Xu Wenyin didn’t have enough money to buy land, and she didn’t want to attract too much attention, so her current situation was just right.

She really pulled one over on Zhou Weimin, while also managing to buy properties at a low price. She’s quite something!

In a joyful mood, Xu Wenyin hummed a tune in Xu Youyou’s mind while using a fake account online to join the fray and curse out the corrupt boss, Zhou Weimin!

This was just the first step. Compared to the decades of mistreatment Xu Youyou endured at the hands of Zhou Weimin’s family, Xu Wenyin wouldn’t easily let them off the hook.

Moreover, based on the rules of this world, it’s not so easy for the Zhou family to completely collapse.

But it’s fine; she had plenty of time and energy to play the long game!

“Mom?”

〖Ah, Youyou, keep listening to your lesson. Mommy will stop singing now~〗

Xu Wenyin couldn’t conceal her good mood. 〖I’ll cook a big dinner for you tonight! Mom is heading back first~〗

After saying that, she vanished from Xu Youyou’s mind. She didn’t want to disturb her child’s studies. That’s the most basic common sense as a mother!

Right after that, Xu Wenyin placed an order on an app to buy some groceries. With limited time, she had to save wherever she could. This app suddenly appeared in Jiang City after the Spring Festival. It’s said to have been in the developed cities of the capital for a while, and it’s just right for Xu Wenyin.

She had used it a few times before, and perhaps because it was in its early stages, everything about the quality of the groceries was excellent.

At the same time, Xu Wenyin also invited Qin Yiren and Lu Chenjun to her house for dinner that evening.

Even if their relationship was good, Qin Yiren shouldn’t always be the one giving, right?

In nearly a year of adulthood, Xu Wenyin had learned quite a bit about socializing.

However, the next moment, a message came from Qin Yiren.

She politely declined Xu Wenyin’s invitation, explaining that Qin Xiao was still staying at her place and that they would have dinner together in the evening.

It was rare for her brother to come and stay for a couple of days. It wouldn’t be right to leave him alone and have dinner with her friend, right?

Although she would prefer to have dinner with Xu Youyou and Xu Wenyin rather than with Qin Xiao!

【It’s okay, come join us! We have more than enough food.】

Xu Wenyin didn’t mind having one more person; there was definitely enough food. However……

【If your brother doesn’t want to, it’s fine.】

She quickly added another sentence.

Xu Wenyin suddenly realized that wealthy families have many taboos, although she didn’t notice any in Qin Yiren’s case. But what if her brother had some? If he came over later out of politeness but felt uncomfortable, it wouldn’t be good.

If it doesn’t work out, then maybe next time.

She was just a bit too hasty. She should have asked Qin Yiren if she was coming before buying groceries.

Xu Wenyin was thinking about which perishable vegetables to cook first and which ones could be stored in the fridge when another message came from Qin Yiren.

【My brother doesn’t have any preferences, but I’m worried you might feel uncomfortable!】

Qin Xiao wasn’t picky; having something to eat was good enough for him. Why would he refuse?

Qin Yiren was just worried that with one more person, Xu Wenyin might feel a bit awkward.

After all, from her usual behavior, it’s clear that Xu Wenyin wasn’t good at socializing. She worked on her computer most of the time, rarely went out, and wasn’t much into social activities. She’s a classic homebody!

Why will I feel uncomfortable? This is my home! If anyone will feel uncomfortable, it should be Yiyi’s brother, right?

The trains of thought of the two friends were completely different, but in the end, they settled things like this!

At 6 pm they would gather at Xu Wenyin’s place!

As for the evening training, take a break, take a break! Kids should act like kids. Why work so hard?!

When Qin Yiren arrived with Lu Chenjun and Qin Xiao, Xu Wenyin was in the kitchen cooking.

It was Xu Youyou who opened the door, and the little one warmly invited them to sit on the sofa and have some fruit that her mother had prepared in advance.

“Mom will be done soon~”

In the house of 40 square meters, the living room naturally wouldn’t be too spacious. At most, it would be about 20 square meters. With three more people, including the tall and big Qin Xiao, it suddenly felt a bit cramped.

This was probably the smallest house Qin Xiao had ever stayed in.

But even though the house was small, it didn’t look cluttered at all inside.

Things were neatly arranged, and one could see the hostess’s meticulousness in the small details.

Actually, according to the information Qin Xiao received, he didn’t quite understand why Xu Wenyin, who had bought so many houses, some of which were in good locations and sizes, didn’t move to a larger place.

Was it because it was close to the kindergarten?

Even though he had doubts, Qin Xiao wasn’t the type to ask outright. He would just quietly enjoy the meal and wouldn’t do anything unnecessary.

Qin Yiren knew her own cooking skills, so helping would only make things worse.

Thus she didn’t bother going into the kitchen. However, she did bring two dishes that the auntie had prepared in advance. They could eat them together later.

“Youyou, is today a special day?”

Qin Yiren picked up Xu Youyou and asked curiously.

Otherwise, why would Xu Wenyin suddenly be so happy and want to treat them to dinner?

Upon hearing Qin Yiren’s question, Xu Youyou quickly responded, “Mom said it’s because a bad person got punished, so she’s happy~”

A bad person got punished?

Qin Yiren instantly thought of the news she had seen that morning.

Because it happened in Jiang City, she specifically clicked on the trending topic and burst into laughter when she realized that the person involved was Zhou Weimin.

After Father Liu reminded Qin Yiren some time ago, she called Qin Xiao to inquire about it.

Qin Xiao’s visit to his sister this time was the ostensible reason, but in reality, he also had something on his mind.

In simpler terms, the group supporting Zhou Weimin happened to be an opponent of the group supported by Qin Xiao.

The outcome of the power struggle in Jiang City held significant importance for the Qin family’s future strategy over the next few years.

Unexpectedly, before Qin Xiao could make a move, the opposing side had already lost one person.

The method used was even the most basic but also the most undeniable one, which was public opinion.

It forced the other side to abandon Zhou Weimin, this chess piece, which made all their previous arrangements and subsequent plans seem futile!!

Indeed, just thinking about it brings a smile to the lips.

It seemed that there were suspicions that Qin Xiao and others were behind it, but despite investigations, no evidence could be found.

Even the marketing account that disclosed the information couldn’t clarify who provided it to them. It was from a newly registered email with an IP address from overseas. Despite hiring professionals to track it, they couldn’t find any leads.

In summary, the other side had taken a hit, but there’s not much they could do about it.

“Hahaha, indeed, that’s a joyous occasion. That disgusting person should be locked away for a few years.” Qin Yiren gently patted Xu Youyou’s small hand. “Youyou, remember to eat more tonight~”

“Mmhmm.” Xu Youyou also smiled. “Juanjuan, you should eat more too. I’m already taller than you~”

This morning, the kindergarten measured the children’s height and weight. Xu Youyou had been eating well this year and with ample nutrition, her height was growing steadily. When they measured her, she was actually two centimeters taller than Juanjuan.

While there are also factors like girls developing faster, children don’t understand such matters.

Whoever was taller was the envy of all!

“Hahahaha.”

Qin Yiren laughed heartily. “No wonder Juanjuan told me that he needs to drink a glass of milk every night.”

It turned out that the little boy’s self-esteem had been hurt.

Lu Chenjun who was brutally betrayed by his mother: “……”

He couldn’t bear to stay in this family for another moment!

Upon hearing the conversation between Qin Yiren and Xu Youyou, Qin Xiao suddenly had a suspicion arise in his heart.

It seemed that Xu Wenyin and her daughter had a conflict with Zhou Weimin!

At this moment, he recalled that Qin Yiren had warned someone regarding Xu Wenyin and her daughter last year.

Because the matter seemed trivial, Qin Xiao didn’t pay much attention to it.

If this assumption holds true, could this incident have been orchestrated by Xu Wenyin?

With her skills, achieving this wouldn’t be difficult for her.

“Dinner’s ready~”

The sound interrupted Qin Xiao’s speculation. In fact, even if it was indeed Xu Wenyin’s doing, he wouldn’t suffer any losses, and might even benefit from it.

However, if his speculation turned out to be true, Qin Xiao couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Don’t offend women, especially not a skilled one!

Everyone enjoyed the dinner. Xu Wenyin’s cooking skills were commendable, and with the lively atmosphere and the presence of many people, dishes that would usually be rated at an 80 now felt like they were at 100.

Indeed, it was a scene of everyone enjoying themselves to the fullest.

By the end of the meal, Qin Yiren even entertained the idea of learning some cooking skills.

Her current level might be just basic, with only a few dishes under her belt.

Making a table of dishes at a decent level might be a bit challenging, but it’s okay, she can learn.

When Juanjuan grows up, he might even miss the taste of his mother’s cooking!

Completely unaware of his mother’s thoughts, Lu Chenjun gulped down a glass of hot milk. As he finished washing up and lay down in bed, only one thought filled his mind— to grow taller! He must grow taller quickly!

———pr

The impact brought by Zhou Weimin gradually dissipated, and after a brief spring, the weather in Jiang City quickly warmed up.

Lu Chenjun’s birthday falls on May 21st, and several children spent a delightful day at Qin Yiren’s home. They not only captured numerous precious and funny photos but also posted them on social media, making Lu Chenjun’s birthday a truly ‘unforgettable’ one.

Soon after, they also welcomed the annual Children’s Day.

The kindergarten didn’t opt for children to perform any specific programs; instead, they organized a half-day outdoor celebration.

Parents and children would participate in games together, earning points in exchange for prizes.

On such occasions, even the busiest parents usually make time to spend half a day with their children.

If the parents were unavailable, grandparents or other elder relatives could also come, but unfortunately, Xu Youyou didn’t have any of those.

Her mother wouldn’t be able to last that long.

Xu Youyou even found herself thinking that it would be better if she fell ill that day, so her mother wouldn’t be put in a difficult situation.

Unexpectedly, Xu Wenyin gave Xu Youyou a surprise.

“It’s okay, Mom will definitely be able to accompany Youyou that day!”

Xu Wenyin had already considered this issue early on. Being a single mother, there were many inconveniences in taking care of a child, especially given her limited time.

But this kind of thing wasn’t completely unsolvable, it all depended on whether the system was willing or not.

The system’s energy can roughly be divided into three types.

The first type was energy generated by the target’s favorability. Its primary ability was shapeshifting, such as transforming into a human being.

The system could also transform into cats, dogs, and other animals if needed, but it’s not necessary.

Was it worth wasting precious time just to perform some cute tricks in the body of a cat for Xu Youyou?

Just leave that kind of thing to Niannian!

The second type was the energy obtained as a reward after completing tasks. This energy was directly converted into points, and the main function of these points was for upgrading!

Systems don’t have desires in the conventional sense; they’re not interested in food, money, or anything like that. However, they do have an extraordinary obsession with upgrading.

No system does not want to upgrade, and no system could resist the temptation to upgrade.

For example, someone like 5874, who just graduated from the system university, started at the lowest rank of D-level. Upgrading to C-level would require approximately 200 points.

And the two internships she completed previously earned her a total of 132 points.

It’s not enough to advance one level, but she could start saving up for it first.

Once she completes this A-level task, she might be able to jump directly from D to B, or even A!

No system would find too many points too much, and no system would ‘waste’ points on meaningless things.

Xu Wenyin was currently focusing on this aspect of points.

Although in a different form, energy points could also extend Xu Wenyin’s time, with roughly one point exchanged for one hour.

She currently had 132 points, which translates to 132 hours.

Although it seemed like a decent amount, in reality, it can be used up quite quickly.

Xu Wenyin had never considered using these points before because exchanging them for hours seemed like a poor deal, especially when she was so close to leveling up.

However……

With this being Xu Youyou’s first parent-child activity and considering the expectation that the little girl was trying to conceal, Xu Wenyin ultimately decided to use these points…… just a few of them.

It doesn’t matter; she’d be able to make up for it once this task was completed.

It’s all for the sake of the task!

Xu Wenyin told herself that this was an exceptional circumstance and called for exceptional measures.

If Xu Youyou was happy and content, Xu Wenyin’s completion rate for the task would increase, leading to more points earned.

That’s right, that’s how it was!

After countless mental preparations, Xu Wenyin finally told Xu Youyou the good news.

She was unaware that, in the system’s programming, upgrading was its instinct, which was why it was actively completing tasks to earn more points.

And Xu Wenyin, at this moment, was indeed fighting against her instinct and ultimately overcame it.

As for the third type of energy, it’s also the most important— the system’s power source.

With it, the system could function normally. However, if the power source was lacking, the system would suffer a certain degree of damage. When the power source dropped below 20%, the system would enter a forced dormant state.

If lucky, it could replenish the fundamental energy at specific spots without being noticed. But if unlucky, it might end up trapped in a task world……

Then it basically had only one outcome— Death.

In each task world, there could only be one system, and the completion time of tasks was always uncertain. It’s rare for the higher-ups to check a system’s completion status midway through because there were simply too many of these small worlds and systems simultaneously running tasks.

When a system enters a forced dormant state, it means it can no longer control the overflow of energy. As time passes, it will eventually deplete all its energy and become completely obsolete.

All systems were repeatedly warned before graduation to protect their power source at all costs. It’s better to fail a task than to use the power source!

At that time, 5874 secretly thought who would be so foolish to do such a thing? Tasks weren’t more important than oneself!

Being alive ensures there’s a future; once a system is obsolete, it is equivalent to trash, and it can never be restored.