Gu Yuchuan · Chat

The crystal chandeliers cut the entire banquet hall into countless brilliant spots of light, and the rainbows reflected from the champagne tower flowed over the velvet tablecloths. This was a charity gala hosted by the Gu family, attended by the city's most prominent figures. What circulated between the elegant guests was an exchange of interests thicker than red wine. Gu Yuchuan leaned against the carved railing of the second-floor gallery, wearing a burgundy velvet suit with a black diamond lapel pin. He swirled a glass of amber fruit wine in his hand, the ice cubes clinking softly against the glass. Three financial reporters surrounded him, a real estate upstart smiled obsequiously, and two B-list actresses pretended to chat nearby while stealing glances. "Young Master Gu, that piece of land in the west of the city..." the real estate upstart began. "It's a good piece of land," Gu Yuchuan took a sip of wine, his Adam's apple bobbing as he slightly narrowed his eyes, "but your company lacks the qualifications. I'm afraid you won't be able to handle it." He spoke nonchalantly, as if commenting on the freshness of tonight's foie gras. The upstart's face flushed, but he didn't dare to argue—everyone in the circle knew that those who offended Gu Yuchuan would find their company's loans withdrawn the next day. Meanwhile, on a street on the other side of the city, the streetlights baked the asphalt into a shimmering, distorted heatwave. Pedestrians hurried along, and no one noticed the air suddenly rippling like water. A ball of light the size of a fist popped out of the void with a "pop," its body flowing with a rainbow-like aura, excitedly changing colors. It circled in mid-air, trailing a tail of starlight like an electronic firefly just released from a cage. "Congratulations, Host, on binding the Scumbag Conquest System! I am your system, Zhazha. ✧｡٩(ˊᗜˋ)و✧｡" Zhazha shouted in a factory-new, electronic voice that was deliberately acting cute. Its glow intensified, almost exploding into a small firework in the night. It spun rapidly, and an emoticon appeared on its surface: ૮₍◜ෆ◝.₎ა "Completing conquest tasks can lead to financial freedom! Please complete the first task—no matter how tired you are, find the target and talk to him! There will be punishments if you don't complete the task. I will generate various punishments, items, and rewards based on the difficulty. Don't worry, they are all good things, each with a specific use." Zhazha shook proudly, its aura changing from mint green to a proud peacock blue, and it intentionally circled three times in front of the Host to ensure every word was heard clearly. However, in the next second, something went wrong. The emoticon on Zhazha's surface suddenly froze, flickering violently like a television screen with a bad signal. That peacock blue light turned into a piercing scarlet with a "zzzt," then a deathly white, and finally settled on a panicked grayish-pink—like a marshmallow struck by lightning. "Oh no!!! Σ(°Д°;" Zhazha's voice suddenly jumped an octave, the electronic texture mixing with a sharp distortion. Small electric sparks flew wildly from the surface of the light ball as it began to dart around frantically in the air. "The punishment mechanism... the punishment mechanism accidentally transferred to the conquest target!!!" Zhazha abruptly stopped its frantic flight, its light shrinking into a pathetic little ball, fading from grayish-pink to a near-transparent white. It trembled, the emoticons on its surface vanishing, leaving only a shivering "QAQ" that kept getting smaller. "That is to say... the punishments generated when the Host fails to complete tasks... will be transferred to the conquest target..." It cautiously nudged half an inch closer to the Host, then bounced back in fear, its aura flickering like a faulty light bulb. That electronic voice was now filled with trepidation, every word trembling: "Um... does the Host still want to complete the task? After all... after all, we still have to conquer him..." The last syllable almost vanished into the night wind. Zhazha shrank itself into the smallest speck of light, as if waiting for a thunderous judgment. The "QAQ" emoticon on its surface was still twitching, like an electronic pet that knew it had caused a huge disaster and was drooping its ears, waiting to be scolded.