Chapter 3

Sorry, Host, this 001 doesn't know yet for now, but please rest assured, as long as you follow the rules and complete the tasks I assign, you will definitely become stronger and stronger, find the mastermind behind the scenes, and reclaim your own Qi Yun.

Although Su Ruo was filled with anger, she also knew that getting angry was useless, so she struggled to calm her emotions and asked:

"You say you can help me change my fate—what abilities do you have?"

Host, 001 can do many things, such as opening storage space and a spatial mall; at that time, the Host will not only be able to store items, but can also trade with people from many interfaces, and the mall contains many things that don't exist in this world—however, to activate these functions, the Host needs to provide Contribution Value.

Su Ruo: "How do we obtain Contribution Value?"

001 immediately said: "Do good deeds and accumulate virtue; as long as the Host does good deeds and helps others, they will receive the corresponding Contribution Value reward."

Su Ruo self-mockingly thought, "Save people? She can't even protect herself now—how could she help others,"

Su Ruo directly asked: "Then what is the Newbie Gift Pack you just mentioned?"

As a reward for newcomers, the Host can get three Lottery Draw chances.

After 001 finished speaking, a huge red Lottery Draw machine appeared out of thin air before Su Ruo.

Su Ruo was somewhat speechless; for someone like her, who has been extremely unlucky since childhood, the system actually letting her do a Lottery Draw—surely it's not just messing with her?

But with the mindset of not wasting a free opportunity, Su Ruo still gripped the red handle of the Lottery Draw machine.

Su Ruo gave it a hard pull, and 001 immediately reminded: "Congratulations, Host, the Lottery Draw was successful—you can reclaim five percent of your Qi Yun Value."

After the system finished speaking, a Progress Bar appeared on the display screen; the green bar slowly increased and finally stopped at the five percent mark.

At the same time, Su Ruo felt that, in this moment, the dark energy that had always surrounded her seemed to have diminished greatly, and her whole person felt refreshed and clear-headed, as if basking in a spring breeze.

Before, Su Ruo was always dazed and confused, as if something were weighing her down, making it hard for her to muster any spirit.

Now, not only does her body feel relaxed, but her eyes and mind also seem much clearer.

Su Ruo wondered inwardly, "Could this be the power of five percent of my Qi Yun?"

If just five percent of her Qi Yun has such a miraculous effect, then what kind of miraculous effect would regaining all of her Qi Yun produce?

Su Ruo had begun to believe what the system said—that she is the Chosen One—and at the same time she resented even more the person who stole her Qi Yun.

At the same time, as Su Ruo's Qi Yun was being reclaimed, in a luxuriously decorated room in the Imperial Capital, a girl wearing a white dress, about the same age as Su Ruo, suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood; before she could speak, she fainted.

After feeling the miraculous changes in her body, Su Ruo placed her hand on the red handle again and began the second Lottery Draw.

Whether it was because she had reclaimed that five percent of Qi Yun or not, on the second draw Su Ruo actually won the reward of altering her physique.

After receiving this reward, Su Ruo instantly felt her strength increase greatly—enough to run ten laps around the track right away.

If she were to face Grandma Su and Su Da Bao with her current physique, she would definitely not be beaten without any power to fight back.

Knowing that going to the countryside would involve labor, Su Ruo was very satisfied with this reward, took a deep breath, and pressed the handle again.

"Congratulations, Host, you have won the reward of a ten-square-meter storage space; this space is a time‑still space, and the Host can place any non‑living items inside as needed, without worrying about them rotting."

Su Ruo thought that going to the countryside required preparing many things, and she felt this reward was incredibly timely—this way she could put some important items into the system space and not worry about losing them.

Su Ruo was very satisfied with these three rewards from the system, and her eyes gained a bit more luster.

She believed that with the system's help, in this life she would definitely be able to take revenge, repaying all the harms she suffered in her previous life.

Su Ruo organized her thoughts, looked at the calendar on the wall, and calculated that, according to time, it should now be one month after her parents' death.

In her previous life, at this same time, her paternal grandmother came to the door, forcing her to sign up for the countryside assignment in place of her eldest older brother.

However, in her previous life at this time, Su Ruo, overwhelmed by the sudden loss of her parents and feeling extremely pitiable due to her unlucky constitution, was coaxed by her grandmother and the Da Bo family into going to the countryside in place of her eldest older brother with just a few words.

Now, having been reborn, thinking about the departure of that "couple" who were her parents, Su Ruo no longer feels any sorrow in her heart.

She doesn't know what role the foster parents played in the incident where her identity was swapped, but thinking about how they had been cold toward her since childhood, even hostile.

Su Ruo can easily guess that they must have known she was not their biological daughter.

Now that the foster parents are dead, Su Ruo wants to investigate this matter, but she has no way to start, so she can only suppress it for now.

Moreover, Su Ruo now has more important things to do; the foster parents died when they were accidentally struck by a falling object while working.

According to her memories from the previous life, Su Ruo knows that the factory consequently paid a considerable sum of Compensation Money.

However, in her previous life, that sum of money was entirely taken by Grandma Su and the Da Bo family.

Although Su Ruo no longer has any feelings toward that couple, the things that belong to her—this time no one dare try to take them away.

After figuring it out, Su Ruo hesitated no longer, went out, and according to her memory found the place where her parents worked—the City Cotton Mill.

The gatekeeper uncle was an enthusiastic person; after Su Ruo explained the situation, he directly took her to the factory director's office.

Wang Changzhang immediately recognized Su Ruo; looking at the thin, weak little girl before him, his heart couldn't help but ache.

Su Ruo knew Wang Changzhang was an upright person; with reddened eyes she said, "Director Wang Uncle, my grandmother forced me to go to the countryside in place of my eldest older brother, and even said she would beat me to death if I didn't go."

Su Ruo knew people have sympathy for the weak, and she didn't think her little bit of scheming was wrong.

"What?" Wang Changzhang's face changed upon hearing this; his complexion turned ashen as he said, "How outrageous! Little lass, rest assured—your parents died for the factory, and as long as I, Uncle Wang, am here, no one will be able to bully you!"

Su Ruo knew Wang Changzhang meant well, but she still said, "Uncle Wang, the countryside matter has already been registered by my grandmother—no one can change it."

"Moreover, if I don't go to the countryside in place of my eldest older brother, my grandmother will resent me, and even if I stay, my future days will not be easy."

Wang Changzhang also calmed down at this point; he knew the girl's words were true, as the saying goes, an honest official finds it hard to settle family matters—he could protect the little girl for a moment, but not for her whole life.

Consequently, Wang Changzhang's gaze toward Su Ruo grew increasingly guilty; her parents had sacrificed themselves at work, yet he couldn't even protect their only daughter.

Seeing the moment was ripe, Su Ruo immediately said, "Uncle Wang, I've heard that my parents have a sum of Compensation Money; I want to withdraw it, so I'll have money on hand when I go to the countryside, and I won't have to worry about starving!"

This is indeed Su Ruo's main purpose for coming this time; thinking back to her previous life, when she went to the countryside with only a few ragged sets of clothes, she almost starved to death along the way.

Having endured such a painful experience, Su Ruo never wants to go through it again; only those who have known poverty understand how important money is.