Chapter 17

Although the items accompanying this long-winded ad weren’t free, that didn’t truly distinguish them—after all, both were cut from the same cloth: one simply listed a price and let buyers decide, the other relied on deception; thus, Yi Zhen even suspected this ad—he was indeed a fraud, but still had a sliver of conscience, however small, far more polite than those who openly stole.

So, if forced to choose between the two, which would you pick?

Either way, Yi Zhen was certainly open to anything—having power behind you made you this brazen.

Since the text had been read, he might as well ask customer service; the price this time was clearly negotiable, and severity would naturally cause fluctuations.

Fine, it’s just about how much you’re willing to pay for your suffering—they’re blatantly scamming you, and jumping in is your own choice, like when Zhen Lin complained about Pinduoduo selling wild Superman.

Hmm… so, should he get this thing? If he did, it seemed M78 would appear—would that throw the world into chaos?

He wasn’t sure. Better to strengthen himself first—everything else was illusion; true strength came from within.

This time, no page redirect was needed—perhaps the merchant’s customer service had stationed itself inside this ad app, saving him considerable trouble.

Anonymous: Hello, can you really cure any illness?

Anonymous: [Kangwei Program Purchase Link, Click to Buy Now]

Customer Service: Hello, your request has been received and forwarded to customer service. Please wait. (Bot)

Customer Service: Hello! We can cure absolutely any illness. Are you a young man or a young lady? May I know your name?

Customer Service: Interested in treatment? Prices are fair, honest, no cheating the old or the young.

Customer Service: [Video.JPEG]

Customer Service: This is one of our successful case studies—please take a look; it’ll help with consultation and purchase. Currently running a promotion: spend 300, save 50. If you provide your identity info, we’ll give you an extra lottery draw—top prize: a Porsche 911. Extremely valuable!

Customer Service: Hello? Still there?

Yi Zhen stared at these messages, genuinely stunned—how each method grew more sophisticated. Once you gave your identity info, phone scams would come every few days—inevitable. Identity leaks spread this fast. Generally, unless absolutely necessary, you should guard such details tightly—or regret would come too late.

Yi Zhen, however, nearly laughed out loud. In terms of enthusiasm, he was unquestionably number one, with no one else even close.

He hoped the data leak would be as massive as possible—it meant he’d have plenty to do later, and wouldn’t need to hunt for targets. Didn’t it feel great to get cold-called?

His mind leapt even further—to university nude loans. Both were scams, no essential difference—so why fear? He just wondered: if compound interest met his ability, would it roll backward—or freeze entirely?

Either way, he wouldn’t let them roll it recklessly—otherwise, his ability was misused. Hmm, already imagining his future bliss… slurp…

Uh, no—couldn’t think further. If he jumped levels now, it’d be bad. He hadn’t even started enjoying this place yet—how could he leave so soon? And Zhen Lin, his good buddy. As for the other two—later.

His thoughts were unclear now; trying to force integration would only provoke resentment from him and Zhen Lin.

Since he couldn’t think, he habitually tapped open a short video, turned the volume as low as possible, and quietly watched the “treatment” footage.

The screen split simply left and right: left, a middle-aged man, unkempt beard, messy long hair, sunken eyes heavy with dark circles—clearly sleep-deprived and suffering from illness.

Right, a beautiful girl. Unlike the man, she sat composed and poised, large eyes, delicate nose, naturally radiant face untouched by makeup, pink background behind her. He truly admired the merchant—hiring a pretty girl for promotion? What a lavish investment.

A black wired microphone hung beside her mouth. Everything felt real, yet slightly unreal—was it an illusion?

Girl: Hello, what would you like to ask?

Middle-aged Man: Illness treatment.

Girl: Oh, here’s a link—go find it yourself.

As Yi Zhen froze for a few seconds, their chat had already begun—he no longer saw the pretty girl. In a single cut, the right side switched to a pair of restless hands: right index and middle fingers raised together, left hand pressed flat beneath, performing some absurd ritual to expel demons. The voice was faint, yet he felt his body’s vitality slowly reviving.

Oh? So no purchase needed—just watching this scam video was enough? Perfect. Future needs? Just search, let them advertise. Control would be ridiculously easy.

His body was gradually recovering, his mind now sharper—he immediately spotted something off about the video.

Damn, this was clearly a synthesized, edited clip. The girl? Definitely using livestream gear. Her lines were too brief, her voice too quiet—most wouldn’t notice these details. Cough, cough—not because he thought she was pretty and was making excuses. Malicious editing was despicable. Best not to go online-harassing.

He exited the video. Another lottery chance appeared. He couldn’t say he wasn’t tempted—but he wasn’t even eighteen yet. Driver’s license? Still years away. Taking it home? He had no idea how to handle it. Unless… another classmate’s address…

Lu Lu’s place? How would he explain it to her? When she asked—how would he justify this to his own sister?

Damn, data memory method—it was still just data memory. His mind had opened up, yet faced with this, he was utterly baffled.

Why did he feel like a newly rich fool? No, no—better ignore it. Plenty of chances ahead. No need to fixate on something that only caused stress and wasted time.

With a shift in thought, Yi Zhen relaxed. The ability had come too suddenly—he still hadn’t fully processed it. He needed to train his mindset again, regain that earlier calm.

Huh… wait. His body felt comfortable. If this could last forever—almost like a charm from some anime, but slower. At least thirty seconds of tingling remained before it faded.

“What the hell? Who took a shit this stinky? Is Big Black in the bathroom again? Fuck, I’m going to beat him up right now—ugh～”

At that moment, Zhen Lin, who’d been wearing headphones and excitedly gaming, suddenly stood up, furious.

Just now, he’d sensed a familiar odor—worse than ever. At first he didn’t believe it, but after sniffing slightly, he nearly vomited. His face twisted in agony, refusing to inhale even a breath. This smell? Even chemical weapons couldn’t match it.

He immediately clamped his nose and bolted out the door. Before leaving, he turned on every fan—he couldn’t sleep tonight if the stink lingered. Beating up Big Black was just an excuse—he just wanted to escape this biological weapon. Ugh～ I’m dying!